Church History: Martin Luther

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1 YSCM Y o r k s h i r e S c h o o l o f C h r i s t i a n M i n i s t r y for all Bible believing Churches and Christians - organised by The West & North Yorkshire FIEC Churches the bible college on your doorstep Church History: Martin Luther XTEND The Reformation Introduction 1. The term "Reformation" covers an involved series of changes in Western Christendom between the 14th and 17th centuries. As far back as the twelfth century there had been growing dissatisfaction with the Roman Catholic Church with small 'evangelical' groups of Christians seeking to be independent of the Catholic Church. These groups were some what mixed in their doctrine but were united in their opposition to the Pope and the Catholic Church. The most well known amongst these groups were the Albigenses and the Waldensians. 2. The well known leading Reformers built their work on foundations laid down by earlier reforming theologians such as John Wyclif and John Huss. a) Wyclif ( , Rector of Lutterworth in Leicestershire) has been called the "Morning Star of the Reformation". Although he remained within the Catholic Church he strongly protested against the authority of the Pope, rejected transubstantiation (the mass), maintained the sufficiency of the Scriptures and attacked the abuses of the Church such as the ignorance and immorality of the priests and the dangers of the confessional. He sought to revive the importance of preaching by creating a band of travelling preacher/evangelists, and translated the Bible into English. b) John Huss ( ) was known as the "Bohemian Reformer", originating from Czechoslovakia. Huss became influenced through the teachings and writings of Wyclif. Bohemia and England had become united through the marriage of Richard ll king of England with Anna the Bohemian princess. Although more conservative than Wyclif (he refused to deny transubstantiation), Huss nevertheless was outspoken against the abuses of the Church, denied the need for a pope claiming that Christ alone was the head of the Church. He sought for a more biblical Church and thus he preached that the only binding law on a Christian was the Bible. He preached against indulgences, the luxury and laziness of the clergy with their immorality and covetousness. Finally, Huss was tried for his "heresy" and was condemned and burned at the stake in July The Renaissance. The term means "re-birth". It was a non-religious movement that helped prepare the way for the Reformation by opening men's minds to new learning, breaking them from the shackles imposed on them by the Catholic Church by the revival of Latin and Greek literature, and art which took place at the end of the mediaeval period and the beginning of the modern age (the Middle Ages, 5th - 15th century). This was a time of adventure, for a new spirit was abroad encouraging geographical discovery, enterprise, scientific research and intellectual quickening which stimulated new philosophical and theological thinking. The fall of Constantinople in the escaping Turks brought to Europe their knowledge, and the treasures of Greek literature. This new learning produced an independent mind that was now keen to enquire and reason, whereas in the past it was content to simply obey. The entire Catholic authoritarianism had now come under intellectual examination. Devotees of this new learning were called "Humanists of which some were Christian. Amongst them was John Colet, a brilliant Humanist and preacher at Oxford, who attacked the q u a l i t y t r a i n i n g f o r b u s y p e o p l e

2 clergy for their depraved lives and called upon people to return to the bible. Amongst his students was Erasmus whom Colet persuaded to produce his Greek version of the New Testament, which made a fundamental contribution to the Reformation attracting a study of the New Testament in the original language. William Tyndale to was also one of Colet's students. The effect of Renaissance scholarship in general was to lead men back to the original Greek and Hebrew documents-past the Vulgate and imperfect translations of the patristic texts. Thus it was possible to rediscover truths, which had long been obscured by incorrect renderings of scriptures. 4. The importance of the Reformation, was the Reformers' discovery of the doctrine of "grace" especially Justification by faith alone. Indeed, the question of Justification was the theological and spiritual foundation of the Reformation Movement. The prominence given to it at the Reformation is a striking testimony to its importance as the primary question of the ages; "How should man be just with God?" The whole movement of the sixteenth century was bound up with the two great principles of the sufficiency and supremacy of the Bible, and Justification by Faith. 5. Once justification had been discovered it produced a new view of the cross, the atonement doctrine, which led people to re-examine the doctrine of sin and the Fall of Adam, which led to regeneration, repentance, the preaching of the Gospel, the true nature of the Church, the Ordinances and predestination. Here is the emphasis of historical theology in the Reformation. The result was that the Reformation rejected all that was most distinctive in mediaeval theology, such as indulgences, expiatory penances, priestly absolution in the Roman Catholic sense, works of supererogation, and the doctrine of human merit. 6. Although the Humanists had prepared the way they had produced no Reformation in the Church. MARTIN LUTHER: "THE FATHER OF THE REFORMATION" 1. Luther's early life. Born on November 10th 1483 the son of a poor miner, Martin Luther knew first hand the rigours and struggles of peasant life. He obtained a free education at Eisenach School, and entered Erfurt University in Luther then entered the study of Law with the intention of making this his life's career. Luther made an interesting character as, despite his learning, he never ceased to be a countryman, he never attained sophistication. He could be bitter, coarse, obstinate and vulgar. He was an extraordinarily sensitive individual, subject to recurrent periods of exaltation and depression of spirit. This oscillation of mood plagued him through his life. At the age of twenty two, 1505 he was nearly killed by a thunder bolt during a storm. He was terrified, and prayed out to St Anne for protection and in doing so made a vow that if his life was preserved he would enter hold orders. Luther, in obedience to his vow entered the Augustinian monastery at Erfut. In 1507 he celebrated his first Mass. It caused him great disturbance of heart. He felt too unworthy of approaching God and offering the very body and blood of Christ. Luther had been taught by his Pelagian friends that the way to God was through prayers, fasting and penance. However, this sense of sin and the weight of guilt remained with Luther and nothing that he could do or say would remove it. He wearied his superiors with his constant confessions and penance. And still he could find no rest. A visit to Rome in 1510 was considered by Luther to be a great privilege availing him of all the spiritual benefits of the Holy City. The Holy Church of Rome could offer no assurance of the forgiveness of sins for Martin Luther. On his return from Rome Luther was transferred from Erfut to Wittenberg and came under the

