Author: Rev. Donavon Riley

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 25

Cajetan and Luther

by Rev. Donavon Riley

While friends, colleagues, and supporters of Martin Luther worked to secure him safe passage to Augsburg, and the freedom to move about the city once there, he was visited by representatives of Cardinal Cajetan. They encouraged Luther to repent of his teaching, then everything would be forgiven and forgotten. Luther was even asked if his motives were less than serious, and whether he intended to turn the meeting into a sporting event.

Cajetan, for his part, took Luther’s teaching deadly serious. He had read numerous published works by Luther, and had written lengthy responses to the pillars of Luther’s teaching. This was no small thing, especially for Rome, since the cardinal was widely considered to be one of the greatest minds of his generation. That Cajetan criticizing the young German professor meant Luther’s theology was a threat to the church that was not to be taken lightly. He attacked Luther’s positions on whether a Christian can build up merits to earn his way into heaven, whether one had to have true faith to be justified and receive grace, and whether the Pope had the authority to grant indulgences.

Cajetan had been charged by his superiors in Rome not to debate with Luther, but to secure a one word answer from the monk: “I recant.” That is, Luther was to repent of his teaching and return to the papal fold. Ironically, the meeting between Cajetan and Luther happened in the Fuggar house, who was the primary banking family in Europe who money had been a large part of the Indulgence Controversy.

When they finally met, Cajetan said, “First, repent of your errors and recant them. Second, promise never to teach them again. Finally, do not again do anything to upset the peace of the church.” Luther asked, “which errors?” Cajetan answered Luther specifically and this was the mistake in judgement that undid the meeting altogether. Cajetan had been ordered not to debate Luther, but it seems the greatest theologian of his generation could not resist taking Luther’s bait.

The two men went back and forth at each other from across the table, even though the exchange was calm and cordial. By the end of the day the discussion had settled on the authority of the Pope. They agreed to come back the next day to continue their discussion. Cajetan demanded Luther acknowledge that the Pope had the God-given authority to issue indulgences. Martin asked if he could have time to think and formulate a written answer. The cardinal said, “I will be pleased to hear what you have to say…”

The third time, then, that Luther appeared before Cajetan, written response in hand, he was also shadowed on his left and right hand by two of Elector Fredrick’s lawyers. Cajetan read Luther’s lengthy answer to the question of papal authority. He read it, then said, “Now, it’s time for you to recant.” And that’s when a full-blown debate erupted between them so violent that by the end, Cajetan threatened to have Luther dragged away in chains to Rome and that he would excommunicate anyone who had anything to do with Luther. Finally, Cajetan yelled at Luther, “Get out, and don’t appear before me again unless you are ready to recant.”

After he had left the house Luther rejoiced and laughed at his good fortune. He said to his friends, Spalatin and Cajetan, that he had shattered Cajetan’s confidence. He concluded saying, “I will not become a heretic by denying the understanding through which I have been made a Christian.”

Next week we will examine how Luther’s debate with Cajetan and other events in Augsburg served to put Luther in even greater danger.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 24

Christian parking sign

by Rev. Donavon Riley

One of the significant teachings that led to Luther being summoned to Augsburg (to defend his teachings against charges of heresy) was his take on Christian righteousness. Late medieval theologians taught that a Christian, a true Christian, is one who has faith and is becoming better. Faith was formed by the love of God, and was formed continuously, refined and improved, by acts of love.

For late medieval theologians, a Christian’s righteousness was a process, a progressive sanctification, that happened through God’s infusion of grace. This grace was poured into a Christian specifically through the sacrifice of the Mass, confession, and penance. Special “spiritual works” also contributed to a Christian’s progress in sanctification and his overall growth in righteousness. In this way, the Papacy made itself indispensable to a Christian’s salvation. Apart from the Church, there could be no proper dispensation of grace and therefore no improvement in righteousness or progress in sanctification.

This brought Luther into direct confrontation with not just local church authorities, but with the entire papal system. During his lectures on the Psalm and then Romans he’d begun to see that the biblical teaching and the papal teaching on righteousness were at odds. This was a total revolution for Luther that carried him further and further away from the religion of his fathers.

Luther taught that a Christian is righteous and a sinner at the same time. A Christian is righteous on account of Jesus’ work for him, not because of his work for God. Thus, those who are faithful are always beginning again, daily, to live in Christ through faith. And as for works, and spiritual works in particular, they contribute nothing to a Christian’s righteousness before God. Instead, because a Christian knows he is righteous on account of Christ he is freed from worry about whether his works for the neighbor are pleasing to God. For Luther, the truly faithful do not live always by loving God, but a Christian lives by God always loving him.

