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True Peace and Harmony in the Church is The Result of Unity in Doctrine
September 11th, 2009
A Survey of the Witness of Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions
From time to time, there is put forward the theory that peace and unity in the church is not based on doctrinal unity. The Word of God makes it clear that it is God’s will that unity in the church be based on agreement with one another in doctrine. It is this God-given agreement in the teaching of the Apostles that provides the foundation for true peace and unity in the church, as the Scripture passages that follow this paragraph clearly demonstrate. Oftentimes disinterest in purity of doctrine comes disguised with statements about love. Pitting love against pure doctrine is a common error. “Love unites, doctrine divides” has been the slogan of much of liberal theology since the 19th century. It tends also to influence more confessional churches. It is an appealing slogan to pious and sincere Christians who do want to be loving people. It can be used easily to gloss over doctrinal errors and the importance of doctrinal differences.
The purpose of this collection of quotations is to present the witness of Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions in order to demonstrate that the Lutheran Confessions clearly have unity in doctrine in mind when they refer to what makes for genuine peace, unity and harmony in the church. The consistent witness of both Scripture and the Lutherans Confessions demonstrates that for the orthodox and confessional Lutheran church true and lasting peace, unity and harmony is a gift of God that is nurtured and sustained by pure teaching of the Word andthe rejection of error. These two important emphases are summarized in two recurrent phrases in the Book of Concord: “We believe, teach and confess” and “We reject and condemn.”
The witness from Scripture and the Confession continues in the post … click “read more” for the whole article.
The Witness of Sacred Scripture
“Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.” John 8:31
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” John 17:17
“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ doctrine and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.” Acts 2:42
“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.” Romans 16:17
“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment” 1 Corinthians 1:10
“Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11
“We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14
“Remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.” 1 Timothy 1:3
“In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” 1 Timothy 4:6
“Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and doctrine.” 1 Timothy 4:13
“Pay close attention to yourself and to your doctrine; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”1 Timothy 4:16
“If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing.” 1 Timothy 6:3-4a
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” 2 Timothy 4:3
“Hold fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” Titus 1:9
“But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.” Titus 2:1
“In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine.” Titus 2:7
The Witness of The Lutheran Confessions
“It is a matter of common knowledge, patent and unconcealed, what very perilous events and troublesome disturbances took place in our beloved German fatherland shortly after the Christian death of that enlightened and pious person, Dr. Martin Luther, and how in this anguished situation and amid the disruption of well-ordered government the foe of mankind bestirred himself to scatter his seed of false doctrine and discord and to bring about destructive and scandalous division in churches and schools so that he might thereby adulterate the pure doctrine of God’s Word, sever the bond of Christian charity and agreement, and in this way hold back and perceptibly impede the course of the holy Gospel. Everybody also knows how the adversaries of divine truth took occasion to discredit us and our schools and churches (tr-9) so as to palliate their own errors, to divert poor, erring consciences from an understanding of pure evangelical doctrine, and to make them more compliant in submitting to the papal yoke as well as in embracing other errors that militate against God’s Word. We should have preferred, and we besought and petitioned the Almighty, that our churches and schools might have been preserved in the teaching of God’s Word and in agreeable Christian concord and that they might have been well managed and carried on in a Christian fashion and in harmony with God’s Word, as they were while Dr. Luther was alive. Nevertheless, just as, while the holy apostles were still alive, it happened that false teachers insinuated perverted teachings into the churches in which the apostles themselves had planted the pure, unadulterated Word of God, so such false teachers were also inflicted on our churches because of our own and the ungrateful world’s impenitence and sin. Mindful of the office which God has committed to us and which we bear, we have not ceased to apply our diligence to the end that the false and misleading doctrines which have been introduced into our lands and territories and which are insinuating themselves increasingly into them might be checked and that our subjects might be preserved from straying from the right course of divine truth which they had once acknowledged and confessed.”Preface to the Book of Concord, par. 4—6
“We are accordingly mindful of the obligation that we have by divine precept, on account of the office we bear, over against the temporal and eternal welfare of our own selves and of the subjects that belong to us, to do and to continue to do everything that is useful and profitable to the increase and expansion of God’s praise and glory, to the propagation of that Word of his that alone brings salvation, to the tranquillity and peace of Christian schools and churches, and to the needed consolation and instruction of poor, misguided consciences. It is further apparent to us that many good-hearted Christian persons, of high station and low, are sighing anxiously for this salutary work of Christian concord and have a particular longing for it. Therefore, just as from the very beginning of this Christian agreement of ours it was never our disposition or intention as it is not now to keep this salutary and most necessary effort toward concord hidden and concealed in darkness, away from everyone’s eyes, or to put the light of divine truth under a basket or a table, we ought not suspend or postpone its printing and publication any longer. We do not have the slightest doubt that all pious people who have an upright love for divine truth and for Christian, God-pleasing concord will, together with us, take Christian pleasure in this salutary, most necessary, and Christian effort and will allow nothing to stand in the way of this cause and the promotion of God’s glory and the common welfare, both eternal and temporal.”Preface to the Book of Concord, par. 24
“The desire was also expressed for deliberation on what might be done about the dissension concerning our holy faith and the Christian religion, and to this end it was proposed to employ all diligence amicably and charitably to hear, understand, and weigh the judgments, opinions, and beliefs of the several parties among us to unite the same in agreement on one Christian truth, to put aside whatever may not have been rightly interpreted or treated by either side, to have all of us embrace and adhere to a single, true religion and live together in unity and in one fellowship and church, even as we are all enlisted under one Christ.”Augsburg Confession, Preface, par. 1—4.
