Martin Luther and his historical significance

Martin Luther's Life:

Martin Luther took his birth on November 10, 1483 in a peasant family in Eisleben in the Holy Roman Empire, presently known as Eastern Germany. After the birth of Luther his family migrated from Eisleben to Mansfeld. His father was a comparatively effective miner and smelter and the Mansfeld was then a larger mining town. The Parents of Martin were Hans and Magarete Luther and he was their second child. Martin started his schooling in Mansfeld most probably around seven. The School emphasized Latin and a bit of logic and rhetoric. When Martin was 14 he was brought to Magdeburg for taking up his further studies. He resided there only of a year and then admitted into a Latin School in Eisenach till 1501. During 1501 he entered the University of Erfurt that was regarded as one of the oldest and best universities in Germany where he pursued his course for Master of Arts. William Occam's theology and Erurt's curriculum on metaphysics has considerable influence on spiritual and theological development. (Martin Luther (1483-1546): Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Martin Luther was widely known there as 'the philosopher' since he always had deliberations for long durations. He also engaged in playing the lute. In 1502 he could attain his BA degree. He also attained his MA in 1502 where he was positioned second among the seventeen of his fellow beings. (Martin Luther Protestant Reformer) In 1505, it was visualized that the plans were about to finally be realized of becoming a lawyer. (Martin Luther (1483-1546): Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) The reason behind his entering into the religion as a career is quite unknown. His publication Tischreden later translated to be known as 'Table Talk' reveals that on July 2, 1505, when he was coming back to his parents he was overtaken by a thunderstorm at the village Stooerheim and being frightened cried "Help, St. Anne, and I'll become a monk." (Martin Luther Protestant Reformer) St. Anna, the mother of Virgin Mary was the patron saint of miners. To most of the advocates, such promise would not have emerged suddenly in the absence of the already designed thought with much expansion and deepness. (Martin Luther (1483-1546): Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) He narrated in his De Votis Monasticis as "not freely or deliriously did I become a monk, but walled around with the terror and agony of sudden death, I vowed a constrained and necessary vow." (Martin Luther Protestant Reformer) Luther made an entry into the Augustinian Monastery at Erfurt on 17th July 1505.

Luther's decision to devote himself into the monastery was a complicated one. Martin understood that this would have great disappointment for his parents. However he could also understood that one must keep a promise made to God. However, beyond that he also had strong inherent causes to enter into the monastery. Luther was disturbed by the uncertainty about his salvation. The monastery was the effective location to discover assurance. However, assurance avoided him. He dedicated himself to lead a life of monk with dynamism. But this is of no use. At last his mentor instructed him to concentrate on Christ and him alone in his pursuit for assurance. Irrespective of the fact of his anxieties would outbreak him for still years to come, the basis of his later promise were detailed in that conversation. Luther entailed his profession as a monk in September 1506 and was then ready for ordination. He was ordained a priest in April 1507, and his first mass too place during the early part of May. (Martin Luther (1483-1546): Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

There were some aged men in the convent of the Augustines, in the University of Erfurt during 1507. With them Luther being a contemporary and as a friar Augustine had discussion on diverse maters particularly with regard to the remission of sins; the articles shown by aged father declaring God's pronounced commandments requiring every man to believe his sins to be forgiven him in Christ and further entailed that this interpretation was confirmed by St. Bernard: "This is the testimony that the Holy Ghost giveth thee in thy heart, saying, thy sins are forgiven thee. For this is the opinion of the apostle, that man is freely justified by faith." (An Account of the Life and Persecutions of Martin Luther: 1483-1546) These words not only strengthened Luther but were also told about the implications of St. Paul, who repeatedly confirmed for several times, 'We are justified by faith'. (An Account of the Life and Persecutions of Martin Luther: 1483-1546) Having studied the interpretations of several others at this juncture, he then visualized as well by the discourse of the old man, as by the comfort he established in his spirit, the vanity of those interpretations, those he had read before, of the schoolmen. And therefore, gradually by reading and comparing the sayings and examples of the prophets and apostles, with persistent invocation of god and the excitation of faith by force of prayer, he perceived that doctrine most obviously. Thus he sustained his study at Erfurt the space of four years in the convent of the Augustines. (An Account of the Life and Persecutions of Martin Luther: 1483-1546)

