2. the aspirations of the Socialists and Communists are contrary to specific doctrines of Christianity
Not only is there nothing in Scripture to defend this Communist system, but Scripture tells us just the opposite.
First of all, it is contrary to the doctrine of personal property contained in the Seventh Commandment and elsewhere in the Scriptures. “Thou shalt not steal,” says the Seventh Commandment, and this single word overturns all Communism. But don't misunderstand me. I do not mean to say that the Communists want to steal from anyone. Oh no, on the contrary, they say that the rich are the thieves, as Proudhon said, “Property is theft,” but this is what I mean to say: As surely as the Seventh Commandment says, “Thou shalt not steal,” so surely it is that each one should have his own personal property. For if I should have no personal property according to God's will, the good Lord would not forbid anyone to take anything from me. If no one is to take anything from me, then it is presupposed that I have something, that I own something personally. One should keep this in mind.
Secondly, the aspirations of the Socialists and Communists are contrary to the teaching contained in the Fifth Commandment and elsewhere in Scripture that only the authorities have the power of the sword. While the Communists preach it from the housetops that they would like to see the new order of things established in peace in accordance with their ideas, if there is no other way, they are also prepared to strike with the sword and to fill the world with murder and fire in order to enforce what they believe the salvation of the world depends on. But this is against the Holy Scripture, in which we recognize [1947-68] God's Word, because it says: “Thou shalt not kill”, and only [page 51] of the government do they say: “he beareth not the sword in vain.” We Bible Christians therefore reject all revolution, every violent action against the authorities, because only God, the Lord, has given the sword into the hand of the authorities.
Thirdly, Socialist and Communist aspirations are contrary to the teaching of the sanctity of marriage contained in the Sixth Commandment and elsewhere in Scripture. Of course, there are enough Communists and Socialists who do not want to know anything about the community of women [or wives], but they must acknowledge that there have been enough Communists who have taught this, e.g. Enfantin, Proudhon, Marx, and the so-called Egaliteurs. These were only more consistent, and if, for instance, the terrible catastrophe were to come that the Communists should gain the upper hand, those who were against the abolition of marriage would never again be in charge; but with iron consistency equalization would also be carried out with the intention for the community of women.
Fourthly, contrary to the difference between people as confirmed in Scripture, the aspirations mentioned are not only between parents and children, man and woman, master and servant, housefather and day laborer or laborer, but also between rich and poor. I need only remind you of these teachings, and every Christian will say: “Yes, if I want to be a Bible Christian, I cannot possibly take part in these endeavors. I must throw the Bible into the fire from the moment I join such an association, or I am a miserable hypocrite who carries on both shoulders, and walks lame on both legs.”
Fifthly, they are contrary to the doctrine of Scripture that God wants to draw man to Himself through all kinds of troubles, test and prepare him for eternity. The Communists keep saying (when I say “the Communists”, I mean their spokesmen and not anyone who got involved in his inexperience) they preach it from the rooftops, that they are tired of being held up by the Church with the prospect of eternal life. They ridicule it when it is said that those who have patiently borne their cross here are to expect the glory of heaven there. No, they say, here we want to have our heaven, here we want to be saved. Some say, “Whether [1947-69] something is to be expected there, no one knows”; but others say: “We know for certain it is nothing but a vain entertainment.” — What Christian can take part in the efforts of the Communists and Socialists?
Sixth, they are opposed to the doctrine that man should eat his bread in the sweat of his brow. Those, then, [page 52] who pretend to the people that as soon as the Communists have attained dominion, the golden age will come, and then all will be prosperous, because then all will get their share from the great treasury:— such pretend to the people something that the Holy Scriptures know nothing about. Every Christian should not only eat his bread on this earth, that is, want to have what he needs, but he should also eat it in the sweat of his brow.
Seventh, the teaching of Scripture that man should seek his happiness not in this world but in God and in the hope of requital and reconciliation hereafter and for eternal life. Those, then, who say that it should not go on like this any longer, that humanity should at last still be happy here below, are speaking against Scripture. God has not promised us happiness in this world. If we have food and clothing, we should be content. We should know that we must enter the Kingdom of God through many tribulations. Of course, these are truths that the Communists laugh at, but we who believe in the Lord Jesus and His Word with all our hearts are firmly convinced that it has eternal and blessed truths. Therefore we cannot have anything to do with such a system as the Communist system.
And finally, eighth, the efforts of the Communists contradict the doctrine of Scripture that the source of all misery in this world is sin. For the Scripture says, “Sin is a reproach to any people,” [Proverbs 14:34] and another writer says, “Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?” (Lamentations 3:39) The new Communist movement is based on the idea that people are being led to believe that only the right social organization is lacking in the world. If this was finally happily achieved, then all troubles would come to an end. It is not true. Scripture tells us that although God once created man perfectly, man has fallen away and that the consequence of this fall is all the apostasy and misery that is found in this world. If sin is removed from the world, [1947-70] apostasy and misery will also be removed from the world. But as long as sin remains, there will be no heaven on earth. —
This would then be the second answer to the question which we are trying to answer in these evening hours. [page 53]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - Continued in Part 17: - - - - - - - - - - - -None of what Walther teaches is hard for a Christian to understand. It is plain, simple Christian doctrine taken straight from the Holy Scriptures. — Note well: One cannot glean this information from Wikipedia articles, where socialist sympathizers and unbelievers are given space for their opinions. These contributors and historians will quite often quote each other as authorities. Of course this is not unexpected given its worldly perspective.
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