Many parishes in the Roman Church are named Church of the Assumption or sometimes Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This name is derived from the notion, originating in the fourth century, that Mary was “assumed” (Latin, assumptio = taken up) into heaven at the end of her life. Pope Benedict XIV (1675-1758) asserted that denial of this notion was impious and blasphemous. On 01 November 1950, Pope Pius XII declared this notion to be infallible doctrine. Later, the Second Vatican Council affirmed that “the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things” (Lumen Gentium, n. 59). Importantly, the phrase “when her earthly life was over” leaves the question open whether Mary actually died or not.
Unfortunately, the “assumption of Mary” has no biblical foundation and no historical facticity. Like the idea that Mary was conceived “immaculately” (without sin), the assumed doctrine of her heavenly assumption draws her earthly life to a close in a seemingly wondrous and yet truly nebulous way. Is such doctrine, however, actually Christian?
For Protestants, such teachings about Mary are not only improbable but seem themselves to be impious and blasphemous. Contrary to its intent, the assumed doctrine of Mary’s “immaculate conception” can neither shield nor protect her son from sin. Instead, it intentionally aborts Jesus as the saviour of the world. Since a truly gracious God would extend sinless conceptions beyond Mary to cover all humanity, this misconceived doctrine effectively empties Jesus of any significance. Consequently, Mary’s immaculate womb becomes Jesus’ nativity tomb, and her assumption into heavenly glory renders his resurrection a vacuous story.
Like the assumption of Mary, every church denomination conceives and harbours misconceptions about the Christian faith which are often believed without scriptural and rational basis. These assumptions are conceived because human beings actively seek answers and explanations to life’s experiences. Simply put, if human beings do not know an answer when perplexed, they will invent one! Once an invented answer takes root in human minds and societies, it often becomes difficult, if not impossible to dispel. Recall how long the church itself not only fought to maintain the assumption that the world was flat and the universe revolved around the earth but also persecuted those who knew these misconceptions to be false.
So, what happens when sinful human beings with all manner of individual and communal, religious and non-religious assumptions gather together? The answer is a congregation. Unfortunately, every member of any congregation, brings her or his sinful, assumptive imagination into a religious setting, ready and willing to bestow his or her opinionated answers to the meaning of life, the world, and everything on those assembled. Unfortunately, sinners assume that scripture and reason will certainly agree with their assumptions.
For example, because some people call themselves Lutheran, they frequently assume that whatever they think, feel, or say must indeed be Lutheran, regardless of what Christ, scripture, and the Lutheran confessions may say to the contrary. Likewise, those who interpret scripture based on their subjective sinfulness, rather than in relation to the living word of God, namely Jesus Christ, spend most of their lives using the Bible as a proof-text for their own self-righteousness. Even more mundane, how often do church leaders and members forego feigning theology altogether in favour of propagating gossip? If Christians spread the gospel as fast as gossip, Christ’s second coming would have taken place before his ascension!
Assumptions become dangerous, even fatal, when their accompanying expectations go unfulfilled. Jesus’ disciples, his church leaders, his king, and the imperial governor occupying his homeland all made assumptions about Jesus, his mission, and his kingdom. When Jesus failed to fulfil their assumptions, they conceived an immaculate plot to assume his heavenly glory by nailing him to a tree and stuffing him in the ground. Tragically, each succeeding generation in the Church of the Assumption assembles itself to do the same.
In stark contradiction thereto, the word of the cross raises the church of Jesus Christ into life in order to proclaim him alone as the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6). This Christian church “is the assembly of all believers among whom the gospel is purely preached and the holy sacraments are administered according to the gospel. For this is enough for the true unity of the Christian church that there the gospel is preached harmoniously according to a pure understanding and the sacraments are administered in conformity with the divine Word …” (Article VII, Augsburg Confession, Tappert, 43).
Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is calling us to abandon the Church of the Assumption and to assert the pure proclamation of his gospel as the “soul” power of God by which believing sinners are justified by faith solely in Jesus Christ.
