Why should I care what Luther wrote?

[antihippy79]

I mean this with no disrespect as I honestly do not understand why a person should really care what Luther said or wrote. Why is he considered such a significant man as to warrant the naming of an entire Church for him. I find it odd that there is a whole Church that names itself for a man. I see a lot of threads about Protestants where Lutherans refer to or ask others to read his writings. Just curious as to what Lutherans have to say about this.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

I mean this with no disrespect as I honestly do not understand why a person should really care what Luther said or wrote. Why is he considered such a significant man as to warrant the naming of an entire Church for him. I find it odd that there is a whole Church that names itself for a man. I see a lot of threads about Protestants where Lutherans refer to or ask others to read his writings. Just curious as to what Lutherans have to say about this.

You do know that Martin Luther was an Ordained Catholic priest at one time? Those who claim to Lutheranism follow the teachings of Luther the man who interpreted and translated the bible into German at the same time renaming 7 of the canonized bible books as non-inspired of God.

He is significant because Martin Luther was proposing his way of reforming the abuses in the Catholic Church by rejecting some of the Apostolic teachings and Peter’s authority in his apostolic successors in the Popes and magisterium.

While the great Catholic Saints such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure to name a few reformed the Catholic Church in obedience to the Gospel, by living the gospel by example in obedience to the revealed teachings of Jesus Christ, living a chaste life, and living the apostolic biblical faith of poverty. This saintly house cleaning may have taken longer than Martin Luther’s reformation which rejected apostolic teachings and bible books and separated the brethren, yet these Catholic saintly reformed disciplines remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and called sinners to repentance instead of self-excommunication from the body of Christ.

 

[antihippy79]

You do know that Martin Luther was an Ordained Catholic priest at one time? Those who claim to Lutheranism follow the teachings of Luther the man who interpreted and translated the bible into German at the same time renaming 7 of the canonized bible books as non-inspired of God.

He is significant because Martin Luther was proposing his way of reforming the abuses in the Catholic Church by rejecting some of the Apostolic teachings and Peter’s authority in his apostolic successors in the Popes and magisterium.

While the great Catholic Saints such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure to name a few reformed the Catholic Church in obedience to the Gospel, by living the gospel by example in obedience to the revealed teachings of Jesus Christ, living a chaste life, and living the apostolic biblical faith of poverty. This saintly house cleaning may have taken longer than Martin Luther’s reformation which rejected apostolic teachings and bible books and separated the brethren, yet these Catholic saintly reformed disciplines remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and called sinners to repentance instead of self-excommunication from the body of Christ.

It is my understanding that when Luther translated the bible, he did not remove the DC books. I also know Luther was a priest but these are not my questions.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

It is my understanding that when Luther translated the bible, he did not remove the DC books. I also know Luther was a priest but these are not my questions.

I agree he did not remove them, Martin Luther renamed them as “apocryphal” not inspired of God" over 1300 years later when these books were already canonized in Christianity as inspired of God, making himself the authority over all christendom to do such a thing. The King James version followed Martin Luther and removed the books from the bible.

Luther being an ex-Catholic priest, took with some Catholic Teachings such as Mary perpetual virgin, Holy Mother of God etc…, The Original Lutheranism can mirror Catholicism in many ways on the surface which can be misleading a Lutheran Church as a different rite from the latin rite in Catholicism., justifying Martin Luther’s reformation in Catholicism. If this were true, your question would serve no credence to a Lutheran Church, because Lutherans view their Church as “catholic” and “apostolic”, with a few sacraments.

I introduce this because I know of others visiting abroad who mistaken a Lutheran Church for a Catholic Church.

Peace be with you

 

[bluelake]

It is my understanding that when Luther translated the bible, he did not remove the DC books. I also know Luther was a priest but these are not my questions.

It’s good idea to study about any great scholar from the past. It’s all
about learning what occured in the early church.
How else can we grow in the Lord.

God bless,
bluelake

 

[WCH]

I mean this with no disrespect as I honestly do not understand why a person should really care what Luther said or wrote.

