LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1965, Page 277

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THEOLOGY OF FELLOWSHIP 277

This one church was holy, not so much through the
forgiveness of sins (for as has been said, the doctrine
of justification was obscured even in the theology of
St. Augustine and other church fathers) but because it
was the one church; its unity guaranteed its holiness.

This one, holy church was catholic, that is, it was
diffused throughout the world. In Augustine’s view a
sect could not possibly be the church, because it was
not catholic, not diffused throughout the world.

Finally the church was apostolic, that is, linked to
the apostles by the apostolic succession of bishops. In
Augustine’s view any church outside the apostolic suc-
cession could not be part of the true church.

This one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church was
understood to be a visible, tangible body of men. It be-
came even more visible and tangible when the bishop
of Rome achieved the primacy over the other bishops.

Rome has been very slow to anncunce a definition
of the church. Nevertheless she has operated through
the centuries with a tacit definition that was understood
both by herself and by her critics. Melanchthon was
setting forth this tacit definition fairly when he said
in the Apology:

Perhaps our opponents demand some such definition of

the church as the following. It is the supreme outward

monarchy of the whole world in which the Roman pontiff
must have unlimited power beyond question of censure.

He may establish articles of faith, abolish the Scriptures

by his leave, institute devotions and sacrifices, enact

whatever laws he pleases, excuse and exempt men from
any laws, divine, canonical, or civil, as he wishes. From
him the emperor and all kings have received their power
and right to rule, and this at Christ’s command; for as

the Father subjected everything to him, so now this
right has been transferred to the pope. . . .27

This is essentially the definition later set forth by
Robert Cardinal Bellarmine and taught since his time to
many generations of Roman Catholic priests in the
dogmatics courses in their seminaries.

The church is a union of men who are united by a pro-

fession of the same Christian faith, and by participation

in the same sacraments under the direction of their
lawful pastors, especially of the one representative of

Christ on earth, the Pope of Rome.28
With such a concept of the church the doctrine of jus-
tification, which is the heart and core of New Testament
teaching, had of necessity been obscured and corrupted.
The church was believed to consist of those who, within
the visible limits of the Roman Catholic Church, gave
allegiance to the pope, and agreed with the doctrines
taught by that church. Those who separated from this
church, no matter how faithful they were to the teach-
ings of Scripture, were either heretics or schismatics,
and were without hope of salvation unless they returned
to Mother Church.

Such was the development of the doctrine of the
church, and such was the understanding of heresy and
schism from the time of Augustine until the Reforma-
tion. The practice of church fellowship was determined
by the understanding of the nature of the church, and
of the nature of heresy and schism. Catalogs of heretics
and heresies were drawn up time after time, beginning
with St.Irenaeus, in order that Catholic Christians

might know what doctrines and whose fellowship to
avoid. Bishops gave letters of recommendation to clerics
who traveled, in order that they might be accorded the
privileges of fellowship.

Being in fellowship with the one, holy, catholic, and
apostolic church entitled the layman to participate in
the sacraments; it enabled one cleric to officiate in the
parish of another, with proper permission. But above
all things, church fellowship was altar fellowship.29 This
understanding is still preserved centuries later by the
prince of Lutheran dogmaticians, John Gerhard, when
he says in his Loci:

So there is a threefold koinonia (fellowship) laid down

by the apostle: (1) the sacramental participation in

Christ’s body and blood, which takes place by way of

the bread and wine that has been blessed, 1 Cor. 10:16;

(2) the spiritual apprehension of the entire Christ and

all His benefits, which takes place by true faith, 1 Cor.

11:26; (3) the fellowship of the church as a body (com-

munio corporis ecclesiae), 1 Cor. 10:17: “We many are

one bread, one body, for we all partake of the one
bread.” The first fellowship (koinonia) is the foundation
of the others, because the spiritual participation in Christ
and His benefits is confirmed and sealed in the believers
through the sacramental fellowship (koinonia). The fel-
lowship of the church as a body can, for the sake of
teaching, be designated as twofold: namely, as external
and as internal; the external fellowship exists among all
who embrace the same doctrine and make use of the
same sacraments; the internal fellowship exists among
those only who truly believe, who have the Spirit of

Christ. The external fellowship of the church as a body

arises from the sacramental fellowship (koinonia); the

internal, however, arises from the spiritual fellowship

(koinonia).

(Volume V, Locus XXI, Cap. XI, ed. Preuss, p. 98)
Other phases of fellowship, however, came in for
some consideration. The Council or Synod of Laodicea,
of uncertain date, though falling into the latter half of
the fourth century, therefore antedating St. Augustine
somewhat, forbade among other things prayer with
heretics and fellowship with Jews and heathen at their
religious feasts.

Canon VI of this synod states:

It is not permitted to heretics to enter the house of God
while they continue in heresy.

Canon IX forbids catholics to worship with heretics:

The members of the Church are not allowed to meet in
the cemeteries, nor attend the so-called martyries of the
heretics, for prayer service; but such as do, if they be
communicants, shall be excommunicated for a time; but
if they repent, and confess that they have sinned they
shall be received.

Concerning prayer with heretics, Canon XXXIII

says:
No one shall join in prayer with heretics or schismatics.

Canon XXXVII concerns itself with fellowship be-
tween Christians and Jews:

It is not lawful to receive portions sent from the feasts
[religious feasts are meant] of the Jews or heretics, nor
to feast together with them.

We note in Canon XXXVII that Jews and heretics
are linked together, as being under the same condemna-
tion. Both were outside the one, holy, catholic, and
apostolic church, and therefore without hope of sal-
vation.