Luther got into the University of Wittenberg in 1508. He accomplished the degree of Baccalaureus Biblicus at Wittenberg in March of 1509 and then returned to Erfurt for his next degree of Sententiarius that associated with the Sententiae a medieval theological book. He imitated his discourse with a course on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and then initiated his career as a theologian with lectures on the Sententiae. Martin Luther was much persuaded by Johanan von Staupitz, vicar general of the German Augustinians, as a teacher, friend, and patron. Staupitz tried to restore stringent discipline and to merge the observant and traditional Augustinians in Germany. This gives rise to a conflict, and Luther was on the two monks selected to be deputed to Rome to provide the appeal of some dissident houses. Luther made the trip, the longest in his life, mostly in late 1510. The appeal was not successful and Luther had to be back at home to become a loyal supporter of Staupitz. Staupitz became captivated with Luther and fostered him to go on with this doctorate and to a public instruction profession. (Martin Luther Protestant Reformer) In 1511 he moved from the monastery in Erfurt to one in Wittenberg where he became a professor of biblical theology after receiving his doctor of theology degree. In 1513 he initiated his first deliberation on Psalms. In such deliberations, Luther's critique of the theological world around him became started to restructure. Later in deliberations on Paul's Epistle to the Romans this critique is more apparent. It was during such lectures that Luther ultimately discovered the assurance that had evaded since long.

In the University of Wittenberg, Luther decreased the minds of men to the Son of God: as John the Baptist represented the Lamb of God that shouldered the sins of the world, even so Luther, shining in the Church as the bright daylight after a long and dark night, expressly showed that sins are freely remitted for the love of the Son of God, and that we ought faithfully to squeeze this profuse gift. His life was in line with his profession and it evidently appeared that his words were no lip-labor, but progressed from the very heart. Such a respect of his holy life much attracted the hearts of his auditors. (An Account of the Life and Persecutions of Martin Luther: 1483-1546)

Such findings have revolutionized the life of Luther finally in the course of church history and the history of Europe. In Romans, Paul wrote about the 'righteousness of God'. Luther had always found that term to imply that God was a righteous judge that necessitated human righteousness. Presently Luther discovered righteousness as a presentation of God's grace. He could search out the tenets of justification by grace alone. This revelation had resulted in much controversy. During 1517 he sent a sheet of such revelations for a discussion on the University's chapel door. Such Ninety-Five Theses became a hazardous critique of the sale of indulgences by church and detailed the basics of justification by grace alone. Luther also detailed a copy of the theses Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz calling on him to complete the sale of indulgences. Albrecht was not pleased. In Rome, cardinals visualize Luther's theses as an attack on papal authority. In 1518 at a meeting of the Augustinian order in Heidelberg, Luther set out his positions with even more precision. The sign of a maturing in Luther's thought and new clarity around his theological visions -- the Theology of the Cross, is visualized in the Heidelberg Disputation. (Martin Luther (1483-1546): Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

During the post period of Heildelberg meeting in October 1518, Luther was instructed to renounce his positions by the Papal Legate, Thomas Cardinal Cajetan. Luther indicated that he could not recant unless his errors were detected to him by appeals to scripture and correct cause; he would not recant. The denial of Luther to recant continued his ultimate excommunication. All through 1519, Luther progressed to lecture and write in Wittenberg. In June and July of that year, he involved in another debate on Indulgences and the papacy on Leipzig. Ultimately, in 1520, the pope had had sufficient. The pope issued a bull on 15th June, frightening Luther with excommunication. The bull reached Luther on October 10th. He openly set it to fire on December 10th.

In January 1521 Luther was excommunicated by Pope. Emperor Charles V summoned Luther in March to Worms for defending himself. During the Diet of Worms, Luther denied to recant his position. Whether he really opined, 'here I stand, I can do no other' is uncertain. What is revealed is that he refused to recant and on May 8th was thrown under Imperial Ban. This led Luther and his duke in a problematic position. Luther presently was a condemned and wanted man. Luther hid out at the Wartburg Castle till May of 1522 when he was back to Wittenberg. He sustained teaching. In 1524, Luther left the monastery. In he married Katharina von Bora. From 1533 till his death in 1546 he served as the Dean of the theology faculty at the University of Wittenberg. He breathed his last on 18th February, 1546 in Eisleben. (Martin Luther (1483-1546): Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Teachings of Martin Luther:

