2. The local church is a divine order.
The question has been discussed whether the formation of local congregations, or the affiliation with already existing local congregations, is left to the option of the Christians, or is divine
1531) Col. 3:16-17.<w:t>1532) 1 Cor. 5:1-13; Matt. 18:17.
1533) Rom. 16:17; Col. 4:17.<w:t>1534) 1 Pet. 2:9.
1535) 1 Pet. 3:8-17 etc.<w:t>1536) Acts 3:19.
1537) Walther therefore also defines a local Lutheran congregation as "a gathering of believing Christians in a certain place, in which the Word of God is preached purely according to the confession of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the holy sacraments are administered according to Christ's institution according to the Gospel. (Die rechte Gestalt, p. 1 [Walther and the Church, p. 88]) Exactly, therefore, speak those old theologians who say that the hypocrites also do not form a part (pars) of the local church. Thus Dannhauer, Hodos. p. 61: Non sunt hypocritae quidem membra ecclesiae invisibilis, nec visibilis verae, sed tamen visibilis aggregatae, ut zizania non est pars' agri triticei, qua talis, tamen pars est agri totius aggregati ex tritico et zizania. [Google] CaIov, Systema VIII, 253 sq.: Etsi hypocritae sint in coetu illo, in quo est ecclesia, non tamen in coetu proprie sunt, qui est ecclesia. … Non facimus geminam ecclesiam, aliam sanctorum, aliam mixtam, sed hanc tantum nostris distinctionem esse dicimus, qua δμοννμως vox ecclesiae accipitur, semel pro coetu fidelium, iterum pro conventu, in quo fidelibus admixti reperiuntur hypocritae. [Nor does Art. 8 of the Augustana [Trigl. 47, VIII] say that false Christians and hypocrites form an integral part of the Church, but only that they can be organs of the Church insofar as the means of grace remain vigorous even when administered by wicked ones.
485 > The Christian Church. [English ed. ~ 421-422]
order. The question is of great practical importance, since at all times there have been people who, while claiming to be Christians, wanted the connection to a local church to be regarded as a matter of Christian freedom, that is, as an adiaphoron.1538) We must say: 1. Because it is God's will and command that Christians who are in one place should not only read God's Word for themselves, but also enter into external fellowship with one another, hear God's Word in public sermon, and thus establish the public ministry among themselves and, where it is established, use it;1539) 2. Because not only the individual Christian is obligated to admonish and rebuke the sinning brethren, but also the whole local congregation is commanded to exercise Christian discipline in its members;1540) 3. Because especially the celebration of Holy Communion is not merely an ecclesiastical, but a divine order for the exercise of brotherly fellowship:1541) Thus also the formation of local Christian congregations and the connection to them is not a human, but a divine order.1542) This is the basis of our church practice, that we do not accept "resignation" from membership in the Christian congregation, because neither individuals in the congregation nor a whole congregation has power to dispense with a divine order. In contrast, the binding of local congregations into larger church associations (into conferences, synods, etc.) does not qualify as a divine order. The commandment, "Tell the church!" (είπε τη εκκλησία), according to the context, goes to the local church, and beyond that is not to be asserted as a divine order. "Tell it to the synod!" etc. is a human order. Therefore Walther says
1538) This prompted Walther's writing, "On the Duty of Christians to Join a Local Orthodox Church." St. Louis 1880.
1539) This point will be presented in more detail under the following section, "The Public Ministry of Preaching."
1540) Matt. 18:17: "Tell the congregation; if he does not hear the congregation, consider him a heathen and publican"; 1 Cor. 5:13: "Put out from among yourselves" (the congregation is addressed) "him who is evil"; 2 Cor. 2:8: "I exhort you" (the congregation) "to prove love in him" (the penitent)."
1541) 1 Cor. 10:17; 11:17-21. 33.
1542) Walther, Kirche u. Amt, p. 144 ff. [Church and Ministry, 101, Walther and the Church, p. 68]: "Every Christian, for the salvation of his soul, is bound to profess and hold to the orthodox congregations and their orthodox pastors, where he finds such.
486 > The Christian Church. [English ed. ~ 422]
correctly: "That a church government binding of several congregations into one larger church body, e.g. by means of a synod with visitation power, a so-called superior board [Oberkirchenkollegium], a consistory, a bishop, etc., is not of divine but only of human right and therefore not absolutely necessary, there can be no doubt about this, since there is no commandment for it.1543) This is the basis of our synodical practice that we accept resignations from synodical membership, however, when a congregation, despite having held proceedings, persists in declaring that under its circumstances it should rescind synodical membership.