4 Books That Made a Priest Leave the Church

CCC Discover ^ | May 24, 2017 | Nicholas Davis

[Gamecock]

The year 2017 is the year of Martin Luther—or at least it should be. Nearly 500 years ago on October 31, 1517, Luther nailed (or “mailed,” for some historians debate this point) his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg Castle Church.

Even so, Luther didn’t become a full-fledged protestor of the church in that single moment. It took him about eight years (1513-1521) to challenge and hammer out a more robust understanding of the gospel.

Have you ever wondered what Martin Luther was reading during this crucial time in his life? Maybe I’m just a nerd, but I thought at least someone else might be interested in what Luther was reading during his slow, but steady, transition out of the medieval church and into the world of reformation.

Remember, Luther’s goal wasn’t to invent or start an entirely new church. His goal was to reform the church and call her to repentance and faith in the abiding Word of God.

Here are four books Martin Luther read that made him question everything:

1. The Psalms Luther spent time studying and lecturing through the Psalms in the Bible. He began to realize that the Bible teaches we are not generally sinful, we are totally sinful. Here, Luther had the beginnings of what theologians later would refer to as “total depravity,” meaning that we are sinful in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

2. Romans After that, Luther lectured through Paul’s letter to the Romans. He came across Romans 1:17, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” The last part of this verse is a direct quotation from Habakkuk 2:4.

Luther began to see something that he never saw before. He began to see the doctrine of imputation—that we are declared right before God not by our own righteousness, but by the righteousness of another. He began to understand that the righteousness of God that was such a terror to him as a priest (because it told him that he was unholy and unworthy), was actually the righteousness from God that told him he was holy and worthy. God gives this right standing by faith alone. It is a righteousness that is received as a gift and not earned.

3. Galatians It wasn’t until Luther started lecturing through Galatians that he began to realize that faith does not justify us before God. Faith is merely an instrument that God uses. Faith is a tool by which we embrace Jesus Christ as he is offered to us in the gospel.

Faith is, as John Murry once said, “extrospective.” It looks outward—not inward—to embrace the God who gives himself. In other words, faith is only an empty hand. It justifies because it grabs hold of the Jesus who justifies (Rom. 3:26).

4. Hebrews The last book that turned a medieval priest into a true Reformer was the letter to the Hebrews. Luther began to embrace an entirely different understanding of how the Old and New Testaments relate to one another. He realized that the law is not simply the Old Testament and the gospel is the New Testament, but that the gospel of God can be seen as preached throughout both Old and New Testaments.

The same Jesus of the same gospel was offered freely to both Jew and Gentile alike, throughout the whole Bible. Sure, there was a greater and fuller proclamation of that message, such that it went out to the whole world instead of only Israel and their close neighbors—but the gospel was preached nonetheless!

In short, reading and studying the Bible is what ultimately made Martin Luther “protest” the medieval church. Luther was convinced that the Bible was worth listening to. So this year we celebrate the anniversary of a “recovery of the bright light of the gospel.” To God alone be all the glory (Soli Deo Gloria).

[Iscool]

And who made Luther smarter and more accurate than the persons Christ conferred authority on some 1,400 years prior?

By reading and believing those 4 books and more, Luther found that Jesus Christ didn't confer authority on anyone 1400 years prior, or ever...

Is Joseph Smith just as accurate? How about Henry8th? How about all the people who broke away from Luther and Henry in disagreement to start their own churchs?

Luther did not start the non, anti-Catholic religion...Luther was a late-comer...

[Iscool]

It is popes like Francis that demonstrate the promise of authenticity and prevailing though the gates of hell assault.

That's not a very accurate observation...Francis is turning the Catholic Church and the Church is following him...Of course there are a few dissenters but the marjority are with Frank...

'The gates of hell, here we come'...

[rwa265]

When I hear of ELCA, I think of Jacob Preus and his stalwart defense of orthodoxy in the LCMS.

[Iscool]

It was only Catholicism until then. In fact, Luther had been educated as a Catholic.

Really??? Then who were the groups that the Catholic relgion murdered and tortured in the prior centuries for refusing to give up their religions for Catholicism???

[Sontagged]

Thanks, and God bless and keep you.

[ravenwolf]

That is the wrong answer on its very face and the near opposite of anything remotely associated with Jesus.

---

I agree, the only thing that has me puzzled is when did it start?

We can see by reading the Douay Rh-ems that they did not get their doctrine from their Bible.

[Bellflower]

You believe, because of your RC indoctrination, Christ bestowed individual, special favor on Peter. Peter's name denotes that he is a stone. He was actually already being called Peter. The authority that Christ gave Peter, as a living stone, He gave to all saints, who are also living stones, which build up His Church. Jesus Christ is God. God is The Rock of our salvation. There is only one Rock, God, but many living stones.

----------------------------------------------------------

Jesus reveals to Peter the authority to bind and and lose:

Mathew 16:19

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

----------------------------------------------------------

After He told Peter, He reveals that this authority is to all in the Church. He even told them in the same lecture previously that the greatest in the Church shall be as one with the faith of a little child. In verse 18:19 He says "Again I say unto you...", showing that this concept He has spoken about before:

Mathew 18:18

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

18:19

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

[boatbums]

If Luther thought indulgences as practiced in his lifetime were Church teaching, he did not understand the teaching. As practiced, they were against the teaching.

