LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 241

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II. THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
Holy Scripture clearly affirms that government in the
earthly realm is instituted by God and is to be respected and obeyed.16 Christians, therefore, may in good
conscience serve in governmental offices and vocations,
including the military.17 The Lutheran Confessions affirm
this scriptural understanding of government service:

derstanding, Martin Luther wrote a beautiful prayer for
those who serve as soldiers:

Concerning public order and secular government
it is taught that all political authority, orderly government, laws, and good order in the world are
created and instituted by God and that Christians
may without sin exercise political authority; be
princes and judges; pass sentences and administer
justice according to imperial and other existing
laws; punish evildoers with the sword; wage just
wars, serve as soldiers; buy and sell; take required
oaths; possess property; be married; etc.18
There are always limits to a Christian’s obedience in
the left-hand realm, however, for Christians must “obey
God rather than men” if a conflict should arise between
these dual but unequal loyalties.19
Serving as the “sword” of government (Rom. 13:4)
to help preserve and maintain order and justice, either
in the military or in other civil vocations, is in itself a
God-pleasing form of service.20 In support of this un-

18
Acts 4:18–20; 5:27–29. We are to be obedient to God whenever
human authority seeks to require us to act contrary to our conscience-bound convictions regarding God’s Word and will. This could
involve civil disobedience and the consequences that may follow.
Consider the 1966 CTCR report “Civil Obedience and Disobedience,”
lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=367.

Acts 4:18–20; 5:27–29. We are to be obedient to God whenever
human authority seeks to require us to act contrary to our conscience-bound convictions regarding God’s Word and will. This could
involve civil disobedience and the consequences that may follow.
Consider the 1966 CTCR report “Civil Obedience and Disobedience,”
lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=367.
19

20
“Now, it would be quite un-Christian to say that there is any service
of God in which a Christian should not or must not take part, when
service of God is actually more characteristic of Christians than of
anyone else.” Luther, “Temporal Authority,” 100. Luther reaffirms
this position in a writing which specifically addressed service in the
military: “For the very fact that the sword has been instituted of God
to punish the evil, protect the good, and preserve peace, [Rom. 13:1–4;
1 Peter 2:13–14] is powerful and sufficient proof that war and killing
along with all the things that accompany wartime and martial law have
been instituted by God.” Martin Luther, “Whether Soldiers, Too, Can
Be Saved” (1526), Luther’s Works, vol. 46, ed. Robert C. Schultz (Phila-

life in the civil estate. However, essential realities woven
by God into the very order or structure of His creation
(such as the distinction between male and female)
remain and must not be ignored or denied. As God’s
creatures specially designed in accordance with His
will, men are to embrace their masculinity24 and women
are to embrace their femininity25 together with all this
implies, not only within the realms of the family and the
church, but also in other vocations and areas of society.26

WOMEN AND MILITARY SERVICE: A LUTHERAN PERSPECTIVE

“The word [helper] does not imply that the helper is
inferior to the one being helped. In fact, the Scriptures
often speak of God as our ‘helper,’ signifying that God
places Himself in the service of our needs.”32 At the same
time, it is clear from the creation account in Genesis that
“God created this ‘helper fit for him’ in a distinctive way.”

considered her a partner in life. He was the head of the
relationship, head of a relationship that was “one flesh.”36

Lutheran commentator Gregory J. Lockwood observes:
According to Gen 2:18, she [the woman] was
formed for the purpose of providing Adam
with a helper. So, “neither in her origin, nor
in the purpose for which she was created, can
the woman claim priority.” And this original
ordering of creation has ongoing significance
for the relationship between the sexes. The man’s
priority in the order of creation lays on him the
responsibility of leadership, while the woman is to
be helpful (Gen 2:18), submissive, supportive, and
complementary.34

Consider 2 Sam. 10:12 and 1 Cor. 16:13.
Consider Prov. 31:10–31; Is. 49:15; Is. 66:13; and Titus 2:3–5.

28

CTCR, The Creator’s Tapestry, 10.

29

CTCR, The Creator’s Tapestry, 9–10.

33

30

CTCR, Women in the Church, 22.

34
Gregory J. Lockwood, Concordia Commentary:1 Corinthians (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2000), 372.

“The woman was created, not of dust of the earth, but from a rib of
Adam, because she was formed for an inseparable unity and fellowship
of life with the man, and the mode of her creation was to lay the actual
foundation for the moral ordinance of marriage.” Keil-Delitzsch, vol. 1,
89. Note also Robert Davidson, Genesis 1–11 (Cambridge: Cambridge
31

WOMEN AND MILITARY SERVICE: A LUTHERAN PERSPECTIVE

CTCR, The Creator’s Tapestry, 14.

