LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 400

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400

ALC

ALC

B. The Executive Committee [of the ALC’s Church
Council] reviewed the text of a letter to The Lutheran
Church—Missour! Synod to be published in the April 16.
1974, 1ssue of The Lutheran Standard, and ratified the action
taken by the general president and commended Dr David
Preus for the manner in which he has conducted his office
relating to The Lutheran Church—Missours Synod The
text of the letter #5 as follows

We believe there 1s room in the Lutheran
church tor the kind of differences in theological
approach which have brought you to your
pretent impasse They are not differences that
call for divisiveness of new tests of orthodoxy
The traditronal Lutheran Confessions are
enough. Agreement with them is sufficient for
you and for us to live together in the ‘unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace’ (Eph. 4:3)

We are frankly distressed at the prospect
of the Statement of Scriptural and Confessional
Principles’ being used as the only valid interpre-
tation of the doctrinal issues currently agetating
your church. We believe that such narrowing
begitimate Lutheran teaching would change the
basis of fellowship within your church and
between our churches. We ate fearful that the
LCMS may apply the ‘Statement of Scriptural
and Confessional Principles’ in such a manner
inthe future... We ask you, comensatives and
moderates, to make room for each other in the
church and togerher bear witness to the truth,
Jesus Christ." Reports and Actions, 1974. p
54142.

© "The ALC ts convinced that basic unity in faith
and doctrine is a fact among U. 5. Lutherans. We believe
that acceptance of the Lutheran Confessions 1 sufficient
witness (0 that unity in fatth and doctrine.” “Report of the
General President.” Reports and Actions, 1974, p. 778.

JA. “tris the responsibility of our churches to teach
clearly this Lutheran doctrine of the Lord’s Supper and to
witness to it in dealing with other churches. Fulfilling the
Obligation to the truth in this way makes it possible to
express the unity of the church at the Lord’s Table with
those who affirm the Real Presence of Christ in the
Sacrament but who use formulations to describe it other
than those used in the Lutheran Confessions. Accordingly
the Recommendations for Practice provide guidelines fot
admission of others than Lutherans to the Sacrament and
considerations for Lutheran participation in intercommu-
Rion. Within these provisiom the responsibility for decision
about communing is placed upon the communicants. Such
practice fs consistent with the Large Catechism, ¥, 2. "A
Statement an Communion Practices,” Repon and Actions,
1978, p. 908.

“Holy Communion is the sacramental meal of the
new people of God who are called and incorporated into

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14

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

LCMS

C. “There must be a common understanding of the
term confessional That term must not be limited to
Personal or existential contessing, important as that uit
mately 1s. To speak oniy of the ‘Lutheran contession’ 1s no
tull substitute for speaking of the “Lutheran Confessions.
More disconcerting still 5 a tendency in some quarters to
construe pejoratively the suffix in confessionaiism when-
ever the suggestion is made thar we cannot be selective
among their teachings Confessionalism so construed then
appears alongside biblicism and. apparentis using some
Tullichian Protestant principle as the real norm 1s actually
even condemned as triumphalism or a theology of glory
Confessionalism 1s much more than 2 merely accidental
ecclesiastical rdentificanion with one's heritage Rather.
contessional must inciude the doctrinal or propositional
content of that confession The fides quae dare not be
entirely absorbed by the ides que Both Bible and Contes-
sions are thearencally dispensable as far as private ides qua
1s concerned, bul thes are absolutely indispensable when it
comes tothe ides quae The point 1s not as often charged
some quasi-ranonalistic subversion of the ‘evidence of
faith. but confession of God's own gitt for preventing faith
from vaporizing into fideism or existentialist mysticism
Horace D Humme! The Intiuence of Confessional Themes
on Biblical Exegesis.” Studies in Lurheran Hermeneutics
1979, p. 216.

D. “The Evangelical Lutheran Churchs sure that the
doctrine set forth in its Confessions 1s the pure divine truth
because it agrees with the written Word of God on all
points... The Evangelical Lutheran Church demands of al
Hts members. especially of all its menisters. that they acknow-
ledge its Confessions without reservation and show their
willingness to be obligated 10 them The Evangelical
Lutheran Church rejects every fraternal of ecclesiastical
fellowship with such as reject its Contession. either in whole
orn part... True Evangelical Lutheran particular or local
churches or congregations are only those in which the
doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. set forth in its
symbols. 15 not only lawfully recognized, but 1s also pro-
tessed in public preaching ” C.F. W. Walther. The True
Visible Church St. Lou's: Concordia Publishing House.
1961), pp. 121-33

LCMS

Scripture says of teaches 1s already a ‘Gospel question
simply because it 1s a question about Scripture given to us by
God for the sake of the Gospel’ To dismiss any question
about Scripture as though it had no bearing on the Gospel is
to forget what the Scriptures are for " Gospel and Scripture
A Repor of the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations, 1972, p. 14

