LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 72

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

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apostolicity of the Church (Eph. 2:20), but on the very Lord-
ship of Christ, For this reason we reject them unconditionally.

This does not mean that we reject either reason or scholar-
ship. Quite on the contrary. We hold that it is the function of
Biblical interpretation to understand and apply the Bible as a
whole and in all its Parts. But everyone who takes the Reforma-
tion’s sola Scriptura seriously must insist that the proper func.
tion of reason, and thus of scholarship, is in every respect un-
der and not over Scripture — as handmaid. and not as mistress.
As emphatically as we reject any use of reason as master or
judge over Scripture, so we affirm the fullest use of reason,
with all its scholarly tools, as a servant, to understand and make
clear what the Sacred text says and means.

Literary -Historical Aspects and Sources

In keeping with the Statement made earlier it is not the in-
tention of this section to assert dogmatically what interpretation
of these difficult chapters or what approach to an interpretation
is alone possible Within the Church. And the Theses of Agree-
ment in Section I show how differences of interpretation must
be distinguished from church divisive differences over doctrine.
It is, however, necessary to state and confess what these chap-
ters teach:

1. The creation ex nihilo—a creation from nothing — as a
six-day work on the Part of God.

2. The creation by God of the first man. Adam. and the first
woman, Eve; and the creation of man as a mature, rational,
moral and responsible being in the image of God, that is, in true
righteousness and holiness, endowed with a perfect knowledge
of God’s will and in blissful relationship with his Creator,

4. The promise of the Saviour,

The statements of the chapters themselves are supported and
confirmed especially by the whole thrust of the New Testament
and many individual Passages of it (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:
ff.; 1 Cor, 11:7-12: 1 Tim. 2:13 ff.), Clearly there -
fore the factual-historical framework of the Genesis narrative
is the indispensable foundation not only for the history of the
People of God which follows, but for the very Incarnation and
Redemption. Within this framework figurative elements are no
doubt to be found, But we must reject all interpretations which

be taken to represent not actual persons and events, but timeless
myths or parables of What happens to every man.
Mr. OLIVE LuruHeran CHURCH
Anoka, Mich.
Leslie Wagner, Secreta ry
Carl Pullmann, Pastor

Similar:
2-84B

Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wayzata. Minn., Al Lavan-
ger, President: Edwin Grimm, Secretary,

2-85A

To Insist on Scriptural Doctrine
of Original Sin

Whereas, The Scriptures clearly teach that Adam and
Eve were two real historical people, the progenitors of the
uman race, who by their Fall into sin brought sin and
death upon the entire human race, so that all born in the
natural way have inherited sin through their parents from
Adam (Gen. 2—3; Rom.5:12ff.: 1 Cor. 15:45 ff: 1 Tim. 2:
13 ff.) ; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions clearly assume the
same facts to be true (AC II, 1; Apol. XII,55; SA III, I, 1;
III, VIII, 5; FC Epit. I, 4; SD, I, 7, 9, 23, 27, 42): and

Wuereas, The Missouri Synod in convention assembled

firmed that such was the teaching of Scripture on the Crea-
tion, Fall, and related subjects: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Missouri Synod once again reaffirm its
position on these vital matters, recognizing that a Biblical
Position on such matters definitely impinges upon our teach-
ing concerning the Law and the Gospel: and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod reject every interpretation of
Scripture and our Confessions which undermines or denies
this historical position of Scripture and the Confessions com-
monly held among us, such as

which does not necessarily affirm the reality and historicity
of Adam and Eve and their fall into sin and the subsequent

hereditary sin which as a result passed on to all human
beings. (See St. Louis seminary statement: Faithful To Our
Calling; Faithful To Our Lord, I, 16—17)

b. the position that the historicity of the account of Adam
and Eve may be subjects of theological debate and not
touchstones of Biblical truth. (Ibid. II, 68)

mation about the historicity of the Fall but only tell us of
the native sinfulness of every human being as far back as
history goes. (Ibid. II, 118)

d. the position that the question whether Adam actually
lived on earth is ultimately Irrelevant (Ibid. II, 126); and be
it further

Resolved, That those in Synod who hold Positions of
teaching and teach any of the above aberrations be asked
to desist from their false doctrine and teach only the Bib-
lical doctrine and the historic position of our Confessions
and our Synod: and be it finally

CurIst LUTHERAN CHURCH

Coos Bay, Oreg.

Ed Schwartz, President

Gary Tonn, Secretary
Identical:

2-85B

Trinity Lutheran Church, Bend, Oreg., Walter A. Ander-
son, Pastor; Roy A. Scurlock, Secretary.

2-86

To Insist That ‘“Almah” in Isaiah 7:14
Means Virgin

WHEREAS. Faithful To Our Calling, Faithful To Our Lord
by the faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, says that
Isaiah “spoke of a young woman of his day giving birth to
a child named Immanuel and of a future roval figure with
throne names like “Mighty God’ and ‘Prince of Peace’ ”. and

Wuereas, God the Holy Spirit in the New Testament
(Matt.1:23) declares that the Hebrew Almah in Is.7:14
must be translated “virgin” and not “young woman”: and

WHEREas, Martin Luther, Walter Maier Sr., George Stoeck-

translated “virgin” (see “What Does Almah Mean?” by Wil-
liam Beck, Lutheran News, April 3, 1967; “Etymology and
Biblical Usage of ‘Almah’” by John E. Steinmueller, Cath-
olic Biblical Quarterly, January 1940: “Who Is ‘The Boy’ in
Isaiah 7:16?” Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1944, pp. 435—443) ;
and

Wuereas, Isaiah could not have been referring to the
birth of any child at his time since there has been only one
virgin birth; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
insist that all of its pastors and professors teach that almah
should be translated virgin and that almah in Is. 7:14 refers
to the virgin mother of Jesus Christ,

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
New Haven, Mo.
Larry Scheer, Secretary

2-87

To Warn Against Charismatic Movement

WHEREas, An increasing number of Lutherans are joining
the Charismatic (modern tongues) movement: and

WHEREAS, This movement fails to stress the importance
of such Scriptural doctrines as the means of grace and jus-
tification by faith alone: and