Martin Luther
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QUOTE: For in this case a prince and lord must remember that according
to Romans 13 [:4] he is God’s minister and the servant of his wrath and that
the sword has been given him to use against such people. If he does not fulfil
the duties of his office by punishing some and protecting others, he commits
as great a sin before God as when someone who has not been given the sword
commits murder. If he is able to punish and does not do it—even though he would
have had to kill someone or shed blood—he becomes guilty of all the murder and
evil that these people commit. For by deliberately disregarding God’s command
he permits such rascals to go about their wicked business, even though he was
able to prevent it and it was his duty to do so. This is not a time to sleep.
And there is no place for patience or mercy. This is the time of the sword, not
the day of grace. (Against
the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants)
AUTHOR: Martin Luther (10
November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German monk, priest, professor of
theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed
the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with
money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five
Theses in 1517. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of
Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in
1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw
by the Emperor. Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but
received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as
redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the
Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely
revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized
Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with Luther's teachings
are called Lutherans. His translation of the Bible into the vernacular (instead
of Latin) made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church
and on German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the
German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and
influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns
influenced the development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina
von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant
priests to marry. Martin
Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February
1546) was a German monk, priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the
Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's
punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence
salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. His refusal
to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy
Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his
excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Emperor.
Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a
free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin.
His theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church
by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge
and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy
priesthood. Those who identify with Luther's teachings are called Lutherans.
His translation of the Bible into the vernacular (instead of Latin) made it
more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German
culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German
language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced
the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns influenced the
development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a
model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant priests to
marry.
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