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Concordia Theological Monthly

Publication Date

12-1-1943

Document Type

Article

Keywords

church unity, christendom, lutheran, union, doctrine, walther, communion

Submission Type

Bible Study; Lecture; Sermon Prep

Abstract

Luther was ready to give up his life ln the blessed cause of the reunion of Christendom. "I want you [M. Bucer] to believe me that I wish this dissension of ours settled, even though my life had to be sacrificed three times over on account of it, because I saw how necessary your fellowship is to us, how much harm the dissension has done and still does to the Gospel. ... May the Lord Jesus enlighten us and perfectly unite us-this is the burden of my prayer, the burden of my supplication, the burden of my sighs." (XVII:1975.) That is the Lutheran spirit. The Apology declares: "We most earnestly desire to establish harmony." (Triglot, p. 379.) And the Formula of Concord: ''We entertain heartfelt pleasure and love for, and are on our part sincerely inclined and anxious to advance, that unity according to our utmost power by which His glory remains to God uninjured, etc." (P. 1095.) Dr. Walther: "Surely all who love our Lutheran Zion deplore with deep grief the sad divided state from which our Church suffers here in the United States of North America, and all earnestly desire to see the growth of this evil checked and all sincere Lutherans united on the basis of the truth."

Disciplines

Practical Theology

Scripture References in this Resource (separated by semi-colons)

1 Corinthians 1:10; Romans 16:17; Ephesians 4:31; Galatians 1:8-9; Jeremiah 23:28; 2 John 10:1; 1 Timothy 6:3 ff; Titus 1:9;

Submission Cost

Free

Submission Audience

Laity; Ministers; Scholars

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