To Restore Both Biblical Languages to the Education of Future Pastors on All Pathways to the Office of the Holy Ministry

WHEREAS, One of the major qualifications for a man aspiring to the Office of the Holy Ministry is his ability to teach (1 Tim. 3:2); and

WHEREAS, “We believe, teach and confess that the only rule and norm according to which all teachings, together with [all] teachers, should be evaluated and judged (2 Tim. 3:15–17) are the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testament alone” (Formula of Concord Epitome: Summary, Rule, and Norm 1); and

WHEREAS, To teach, a man in the Office of the Holy Ministry should be able to understand the Scripture as God breathed it out (2 Tim. 3:16); and

WHEREAS, The Old Testament was initially breathed out in biblical Hebrew (small portions of the Old Testament are written in Aramaic), and the New Testament in Koine Greek; and

WHEREAS, Much in the Scriptures that points to Christ and Him crucified is embedded in the nuances of both biblical languages and can be lost in translation; and

WHEREAS, In 2018, the English District in convention adopted Resolution 1-01, calling upon The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) to require instruction in both biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek as prerequisites for admission to the Officeof the Holy Ministry, that the district encourage our seminaries, with Synod funding, to include biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek in the curricula for all of the pathways to the Office of the Holy Ministry, and that the district urge our seminaries to develop continuing education opportunities for all pastors to obtain and review such training; and

WHEREAS, In 2019, the Synod in convention adopted Res. 6-02, “To Promote Residential Seminary Education as the Preferred Option for the Preparation of Men for Pastoral Ministry,” noting in the fourth whereas that, “‘Handling the Word of Truth’ (2 Tim. 2:15) rightly requires diligent study of God’s Word and our Lutheran Confessions, with a foundational understanding of the original biblical languages …,” and Res. 6-03A, “To Enhance the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Program,” including instruction in biblical languages in the second resolve, yet the residential alternate route programs to general pastor roster status require the study of Greek only, and the Center for Hispanic Studies and the Ethnic Immigrant Institute for Theology, also routes to general pastor roster status, require no study of either biblical language; therefore be it

Resolved,That the district once again call on the Synod to require instruction in both biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek as prerequisites in all programs leading to admission to the Office of the Holy Ministry; and be it further

Resolved, That the district call on the Synod to encourage our seminaries, with Synod funding, to include biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek in the curricula of all of the routes to the Office of the Holy Ministry; and be it finally

Resolved, That the district call on the Synod to encourage our seminaries, with Synod funding, to develop continuing education opportunities for all pastors to obtain and review such training.