1. Identify the scriptural passages that Luther cites which argue for and against the use of force by Christians. See sections I and II.
Luther is unsettled by the use of force by those in power, specifically those that hold office in the church and princes writes a letter and The Treatise to Prince and Lord John, of Saxony. The beginning of The Treatise indicates Luther’s two arguments, for and against the use of force by Christians, supported by scriptural passages. His arguments display how secular law and use of force by Christians is God’s decision and act. Though, Luther, later on, explains that vengeance and use of force are God’s duty and not humans.
The following scriptural passage Luther cites to prove that secular law is an act
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One should love thy enemy, rather than hate. Don’t repay evil with evil. Vengeance and use of force are God’s responsibility and not humans.
2. Explain the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world, and why neither is sufficient without the other. See sections III, IV and V.
The kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world differentiate by two classes of people. You must first understand the differences in the classes of people, to understand each of the two kingdoms.
The kingdom of God belongs to those that are true Christians, true believers in Christ and are subject to Christ. They do not need to be ruled by the sword, because in being true believers, in their hearts they have the Holy Spirit which teaches them to only do good and not to harm anyone. With that being said, true Christians will suffer injustices done unto them rather than taking vengeance. In the scriptures, it is written that “My kingdom is not of the world, but whoever is of the truth hears my voice.” (John 18:36). Once understanding this, one can assimilate that the kingdom of God is not a place, rather it is what is in the heart of the person (the Christian), who had subjected themselves to
Luther defines free will as nonessential due to the fact that while God is in fact the divine ruler, He would love for us to succeed with his grace and knows we cannot do it on our own. If we were to look more in depth at the ‘God concealed, God revealed’ and applied it to Luther’s idea on free will, it may surprise us as to how much we rely on God when we feel like we have free
Luther’s On Christian Liberty expressed concepts that were appealing to peasants such as salvation being achieved by faith alone. However, the major concept that appealed to peasants the most was Luther’s principle that “a Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none” (Mckay 396). This quote from Luther was highly manipulated by the peasants and encouraged them to become released from serfdom, no matter the extremity. The peasants’ manipulated version of Lutheran principles caused them to start the revolts that would later be stopped by authorities.
Kittelson effectively composed the book and created the biography to be an interesting look into the life of Martin Luther. His successful usage of primary source documents and information compounded with his personal literary explanation of Luther’s journey toward reformation and peace with God. Kittelson’s book is not without humor either, he includes direct quotes and dialogue between Luther and Zwingli debating the Lord’s Supper. The insults and demonstrative behavior show Luther as he was, a reformer, who wished to convince others of the power of the gospel. This engaging study is both informative and engaging. Luther the Reformer is a good biography for anyone interested in Martin Luther’s life and interested in learning more about why his journey impacted not only the Roman church then, but the entirety of the Christian Church to this
In the letter to Leo X, Luther gave an account of his struggles with the Roman Catholic Church. He declared that he never personally attacked Leo. Luther addressed Leo as an equal and expressed his views in full. Luther pointed to Johannes Eck as the chief inciter of all the problems. Johannes Eck was a theologian and defender of Catholicism. Luther declared Eck as an enemy of the Catholic religion. Luther said he was forced to constantly defend himself against Eck's attacks on his beliefs. On the Freedom of a Christian is actually a summary of what Luther wished to study, but was not able to since he was always defending the Church. (Goebel, ed 156)
Looking at one of these Hymns called, “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word” by Luther himself, written somewhere in between 1541 and 1542. Here it is written in the very first verse that, “Lord, keep us steadfast in thy Word, and curb the pope’s and Turk’s vile sword, who seek to topple from the throne Jesus Christ, thy only son.” (Discovering, 275). In the first verse of this hymn Luther drops that gauntlet by saying that the Pope must be stopped and Luther then accuses the Roman church as wanting to overthrow God the Son,
Luther’s concept challenges all who followed to seek awareness of God’s relation between the Law and the Gospel. According to Luther’s doctrine of vocation each person lives life in two realms, the secular and the spiritual. Luther was one of the first theologians to inspire renewed interest in reconnecting faith and everyday life. He associated the greatest commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself” to our service and work carrying out Jesus’ example. Luther reminded us, we are working side by side with God, in all areas of our life; church, household, social, and common order of Christian love and in each area we are responsible to glorify God. Luther insisted Christianity is not a withdrawal from the world, but engaging in the world. Luther’s transition from vocation of the priesthood to including secular occupation brings all people to new accountabilities. In Luther 's doctrine of vocation in includes the concept of two kingdoms. In his words, “each person lives his life in two realms, the secular and the spiritual. The spiritual kingdom is ruled by God 's grace and His forgiveness of sins, while the secular realm is ruled by the sword.” In Luther’s teachings, the secular realm was divided into many offices, stations, and callings, each having significance towards serving your neighbor. Luther gives the example of a literal interpretation of the
Luther is uneasy when it comes to how the law affects human behavior. His view is that laws exist to restrict and control man, and we are free to act within the law, but genuine freedom exists when we naturally adapt our actions to the shape of the law: “To have the law on our side is the very nature of freedom from sin and the law...this freedom consists of taking pleasure simply in doing good, or in living uprightly, without being constrained to do so by the law.” (Luther pg. 29, 30) Kant passionately contradicts Luther’s claim: “The citizen cannot refuse to pay t...
