LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 29

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2. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

REPORTS

2-01
Report of Commission on Theology
and Church Relations

Throughout its history the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations has provided study documents and state-
ments on a number of significant theological issues. It has
also been the Synod’s primary agency for carrying out its
ecumenical responsibilities with other Christians. During the
past biennium, the commission has again endeavored to be faith-
ful in carrying out its assigned functions and duties in these
areas.

Many of the issues considered by the commission during the
past biennium were assigned by synodical conventions. Several
questions were referred by the President of the Synod. In-
creased use of the commission for theological evaluations and
opinions has been made by boards of control, Districts, District
officials and others. The commission worked together with other
boards and commissions of the Synod on topics jointly assigned
by synodical conventions. It continued to supervise the work of
the Exchange Study Committee and the Bible Versions Com-
mittee. A great deal of time and effort was spent in conducting
conferences and workshops throughout the Synod. The com-
mission has been increasingly involved in representing the
Synod in meetings with other churches and with ecumenical
agencies.

Because of delays in the appointment of new members of
the commission following the 1971 synodical convention, the
commission was unable to get its program for the new biennium
under way until January 1972. During the past biennium, the
commission met in nine plenary sessions averaging 3 days each.
There were also several sessions of its various committees.

Dr. Ralph Bohlmann, who had been serving the commission
on a part-time basis, was elected to the office of Executive
Secretary in March 1972. Dr. Bohlmann was granted a leave
of absence from his teaching duties at the St. Louis seminary
for up to 2 years to enable him to accept the appointment. The
commission also had the part-time assistance of Pastor Harry
Huth and Mr. Gilbert Meilaender. In addition. the commission
sought and received the authorization from the Board of Di-
rectors to secure the services of an assistant executive secretary.
A call for nominations has been published and the election will
be held as soon as the nominations can be processed by the
Synodical Service Commission.

All but five members of the commission during the past bi-
ennium also served in the previous biennium. Of these new
members, one was elected by the Synod, one by the Council
of Presidents, and two were appointed by the President. Dr.
Richard Schultz was appointed in May 1972 to fulfill the unex-
pired term of Dr. Bohlmann.

The officers of the commission during the past biennium were
Dr. Theodore Nickel, chairman: Dr. Henry Eggold, vice-chair-
man: Pastor Norbert H. Mueller, secretary. The commission, to
facilitate its work, divided itself into four study committees.
The officers of these committees were Dr. Howard Tepker,
Pastor Harry Huth, Dr. Arthur Nitz, and Pastor Roland Hop-
mann, chairmen: Dr. John Tietjen, Mr. Richard Korthals, Mr.
Lyle Saeger, and Mr. John Jass, secretaries. Members of the
Executive Committee were Dr. Henry Eggold. chairman: Pastor
Norbert H. Mueller, secretary: Dr. Edwin Weber, Dr. Frede
Mortensen, and Dr. Theodore Nickel: and, ex officio, President
Jacob Preus and Executive Secretary Ralph Bohlmann.

Other members of the commission were Dr. Richard Bar-
dolph, Dr. Erwin Sagehorn, Dr. Clarence Stuckwisch, Dr. Erich
Kiehl, Dr. Fred Kramer, Dr. Edgar Krentz, Dr. Paul Bretscher,
Mr. Norman Troyke, Dr. Herbert Mayer, Dr. Richard Schultz,
and Dr. Roland Wiederaenders, ex officio.

In the paragraphs below the commission reports its major
activities since the 1971 synodical convention and offers several
recommendations in the commission’s two areas of responsi-
bility: theology and church relations.

29

I. THEOLOGY

A. Biblical Interpretation

Conferences

Since its beginning in 1962, the commission has been devoting
considerable time to studies in Biblical interpretation. A number
of study documents have been prepared over the years. In 1969
and again in 1971, the commission recommended that con-
ferences and workshops be held throughout the Synod on the
issues involved in this area. Because of budgetary problems,
the commission was unable to carry out the recommendation
of the 1969 convention to hold such conferences. The 1971
synodical convention repeated the request that the commission
“include in this study the participation of the Districts of the
Synod through pastor-teacher conferences, to which laymen are
invited” (Res. 2-52). By means of a special grant from the Board
of Directors, this project was undertaken in the fall of 1972.
Since that time. more than 55 conferences have been held or
planned in 36 Districts of the Synod. The planning of these con-
ferences or workshops has always been undertaken in consulta-
tion with the responsible District officials.

The conferences have endeavored to discuss basic theologi-
cal questions without dealing in personalities or specific institu-
tions. They have had a threefold aim: (1) to provide information
on definitions, terminology, and issues involved in discussions
of Biblical interpretation today: (2) to offer guidance to the
church on the basis of documents prepared by the commission
throughout its history: and (3) to listen to the conference partici-
pants in order to determine where their actual questions and
concerns lie.

The program at these conferences has typically consisted of
four parts: (1) a presentation and discussion of the major em-
phases of the CTCR document entitled “A Lutheran Stance
Toward Contemporary Biblical Studies’: (2) an exegetical
presentation of a Biblical pericope illustrating how typical
contemporary historical-critical scholars approach the text,
and comparing their methodology with traditional methods of
Biblical interpretation: (3) a presentation and discussion of the
relationship between the Gospel and the Scripture, employing
as resource material the document prepared by the commission
on that theme: and (4) an open forum discussion period for ques-
tions and suggestions.

Although it is difficult to assess the results of such con-
ferences, the overwhelming majority of responses to them indi-
cate that they have been a very helpful means of involving par-
ticularly the pastors of the church in a discussion of critical
issues. Such conferences promise to provide a useful way of
dealing with other issues affecting the Synod.

Gospel and Scripture

One of the most important studies undertaken by the com-
mission in recent years dealt with the interrelationship between
Holy Scripture, which is the source and norm of theology (formal
principle), and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the heart
and center of Lutheran theology (material principle). This study
was completed during the past biennium and shared with the
pastors and teachers of the Synod. (For the text of the document,
see the Appendix of this WORKBOOK.) The commission recom.
mends:

1. That the Synod commend the position paper entitled “Gos-
pel and Scripture” to its members for study and guidance.

Historical-Critical Method

Since its inception, the commission has been encouraged
to give a high priority to the completion of its study on Biblical
interpretation. Resolution 2-52 of the 1971 synodical convention
specifically called upon the commission to make a study and
evaluation of the historical-critical method. As a part of its study.
and in an effort to help the church understand the similarities
and differences between important aspects of historical-gram-
matical methodology and those of historical-critical methodology,
the commission has issued a document comparing these two
methods of Biblical interpretation. (For the text of this docu-