@& “What we seek for a God-pleasing fellowship is
unity in the gospel and ail its articles on the basis of Holy
Scripture. But we do not regard our submission to the
authority of His Word to be limited to the gospel itself. All of
Scripture is God's Word, which we accept in obedience to
our Lord. Whatever calls into question anything God
teaches there calls into question the epistemological foun-
datton of our proclamation; namely, the authority of God's
Word. That is not to say. of course, that the Brble contains no
material which is no longer binding in our day. for the Bible
itself indicates that some of its contents was intended to
have only temporary significance {for example. the cere-
montal law). What we are claiming ¢s that whatever Scripture
teaches as part of God's revealed will or as a matter of truth
of fact, whether of not it 1s directly and explicitly a part of
the gospel and all its articles. has validity in ail ages and
times. and we cannot properly choose to set it aside.” Raiph
A. Bohimann, “The Position of the LCMS on the Basis for
Fellowship.” FODT, 1978, p 38

C. “The orthodox character of a church 15 estab-
lished not by its mere name nor by its outward acceptance
of, and subscription to, an orthodox creed, but by the
doctrine which is actually taught in ms pulpits, in its
theological seminaries, and in its publications. On the other
hand, a church does not forfeit ts orthodox character
through the removed casual intrusion of errors, provided
these are combated and eventually removed by means of
doctrinal discipline, Acts 20:30: 1 Tim. 1:3." Brief Statement
of the Doctrinal Position of the Missourt Synod, p. 13.

“A. For the Lutheran Confessions there is an indissol-
uble connection between Christ and the Bible. They
constantly set forth and prociaim the Christ of Scripture
even as they derive all theology from the Scripture that
testifies to Cheist. Lutherans are ukimately concerned about
the Scripture principle, just as we are about ail aspects of
divine doctrine, because of our concern for the preserva-
tion and proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Ralph
A. Bohimann “Confessional Biblical Interpretation: Some
Basic Principles,’’ Studies in Lutheran Hermeneutics, 1979,
p.198

& “what we claim is that a less-than-complete
commitment to the Scriptures, an uncertainty about their
truthfulness, a hesitancy or disagreement with regard to
some of thei contents, or a way of interpreting them that
makes open questions our of apostolic teachings, will
endanger the proclamation of the gospel. For the Scriptures

ltl. CHURCH
FELLOWSHIP:

THE FODT REPORT

| Nature and Basis

For Lutherans, Article VII of the Augsburg Confession provides the starting pom for investigation of
existing unity: “For the true unity of the church itis enough lo agree concerning the teaching of the gospel and
the administration of the sacraments.” All of our church bodies hegin trom that premise. But exactly what és this
“teaching of the gospel” (DOCTRINA EV ANGELII)? Discussions among our three church bodies have revealed

differences on this point.

The ALC and LCA representatives have taken “gotpet” in a nasrow sense as identifying the message or
promise of the forgivness of sins for the sake of Jesus Christ. “Gospet” in this sense stands in antithesis to “Law.” It

is the central message of both the Old and New

Testaments. “Gospef” In this sense is impossible to

conceptualize apart from the saving work of Jews Christ.’ The LC MS representatives agree on the importance of
this view of “gospel,” but they assert that it is not possible to consider it in isolation. It may be the “chiel articte,”
but i is not the only article. All articles of faith treated in the Augsburg Confession, defended in the Apology,
and explained in the remaining Lutheran Confessions are integrally related to the “gospel” in its narrower
sense. Therefore, to establish fellowship, the LCMS representatives feel, it s necemary to extablish agreement in
doctrine and in all its articles (Formula of Concord, Solid Deciaration X, 31).? [FODT, p. 9}

The positive contribution of the position of the ALC and LCA is its ability to bring to expression the variety
of formulations the gospel takes in relation to differing human situations as well 2s the position’s openness fo the

variety of forms the gospel has taken in church history.

Both groups would be unwilling to give up that divenity.

