Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Luther was born in Eisleben in Saxony, Germany of a peasant family. He had a strict upbringing and entered the University of Erfurt where he greatly distinguished himself in study.
He did not seem to be aware of the role that God had planned for him, a role that would reveal Christ to Europe and shake the Roman church to it's foundations.
A series of events affected Luther. A friend died in a brawl, Luther himself nearly died after accidentally injuring himself with a rapier. Then he feared for his life during a thunderstorm so much that he promised God that if he survived then he would become a monk. Which he did!
Luther entered an Augustinian monastery. He wanted peace with God and he had realized that the world could not give it to him. As a monk he did his utmost to earn this peace with God. He was perhaps the most sincere, conscientious monk who ever tried in genuine earnestness to merit salvation by human effort. He even became proud of his own humility.
Luther struggled with the phrase 'the righteousness of God' (Romans 1:17). He could not understand how he could ever achieve this level of holiness. He did not understand that the gospel is the saving power of God to everyone who believes in God because it reveals the righteousness of God, which is Christ. As the punishment due to the believing sinner is borne by Christ so the righteousness of Christ in the believer makes him acceptable to God. The scripture that the Holy Spirit used to bring life to Luther was 'The just shall live by faith' and this scripture became the fundamental truth of the Reformation.
Luther entered the Roman priesthood and took a post as professor of Theology at Wittenberg University.
In 1510 Luther went to Rome for four weeks on a mission for the Augustinian monastery. This was a turning point for Luther. As he approached the 'eternal' city he had proclaimed 'Hail holy Rome'. Four weeks later he proclaimed 'If there is a hell, Rome is built over it'.
Soon Luther was involved in a conflict with the church. St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome was to be rebuilt. The expense was to be met by contributions and special indulgences were to be sold. Luther preached vehemently against the sale of indulgences. He wrote his now famous 95 Theses, an attack against indulgences, and nailed them to the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg at noon on the 31st October 1517. Thus the Reformation had begun.
Copies of the document were distributed all over Europe and the rift between the Pope and this 'child of the devil' widened and Luther was excommunicated. A papal bull was issued to burn all of his writings. Instead, Luther burnt the papal bull!
Luther was summoned by the Emperor Charles V to the city of Worms to appear before an inquisition. He was given a safe conduct (remember what happened to John Huss). There were 206 people of rank, including the emperor, against Martin Luther. Luther held firm in his faith and was allowed to leave the city of Worms. Shortly after that he was declared an outlaw to be captured dead or alive. Anyone who assisted him at all would be charged with high treason against the emperor.
On his journey back to Wittenberg, Luther was captured by a group of horsemen and taken to castle Wartburg. However these were friends who kept him concealed for almost a year. In this time Luther started the work of translating the scriptures into German. Luther was ideally qualified for this work. He had studied Hebrew and Greek for many years and was gifted in the use of the German language. The Greek New Testament translation by Erasmus was valuable to him. By 1522 the New Testament was openly on sale. By 1534 the Old Testament was also available. His main work was done. What Luther had started could not be stopped and the rest of Europe, England and Scotland were to catch the fire that he had kindled.
Luther married in 1525 and, until his death in 1546, he wrote prodigiously. His best known books are his Large and Small Catechisms. His greatest book was, arguably, The Bondage of the Will.
He was buried in the castle church at Wittenberg. The following summer Charles V stood at the grave. When asked if the bones of the arch-heretic should be dug up and burnt, he replied 'I make war against the living, not upon the dead. Let this man rest until the day of resurrection and of judgement'.