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2017 marks the 500th Anniverary of the Reformation. It's a year-long celebration! I (and I hope other Protestants) will be starting threads on this throughout the year, and I begin with this very general introduction:
It began on November 10, 1483 in the small German village of Eisleben. Martin was born to Hans and Margaretta Luther – middle class but hard working people. There was nothing unusual about his childhood, it was typical of German families of the time, but the middle class status of his parents permitted a good education and encouraged him to enter the professions, in Martin’s case, it was law. Luther was an outstanding student, earning his BA in 1502 and MA in 1505.
Luther’s family and society were deeply religious. The church was the focal point of society. Yet common religion was often a strange mixture of biblical and non-biblical ideas, mixed generously with paganism, secular philosophy and local traditions. Luther found this religion to be disturbing rather than comforting.
In 1505, as Luther was returning to Law school, he was nearly struck by a bolt of lightening, which he interpreted as the wrath of God. In terror, he cried out to his father’s saint and pledged to become a Roman Catholic monk. It was a pledge he kept. Twelve days later, he abandoned his life’s plans and entered the Cloister of St. Augustine – an especially strict order. Three times Luther fasted nearly to the point of death, yet each time he cried out to Heaven, “Have I done enough?” His health permanently damaged, he was transferred from the monastery to the University of Wittenberg where he was to both study and teach the Bible. The Word now totally absorbed his life. He earned his doctorate in the Bible and Biblical Languages 1512. As he studied the Bible, he learned that salvation does not come from what we do for God but from what God did for us in Jesus Christ. He learned that ours is not an angry God who “keeps score” but a gracious, merciful God who pours out his unconditional love to us.
Luther came to the conclusion that some of the teachings and practices of the church were not in keeping with God’s Word and therefore needed to be discussed. Therefore, on October 31, 1517 (a day remembered ever since as “Reformation Day”) Luther posted 95 Theses (statements for discussion) on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg (church doors serving as community bulletin boards in those days). This date is now considered the birthday of the Lutheran Church. Written in Latin and intended only for scholarly debate, they proved to be the floodgate for the entire Evangelical (from the word “gospel”) movement. Luther is thus the “Father of Protestantism.”
Within a year, Luther was the talk of Europe. Although Luther said nothing new and did not want to break with Rome, he and those who agreed with him were excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church (today marks the 496th anniversary of Pope Leo's splitting of his denomination). Luther studied Scripture all the more. He soon wrote several short booklets that were translated into several languages and made widely available by means of a new invention – the printing press.
In the late 1520’s, Luther translated the Bible from the original Greek and Hebrew (he was a well-known scholar in both of those languages) into German so that the people could read the Bible. He encouraged worship in the language of the people and personally wrote many hymns. He also wrote a catechism for parents to use in the religious training of their children. In the 1530’s and 1540’s, the movement grew throughout most of northern Europe. Perhaps one-third of Christians converted to Lutheranism. Luther died on February 18, 1546 in his birthplace of Eisleben.
Luther had an enormous impact on the church, placing the Bible again as the source and norm for the church and proclaiming again the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Today, the oldest and largest Protestant religious community in the world (3rd largest in America) bears his name. Yet his importance goes beyond that. His emphasis on the teaching and preaching of God’s Word forever changed Christianity. His emphasis on music and lay participation forever changed the worship service. His emphasis on Bible reading and teaching laid the foundations for Christian education. He was proclaimed the “Third Most Influential Person” of the last Millennium.
We are thankful for this gift of Martin Luther and pray that the Good News, so dear to him, may always be at the center of the church.
- Josiah
It began on November 10, 1483 in the small German village of Eisleben. Martin was born to Hans and Margaretta Luther – middle class but hard working people. There was nothing unusual about his childhood, it was typical of German families of the time, but the middle class status of his parents permitted a good education and encouraged him to enter the professions, in Martin’s case, it was law. Luther was an outstanding student, earning his BA in 1502 and MA in 1505.
Luther’s family and society were deeply religious. The church was the focal point of society. Yet common religion was often a strange mixture of biblical and non-biblical ideas, mixed generously with paganism, secular philosophy and local traditions. Luther found this religion to be disturbing rather than comforting.
In 1505, as Luther was returning to Law school, he was nearly struck by a bolt of lightening, which he interpreted as the wrath of God. In terror, he cried out to his father’s saint and pledged to become a Roman Catholic monk. It was a pledge he kept. Twelve days later, he abandoned his life’s plans and entered the Cloister of St. Augustine – an especially strict order. Three times Luther fasted nearly to the point of death, yet each time he cried out to Heaven, “Have I done enough?” His health permanently damaged, he was transferred from the monastery to the University of Wittenberg where he was to both study and teach the Bible. The Word now totally absorbed his life. He earned his doctorate in the Bible and Biblical Languages 1512. As he studied the Bible, he learned that salvation does not come from what we do for God but from what God did for us in Jesus Christ. He learned that ours is not an angry God who “keeps score” but a gracious, merciful God who pours out his unconditional love to us.
Luther came to the conclusion that some of the teachings and practices of the church were not in keeping with God’s Word and therefore needed to be discussed. Therefore, on October 31, 1517 (a day remembered ever since as “Reformation Day”) Luther posted 95 Theses (statements for discussion) on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg (church doors serving as community bulletin boards in those days). This date is now considered the birthday of the Lutheran Church. Written in Latin and intended only for scholarly debate, they proved to be the floodgate for the entire Evangelical (from the word “gospel”) movement. Luther is thus the “Father of Protestantism.”
Within a year, Luther was the talk of Europe. Although Luther said nothing new and did not want to break with Rome, he and those who agreed with him were excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church (today marks the 496th anniversary of Pope Leo's splitting of his denomination). Luther studied Scripture all the more. He soon wrote several short booklets that were translated into several languages and made widely available by means of a new invention – the printing press.
In the late 1520’s, Luther translated the Bible from the original Greek and Hebrew (he was a well-known scholar in both of those languages) into German so that the people could read the Bible. He encouraged worship in the language of the people and personally wrote many hymns. He also wrote a catechism for parents to use in the religious training of their children. In the 1530’s and 1540’s, the movement grew throughout most of northern Europe. Perhaps one-third of Christians converted to Lutheranism. Luther died on February 18, 1546 in his birthplace of Eisleben.
Luther had an enormous impact on the church, placing the Bible again as the source and norm for the church and proclaiming again the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Today, the oldest and largest Protestant religious community in the world (3rd largest in America) bears his name. Yet his importance goes beyond that. His emphasis on the teaching and preaching of God’s Word forever changed Christianity. His emphasis on music and lay participation forever changed the worship service. His emphasis on Bible reading and teaching laid the foundations for Christian education. He was proclaimed the “Third Most Influential Person” of the last Millennium.
We are thankful for this gift of Martin Luther and pray that the Good News, so dear to him, may always be at the center of the church.
- Josiah
