An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism Part 24

The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints.

WHAT THE CHURCH IS. The Church is "The Communion of Saints" or fellowship of believers. It consists of all those persons who truly believe in Christ. [Matt. 16:16, 18] We call it the _Workmanship_ of the Holy Ghost, because He brings men to faith and thus produces the Church.

HE CALLS, GATHERS, ENLIGHTENS AND SANCTIFIES THE WHOLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH ON EARTH, AND PRESERVES IT IN UNION WITH JESUS CHRIST IN THE TRUE FAITH.

[Eph. 3:25-27]

The Church may also be called the Holy Spirit's _Workshop_, because He abides and works in it through the Means of Grace,--the Word of G.o.d and the Sacraments.

WHEN FOUNDED. The Holy Christian Church was founded on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the disciples. [Acts 2:1-41] On that day the Gospel of the crucified and risen Saviour was first preached by the apostles, the first converts were made, and the first Christian baptisms were administered.

VISIBLE OR INVISIBLE. The Church is invisible, because we cannot read men's hearts nor tell who are real believers. But if we regard the Church as an external organization which includes all who profess to believe, it is visible. In this outward visible Church there are many persons who are not real believers. But Christ knows His own. [II Tim 2:19+, John 10:14+] The angels on the day of judgment will separate the hypocrites from the true Christians. [Matt. 13:41, 42]

THE MARKS OF THE CHURCH. The Church is found wherever the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered. For wherever G.o.d's Word is preached, some persons believe it, [Isa. 55:10, 11] and where believers are, there is the Church.

THE CHURCH IS ONE. It consists of the true believers out of all the different churches, denominations, and sects. There is one Flock, with one Shepherd. [John 10:16] The Church is the Body of which Christ is the Head. [Col. 1:18, Eph 1:22, 23]

ITS NAMES. The Church is called _Holy_, because the Holy Spirit works in it and through it, and because its members, though not perfect, lead holy lives. It is called _Christian_, because it consists of those who believe in Christ. It is called _Catholic_ or Universal, because it is meant to include all men everywhere. Catholic does not mean _Roman_ Catholic.

MILITANT AND TRIUMPHANT. The Church, consisting of true believers, is one and the same Church on earth and in heaven. On earth it is the Church Militant, because its members are still fighting the good fight of faith. [I Tim. 6:12+] In heaven it is the Church Triumphant, because its members have won the victory of faith. [Rev. 7:9-14, Rev. 2:18, Rev.

3:21] The only way into the Church Triumphant is through the Church Militant.

THE CHURCH'S WORK.

The Church is the agency or instrument which the Holy Spirit uses for the evangelization of the world. [Matt. 28:19, Mark 16:15] It is the inst.i.tution through which He does His work of applying redemption to the souls of men. The Church, therefore, has a work to do: namely, to make disciples of all men.

THE MEANS through which the Church, as an agency of the Holy Spirit, is to do its work are the Word of G.o.d and the Sacraments. They are sufficient for the purpose for which they are intended, because the Holy Spirit works through them and endows them with supernatural power. [Rom.

1:16, Heb. 4:12]

THE WORKMEN who are to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments are the _ministers_. They must be properly called and ordained by the Church. [Act 14:23, t.i.t. 1:5] In the New Testament all pastors are called elders or bishops. It was only at a later period that the office of a bishop was made superior to that of elder, pastor or minister. The office of an apostle was a separate and higher office. The apostles were the witnesses of Christ's redemption, and possessed miraculous powers.

They have no successors. Ministers are the amba.s.sadors of Christ, beseeching men to be reconciled to G.o.d. [II Cor. 5:20+] Christ speaks through them. He who hears them, hears Christ; he who despises them, despises Christ. [Luke 10:16] If a minister should happen to be a hypocrite, his official acts, such as baptisms and the like, would still be valid. [II Tim. 2:13] _Deacons_ [Acts 6:1-6] are officers whose duty it is to a.s.sist the pastor, and to look after the temporal interests of the congregation. _Deaconesses_ [Rom.16:1] are consecrated to the work of love and mercy, and minister to the sick, the needy, the neglected, the ignorant, the fallen, and the friendless.

THE VARIOUS CHURCHES.

While the Church, in the strict sense of the word, is the "communion of saints" and therefore _one_, yet outwardly it has become divided, in the course of time, into many different churches, denominations, and sects.

It contains Four Great Branches: _The Greek Catholic Church_; _The Roman Catholic Church_; _The Evangelical Lutheran Church_; and _The Reformed Churches_, comprising a great number of denominations and sects. The Lutheran Church and the Reformed Churches are called Protestant. (For the names and relations of various branches of the Church, see the accompanying Diagram, on page 106.)

THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church is in reality the old original Church which came into existence on the day of Pentecost. Luther simply threw out the errors which had crept into the Church during the course of the centuries, and held fast the doctrines taught in G.o.d's Word. As a separate and distinct Church, the Lutheran Church dates from the year 1530, when the Augsburg Confession was read before the emperor and diet of the German Empire.[5] Her doctrines are laid down in her six Confessions, contained in the Book of Concord.

[Footnote 5: Since a particular Church is no older than her distinctive confession, the Lutheran Church is more than thirty years older than the Roman Catholic Church; for the Augsburg Confession was adopted in 1530, while the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, which are the Confession of the Roman Catholic Church, were not completed until 1563.

The ec.u.menical creeds are accepted by both Churches, and therefore prove nothing as regards their _relative_ age.]

THE CHURCH OF THE PURE GOSPEL. The Lutheran Church receives the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only rule and standard of religious teaching. The Roman Catholic Church accepts the tradition of the Church as of equal authority with the Holy Scriptures.

The Lutheran Church teaches the great central doctrine of the Gospel, that we are saved by _faith alone_ without works. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that we are justified by faith _and works_.

The Lutheran Church abides by the teachings of Scripture even when she cannot understand them. The other Protestant Churches explain away and reject some teachings of Scripture because they cannot understand them.

HER NAME. The name Lutheran was first given to our Church by her enemies. But she accepted it, because she believes the doctrines which Luther taught. The name which she chose for herself is Evangelical (true to the Gospel). She is now known by both names taken together, Evangelical Lutheran.

WHERE FOUND. The Lutheran Church is found in nearly all parts of the world, especially in Germany, Scandinavia, and the United States. In 1905 she numbered over 73 million baptized members, or practically as many as all the other Protestant Churches taken together. In the United States she has almost two million confirmed members (statistics for 1906), and ranks third in size among the Protestant Churches of the country.

IN AMERICA. The Lutheran Church in North America comprises the following general bodies: The General Synod, organized in 1821; the General Council, organized in 1867; the Synodical Conference, organized in 1872; the United Synod South, organized in 1886. To these general bodies there belong various synods. There are also a number of Independent Synods which are not connected with any general body. Synods are often subdivided into Conferences.

HER WORK. The Lutheran Church, like the Church in general, is to make disciples (Christians) of men. She is all the more bound to do her work, because she is the Church of the Pure Gospel. Her work is done in local congregations, in Home Missions, Foreign Missions, Inner Missions, and in maintaining the necessary inst.i.tutions of learning (colleges, seminaries, etc.) and of mercy (orphanages, asylums, hospitals).

DUTIES OF HER MEMBERS. It is the duty of her members to lead a Christian life, to be loyal to their own Church, and to co-operate heartily in all her local and general work, for the glory of G.o.d and the salvation of immortal souls.

QUESTIONS.--1. What is the Christian Church? 2. Why do we call it the Workmanship of the Holy Ghost? 3. When was it founded? 4. Is the Church visible or invisible? 5. What are the marks of the Church? 6. Why is the Christian Church one? 7. Why is the Church called Holy, Christian, Catholic? 8. What is meant by the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant? 9. What use does the Holy Spirit make of the Church? 10.

What are the means which the Church uses for its work? 11. Who are the Church's workmen, and what is their work? 12. Name the four great branches of the Christian Church? 13. How old is the Lutheran Church?

14. What three fundamental principles characterize the Lutheran Church?

15. Explain how the Lutheran Church got its name. 16. Where is the Lutheran Church found? 17. How large is it? 18. Name the General Bodies of the Lutheran Church in North America. 19. Describe the work of the Lutheran Church? 20. What are the duties of her members?

SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Matt. 16:18. Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of h.e.l.l shall not prevail against it.

II Tim. 2:19. Nevertheless the foundation of G.o.d standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

John 10:14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Eph. 1:22, 23. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

I Tim. 6:12. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Rom. 1:16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of G.o.d unto salvation to every one that believeth.

Heb. 4:12. For the word of G.o.d is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of sold and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

II Cor, 5:20. Now then we are amba.s.sadors for Christ, as though G.o.d did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to G.o.d.

READING.--The Church at Jerusalem, Acts 2:41-47.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE HOLY GHOST.

IV. THE FRUITS OF HIS WORK.

The Forgiveness of Sins; the Resurrection of the Body; and the Life Everlasting.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit's work in us are: 1. The Forgiveness of Sins. 2. The Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting.

1. _THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS_ has been acquired for me by my Saviour Jesus Christ; [I John 1:7+] but it is made mine by the Holy Ghost, who has brought me to faith and preserved me in it. For it is through faith that I obtain forgiveness. [Rom 5:1]