This eventually led to Luther’s critique of religious authorities, because if a Christian is simultaneously righteous and sinful, every day, all day, until the moment of death, then the Church (specifically, the papacy) has no special charge from God to dispense grace or guide a Christian in works that improved and bettered faith. Instead, all religious authorities, even the Pope, Luther concluded, are set in positions of authority by Christ Jesus, and therefore it is Christ, not any person, who is the actual authority in the Church.

This teaching resulted in Luther being summoned to Augsburg. He had not only contradicted the teaching of the theologians of the church, but he’d taught that the Pope wasn’t the final and ultimate church authority. Only Christ Jesus can make that claim. So, it’s little surprise then that Luther caused so much rage and anxiety amongst family, friends, colleagues, students, and especially his opponents.

Next week, we will examine Luther in Augsburg and his conversations with Cajetan.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 23

Frederick orders Luther to Augsburg

by Rev. Donavon Riley

As Luther began to prepare himself to travel to Rome, at which time he would appear before papal lawyers to be charged with heresy, a letter arrived in Wittenberg. Luther was informed that he would not be required to show up in Rome after all. Instead, he was instructed in the papal letter to appear before Cardinal Cajetan in Augsburg. Martin was to offer his confession to Cajetan, repent of his heretical teachings, and then be led to Rome in chains.

Fortunately for Luther, Frederick the Wise also received a similar letter from Rome. Frederick was unimpressed by the papacy’s demand that he turn over Luther or bring “everlasting shame” on himself. The elector also happened to be in Augsburg with Cajetan at the imperial diet when the letter reached him, along with everyone else of political power and influence in Germany.

What Luther didn’t know until much later is that Frederick and the other German politicians were stirred up about Rome’s endless fund-raising campaigns in their lands. At the diet, Frederick, on behalf of all the nobles gathered in Augsburg, read aloud their grievances and stated they would in no way compromise or bend to papal pressure until something was done to relieve the financial burden put upon the German people by Rome. This also meant, then, that Frederick was not in a mood to allow Luther to turn himself over to the papal authorities for any reason, especially since no one had yet proved the elector’s favorite theologian was guilty of an actual heresy.

However, to put on a show of faithfulness for the papacy, Frederick ordered Luther to appear in Augsburg at the same time that the elector was drawing up plans to rescue him from being dragged off to Rome for execution.

Luther, when he received the message that Frederick was ordering him to appear before Cajetan, was overcome by despair. Even though Frederick promised Luther would not be arrested upon appearing before the diet, this did little to reassure Luther that his life wasn’t soon to meet a grisly end. Luther knew from his history lessons at school what awaited him at the diet.

A century before, the reformer Jan Hus was promised safe passage to a diet at which he was to defend his teachings. What Hus failed to note though is that the Pope did not promise him safe passage home from the diet. When Hus left the diet he was immediately arrested and executed as a heretic. Luther had no hope that the outcome at Augsburg would be any different.

This weighed heavy on Luther as he made arrangements to travel to the diet. Thus, he prepared himself not so much to defend his teachings against the false accusations of Cajetan or papal theologians, but to go to his death.

Next week we will examine Luther before the diet at Augsburg.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota. He is also the online content manager for Higher Things.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 22

95 Theses against Indulgences

by Rev. Donavon Riley

As more people of power and influence called for action against Martin Luther, the more those in authority in Rome turned their attention toward Wittenberg. It was the Dominican Order who were the most excited about calling Luther to account for his teachings. John Tetzel, Luther’s primary opponent during the Indulgence Controversy, was a Dominican too, so the order’s prejudice against Luther had already been established.

That’s why, when the principal of the Dominican monasteries in Germany, Herman Rab, attended the order’s annual meeting in Rome one of his first actions was to award Tetzel a special doctor’s degree authorized by the Pope himself. Now, with this public honor, the Dominican Order had announced they stood firm behind Tetzel and what he’d taught during the Indulgence Controversy.

Rab also used his time in Rome to explain what was happening in Germany because of Luther’s teaching. Rab talked first to friends who served the Pope. In this way, he was put into contact with Sylvester Prierias, the papal watchdog for all doctrinal matters. When Rab presented Luther’s 95 Theses to Prierias, the latter agreed that the young monk was in error. More than that, because Prierias spoke for the Pope, that meant Luther’s teachings against indulgences was an attack on the Church and an assault on the will of God and therefore heresy.

After his conversation with Rab, Prierias set to work writing his “Dialogues.” These were published in June of 1518. The papal lawyers then used the dialogues as an outline as they drew up formal charges against Martin. The legal document was passed on to Cardinal Cajetan, the head of the Dominican Order and a papal lawyer appointed to serve at the upcoming Imperial Diet in Augsburg. Lastly, Luther received his copy of the documents on August 7.

