CHURCH HISTORY IICHURCH HISTORY IILesson 3Lesson 3

Martin Luther, Part 2

“Human life without the knowledge of history is nothing other than a perpetual childhood; nay, a

permanent obscurity and darkness”

Philip Melanchthon

Church History

Ca. 30AD 590 AD 1517 AD

Ancient Church History Medieval Church History Modern Church History

“The Reformation of the sixteenth century is, next to the introduction of Christianity, the greatest event in history. It marks the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of modern times. Starting from religion, it gave, directly or indirectly, a mighty impulse to every forward movement, and made Protestantism the chief propelling force in the history of modern civilization”

Philip Schaff, vol. VII, p.1

Who was the most important figure in the Reformation?

The Essential Martin Luther

• Luther the Theologian

• Luther the husband

• Luther the author

• Luther the Pastor

• Luther the hymn writer

Into what kind of world was Martin Luther born?

Medieval/scholastic theology “facere quod in se est”

To do what lies within you; to do your very best

"There are three things I know to be true that frequently make my heart heavy. The first troubles my spirit, because I will have to die. The second troubles my heart more, because I do not know when. The third troubles me above all. I do not know where I will go"

Dietrich Kolde Mirror of the Christian Man

Three important words in Catholic theology: PenancePurgatoryIndulgence

Where did Luther find peace?

sola scriptura

“Deliver me in your righteousness, and cause me to escape” Ps 71:2

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’.” Rom 1: 16-17

“By the one solid rock we call the doctrine of justification by faith alone, we meanthat we are redeemed from sin, death and the devil, and are made partakers of life eternal, not by self help but by outside help namely by the work of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ alone.”

sola fide sola gratia sola Christus sola scriptura

John von Staupitz

“As a young man I made myself familiar with the Bible; by reading it again and again I came to know my way about in it”

“I had then already read and taught the sacred Scriptures most diligently privately and publicly for seven years, so that I knew them nearly all by memory”

Where did this attraction for the Bible come from?

Expected an answer

There was joy in the discovery

The Bible is the proper book for men. There the truth is distinguished from error far more clearly than anywhere else, and one finds something new in it every day. For twenty-eight years, since I became a doctor, I have now constantly read and preached the Bible; and yet I have not exhausted it but find something new in it every day

“You should diligently learn the Word of God and by no means imagine that you know it. Let him who is able to read take a psalm in the morning, or some other chapter of Scripture, and study it for a while…I do this only to keep myself well acquainted with these matters, and I do not want to let the mildew of the notion grow that I know them well enough.”

“Here [John 5:39,40,43] Christ would indicate the principal reason why the Scripture was given by God. Men are to study and search in it and to learn that He, He, Mary's Son, is the one who is able to give eternal life to all who come to Him and believe in Him. Therefore, he who would correctly and profitably read Scripture should see to it that he finds Christ in it; then he finds life eternal without fail…”

“If we are to understand Luther’s continuing appeal it must be with his theology that we begin and enc” Jaroslav Pelikan NYT Sunday Magazine

Luther the Husband

Catherine Bora

Luther the Author

1520-1530 one third of all books printed in German came from his pen!

Luther the Pastor

It is not necessary for a preacher to express all histhoughts in one sermon. A preacher should have three principles: first, to make a good beginning, and notspend time with many words before coming to the point; secondly, to say that which belongs to thesubject in chief, and avoid strange and foreignthoughts; thirdly, to stop at the proper time

“When I preach I regard neither doctors nor magistrates, of whom I have above forty in my congregation; I have all my eyes on the servant maids and on the children. And if the learned men are not well please with what they hear, well, the door is open”

The priesthood of all believers

Luther the hymn writer

“The devil should not be allowed to keep all the best tunes to himself!”

Philip Melanchthon

1497-1560

Scholarly teacher

Irenic reformer

Timid and fearful

Skillful theologian

Loci Communes (1521)

Augsburg Confession (1530)

Theological shifts

synergism

Lord’s Supper

“There are elusive elements in Philip Melanchthon. Occasionallyhe perplexed his contemporaries, and sometimes he disappointed his friends. It isscarcely surprising that, now and then, he is an enigma to us. We are drawn to himirresistibly; we feel his singular graciousness and attraction; but we are not certain thatin every instance, we can appreciate his motives or interpret his mind” Alexander Smellie (The Reformation in its Literature, 96).

“the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8)