Part One
Here
I Stand by Roland H. Bainton. A review.
July of 1505, Martin Luther vowed to St. Anne to become a monk if he
survived the lightening storm. In promise of his vow, he made the
preparations to become a monk. His parent’s were unhappy with the
decision, desiring him to go into law. Luther understood what he was
going into, knowing it was a hard life. It became a struggle with
his father Luther would deal with the rest of his life. (Chapter one)
Luther went through his first year, spending his days in prayer,
meditation and song. When he performed his first mass, he was filled
with dread and shook with fear. After the mass, his father rebuked
him again for his decision to go against their wishes and enter the
monastery. Luther spent many hours in attempts to make himself pure
and holy, praying all night and working until he could no longer
work. He would confess for hours, and as soon as he exited the
confessional, he would become terrified because of sins he had
neglected to confess. (Chapter two)
During
his trip to Rome, Luther saw things that disturbed him greatly. His
trouble continued back in Wittenberg, where he transferred, he
continued his rigid lifestyle, spending hours in the confessional,
working himself in attempts to mortify his own flesh. Luther found
himself hating God because of the view he had developed of God as
cruel judge. Luther’s mentor, Staupitz decided to have Luther
study the scripture and preach. He hoped this would help Luther find
peace with God. Luther began to study and preach on Psalms, and
later the book of Romans and Galatians. It was in this study that
Luther’s theology and view was forever changed. Luther began to
relate with the desperation of Christ on the cross, understanding
that in that moment, Christ took the iniquity of all mankind.
(Chapter two)
Luther
saw the wrath of God, but he also began to see the mercy of God on
the cross of Christ. The verse “the just shall live by faith”
began to take meaning for Luther. He emerged a change man, but did
not seek to reform the church in the beginning. He did speak against
the offenses made by many in the clergy, but his trust in the church
remained. (Chapter three)
It
was the selling of indulgenced that started the fire that led to
reform. Leo X needed funds to complete a rebuilding and restoration
of St. Peter’s basilica in Rome. To raise funds, he sold position,
which the buyers borrowed money with the approval of selling
indulgences to recoup the dept that was owed. The selling of
indulgences was not in Saxony, because Fredrick the Wise did not what
it to take away from his collection of relics, which was on display
during All Saint’s Day. Many from Luther’s parish did make the
journey and return with indulgences. Luther was outraged by this,
along with the preaching of Tetzel, who claimed, “as soon as the
coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” (p.
60) (Chapter four)
Luther’s
reaction is the 95 Thesis, which he wrote in response against this
practice. Luther wrote against not only the selling of indulgences,
but the papal power to grant indulgence and forgive sin, only God has
this power. The church can only revoke punishment issued by the
church, and not by God. (Chapter four)
Luther
was summoned and ordered to recant. Luther refused to recant and a
papal bull was issued, and a diet was formed. It was moved several
times until it finally took place in Worms. Before Worms, Luther
continued his attack on the papacy, stating that a council and popes
could error. Luther engaged in debate with the likes of John Eck and
in the Leipzig debate. This debate with Eck only increased the rift
with Luther and Rome. (Chapter five)
As
the bull reached Luther, he burned it in protect. His writings by
this point were very extensive, including The Babylonian
Captivity, which made the breach wider. Luther’s books were
burned in the Piazza Naona. At the empiral diet, the Archbishop of
Trier examined Luther. He was confronted with a pile of his books,
and asked if he was the author. He was then asked if he would recant
what is written in the books. Luther asked for one day to think the
matter over, and it was granted to him. (Chapters 5-8)
The
next day, Luther was brought before the diet. He gave clarification
that not all of his books were the same, and he could not recant them
for various reasons. He was asked again if he would repudiate his
books. His reply was “I cannot and I will not recant anything, for
to go against conscious in neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I
cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.” (p 144). (Chapters 9
and 10)
The
Edict of Worms condemned Luther as a heretic. Upon leaving Worms,
Luther was taken and hidden by Fredrick the Wise in Wartburg. It was
here that Luther began his translation of the Bible into German.
