Martin Luther died at 3:00 AM on February 18, 1546. Contrary to the expectations of Luther and many of his colleagues, he did not die in Wittenberg, the location of many of his greatest accomplishments.
At the end of the Holy Communion, the Church prays, “we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another…”
Among his many contributions to the church, Luther also transformed and ennobled the German language through his translation of the Bible.
The Babylonian Captivity of the Church appeared in print less than a week before the papal bull against Luther reached Wittenberg in October, 1520. Both works were being prepared at the same time: while Rome was working to prosecute Luther’s heresy trail, Luther was putting the Roman sacramental system on trial.
The Reformation was not only about asserting what is true, but also rejecting that which is false. St. Paul’s passionate epistle to the Galatians is born out of his assertion of the Gospel and his defiance of false teaching.
Theology will always lead to prayer. We listen to God and then echo His words back to Him in prayer. If you want to know what someone believes, listen to the way that they pray.
Martin Luther once said: “The Epistle to the Galatians is my epistle, to which I have wedded myself. It is my Catherine Von Bora.”