“It is also taught among us that one holy Christian church will be and remain forever. This is the assembly of all believers among who the Gospel is preached in its purity and the holy sacraments are administered according to the Gospel. For it is sufficient for the true unity of the Christian church that the Gospel be preached in conformity with a pure understanding of it and that the sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine Word.”Augsburg Confession, Article VI, par. 1—2
“This is just about a summary of the doctrines that are preached and taught in our churches for proper Christian instruction, the consolation of consciences, and the amendment of believers. Certainly we would not wish to put our own souls and consciences in grave peril before God by misusing his name or Word, nor should we wish to bequeath to our children and posterity any other teaching than that which agrees with the pure Word of God and Christian truth. Since this teaching is grounded clearly on the Holy Scriptures and is not contrary or opposed to that of the universal Christian church, or even of the Roman church (in so far as the latter’s teaching is reflected in the writings of the Fathers), we think that our opponents cannot disagree with us in the articles set forth above. Therefore, those who presume to reject, avoid, and separate from our churches as if our teaching were heretical, act in an unkind and hasty fashion, contrary to all Christian unity and love, and do so without any solid basis of divine command or Scripture.”Conclusion to the Augsburg Confession, par. 1
And so it does not make sense when our opponents argue on the basis of the word “perfection” that love justifies, when Paul is speaking of unity and peace in the church. Ambrose interprets the text this way: “Just as a building is said to be perfect or whole when all its parts fit together properly.”Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, par. 235
“Consequently the church cannot be better governed and maintained than by having all of us live under one head, Christ, and by having all the bishops equal in office (however they may differ in gifts) and diligently joined together in unity of doctrine, faith, sacraments, prayer, works of love, etc. So St. Jerome writes that the priests of Alexandria governed the churches together and in common. The apostles did the same, and after them all the bishops throughout Christendom, until the pope raised his head over them all.” Smalcald Articles, Part II, Article IV, par. 9
“The primary requirement for basic and permanent concord within the church is a summary formula and pattern, unanimously approved, in which the summarized doctrine commonly confessed by the churches of the pure Christian religion is drawn together out of the Word of God.” Solid Declaration, Rule and Norm, par. 1
“In order to preserve the pure doctrine and to maintain a thorough, lasting, and God-pleasing concord within the church, it is essential not only to present the true and wholesome doctrine correctly, but also to accuse the adversaries who teach otherwise (1 Tim. 3:9; Titus 1:9; 2 Tim. 2:24; 3:16). “Faithful shepherds,” as Luther states, “must both pasture or feed the lambs and guard against wolves so that they will flee from strange voices and separate the precious from the vile” (John 10:12-16, 27; Jer. 15:19).”Solid Declaration, Rule and Norm, par. 14
“On this point we have reached a basic and mutual agreement that we shall at all times make a sharp distinction between needless and unprofitable contentions (which, since they destroy rather than edify, should never be allowed to disturb the church) and necessary controversy (dissension concerning articles of the Creed or the chief parts of our Christian doctrine, when the contrary error must be refuted in order to preserve the truth). It is true that the Christian reader who really delights in the truth of God’s Word will find in the previously mentioned writings what he should accept as correct and true in each of the controverted articles of our Christian faith, according to the prophetic and apostolic writings of God’s Word, and what he should reject, flee, and avoid as false and wrong. Nevertheless, to insure that the truth may be established the most distinctly and clearly and may be distinguished from all error, and likewise to insure that familiar terminology may not hide and conceal something, we have collectively and severally come to a clear and express mutual agreement concerning the chief and most significant articles which were in controversy at this time. This agreement we have set forth as a certain and public testimony, not only to our contemporaries but also to our posterity, of that which our churches believe and accept with one accord as the correct and abiding answer in the controverted issues.”Solid Declaration, Rule and Norm, par. 15
“For this reason the churches of God will never attain abiding peace in this controversy but, on the contrary, the discord will only be increased and deepened if the clergy are in doubt whether or not original sin is a substance or an accident in the right and strict sense of the word.” Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article II, par. 58
“From these statements and especially from the exposition of Dr. Luther, as the chief teacher of the Augsburg Confession, every intelligent person who loves truth and peace can understand beyond all doubt what the Augsburg Confession’s real meaning and intention in this article have always been.” Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article VII, par. 34
“This will suffice concerning the controverted articles which have been disputed among theologians of the Augsburg Confession for many years and in which some have erred and serious religious contentions have arisen. From our exposition friends and foes may clearly understand that we have no intention (since we have no authority to do so) to yield anything of the eternal and unchangeable truth of God for the sake of temporal peace, tranquility, and outward harmony. Nor would such peace and harmony last, because it would be contrary to the truth and actually intended for its suppression. Still less by far are we minded to whitewash or cover up any falsification of true doctrine or any publicly condemned errors. We have a sincere delight in and deep love for true harmony and are cordially inclined and determined on our part to do everything in our power to further the same. We desire such harmony as will not violate God’s honor, that will not detract anything from the divine truth of the holy Gospel, that will not give place to the smallest error but will lead the poor sinner to true and sincere repentance, raise him up through faith, strengthen him in his new obedience, and thus justify and save him for ever through the sole merit of Christ, and so forth.”Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article XI, par. 94—96
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