Luther "thought"??? Correction... Luther KNEW that what was practiced was permitted within the teachings of the Catholic church and approved by the Pope, who took full advantage of the massive amount of money pouring into the Vatican to fund St. Peter's Basilica. Will you also accuse Pope Leo X of permitting things that were against church teaching?

Pope Leo X:

He is probably best remembered for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica, which practice was challenged by Martin Luther's 95 Theses. He seems not to have taken seriously the array of demands for church reform that would quickly grow into the Protestant Reformation. His Papal Bull of 1520, Exsurge Domine, simply condemned Luther on a number of areas and made ongoing engagement difficult. He did, however, grant establishment to the Oratory of Divine Love. He borrowed and spent heavily. A significant patron of the arts, upon election Leo is alleged to have said, "Since God has given us the papacy, let us enjoy it". Under his reign, progress was made on the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica and artists such as Raphael decorated the Vatican rooms. Leo also reorganised the Roman University, and promoted the study of literature, poetry and antiquities. He died in 1521 and is buried in Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome. He was the last pope not to have been in priestly orders at the time of his election to the papacy. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_X)

Purgatory has Scriptural and Traditional and logical bases.[sic]

Actually, Purgatory has only a semblance of a Scriptural basis - one that is NOT explicitly found in any of the supposed passages trotted forth to support it and actually DISPROVED by actual ones. It also is not logical and the only "traditional" support is from later musings of those who failed to understand the truth of the gospel of grace.

[MHGinTN]

Amen!

[af_vet_1981]

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

...

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

...

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Deuteronomy, Catholic chapter six, Protestant verses four to nine,

Leviticus, Catholic chapter nineteen, Protestant verses seventeen to eighteen,

Luke, Catholic chapter ten, Protestant verses twenty five to thirty seven,

as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “The same Jesus of the same gospel was offered freely to both Jew and Gentile alike, throughout the whole Bible” <<

This statement is essentially gibberish.

“Jews” are followers of Phariseeism. Jews didn’t exist until the second temple period. Did you mean Israelites, or Hebrews?

By Biblical definition, “Israel” is the believing remnant of the descendants of Jacob, and those that sojourn with them. That term covers all who have believed, and will believe, until Yeshua gathers us at the Day of Trumpets. They are his Kehillah, or Assembly.
(often mistakenly called a “church.”)
.

[MHGinTN]

Mathew 7: Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you

John 6: 26 Jesus replied to them, “Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were completely satisfied. 27 Do not work for food that perishes but for food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal on him.”

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to perform God’s works?”

29 Jesus answered them, “This is God’s work: to believe in the one whom he has sent.”

[MHGinTN]

Revelation 7: 13 “Who are these people wearing white robes,” one of the elders asked me, “and where did they come from?”

14 I told him, “Sir, you know.”

Then he told me, “These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.

As a Catholic, do you think this passage means these LITERALLY washed in the blood of Jesus? ... Or is this a use of metaphor?

[af_vet_1981]

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great

...

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Luke, Catholic chapter six, Protestant verses forty six to forty nine,
John, Catholic chapter fourteen, Protestant verse twenty one,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[MHGinTN]

Did Jesus command Catholics to raise His mother to a demigoddess status, to claim she is a co-redemtrix? Did Jesus command Catholics to deal in indulgences and brown scapulae and bow to a nicolaitan priesthood? Mp<

Jesus gave TWO commandments. He also told us that we must be born again, that it is GIOD Who is in the born again, both to will and do og HIS good pleasure. When will you submit for HIM to dwell in you, sealing you to the Day of His coming for HIS Bride in the clouds?

[MHGinTN]

That did not come out too well on a cell phone keypad. Let's do it again on the desktop:

Did Jesus command Catholics to raise His mother to a demigoddess status, to claim she is a co-redemtrix? Did Jesus command Catholics to deal in indulgences and brown scapulae and bow to a nicolaitan priesthood?

Jesus gave TWO commandments. He also told us that we must be born again, that it is GOD Who is in the born again, both to will and do of HIS good pleasure. When will you submit for HIM to dwell in you, sealing you to the Day of His coming for HIS Bride in the clouds?

[af_vet_1981]

Jesus gave TWO commandments.

Which two commandments do you say Jesus gave ?

[MHGinTN]

‘On these two hang the all the Laws and the Prophets’ Is that enough of a hint for you?

[af_vet_1981]

On these two hang the all the Laws and the Prophets’ Is that enough of a hint for you?

Certainly, those two were properly referenced in my post from Deuteronomy and Leviticus respectively, and it is evident that the Law was given by Moses.

[af_vet_1981]

On these two hang the all the Laws and the Prophets’ Is that enough of a hint for you?

Certainly, those two were properly referenced in my post from Deuteronomy and Leviticus respectively, and it is evident that the Law was given by Moses.