LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 376

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376 THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

to your call, one Lord [Jesus], one faith [doctrine], one baptism,
one God and Father of us all” (Eph. 4:4-6). In this sense we can
no more speak of many “churches” than we could speak of many
“gods” or many “baptisms.” By Baptism believers dwell in Christ,
in whom God fully dwells bodily, and so believers are united with
God Himself (Col. 2:9-12; cf. | John 5:11, 20). Christ is the head
of the body and we are its members (Rom. 12:4—-8; | Cor. 6:15-17;
12:]2-27; Eph. 4:1-16; 5:22~-32; Col. 1:15-20).

b. “Denominations” are not a new phenomenon.’ At the dawn
of the apostolic age, Christians were divided into competing sects
with differing doctrines.’ Some Christians, however, were united
in their adherence to the apostles’ teaching that preserved the word
of Jesus. James, Peter, and John received Barnabas and Paul into
their fellowship because they held the same teachings. This mutual
recognition was necessary for joint preaching and missionary ac-
tivity (Gal. 2:9). Churches that accepted the apostles’ teaching
(Acts 2:42) formed one fellowship throughout the civilized world
and welcomed each other’s members to the Lord’s Supper.’ In our
terms, they were in altar and pulpit fellowship. Other churches like
the Nicolaitans who did not hold to apostolic teachings were not in
fellowship with apostolic churches (Rev. 2:6, 15; 1 John 2:19). In
warning against false prophets Jesus predicted this splintering
(Matt. 7:15; 24:11, 24)."

c. The necessity of creeds or confessions as a basis for church
fellowship can be traced to Jesus who made a true confession of
Himself before Pontius Pilate. He also requires it of us. It is not op-
tional (1 Tim. 6:13). “So every one who acknowledges me before
men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven”
(Matt. 10:32). Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ is the
church’s foundation and stands in contrast to false confessions that
He was merely a man (Matt. 16:13—-18). Confession follows faith.
“Tf you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and belicve in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For
man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses
with his lips and so is saved” (Rom. 10:9-10). To distinguish truth
from false teaching (1 John 4:1-3), and for the sake of church
unity, this confession must be made (John [7:17—23).

d. Any discussion about absolute truth is outdated to many. One
commentator has remarked that “almost every student cntering the
university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative.”!!
Opinions have taken the place of absolutes, but for Christianity
truth is essential. Mere opinions will not do (cf. | Tim. 1:13; 4:3;
Titus 1:9; 2:1, 8). The apostles identify some ideas as myths
(l Tim. 4:7; Titus 1:14; 2 Peter 1:16) and others as fiction (cf. |
Cor. |5:13-20). Even scholars who do not believe that there is such
a thing as revealed doctrine admit that the Bible speaks of such a
thing."”

Since the church lives from the Gospel, she must contend for
its truth. That is to say, doctrine is necessary for the church’s wel-
fare. The New Testament shows throughout that the confession of
what is true and the rejection of what is false were taken seriously
not merely for the sake of being right but for the sake of preserving
saving faith (Titus 1:13; 2:2). Distinguishing Christ’s voice from
other voices spells the difference between life and death for be-
lievers (John 10). His Gospel Word is the power of God unto sal-
vation (Rom. 1:16).'* The truth of the Gospel founds the church
(John 14:26; 15:15, 20; 16:13-15; Acts 2:42: Eph. 2:20) and must
remain inviolate (Matt. 7:15; 24:35; 28:20; Rom. 16:17).

Pastors in particular have a responsibility in this regard. By re-
maining in Paul’s teaching Timothy would save himself and his
hearers (1 Tim. 4:16). A bishop must be able not only to teach
(1 Tim. 3:2), but must guard the true and saving doctrine (1 Tim.
6:20). Pastors must be able to refute all doctrines that contradict
the apostles’ teachings (1 Tim. 1:3; 6:3—5, 20; 2 Tim. 2:25; 3:5;
Titus 1:9; 3:10; 2 Peter 3:2-4).

