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The Lutheran Church |
| A certain advertisement was seen in a local paper and read: |
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LOST DOG
Small, white, short-haired dog with large tan patch on his right side. Has missing right rear foot, broken tail, tattered left ear, is blind in left eye, has a touch of mange, and goes by the name Lucky. Please return to 25 Elm Street or call 999-1111. |
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If you saw this dog on the streets of your town it would be easy to
recognize him. Why? Distinctive marks describing the animal were given by
its owner.
The same is true concerning the church of our Lord. Distinctive marks are given throughout God's word describing the church that Jesus built. Therefore, it's easy to recognize Christ's church by comparing it to the description given to us in the Holy Writ. Jesus promised to build only one church. (Matt. 16:18). But today there are thousands of churches, all claiming to be the church or part of the church that Jesus built. Yet, they all differ in organization, origin, name and doctrines. This is a far cry from the oneness that Jesus prayed for (John 17:11, 20-21) or that Paul strove for (1 Cor. 1:10-13). To determine whether one is truly the church of the Bible, all we have to do is look at its distinctive marks. In this article we will consider the Lutheran denomination to see whether it is from heaven or from men. To be the church of the Bible — the one "from heaven" — the church must have been established in AD 33, on the first Pentecost after Christ's resurrection and be built by the Lord Himself (Acts 2; Matt. 16:18). A study of the Lutheran Church must begin with a study of its founder, Martin Luther. Luther was born November 10, 1483 and became a member of the Catholic Church, being baptized at one day old. At age 21, he became a monk at the Augustinian Convent at Erfurt, Germany where he saw his first copy of the Bible. Two years later Luther entered the priesthood, and within a year he went to Wittenburg University to teach and study. It was at Wittenburg where Luther witnessed John Tetzel raising money for Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome by the sale of indulgences , by authority from the Pope,. Having a love and great respect for the Bible, he was outraged at this and many other departures of the Catholic Church from God's word and To protest the Pope's action, Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of the cathedral in Wittenburg. Needless to say, this did not please the Pope, and in 1521, Luther was excommunicated. Luther and many followers began meeting on their own, inadvertently starting the great Reformation Movement. Luther didn't intend to begin a new church. He only wanted the Catholic Church to stand forth in purity of character and nobility of purpose. His intent was to reform the Church of Rome rather than going all the way back to Jerusalem. The Lutheran Church is the oldest of the Protestant denominations. It can be traced to the day Luther posted his 95 theses — the Eve of All Saints Day — Oct. 31, 1517. Luther is to be commended for his efforts; but he did not go all the way back to the Bible. His efforts only resulted in the formation of another denomination, similar to the Catholic denomination he left. The Lutheran Church was founded 1,500 years too late and by the wrong man to be from heaven. The Bible teaches that the church is to be organized, or "set in order" by ordaining elders in every city (Titus 1:5) or in every church (Acts 14:23). These elders are to be the overseers of the flock (Acts 20:28), to be selected from among the members (1 Pet 5:1), are to feed the flock of God (1 Pet 5:2), and are to meet certain qualifications (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Deacons, or servants, were to be appointed with the bishops, or elders, to serve the local flock (Acts 6:3; Phil 1:1). They too, must meet certain qualifications (1 Tim 3:8-13). Some members were to serve as teachers and some as evangelists (Eph 4:11; cf. 2 Tim 2:2). Contrary to the Bible pattern, the Lutheran Church utilizes synods, conferences and districts in their general organization. "Congregations are united in synods composed of pastors and lay representatives elected by the congregations and have authority as granted by the synod constitution. In some instances there are territorial districts in the same manner and under the same restrictions; some may legislate, while others are for advisory or consultative purposes only... Congregations have business meetings at least annually; synods, districts, and conferences hold yearly conventions; the general bodies meet annually or biennially. The congregation is usually administered between its annual meetings by a church council consisting of the pastor and a number of elected lay officers. Pastors are called by the voting members of the congregations." (Handbook of Denominations in the United States, Frank Mead) Never do we find a one-man "pastor system" nor any organization larger than the local congregation In the New Testament. Each congregation of the Lord's body is to be autonomous, and no organization larger than the local church is authorized in the Bible. The organization of the Lutheran Church is not scriptural, and therefore it is not mandated from heaven. The authority of the Lord's church is from the Lord, through His written word (Matt 28:18-20; John 12:48; 2 Tim 3:16-17). Because of the purity and completeness of His word (2 Pet 1:3), we are forbidden to add to, subtract from or substitute for God's word, the Bible (Deut 4:2; Prov 30:6; Gal 1:6-9; Rev 