From the Preface:
The American Luther [Dr. C.F.W. Walther] wrote three monumental works: Church
and Ministry, The Proper Form of a Lutheran Free Church, and The
Evangelical Lutheran Church the True Visible Church of God on Earth. These
also may be called "first principles." From them, and by means of
them, the whole of the subsequent movement of "Missouri" was worked
out. And many men in many lands have gratefully acknowledged their deep
indebtedness to Dr. Walther. This last work was heard and published by
resolution of the Synod at St. Louis in 1866.
THESIS I
The one holy Christian Church on earth, or the Church in the proper sense of
the word, outside of which there is no salvation, is, according to God's Word,
the total of all that truly believe in Christ and are sanctified through this
faith.
THESIS II
Though the one holy Christian Church, as a spiritual temple, cannot be seen
but only believed, yet there are infallible outward marks by which its presence
is known; which marks are the pure preaching of God's Word and the unadulterated
administration of the holy Sacraments.
THESIS III
Scripture in an improper sense calls churches also all visible congregations
which have hypocrites and wicked among the believers but preach the Gospel right
and administer the Sacraments according to the Gospel.
THESIS IV
Scripture calls churches even the visible congregations guilty of a partial
lapse from the true doctrine, as long as they hold God's Word essentially.
THESIS V
Communions still holding God's Word essentially but erring obstinately in
fundamentals, IN SO FAR as they do so, are, according to God's Word, not
churches but schisms or sects, i. e., heretical communions.
THESIS VI
Communions destroying the unity of the Church for non-fundamental errors or
personalities or ceremonies or wicked life, according to God's Word are
schismatic or separatistic communions.
THESIS VII
Communions calling themselves Christian but not accepting God's Word as God's
Word and therefore denying the Triune God, according to God's Word are no
churches but synagogues of Satan and temples of idols.
THESIS VIII
Though church-writers sometimes call communions holding God's Word
essentially true, i. e., real, churches over against non-churches, yet over
against erring churches, or sects, a true visible Church in the absolute sense
is that only in which God's Word is preached right and the holy Sacraments are
administered in accordance with the Gospel.
THESIS IX
Though according to the divine promises it is not possible for the one holy
Christian Church ever to perish, it is yet possible, and at times it has really
happened, that there did not exist a true VISIBLE Church in the absolute sense,
in which through an uncorrupted public ministry the preaching of the pure Word
of God and the administration of the unadulterated Sacraments held sway.
THESIS X
The Ev. Lutheran Church is the total of all unreservedly confessing agreement
with the pure Word of God, of the teaching brought again to light through
Luther's reformation and delivered summarily in writing to Kaiser and Reich at
Augsburg in 1530 and repeated and expanded in the other so-called Lutheran
symbols.
THESIS XI
The Ev. Lutheran Church is not the one holy Christian Church outside of which
there is no salvation, though it has never separated from the same but
acknowledges it alone.
THESIS XII
If the Ev. Lutheran Church has the marks of pure Gospel-preaching and
unadulterated administration of the holy Sacraments, then it is the true visible
Church of God on earth.
THESIS XIII
The Ev. Lutheran Church recognizes the written Word of the apostles and
prophets as the only and perfect source, rule, norm, and judge of all teaching,
a. not reason, b. not tradition, c. not new revelations.
THESIS XIV
The Ev. Lutheran Church holds fast to the clearness of Scripture. (There are
no "views" and "open questions.")
THESIS XV
The Ev. Lutheran Church acknowledges no HUMAN interpreter of Scripture whose
interpretation must be received as infallible and binding on account of his
office; 1. not an individual, 2. not an order, 3. not a particular or general
council, 4. not a whole Church (nicht eine ganze Kirche).
THESIS XVI
The Ev. Lutheran Church accepts God's Word as it interprets itself.
A. The Ev. Lutheran Church lets the original text alone decide.
B. The Ev. Lutheran Church, in the interpretation of the words and sentences,
holds fast to the usage of language.
C. The Ev. Lutheran Church acknowledges only the literal sense as the true
sense.
D. The Ev. Lutheran Church holds the literal sense has but one sense.
E. The Ev. Lutheran Church, in interpreting, is guided by the context and the
intention. Otherwise the Scripture is garbled.
F. The Ev. Lutheran Church acknowledges the literal sense may be the improper
sense as well as the proper; but it does not depart from the proper sense unless
forced by Scripture itself either the circumstances of the text itself or a
parallel passage or the analogy of faith.
G. The Ev. Lutheran Church interprets the dark passages by the clear ones.
H. The Ev. Lutheran Church takes the articles of faith from the texts
constituting the seat of doctrine and judges all obiter dicta accordingly.
I. The Ev. Lutheran Church rejects out of hand every interpretation not in
harmony with the analogy of faith, Rom. 12:7.
THESIS XVII
The Ev. Lutheran Church accepts the whole written Word of God (as God's
Word), deems nothing in it superfluous or of little worth but everything needful
and important, and also accepts all teaching deduced of necessity from the word
of Scripture.
THESIS XVIII
The Ev. Lutheran Church gives to each teaching of God's Word the place and
importance it has in God's Word itself.
A. It makes the teaching concerning Christ, or justification, the foundation
and marrow and guiding star of all teaching.
B. The Ev. Lutheran Church distinguishes sharply between the Law and the
Gospel.
C. The Ev. Lutheran Church distinguishes sharply between the fundamental and
the non-fundamental articles of doctrine contained in Scripture.
D. The Ev. Lutheran Church distinguishes sharply between what God's Word
commands and what it leaves free. (Things indifferent [adiaphora], church
government.)
E. The Ev. Lutheran Church distinguishes as sharply as cautiously between the
Old and the New Testament.
THESIS XIX
The Ev. Lutheran Church accepts no teaching as an article of faith which is
not contained in God's Word and is therefore not absolutely sure and certain.
THESIS XX
The Ev. Lutheran Church prizes the gift of interpreting Scripture as given by
God to individuals, 1 Cor. 12:4, 7, 8, 10, 30; 14:32; 1 Thess. 5:20.
THESIS XXI
A. The Ev. Lutheran Church is sure that the teaching contained in its Symbols
is the pure God's truth because it agrees with the written Word of God in all
points.
B. The Ev. Lutheran Church requires its members and especially its teachers
unreservedly to confess and vow fidelity to its symbols.
C. The Ev. Lutheran Church rejects all fraternal and churchly fellowship with
those who reject its Confessions in whole or in part.
THESIS XXII
The Ev. Lutheran Church administers the holy Sacraments after the institution
of Christ.
THESIS XXIII
True Ev. Lutheran churches are those only in which the teaching of the Ev.
Lutheran Church, as laid down in its Symbols, is not only acknowledged
officially but is also in vogue in the public preaching, Jer. 8:8; Matt. 10:32
f.
THESIS XXIV
The Ev. Lutheran Church holds fellowship in confession and charity with all
at one with it in faith, Eph. 4:3.
THESIS XXV
The Ev. Lutheran Church has thus all the essential marks of the true visible
Church of God on earth as they are found in no other known communion, and
therefore it needs no reformation in doctrine.