Many events were set in motion by Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses on October 31st, 1517, but ironically, not the very thing he intended. The 95 Theses were meant for theological debate, a debate that never occurred. Any expectation of a lively academic disputation was consumed by a firestorm that reached far beyond Wittenberg and Germany to the pope himself.
The burning of the bull was not something Luther did lightly, or with great pomp necessarily. He later told his friend and superior Johann von Staupitz that he did this while “trembling and praying.”
Through the Gospel our Lord Jesus Christ works faith in the hearts of men and causes them to be saved. This Luther realized and thus advocated for the tireless and ceaseless bringing of the Gospel to the people.
Located on the banks of the Elbe River, Hartenfels is not only an impressive Renaissance castle on the outside, but inside contains a jewel of the Reformation: the first newly constructed Lutheran church in the world!
As Western Christians celebrate the church festival of St. Michael and All Angels (also known as Michaelmas) during this season, it is fitting to explore the topics of interest regarding angels that occupied the thoughts of the Reformers—namely, their existence and how they intervene on God’s behalf in the lives of Christians—and examine what the Church actually confesses concerning these creatures as taught from Holy Scripture.
While The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod holds Martin Luther in high esteem for his bold proclamation and clear articulation of the teachings of Scripture, it deeply regrets, deplores, and repudiates statements made by Luther which express a negative and hostile attitude toward the Jews.
Learning from the wisdom of Luther, what can we draw in our own care for the dying? That we should be present as we are able and we should encourage them with the assurance that we are praying for them. All the more, we should point them to the promises of Jesus.
This timeline confirms what we know by experience: change will take place. But in changing times God’s Word reminds us that He is always faithful to His people. With hearty confidence and trust we can say with King David, “My times are in Your hands” (Psalm 31:15).
Over the course of his life, Luther wrote hymns on all six chief parts of the catechism. He did not specifically compose them at one time as a set, and in fact most of these predate the publication of the Small Catechism in 1529, but it is natural that similar themes would be found in both his hymnody and his writings. In some cases Luther modified existing hymns, while others were completely new compositions.
Luther says, “there ought to be only two [who fight]: the one is named Christian, the other, Emperor Charles” Christians may indeed serve in the offices of soldier or ruler, but then they would find their duties in the civil realm.
In 1453, Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the Muslim Ottoman Turks. This marked a decisive end for the eastern Christian empire. But the Turks also pressed westward into Europe, conquering Greece and the Baltics.
Although Cranach was not an ordained pastor, he was most certainly a theologian, using his skills with paint and brush to visually proclaim the mercy of Christ.
The contributions of Nicolaus Decius to Lutheran hymnody, although few, actually predate the first published hymns of Martin Luther by one year.
Reformation A-Z is a booklet of activities that will help educators teach specific parts of the Reformation in the classroom, or help families engage in Reformation learning at home!
Get acquainted with the Wittenberg and Europe that Luther experienced! Learn about Wittenberg’s important landmarks and the geography of Luther’s time, and discover how they might have affected the Reformation.