LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 463

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REPORT ON DISSENT

be pointed out that the objections to A Statement” treated in this report
were gathered from the total correspondence and that it must not be as-
sumed that everyone who expressed disagreement with “A Statement” on
one or the other point wishes to be identified with every Criticism submitted
to the Commission on Theology and Church Relations. The major criticisms
of each part of “A Statement" are noted in the following section of this report
and are accompanied by a response.

A. CRITICISM OF PART t

1. Universalism

The most serious objection to Part | of “A Statement’ has to do with
the declaration ‘that al! who die without faith in Him [Christ] are eternally
damned.” This assertion is deemed untenable in view of the consolation
traditionally offered to the parents of an infant who died without opportunity
to be baptized and on the basis of the contention that both the Scriptures and
the Lutheran Confessions teach only that those who reject Christ will be
damned.

Relative to the eternal state of infants who die before being baptized
it must be noted that traditional pastoral practice is not the foundation of
church dogma. It is a basic principle of Lutheran theology that we must
carefully distinguish between what is revealed in God's Word and what is
not revealed (FC SD XI. 52). Concerning what is not revealed. “we should
accustom ourselves not to speculate” (FC SD XI, 13), always mindful of the
rule ‘that it is only from the Word of God that judgments on articles of faith
are to be pronounced’ (FC SD Il. 8). While Lutheran theology on the basis of
revelation comforts the parents of infants who died without baptism with the
assurance that God is just and upright in all His doings and exhorts them
to commit their child into God's hands with the full confidence that all He
does is good. Lutheran theology stops short of making pronouncements
about God's dealings with such children which go beyond what is revealed
in the Word

It is the opinion of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations
that it is in full accord with the Scriptures and the Confessions to teach that
all who die without faith in Christ are eternally damned

The Great Commission suggests no other way to make disciples of
the nations than by baptizing and teaching (Matt. 28:19-20). St. Paul de-
scribes the condition of the Gentiles prior to the time when God ‘came
and preached peace” to them (Eph. 2:17). and therefore prior to any oppor-
tunity to reject the Gospe!. as ‘separated from Christ strangers to the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world
(Eph. 2:12). Immediately following the marvelous Gospei assurance of John
3:16-18a that whoever believes in the Son of God is not condemned. the
evangelist states categorically, He who does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God
(John 3:18b; cf. 2 Thess. 1:8)

When the Formula of Concord discusses “how man is converted to

means but through the Word. as indeed he has commanded the preaching ot
repentance and forgiveness of sin’ (FC SD XI. 27), and ‘wills that all men
should hear this proclamation. (FC SD XI. 68)

Finally, we must ask whether the statement of the Apology that the
Promise of salvation ‘does not apply to those who are outside of Christ's
church’ (extra ecc/esam Christ) (Ap IX, 2), and the statement of the For-
mula of Concord that it is God's will to call men to eternal salvation
through this means and in no other way’ / ‘visum est Deo per hoc medium
et non alio modo homines ad aeternam saiutem vocare’) (FC SD Il 50)
do not in fact translate into a) only within the church ts there salvation /s0/um
intra ecclesiam Salus), and b) only in the manner just recounted’ [so/o eo
modo (quem 1am recitavimus)'} will God bring men to eternal salvation
(FC SD XI, 23). These two only's’ deserve further attention

a. Only within the church 1s there salvation ‘Where Christ Is not
preached. there is no Holy Spirit to create, call. and gather the Christian
church. and outside it no one can come to the Lord Christ’ (LC Il, 45). Atl
though the whole world has sought painstakingly to learn what God is and
what he thinks and does. yet it has never succeeded in the least’ (LC Il
63). “All who are outside the Christian church. whether heathen Turks
Jews, or false Christians and hypocrites. even though they believe in and
worship only the one. true God. nevertheless do not know what his attitude
1s toward them Therefore they remain in eternal wrath and damnation
for they do not have the Lord Christ. and besides. they are not illuminated
and blessed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” (LC Il. 66)

b. Only in this way will God bring men to eternal salvation. The Formuta
of Concord, in setting forth what the Scriptures teach about predestination
enumerates eight points that must be taken together if we want to think or
speak correctly and profitably about the eternal election and ordering of the
children of God to eternal life. Points 2. 3, and 4 say that God has ordained

2 That this merit and these benefits of Christ are to be offered. given
and distributed to us through his Word and sacraments

3. That he would be effective and active in us by his Holy Spirit
through the Word when it is preached. heard, and meditated on. would
convert hearts to true repentance. and would enlighten them in the
true faith

4. That he would justify and graciously accept into the adoption of
children and into the inheritance of eternal life all who in sincere re-
pentance and true faith accept Christ (FC SD XI. 16—18)

The Formula goes on to Say that God has ‘ordained that in the man-
ner just recounted he wills to bring them to salvation’ and then adds
According to the Scriptures all this is included in the teaching of the
eternal election of God to adoption and to eterna! salvation. It should be
understood as included therein and never be excluded or omitted when we
speak of the purpose. foreknowledge. election. and ordinance of God to
eternal salvation. (FC SD XI. 23-24)
The consistent use by the Lutheran Confessions of what may be calied

