Martin luther wild Boar

MARTIN LUTHER

• Wild Boar

• In the Vineyard

Martin Luther’s Youth

• Born November 10, 1483

• Parents: Hans & Margaretha Luder

• Hans was common servant; worked in copper mine; rose to ownership of mines & smelter

• Hans was driven to succeed; driven to be sure that Martin succeeded as well

• Martin went to University of Erfurt to study law

Martin Luther’s Entrance into Monastery

• Caught in a thunderstorm at age 21, he cried: “Help me, St. Anne! I will become a monk!”

• Entered Augustinian Monastery, 1505 – much to his father’s dismay

• Ordained a priest

• Studied theology in preparation for teaching

Martin Luther’s Confession

• Tormented by sensitivity to sin nature

• Extreme asceticism: prayer, fasts, sleep deprivation, cold, whipping himself
• Constantly in confession
• Luther: “If ever a monk got to heaven by his monkery, I was that monk!”

Martin Luther’s Trip to Rome

• Abbot Staupitz sent Luther on pilgrimage to Rome

• Luther visited holiest places; crawled up Pilate’s staircase
• Luther observed priests & bishops acting immorally & abusing their power
• Luther: “I went with onions & returned with garlic”

Martin Luther’s Discovery

• Next Staupitz sent Luther to Wittenberg as theology professor

• 1515, great discovery: Rom. 1:17

• Gospel is revelation of justice of God
• To Luther, justice of God was unbearable; yet, Gospel linked to God’s justice
• Justice does not refer to punishment of sinners; righteousness is given to those who live by faith
• Justification is the free gift of God to sinners: righteousness is imputed by God who justifies humans by their faith in Jesus Christ

Controversy over Indulgences

• Leo X sold archbishopric of Mainz to Albert of Brandenburg to raise money to build St. Peter’s

• Albert hired John Tetzel to sell indulgences

• Tetzel: “As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs”

95 Theses

• 95 Theses written against the sale of indulgences

• Nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517

• 95 Theses translated, printed, & distributed throughout Germany within 2 weeks

Selections from 95 Theses

• 32. Those who suppose that on account of their letters of indulgence they are sure of salvation will be eternally damned along with their teachers.

• 36. Every Christian who truly repents has plenary (full) forgiveness both of punishment and guilt bestowed upon him, even without letters of indulgence.

• 37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has a share in all the benefits of Christ and the Church, for God has granted him these, even without letters of indulgence.

Selections from 95 Theses

• 81. This shameless preaching of pardons makes it hard even for learned men to defend the pope’s honor against calumny or to answer the indubitably shrewd questions of the laity.

• 82. For example: “Why does not the pope empty purgatory for the sake of holy love . . . For after all, he does release countless souls for the sake of sordid money contributed for the building of a cathedral? . . .”

4 Attempts to Silence Luther

• Heidelberg Disputation (May 1518)

• Luther was put on trial before Augustinian General Council
• Introduced “Theology of the Cross”:
• Centrality of Cross
• Only Jesus can forgive sins
• Be willing to become nothing for God’s glory
• Attacked scholastic theology, which he called “Theology of Glory” – those who hate the cross & love works in order to obtain earthly glory
• Martin Bucer attended & was persuaded

4 Attempts to Silence Luther

• Leo X offered Luther position of Cardinal if he would be silent

4 Attempts to Silence Luther

• Cardinal Cajetan, Dominican papal legate, was sent to stifle Luther

• Luther presented written arguments

• Pope was not infallible
• Authority of council was superior to pope
• Sacraments apart from faith cannot save
• Justification by faith was scriptural
• Appealed to Bible as supreme authority

• Cajetan published order for Luther’s arrest

4 Attempts to Silence Luther

• Leipzig Disputation (July 1519)

• John Maier of Eck vs. Luther
• Luther bested Eck through citation of Scripture by memory to prove that Christ, not pope, is head of church
• Eck accused Luther of being “Saxon Huss”
• At first Luther denied charge; during intermission, he researched Huss; came back to say: “We are all Hussites if we believe the Bible to be true”
• Luther’s affirmation of Huss, convicted heretic, was dangerous admission

4 Attempts to Silence Luther

• Why was Luther not killed in order to silence him?