Their differences give birth to their interdependence. Ibid., 15. The
distinct but complementary genders are brought together in a union
where the primary function is mutual support, child-bearing and
child-rearing.

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In the face of such disastrous rebellion, God promises restoration of humankind through the woman’s
seed (Gen. 3:15).41 Adam identifies the woman as Eve (in
Hebrew, “life” or “living”) “because she was the mother of all living.”42 It is through her offspring that Satan
will be crushed. God’s promise of a Savior was carried
forward by and through the patriarchs and prophets. In
the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son (Gal. 4:4).43
Sin and death came through Adam, but life and salvation come through Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:12–21), so that
in Holy Baptism we are connected to Christ’s death and
resurrection. We are made alive to God in Christ (Rom.
6:1–11; Col. 2:9–15; Gal. 2:20; 3:27), and the image of God is
restored (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24).
Specific emphases on the order of creation appear
several times in the New Testament, primarily in Paul’s
letters. His central concern in these passages is for the
preservation of the proper, God-given understanding
of marriage and of order in the church, especially with
reference to the pastoral office.44 Key New Testament
passages include the following:
• 1 Cor. 11:2–16: Paul sees the attempts of the Corinthian women to lay aside the head cloth as an attack
upon the structure of marriage and the relationship
of man and woman as it is established by God in
creation.45 He is not enacting a concrete rule about
specific practices (i.e., head coverings) for all places
and all times. Rather, he is confirming the principle

Genesis 3 describes the disruption and distortion
of the order of creation brought about by the fall
into sin. The “curse” pronounced in Gen. 3:16
does not institute subordination as such, but it
does make this relationship irksome for both
parties. Man was woman’s head from the first
moment of creation, but after the fall the will to
self-assertion distorts this relationship into domination and/or independence.40

This is also referred to as the protoevangelium, the former or earlier
gospel.

41

Both man and woman now face death (Gen. 3:19).
A further consequence of sin is that brother rises up
against brother (Gen. 4:8), and so the first murder is ultimately the beginning of war. Already here in the book

42
Some have inferred from this that the woman’s vocation is therefore
only to beget and nurture life and never to take it. However, it should
be noted that this is an inference that is not explicitly supported by
other passages of Scripture. Furthermore, if one draws this implication
based on Adam’s naming, then is there a further implication that man
(as in male) was created or intended for the taking of life or singly
intended for service as wielder of the government’s sword (Rom. 13:4)?
Some draw this conclusion based on the Old Testament irectives that
only men are counted for war. (See below.) If one argues that Scripture
forbids women to serve in vocations that may involve the risk or
necessity of taking human life, then this would have implications not
only for the service of women in combat but also in certain (defensive)
noncombat roles and in other civil vocations such as law enforcement.

36
CTCR, Women in the Church, 24 (citing Stephen Clark, Man and
Woman in Christ [Ann Arbor: Servant Books, 1980], 28).

32
CTCR, Creator’s Tapestry, 13. “Helper” (ezer) means to assist, succor
or support another. The word implies that two individuals share the
same goal but the wherewithal of the one to be helped is inadequate in
some way. The one needs the help of the other.

37
The man and woman lost the image of God and were no longer
righteous, holy or knowing God as God would have them know Him.
“This concrete essence of the divine likeness was shattered by sin; and
it is only through Christ, the brightness of the glory of God and the
expression of His essence (Heb. 1:3), that our nature is transformed into
the image of God again (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24).” Keil-Delitzsch, vol. 1, 64.

43
The pre-existent Son of God (1 Cor. 8:6; Phil. 2:6–11; Col. 1:15–16) was
made man.

Adam blames God and his wife (Gen. 3:12); Eve blames the serpent
(Gen. 3:13); and so creatures who covet divinity and reject accountability to God begin blaming. CTCR, The Creator’s Tapestry, 17–19.
38

39

44
Fritz Zerbst, The Office of Woman in the Church: A Study in Practical
Theology (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1955), 33–34. This is
always marriage in the biblical sense between one man and one woman
established at creation.

Lockwood, 509.

40 CTCR, Women in the Church, 24.

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WOMEN AND MILITARY SERVICE: A LUTHERAN PERSPECTIVE

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of Genesis, therefore, we find theological grounding for
God’s vesting of government with the power of the sword
(Rom. 13:4).

It is important to note that sexual distinctions and
roles were not created because of sin but are strained and
abused as a result of sin.

University Press, 1973), 38; Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis:
Chapters 1–17 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990), 181; U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis:
Part 1 From Adam to Noah (Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, 1961), 137.

