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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 73

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

THEOLOGICAL MATTERS 73

4) backsliders traitorously working to overthrow the
foundation of the Christian church and the saving faith
(Matt. 16:18; 1 Peter 2:4: Eph. 2:20: John 5:23; 1 Tim.
4:1f.; 6:3 ff: 2 Peter 2:1f.: 1 John 4:1ff.; 2 John 7:
1 John 2:22f.; 2 Tim. 3:5, 8; Titus 1:10f.; 3:10 f.; Matt.
7:15); therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod, in convention assembled at Denver, Colorado,
go on record —

1) as being sincerely and profoundly thankful to
God for all His blessings, especially for His mercy in
Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord (John 3:16; Acts 4:12;
Gen. 32:10; Ps. 103:1 ff.):

2) as shamefacedly but truthfully confessing that
our Synod is guilty of having been all too lenient toward
persons in our midst who have not upheld Holy Scrip-
ture’s divine origin (Rom. 3:2: 2 Peter 1:21: 2 Tim.
3:16), inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16: 2 Peter 1:19-21: Matt.
1:22; Acts 1:16: John 10:35: Luke 16:17: 1 Thess. 2:13).
and inerrancy (John 10:35; Matt. 22:31: 2 Peter 1:19:
2 Tim. 3:16) but instead have substituted human reason
for the Scripture source and the Scripture norm, thus
undermining both the principle of “Scripture Alone”
and the principle of “Justification by Faith Alone”;

3) as humbly asking God in His great mercy for
Christ’s sake to forgive us all our sins, especially also
the sin of permitting persons in our midst to set out
on a course which, if consistently followed all the way,
must lead to our Synod’s completely and permanently
overthrowing the foundation of the Christian church
and the saving faith;

4) as earnestly beseeching our merciful heavenly
Father, for our blessed Redeemer’s sake, to bestow a
special measure of His Holy Spirit on this convention,
so it may take whatever steps are necessary to bring
about a restoration of respect in our Synod for the prin-
ciple of “Scripture Alone” and the principle of ‘“Justi-
fication by Faith Alone,” in accordance with the will
of God as expressed in Holy Scripture;

5) as conscientiously seeking to please God in every-
thing brought on the convention floor, especially in floor
committee reports and resolutions to be submitted for
adoption;

6) as firmly purposing, with the help of God, that,
if any floor committee report or resolution not in agree-
ment with the principle of “Scripture Alone” and ‘“Jus-
tification by Faith Alone” should be brought on the
convention floor, the convention will take corrective
action; and

7) as solemnly vowing to the triune God that every
resolution adopted by this convention will with the
help of God be made to conform to the principle of
“Scripture Alone” and “Justification by Faith Alone” —
to the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Ghost. Rev. ARNnoutp H. GEBHARDT

Council Bluffs, Iowa

(Documentation Forwarded to Floor Committee)

(2-04)
To Produce Substitute for
“Christian Discipline’ Document

Wuereas, Scripturally proper and correct disciplin-
ing of offenders is important to the wellbeing of an
offender and of the church itself; and

Whereas, Every church body should be guided in
such activity by the Holy Scriptures and not by any
regulations contrary to the Scriptures; and

Wuereas, The office of the President has produced
a set of regulations, titled “Christian Discipline in The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod,” setting forth how
such discipline is to be carried out; and

WHEREAS, This document completely ignores several
Bible passages which are highly pertinent to the subject
treated: 1 Tim. 5:20: “Them that sin rebuke before all
that others also may fear.” Gal. 2:14: “When I saw that
they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the
Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being
a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles and not as
do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live
as do the Jews?” Titus 3:10: “A man that is a heretic,
after the first and second admonition, reject’; and

Wuereas, As a result of such failure to consider these
passages, a set of rules has resulted which is not fully
Scriptural; and

Wuereas, It is evident that our Synod formerly, by
giving consideration to the passages referred to, pro-
ceeded in a manner different from the one proposed in
the President's document; see Fritz, Pastoral Theology,
p. 237: “Procedure If Public Offense Has Been Given. —
Whenever the committing of a sin has become generally
known and public offense has been given, it is not
necessary to observe the three degrees of remonstrance
prescribed in Matthew 18; for the sinner himself, by
having given public offense, has thereby put the case
at once before the congregation. Such was Peter’s case,
as recorded Galatians 2:11-14. Therefore Paul did not
first speak to him privately, but at once spoke to Peter
‘before them all.’ Cf. also 1 Timothy 5:20”; and

Wuereas, Such deviation from the directives of the
Holy Scriptures is neither God-pleasing nor beneficial,
making it needlessly difficult to preserve the purity of
doctrine in our Synod and to prevent false teachers from
continuing to preach false doctrines; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod declare that the “Christian Discipline” document
shall be considered null and void and hence not to be
followed; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod appoint a competent com-
mittee to produce a document which in all points and in
all respects is in keeping with God’s Holy Word; and
be it finally

Resolved, That this committee report to the Synod’s