Why say more when the matter is clear? If the Church, which is truly Christ's Kingdom, is distinguished from the devil's kingdom, it follows necessarily that the wicked are not part of the Church, since they are in the devil's kingdom. It is true that, because Christ's kingdom has not yet been revealed, the wicked are mixed in with the Church and hold offices. But the wicked are not Christ's kingdom, even though that revelation has not yet been made. For Christ enlivens His true kingdom by His Spirit, whether it is revealed or is covered by the cross, just as the glorified Christ is the same Christ who was afflicted. - Apology of the Augsburg Confession VII/VIII: 17-8.
Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. 1st edition. St. Louis: Concordia, 2005.
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