To Give Thanks for Concordia Publishing House’s Use of Bible Translations

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1. 17To Give Thanks for Concordia Publishing House’s Use of Bible Translations
2. 18RESOLUTION 8-05A
3. 19Overtures 8-07–08 (CW, 440–41)
4. 20WHEREAS, We accept without reservation that the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament are “the written
5. 21Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and of practice” (Const. Art. II); and
6. 22WHEREAS, Passages of Holy Scripture are used throughout the hymnals, catechisms, and other printed resources of
7. 23the Synod: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training
8. 24in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16); inasmuch as is feasible and prudent, we should endeavor to have translations that are
9. 25consistent and faithful; and
10. 26WHEREAS, Throughout our history going back even to Luther, Bible translations have never been fully stable; even
11. 27Luther revised his German Bible multiple times, and English translations in Synod hymnals have shifted from the King
12. 28James Version to the New International Version to the English Standard Version (ESV); and
13. 29WHEREAS, In 2003, the Commission on Theology and Church Relations cautiously noted the challenges presented
14. 30by different English Bible translations, declined to adjudicate among them, and left the Commission on Worship to
15. 31choose which translation to use for the Lutheran Service Book (LSB); and
16. 32WHEREAS, 2004 Resolution 2 -03A, “To Accept Lutheran Service Book and Agenda as an Official Service Book
17. 33and Hymnal of Synod” (Proc., 124) approved the LSB with the ESV translation and rejected an amendment to allow
18. 34voting on the translation used; and
19. 35WHEREAS, Some pastors and congregations have noted that the holder of the copyright for the ESV, Crossway
20. 36Publishing, has made changes to the ESV text; and
21. 37WHEREAS, Concordia Publishing House (CPH) has received permission from Crossway Publishing to omit changes
22. 38to the ESV text on subsequent printings of its resources; and
23. 39WHEREAS, CPH gives preference in its resources to the ESV in its resources, which CPH has authority from
24. 40Crossway Publishing to continue using the edition adopted, as it aligns with the LSB, which was approved by Synod
25. 41and adopted by well over 90 percent of our congregations (Matthew C. Harrison, “Singing the Gospel,” The Lutheran
26. 42Witness, Oct. 2, 2019, witness.lcms.org/2019/singing-the-gospel); therefore be it
27. 43Resolved, That we give thanks to CPH for its continued efforts to identify and utilize available translations that best
28. 44serve the mission of the Church, and further support its faithful stewardship and partnership with Synod.