To Seek Commission on Theology and Church Relations Opinion regarding Usage of Matthew 18:15–20

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1. 3To Seek Commission on Theology and Church Relations Opinion
2. 4regarding Usage of Matthew 18:15–20
3. 5RESOLUTION 10-01
4. 6Overtures 10-10, 12 (CW, 505–7)
5. 7WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, being faithful to Scripture, acknowledges, “All Scripture is
6. 8breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim.
7. 93:16); and
8. 10WHEREAS, Holy Scripture distinguishes between private sins that are first to be rebuked privately (Matt. 18:15); and
9. 11public sins that are to be rebuked publicly (1 Tim. 5:20); and
10. 12WHEREAS, Bylaw 1.10 and Bylaw 2.14 make multiple references to Matthew 18:15 as support for guiding,
11. 13respectively, the dispute resolution process and expulsion of members from the Synod; and
12. 14WHEREAS, There is disagreement as to whether Matthew 18:15 must be followed when responding to public sin, as
13. 15required by Bylaw 2.14 and its subsections; and
14. 16WHEREAS, Luther’s Large Catechism states, “But where the sin is quite public, so that the judge and everybody know
15. 17about it, you can without any sin shun the offender and let him go his own way, because he has brought himself into
16. 18disgrace. You may also publicly testify about him. For when a matter is public in the daylight, there can be no slandering
17. 19or false judging or testifying … Where the sin is public, the rebuke also must be public, that everyone may learn to guard
18. 20against it” (LC 1 [Eighth Commandment] 284); and
19. 21WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) released the 2006 report “Public Rebuke of
20. 22Public Sin”; and
21. 23WHEREAS, It is fitting and salutary for the Synod, from time to time, to reexamine its polity and practice in light of
22. 24Scripture and the Confessions, that we may repent where needed and strengthen what is good; therefore be it
23. 25Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the CTCR to study Matthew 18:15–20 as it applies to public and private
24. 26sin with special consideration of the 2006 Report “Public Rebuke of Public Sin”; and be it further
25. 27Resolved, That this new CTCR report provide comment as to Matthew 18:15–20 and its relationship or implications,
26. 28if any, to the practices of maintaining ecclesiastical order and practices of church polity in their historical and contemporary
27. 29applications; and be it further
28. 30Resolved, That this report be made available to the Synod as a whole prior to the 2029 Synod convention.
29. 31The Chief Financial Officer and LCMS Accounting and Financial Services staff, in consultation with the Finance
30. 32Committee, anticipate no significant incremental costs to the Synod as the activity is understood to be within the existing
31. 33scope and budget of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (estimate required by Bylaw 3.1.7 [g]).