The Lutheran Doctrine
Martin Luther was a deeply religious person. His thoughts and ideas changed the religious world in countless ways. But what are the main aspects of his doctrine? Find out right here.
The central idea of Lutheranism is cantered around a verse from the Gospel according to John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life".
Martin Luther states the following ideas:
1. Human nature is sinful in her essence and therefore man cannot obtain God's mercy through good deeds only. He cannot be saved in this way. The Lutheran doctrine has at its base salvation through the belief in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The church - with its hundreds years old traditions- is not worthy of being an intermediary between man and God as it is written in the Bible:"And again, "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus". 1Timothy 2:5 Moreover, Luther stated that the Bible's authority is greater than that of the Church.
3. Each individual can have access to the presence of God. Each man can have a divine revelation according to the verse from the Bible Acts 2:17 "Now was absolutely fulfilled that promise of the Spirit which was given by the word of Joel: "In the last days will I pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and their sons and their daughters shall prophesy; and upon my servants and upon my handmaids will I pour out of my Spirit".
4. Even good deeds do not and cannot replace faith. "Good deeds do not make a man good, but a good man can make good deeds". It is extremely necessary for deeds to be understood as the result of salvation and not as a road to salvation. Luther tried to explain these concepts by offering an illustration: in a loving relationship each one attempts to demonstrate to the other the feeling he or she has towards that person. Beautiful words and gifts are the natural result of these affections.
5. The priest loses his position as a mediator between man and God. Instead, the priest should limit his attributions to studying and transmitting the Bible's message to the people, in their maternal language, in order for the whole world to be able to understand the sermon.
6. Religion must become a personal matter, a personal decision. The priest should not occupy a different social position in society because all are equal in front of God.
7. The spiritual life of a Christian is sustained by the work of the Holy Spirit. Penance is a very long and difficult process which has its beginning marked by the baptize in water of a man who reached a mature age and that was daily fed from the holy word of the Scripture. Then, at the decision of the church, a holy supper is organized. This is an event that requires the participation of every Christian.
8. The Bible is the sole source of information. Being baptized and holy supper are much more than ritual practices.
9. The holy supper is a commandment of the Lord Jesus as a sign of unity and brotherly love. The bred and wine are real presences of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
10. The key of salvation is faith. Salvation is not obtained through other means such as: icons, the cult of the saints, the cult of the relics and so on.
11. Holiness through faith is a process which takes a whole life and it is the work of the Holy Spirit as a result of the believer spending his years in obedience, humility and in control of his passions.
12. The switch into a body of laudation is the direct result of salvation through faith.
Martin Luther's ideas made him a lot of enemies, especially within the Catholic Church. He was accused of attacking and discrediting hundreds of years of traditions and in consequence was named a heretic. He eventually died in 1546 after a short period of physical pain caused by an illness he caught. However, his adventure turned out to shape history. His ideas were, in some aspects, ahead of their time which earned him the hate of his contemporaries and the admiration of future generations.
Martin Luther states the following ideas:
1. Human nature is sinful in her essence and therefore man cannot obtain God's mercy through good deeds only. He cannot be saved in this way. The Lutheran doctrine has at its base salvation through the belief in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The church - with its hundreds years old traditions- is not worthy of being an intermediary between man and God as it is written in the Bible:"And again, "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus". 1Timothy 2:5 Moreover, Luther stated that the Bible's authority is greater than that of the Church.
3. Each individual can have access to the presence of God. Each man can have a divine revelation according to the verse from the Bible Acts 2:17 "Now was absolutely fulfilled that promise of the Spirit which was given by the word of Joel: "In the last days will I pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and their sons and their daughters shall prophesy; and upon my servants and upon my handmaids will I pour out of my Spirit".
4. Even good deeds do not and cannot replace faith. "Good deeds do not make a man good, but a good man can make good deeds". It is extremely necessary for deeds to be understood as the result of salvation and not as a road to salvation. Luther tried to explain these concepts by offering an illustration: in a loving relationship each one attempts to demonstrate to the other the feeling he or she has towards that person. Beautiful words and gifts are the natural result of these affections.
5. The priest loses his position as a mediator between man and God. Instead, the priest should limit his attributions to studying and transmitting the Bible's message to the people, in their maternal language, in order for the whole world to be able to understand the sermon.
6. Religion must become a personal matter, a personal decision. The priest should not occupy a different social position in society because all are equal in front of God.
7. The spiritual life of a Christian is sustained by the work of the Holy Spirit. Penance is a very long and difficult process which has its beginning marked by the baptize in water of a man who reached a mature age and that was daily fed from the holy word of the Scripture. Then, at the decision of the church, a holy supper is organized. This is an event that requires the participation of every Christian.
8. The Bible is the sole source of information. Being baptized and holy supper are much more than ritual practices.
9. The holy supper is a commandment of the Lord Jesus as a sign of unity and brotherly love. The bred and wine are real presences of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
10. The key of salvation is faith. Salvation is not obtained through other means such as: icons, the cult of the saints, the cult of the relics and so on.
11. Holiness through faith is a process which takes a whole life and it is the work of the Holy Spirit as a result of the believer spending his years in obedience, humility and in control of his passions.
12. The switch into a body of laudation is the direct result of salvation through faith.
Martin Luther's ideas made him a lot of enemies, especially within the Catholic Church. He was accused of attacking and discrediting hundreds of years of traditions and in consequence was named a heretic. He eventually died in 1546 after a short period of physical pain caused by an illness he caught. However, his adventure turned out to shape history. His ideas were, in some aspects, ahead of their time which earned him the hate of his contemporaries and the admiration of future generations.
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