God. how and by what means (namely. the oral Word and the holy sacra-
ments) the Holy Spirit wills to be efficacious in us.” it says: “God provides
for the public proclamation of his divine. eternal law and the wonderful
counsel concerning our redemption. namely, the holy and only saving
Gospel of his eternal Son. our only Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ
Thereby he gathers an eternal church for himself out of the human race
and works In the hearts of men true repentance and knowledge of their sins
and true faith in the Son of God. Jesus Christ. And it is God's will to call men
to eternal salvation. to draw them to himself. convert them. beget them
anew. and sanctify them through this means and in no other way — namely.
through his holy Word (when one hears it preached or reads it) and the
sacraments (when they are used according to his Word) All who would
be saved must hear this preaching. for the preaching and the hearing of
God's Word are the Holy Spirit's instrument in, with, and through which he
wills to act efficaciously, to convert men to God’ (FC SD Il, 48-52). "We
must condemn with all seriousness and zeai. and in no wise tolerate in the
church of God. the enthusiasts who imagine that without means, without
the hearing of the divine Word and without the use of the holy sacraments,
God draws man to himself. illuminates. justifies. and saves him.” (FC SD
NW. 80; ef. FC Ep Il. 13)

In these words the Formula of Concord simply repeats the doctrine of
the earlier symbols. Almost word for word the Augsburg Confession says the
same thing, including even the condemnation: ‘Through the Word and the
sacraments. aS through instruments. the Holy Spirit is given, and the Holy
Spirit produces faith Our churches condemn the Anabaptists and others
who think that the Holy Spirit comes to men without the external Word,
through their own preparations and works.” (AC V. 2-4)

The Apology states it as axiomatic that “one cannot deal with God or
grasp him except through the Word” (Ap IV. 67). The Holy Spirit works
through the Word and the sacraments’ (Ap XXIV, 70: cf. Ap XIII, 5). The
Smatcald Articles emphatically declare that “we must hold firmly to the
conviction that God gives no one his Spirit or grace except through or with
the external Word’ (SA Ill, viil. 3): “we should and must constantly maintain
that God will not deal with us except through his external Word and sacra-
ment.” (SA ttl. vii, 10)

The Large Catechism explains that ‘although the work was accom-
plished and forgiveness of sins was acquired on the cross. yet it cannot come
to us in any other way than through the Word. How should we know that this
has been accomplished and offered to us if it were not proclaimed by preach-
ing. by the oral Word? Whence do they know of forgiveness, and how can
they grasp and appropriate it. except by steadfastly believing the Scriptures
and the Gospel?’ (LC V, 31) “Neither you nor | could ever know anything of
Christ. or believe in him and take him as our Lord. unless these were first
offered to us and bestowed on our hearts through the preaching of the
Gospel by the Holy Spirit.” (LC I. 38)

The Formula of Concord sums up what the symbols have said on this
subject when it quite categorically declares. “God does not call without

the ‘exclusive particles’ in setting forth the Scriptural teaching about
whom God will bring to eternal salvation and in what manner He will do this.
leads to the inescapable conclusion that according to the symbols outside
of the church there is no salvation (extra ecciesiam nulla salus) and that
the notion of salvation apart trom faith in Christ cannot be reconciled with
the confessional doctrine.

2. Interim State

Another criticism of Parti of AStatement’ has to do with the assertion
We believe that those who believe in Christ will enjoy a blissful relationship
with Him during the interim between their death and His second coming - It
Is objected specifically that recognition of Christ's saviorhood and lordship
does not depend on one’s acceptance of a particular view about the state of
the soul between the death of a believer and his resurrection
tt is true. of course. that itis possible for one to hold erroneous opinions
about the life after death and still genuinely acclaim Christ as Savior and
Lord. This is not to say. however. that it is a matter of indifference if one
adopts a position on this point that 1s contrary to the Scriptures and the
church's confession and does so on the plea that neither the Scriptures nor
the Contessions have a position which must be recognized. The language of
A Statement intends to assert that the lordship of Christ extends also over
the blessed in the life to come
As to the state of the soul after death “A Statement’ affirms that from
the moment of death believers enjoy a blissful relationship with their Savior
In a document adopted in 1969 and commended by the Synod to its member-
ship for reference and guidance (Resolution 2-03, Convention Proceedings
1973. p 109), the Commission on Theology and Church Relations stated

The Old Testament Scriptures contain many references to the con-
tinuation of life after death. For example. the patriarchs believed that
after their death they would be ‘gathered to their fathers in peace
This expression did not imply interment in a family grave. for it 1s used
of Abraham. Isaac. Jacob. and Moses, even though they were buried
tar from the land of their fathers (Gen 25:8-10. 35:29, 49:33. Num
27:13 Deut 32°50). The expression “he was gathered to his people” or

he slept with his peopie’ shows the intense hope of the Israelite to be
united with his ancestors. even in death. Our Lord summarized the Old
Testament hope when He reminded the Sadducees that God was not
the God of the dead but of the living. (Matt. 22 32)

Sheol. despite its often grim and shadowy character. was a place of
continued existence in some form (Job 26:5-6. Num 16:30; 1 Sam. 2 6)
Some passages describe sheo! as a place of darkness (Job 10:20-22).
or a place to hide (Job 14 13), or a place of hopelessness (Is. 28°18)
from which there 1s no return (Job 7:9). Other passages contain amore
positive affirmation about lite after death and assure the pious Israelite
that God will not abandon His saints in death but will abide with them
deliver them from sheo/, and receive them to glory. (Ps. 169-11
49:15, 73:24)

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