22:18-19). In religious matters we are to "speak as the oracles of God" (1 Pet 4:11). The Lutheran Church says "We believe, teach, and confess that the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments are the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachings alike must be appraised and judged... Other writings of ancient and modern teachers, whatever their names, should not be put on a par with Holy Scripture." But just a few paragraphs later they write, "We subscribe Dr. Luther's Small and Large Catechisms as both of them are contained in his printed works. They are 'the layman's Bible' and contain everything which Holy Scripture discusses at greater length and which a Christian must know for his salvation. All doctrines should conform to the standards set forth above. Whatever is contrary to them should be rejected and condemned as opposed to the unanimous declaration of our faith" (Summary of 1990 Congregational Statistics by Synods, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). These Lutheran documents contradict themselves and the Bible. They claim to uphold the Bible and then elevate Luther's catechisms to a higher level. If they say less than the Bible they say too little. If they say more than the Bible, they say too much, and it is not to be voted on or "unanimously declared" to make it so. Lutheran doctrine should be rejected as authoritative because it is not from heaven, but from men. Jesus built the church (Matt 16:18), and He paid for it with His own blood (Acts 20:28); therefore, it is His name that should be on the deed. Paul condemned the Corinthians for their division by calling themselves after other men's names (1 Cor 1:10-13). Speaking of Jesus, Peter said, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Later in 1 Peter 4:16, Peter emphasized, "If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf." It is Christ's church; therefore, it should bear His name. As individual members of that body, we belong to Christ; therefore, we are to wear no other name but His. Martin Luther seemed to understand this very clearly, but sadly, his followers did not. Luther begged his followers, "I pray you leave my name alone and not to call yourselves Lutherans, but Christians. Who is Luther? My doctrine is not mine. I have not been crucified for any one...How does it then benefit me, a miserable bag of dust and ashes, to give my name to the children of Christ? Cease, my dear friends, to cling to these party names and distinctions; away with all of them; and let us call ourselves only Christians, after Him from whom our doctrine comes." (Churches of Today, L. G. Tomlinson) It is apparent that Luther's followers did not heed his pleading and sought to glorify him rather than Christ. Nowhere is the name the "Lutheran Church" found in the Holy Writ, and therefore it must be rejected as from men, rather than from heaven. According to the Bible, the Lord's Supper consists of two elements — unleavened bread and fruit of the vine. It is a memorial of Christ's body that was hung on the cross and the blood which He shed there in His death. These emblems only represent His body and blood, as His body was still intact and His blood still flowing through His veins when Jesus implemented the Supper in Matthew 26. When Jesus said, "this is my body" and "this is my blood," He used accommodative language called metonymy, where one word is put for another. This is the same language that Jesus used when He said, "I am the door" (John 10:7), "I am the true vine" (John 15:1), and when He was called "the Lamb of God" (John 1:29). He was no more a literal door, vine or lamb than the bread is His literal body or the fruit of the vine is His literal blood. These things only represent Christ. Lutheranism denies the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, where the bread and the wine are transformed into the literal body and blood of Jesus but Lutherans hold to the doctrine of consubstantiation. Luther describes this in his Large Catechism: "It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in and under the bread and wine which we Christians are commanded by the Word of Christ to eat and to drink. And as we have said of Baptism that it is not simple water, so here also we say the Sacrament is bread and wine, but not mere bread and wine, such as are ordinarily served at the table, but bread and wine comprehended in, and connected with, the Word of God. It is the Word (I say) which makes and distinguishes this Sacrament, so that it is not mere bread and wine, but is, and is called, the body and blood of Christ." Lutherans teach that the true body and blood of Christ are really present in the Supper rather than represented as Jesus implied. The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) and that faith must be accompanied by works (Eph 2:10; James 2:17, 20, 26). Nowhere does the Bible teach that we are saved by any one of these alone or saved without any one of them. We are not saved just by any faith (John 8:24) nor are we saved just by any works (Eph 2:9; Rom 3:20; Titus 3:5). We are only saved according to true biblical faith and true works of righteousness. Coming from a religion of works, Luther could not see that salvation included any type of works at all. When the pendulum swung, it went from salvation by works only to the other extreme of salvation without works at all. Paul said that man is "justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Rom. 3:28). But Luther wrote in the margin of his Bible the words "sola fide," meaning "faith only." and this has been Lutheran doctrine of salvation through the centuries. In The Book Of Concord The Confessions Of The Evangelical