Many Lutherans sing the beloved hymn, O Sacred Head Now Wounded, (LSB 450) during Lent and especially on Good Friday. Paul Gerhardt wrote the German hymn, O Haupt Voll Blut und Wunden, upon which this hymn is based in the … Continue reading
Philip Melanchthon published his first major theological work, Loci Communes (Theological Commonplaces) in 1521. At the age of 21, in 1518 Melanchthon had come to Wittenberg to teach Greek, but soon took on other teaching responsibilities. He began to lecture on … Continue reading
In 1519, Luther published an edited copy of his lectures on Galatians. This text represented his clearest exposition of the doctrine of justification. His new colleague, Philip Melanchthon, edited the text and gave Luther the citations of the church fathers.[1] … Continue reading
An examination of Luther’s lectures on Romans in 1515-1516 reveals significant changes in his understanding of justification. In these lectures, he began to emphasize the believer’s passive role as a recipient of God’s righteousness by grace. Additionally, he explicitly rejected … Continue reading
In 1545, Martin Luther wrote the preface for the publication of his complete works in Latin. Therein he included a biographical statement that included his recollection of how he rediscovered the doctrine of justification by faith alone. He wrote: At … Continue reading
“Daily in this world we live with murder, lying, betrayal, stealing, robbing, and all manner of shameful evil, depravity, and vexation, so that literally no one’s life or property are safe for a moment, but everything is in terrible turmoil!” … Continue reading
In my previous post (Luther at Augsburg) I described Martin Luther’s meeting with Cardinal Cajetan at Augsburg in October 1518. There Luther had refused to recant his teachings on indulgences, grace, and faith unless Cajetan could convince him to do … Continue reading
The publication of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses in late 1517 initiated theological debates over the nature of grace and faith, true repentance, and authority in the Church. While Dr. Luther continued his teaching at the university in Wittenberg in 1518, he also … Continue reading
“If anybody wishes to become a theologian, he has a great advantage, first of all, in having the Bible. This is now so clear that he can read it without any trouble.” [Martin Luther, “Table Talk no. 5511,” Luther’s Works 54: 439-440.] In … Continue reading
In 1527 Dr. Martin Luther wrote his first major treatise on the Lord’s Supper: That These Words of Christ, “This Is My Body,” Etc., Still Stand Firm Against the Fanatics. In this work he sought to refute the Eucharistic teachings of … Continue reading
In the film, The Devil’s Advocate, Al Pacino’s character (the devil) states: “Vanity is definitely my favorite sin.” This sin coupled with wealth and power allows the devil to manipulate and control the individuals throughout the film. It seems that … Continue reading
In a previous post, I described how Dr. Luther recognized St. Paul’s pattern of teaching good works and virtues after the preaching of the Gospel (Christians Teach Morals). Most often he connected the good works that result from faith with … Continue reading
By the early 1530s Dr. Martin Luther had taught concerning the nature of the ministry and the call of pastors in various writings. Additionally, Lutherans explicitly stated their position on the Office of the Holy Ministry in the Augsburg Confession … Continue reading
In 1512 Martin Luther became a doctor of theology. He wrote a large number of theological works on various topics and participated in polemical debates through his published work. During this time he also preached often in Wittenberg and whenever … Continue reading
Our observation of the 500th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther’s publication of the Ninety-Five Theses took place a few months ago. However, this event only initiated the Lutheran Reformation. Luther’s rediscovery of the Gospel resulted from his study (and teaching … Continue reading
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12) Dr. Martin Luther published excellent … Continue reading
“Out of love and zeal for truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following theses will be publicly discussed at Wittenberg under the chairmanship of the reverend father Martin Lutther [sic], Master of Arts and Sacred Theology … Continue reading
“I have seen many youths, excellently brought up and very well educated, who nevertheless became completely corrupt once they lost their teachers and came into their inheritance, others, lacking in upbringing and education, were good men. What are we to … Continue reading
“…it is not fitting for me, as a preacher, vested with the spiritual office, to wage war or to counsel war on incite it, but rather to dissuade from war and to direct to peace, as I have done until … Continue reading
In his lectures on Galatians, published in 1535, Dr. Luther discussed the Law as the means by which God reveals sin and brings God’s just punishment on sinners. Second, he identified the Gospel of the free forgiveness in Jesus Christ … Continue reading
While Martin Luther had formulated the theology of justification from 1515 to 1519, his theological opponents within the papal court called for an ecclesiastical trial for his “false teaching.” Political circumstances in Europe had distracted his theological enemies and the … Continue reading
“A little yeast leavens the whole lump.” Galatians 5:9 In Dr. Luther’s commentary on this verse, we may observe his typical approach in dealing with false teaching. Even when someone seems to agree with right doctrine in most matters, divergence … Continue reading
Pride (superbia) was the foundation of all sin in medieval piety and theology. A concept well-established on the Bible and the Church Fathers, pride was the devil’s original sin. Augustine of Hippo explained that pride was the original sin of … Continue reading
Martin Luther published his edited lectures on Galatians in 1519. In these lectures, we may examine Dr. Luther’s new understanding of justification by faith alone in Christ’s promises. When he commented on Galatians 2:16-21, Luther discussed the difference between divine … Continue reading
We saw that Martin Luther began his rediscovery of the Gospel during his lectures on Romans in 1515-16 (Cause of Salvation). Although Dr. Luther became famous because of the publication of the Ninety-Five Theses in November 1517, his scholarly activities since … Continue reading