The Fallen Nature of Churches Today - Other National Churches

Judged on the basis of the ten commandments, the Anglican, Lutheran, and Reformed churches are all fallen. All of them adhere to the doctrine of the Trinity, all of them deny the duty of Sabbath observance, and all of them serve as State Churches and support offensive military action when they consider it justifiable, thus breaking the commandment Thou shalt not kill. To be a member of such a church is to partake in those sins. To remain a member of the Lutheran church, for example, is to partake of the guilt of Lutheran support of Hitler's crimes against humanity and to keep blood on one's hands. (Rev 18:4) ”And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”

In article 85 of The Large Catechism, the Lutherans speak more strongly against the Sabbath than does Rome, for they call the Sabbath observance the creation of ”disorder by unnecessary innovation.” ”But since from of old Sunday [the Lord's Day] has been appointed for this purpose, we also should continue the same, in order that everything be done in harmonious order, and no one create disorder by unnecessary innovation.” How anyone can consider the Sabbath an innovation and Sunday valid, after just reporting that the Sabbath was in force under the Old Testament and that Sunday is supposed to have been introduced after the New Testament, goes beyond the limits of reason acceptable to the sane human mind.

At the same time, the catechism, while neglecting the clear words of the commandment, adds its own burdens. The meaning of the Sabbath is not to rest from labor, but to listen to and obey the priest! The entire teaching under the Sabbath commandment in the Small Catechism is reduced to this: ”We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.” So Sabbath-keeping, misplaced to Sunday, is to go to the Lutheran church, listen to the priest, and ”gladly hear and learn it.”

In question 103 of the Reformed Heidelberg Catechism, rather than admit the clear import of the Sabbath as a day of rest, they prefer to use it as a vehicle to express their opinions in regard to the subjection of women, by quoting under the question of the Sabbath, the following texts: ”1 Tim.2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 1 Tim.2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 1 Tim.2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 1 Tim.2:10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 1 Tim.2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.” How the Sabbath commandment, which lists subordinates male and female, but never the wife, commands the subjection of women, is difficult reasonably to imagine. Yet the Reformed churches can do so, while denying the very word of the commandment.

The national churches have fallen even further than Rome, in that they are attached to national armies as patrons. The Reformed or Presbyterian church has for several centuries elevated Sunday in place of the Sabbath even higher than has the Papacy, and in that aspect represents a deeper apostasy. All of them have been involved in persecution. Before the Reformation there were many low-profile Sabbath-keeping Christian groups in Europe. In the areas where Lutheranism gained ground the first action was to slaughter these groups. The Sabbatarians in Selicia, Sweden, Finland and Norway were killed to the last soul.

Three commandments suffice to show all of the official Christian establishment to be fallen. There are scores of thousands of faith-based denominations, and it is not possible even to mention all of them. Of those, Baptists and Methodists form the majority, and they fail on all three commandments with few exceptions of small non-violent or Sabbatarian groups. Among those, none adhere to all three test commandments, to say nothing of all ten.

The confusing mass of small denominations clamoring for attention can be reduced to the simple test of the three test commandments. None of them adhere to all three. Seventh-day Adventists accept the Trinity and thus break the first commandment. They also compromise on the commandment not to kill, sometimes allowing greater participation in the military than even their governments would impose on them. One of the most visible examples is that of the Adventist church in Germany both in World War I and II. The Jehovah's Witnesses fail on the Sabbath commandment, despite their commendable witness on the others. Mormons fail on all three, with their polytheistic system being one of the most startling things Christianity has ever produced.

The number of denominations that pass the three-commandment test is so miniscule, if any exist at all, that they can be evaluated by anyone in some depth and shown on the basis of the Bible to be apostate. Indeed, Babylon is fallen. With tears of love Jesus calls his own out of the confusion of denominations into obedience to him.