Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 116
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 116

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

116 CHURCH RELATIONS

the Holy Scriptures, especially Gen. 1 and 2, namely, by
His almighty creative word, and in six days. We reject
every doctrine which denies or limits the work of creation
as taught in Scripture. In our days it is denied or limited
by those who assert, ostensibly in deference to science,
that the world came into existence through a process of
evolution; that is, that it has, in immense periods of time,
developed more or less out of itself. Since no man was
present when it pleased God to create the world, we must
look for a reliable account of creation to God’s own rec-
ord, found in God’s own book, the Bible. We accept God’s
own record with full confidence and confess with Luther’s
Catechism: “I believe that God has made me and all
creatures”;

and

Whereas, The ALC no longer insists on the natural
historical interpretation of the Genesis creation ac-
count, and it allows the view that theistic evolution is
not contrary to Holy Scripture (further documented by
others who have sent in this memorial); and

Wuereas, The Bible teaches the idea of propositional
truth, revelation, absolute truth, which man can know
and express in doctrinal statements:

The Old Testament contains clear instances of the
concept of a revealed body of dogma and law, to be
transmissively and authoritatively taught. “The secret
things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things
which are revealed belong unto us and to our children
forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
(Deut. 29:29; 11:18 ff.; Is. 8:20; Ps. 106:12; Ps. 119)

We find the same insistence on propositional, dog-
matic revelation in the New Testament. Consider the
“oracles of God” of Rom. 3:2, or St. Paul’s inculcation
of ‘sound doctrine” in the Pastorals, or the “book re-
ligion” of 2 Tim. 3:16, or that same apostle’s confession:
“Believing all things which are written in the law and
in the prophets” (Acts 24:14). Above all, Christ Him-
self teaches us to treat Scripture as absolutely author-
itative: “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). It
should be noted that the reference here is to a specific
proposition, even one of apparent insignificance; and

WHEREAS, Various statements coming from responsi-
ble ALC sources say that pure doctrine is not attainable
and that no theological declaration can be considered
absolutely true and final (adequately documented by
others who have sent in this memorial); and

Wuereas, ALC clergymen and writers are permitted
to deny basic truths of Holy Scripture (adequately and
extensively documented by others who have sent in
this memorial); and

Wuereas, Joint worship with those who deny basic
truths of God’s Word is contrary to Holy Scripture:

1. “If there come any unto you and bring not this
doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid
him Godspeed: For he that biddeth him Godspeed is
partaker of his evil deeds.” (2 John 10-11)

2. The Concordia Cyclopedia notes:

Religious unionism consists in joint worship and work of
those not united in doctrine. ... Rom. 16,17; 1 John 4,1;
2 John 10,11. In the light of these texts all joint ecclesias-
tical efforts for religious work (missionary, educational,
etc.) and particularly joint worship and mixed (pro-

miscuous) prayer among those who confess the truth and

those who deny any part of it, is sinful unionism. (Edited

by L. Fuerbringer, Th. Engelder, and P. E. Kretzmann,

pp. 77475. St.Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1927)

3. One of the conditions of membership in the LCMS
is the “renunciation of unionism and syncretism of
every description, such as: .. . Taking part in the ser-
vices and sacramental rites of heterodox congregations
or of congregations of mixed confession.” (LCMS Con-
stitution, Art. VI)

4. The ALC in its Minneapolis Theses, Art. IV, offi-
cially declares that

the rule “Lutheran pulpits for Lutheran pastors only, and
Lutheran altars for Lutheran communicants only” is not
only in full accord with, but necessarily implied in, the
teachings of the divine Word and the Confessions of the
evangelical Lutheran Church. This rule, implying the re-
jection of all unionism and syncretism, must be observed
as setting forth a principle elementary to sound and con-
servative Lutheranism (quoted from Toward Fellowship,
p. 27. St.Louis: Concordia Publishing House);

and

Wuereas, The ALC now permits its pastors, officials,
and congregations to participate and officiate at joint
worship services, which are contrary to Holy Scripture;
and

Wuereas, The ALC is a member of the unscriptural
World Council of Churches; and

Wuereas, The American Lutheran Church is a mem-
ber of the unscriptural Lutheran World Federation; and

Whereas, The 1968 general convention of The ALC
“Resolved, That The American Lutheran Church de-
clare altar and pulpit fellowship with the Lutheran
Church in America” (this decision must be approved
by the districts of The ALC); and

WuereEas, The LCA is theologically extremely lib-
eral; and

WuereEAS, The LCA is a member of the unscriptural
Nationa] Council of Churches, and it has been reported
(Preus, ‘Fellowship Concerns,” p.7) that The ALC’s
Church Council is recommending that The ALC join
the NCC in 1970; and

WuereEas, The ALC still has not condemned the anti-
Scriptural notion that man can cooperate to some ex-
tent in his own conversion; and

Wuereas, The ALC permits those within her fellow-
ship to remain members of Christ-denying organizations
that teach that Jesus is not God and that a man must
work his own way to heaven; and

Wuereas, According to a survey printed in Religion
and Society in Tension (Rand McNally, 1965), The ALC
laity is theologically different from the LCMS laity;
and

Wuereas, Loyal Lutherans in The ALC have been
protesting against the theological modernism tolerated
within their church; and

Wuereas, Loyal informed Lutheran professors are
urging the LCMS not to declare altar and pulpit fellow-