Devotional TextRomans 1: 16, 17 TNIV I am not ashamed of the gospel, because

it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

General Information Born November 10, 1483, in Eisleben

Germany. His father was a somewhat ambitious

middle-class silver miner. Father desired that he should become a

lawyer. He began his schooling at an institution

ran by the Brethren of the Common Life in Magdeburg.

Began his university studies at Erfurt in 1501.

In 1505 he had a religious changing moment during a thunderstorm.

In July of that same year he entered the Augustinian monastery and became a monk.

In the winter of 1508 he lectured in theology at the University in Wittenberg.

Winter of 1510 – 1511 saw him going to Rome on business of his order. The excesses seen in Rome shocked him and awakened his sensitivity.

In 1512 he became a theology professor at Wittenberg.

During his preparations for teaching the Bible he began to have a new understanding of its authority.

Lectured on the Psalms, 1513 – 1515, Romans, 1515 – 1517.

While lecturing on the Psalms he began to get a new understanding of God. Psalm 22 brought to him a new understanding of God.

Indulgence Controversy This controversy grew out of Pope Leo X’s

deal with Albert of Mainz. Albert wanted to buy the bishopric of

Mainz and the Pope agreed to grant it to him if he could raise 10,000 ducats.

He got a loan and the Pope gave him the authority to sell indulgences in an effort to recover the expenses.

Half of the money raised was to go to the loan and the other half to the Pope; who, at that time, was completing St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

Johann Tetzel; a salesman of high ability and low ethical standards was given the commission by Albert to sell the indulgences.

There was growing apprehension among the German people against the strategies utilized by Tetzel; some seeing the sale of indulgences as being exploitation of the masses.

At the University City of Wittenberg the whole affair came to a head when Martin Luther, an Augustinian friar and professor at the University challenged Tetzel to a debate on the sale of indulgences.

Doctrine of Indulgence: Indulgence is attached to the sacrament of

penance and has its basis in the concept of a “treasury of merits.”

The sacrament of penance had three aspects: “contrition, confession and satisfaction.”

When first introduced indulgences were supposed to only absolve a believer from penalties enacted by the pope.

Eventually indulgences were seen as being able to purchase forgiveness of sins, past, present and even future.

Pope was seen as being in charge of the “treasury of merit” and as such had the power to dispense from it to those who qualify.

The sale of indulgences brought great benefit to the local bishops as well as the pope.

Doctrine of indulgence seems to give the pope authority almost equal to God, if not superior, since he could proclaim the release of a soul from purgatory and forgive sins even when not confessed.

Indulgence and Grace: Indulgence is an affront to grace. Indulgences, according to Luther, are

“deceptive and pernicious….” Theory of “treasury of merit” runs contra

to the Bible. Indulgences tend toward libertines rather

than contrite believers.

95 Theses Resented the idea of St. Peter’s being

built via exploitation of the German people.

Rejected the notion of the pope having jurisdiction over purgatory and also denied the “treasury of merits.”

Attacked the fact that indulgences tend toward a “wrong state of mind.”

The challenge to Tetzel reached the ears of the Pope from Luther himself.

Pope responded to Luther’s arguments by asking the Augustinians to deal with him.

Pope sent Cardinal Cajetan on a dual mission to Germany, (gather support for a crusade against the Turks and get Luther to recant).

Luther refused to recant unless his teachings could be debated and refuted by Scripture.

John Eck, using the guise of wanting to debate Karlstadt, debated Luther at Leipzig and during this debate Luther sided with Huss and affirmed the Scripture as having authority over the pope and councils.

Luther’s Contribution to Reformation:

Superiority of Scripture: The doctrine of sola scriptura can be seen as

being the formal cause of the Reformation. Scripture is to have priority over popes and

councils. He rejected the fourfold interpretation of

Scripture which existed since the time of Origen and instead proposed the historical-grammatical method.

At the same time he saw somewhat of a hierarchy within the Scriptures.

Presided over the translation of the Scriptures into German.

The Church: Church visible is constituted via the

proclamation of the gospel. Saw the Church as being both visible and

invisible. Understood the Church as being more

functional and not merely historical. Priesthood of Believers: In his 1520 work

Freedom of a Christian he promulgated this concept.

“All Christians are priests by virtue of their baptism, faith and the gospel.

This idea struck a blow at the sacerdotal system and even the monastery was now being deemed as not being necessary.

He still had room for the social structure of his day and favored feudalism over capitalism.

Predestination: Believed that God has predestined those

who are saved; his concept of predestination is not the same as Calvin’s

Attached to his concept of predestination is the bondage of the will.

Don Matzat describes Luther’s doctrine of predestination this way:

Impasse: there is an impasse between the concepts of man’s depravity, universal grace and God’s election.

He feared that if we are forced to make concessions then it will violate the truth.

The matter of salvation does not depend on man’s doing but God’s will. However he did not conclude that there is universal election.

To him if we investigate it we will not find out its true meaning.

To him the doctrine of predestination was not central but the doctrine of grace was.

Any debate or discussion of the doctrine of predestination should be avoided.

Sacraments: Luther defined a sacrament as “an

outward sign of invisible grace instituted by Christ and exclusively Christian.”

Reduced from seven to two; baptism and the Eucharist.

Rejected the notion of transubstantiation proposed consubstantiation.

His work On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church dealt with the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Retained the term and concept of the “real presence.”

Justification by Grace through Faith: As a monk Luther understood the concept of

iustia Dei as being a justice whereby God impartially judges each individual based upon merit.

He came to see God as placing upon human beings a standard to which they cannot reach.

He did not believe that he could love such a God; he wanted to find a gracious God.

He later came to understand that “the righteousness of God” is that righteousness by which He justifies humans by faith.

Saw the righteousness by which the sinner is justified as being passive and not active.

Forensic Justification: God who takes the initiative on

justification; the sinner is incapable of self-justification.

God provides all resources necessary to justifying the sinner.

Righteousness given to him by God; the sinner does not have any righteousness on his/her own.

Alien righteousness - located outside the believer; it is not an inherent righteousness.

God reckons His righteous as if it is part of the sinners person

Imputed righteousness; comments on Rom 4:7; God counts, considers, reckons the sinner as being righteous.

In this form of righteousness the individual is simul Justus et peccator; at the same time just at the same time sinner.