To Judge Practice by Word Alone

Official Workbook overture source text

4-46 
To Judge Practice by Word Alone 
WHEREAS, The Word of God is pure, trustworthy, altogether 
righteous, and endures forever (Psalm 19, Isaiah 6:8); and 
WHEREAS, Faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ (Rom . 
10:17); and 
WHEREAS, Faith, drawn from the Word of God, directs our 
practice as well as our doctrine; and 
WHEREAS, Martin Luther promoted the embraced understanding 
of Sola Scriptura,  that is our Lutheran heritage and Scriptural 
foundation; and 
WHEREAS, Jesus declared, “The words I have spoken to you are 
spirit and life,” (John 6:63); therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Synod be encouraged to continue to search 
the Scriptures, to continue to abide in the Word (John 8:31–32) and 
to “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest” (Collect for the Word, 
The Lutheran Hymnal [CPH, 1941], p. 14) the Word as both clergy 
and laity; and be it further 
Resolved, That we review and scrutinize our practice of the faith 
according to the Word of God so as not to prescribe or reject 
practices of faith and/or church life based on tradition or popes and 
councils,  but on the Word alone and, as it rightly exposits the 
Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, so as not to promote 
legalistic restrictions or limitations based on human reason but 
maintain the liberty for which Jesus set us free, with a conscientious 
permission of variation in the areas of adiaphora. 
St. Paul 
Albion, MI 
Ov.