#135 The Triumph, Peace, and Power of True Christianity - Part 4

The Triumph, Peace, and Power of True Christianity part 4, by Pilgram Marpeck

Christ's Judgement

To summarise, I want to present you professing "evangelicals," you teachers and preachers, nothing else but the crucified, patient and loving Christ.

Those who do not preach and teach Christ are against him. It does not matter if they are of the old or the new pope, nor whether they can handle the word of God as well as Christ himself. If anyone preaches anything but the meek and humble Christ whom we learn to know under the cross, it does not matter how "evangelical" they may be, they will fall under the judgement of Christ. They will say in the end: "Lord, have we not cast out devils, prophesied, eaten, and drunk in your name?" But Christ will answer: "Depart from me you evildoers. I never knew you!" (Matthew 7; Luke 13).

I wish that those who shy away from the narrow gate of the cross, and who keep others away from it too, would understand Christ's judgement better. If they had real faith within themselves, they would be shocked, because on none does Christ pronounce a clearer judgement than upon people like them [people like the new "evangelical" preachers and their followers, who have much to say about Christ, but who do not enter the narrow gate and who prevent others from entering (Matthew 7; Matthew 23)].

False Evangelicals

The "evangelicals" use scripture and doctrine to put the sword into the hand of the common man, but according to Jude they will perish with the rebellion of Kore. Stirring up cities and princes to battle, they walk in the error of Cain and will perish in the way of it. Listening to the voice of Balaam's prophets, they will fall into yet greater bloodshed and terror than that of the peasants' revolt. They will perish in the rebellion of Kore, not for the cause of Christ. May the Lord lead his followers out from among them!

I must admit that I learned a good amount, in the past, from the writings and the sermons of these "evangelical" preachers. I used to be a solid Roman Catholic. Their teachings brought me to see that Roman Catholicism was wrong, but it led me only into a freedom of the flesh. Instead of being bound in my conscience as before, I now felt free to eat and drink with such teachers. I thought I must be a good Christian now and set myself against Catholicism with all the writings I could find to serve my cause. Everyone praised this understanding of mine, but it was not what entered the mouth but what came out of the heart that defiled me (Matthew 15).

I gladly accepted "evangelical" positions against auricular confession, papal rules, for this did not infringe on my flesh, and I could do so without the true spirit of Christ in my heart. I accepted many "evangelical" teachings, which were true. But the mystery of the cross of Christ and the narrow gate was not spoken about nor taught, just as it still is not taught in "evangelical" circles. They were totally quiet about this way of the cross that leads from Babylonian captivity back to freedom in Jerusalem. Much more, if anyone had dared to open his mouth about it, he would have been persecuted by them and delivered to the hangman. It is easy to see that these "evangelical" preachers are the evildoers to whom Christ says, "Depart from me" (Matthew 7).

Those who teach a partial gospel are like a hand pointing the wrong way at a crossroads.