Luther discovered his identity in total trust in Christ, the living Word of God, confronted in the spoken Gospel and made apparent in the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. The teachings of the Luther concentrate on the necessities of Christianity as propounded by the prophets and apostles. When Martin Luther initiated his movement it was about more than simply reforming abuses, but about reforming the church teachings. He applied the sins of man, the abuses, as a springboard to rationalize his own faiths like the scripture alone, salvation by faith alone, justification, rejection of the Mass and apostolic succession. At that moment many false religions had been superficial like the Ockhamist and Pelagianism, those were little varied from one another. While Luther taught, 'faith alone' it was at first taught against the Ockhamist's and Pelagianism's faith on salvation and justification, not the Catholic Church.

Luther was against the Ockhamist's belief that once a man is known to be salvation by God's grace, he is required to work out his own salvation by his own power. Then it was directed to the Pelagianism's faith those were made one's salvation relied solely on human power without the grace of God. As a result of this in earlier periods, Luther's teaching of 'faith alone' was not directed at the Catholic teaching of 'faith plus works' where man can work out his salvation experience by the power of Christ. In Phil 2:2 we are impressed upon to work out salvation in fear and trembling. In reality the faith alone in Catholic teaching is that we are only be saved by Christ alone and it is God's grace that extricate us out of the state of sin. The works one perform is also only through Christ functioning in and through us. While the Luther went lost his track is when he identified erroneously the Ockhamist doctrine of justification with the teaching of the Catholic Church later on; condemned totally the sacrifice of the Mass visualizing it as only a supper; broke away from the apostolic succession and considered the pope as anti-Christ. (Martin Luther's Revolution)

There existed three ideas on that Luther based his teachings. First Luther started teaching that it is impossible to gain salvation through good works. He revealed that the only means of attaining salvation is to rely on the mercy of God. The second teaching of Luther was that the Bible is to be considered as the only tenet for Christians. He eliminated some religious ceremonies and did not believe in the power of the pope since the Bible did not mention anything about it. The final teaching of Luther for individuals was to analyze the Bible by themselves. He fostered the role of the individual in his own faith not reliance on the pope or priests. (Martin Luther Protestant Reformer)

Luther maintained that God interacts with human beings in two modes-through the law and through the Gospel. The law indicates the pronounced demands of the God. Ten Commandments and the golden rule were cited as examples. All people irrespective of their religious convictions have some magnitude of access to the law through their principles and through the ethical conventions of their culture not withstanding the fact of their understanding of such is always considered to have distorted by human sin. The law is required to have two functions. It entails the human beings to maintain some order in their world, their communities and their own lives irrespective of the profound alienation from God, the world, their neighbors and finally themselves that resulted in the perpetuation of the original sin. Additionally, the law entails the human beings understand their necessities for the forgiveness of sins and thus leads them to Christ. God also interacts with the human beings through the Gospel, the good news of God's gift of this Son for the deliverance of the human race. (Martin Luther: 1483-1546: www.island-of-freedom.com)

Such announcement requires nothing but acceptance on the part of the public. Actually, Luther advocated that theology had gone wrong exactly when it began to mystify law and Gospel by demanding that human being can in some way merit that which can only be the unrestricted gift of God's grace. Luther proceeded to force that Christians, so long as they live in the earth, are both sinners and saints simultaneously. They are regarded as saints when they trust the grace of God and not in their own accomplishments. But sin is regarded as a permanent and pervasive element in the church so also in the world and saint is not regarded as an ethical standard but a sinner those acknowledge the God's grace. Luther thus visualized the most respected individual and the professional criminal both necessitate the forgiveness by God. Luther was of the opinion that God makes himself known to the human beings by means of earthly, finite forms instead of in his pure divinity. (Martin Luther: 1483-1546: www.island-of-freedom.com)

Thus God incarnates himself in Jesus Christ; he speaks his word to us in form of the human words of the writers of the New Testament. His body and blood are attained by believers 'in, with and under' the bread and wine in Holly Communion. While the human beings serve each other and the world in their several occupations as mothers and fathers, rulers an subjects, butchers and bakers, simply they are tools of God, destined to work in the world fulfill His desire. Luther thus condemned the conventional distinction between the sacred and secular occupations. Luther emphasized that the Christian theology is the theology of the cross rather than a theology of glory.