Can you say “the Reformation?”

Why is he considered such a significant man as to warrant the naming of an entire Church for him.I find it odd that there is a whole Church that names itself for a man.

The RCC names entire churches after “Saints.” But that probably doesn’t bother you, right?

I see a lot of threads about Protestants where Lutherans refer to or ask others to read his writings.

I see a lot of threads where RCs refer to, and ask others to read RC writings. But that probably doesn’t bother you either, right?

Can you say, “bias?”

 

[TimothyH]

It’s good idea to study about any great scholar from the past. It’s all
about learning what occured in the early church.
How else can we grow in the Lord.

God bless,
bluelake

Luther may have produced some scholarly work but he is directly responsible for millions, perhapse billions of people loosing access to the sacraments as dispensed by God’s instrument of slavation on earth, the Holy Catholic Church. Those who have been deprived of the sacraments over the course of the last five centuries, particularly the sacraments of baptism, pennance and the Eucharist, have had their salvation placed at grave risk as a direct result of the actions and writings of Martin Luther.

The widespread acceptance and use of contraception by mainstream society started when when the Protestant Churches condoned contraception in the 1930’s. The resultant culture of recreational sex has created a demand for abortion which has led to the slaughter of 1.5 million children in the US every year. Now even the Methodist and LCMS Churches teach their members that butchering infants can sometimes be justified. Martin Luther is the progenitor of that. May God have mercy on him and on us all.

Heavy Metal worship, coffee bars, Churches which are nothing more than giant self help groups, Jesus without religion, Churches with million dollar sound systems and not a single cross in sight… Bah! I study non-Catholic writings of any kind only insofar as it helps me to understand how to protect my family and myself from being pulled away from the Church which Jesus Christ established for the salvation of my family’s souls.

-Tim-

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

Can you say “the Reformation?”

The RCC names entire churches after “Saints.” But that probably doesn’t bother you, right?

I see a lot of threads where RCs refer to, and ask others to read RC writings. But that probably doesn’t bother you either, right?

Can you say, “bias?”

I can’t say I didn’t try and warn antihippy 79? Your points are valid and justified, but debatable.

For example, The RCC church does consecrates some church’s to reknowned biblical and living Saints in glory, which is different from naming a new religious doctrine after a man and following him. Again this sounds like Catholicism because we have different priestly communities who follow different disciplines taught and introduced by Saints. The difference are revealed between what is Catholic disciplines compared to Luther’s new interpretation to his new doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

In summary the Catholic disciplines are not binding on all the faithful, while Lutheranism is binding on all who follow his interpretations and teachings to his sola doctrines.

 

[Black_Knight]

The Perpetual Virginity of Mary:

** Martin Luther:** “ It is an article of faith that Mary is Mother of the Lord and still a virgin… Christ, we believe, came forth from a womb left perfectly intact.” ( Works of Luther, Vol. 11, pages 319-320; Vol. 6, page 510.)

Mother of God

Martin Luther: “In this work whereby she was made the Mother of God, so many and such good things were given her that no one can grasp them… Not only was Mary the mother of Him who is born [in Bethlehem], but of Him who, before the world, was eternally born of the Father, from a Mother in time and at the same time man and God.” (The Works of Luther, English translation by Pelikan, Concordia, St. Louis, Vol. 7, page 572)

 

[franny50]

I think Martin Luthers’ writings are very important for any Christian to read.He was a Pious, just man who exposed the abuses of the catholic church,He also saw correctly how the bible is the only authority Christians need to follow and not a fallible pope.

**And To Timothy H:**Please do your research before you erroneously make statements about another denomination.The Lutherans consider both Baptism and The Eucharist as sacraments.And in many churches,confession is available.I think the Lutheran church has many good things to offer people.A beautiful liturgy which is very similar to that in the catholic church,and a belief that we are saved by faith alone.

