Res. 10-01 — To Seek Commission on Theology and Church Relations Opinion regarding Usage of Matthew 18:15–20

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, being faithful to Scripture, acknowledges, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16); and

WHEREAS, Holy Scripture distinguishes between private sins that are first to be rebuked privately (Matt. 18:15); and public sins that are to be rebuked publicly (1 Tim. 5:20); and

WHEREAS, Bylaw 1.10 and Bylaw 2.14 make multiple references to Matthew 18:15 as support for guiding, respectively, the dispute resolution process and expulsion of members from the Synod; and

WHEREAS, There is disagreement as to whether Matthew 18:15 must be followed when responding to public sin, as required by Bylaw 2.14 and its subsections; and

WHEREAS, Luther’s Large Catechism states, “But where the sin is quite public, so that the judge and everybody know about it, you can without any sin shun the offender and let him go his own way, because he has brought himself into disgrace. You may also publicly testify about him. For when a matter is public in the daylight, there can be no slandering or false judging or testifying … Where the sin is public, the rebuke also must be public, that everyone may learn to guard against it” (LC 1 [Eighth Commandment] 284); and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) released the 2006 report “Public Rebuke of Public Sin”; and

WHEREAS, It is fitting and salutary for the Synod, from time to time, to reexamine its polity and practice in light of Scripture and the Confessions, that we may repent where needed and strengthen what is good; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the CTCR to study Matthew 18:15–20 as it applies to public and private sin with special consideration of the 2006 Report “Public Rebuke of Public Sin”; and be it further

Resolved, That this new CTCR report provide comment as to Matthew 18:15– 20 and its relationship or implications, if any, to the practices of maintaining ecclesiastical order and practices of church polity in their historical and contemporary applications; and be it further

Resolved, That this report be made available to the Synod as a whole prior to the 2029 Synod convention.