Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1954, Page 105

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Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 105

that when Paul told the Romans to avoid those who were causing
divisions, he was speaking of people who were not Christians at
all and that the passage therefore does not apply to union move-
ments among people bearing the Lutheran label. The exact
identity of these causers of divisions is of little importance to us.
If it had been important to identify them, Paul would have done so,
as he did to the Corinthians and to the Galatians. The heart of
his admonition lies in the word “avoid.” However much the divi-
sions, the offenses, and the causes of them, may have changed in
appearance, and in detail since Paul’s day, the principle that he
voices remains unchanged. Avoid them!

Many other passages express that same principle. They are
called to mind by such words as “Avoid,” “Reject,” “Mark them,”
“Note that man,” “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sad-
ducees,” “Be ye separate,” “Be not conformed to this world.” Add
to these admonitions all those passages in which our Savior bids
us to follow Him and to abide in Him and in His Word. “If ye
continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed.” The
cumulative effect of these and literally scores of other passages that
might be culled from both’ Testaments is tremendous. And yet
it is the fashion today in church circles to skip lightly over and
around them and to exhort all professing Christians to set aside
their differences and to unite on the one broad platform of professed
Christianity without inquiring too narrowly into the meaning of
that Christianity. In fact, one influential spokesman for Protestant
union warns against any attempt to achieve uniformity of doc-
trine. That, he says, is a fallacious procedure which through the
centuries has brought about not unity, but dissension. The Synodi-
cal Conference has, however, always held that union must be based
on doctrinal unity. President Behnken, in an address to the Amer-
ican Lutheran Conference at Rockford, Ill., in 1946 expressed that
principle in these words: “You cannot get away from the fact
that the Word of God throughout emphasizes doctrinal unity.”
“Such agreement and unity must be reached, not only between
official committees, but also out in the field between members of
our congregations.” “The Lord wants preachers who are loyal in
his cause, who will not deviate in the least from any part of his
Word, who will defend every jot and tittle of it, who will insist
that the Church continue in sound doctrine.” President Behnken
would not object if one added that the Lord wants not only all
preachers but also all laymen to be loyal in His cause and not
to deviate in the least from any part of His Word. That is a sound
Scriptural principle and good Lutheranism.

That the Missouri Synod has acted contrary to that sound
principle is one of the charges that the Wisconsin Synod expressed
in its 1953 Resolutions. Those Resolutions name as unionistic
practices “the Common Confession, joint prayer, Scouting, chap-
laincy, Communion agreement with the N ational Lutheran Council,
co-operation with unorthodox church bodies in matters clearly not
in the field of externals; negotiating with lodges and Boy Scouts of
America with the plea that this gives opportunity to bear witness;
under the same plea taking part in unionistic religious programs
and in the activities of unionistic church federations; negotiating
for purposes of union with a church body whose official position
it'is that it is neither possible nor necessary to agree in all matters