When Luther read them he knew he had a problem. This wasn’t a pointed attack launched by Eck or Tetzel. This was a papal decree. The author had the Pope’s ear. Prierias’ judgments carried the weight of God’s authority. And, worst of all for Luther, he was being summoned to Rome, not for an academic debate, but to defend himself against charges of heresy.

The next day Martin wrote to his friend, Spalatin, who served at the court of Elector Frederick. In the letter Luther begged his friend to speak to Frederick, to urge the elector to do something to get the trial moved from Rome to Germany. The young professor knew that if something wasn’t done he’d be executed as soon as he stepped foot in Rome. Only Frederick could now save Luther from a horrible death.

Next week we will examine what happened next with the trial of Martin Luther, and his defense of his teachings against charges of heresy.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 21

Johan Tetzel
Tetzel, Karlstadt, and other theologians respond to Luther

by Rev. Donavon Riley

After his Heidelberg Theses, Luther, more than ever, was under scrutiny from friends and opponents. Colleagues, like Andreas Karlstadt who was a colleague of Luther’s, wrote his own theses arguing for the authority of Scripture in matters of faith over all human opinions, even the Early Church Fathers.

On the other hand, John Tetzel, Luther’s sworn enemy since the indulgence controversy, preached a sermon entitled: “Sermon on Indulgences and Grace,” which was a direct attack on Luther’s teaching about indulgences. When he received word about this Martin said that Tetzel’s sermon treated the Bible “like a sow pushes about a sack of grain.” But, for Luther’s adversaries Tetzel’s argument had traction they could use. Tetzel asserted that the Pope had complete and ultimate authority in all matters in heaven and on earth. That meant that anyone who challenged the Pope’s word was a heretic because the Pope’s decisions, since he was the vicar of Christ, were to be heard as God’s own word.

Eck also took aim at Luther again after Heidelberg. But unlike Tetzel, Eck was a theologian of the church and his criticism held substantially more weight for Luther as a consequence. Even though he decided to say nothing, and “swallow this dose of hell” as Martin put it, colleagues pushed him to write a response to Eck. But Luther said he would not do it. He felt it would not be of any help to Christians to witness such an angry and provocative debate between theologians happening in public.

If the controversy Luther had stirred up remained amongst theologians and academics, and stayed locked behind the closed doors of the monastery and academia, perhaps Luther would have become a footnote in church history. A charismatic, if not controversial figure, on the same level as John Wycliffe or Jan Hus. However, once politically powerful, influential men jumped into the fray the stakes shifted for Luther and everyone else. Now, Luther could not protect himself simply by not responding to the criticism of theologians. Now he would have to find a benefactor to defend him from being arrested and executed.

And yet, as he wrote to a friend at the time, “The more they threaten me, the more confident I become… I know that whoever wants to bring the Word of Christ into the world must, like the apostles, leave behind and renounce everything, and expect death at any moment. If any other situation prevailed, it would not be the Word of Christ.”

Next week we will examine what was happening in Rome at this time and how the papacy decided to deal with Luther once and for all.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 20

by Rev. Donavon Riley

After Heidelberg, and the explosion it caused amongst his listeners, Luther moved to tie his teaching to the daily life of Christians. Eck’s response to the 95 Theses, and other papal critics who pushed back against what Luther had said at Heidelberg, motivated the monk to translate his theology into language the common man could appreciate. And so, in May 1518, Luther published “Resolutions Concerning The 95 Theses.”

Luther began by addressing how the papal teaching regarding confession had no basis in Scripture. God demanded a change of heart and mind, not outward works. “Doing what was in one” had nothing to do with salvation. And buying an indulgence accomplished nothing for a Christian, because repentance and penance were two different things altogether.

Martin attacked the papal teaching about confession, penance, and outward works, but his most pointed criticism was focused on absolution. He wrote, “Christ did not intend [by the power of the keys] to put the salvation of people into the hands or at the discretion of an individual.” Everything depends, Luther asserted, on “believing only in the truth of Christ’s promise.”

This meant that for a Christian that indulgences were unnecessary. However, Luther also knew, as one Luther historian wrote, “that he was including [within his critique of indulgences] pilgrimages, special masses for the dead, shrines, religious images, relics, special spiritual exercises, and much of what was central to the practice of medieval religion.”

Luther also made sure to lay out for his readers that the Roman Church didn’t possess a treasury of merits that were available to Christians for the right price. Christians couldn’t buy their way into heaven. Only Jesus Christ and his bloody suffering and death received in faith by a Christian granted him access to the kingdom of heaven. And this was offered freely to all people apart from works, merits, or a special indulgence from the Pope.

