LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1962, Page 106

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106 RESOLUTIONS — COMMITTEE 3

such as those referred to in the introduction to this
resolution, express the conviction of fathers and breth-
ren with whom all members of the Synod are united
in their obedience to the Scriptures and the Confes-
sions; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod beseech all its members
by the mercies of God to honor and uphold the doc-
trinal content of these synodically adopted statements;
and be it further ,

Resolved, That the further study of theological and
practical problems disturbing the Synod, together with
the study of the status and use of synodically adopted
doctrinal statements, be referred to the Commission on
Theology and Church Relations; and be it further

Resolved, That all who believe these synodically
adopted doctrinal statements to be faulty in their formu-
lation of Scriptural doctrine, or to have other deficien-
cies, be asked to present their concerns to the Commis-
sion on Theology and Church Relations ; and be it finally

Resolved, That we call upon God’s Holy Spirit for
the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ to keep us in the
unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace. Amen.

‘Action: This resolution was adopted.

To Emphasize the Sure Truth and Comfort

of Scripture Regarding the Immortality of

the Soul and the Resurrection of the Flesh
RESOLUTION 3-18

Memorial 331 (Questions 14, 15), p. 161,
Reports and Memorials

Unprinted Memorials 357, 361, pp. 64, 68, 69,
Today’s Business

Wuereas, Memorial 357 and items 14.and 15 of Me-
morial 331 call attention to public statements by mem-
bers of our church on the immortality of the soul and
the resurrection of the flesh, which statements are. un-
clear and may be understood to have a meaning not
in accord with the teachings of Scripture and the Lu-
theran Confessions; and

Wuereas, Such unclear statements are particularly
disturbing to our members because they tend to raise
doubts concerning the end and goal of our faith, the
blessedness of the dead, the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting with our risen and triumphant
Lord; therefore be it -

Resolved, That we remind all pastors, teachers, pro-
fessors, and writers of the church in their presentation
of these doctrines to emphasize the sure truth and com-
fort as clearly stated in Scripture and in the Lutheran
Confessions (e. g., John 11:21-26; Luke 23: 43, 46; 1 Cor.
15; Matt. 10:28; Heb. 12:23; Phil. 1:23; Luke 20:37, 38;
Rom. 14:7,8; Luther’s explanation of the: First and
Third Articles of the Apostles’ Creed; Luther’s explana-
tion of the Seventh Petition; Athanasian Creed, par. 30).

Action: This ‘resolution was adopted.

To Relieve Dr. M. Scharlemann of
His Office as Teacher, ete.
RESOLUTION 3-19
Memorial 335, pp. 164, 165, Reports and Memorials

Unprinted Memorial 356
I

Introduction. Your committee comes before you
with a full awareness of the seriousness and implica-
tions of the issue before us all. The Synod is to respond
to the request of an unprinted memorial addressed to
the convention, asking that Dr. Martin H. Scharlemann,
a professor at Concordia Theological Seminary, Saint
Louis, Mo., be removed from office for having “publicly
expressed teachings contrary to the clear doctrine: of
Scripture” and for failure to make a “clear-cut and
decisive correction of these errors.” .

The committee has labored over an examination of
the events of the past several years and of the informa-
tion that has been laid before us. Your committee has
given opportunity for the church to express its views,
and we gratefully acknowledge the assistance that has
been given by those who appeared at the open hearings
and before Committee 3, including the President and
other officers of the Synod, representatives of the ad-
ministration and of the Board of Control, and Dr.
Scharlemann.

We have been assured by those who have the re-
sponsibility for supervision, that charges of false doc-
trine made against Dr. Scharlemann have not been sus-
tained to date.

The committee has been entrusted with the respon-
sibility of counseling the convention in its efforts to
meet the will of its Lord, the needs of His church, and
the spiritual welfare of His people.

Your committee recognizes its limitations for this
task. We humbly bespeak your prayerful regard for
what we are about to offer to this assembly.

Dr. Scharlemann has expressed the desire to make
a statement to the convention. Your committee has
taken this request under advisement, has heard and
considered the statement, has consulted with the Presi-
dent of the Synod, and has his approval for its presen-
tation. We now respectfully ask him to grant Dr. Schar-
lemann the opportunity to read his statement to the
convention. : ;

At this point Chairman Behnken granted the floor
to Dr. Scharlemann, who read the following statement:

Ul
Dear Brotuers in Curist:

Permit me to address you in a matter of great im-
portance to the Synod and to myself.

At the outset I wish to emphasize that, by the grace
of God, I am —as I have been in the past — fully com-
mitted to the doctrine of the verbal inspiration of the
Sacred Scriptures. I hold these Scripturés to be the
Word of God in their totality and in all their parts and