Martin Luther

Who was Martin Luther?

Martin Luther OSA was a German monk, Catholic priest, professor of theology and seminal figure of a reform movement in 16th century Christianity, subsequently known as the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar, with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the Pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Emperor.

Luther taught that salvation and subsequently eternity in heaven is not earned by good deeds but is received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin and subsequently eternity in hell. His theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge from God and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with these, and all of Luther's wider teachings, are called Lutherans.

Famous Quotes:

• So our Lord God commonly gave riches to those gross asses to whom he vouchsafed nothing else.
• Justice is a temporary thing that must at last come to an end; but the conscience is eternal and will never die.
• If he have faith, the believer cannot be restrained. He betrays himself. He breaks out. He confesses and teaches this gospel to the people at the risk of life itself.
• Peace if possible, but truth at any rate.
• The God of this world is riches, pleasure and pride.
• Be a sinner and sin strongly, but more strongly have faith and rejoice in Christ.
• Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.
• Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.
• My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.
• The fewer the words, the better the prayer.