LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 163

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CHURCH RELATIONS 163

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (Matt. 7:15;
context: verses 13-23)

I appeal to you, brethren, to take note of those who
create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the
doctrine which you have been taught: avoid them. For
such persons do not serve our Lord Christ but their own
appetites, and by fair and flattering words they deceive
the hearts of the simple-minded. (Rom. 16:17-18; con-
text: verses 16-20)

Do not be mismated with unbelievers. For what
partnership have righteousness and iniquity? Or what
fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has
Christ with Belial? ... What agreement has the temple
of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living
God; as God said, “I will live in them and move among
them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My peo-
ple. Therefore come out from them and be separate from
them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then
I will welcome you, and I will be a father to vou, and
you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Al-
mighty.” (2 Cor. 6:14-18)

But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissen-
sions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable
and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonish-
ing him once or twice. have nothing more to do with him,
knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he
is self-condemned. (Titus 3:9-11)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit. but test the spirits
to see whether they are of God: for many false prophets
have gone out into the world. By this you know the
Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh is of God. and every spirit
which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the
spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was com-
ing, and now it is in the world already. Little children,
you are of God, and have overcome them; for He who is
in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are
of the world, therefore what they say is of the world,
and the world listens to them. We are of God. Whoever
knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does
not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and
the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1-6)

For many deceivers have gone out into the world. men
who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in
the flesh: such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have
worked for, but may win a full reward. Anyone who
goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ
does not have God: he who abides in the doctrine has
both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and
does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the
house or give him any greeting; for he who greets him
shares his wicked work. (2 John 7-11)

“Scripture interprets Scripture,” and how these pas-

sages above are to be applied is shown in the following
quotations from God’s Word:

Not everyone who says to Me. “Lord, Lord.” shall
enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will
of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will
say to Me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your
name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many
mighty works in Your name?” And then will I declare
to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you evil-
doers.” (Matt. 7: 21-23)

Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which
the Holy Spirit has made you guardians, to feed the
church of the Lord which He obtained with His own
blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will
come in among you, not sparing the flock: and from
among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse
things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore
be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease
night or day to admonish everyone with tears. (Acts 20:
28-31)

First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy
of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, be-
cause no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but
men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. But
false prophets also arose among the people, just as there

will be false teachers among vou, who will secretly bring
in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who
bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
And many will follow their licentiousness, and because
of them the way of truth will be reviled. And in their
greed they will exploit you with false words; from of
old their condemnation has not been idle, and their de-
struction has not been asleep. (2 Peter 1:20—2:3)

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him
who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a
different gospel—not that there is another gospel, but
there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the
Gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from
heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that
which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we
said before. so now I say again, If anyone is preaching
to you a gospel contrary to that which you have received,
let him be accursed. Am I] now seeking the favor of men.
or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still
pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ. For
I would have you know, brethren, that the Gospel which
was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not
receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came
through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal. 1:6-12)

And His gifts were that some should be apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists. some pastors and teachers,
for the equipment of the saints. for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain
to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son
of God. to mature manhood. to the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ: so that we may no longer be
children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their crafti-
ness in deceitful wiles. Rather. speaking the truth in
love, we are to grow up in every way unto Him who is
the Head, into Christ. (Eph. 4:11-15)

Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” .. . “How is it
that you fail to perceive that I did not speak about bread?
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware
of the leaven of bread. but of the teaching of the Pharisees
and Sadducees. (Matt. 16:6,11-12; context: verses 5-12)

Avoid such godless chatter, for it will lead people into
more and more ungodliness, and their talk will eat its
way like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and
Philetus, who have swerved from the truth by holding
that the resurrection is past already. They are upsetting
the faith of some. (2 Tim. 2:16-18; context: verses 14-19)

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for
you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose
you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctifica-
tion by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this He
called you through our Gospel, so that you may obtain
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren,
stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were
taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.
(2 Thess. 2:13-15)

There has been displayed no evidence of doctrinal
unity for a true “consensus.” Therefore God’s Word
stands in its commands and demands as cited: “Beware
of false prophets’ “but” they “inwardly are ravenous
wolves.” “Avoid them... who create dissensions and
difficulties. in opposition to the doctrine which you have
been taught.” “Therefore come out from among them
and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch
nothing unclean.” “A man who is factious, after ad-
monishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do
with him.” “Look to yourselves that you may not lose
what you have worked for but may win a full reward.”

In this matter it is Jesus who did give the command,
“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you.” And the apostle Paul declares most solemnly to
the elders from Ephesus: “Therefore I testify to you
this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for