2001 Convention Workbook

Sadly, scriptural exhortations to preserve right teaching often
require separation between Christians (1 Cor. 11:18-19). Church
fellowship cannot be extended where false doctrine persists. Paul’s
words, “A little yeast leavens the whole lump” (Gal. 5:9), allow no
deviation from the Word.'* False teachings merit God’s wrath (Gal.
1:6-9). Thus, true teachings identify orthodox churches and sepa-
rate them from heterodox churches with their false teachings.

e. For some time after Christ’s resurrection, Christians contin-
ued to pray with the Jews in their synagogues and the temple (Acts
2:46; 3:1; 21:26 ff.), even though their leaders did not believe Jesus
was the Christ and had been raised from the dead (Matt. 28:1 1-15;
Acts 4:1 ff.). However, Holy Communion was celebrated not in the
temple but only in the homes of Christians that served as their
churches (Acts 2:46). Unbelieving Jews were excluded from the
Sacrament: “We have an altar from which those who serve the tent
have no right to eat” (Heb. 13:10). For Christians Communion was
the highest form of fellowship (1 Cor. 10:16—21). It was their Holy
of Holies (Heb. 9:1]; 12:24) through which they were united with
Christ and with each other.

Receiving the Sacrament was more than an individual expres-
sion of belief. It was a solemn confession made in the presence of
God and all the saints in heaven and earth. By participating in
Christ’s body and blood (1 Cor. 10:16-17),'° Christians proclaimed
His death.'® Agreement in the apostles’ doctrine was necessary for
the breaking of the bread (Acts 2:42).'’ Church fellowship is altar
and pulpit fellowship in the New Testament.

Refusing Communion to non-Christians seems reasonable, but
refusing it to other professing Christians is a problem for some.
However, the New Testament contains especially straightforward
and severe condemnations that still apply to false teachers and their
churches.'* Some of these passages (e.g.. Rom. 16:16-18) are writ-
ten quite likely in a eucharistic context. That warnings to avoid the
false teachers are given within the context of the Lord’s Supper.'’ is
a view supported by the widely respected Lutheran theologians as
Werner Elert,”’ Hermann Sasse,*! and Martin Franzmann.~’ A case
in point may be Rom. 16:16-18. Verse 17 clearly warns against
false teachers. On the basis of v.16, “Greet one another with a holy
kiss,” some scholars put these warnings in the context of the Eu-
charist. The kiss of peace was shared just before the celebration of
Communion and this practice is the origin of the words “the peace
of the Lord be with you” in our liturgy.

A problem arises in interpreting v.18 of Romans 16: “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.” The King James Version translates: “For they that are
such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly.” At first
glance, “belly-servers” could hardly refer to other Christians re-
gardless of what they believed. It seems as if we are faced with two
unacceptable choices: 1) If this passage forbids altar and pulpit fel-
lowship with other Christian churches, then it follows that they are
not Christian. But to make such a claim is schismatic (for further
discussion see endnote 40). 2) On the other hand. if they are Chris-
tians, they are not “belly-servers.” They are simply mistaken and
there is no reason to refuse them Holy Communion.**

However, we should interpret the harsh designation “belly-
servers” in view of Jesus’ even harsher designation of Peter as
“Satan” (Matt. 16:23). For a moment, Peter let himself become
Satan’s voice to divert Jesus from the cross (compare Luke 4:13),
but Jesus did not thereby consign His chief disciple to the ranks of
the unbelievers. As uncomplimentary as “belly-servers” is, the false
teachers are not by this designation necessarily eternally con-
demned. More severe than Rom. 16:17-18 is Gal. 1:8-9, where
Paul curses those who preach any other gospel than that which he
proclaimed.

Satan, who appears as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), is the
author of al] false doctrines (see Eph. 6:12), which can be appealing