Posted on 06/30/2017 4:43:54 PM PDT by 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).
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You are an attacker of the called of Yehova.
Michael Rood has never called himself a “Rabbi,” and has never failed to condemn all who would be called “Rabbi.”
That is in fact the basis of much of the hatred directed toward that spirit filled servant of Yehova.
Con man you would be, if anyone were foolish enough to hear you.
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Then bilge sludge you are!
Apt description of one who leads Yeshua’s sheep to accept the inherited lies that you seem to love.
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Here’s a thought...why don’t you stop attacking Yehova’s called servant, Michael Rood, and discontinue making the absurd false accusations that you make toward him!
You will have to answer those foolish words when you stand at the Great White Throne. Cut your losses!
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You certainly seem to be taking this personally.
Okay, I’m done.
Despite repeatedly and unequivocally stating I am NOT here to defend Rome, but rather shine the light on Bible-only duplicity, all of my opponents insist on trying to drag me into defending Rome and/or restating the rationalizations and outright fairytales for their doctrines instead of making credible arguments.
Any problems the Roman Catholic Church may have are utterly irrelevant to the question of “Bible-only” theological legitimacy.
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I think I agree with you.
What specifically are you talking about?
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I do so enjoy your posts! Your remind me of an NFL referee ...
Just saying.
Must mean quite a lot to you to get so angry.
I’m sure you can understand why other people get so angry when their faith is demeaned too now.
But as long as you don’t violate the rules of the forum, it’s not like I really care to do anything about it other than make my observations.
“Then bilge sludge you are! Apt description of one who leads Yeshua’s sheep to accept the inherited lies that you seem to love.”
Golly, you seem to be in violation of Religion Forum guidelines...
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Sure e-s!
“Michael Rood has never called himself a “Rabbi
He just dresses like a #FakeRabbi
Stop the attacks.
Stay on track with the issues instead of continuing with the personal attacks.
Familiarize yourself with the guidelines for posting on the religion forum.
You were asked to do that 3 days ago, but your posts indicate that you did not do that.
Either do it and conform to the guidelines or take some time off from the Religion Forum.
Especially the sections about using the accusation of lying and even the mention of Chick.
Stop trying to be a moderator.
If you believe the guidelines for posting on the Religion Forum have been violated send me a FR mail, private message.
So be it; I am considerably more aware now.
I will no longer accuse the man of lying.
I am still upset about the personal attacks on my character, however.
And I will also not mention *cough*.
I admit to embarrassment; I did not read very thoroughly if I missed those two parts.
Yes, yes, and I should report instead of break rules to fight back when personally attacked.
Passions have been inflamed this week on my end it seems.
*Sigh*
Read carefully the information on open threads at my profile page.
If your feelings get hurt easily it’s best to only read caucus threads in the RF or stick to the news forum.
This back and forth between posters in a personal manner is drawing the thread away from the issues.
This post is for everyone, so don’t feel a compulsion to reply to it.
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He dresses exactly like every believing Hebrew man dressed at the time Yeshua walked the Earth.
It is conducive to understanding of the issues regarding events recorded in the Gospels.
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