 

[Stepson]

Luther may have produced some scholarly work but he is directly responsible for millions, perhapse billions of people loosing access to the sacraments as dispensed by God’s instrument of slavation on earth, the Holy Catholic Church. Those who have been deprived of the sacraments over the course of the last five centuries, particularly the sacraments of baptism, pennance and the Eucharist, have had their salvation placed at grave risk as a direct result of the actions and writings of Martin Luther.

The widespread acceptance and use of contraception by mainstream society started when when the Protestant Churches condoned contraception in the 1930’s. The resultant culture of recreational sex has created a demand for abortion which has led to the slaughter of 1.5 million children in the US every year. Now even the Methodist and LCMS Churches teach their members that butchering infants can sometimes be justified. Martin Luther is the progenitor of that. May God have mercy on him and on us all.

Heavy Metal worship, coffee bars, Churches which are nothing more than giant self help groups, Jesus without religion, Churches with million dollar sound systems and not a single cross in sight… Bah! I study non-Catholic writings of any kind only insofar as it helps me to understand how to protect my family and myself from being pulled away from the Church which Jesus Christ established for the salvation of my family’s souls.

-Tim-

With love and frustration, I post this. I have heard this before. Martin Luther did this and Martin Luther that… As a Lutheran I embrace my Catholic heritage and I am constantly striving to learn more and understand more. I would love nothing more then to put aside our differences and get back together. Only God could show us the way. But this is a reoccurring theme. Where the poster from a Catholic background talks about Martin Luther as if he came out of no where and caused a split for no reason. Could I please hear about the actions of Pope Leo X and Tetzel and the role they played as well? I have always said that Martin Luther was a man. And a man has faults but he was a product of his environment. Lets look at the whole picture and not just one side of it.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

I think Martin Luthers’ writings are very important for any Christian to read.He was a Pius just man who exposed the abuses of the catholic church,He also saw correctly how the bible is the only authority Christians need to follow and not a fallible pope.

So when Martin Luther introduced his man made doctrine of Sola Scriptura, does that make him an “infallible pope”?

How does Martin Luthers’s new Sola scriptura doctrine fit in with first 400 years of Christianity just after the resurrection of Jesus, who did not have any “Sola Scriptura” in existence to have faith in? Martin Luther agreed with all Canonized Catholic Saints that the Church was in need of reforming, Martin Luther made himself an infallible pope while the great Catholic reformers took to vows of obedience, poverty and chastity with Love of neighbor, not resist your neighbor, as Luther was known for.

 

[cooterhein]

I mean this with no disrespect as I honestly do not understand why a person should really care what Luther said or wrote.

Merit, historical significance.

Why is he considered such a significant man as to warrant the naming of an entire Church for him.

The naming of a church/set of doctrines after him was not his decision. He explicitly stated that he didn’t want a church named after him. That it was named for him had more to do with the Catholic preference for his teachings to be named in the way that heretics’ names are normally affixed to heresy- Arianism was named for Arius, Montanism was named for Montanus, Pelagianism for Pelagius. The Catholic contemporaries of Luther wanted to call his teaching and his church “Lutheran” after that same style.

Luther preferred the term “Evangelical,” but that didn’t catch on at the time. The term has returned, although it isn’t quite synonymous with the Lutheran mainline denomination…although it is at the beginning and the center of Evangelicalism. It wound up encompassing more than that, though.

I find it odd that there is a whole Church that names itself for a man.

You probably believe he was a heretic, and if that is so, this would be the normal way of doing things as compared with other heretics and their heresies.

Setting aside the statements of the current pope on the distinction between heretics that actively separate themselves from the CC and those who grow up in such an “ecclesial community” centuries later, this was what Catholics wanted to call Luther’s church while he was alive. And if you come into possession of the same information that informed their preference, I don’t think you’ll find reason to disagree with them.

I see a lot of threads about Protestants where Lutherans refer to or ask others to read his writings. Just curious as to what Lutherans have to say about this.

I am too. I expect a couple more Lutherans to comment, and I don’t think they’ll say much that’s different from this. I’ll check back and see if they do, though.

