RESOLUTION 14-02
Overtures 14-02, 14-08, 14-16 (CW, pp. 465, 468, 472)
WHEREAS, Our Triune God, before the fall, created and sanctified marriage as a life-long union between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24); and
WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus through his presence at the wedding at Cana has affirmed God’s original design for marriage (John 2:1–11), and through His teaching has made it clear that the tragedy of divorce is not part of God’s original design or intent, but occurs only because of “the hardness of your hearts” (Matt. 19:4–6); and
WHEREAS, the apostle Paul sees marriage as an icon or reflection of the union that the heavenly bridegroom Jesus has with His Church (Eph. 5:22–32); and
WHEREAS, God, not the state, has instituted marriage
• to provide fidelity within the lifelong union of one man and one woman;
• to continue his procreative work of bringing children into the world;
• to enable a father and mother, in their household, to “bring up their children in the fear and instruction of the Lord so that they may offer Him their praise” (Lutheran Service Book [LSB], p. 275); therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod, on the basis of Holy Scripture, joyfully confess marriage to be an unalterable estate which God continues to uphold and bless within the human community; and be it further
Resolved, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) commend the concluding affirmation of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) 1981 report, Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective (p. 40), as faithful explications of timeless truths of the Word of God when it says:
We honor God and the neighbor rightly when we:
• delight in our creation as male and female and affirm our identity as male or female;
• see in our creation as sexual beings an intimation of our creation for fellowship and give thanks for the healing which God offers in marriage;
• regard marriage as a divine, lifelong institution, ordained by God for the good of man and woman;
• respect marriage as the typical, though not necessary, expression for our creation as male and female;
• affirm God’s will that sexual intercourse be engaged in only between man and woman committed to a complete and lifelong sharing of their lives with one another in a marriage covenant not to be broken;
• affirm that the mutual love of husband and wife, while possessing God-given meaning in and of itself, is by divine blessing ordered toward the birth of a child;
• affirm that this union of mutual love is the only proper context for human procreation; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS in convention encourage its seminaries and its universities to place a high priority on equipping their students to articulate the biblical view of marriage and provide resources for the church through continuing education, conferences on marriage, publications, and other resources; and be it further
Resolved, That pastors be implored to provide responsible care in this area through their preaching, teaching, counseling, and administration of the sacraments; and be it further
Resolved, That congregations and commissioned workers be implored to provide care through teaching, counseling, and acts of mercy; and be it further
Resolved, That we, as God’s baptized children living in this broken world, live out our vocation as people shaped by God’s Word and His forgiving love to respond with mercy to those whose lives have been wounded by sin; and be it finally
Resolved, That as a Synod we continue to speak prophetically of God’s institution and preservation of marriage as it is reflected in creation, even as we also give thanks to God for His indescribable gift of the one flesh union between one man and one woman.