3 powerful influence of Johann von Staupitz, the vicar of the Augustinian order. He encouraged Luther to begin to study the Latin Bible, and informed Luther that Christ alone can take away sin and give him fellowship with God. Eventually Staupitz decided to send Luther to the University of Wittemburg to lecture to students. Luther's major problem was with the "Righteousness of God" which he saw as that attribute of God describing the utter holiness and perfection of God, which was condemning him for his sinfulness. In 1512 Luther was made Prior of an Augustinian priory and at the same time appointed lecturer and professor in theology at the Wittemberg University. All this time Luther was struggling with his own soul, seeking for a way to be made "right with God" through the teachings and practices of the Roman Church. On August he commenced his lectures on the book of Psalms. In the autumn of 1515 he was lecturing on Paul's epistle to the Romans, and then subsequently Galatians. As he studied and prepared his lectures the truth slowly began to dawn upon him. He read widely and in particular the writings of Augustine on the subject of "justification by faith". In 1517 something happened. In his own words he states, "I laboured diligently and anxiously as to how to understand Paul's words in Romans 1:17 where he says, 'The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel'. I sought long and knocked anxiously, for the expression 'the righteousness of God', blocked the way". Luther was making the fundamental mistake of interpreting 'the righteousness of God as something that was there to condemn him because of his sin, rather than as Paul was presenting it, a free gift from God through Jesus by faith alone, which clothes him thus making him right before God. When Luther realised his mistake and began to see that "righteousness" was offered through grace to be received by faith, he described this discovery as a "break through". 2. Indulgences and the "Ninety Five Theses" Pope Leo X ( ) needed great sums of money to continue the building of St Peter's Church in Rome. To obtain this money he decided on the sale of Indulgences, and a Dominican monk by the name of Tetzel was chosen for this task. The purpose of "indulgences" was a means to secure the forgiveness of certain sins through the payment of money. Indulgences were considered to have special value for those who had died and were now said to be suffering in purgatory. By purchasing indulgences on behalf of a deceased loved one it was said to shorten their suffering. In protest at the sale and use of indulgences, on All Saints Day 1517, Luther nailed his famous "Ninety Five Thesis" to the Church door at Wittenberg. It was the custom for any monk who wished to call a theological debate to write out his ideas and attach them to the door of the Church, like a notice board, so there was nothing dramatic about this action. Luther's statements raised many issues such as, "Indulgences can never remit guilt or Divine punishment, that indulgences have no value for the dead and that the Christian who has sought for pardon in Christ is forgiven already and needs no Indulgences". Many copies were made and circulated all over Germany. Eventually Luther's actions were reported to the Pope and he was summoned to Rome in Luther refused to respond through fear for his life. The following year Luther began to study the history of the papacy and soon found that there was much evidence to persuade him that the Pope was not the divine head of the Church. Every time he was questioned about his doctrine he found himself driven back to the bible. This resulted in Luther recognising more and more doctrinal misconceptions within the Roman Catholic Church.

