Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1954, Page 89

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Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 89
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Words or deeds, doctrines or practices, that are contrary to the
Word and will of Christ disturb the peace. Fellow Christians are
not to stand idly by and do nothing about it when the bond of
peace is disturbed in this manner. “Ye which are spiritual, restore
such an one in the spirit of meekness,” says the Apostle (Gal. 6:1).
For the Christians will maintain the bond of peace and be at peace
among themselves in their dealings with one another, particularly
also where the unity of the Spirit is involved, says the Apostle
Eph. 4:1-3; only then, if they evince humility, which subordinates
itself instead of lording it over the brother; meekness and gentle-
ness, which gladly serves and gives rather than to demand from
others; long-suffering and forbearance, which is not easily embit-
tered by the defects that cling to Christians and bears with the
brother’s peculiarities; and all of this in love unfeigned, not with
a show of superiority and pride. Concerning the man who walks
disorderly and thus obstinately refuses to listen to God’s Word
or becomes a stubborn adherent of false doctrine, the Apostle
declares that Christians are to withdraw from such an one (2 Thess.
3:6; 1 Tim. 6:5). Not to withdraw from such as thus have disturbed
the peace of the church, but to continue religious fellowship with
them and behave as though the peace had not been disturbed at
all, to cry, “ ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (Jer. 8:11),
we call unionism. What, then, is unionism? It is church fellowship
without doctrinal unity.

With this the Common Confession unreservedly agrees (Part I,
IX, 5):

“It is the duty of the church te be faithful to its Lord and
His Word in all its testimony, to be steadfast in its confession of
His truth at all times, and to avoid and combat error. It is the duty
of the church to mold and keep its practice in conformity with
the Lord’s directives in the Holy Scriptures. Therefore we dare
not condone error or have altar and pulpit fellowship and un-
scriptural co-operation with erring individuals, church bodies, or
church groups that refuse to be corrected by God’s Word.”

That our Lord demands loyalty to Him and His Word in all
things is clearly evident from such statements of Jesus as: “Teach-
ing them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,”
(Matt. 28:20) and “If ye continue in My Word, then ye are My
disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free” (John 8:31, 32). Passages referred to as warning
against unionism and tolerance of error include such Bible ref-
erences as Rom. 16:17, 18; Matt. 7:15; 2 Thess. 3:14, 15; 1 Tim. 6:3-5;
1 Tim. 1:3; Titus 3:10; 2 John 10,11, and others. They require
that we deny church fellowship to all who persist in false doctrine.

We have, however, no right to go beyond what they say.
The “avoid them” of Rom.16:17 refers to ongoing “causers of
divisions and offenses,” the “withdraw from” of 1 Tim.6:5 to
people who refuse to “consent to the words of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” To apply “avoid” and “withdraw” to those willing to
submit to Scripture and strive for unity in doctrine on the basis
of God’s Word is going beyond the Word itself, is adding something
God Himself has never put there. No man or church has the
right to do that.

We will not immediately enter into church fellowship with
€a person or group willing to submit to Christ and His Word in
all things, before we have made certain that among them and