While Luther was in hiding, reform was happening in Wittenberg.
Zwilling, an Augustinian monk led the charge. Many monks and nuns
married and Luther approved. The Mass was reformed, having both
elements given to laity. Such divisions occurred, mass was stopped
all together until there was revolt. The violence continued and
Carlstadt led the masses to rid the churches of all images and idols.
The revolt was calmed, and Luther was returned from hiding.
(Chapter 10 and 11)
The
impact of Luther’s work continued to make waves in Germany.
Fredrick the Wise ordered his collection of relics to be given to the
poor after having them booed. Much of the population, especially the
peasants were experiencing civil unrest, led by men like Carlstadt,
Muntzer and Zwigli. Peasant uneasiness led the revolt. Peasants
plundered and demolished churches, cloisters and monasteries.
Muntzer led the way, causing the violence to continue. Luther openly
condemned the rebellion, saying it was out of God’s law and is full
of murder and bloodshed, which makes widows, orphans and turns
everything upside down. Luther called for the faithful to put down
the rebellion, and the princes were ready to comply. Muntzer’s
rebellion was put down, and he was tortured and beheaded. Luther
tried to counteract the slaughter of peasants with another tract, but
it was not noticed as the one, which read, “smite, slay and stab.”
Catholic princes blamed Luther for the whole episode. (chapters
14-16)
On
the 13th of June in 1525, Martin Luther was publicly
betrothed to Katherine Von Bora, the last of twelve nuns whom he had
helped escape the convent and marry. Luther stated he had three
reasons to get married, first because his father wished him to have a
son to carry the family name. The second was to spite the Pope and
the devil, and the last was to seal his witness before his martyrdom.
Luther did not have the financial resources to support a wife and
the children that were to come, but God provided for their finances
through support and household prophet, such as selling meat and
produce. Luther even had a lathe he installed for doing woodwork.
(Chapter 17)
Martin
and Katharine had six children, Hans, Elizabeth, Madgalena, Martin,
Paul and Margaretha. Luther and his wife also took in borders and
other children to live with them, as many as 20 boarders. Luther’s
views of marriage never became that of the loving and adoring
husband, but an institution that God created for procreation and
family relationships, but he did learn to love and cherish Katie.
Prior to his marriage, he viewed marriage as a remedy for lust,
marriage as a purer state than sin. After his marriage, his emphasis
shifted to a place to learn character. (Chapter 17)
In
the war of words, the most powerful weapon in Luther’s arsenal was
the tract. Most of these tracts contained cartoons and
illustrations, and were used in great quantity by both sides of the
argument. Many tracts are shown with Luther as a hero or villain.
