LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1962, Page 110

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

110 RESOLUTIONS — COMMITTEE 3

“2. All the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lu-
theran Church as a true and unadulterated statement
and exposition of the Word of God” (Const., Art. II).

Concerning the fellowship of believers with one an-

other, the Word of God teaches that they should:

1) “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are
called . . . endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1,3); and |

2) “mark them which cause divisions and offenses
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and
avoid them” (Romans 16:17); and ,

3) “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be
ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh
you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness
and fear.” (1 Peter 3:15)

The Lutheran Confessions insist that the pure teach-
ing of the Gospel and the right administration of the sac-
raments are the indispensable basis for the true unity of
the church (Augsburg Confession, Art. VII); and they
set forth and defend the Gospel in Word and sacrament
very explicitly. This confessional rigor is coupled with
a will to win all men and a desire for unity which pre-
serves them from confessional harshness. They pro-
nounce condemnations upon false teachers; but it is
not their “design and purpose to condemn these men
who err from a certain simplicity of mind but are not
blasphemers against the truth of the heavenly doctrine,
much less, indeed, entire churches.” (Preface to the
Christian Book of Concord, Triglot, p. 19)

The constitution of the Lutheran Synodical Confer-
ence includes the following points as the purpose of its
organization (Art. IV):

The purpose of the Lutheran Synodical Conference
shall be:

a) To give outward expression to the unity of spirit
existing among the constituent synods;

b) To encourage and strengthen one another in faith
and confession;

c) To further unity of doctrine and practice and to
remove whatever might threaten to disturb this unity;

d) To strive for true unity in doctrine and practice
among Lutheran church bodies;

e) To invite into membership with the Lutheran Syn-
odical Conference such church bodies as agree with the
constituent synods of the Lutheran Synodical Conference
in doctrine and practice (Articles II and II);

f) To cooperate in such matters of mutual interest as:

‘1. Conducting and directing domestic and foreign
missions;

2. Encouraging the joint publication of a theological
journal;

3. Fostering joint educational endeavors;

4. Promoting theological conclaves at regular in-
tervals within the confines of the Lutheran Syn-
odical Conference.

In the history of our Synod certain expressions of
fellowship, such as joint prayer, have sometimes been
practiced and sometimes omitted in meetings with
Christian bodies not yet in fellowship with it, and have
thus been treated as a matter to be dealt with in Chris-
tian judgment under varying circumstances.

Our Synod has recognized the above in its resolution

of 1944 pertaining to joint prayer: “Joint prayer at in-
tersynodical conferences, asking God for His guidance
and blessing upon the deliberations and discussions of
His Word, does not militate against the resolution of
the Fort Wayne Convention, provided such prayer does
not imply denial of truth or support of error.” (Pro-
ceedings, 1944, pp. 251, 252) ,

In meeting with other Lutheran bodies (not in fel-
lowship) for the purpose of discussing doctrine, joint
prayer has been practiced in the early and in the
present-day history of our Synod and of ‘sister synods:

1. meeting of Missouri and Buffalo, 1867, after years
of separation;

2. meeting with Michigan Synod in 1904;

3. meetings of our Doctrinal Unity Committee with
the Commission of the American Lutheran Church, ac-
cording to 1944 resolutions;

4. meetings in Germany between synods, now in fel-
lowship with us, during their discussions prior to the
establishment of church fellowship with one another;

5. meetings in Australia between our sister synod
and the sister synod of the ALC.

The consideration of these and_ related issues
prompted our Synod in 1956 to ask the faculties of the
two seminaries to restudy this question.

The floor committee, after weighing the questions
occasioned by The Theology of Fellowship and Me-
morials 332 and 333 (pp. 163, 164), asking repudiation
and rejection of The Theology of Fellowship, herewith
presents the following recommendations:

A

Whereas, The 1956 convention of The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod requested the two theological
faculties to undertake a fresh study of “fellowship,
prayer fellowship, and unionism” (1956 Proceedings,
p. 550); and

Wuereas, The Theology of Fellowship, the result of
this study, represents a conscientious effort to deal
Scripturally with the question of fellowship and is a
study document open to revision, clarification, or cor-
rection; and

Wuereas, The reaction to The Theology of Fellow-
ship, Part II, by members of our Synod and by churches
in fellowship with us has shown that this portion of the
study is open to misunderstanding and criticism; and

- Wuereas, At this juncture of our history, where new
opportunities to witness to other churches are being
presented to the Synod, a common understanding of fel-
lowship and a common conviction concerning the prac-
tice of fellowship are of critical importance; and

Wuereas, A fresh approach to the study of fellow-
ship has been suggested by overseas representatives and
by the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and
has been urged by a resolution of the Synodical Con-
ference; and

Wuereas, Such a fresh approach may have the effect