Lutheran Church, it is stated that, "We begin by teaching that our works cannot reconcile us with God or obtain grace for us, for this happens only through faith... Whoever imagines that he can accomplish this by works, or that he can merit grace despises Christ and seeks his own way to God contrary to the gospel." Luther's belief in salvation by faith only led him to reject the book of James as canonical because of the verses in chapter 2:14-26. He considered the book of James as a "right strawy epistle" and "it had no gospel character in it." He also added, "I will not have it in my Bible in the number of the proper chief books." His view of faith was a distorted view rather than a biblical one. In An Introduction to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, Luther said, "Faith is not what some people think it is... faith is God's work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God. (John 1:13). It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith... Ask God to work faith in you, or you will remain forever without faith, no matter what you wish, say or can do." This comment flies in the face of Romans 10:17 wherein Paul says our faith comes from God's word, not from prayer. The Bible teaches that we are the offspring of God (Acts 17:29), that God is the Father of spirits (Heb 12:9); and that everything brings forth after his kind (Gen 1:11-12, 21, 24-25). The Bible also teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). But if man is born in sin, this implies that God our Father is a sinner since we are made in God's image and likeness (Gen 1:26-27). The Bible plainly teaches that "The soul that sinneth, it shall die, The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son" (Ezek 18:20). Jesus teaches that "except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3). Our sins are not inherited from our ancestors, nor are they present our infancy, but rather they begin in our youth, (Gen 8:21; Jer 3:25). It is in our youth that we gain the knowledge of good and evil (Isa 7:15-16). The Lutheran Church teaches the doctrine of original sin, which it inherited from Catholicism. In The Book Of Concord The Confessions Of The Evangelical Lutheran Church, the following is stated: "It is also taught among us that since the fall of Adam all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in sin. That is, all men are full of evil lusts and inclinations from their mother's womb and are unable by nature to have true fear of God and true faith in God. Moreover, this inborn sickness and hereditary sin is truly sin and condemns to the eternal wrath of God all those who are not born again through baptism and the Holy Spirit." The New Testament gives us the pattern for the one baptism authorized by Jesus (Eph 4:5). It teaches us that baptism is a burial or complete immersion in water (Col 2:12; Rom 6:4). In our baptism we are born again (John 3:5) and risen to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4). But New Testament baptism is to be preceded by faith (Mark 16:16), by confession (Rom 10:10), and by repentance (Acts 2:38). Infants cannot believe or confess, and they have no sins to repent of; therefore, they are not proper subjects for baptism. The Lutheran Church practices infant baptism. Jeffrey C. Kinery, a Lutheran clergyman wrote in the Christian News, "All orthodox (true, pure-teaching, right-thinking) churches practice paido-baptism (infant baptism)." Martin Luther, in his Large Catechism, says he believes an infant can be baptized without believing or repenting. "We say that we are not so much concerned to know whether the person baptized believes or not; for on that account Baptism does not become invalid; but everything depends upon the Word and command of God. This now is perhaps somewhat acute but it rests entirely upon what I have said, that Baptism is nothing else than water and the word of God in and with each other, that is when the Word is added to the water, Baptism is valid, even though faith be wanting. For my faith does not make Baptism, but receives it. Now, Baptism does not become invalid even though it be wrongly received or employed; since it is not bound (as stated) to our faith, but to the Word...For (as we have said) even though infants did not believe, which however, is not the case, yet their baptism as now shown would be valid...And here you see that Baptism, both in its power and signification, comprehends also the third Sacrament, which has been called repentance, as it is really nothing else than Baptism." As you can see, one false premise — original sin — leads to another false practice — infant baptism. This leads to the other false assumptions — that faith is not necessary for baptism, that infants can believe, and that repentance is nothing more than baptism. These doctrines of the Lutheran Church came not from heaven, but from men. Therefore, they must be rejected. It can surely be seen that the doctrines and practices held by the Lutheran Church are not from heaven or according to the pattern set by God, but are from men. When we seek the church that Jesus built (Matt 16:18), the one He bought (Acts 20:28), the one He is head of (Eph 1:22), the one over which He is the Savior (Eph 5:23), we need to observe the marks of that one church. The Lutheran Church does not meet the marks. The apostle John gave us a warning in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." The truth has been given to us, it is God's word (John 17:17). It was Jesus who said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32). The Lutheran Church is not part of, nor is it revealed in that truth. Therefore the Lutheran Church is not "from heaven, but of men." |