Luther was shown either in war with the devil or in league with him,
fighting for a cause or fighting against. Popes, kings and the
Church of Rome were displayed in many tracts, as well as
illustrations in the bible, such as the Harlot of Revelations wearing
a papal tiara. These tracks helped to spread the message of the
reformers far and wide. (Chapter 18)
As
these tracks were spread, the message of the reform was spread. This
naturally led to problems, splits and differences of opinion. One of
these differences was on the nature of communion. It was such a
large issue, it was the reason a common confession failed between the
differing denominations. During the hearing in Speyer, all
protestant denominations presented a confession. Luther was tolerant
of other denominations in so much he did not wish them to be
condemned to death, he felt banishment was suitable. Luther held the
position that eternal judgment would wait for those of an incorrect
faith, and that was punishment enough. (Chapter 18, 19 and 21)
Luther’s
work and labors are still celebrated, his bible for example is
considered one of the greatest works of its time. Luther worked
diligently to find suitable words for his translations, going to
professionals to ask about items, such as a butcher to ask about
sacrificial animal part names. Luther’s other works have also
earned him notoriety as a great scholar, such as his catechisms, the
small for children and the larger for adults. (Chapter 19)
Luther’s
impact on the church service as we know it has also had lasting
impacts. We still sing “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” in
churches today, a hymn written by Luther. In 1524 Luther put
together a hymnbook of 23 songs, putting songs in the hands of the
people and singing in their churches. Luther elevated preaching as
the center of the service, and his work in this area is quite
extensive, preaching almost daily. (Chapter 20)
With all the accomplishments and great things Martin Luther did, he was
still a man. He fought with depression, turning often to manual
labor to relieve his bitter moods. He loved his wife, and mourned
the loss of a child. He felt fear and pain, he suffered diseases
like chronic constipation. He was a great man, but like all great
men, he met the end of his life. The world said goodbye to the man,
but his work endures through the ages. (Chapter 21 and 22)
Part Two
Here
I Stand. A reaction
I
think there is a little bit of Martin Luther in everyone. The same
forces that drove Martin Luther to his knees do the same for us. His
search for truth is the same search many of us find ourselves
questing for. When I was younger, I found myself very confused by
faith verses works. I felt like I was told in Sunday School that I
needed to do good things, to listen to my parents and follow all the
rules. I was confused, John 3:16 said if you believe, you will be
saved. It was through a sermon that I found the truth and gave my
heart and life to Jesus. My search was not as involved as Luther’s.
I was not forced to enter a monastery, study for hours, struggle as
intently, risk my life, hide in a castle and translate the
scriptures. Most of us have an easier time with the search than
Luther did, but on some level, we must all comes to the place we are
open to the truth, and willing to dig into the word and truth to find
what it has for us.
Luther’s
life convicts me of my own sin and depravity. Luther lived his life
in mortification of his own sin. He struggled during his time in the
monistary, trying to rid himself of all impurity. As a believer, I
should be as dead to my sin. I don’t find myself hating my own sin
as Luther did. It has made me realize that I have trivialized my
salvation, and sin even though it should repulse me and lead me to
heartfelt repentance on my face before the Throne of God.
Luther’s
work and diligence is inspiring. He found time to do so much in his
life, imagine what he could have accomplished if he lived to be 70 or
100. In his short life on this earth, he did some amazing works.
Although I don’t completely agree with all of his theology, he did
amazing things and took great and powerful leaps in thought and
doctrine. He, as a single man, revolutionized the way we approach
Christ and the way we worship. It has inspired me to see that one
person can do great things for the kingdom by working toward what he
believes is right. Luther never set out to change the world, but to
follow what he knew in his heart was right. I am sure he never would
have thought that in the year 2005, seminary students would be
reading biographies about his life, and writing papers about how he
has inspired and challenged them. It’s a goal we can set for
ourselves, to be the kind of men that people will read about and be
inspired by.
The
biography itself by Bainton is not the best biography I have read.
It is complete, but was hard to follow in parts. I was disappointed
that it did not cover the end of his life. The read itself was slow
and dry, but the illustrations added to the book, and helped to see
and understand the thoughts of the day in the pictures.
Luther
had a character that was stone like. He was very true to his word,
from his vow to enter the monastery to his unwillingness to back down
and recant to the strength of his convections with faced with
differing views, like those on communion. Luther was a stubborn and
hardheaded man, not backing down in hearings, diets, with friends or
foes, with the rich or the poor or even his wife and children.
The
flip side of that coin is that Luther was committed to what he
believed, and was willing to fight or die for it. His reasoning for
not wanting a wife was “if he was to be burned at the stake within
a year, he was hardly the person to start a family.” (p 224). He
was ready to die at any time for his convictions, so much that
Fredrick the Wise was forced to hide him after Worms. In Matthew
10:16, Jesus commanded his disciples to be as wise as serpents and
innocent as doves. Luther got part of it right at least.
