The Barmen Declaration is a good place to see this. Most German Christians pretty much went along with Hitler, the Confessing Churches did not. And they saw what was coming.
Here's an English translation:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vJE ... sp=sharing
Here's a summary (created with GPT):
Summary of the Barmen Theological Declaration (1934)
The Confessing Church in Nazi Germany issued six main theses at Barmen. Here is a plain summary:
Thesis I — Christ Alone
Jesus Christ, revealed in Scripture, is the one Word of God we must hear, trust, and obey in life and death.
Rejection: The Church cannot accept other “revelations” (political leaders, ideologies, myths) as God’s Word.
→ Counters attempts to make Hitler or nationalism a "revelation."
Thesis II — Christ Claims All of Life
Jesus Christ forgives sins and claims our whole life, freeing us for service to others.
Rejection: No area of life is outside Christ’s lordship.
→ Rejects splitting life into “religion for Christ, politics for Hitler.”
Thesis III — The Church Belongs to Christ
The Church is the community where Christ acts through Word and Sacrament, living only by his comfort and direction.
Rejection: The Church cannot reshape its message or order according to politics or ideology.
→ Resists Nazi interference in the Church.
Thesis IV — Servant Leadership
Church offices exist for service, not domination.
Rejection: The Church must not give itself leaders with absolute power.
→ Counters the “Führer principle” inside the Church.
Thesis V — The State Has Limits
The State’s God-given role is to provide justice and peace. The Church is thankful but reminds rulers of God’s justice.
Rejection: The State cannot claim total authority, nor can the Church become an organ of the State.
→ Denies Nazi totalitarian control.
Thesis VI — The Church’s Mission
The Church’s freedom and mission is to proclaim God’s free grace in Christ through preaching and sacraments.
Rejection: The Church cannot put God’s Word into the service of human agendas.
→ Protects the Gospel from propaganda.
In Short
- Christ alone is Lord.
- No part of life is outside his claim.
- The Church belongs only to him.
- Leadership is service, not dictatorship.
- The State has authority but not total power.
- The Church’s sole mission is the Gospel, not propaganda.