Category: Martin Luther and the Reformation
-
Knowing Christ—Unstoppable
“I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.” (Romans 1:14,15) If there were one word to use in describing Paul after his conversion, it would be unstoppable. From that Damascus…
-
What Might Luther Have Read?
The sheer volume of Martin Luther’s writings is astounding. According to Britannica, he wrote a third of the books published in the German language during the first half of the 1500s.[1] The first 55 volumes of his written works in the English translation altogether are over 22,000 pages long—and that’s not even everything he wrote!…
-
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Today we celebrate Martin Luther’s nailing of the Ninety-five Theses and the beginning of the church’s return to the true gospel found in Scripture. Enjoy this Reformation Day selection from Devotional Thoughts on Favorite Hymns! God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1) One of the great contributions Dr. Martin Luther…
-
Confessing the Truth that Divides
Unfortunately, many will reject the truths of Scripture. They will resist the Spirit’s work in their hearts and refuse to submit to what God says in his Word, no matter how gently we confess. That was the case as Luther confessed the truth. The leaders of the Roman church dismissed the gospel’s teaching of righteousness…
-
Confessing the Gospel with Boldness and Humility
Luther confessed boldly, often with strong language. On occasion, he wrote and spoke too strongly. He granted as much when he was differentiating between the types of books he had written. As he considered what he had written against some so-called distinguished people who supported Rome’s false teaching, he admitted, “Against these I confess that…
-
The Joyful Obligation of Confessing the Gospel
In Luther’s confessing of the faith we have an excellent example to follow. When von der Ecken asked Luther if he would affirm or retract what he written, the professor from Wittenberg requested time to think about his answer. He explained that he did not want to “assert less than the cause demands or more…
-
Willing to Suffer for the Gospel, Part Two
Here’s a second reason Luther was not surprised by the persecution he experienced: he knew what Jesus had said about a student not being above his teacher. Jesus himself, the perfect Son of God, faced persecution and rejection. His disciples will necessarily face the same. Luther was not a masochist. He did not enjoy the…
-
Willing to Suffer for the Gospel, Part One
When it comes to dealing with persecution, Luther offers much to imitate. He certainly experienced significant persecution. The pope, who by his calling ought to have defended Luther and promoted the gospel, did the opposite. He declared Luther a heretic and commanded that all of Luther’s writings be burned. The emperor declared Luther an outlaw,…