Workbook page: 238
PDF page: 273
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LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 273
2026 Convention Workbook 238 THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS —COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS /one.lnum/two.lnum A Theology and Philosophy of Lutheran Education conception through natural death—as a precious gift, and that gift of life must be respected and protected (Psalm 51:5; Psalm 139:13–17; Jer. 1:5). God creates every human—no matter ethnicity, language, or nationality—and therefore condemns racism or bigotry of any sort (Acts 10:34–35; Acts 17:26). That which is rooted in God’s Word must be upheld and practiced in our schools even when it does not resonate with wider cultural opinion. We abide by what Scripture teaches—in our classroom instruction, student discipline, or person- al counsel. However, Lutheran educators also understand that many within our schools may not share the same beliefs about how God has made us biologically or how he commands us to live sexually. We trust our administrators and instructors to exercise responsible discretion in attending to these conflicts and addressing them with sensitivity and patience. At the same time, we require a commitment to biblical teachings concerning marriage and sexuality and also require our teachers to support and be committed to the same. Only through “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15) might our educators remain faithful to God’s Word and bring it to their students (and their parents) in a way that contradicts unbiblical, immor- al beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors condoned by the larger non-Christian culture (and even many misled or erring Christians). /one.lnum/three.lnum The Lutheran Church/emdash.lnumMissouri Synod THE SECOND ARTICLE Lutheran Education and Redemption (or the Gospel of Jesus Christ) How does the reality of sin inform Lutheran education? Lutheran Christians believe that human beings were created in the image and likeness of God, perfectly reflecting His righteousness as His good creation (Gen. 1:27). However, we also believe sin entered the world with the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). The entrance of sin has removed our original purity, holiness, and godliness, and placed us under God’s judgment and wrath (Rom. 5:12–21; 7:21–25). This sin has infected every human being at conception (“original sin”). 11 Sin has twisted our desires toward things God has prohibited or things that are unhealthy for us spiritually or physically (“concupiscence”). Act- ing upon these desires, we believe, think, and do things contrary to God’s Word (“actual sins”). All of these forms of sin—whether we know of them or not—are against God’s will. Yet we believe that Jesus alone offers the forgiveness of sins to those who believe in His Gospel. This understanding of sin impacts our education in several ways. First, on an in- tellectual level, we believe that sin has led to the misunderstanding and misuse of God’s creation (Rom. 1:18–32). We must correct that misunderstanding and mis- use through our instruction. For instance, we are obligated to correct mistaken theories and views often taught in classrooms that deny God’s creation or that condone sexual sins. Second, on a personal level, we must instruct our students about the nature of sin, its implications for their spiritual lives, its temporal con- sequences in their daily lives, and the need for repentance of those sins. Third, we believe that we must also offer students grace for their sins by sharing with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we seek to model that grace in the care we offer our students. That also means we do not withhold disciplinary action as a conse- quence for their disobedience (Heb. 12:9–11), yet we also give teachers discretion 11 AC II. /one.lnum/four.lnum A Theology and Philosophy of Lutheran Education to allow students to make mistakes, learn from their errors, and improve. Student discipline is also a valuable opportunity to teach repentance and offer forgiveness.What role does the Gospel play in Lutheran education? Lutheran theology clearly distinguishes between the Law and the Gospel. Cer- tain passages of Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments set forth the Law, God’s requirements for our lives (or His “unchanging will”). These requirements reflect the moral standards for how we are to live in accordance with how God has made us and what He has told us to do, especially as we see this in the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:2–17). We believe that obedience to this Law will help to protect us from temporal consequences and bring temporal blessings in this life, that the preaching of this Law makes us aware of our sins against God and His Word, and that this Law provides concrete guidance for how we should lead our Christian lives. The teaching of the Law is distinct from the Gospel. The Gospel, also found in both the Old and New Testaments, is the promise of the forgiveness of sins on account of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, which we receive by faith alone. We unreservedly proclaim the forgiveness of sins for all who believe in Jesus, that Jesus is the only hope and path for salvation, and that God brings sinners to repentance and faith and forgives their sins through the preaching of the Word—rightly divided between Law and Gospel—and administration of the sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. While we believe the Law provides shape and form to the moral life and should govern our instruction and behavioral expectations in Lutheran schools, it can- not be an end in itself when dealing with fallen sinners. It must be accompanied by a proclamation of the Gospel. Teaching the Law may provide clear moral ex- pectations to students, but only the teaching of the Gospel (through which the Holy Spirit gives and sustains faith) will lead to changed hearts, renewed lives, and eternal salvation. Ultimately, all truly good works are fruits of the Spirit that arise solely and freely from faith in the Gospel (Gal. 5:22–23) rather than from the fear of the Law (Gal. 2:16), as the Lutheran Formula of Concord says. 12 We desire that all students in Lutheran schools hear the Gospel of what Christ has done for them, believe in Jesus Christ, and receive Baptism for the forgiveness of their sins. We do this in the confidence that, through faith in the Gospel, they will grow to have the “mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16), conform themselves to God’s Word, and live 12 FC SD VI 5. /one.lnum/five.lnum The Lutheran Church/emdash.lnumMissouri Synod according to God’s Law. Lutheran schools also maintain the distinction between Law and Gospel when it comes to the discipline of students. Though there may be consequences and punishments for misbehavior, these are also occasions for the declaration of the forgiveness of sins in Christ. Why do Lutheran schools teach theology and gather for worship? Lutheran Christians do not provide a strictly secular or intellectual educational experience, free from religious curriculum or practice. A central part of education in a Lutheran institution is to provide for instruction in the Christian faith (“cat- echesis”), primarily from the Holy Scriptures and Luther’s Small Catechism. That may come in the classroom, in the form of theology classes required for all stu- dents (Lutheran or not), as well as in teaching within other disciplines where the faith of Lutheran teachers informs their instruction in the humanities or sciences. There is no “religion-free” space in Lutheran schools. While theology is taught unapologetically from a Lutheran perspective to students, Lutheran or not, that faith should also come through in other areas of the curriculum. Likewise, worship is essential to every Lutheran school (e.g., in regularly sched- uled chapel services, classroom prayers or devotions, Scripture memorization, and the like). Such worship opportunities allow Lutheran schools to share what makes them most unique: the faith that they believe, teach, and confess. Lutherans do not simply speak about their faith, they also sing about it, and they sing about it in worship. We read Scripture, confidently pray according to our Lord’s promises, sing hymns or psalms, and preach the Gospel in a way that children come to learn and believe the truths of the Christian faith and commit them to the head and the heart. The worship life of a Lutheran school enables students, faculty, and staff to hear the Word as it is read, taught, proclaimed, prayed, or sung.