Lutherans and the Antichrist

[Anima_Christi]

I was doing a little research on Lutheranism yesterday, and I was suprised to discover that the Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church (more conservative than the Missouri Synod), officially identifies the papacy with the antichrist! Of course individual Protestants have this belief, but I’m shocked that an entire church would officially teach this. Here’s their website: wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2617&collectionID=795&contentID=4441&shortcutID=5297 I would expect this of some backward fundamentalist Baptist congregation, but not of a Lutheran Church.
Your comments are welcome!

 

[UKcatholicGuy]

Luther and the original protestant deformers believed the pope to be the anti-christ, so it makes sense that a conservative lutheran church would.

 

[HagiaSophia]

Anima Christi:

I was doing a little research on Lutheranism yesterday, and I was suprised to discover that the Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church (more conservative than the Missouri Synod), officially identifies the papacy with the antichrist! Of course individual Protestants have this belief, but I’m shocked that an entire church would officially teach this. Here’s their website: wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2617&collectionID=795&contentID=4441&shortcutID=5297 I would expect this of some backward fundamentalist Baptist congregation, but not of a Lutheran Church.
Your comments are welcome!

You obviously have never heard Ian Paisley speak.

 

[Liberian]

Anima Christi:

I was doing a little research on Lutheranism yesterday, and I was suprised to discover that the Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church (more conservative than the Missouri Synod), officially identifies the papacy with the antichrist! Of course individual Protestants have this belief, but I’m shocked that an entire church would officially teach this. Here’s their website: wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2617&collectionID=795&contentID=4441&shortcutID=5297 I would expect this of some backward fundamentalist Baptist congregation, but not of a Lutheran Church.
Your comments are welcome!

Anima Christi,

I would ask for some sensitivity towards fundamentalist Baptists. Speaking as a former Baptist, I can state categorically that the terms “backward” and “fundamentalist Baptist” do not go hand in hand, any more than “unthinking” and “loyal Catholic.”

• Liberian

 

[Angainor]

Anima Christi:

and I was suprised to discover that the Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church (more conservative than the Missouri Synod), officially identifies the papacy with the antichrist!

So does the Missouri Synod.

As to the Antichrist we teach that the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2:3-12; 1 John 2:18, have been fulfilled in the Pope of Rome and his dominion. All the features of the Antichrist as drawn in these prophecies, including the most abominable and horrible ones, for example, that the Antichrist “as God sitteth in the temple of God,” 2 Thess. 2:4; that he anathematizes the very heart of the Gospel of Christ, that is, the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins by grace alone, for Christ’s sake alone, through faith alone, without any merit or worthiness in man (Rom. 3:20-28; Gal. 2:16); that he recognizes only those as members of the Christian Church who bow to his authority; and that, like a deluge, he had inundated the whole Church with his antichristian doctrines till God revealed him through the Reformation – these very features are the outstanding characteristics of the Papacy. (Cf. Smalcald Articles, Triglot, p. 515, Paragraphs 39-41; p. 401, Paragraph 45; M. pp. 336, 258.) Hence we subscribe to the statement of our Confessions that the Pope is “the very Antichrist.” (Smalcald Articles, Triglot, p. 475, Paragraph 10; M., p. 308.)