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Church History: Martin Luther Alvin Shaul Martin Luther Video February 11, 2004 More than Father Martin Luther Before viewing this movie on Martin Luther, I knew little to nothing about him and his actions on the church. I did know of his 50 Theses and that he divided the Roman Catholic Church with his preaching against indulgences. Everything else, I came to know by watching this film. Which, consequently, I must apprehend as somewhat inconclusive since it has been my only source of information. However, I will trust the showing of the film was carried out because the content was accurate in its disclosure. Martin Luther began as any other priest, being trained in the priesthood and the proper ways of the Church. Martin�s gift, however, was the practice and teaching of theology. What Martin came to encounter was that the theology he yearned to preach was not the theology the Church approved of. The Church expected �traditional theology�, that is, theology as the Church has come to suppose it. The Church did not wish him to expand on what was already learned, but to learn the current theology and teach it to others studying for the priesthood. Martin, nonetheless, had a mind that could not contain itself within such boundaries. It was on his first journey to Rome, upon witnessing the purchase of indulgences in exchange for freedom from Purgatory, that Martin knew there was fault in what was being done. No where in Scripture could he find any notice of a �purgatory� or the right to sell ones escape from such a place. Furthermore, the offering of such a gift to the living for his or her own soul was an abomination of the message of Christ. For indeed, Christ reached out to the poor, healed the sick, and fed the hungry. He welcomed children and blessed the elders. He also quoted Scripture to them and readily encouraged its reading. For the Church to now deny such a privilege to the followers of Christ was unacceptable to Martin Luther. From this Martin became more than just a Father in the church; he became a servant of the living Christ he saw as described in the holy Word of God. For Martin had access to the Word and could readily read it at leisure. To other ordinary priests and even more so, a common peasant, the reading of the Scriptures was strictly prohibited. Therefore, when Martin began to see aspects of theology in the Bible that strayed from the teachings of the Church, he had no where to turn but to the authorities above him. When they rejected him, he made what he felt to be the next necessary step. The writing of the New Testament into German was revolutionary. Unfortunately, it was the events that took place while he was writing the translation that stirred the Church more than any other. Whereas Martin had urged the peasants to believe what the Bible says and reject the leadership of the Church, he was never one to encourage violence in the name of his cause. For Martin, God�s grace was the key to peacefully bringing the true Gospel to the people of both Rome and Germany. After Martin was forced into hiding, save lose his life, other priests and higher-ups among the peasants began revolts against the Catholic Church: revolts by force. It is recorded that over one hundred thousand peasants lost their lives attempting to �fight for the cause� of the true Word of God before Martin could stop the violence. Despite efforts by the Church to burn and destroy all of Martin�s works, the people still believed in him. To a peasant, the thought that they were as important to God as the very Pope himself was a radical new idea. What made it even more radical was that Martin supported it with Scripture. But so as to avoid the mistake he felt the Church had made, in creating doctrine and theology while not letting the Bible be read by peasants and even priests, Martin longed to have his German New Testament available to the peasants so they could read the words he spoke of for themselves. He no longer believed in a blind faith with blind motives, and he would not allow such to grow any longer among his peers. These are the reasons Martin Luther has become the icon in Christian tradition as we see him today. He supported a reform that would give birth to a new generation of Christianity, and these generations to the generations after them. For the reformed Church, no longer did the priests wander around the Monopoly� board searching for a good place to rest! No longer did the authorities of the Church sit on free parking and collect all that came their way! No longer did the peasants keep lodging at the county jail! Now, the elders sat on a community chest that was full of the riches of Christ and freely distributed His greatness to all who passed by: the greatness as can be seen through the Word of God! |