# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1941_S437
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Two Radio Addresses 437

and methods. Once that is recognized, the desire will be
ue negotiations in a spirit of charity and Christian under-
The debate clearly showed that the Missouri Synod
hes the problem of unity in a spirit of utter candor and
y. There is no disposition to use weasel words nor to
ulate a basis of union capable of a thousand and one inter-
ations. When unity is finally achieved, it must be upon a plat-
\ that is clear, unequivocal, and mutually satisfactory to all
rties concerned.

Perhaps I should add this additional word. The public is
slow to understand the reasons for this seeming delay in
mating Christian unity. You'll just have to bear in mind
e > fact that these Lutherans originally came to this country to
id religious persecution and to be free at all times to bear wit-
ss.to what they believed to be the Word of God. Whatever
ion may be exercised in these deliberations is a caution born
the desire to preserve this precious heritage of full and un-
mpered religious freedom.

~The early Christian Church was a missionary Church. Owing
the troubled conditions of the world there are those who believe
hat the door of opportunity for missionary expansion has been
losed or at least partly closed. But not these Lutherans. They
in’t believe that, not for a minute. The Convention has just
aken action authorizing additional funds for missionary effort.
Speaker after speaker took the rostrum to summon the Lutheran
Synod to redouble its efforts that those who walk in darkness may
at long last be brought within the light of the Galilean présence.
As I understand the temper of this Convention, there will be no
relaxation in the efforts of the Missouri Synod to evangelize the
world, since the passion for missionary expansion flows through
the blood-stream of Lutherans everywhere.

Within recent years a number of communions have created
commissions to revise the Bible. The thought has been to improve
the text of Holy Scripture in order that the Word of God may be
‘a living Gospel, full of meaning and significance for the days in
' which we live. Accordingly, the Missouri Synod has instructed
its President to appoint a committee to study the matter of a
possible revision of the Authorized Version of the Bible. The
committee will proceed with its task for the next three years and
will report its findings to the convention of the Synod in 1944.

I want to make this one thing clear about the Missouri Synod.
These Lutherans are not in the habit of barging in on the strictly
political affairs of the Government. For them the line between
God and Caesar is a straight line; a line drawn with the strong
hand of Lutheran tradition. This does not mean that the Missouri
Synod is indifferent to Government policy. On the contrary, these