A brief biography of Martin Luther (birth and education)
Luther was born in 1483 at Eisleben in Germany to Hans and Margaretha Luther and brought up in Mansfeld. His father Hans was a worker in the local copper mines. Luther first went to school in Mansfeld in 1492 before proceeding to Magdeburg in 1497. In 1498, he went to school in Eisanach. He then went to the University of Erfurt in 1501 and studied law earning a baccalaureate and a masters degree. Luthers entry into monastic life which would later have a great impact to Christianity in 1505 was influenced by his experience of narrowly escaping a lightning strike. This was during a thunderstorm while on his way to Erfurt. In this incident, Luther had vowed to St. Anne to give himself to monastic life if he survived the lightning strike. His entry into monastic life was also influenced by an experience of abrupt death that met his classmate.
Luthers significance as a monk made him gain recognition and promotion and in 1507 he was ordained as a priest. He sought after righteousness and peace with God by fasting and indulging in flagellations as well as continual prayers. At this point, Luther was getting well equipped to be teaching theology and as an effort towards achieving his goals, he went to Wittenberg University where he attained a bachelor of Bible in 1509. He also lectured on Aristotles ethics. At the same University, he pursued his doctorate in Bible in 1512 and ended up as a professor. Luthers visit to Rome in 1510 may have influenced his views about Catholicism, especially the Catholic priests whom he identified as bearing immorality as well as corruption. He felt disheartened by this discovery and perhaps this led him to the search for righteousness as demanded of by the Scriptures.
The teachings of Martin Luther
Upon attaining professorship, Luther concentrated into lecturing theology at the Wittenberg University as he deeply searched the Scriptures. The initial teachings of Martin Luther were on Psalms that ran from 1513 to 1515. His teachings on Romans ran from 1515 to 1516. For the next one year, Luther taught on Galatians before finally teaching on Hebrews as from 1517 to 1518. It is important to remember that the entry of Luther into monastic life was greatly influenced by his fear of hell as well as Gods punishment. As such, he wanted to pursue righteousness and work out his salvation to a point where he was acceptable before God. Through his lectures and devotion to the study of scriptures, Luther was beginning to understand a new meaning on righteousness and salvation. He identified and strongly believed in righteousness through faith which is a gracious gift from God and that the forgiveness of sins is a free gift from God. He also held on the absolute dependence on the Scriptures in Christian faith. These are the years that marked the evangelical breakthrough. These views would bring controversy with the Catholic leadership especially with the publication of the 95 Theses.
The 95 Theses were an accusation on the Roman Catholic as being preachers of heresy whose spread led to the Protestant Reformation. They were nailed on the door of the Wittenbergs Castle Church. The 95 Theses were based on his realization that the Dominican priest, Johann Tetzel was involved in selling indulgences. Selling of indulgences according to Luther was opposed to Christianity as it developed a sense of security not based on Christs teachings. Martin Luther was also opposed to Pope Leo X who was allowing pluralism. The publication of the 95 Theses and their spread into almost all parts of Europe brought uproar with Pope Leo X who accused Luther of spreading heresy. This made Luther summoned at the Diet of Worms where he was supposed to recant. After prayerful consideration and consultation, he appeared before the Diet and refused to retract calling for Scriptural basis for his retraction. This is where he made his here I stand statement. This created grounds for his excommunication by the Pope. He was issued with the Edict of Worms as he was being viewed as an outlaw. Luthers declaration in 1519 that a simple layman armed with the Scriptures was not to be compared to the Pope and councils, who did not have the scriptures, also increased his chances of being excommunicated. In 1520 at the Papal bull, Martin Luther wrote his 3 seminal documents at a time when he was given a sixty day period to think of recanting his teachings or be excommunicated. The three documents were To the Christian Nobility, On the Babylon Captivity of the Church and the Freedom of a Christian. The first document was a wake up call to the rulers of the time challenging them to take responsibility in reforming the church. In addition, he portrayed Christians as priests. The second document was a reduction of the seven sacraments into three namely baptism, the Lords Supper and penance. The final treatise was a freedom declaration to Christians while upholding love for neighbours. At this point, Luther was declared an outlaw as well as a heretic.
Impact after excommunication
After excommunication, Luther gained his way into Wartburg Castle through Prince Fredrick the Wise. It was during his exile at Wartburg Castle that he translated the Bible (the New Testament) into the German language. This was a great development and advancement of Christianity and specifically the Scriptures which he held as the absolute truth. This historic time of the Bible was considered by Luther as his opportunity to drive the devil away with ink. Using the textus receptus, the Greek edition of Erasmus, Luther successively translated the New Testament in German language in 1522 before later translating the Old Testament in 1534.
After translating the New Testament, Luther was still moved to go back to Wattenberg in spring 1522 where he returned boldly to advance his teachings on salvation through faith alone. This was time to advance his reform movement. Luther continued writing and publishing Christian teachings such as the critic writings Against the Heavenly Prophets and Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes. In 1528, he also wrote the Great Confessing Concerning Christs Supper with his writing on Large Catechism and Small Catechism coming later in 1529. In the Large Catechism, Luther called upon Christians to be seriously devoted into reading the catechisms as a way of being taught directly by God through the Holy Spirit who was present in such readings and meditation. Among his other important writing was the hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God among other renowned hymns.
Luthers marriage to a nun, Katherine von Bora, in 1525 was also a remarkable turn around in Christianity as this was a break from the practiced celibacy among priests and nuns. This was a part of his reform movement which gained support from a section of Christians while others opposed it. Before Luther died in 1546, he wrote the publication Against the Papacy at Rome, an Institution of the Devil which perhaps created a greater rift within the Roman Catholic specifically the papacy and propagated reforms.
Conclusion
The advancement of Christianity and the church has been greatly shaped by the contributions of great figures like Martin Luther. Luthers divine discovery of the truth in the Scriptures as far as salvation and righteousness is concerned brought about Protestantism. The excommunication by the papacy created the best opportunity to advance the Gospel through Bible translation and critical publications on papacy. These and his marriage to Katherine were great marks of Christianity that created a platform for reforms.
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