27
The plural “we” and “our” of Gen. 1:26 was regarded by the Early
Church Fathers and other early theologians almost unanimously as
indicative of the Trinity. C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the
Old Testament in Ten Volumes, vol. 1, The Pentateuch (Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprinted 1980), 62. See
also Claus Westermann, Genesis 1–11: A Commentary (Minneapolis:
Augsburg, 1984), 144.

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Her transgression, according to Genesis, led to
the conflict in which her desire (to rule) is over
her husband, but he will rule over her (Gen. 3:16).
Thus, by the order of creation she was subordinated to the man before the fall, and after the fall her
subordination was confirmed.39

According to Genesis 2, woman was created to be a
help to man, not a servant or slave. She was created to be
a complement to him, making a household and children
possible. He in turn protected her, provided for her, and

It should be understood that this is an implication (not an explicit
command) drawn from the importance of the order of creation and the
emphasis on the roles of husband and wife in marriage and men and
women in the church. This understanding, however, flies in the face of
contemporary culture where individual freedom is elevated above even
the created limitations of one’s own body. Consider “The Metaphysical
Revolution,” First Things (June/July 2015): 5–7.
26

women today.” CTCR, The Creator’s Tapestry: Scriptural Perspectives
on Man-Woman Relationships in Marriage and the Church, December
2009, 52, lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=310.

Sadly, the image of God (in terms of the original
righteousness and holiness in which man and woman
were created) was destroyed through the fall into
sin (Genesis 3). As a result, the complementary and
united relationship between man and woman was also
profoundly distorted and damaged. Both Eve and Adam
were complicit in the fall into sin, resulting in their
separation from God37 and from one another.38 Ever
since the fall into sin — and because of the fall — the
order of creation (intended by God as a gift and blessing)
has become a point of contention between man and
woman. Tragically, competition and conflict now corrupt
the relationship, as Lockwood observes:

God’s creation of man and woman leads to the
creation and divine institution of marriage (Gen. 2:24): a
one-flesh union, a profound unity of persons created by
God, one man and one woman.35

God first created the man of the dust of the ground
(Gen. 2:7), and then the woman was created from the
man’s rib or side.31 She was created as the man’s helper.

God’s Word highlights the primacy of the marital
vocations of husband and wife and engenders deep
respect and honor for these vocations, together with
the overall institution of marriage. It also sets forth
parameters for order in the church (most specifically,
for the pastoral office) that are consistent with created
realities that reflect God’s work and will. (See discussion
below.) God’s Word does not make explicit every
implication or application of the order of creation for

23
“The Order of Creation … refers to the particular position which,
by the will of God, any created object occupies in relation to others.
God has given to that which has been created a certain definite order
which, because it has been created by Him, is the expression of His
immutable will. These relationships belong to the very structure of created existence.” CTCR, Women in the Church: Scriptural Principles and
Ecclesial Practice, September 1985, 21, lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=316. Specifically, this is “the basic and important truth that what
God has done in the creation of the world continues to be relevant
and paradigmatic for today — and until the end of time … . [God’s]
created design has continuing significance in the lives of men and

Unlike the creation of the man directly from the
earth, God created the woman from the man. God
had given Adam the responsibility of naming the
other creatures. Now Adam names his fellow human being “woman, because she was taken out of
man” … Adam rejoices as much in their differences as in their sameness.33

According to the order of creation, God has assigned individual identities to each sex. He “from
the beginning made them male and female” (Matt.
19:4). The identities and functions of each are not
interchangeable; they must remain distinct. This
is the burden of the Pauline use of the opening
chapters of Genesis in those passages concerned
with women in the church [1 Cor. 11 and 14].30

25

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The Triune God27 created humans, male and female,
in His image (Gen. 1:26). This means that they knew God,
lived in righteousness and holiness before Him, and
looked to Him as the giver of all good gifts (Eph. 4:24; Col.
3:10). The same God also created sexual identity. This is a
given and not a matter of human choice. 28 God did not
create an abstract “human nature,” but rather male and
female human beings who are distinct and who together
constitute humanity (Gen. 1:27).29

24

Male-Female Distinctions within the Order of Creation

Ibid., 135–136.

PART 2

Theological debates about the service of women in
combat and the conscription of women into military
service most often begin with (or circle back around to)
the question of divinely created male-female distinctions
and their continuing significance in marriage, the family,
church and society. To this issue, therefore, we now turn.

he role and service of men and women in
marriage and the family and in the church are
rooted by Scripture in the order of creation.23

22
Jonathan Shaw, “The Franchise: Spending the Coin of the Realm”
Gottesdienst 20, no. 3 (Michaelmas 2012): 17.

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These factors, among others, have made it much
more challenging to discuss the issues addressed in this
document, and they have also made it all the more necessary to do so clearly, respectfully and lovingly in faithfulness to God’s Word and on the basis of sound reason
and common sense (in their proper ministerial roles).

