LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1965, Page 268

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268 SUPPLEMENT TO CTCR REPORT

with our spirit that we are the children of God. And
if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him that we may
be also glorified together.” Gal. 3:26-29. (See no.5
above.) Rom. 10:9-13. “That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever
believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. For there is
no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the
same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved.”

B. FELLOWSHIP WITH ALL BELIEVERS
IN CHRIST

Those who have fellowship with God through faith
in Christ are also in fellowship with one another
(1 John 1:3).1 As faith makes all men children of God,
so it also makes them all brethren in Christ (Gal. 3:26
and 27)2 This fellowship transcends every barrier
created by God or set up by man and brings about the
highest unity possible among men, the unity in Christ
Jesus (Gal. 3:28). This transcending of all barriers is
beautifully described in Eph. 2:11-22.4

1 1 John 1:3. “That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship
with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father
and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

2 3 Gal. 3:26-28. “For ye are all the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have
been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor
free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all
one in Christ.”

4 Eph. 2:11-22. “Wherefore remember that ye, being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called un-
circumcision by that which is called the circumcision
in the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were
without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of
Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world. But
now in Christ Jesus ye, who sometimes were far off,
are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our
Peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down
the middle wall of partition between us, having abol-
ished in His flesh the enmity, even the Law of com-
mandments, contained in ordinances, for to make in
Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and
that He might reconcile both unto God in one body
by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. And
came and preached peace to you which were afar off
and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both
have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now there-
fore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow
citizens with the saints and of the household of God,
and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and

prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner-
stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together
groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye
also are builded together for an habitation of God
through the Spirit.”

I. In Bestowing This Fellowship God Claims
for It the Whole Life of Man
A. IN THE EXERCISING OF THIS FELLOWSHIP

The life of the apostolic church is a striking exem-
plification of the fact that God is claiming the whole
life of man for fellowship when He bestows the gift of
fellowship with Himself in His Son Jesus Christ. Hardly
had the day of Pentecost fully passed and the church
been founded, when a very active exercise of fellowship
developed within the congregation. Of the church, in
the period immediately after Pentecost, we read, “And
they continued steadfastly in the . . . fellowship.”1 As
Acts further indicates, this exercise of fellowship, like
the fellowship itself, is always mediated by Christ as He
is present and active in the apostolic Word and in the
sacraments (Acts 2:42; 6:2,4; 8:14; 9:10-19; 15:36; 20:
7-12)?

Thus the exercise of fellowship consists in an activity
dominated by the Word, an activity involving the total
personality. For example, the men of the first church
act with and for one another in worship (Acts 2:42);
in prayer and intercession (Acts 4:24-31; 12:5; 1:12
to 14)4; in rebuke and correction (Acts 15:5, 6, 22-29;
Gal. 2:11-14; 1 Cor. 5:1-5; 2 Cor. 2:5-11)5; in instruction
(Acts 2:42; 5:41, 42; 18:24-26)°; in social intercourse
(Acts 2:46)7; in removing unfounded suspicions (Acts
9:26, 27)8; and in an economic aid which comprehends
with a ready and active sympathy the needy brethren
both at home and abroad (Acts 4:32, 34-37; 6:1-6; 11:
27-30).9 This activity is faith acting through love
(Gal. 5:6).1°

1 Acts 2:42.

2 Acts 2:42. “And they continued stedfastly in the
apostles’ doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of
bread and in prayers.” Acts 6:2, 4. “Then the Twelve
called the multitude of the disciples unto them and
said, It is not reason that we should leave the Word
of God and serve tables... . But we will give our-
selves continually to prayer and to the ministry of
the Word.” Acts 8:14. “Now when the apostles which
were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the
Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John.”
Acts 9:10-19 (Ananias of Damascus baptizes Saul of
Tarsus). “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way,
for he is a chosen vessel unto Me to bear My name
before the Gentiles and kings and the Children of
Israel. For I will show him how great things he must
suffer for My name’s sake. And Ananias went his way
and entered into the house; and putting his hands on
him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that
appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath
sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight and be