• He was protected by Frederick the Wise, who was able to manipulate pope & emperor

Three Treatises of 1520

• An Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation

• Attacked Three Walls pope erected around Scripture
• Spiritual power of pope is above temporal powers of magistrates (preventing magistrates from instituting reform)
• Interpretation of Scripture belongs only to pope
• Only pope can call council
• Insisted on “priesthood of believer”

Three Treatises of 1520

• The Babylonian Captivity of the Church

• Attacked sacramental system
• Affirmed 3 sacraments: baptism, Eucharist & penance (later affirmed only first 2)
• Denied transubstantiation but affirmed real presence (consubstantiation)
• Mass was not sacrifice but testament
• Faith is real element that gives value to sacraments

Three Treatises of 1520

• The Freedom of a Christian

• Exposition of relationship between faith & works
• Devotional work that shows that new person in Christ lives not to himself/ herself, but in Christ & for neighbor
• Emphasized priesthood of believer

Papal Bull of Excommunication

• 1520, Luther was threatened by papal bull: “Arise, O Lord, a wild boar is loose in the vineyard”

• Luther burned papal document plus entire canon law

Diet of Worms (April 17-18, 1521)

• Charles V, HRE & king of Spain: “Surely one individual could not call into doubt the tradition of the entire church?”
• Luther was ordered to recant his books

Wartburg Castle

• Edict of Worms condemned Luther as civil criminal; 21 days “safe conduct” but pre-dated May 6

• Kidnapped on the way home

• Surrounded by hooded men
• Taken to Wartburg Castle by order of Frederick the Wise for safety

• Knight George

• He hid for 10 months

German Bible

• New Testament: translated in 11 weeks

• Old Testament & entire Bible in 1534

• Significance of the German Bible

• Prompted Bible study & spread of Reformation
• Popularized vernacular in other languages
• Beginning of increased production of Bibles
• Improved literacy
• Unified German language: Luther = “Father of Modern German Language”

4 Incidents that Limited Luther’s Reformation

• Andreas Bodenstein “Karlstadt” (1480-1541)

• Led reform in Luther’s absence
• Celebrated radical mass on Christmas 1521
• Without vestments
• Integrated German
• No reference to sacrifice
• No elevation of host
• Bread & wine both given
• Instigated iconoclastic riots & removed images from churches

4 Incidents that Limited Luther’s Reformation

• Andreas Bodenstein “Karlstadt” (1480-1541)

• People were nerve-shattered by radical mass & iconoclastic riots
• Luther returned to Wittenberg
• Karlstadt was expelled from Saxony

4 Incidents that Limited Luther’s Reformation

• Zwickau Prophets

• Lay movement of men studying Scripture in Zwickau, Saxony
• Tenets:
• Questioned infant baptism
• Emphasized immediate inspiration over biblical revelation (Spiritualistic Reformation)
• Influenced by Taborites (militant Bohemian Hussites) with revolutionary eschatology
• Arrived in Wittenberg just after Christmas 1521
• Supported by Karlstadt
• Luther discerned their spirit to be “of the devil” & expelled them

4 Incidents that Limited Luther’s Reformation

• Thomas Müntzer (1489-1525)

• Follower of Zwickau Prophets
• Became critical of Luther, when Luther did not go far enough with Reformation
• Advocated revolutionary means to obtain social justice

4 Incidents that Limited Luther’s Reformation

• Peasants’ Revolt

• Peasants discontent over economic suppression
• Luther’s Freedom of a Christian taught priesthood of believer, interpreted as egalitarian society
• Müntzer incited peasants against authorities & asked Wittenberg for help; Luther refused
• 1525, Catholic & Lutheran forces defeated peasants, beheaded Müntzer

