LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1962, Sheet 107

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DOCTRINAL MATTERS 107

to be utterly truthful, infallible, and completely with-
out error.

This is the presupposition and basis for all my work
as professor of New Testament Interpretation. It is to
this Word of God that I have pledged obedience, and
to it I want, with the help of God, to continue to
subject myself and all my thinking, my speaking and
writing.

It has become obvious that several essays I have
written have become the source of much difficulty, dis-
turbance, and confusion because of their inadequate
formulation and their failure to guard carefully against
misunderstanding. I realize that basically they have
addressed themselves to the wrong question, namely:
In what sense are the Scriptures the Word of God?
The proper inquiry would have been and is: How are
the Scriptures, as the Word of God, to be used?

I deeply regret and am heartily sorry over the part
that I played in contributing to the present unrest within
the Synod. Since last Tuesday especially I have been
haunted by the statement of the lay delegate from
Bethel Lutheran Church in Chicago, namely: “If only
he would say that he is sorry!” I do so herewith and
I ask of my fellow members in the Synod that they
forgive these actions of mine which have contributed
to the tension in the church.

Herewith then I withdraw the following papers in
their entirety:

1) “The Bible as Record, Witness, and Medium of

Revelation”
2) “Revelation and Inspiration”
3) “The Inerrancy of Scripture” and

4) “God Is One”

Such withdrawal is here understood to mean that the
questions to which these essays proposed to address
themselves will not again be dealt with by me on the
basis of anything written in them. If and when I need
to address myself to these issues again, any such effort
will be undertaken only in full cooperation with my
colleagues on the seminary faculty and any others in
Synod delegated to carry out this task. At that time,
I want to assure you, a new, more considered, and
properly safeguarded approach will be used.

I trust that you will find this declaration of mine to
be acceptable and that, by the grace and with the help
of God, the unrest in the Synod will be ended so that
we may all devote our full energies to our God-given
tasks. I thank you very much.

Martin H. ScuaRteMANN

At this point the committee offered the following
resolution:

itt

Wuereas, Certain essays by Dr. Martin H. Scharle-
mann, namely, “The Bible as Record, Witness, and Me-
dium of Revelation”; “Revelation and Inspiration”; “The
Inerrancy of Scripture”;-and “God Is One” (declared
by Dr. Scharlemann to be “exploratory in nature”),

have been doctrinally misleading, have been subject to
much misunderstanding and misconstruction, and have
been a source of unrest within the church; and

Wuereas, Dr. Scharlemann has now declared his
penitence for what he had done, has asked for forgive-
ness, and has assured the Synod that there would be no
recurrence of such an act; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod gratefully acknowledge the
mercy of God in this action now taken by Dr. Scharle-
mann; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod assure Dr. Scharlemann
of its forgiveness and manifest this forgiveness by
prayers on his behalf, by brotherly encouragement for
his ministry, and by the request that its members refrain
from attacks upon him on the basis of these essays;
and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod request its Commission on
Theology and Church Relations to address itself to
issues raised by Dr. Scharlemann in his essays.

Action: This resolution was adopted by a rising vote
of 650—20.

Note: Subsequently, before adjournment of the conven-
tion on Friday, June 29, eight negative votes were with-
drawn, and three of these were changed to the affirmative.

To Decline Request to Sever Connections
with the National Council of Churches
of Christ in the United States of America
and the World Council of Churches
RESOLUTION 3-20

Memorial 314, pp. 152, 153, Reports and Memorials

WHEREAS, Various departments of the Synod have
found it advantageous to use certain resources of the
National Council of Churches and the World Council
of Churches; and

Wuereas, The utilization of such resources does not
involve membership in the National Council of Churches
or the World Council of Churches nor violate the Scrip-
tural principles of fellowship; therefore be it

Resolved, That no action be taken with regard to
Memorial 314.

Action: This resolution was adopted.

India Evangelical Lutheran Church
RESOLUTION 3-21R

Report 361, I, C, and H, D, and Memorial 318, pp. 142,
143, 147, 154, Reports and Memorials

Wuereas, The San Francisco convention in 1959
(Proceedings, p.165) resolved “that we recognize the
India Evangelical Lutheran Church as a sister church”
and “that we pledge it our assistance in men and money,
as circumstances permit” and “that the Board for Mis-
sions in Foreign Countries is to serve as administrative
liaison between the India Evangelical Lutheran Church