Luther’s
theology can be described as reactionary. When we became a monk, he
lived in reaction of his own sin, constantly in confession. When he
found the truth in scripture, he lived in reaction to the fact that
the righteous shall live by faith. When faced with indulgences,
which was a contradiction to his new belief, he wrote the 95 Thesis.
The papal reaction to this work was to recant. Luther’s reaction
was to fight the papacy. Every action caused a reaction. Luther
never set out to reform the church, but as he reacted, the church was
reformed. He never set up a new belief, he simply modified the
existing beliefs to come in harmony with scripture. Luther, for
example, did not keep the belief of transubstantiation, but
incorporated parts of it in the Lutheran Church by still believing
Christ is physically present during communion.
Many
will argue that Luther did not take the reformation far enough. The
Anabaptists would agree, moving much farther away from the Catholic
church than did Luther. Luther never desired to leave the church,
and always had a desire for unity, but never at the expense of his
beliefs. He believed he had found the truth, and that truth took
priority over everything else.
The
work of Luther is a combination of his brilliant mind and his
tireless efforts. Luther spend his entire life as a man in the
service of his belief. As a Catholic Monk, he was the best monk he
could be. He worked hard, disciplined and punished his body, prayed
and fasted with zeal and did all he could to rid himself of sin. His
life during the reformation was no less zealous. He wrote a large
number of tracks, many great works on top of his preaching and
translation of the bible. It is no wonder he died at 50, his life
works would take any other man 80 years to complete.
Much
of Luther’s work, however, was reactionary. He wrote and said
things that would later come back to haunt him. During the peasants
revolt, Luther wrote and issued a track with said: If the peasant is
in open rebellion, then he is outside the law of God, for rebellion
is not simply murder, but it is like a great fire which attacks and
lays waste to a whole land. Thus, rebellion brings with it a land
full of murders and bloodshed, makes widows and orphans, and turns
everything upside down like a great disaster. Therefore, let
everyone who can, smite, slay and stab, secretly or openly,
remembering that nothing can be more poisonous, hurtful, or devilish
that a rebel. (p.216-7).
The
reaction to this tract was the slaying of countless peasants.
Muntzer, who led the rebellion was captured, tortured and beheaded
and the countryside was cleansed. Luther tried to counteract his
first tract with a second, but it was too late by this point, and he
was blamed by many for the slaughter that took place.
The
contribution of Martin Luther cannot be measured. We read
biographies, study him in schools, watch movies about him and read
his works. There is still a major denomination that bears his name,
and it’s influence is still prevalent in many communities. There
is no way to lose the influence of Martin Luther on the church today.
The
first and most major impact Luther left is the place of preaching.
The pulpit in Luther’s day was elevated above the alter, and given
a place of prominence in the service. Luther preached almost daily,
making preaching the focal point. Music was a large focal point for
Martin Luther, writing hymns and putting together hymn books. I am
convinced that if Martin Luther lived today, he would be working with
Power Point and praise choruses. He set things in motion, and the
music in the church has been in a constant state of flux. In this
day and age, we find people fighting to keep the organ. In his day
and age, people fought to keep it out. Music is always a sensitive
issue in the church, but for Luther, it was an important one. Luther
said that music is “a fair and lovely gift of God which has often
wakened and moved me to the joy of preaching . . . I have no use for
cranks who despise music, because it is a gift of God.” (p266).
We can learn a lot of Martin Luther by looking at the example and
the legacy he left us. Luther gave of some strong example of how to
behave. He was strong in his faith, courageous in the Lord. He used
his mind as well as his heart, and he did what he knew was right. He
gave the scripture the place of authority it deserved and worked to
make the church all it should be. There is also much we can learn
from Luther of how not to live. He rebelled, caused arguments and
divisions, reacted instead of thinking much of the time, neglected
his health and drove himself in the ground. Martin Luther took his
place in history, and did what the Lord desired for him. Like David,
he served the Lord in his generation, and made a lasting impact.
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