4 Incidents that Limited Luther’s Reformation

• Peasants’ Revolt

• Luther’s Reaction:
• First, pled for princes to deal mercifully with peasants
• Then, wrote Against the Robbing & Marauding Hordes of Peasants: “Smite, stab, slay the peasants!”
• Divorced himself from peasants in order not to impugn Reformation
• But lost faith in common people & weakened his base of support from them

Wittenberg

• After his return to Wittenberg, he continued work of Reformation & established Lutheran Church

• Wrote commentaries on every book except Revelation

• Wrote Large & Small Catechisms

• Wrote hymns (“Mighty Fortress Is Our God”)

Debate with Erasmus

• Erasmus desired moral reform of Catholic Church & helped pave way for Reformation, but was unwilling to break from Catholic Church

• Compared to Augustinianism of Luther, Erasmus’ theology was tinged with Pelagianism

• Luther’s The Bondage of the Will (1525) vs. Erasmus’ On Free Will (1524)

• Salvation by grace alone not by an act of the will (using sacraments and doing works).
• Predestination: The hidden and revealed wills of God.
• God produces a passive disposition, not a free will.

A Monk Re-Invents Family Life

• Marriage to Katherine von Bora (Martin was 41)

• Established model for Protestant Parsonage
• Parents of 6 children

• Frederick the Wise gave them Luther’s former Augustinian cloister as a wedding present; Katie remodeled it as hotel for income

Luther’s Wit & Wisdom on Marriage

• There’s a lot to get used to in the first year of marriage. One wakes up in the morning and finds a pair of pigtails on the pillow that were not there before.

• If I should ever marry again, I would hew myself an obedient wife out of stone.

• In domestic affairs I defer to Katie. Otherwise, I am led by the Holy Spirit.

• According to one story, Luther locked himself in his study for 3 days, until Katie took the door off the hinges.

Protestants vs. Catholics

• First Diet of Speyer (1526)

• New policy: Cujus regio, eius religio (“whose region, his religion”); ruler’s personal religion dictates his subjects’ religion
• Within 3 years, most of N. Germany became Lutheran: state church

• Second Diet of Speyer (1529)

• Roman Catholics free in Lutheran territories; Lutherans not free in Roman Catholic territories
• Lutheran princes wrote Protestations; hence, “Protestant Reformation”

Protestants vs. Catholics

• Marbourg Colloquy (1529)

• Philip of Hesse wanted to unify all Protestants
• Arranged meeting between Luther & Zwingli to unite German & Swiss Protestants
• Major doctrinal difference was over Lord’s Supper
• Luther – real presence; Zwingli – memorial
• Luther wrote Hoc est meum corpum on table & would not budge
• Agreement & alliance could not be achieved

Protestants vs. Catholics

• Diet of Augsburg (1530)

• Charles V needed unity against Turkish threat & attempted reconciliation of Protestants & Catholics
• Luther could not attend because Edict of Worms was still in effect

Protestants vs. Catholics

• Diet of Augsburg (1530)

• Melanchthon & Luther composed Augsburg Confession
• Justification by faith
• Faith not just mental assent
• New life in Christ produces good works by God’s grace, not good deeds of merit for salvation
• German princes signed; RCC gave one year to recant
• But war with Turks occupied HRE for 16 yrs.

Martin Luther’s Death

• 1546, Luther died: “When I die, I’m going to come back as a ghost & haunt the popes & his bishops. They’ll have far more trouble with the dead Luther than they ever had with the live one.”

Martin Luther’s Successor

• Philip Melanchthon was named successor

• Real name: Schwarzerd, “Black Earth”, Greek: melan chthon

• Attended Marbourg Colloquy; co-authored Augsburg Confession

Martin Luther’s Legacy

• Salvation: justification by grace through faith

• Lord’s Supper: consubstantiation – Christ’s presence with the elements

• Infant baptism

• Priesthood of the believer

• Union of church & state – to retain support of German princes

• Anti-semitism

Martin Luther’s Legacy

• Principles of Reformation

• Sola Scriptura

• Sola Fide

• Sola Gratia

• Sola Christus