Third, now that the ban on women serving in combat
has been lifted, there is no evident legal rationale for
exempting women from conscription into military
service should registration for Selective Service be
required at some point in the future. This would create
a crisis of conscience for any Christian (not just LCMS)
woman who may be required to register and yet objects
for reasons of conscience to being employed in military

delphia: Fortress Press, 1967), 95.
21

Finally, as everyone is aware, cultural and societal
views on the relationship between men and women and
on women’s role in society at-large have changed dramatically in recent decades, and they continue to change.
Some of these changes have been positive, resulting in
more opportunities for God-pleasing and beneficial service of women in a variety of vocations, greater respect
for women and their God-given gifts and abilities, and
societal concerns about and protection for women who
encounter derogatory attitudes and abusive behavior.
Other cultural and societal changes in this area, however,
have been decidedly negative from a Christian perspective, contributing to a continual blurring of the lines
between any meaningful, created, God-given distinction
between the sexes and chilling the possibility of discussing, expressing and affirming the God-given distinction
between men and women in ways that are heard and
received positively and constructively.

Second, military policy has changed. Now that all
combat units and positions are open to women, there is
increasing pressure on women to make decisions about
pursuing combat-related opportunities for service (for
reasons of potential advancement, peer pressure, etc.).
Women who are constrained or commanded to serve in
combat roles face the difficult decision of conscientiously
objecting to such service.

The answer lies in the love of Christ. The fullness
of His holy life and the bitterness of His suffering and death, given freely, have changed the life
equation for Christians. Freed from the bonds of
sin and death, and made citizens of the kingdom
of God, Christians willingly bend low to serve
others in the kingdom of this world. They do this
not because they must, but because they desire to
offer a measure of the love first shown them … .
On this basis, Luther encourages all Christians to
serve the state dutifully, wherever they are qualified, be it in government, administration, law enforcement, or simply as an honorable citizen. The
Christian undertakes such service not for the sake
of wielding power or seeking revenge, but “for the
good of your neighbor and for the maintenance of
the safety and peace of others.”22

17
Matt. 8:5–13; 27:54; Luke 3:14; 7:1–10; Acts 8:26–39; Acts 10:1–33;
Augsburg Confession XVI (see also footnote 8 above). This CTCR
document is dedicated to the glory of God and the honorable service
of our LCMS women and men who have served and continue to serve
in the armed forces of our nation out of love for the neighbor. We, The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, thank you for your service to God,
your church and your country.

combat or being compelled to participate in military
service and training in any form.

First, as noted earlier, the nature of warfare has
changed. At a time in which asymmetrical warfare is
the norm, the lines between “combat” and “noncombat”
(zones, personnel, missions, scenarios, etc.) become
blurred, often beyond recognition or meaningful distinction. Someone serving in what is technically a combat
support unit or role can quickly and unexpectedly find
himself or herself in the middle of a kinetic threat and
have to face immediate life-or-death decisions about
whether and/or how to engage the enemy in combat
(whether defensively or offensively or both).

Chaplain Jonathan Shaw, a colonel in the U.S. Army,
has helpfully summarized why Christians can and do
serve in faithful, God-pleasing ways in governmental
vocations:

16
See, again, Rom. 13:1–7; Matt. 22:15–22; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13–15
and footnote 8 above.

WOMEN AND MILITARY SERVICE: A LUTHERAN PERSPECTIVE

Christians (including those within the LCMS) differ,
however, on whether the employment of women in
military combat is God-pleasing and morally permissible.
Such differences and debates have increased in significance
and complexity in recent years for several reasons.

Heavenly Father, here I am, according to your
divine will, in the external work and service of my
lord, which I owe first to you and then to my lord
for your sake. I thank your grace and mercy that
you have put me into a work which I am sure is
not sin, but right and pleasing obedience to your
will. But because I know and have learned from
your gracious word that none of our good works
can help us and that no one is saved as a soldier
but only as a Christian, therefore, I will not in any
way rely on my obedience and work, but place
myself freely at the service of your will. I believe
with all my heart that only the innocent blood of
your dear Son, my Lord Jesus Christ, redeems and
saves me, which he shed for me in obedience to
your holy will. This is the basis on which I stand
before you. In this faith I will live and die, fight,
and do everything else. Dear Lord God the Father,
preserve and strengthen this faith in me by your
Spirit. Amen.21

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Zerbst, 40.

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2019 Convention Workbook