I ask that my name be left silent and people not call themselves Lutheran, but rather Christians. Who is Luther? The doctrine is not mine. I have been crucified for no one. St. Paul in 1 Cor. 3:4-5 would not suffer that the Christians should call themselves of Paul or of Peter, but Christian. How should I, a poor stinking bag of worms, become so that the children of Christ are named with my unholy name? It should not be dear friends. Let us extinguish all factious names and be called Christians whose doctrine we have. The pope’s men rightly have a factious name because they are not satisfied with the doctrine and name of Christ and want to be with the pope, who is their master. I have not been and will not be a master. Along with the church I have the one general teaching of Christ who alone is our master. Matt. 23:8.

-Admonition Against Insurrection. Luther.

 

[guanophore]

I think Martin Luthers’ writings are very important for any Christian to read.He was a Pious, just man who exposed the abuses of the catholic church,He also saw correctly how the bible is the only authority Christians need to follow and not a fallible pope.

The OP should read Luther if for no other reason than to be able to refute false statements such as franny’s here. Reading Luther will most immediately reveal that he was neither pious, nor just.

If one studies the Reformation, it will be clear that abuses by Catholic clergy needed no “exposing” as they were out there for all to see and despise.

**And To Timothy H:**Please do your research before you erroneously make statements about another denomination.The Lutherans consider both Baptism and The Eucharist as sacraments.And in many churches,confession is available.I think the Lutheran church has many good things to offer people.A beautiful liturgy which is very similar to that in the catholic church,and a belief that we are saved by faith alone.

I think I have to go with franny on this one. Luther did believe in sacraments, even as he was invalidating his own.

Also, Lutherans do not “follow Luther” as the OP indicated. In fact, modern Lutherans repudiate many things that he believed and wrote. Today Lutherans follow the Augsburg confessions, which have been sanitized of Luther’s impious and unjust comments.

 

[loneviking]

Why? Well…

If you’re going to hang around this sub-forum, you are going to bump into quite a few of us. It might help you to understand that we aren’t much like the Evangelicals and Calvinists that you will also be bumping into.

It might help you to understand the issues of the Reformation, and the doctrines of the Catholic church. Especially helpful would be a reading of the Book of Concord, and especially the Small Cald articles that were a Lutheran response to Catholic doctrinal criticisms.

And if you ever attend a Lutheran church, you might understand why the liturgy and worship are very close to the RCC. You might then understand why we Lutherans often feel closer to our Catholic siblings in Christ than to other Evangelicals.

 

[marbles_the_cat]

Personally, I think it is a good idea, if you need to know what he really wrote. For history’s sake, the record should be kept. What he really wrote is different than what I remember being told many years ago – hence, the need. His writings are free (electronically) if you ever need to know!

And to be homest, I needed to know to be sure about the catholic church… not a necessity for all, but it helped me to learn about that time in history.

 

[pinay]

Why?

It is quite an important part of Catholic history.

If you go to a Roman Catholic School, you get to study Martin Luther and his writings. I learned of Luther’s writings in 3rd year of high school religious education class.

You don’t have to care, of course, but, my advice is for you to study it. It really gives you a better appreciation of the Catholic Church and the way she rose above the challenges from within as well as without.

 

[JonNC]

I mean this with no disrespect as I honestly do not understand why a person should really care what Luther said or wrote. Why is he considered such a significant man as to warrant the naming of an entire Church for him. I find it odd that there is a whole Church that names itself for a man. I see a lot of threads about Protestants where Lutherans refer to or ask others to read his writings. Just curious as to what Lutherans have to say about this.

For you as a Catholic; if for no other reason than for an understanding of the roots of the Catholic counter-reformation and the Council of Trent.

Jon

 

[Bluegoat]

Because the Pope says he is an important theologian for Catholics. To understand the Reformation. To understand history since the Reformation. To understand the Catholic response to the Reformation. To be educated.

 

[workingman]

If for no other reason than to read and learn what Lutherans believe and why it happened from Luthers perspective. Church history is quite important. If it was not what would be the point of the ECF and all their writings. Early Church history and theology that we go to.