4 In 1519 Luther became involved in an intense debate at Leipzig with the famous John Eck. Luther caused an immense sensation by declaring that the supremacy of the Pope was unknown in the Scriptures, and that it had grown up only in the previous 400 years, and that General Councils had erred in giving their support to it. Luther had now committed himself. He freed himself from the Church, Pope and Councils, taking his position only on the Word of God as the rule for faith. Luther was only interested in what the Scriptures had to say. He kept on saying, "What does the Scripture say? What does the Scripture say? ". 3. "Here I stand, I can do no other" Melanchthon, a young professor Greek at Wittenberg became a life long friend of Luther's. They were complementary to one another, with the calm learning and gentleness of Melanchthon standing over against the fiery passion and rugged boldness of Luther. As an expounding and systematiser of Protestant theology, Melanchthon became immensely popular and when the great Reformer died, this brilliant follower succeeded him as leader of the Lutheran movement. In 1530 the Pope finally excommunicated Luther and ordered all his writings to be burnt. The famous Diet of Worms (a Church Conference) took place in 1521, to which princes, dukes, prelates and other dignitaries were called. Luther was also invited and was promised safe conduct. His friends urged him not to attend and to remember what happened to John Huss when he was executed. However, Luther did attend the Conference. He was questioned on the contents of his books and ordered to retract his beliefs. Like Huss a century earlier, Luther declared he would retract nothing unless it was proved to be contrary to Scripture. His noble declaration, "Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God, Amen", signified with such clarity his stability on the Word of God alone for his doctrine. He was condemned as a heretic and dismissed. His friends managed to get him to Wartburg where he remained for nearly a year. Whilst at Warburg a mental and spiritual reaction set in and he was constantly plagued by depression and doubts. He felt the demons to be about him. He doubted for a moment whether he had been right to fight and resist. However, he soon recovered following a time of rest, and he used his time for writing. Sermons, pamphlets and a book of homilies flowed from his pen. At this time Luther also began the translating the New Testament from the original Greek into German which was a work of supreme importance for the Reformation. He took a little more than a year to translate the New Testament. It is believed that the Wittenberg press of Lufft alone published 100,000 Bibles between 1534 and Luther was determined that the bible should be brought to the homes of the common people. 4. Luther's later years Whilst Luther was in Wartburg his ideas spread rapidly throughout the religious world in Europe. Hand in hand with the revival of popular religious feeling went the abandonment of many established Roman teachings and practices. Priests married, and monks and nuns left their monasteries. Luther returned to Wittemberg and resumed his lecturing. He abandoned the mass, fasts and confession to the priests. He later married a former nun, Catherine von Bora, and lived with her in the empty house of the Austin Friars. He then sought to organise and further the Reformation in Germany. Luther was a great musician and hymn writer and many of his works became popular amongst the Christians who were now free from the bondage of the Church of Rome. By 1529 the Reformation was now spreading to other countries. The Reformation had begun in earnest. Whereas John Wyclif and John Huss before him had laid the foundations, it was Luther who sparked the Reformation into active life.

5 5. Luther's Teachings i) Justification by Faith The Augsburg Confession, produced by Melanchthon in 1530 became the basic statement and summary of Lutheran doctrine. On the matter of Justification the Confession states: "They (the scriptures) teach that men cannot be justified in the sight of God by their own strength, merits or works, but that they are justified freely on account of Christ through faith, when they believe that they are received into grace and that their sins are remitted on account of Christ who made satisfaction for sins on our behalf by his death. God imputes this faith for righteousness in his own sight (Romans 3 and 4)". Luther did not reject the importance and place of "good works" in their proper place. For Luther justification had to be based on faith alone in which there was no place for good works. However, good works do find a place following salvation within the Christian life as a witness to the reality of a saving faith. Luther never speaks of man as justified on account of the merit of faith, for faith is never declared to be the meritorious cause of Justification. Rather, faith is only the means whereby we are enabled to receive the saving and redeeming grace of the Christ who died as our substitute. Luther made the doctrine of sin and grace central once more in the doctrine of salvation, and declared that the doctrine of justification by faith alone was "the article of a standing or falling Church". ii) The Atonement Luther clearly held to a penal substitution doctrine of the atonement. His Commentary on Galatians presents his view of the cross particularly where he is commenting on (Gal 3:13). For Luther, the Law demands punishment, and that punishment must be rendered. Satisfaction equals punishment. iii) The Lord's Supper Luther rejected the popular teaching of the Catholic Church on the Mass (transubstantiation), i.e., that the bread and wine were actually transformed into the very body and blood of Jesus following the priest's prayers of dedication. Luther had already rejected the priestly hierarchical system and stated his belief in the priesthood of all believers. However, he found it impossible to discard entirely the notion of the Real Presence within the elements. Luther's view was that whilst during the Lord's Supper the elements remained the same, basically unchanged in their outward form, but that the real presence of Christ did exist bodily within the elements. This was known as "Consubstantiation". Naturally, this proved to be a bone of contention with the other Reformers who (quite rightly) found Luther's "Consubstantiation" to be too close to the Catholic Transubstantiation and was in fact presenting a mere compromise. Richard Lee File under Church History