Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1958, Page 12

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12 Proceedings of the. Forty-fifth Convention

tian minister and theologian, than to suffer and be ridiculed for
Christ’s and the Gospel’s sake. In contending for the faith which
was once delivered unto the saints we become companions in arms
with Jesus Himself. In earthly matters, in earthly opinions we may
differ, and we do differ more or less, but in the things of the Spirit
our common faith and love must join our hearts and minds in one.
Indecision is harmful in earthly things, and it may become disas-
trous and dangerous in matters of religion, in matters of divine
doctrines. In matters of religion there is more at stake than victory
in battle or success in business. Let us, by the grace of God, be
sure of our doctrinal position, and that not because of our wisdom
and learning but because the Lord says so and we take Him by
His Word. Yes, let us say with Samuel: “Speak, Lord; for Thy
servant heareth” (1 Sam. 3:9). Let’s not halt between two opinions
but be decisive as were the people led by Joshua, of whom we read
in Joshua 24:24: “And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our
God will we serve, and His voice will we obey.” Jesus Himself
said to His disciples: “Teaching them to observe all things what-
soever I have commanded you.” And in His high-priestly prayer
Jesus said: “I have given them Thy Word. ... Sanctify them
through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth. As thou hast sent Me into
the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for
their sakes I sanctify Myself that they also might be sanctified
through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also
which shall believe on Me through their word, that they all may
be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me and I in Thee, that they also
may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou hast
sent Me” (John 17:14, 17-21). Yes, we should be sure of the Word
which we proclaim and upon which we base our hope of eternal
salvation, for that was the position of the holy apostles, as we read
in 2 Peter 1:19-21: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy,
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth
in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your
hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of
any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time
by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost.”

Allow me to quote in this connection our venerable Dr. Luther,
that stanch lover and defender of God’s Holy Word: “He who holds
his doctrine, faith, and confession to be true, correct, and certain
cannot stand together in one stable with such as teach false doctrine
or lean toward it or ever speak good words to the devil and his
pack.”

St. Augustine said: “In ecclesia non valet: Hoc ego dico, hoc
tu dicis, hoc ille dicit, sed haec dicit dominus” (What counts in
the church is not: That is what I say; this is what you say; this is
what some other man says; the one thing that counts in the church
is: This is what the Lord says). That should be and is final in the
church of God. You can’t dispute the Word of God; you just hear
it, learn it, and believe it. Luther once said: “A teacher who keeps
silent on errors and wishes still to be known as an orthodox teacher
is worse than a manifest fanatic and does more damage with his
dissembling than a heretic and is not to be trusted. He is a wolf
and a fox, a hireling and a belly server.”