Franz Pieper on Unity - 1888

Herr Professor Francis Pieper from St. Louis, who had been designated essayist by the honorable Herr President [of the Synodical Conference], presented five theses.

The presenter made the following remarks by way of introduction: It is generally granted that there should be unity in the Christian Church. The lament over the divisions of the Church is universal. There have always been efforts to create unity, particularly in recent times. We would rejoice over these efforts and regard our era as particularly blessed in this regard if a closer examination did not show that most efforts toward unity completely lack the understanding of what the essence of Christian unity is. The devil has succeeded in creating general confusion on this issue. All forms of unity are sought except the correct unity willed by God. Therefore, in spite of all the effort, the goal is not achieved, and those who seek the correct, true unity are declared enemies of all unity, while the proper destroyers of correct unity are praised as true advocates of the same.

By God’s grace, we understand the correct, Christian unity desired by God, the unity in the faith. It is the purpose of the following theses to remind us of this and to enliven us toward this unity. The theses are as follows:

I. By “unity in the faith,” we understand the agreement in all articles of Christian doctrine

that is revealed in the Holy Scriptures.

II. This unity in the faith is possible, because all articles of Christian doctrine are clearly

revealed in the Holy Scriptures.

III. This unity in the faith is willed by God, because God commands the complete acceptance of His entire revelation and strictly forbids every departure from the same.

IV. The necessary external testimony to this unity in the faith consists in that those who

stand in the unity of the faith confess one another as brothers in the faith.

V. Those who enjoy this unity of the faith should diligently seek to care for and guard this

unity as a glorious gift granted freely by the grace of God.

At Home in the House of My Fathers, p. 572.