The participants in these discussions, however, recognize that such a cherishing of diversity can easily slip into a
form of relativism in which anything is acceptable and there is no longe: any serious concern for the truth or for
the limits beyond which the gospel is lost.’ The positive contribution of the Missouri Synod’s position is its
concem for the truth of the gospel and for the criteria defining the boundaries between a genuine
appropriation of the gospel and heresy. They would be unwilling fo give up their emphasis on the unity of God’s
truth and the importance of expressing that institutionally. The participants in these discussions recognize that
such an emphasis on unanimity in the truth can slip into a narrowing of the truth and a sectarian isolation in
which the gospel would be lost to a made of coniormity to theological good works. [FODT, p. 10}

The LCMS representatives argue that a less-than-complete commitment to the Scriptures, an uncertainty
about their truthfulness, a hesitancy or disagreement with regard to some of thelr contents, will endanger the

proclamation of the gospel, The question is not simply

how far the Scriptures should be trusted in what they say

about Christ, but really whether the Christ we confess is the Christ of Scripture or a Christ constructed according

to some human standard.‘ |FODT, p. 9)

Documentation

ALC

1A. "A relatively smatl group in the ALC would
understand this (consensus) to mean agreement in every
article of the Christian faith, from the pre-existence of the
Logos to the second coming. from the doctrine of the
Trinity to matters of pastoral practice. The majority of ALC
theologians would understand this to mean agreement in
the actual proclamation of the gospel and the administra-
hon of the sacraments... The majority regard the position
of the minority as untenable “ Warren A. Quanbeck
“Definitions of Gospel, Theology. Doctrine, and Consensus
as Used in the ALC,” FODT. 1978. p. 18.

ALC

the body of Christ through Baptism. Whenever the Sacra-
mentis celebrated 1 should be open to all such peopie who.
are present and ready for admission... The practice of
intercommunion among Lutherans at home and abroad is
enrouraged. Participation as a visitor in non-Lutheran
congregations. proper because of the universal nature of
the church, places one inthe role of guest... For Lutheran
clergy 10 be involved as presiding of assisting ministers in
the celebration of Holy Communion in otheys churches, a
reciprocal relationship between the congregations and
clergy involved should prevail.’ “A Statement on Commu-
nion Practices.” Reports and Actions, 1978. pp. 909-10.

& “In short, there are practical differences in the
ordination of aman as well asin the ordination of awoman.
These must be taken into account. but they are inconse-
quential when compared with the basic question, ‘Will
ordaining women distort oriessen the Gospel?’ The answer
1 ‘no.’ Then what does hinder us?” Joseph A. Burgess. Can
Women Serve in the Ordained Ministry? 1973, p. 15

C. "The study of language has removed some of the
Pretensions of theology, (aking away sts claim to be the
truth or to present truths and showing it to be symbols or
signs pointing to the truth which isin Jesus Christ. tt enables
us to see that all theologies, to the extent that they really
wrestle with the fact of Christ, are talking about realities and
experiences common toall Christians. However much they
may differ in language or method. they are attemprs to
expound the mystery of God's gift of life im Christ. By
emphasizing the differences we can get the impression that
the various theologies are quite different and that they
Cannot be reconciled 10 each other. But by stressing their
attempt to expound the meaning of Christ and his mission
for men we discover that they have much in common and
that their differences are not contradictions of each other,
but the contribution of different instruments to the full
orchestration of God's ptaise.” Warren A. Quanbeck,
Search for Understanding (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publish-
ing House, 1972), p. 54

“Biblical studies have made the major contribution
The discovery of the different theologees of the Bible
opened theologians 10 the possibility of theologies which
differ but complement each other rather than contradict or
oppose each other The differences that exist between
the traditions are no longer seen as divisive, but as invita-
trons to a broader and deeper understanding of the
meaning of the sacrament... Refotmed and Lutheran
theologians have thus discovered each other within the
ample boundaries of the traditional Christian witness to
Christ. They can recognize each orher as fully Christian and
orthodox.” Warren A. Quanbeck, Search for Understand-
ing (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1972). pp.
64, 66—68. Search for Understanding was commissioned by
the ALC and LCA for use in congregations. Cf. Reports and
Actions, 1972, p. 457.

D. “Ernst Kasemann argues that denominational
diversity is rooted in theological diversity within the canon.

LCMS

TA. “Every Biblical text 1s related to the Gospel in
such a way that the interpreter has lost sight of the purpose
of the Scriptures if he regards concern for any aspect of the
text as not on the level of a ‘Gospel question,’ or considers
interest in such things as the accuracy of the hrstory
reported in the text as somehow irrelevant and beside the
point. About a piece of partriarchal history Paul asked,
‘What does Scripture say?’ because he saw a relationship
between the Gospel he preached and the incident reported
For Paul it was a’ Gospel question’ whether or not Abraham
cast out Hagar iGal. 4:30). Every question about what

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LCMS

are the epistemological foundation (1 €., the formal princi-
ple: on whrch our proclamation rests. We do not claim that
to deny the truthfulness of the Scriptures on certain points
will inevitably lead one to ask the specifically existental
question: ‘How then can I believe anything which they tell
me?’ although this has often happened. But we maintain
that it must of necessity lead the church to ash the
epsstemological question: ‘What Chrisr, then, do we pro-
claim?” Ralph A. Bohimann, "The Position of the LCMS on
the Basis for Fellowship.” FOOT, 1978. p 36.

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