February 18 is the Day Lutherans and Anglicans Honor Martin Luther
I was a pertetual scholar like Martin Luther, and we both found the same answer: the Lord Jesus Christ.
Luther struggled through law school, philosophy, and theology to discover the answer to all in one word: Faith.
He loved the Roman Catholic church and worked hard to reform its corruption but to no avail.
His protests against salvaion that could be bought with money began the Protestant Reformation.
As you read today you will see his genius, courage and faithfulness, inspiration for us all.
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Martin Luther has had a greater impact on Christianity than anyone else since the days of the apostles. Born in a small town in Saxony,November 10, 1483, Martin distinguished himself through his learning.
Luther was a perpetual scholar
His father provided him with the best education available and pressured him
to study law. After a year, he realized the law was not for him. He found
it unstimulating and “uncertain.”
He turned to theology and philosophy and found them too reliant on
reason and lacking in love. His battle with reason was intense and ongoing,
and he valued it and Aristotle highly. But reason, he believed, fell short
when it came to dealing with God.
Luther narrowly escapes death
One day, as he was riding, a thunderbolt struck near him. Terrified of death, he cried out, “Help, Saint Anna, I will become a monk.” (St. Anna was the mother of the Virgin Mary.)
Luther then sold his books and entered a monastery, infuriating his
father, who had spent so much on his education. But the young man did
not find in the monk's life the connection with God he was looking
for:
"I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him
the jailer and hangman of my poor soul."
But he advanced in his career and education, being ordained as a priest in 1507 then recruited to the university to teach theology the following year.
Then he received a degree in Biblical studies and went on to receive a Doctor of Theology degree in 1512. In 1516, he was confronted with the sale of “indulgences.” These were,
essentially, fund-raising mechanisms for building St. Peter’s in Rome.
The buyer was promised escape from the punishments of purgatory and
granted salvation. The “marketing slogan” was: "As soon as the coin in
the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."
Luther Protests!
Luther was irate at this and wrote to his bishop, including 95 theses, which he also nailed to the door of the church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. This date is sometimes used as the “official” beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
But Luther had no such objective in mind at the time. He was simply operating under the contemporary process of posting points of debate. Most of his points were about indulgences, and many were simply common sense questions such as #86:
“Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with
his own money?"
Although the original theses were written in Latin, they were soon
translated into German and circulated throughout the country. Debate and
controversy grew, and while Luther was focused on theological issues,
others had political and social goals.
The princes of Germany resisted the power of the Roman Pontiff and longed for independence. The people hated the clergy's corruption and resented the church's wealth.
But for Luther, the key issue was theological: SOLA FIDE, “FAITH ALONE.”
Luther denied the power of the Pope and the church to impose works as necessary for salvation. He declared that all men were priests and could approach God directly through the Grace of Jesus Christ* (4BC-30AD).
The Bible was the sole infallible revelation of God’s will; through it anyone could learn
all that was necessary to be saved.
An asterisk* after a name means the person is included in SPIRITUAL LIVES.
Pope Leo X (1475-1521) excommunicated Luther in 1521, but Luther was defiant
and burned the papal bull.
(Both were young men—Luther was 34, and the Pope was 46!) He went on to translate the Bible into German, found the Lutheran Church, encourage congregational singing, and become a “master marketer,” spreading the Reformed faith throughout Europe.
He was a multi-faceted genius, like Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), who dominated his own
age and directed the future. But all this was secondary to the man himself, the champion of the Bible and revelation. He who said, “Faith Alone.” And “Here I stand, I can do no other, God help me!
Here is his greatest hymn:
A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyedsfF6hNk&ab_channel=HymnsofGrace
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is FOREVER.
Words & Music: Martin Luther, 1529
For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's
sake lead me, and guide me. Psalm 31:3
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"Luther at Erfurt", which depicts Martin Luther discovering the doctrine of sola fide (by faith alone). Painting by Joseph Noel Paton, 1861.
Summary
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Joseph Noel Paton: Dawn: Luther at Erfurt ( ) | |
Artist | Joseph Noel Paton (1821–1901)
|
Title | Dawn: Luther at Erfurt |
Object type | |
Description | depicts Martin Luther discovering the doctrine of Justification by Faith. |
Date | 1861 |
Medium | |
Dimensions | height: 92.7 cm (36.4 in); width: 69 cm (27.1 in) |
Collection | |
Accession number | NG 1230 |
Object history | purchased, 1919 |
References | |
Source/Photographer | http://www.topofart.com/artists/Sir_Joseph_Noel_Paton/art_reproduction/5836/Dawn:_Luther_at_Erfurt.php Original hangs in the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom |
Licensing
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This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason: This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public domain in the United States. |
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