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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 457

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE

preserve certain writings as His Word because they speak with pro-
phetic and apostolic authority and are the vehicles of divine power
calling sinners to repentance and to faith in the Christ to whom they
bear witness.

During the period of early church history when the apostolic writings
were commending themselves to the church and being recognized by
Christians as God's inspired Word. it happened that the authenticity
of some New Testament books was questioned. These books. however.
have maintained their place in the canon. and the distinction between
writings universally accepted and writings that were spoken against is
no longer a pressing issue or a matter of major concer for the church
today.

The theoretical possibility that a hitherto lost and unknown pro-
phetic or apostolic writing might by God's providence be restored to
the church has sometimes been discussed. While this possibility must
be acknowledged. it would seem that until such a writing makes its
appearance, the question is purely academic and has no real significance
for the church. The church will not speculate about additional Sacred
Scriptures, but will thank God for those which He has given us because
they are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus.

Throughout its history only prophetic and apostolic writings (or
writings of men intimately associated with the apostles) have authenti-
cated themselves to the church as canonical. This fact precludes the
possibility that the writings of later Christians will be included among
the canonical books because the offices of prophet and apostle no longer
exist in the church.

Conclusion

Whether the sacred authors obtained knowledge of the things con-
cerning which they wrote by revelation or whether God led them to
other sources from which they received information, everything that is
recorded in the Scriptures was written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Inspiration is supernatural guidance which, while it did not deprive the
Biblical writers of their individuality and identity. nevertheless makes
the Scriptures in their totality the Word of God.

Because the Scriptures are the Word of God. faith holds them to
be inerrant even in the presence of some problems for which there is
no explanation that satisfies human reason. As the Word of God the
Scriptures speak with God's own authority and have the power to create
faith in the Savior to whom they witness and to regulate the confession
of the church by working acceptance of all that they teach.

In the Scriptures God has given us a record of His mighty acts in
human history together with an explanatory Word apart from which we
could not know that through all the confusion that characterizes the flow
of events God was working out His eternal counsels for man’s salvation.

When through the Gospel proclaimed in the Scriptures the Holy Spint
calls sinners to faith in Jesus Christ. they recognize the Scriptures as
God's Word characterized by complete unity with respect to all that
God has revealed for our salvation and instruction.

NOTES

1 Proceedings of the Forty-Fifth Rewular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Mis-

sourt Synod. Cleveland, 1962. Resoluuons 3-16. 3-17. and 3-19. pp 104-106

Proceedings of the Forty-Seventh Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church — Mis-

souri Symod New York. 1967, Resolution 2-22. p. 93 See also Proceedinys of the

Fiftieth Reeuiar Convention of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, New Orleans.

1973, Minutes. Session 16, p. 46

3. St. Louis Edition. XIV. 491

4. Theses of Agreement, “Theses on Scripture and Inspiration,” adopted by the conven-
tions of the merging churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Australia in 956
and 1959. The “Theses on Scripture and Inspiration” were reprinted and distributed
by the Commission on Theology and Church Relations in “Statements From The Lu-
theran Church of Australia.” 1973, pp. 6-7

5. Robert Preus. “Notes on the Inerrancy of Scripture.” Concordia Theological Monthty.
XXXVIIT (June 1967). 363-378

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