At what time do Lutherans understand the Great Apostacy to take place?

[dms1972]

Apologies for bad spelling [Apostasy]

I read that they think it was early in church history, but is there any specific events they associate with it?

 

[Monk Brendan]

Apologies for bad spelling [Apostasy]

I read that they think it was early in church history, but is there any specific events they associate with it?

So you believe that despite Christ's promise, the Holy Spirit did NOT lead the Church into all truth?

 

[ViaCrucis]

Apologies for bad spelling [Apostasy]

I read that they think it was early in church history, but is there any specific events they associate with it?

We don't. We aren't restorationists.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[dms1972]

So you believe that despite Christ's promise, the Holy Spirit did NOT lead the Church into all truth?

Pardon? I don't get what you are asking. I am asking Lutherans about their view on the Great Apostasy and whether it comports with something i read. I am not stating any view of my own.

 

[dms1972]

We don't. We aren't restorationists.

-CryptoLutheran

Ok I think I get that.

 

[Book.Lover]

Apologies for bad spelling [Apostasy]

I read that they think it was early in church history, but is there any specific events they associate with it?

Lutherans have no official eschatological position. The idea that the Apostasy is past would most often be a belief of Preterists or semi-Preterists. Preterists believe that the book of Revelation was describing the time surrounding when Jerusalem fell in 70 AD. They also believe that most (or all) end time prophecies were fulfilled then. Semi-Preterists would believe that Christ’s return is yet future but most were fulfilled in 70 AD, so they might believe that there is a future Apostasy or they might believe that it’s past. Full Preterists believe that all end time Prophecies were fulfilled in the 1st century and that no prophecies remain to be filled. Because of their denial of Christ’s future return, full Preterism is generally seen as heretical by most denominations. Semi-Preterism is a minority position among Christians.


Most Lutherans are amillennialists meaning that we don’t see a future thousand year reign of Christ on earth between this age and the eternal state. Amillennialism doesn’t have hard and fast rules about what happens before Christ returns. Most would believe in a future time of evil and calamity, (not necessarily 7 years like in popular end times books). Most would believe in an antichrist of some sort, whether a person or a system. Those people would probably see a future time of great apostasy during that period. Others who don’t necessarily believe in a future time of Great Tribulation might not.


That said, there is apostasy throughout church history because there are always people somewhere who are fully rejecting their faith. “The Apostasy” would be a time of great falling away.


Personally I think that the times of apostasy that happen throughout church history have an overall positive impact because it gets rid of a lot of dead wood, people who are not really Christians and who put the church and Christians in general in a bad light. I also believe that before Christ’s return there will be a Great Apostasy.

I hope that this helps.