Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1959 · 44th Convention, San Francisco › Page 20
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1959, Page 20

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

20 DOCTRINAL ESSAY

come in sheep’s clothing. Therefore He told His disciples not to be
deceived by false Christs and false prophets who would appear at
the end of time and would deceive, if this were possible, even the
elect. His one concern was that His way, His doctrine, His truth —
for He was Himself the Truth — would be accepted and believed.
This means also: recognition that God is God and that He has the
first and last claim on man’s life; that man must be born from
above, from God, through the water and Spirit; that man must
believe in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world; that
man must deny himself and take up the cross and follow the
Savior; that man must be prepared even to lay down his life for
the brethren; that the disciple must be ready to disciple the whole
world and to teach those who had been baptized to “observe all
that He had commanded them,” that is, His Word and His sacra-
ments. He taught His disciples to understand the Old Testament
Scriptures; He opened their eyes to see in all the Old Testament
Scriptures the things concerning Himself, “that the Christ should
suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance
and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all
nations” (Luke 24:46, 47). And when His own teaching ministry
came to a close, He promised His disciples another teacher, the
Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom He would send from the Father.
This Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, would be with the disciples
forever (John 14:16). “He will teach you all things and bring to
your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). “He

will bear witness of Me” (John 15:26). “He will reprove the world
of sin and of righteousness and of judgment” (John 16:8). Because
of this Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the disciples would have
power also to witness boldly in the name and to the name of Jesus.

Jesus had given His disciples His doctrine, His Word, and His
sacraments. He had carefully instructed them. He had also warned
them against false prophets and false Messiahs who would attempt
to deceive them. As we study the New Testament books, in partic-
ular the letters of Paul and Peter and John, we note that not
long after the founding of the church in Jerusalem the Savior’s
warnings began to materialize. Paul tells the elders of Ephesus:
“I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter
in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall
men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after
them. Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three
years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day” (Acts 20:
29-31). Paul had to tell the Galatians: “I marvel that ye are so
soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ
unto another gospel; which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. But though

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