In 1963, Martin Luther King wrote a response to clergymen who criticized his actions while he was stuck in the Birmingham city jail. This letter, titled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, was written on the side of a newspaper and secretly taken out of jail by King’s lawyer. The goal of this letter was to address and confront concerns that were brought up in the clergymen’s letter titled, “A Call for Unity”. In “A Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King asserts a strong emotional appeal on the clergymen who oppose his actions by placing guilt on them when he inserts Biblical references periodically throughout his letter.
Luther believed that the Christian Faith was being exploited. The leaders of the Roman church were abusing their monopoly over their Christian followers for their benefit. Luther wrote The Ninety-Five Theses in response to the sale of indulgences by the Pope. He wanted to make the people aware of how a true Christian should act and how the Pope was violating them: "The treasures of indulgences are nets, whereby they now fish for the riches of men." (Luther, The Nine-Five Thesis, p.5) He felt that giving to the poor and needy would make them far better off than if they bought pardons. The Romanists had set up barriers so that no one could condemn their actions and power. They thought that the temporal power had no jurisdiction over the spiritual power. Secondly, the only person who could interpret the Scriptures was the Pope. Therefore, he decided what was right and what was wron...
Martin Luther is an educated man and a pious one too; however, his recent attacks on the Catholic church are injurious. He has written a letter to the German princes in hopes of a rebellion or spiritual revolution, if you will, against the you, Your Holiness, and your church. He calls the ruling of the Pope destructive and his teachings false. This man, is a self-proclaimed heretic and he is trying to ally Christians to fight with him. Not only is he a joke, Your Holiness Leo x, but a danger to the power you hold and the word of the Lord.
During Luther’s early life he faced a severe inner crisis. When he sinned he looked for comfort in confession and followed the penance, the fasting, prayer and observances that the church directed him. But, he found no peace of mind and worried about his salvation. But reading St. Paul’s letters he came to believe that salvation came though faith in Christ. Faith is a free gift, he discovered, it cannot be earned. His studies led him to a conclusion that, “Christ was the only mediator between God and a man and that forgiveness of sin and salvation are given by god’s grace alone” (Martin Luther, 01). Historians agree that, “this approach to theology led to a clash between Luther and the Church officials, precipitating the dramatic events of Reformation”.
The Kingdom of God defined by the Israelites as a physical place here on earth. The Kingdom of God is also called the “Kingdom of Heaven.” It means God’s rule in the lives of His chosen people and His Creation. In the Old Testament, the people in God’s kingdom were the Israelites. In the New Testament and now, the people in God’s kingdom are those who believe in and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes again, then God’s kingdom will become visible to all people. The term “Kingdom” according to (Kingdom of God,2011) means the rank, quality, state, or attributes of a king; royal authority; sovereign power; rule; dominion; monarchy. It can also be used in the context of a divine kingdom, the term Kingdom appears 13 times in Matthews, 7 times in Luke and 2 times in John.
... without the need for good works and definitely not by paying money to the Catholic Church. In Luther’s view one only needs to believe in Christ and his works to be justified. Christ is just and his works are perfect and Christ is the object of our faith. As long as Christ is present in our lives and we put our faith in him and simple believe the promises that come with the gospel, God imputes righteousness to sinners, righteousness that we sinners do not deserve (Peters 2005).
Additionally, it is important to understand Luther’s distinction between the Law and the Gospel in order to further explore Luther’s understanding of human freedom. The Law is God’s commands; it allows humans to coexist, limits chaos and condemns sinfulness, though it is not God’s road...
Martin Luther is viewed as of Western history’s most significant figures in his fight for equality and civil rights.Initially, Luther, born in Germany spent his early years in relative anonymity where he was a monk and also a scholar. However, it is his contribution and scholarly work in 1517 that Luther is mostly renowned for. He wrote a document that was attacking the then Catholic Church’s corrupt practice. This practice was in the form of selling different indulgences to absolve sins that the church believed was a common attribute in the society (Ziegler and Bentley 55). His scholarly document was named the “95 Theses”. The document provided and discussed two central beliefs. One of the central