Human beings cannot detain God by means of philosophy or ethics. They are required to let God be God and visualize him only where he selects to make himself known. Thus Luther emphasized that God reveals his knowledge through the foolishness of preaching, his authority through agony and the secret of meaningful life through the death of Christ on the cross. (Martin Luther: 1483-1546: www.island-of-freedom.com) Luther then after emphasized his justification by faith. This was become the prime force of the Bible to him. He understood that salvation should be taken to basically imply in terms of grace, and God's free gift. The mercy of God is represented in Jesus Christ, that the conscience, forgiven and cleansed, may be at peace, and that the soul may serve God with joyful, happy obedience. (Martin Luther Protestant Reformer)

The thoughts of Martin Luther about indulgence result in great hostility. Indulgence was a mode of forgiving the sinners for their perpetration of sin. Often, individuals were deported on a pilgrimage to counteract their sins and visualize that they were sincere about their remorsefulness. Then priests persuaded the people to pay for a good cause so as to forgive the sins. The experience of indulgence was sometimes exploited for raising funds. During 1476, Pope Sixtus IV enhanced the power of the priests to permit for the indulgence on souls in purgatory. Luther however, did not believe in such indulgences. In his lessons he taught against it. He has the conception that the indulgences tarnished the pardoning authority of the God and weakened the church itself. According to Luther, the indulgences could neither release a soul from purgatory, nor counterbalance the sin of a person. (Martin Luther Protestant Reformer)

The ideology of the Luther are long lasting and assisting for later generations. The most significant are as follows: The mankind is deceived in the traditional allurement to play God, in contravention to the first of all divine commandments, 'you shall have no other gods'. (Martin Luther and the Reformation) The freedom from such original sin comes through faith of at least two people: first who tells another of Christ as the mode of liberation from sin, and the second one who so addressed, affirms faith in Christ alone. The Christian life is one in that, "though we are sinners by nature, we are at the same time saints by God's grace and love." (Martin Luther and the Reformation) The life of Christian is lived in two spheres church and society that is considered equivalent to God. This entails for the Christian determination to education, fair economic practices, and a life of mission to he ungodly. Therefore, the church is being reformed frequently; watchful against the sin of idolatry and confident that faith in Christ alone is the only source of freedom and salvation. The Christian thus liberated is called upon to serve the children of God in the earth. (Martin Luther and the Reformation)

Luther was profoundly influenced by the integration by Aristotle of ethics with the several permutations of scholastic theology that were then prevalent. Of course the advocacy of Luther against the presence of Aristotle in the Christian theology is discovered in most of his earlier publications. This is regarded as crucial that entails careful attention in view of the contemporary scholarship that either sets aside or condemns the most explicit concerns of Luther. The great worry of Luther in his early reforming work was to liberate the church of Central Aristotelian hypothesis that was conveyed through Thomistic theology. The magnitude to which Luther failed was measured by the contemporary appreciation for those Thomistic solutions in some Protestant circles- a primary impetus of the reformation was stillborn. The persistent use of Aristotle's works by Protestant universities during and after the reformation fostered such a misconception. (Martin Luther: Professor of Theology)

Irrespective of the claims opposing it by the contemporary proponents of an Aristotelian Christianity, the works offered by Aristotle were much more than a benevolent academic methodology rather than his vital definitions in ethics and anthropology restructuring the thought of young theological disciples in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries which go through the Bible and theology in light with the concepts of Luther. Luther acknowledged the influence of Aristotle in the Christian thought by means of his insidious existence in the curricula of all European Universities. In his contemptuous treatise of 1520, To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Luther narrated about his teaching on Artistotle's Nicomachean Ethics in his initial years at Wittenberg during 1508-1509, for creating a setting where little is taught of the Holy Scriptures and Christian faith and where only the blind, heathen teacher Aristotle reigns much intensively than Christ. His explanation was very clear that discarded the Aristotle's Physics, Metaphysics, Concerning the Soil, and Ethics those were regarded as the best books at that time since nothing can be learned from them on nature and Spirit.