Doctrine

This is found in volume 1, p. 82. The fruits of what is described in the extended quotation are plain to see in the ELCA today, and elsewhere. This remains an important warning for confessional Lutherans today. -- ed.

It is extremely important to recognize how necessary it is to place the church's teachers under obligation not merely not to depart from the Symbols [Creeds and Confessions] in doctrine but also in terminology. Perhaps no other time than our own so proves how necessary it is that those who teach publicly in the church use the right terminology. Recent theologians use language that is incomprehensible not only to the laypeople but also to most pastors. Not only can such horrible, monstrous language not promote explanation of the truth, but it must also inevitably produce error. Our old theologians, even when they are discussing ever so important and difficult points of doctrine, use language that everyone can understand.

We judge that the greatest possible public concord which can be maintained without offending consciences ought to be preferred to all other interests. Apology XV, 52

What a bold judgment to make, and useful! So you'd like your church body to have a doctrinal statement that expresses something in more detail than what is confessed in the Book of Concord? If it is not a matter of conscience, and the resulting doctrinal statement would disrupt the concord of the church, then it is contrary to the Apology to go ahead and adopt the doctrinal statement.