At Heidelberg one listener said to Luther, “If the peasants heard you say that [even good deeds can be sins], they would stone you.” However, in the ‘Resolutions’ Luther went further than he had at Heidelberg on this topic. “The Church needs a Reformation,” he wrote, “but it is not the affair of one man, namely the pope, or of many men, namely the cardinals, both of which have been demonstrated by the most recent council. On the contrary, it is the business of the entire Christian world, yes, the business of God alone.”

Luther signed off by dedicating the Resolutions to Pope Leo X. The monk stated simply that if anything he’d written could be disproven by the clear words of Scripture he would recant. Martin concluded by writing, “I put myself at the feet of Your Holiness with everything that I am and have. I will regard your voice as the voice of Christ, who speaks through you.”

Next time we will examine the response of Luther’s colleagues and critics to the publication of his Resolutions and other works.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 19

Luther and the 95 Theses

by Rev. Donavon Riley

Although Luther’s comments about the sales of indulgences, capped by his posting of The 95 Theses to the church door, drew plenty of attention, the young professor continued with his responsibilities as lecturer and preacher in Wittenberg. However, since he’d translated his lectures and sermons into German for laity, then back into Latin for scholars, more and more calls came to Luther requesting he expand upon or defend his theology.

One instance occurred in the spring of 1518, when Luther was invited to defend his teaching in Heidelberg. It was the annual meeting of the Augustinians, Luther’s monastic order, and he was sent as a representative of his monastery as well as handing off responsibility for his duties as district vicar to someone else. Likewise, he was chosen to be the “disputant” for the meeting, which meant he’d engage in a debate about the theology of St. Augustine, who most monks believed was the founder of their order.

Luther did not, as many expected, take up the topic of indulgences when he was given the opportunity to talk. Instead, he presented what he believed was Augustine’s theology (and his own). As Luther presented his twenty-eight theses, one after the other, those in attendance bent their ears to him, even though the first ten theses weren’t so controversial as to stir up any excitement. However, when Luther read his thirteenth thesis: “‘Free will’ after the Fall is nothing but a word, and so long as it does what is within it, it is committing deadly sin.” This was a direct attack on what everyone in the room had been taught.

Then, the sixteenth thesis caused even more excitement: “Anyone who thinks he would attain righteousness by dong what is in him is adding sin to sin, so that he becomes doubly guilty.” Luther had now twice asserted that the accepted, orthodox theology of the day led to damnation.

After he’d finished with his theses, and after business was completed, everyone returned home. And what Luther had said at Heidelberg went home with them. It was explosive stuff, the theology Luther presented, and from his Heidelberg Theses the first serious rumblings of reformation began to spread across Germany. But for as many new allies as Luther had won, in time he could as many, if not more, enemies. Now, Luther’s teaching wasn’t only threatening the sale of indulgences, but by saying that following orthodox doctrine led one to damnation, he was attacking the papacy itself.

Next week, we will examine the fallout from Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 18

An Indulgence from Johan Tetzel

by Rev. Donavon Riley

John Tetzel, as one historian described him, “was a short, dumpy, stump-preacher who was very good at the business of selling indulgences.” He was so good at it that in the Fall of 1517 he was sent to Germany to announce a special plenary indulgence that, the Papacy hoped, would bring in the amount of money it needed to finish building St. Peter’s basilica in Rome.

The special indulgence Tetzel peddled to the German people was so broad in its definition that just purchasing it seemed to be the actual means of freeing people from purgatory. Not a repentant heart, true faith, or even a desire to earn God’s grace was necessary. Money talked in this case, and Tetzel used all his skills as a public speaker to bend the peoples’ ear to his message.

Tetzel would go from town to town and deliver the same stirring message: “Do you not hear the voices of your dead relatives and others, crying out to you and saying, ‘Pity us, pity us, for we are in dire punishment and torment from which you can redeem us for a pittance’? And you will not?” Then, in his concluding appeal, “Will you not then for a quarter of a florin receive these letters of indulgence through which you are able to lead a divine and immortal soul safely and securely into the homeland of paradise?” Then at the very end, Tetzel would say, “Once the coin into the coffer clings, a soul from purgatory heavenward springs!”

In every town, Tetzel’s preaching filled money boxes for the papacy. The German people, concerned for their family and loved ones’ souls, bought indulgences in record numbers. And before anyone could reconsider their decision, Tetzel and his entourage of soldiers, musicians, and actors were on to the next town.

Due to the power of his delivery and the amount of money being gathered up, Luther knew about Tetzel’s methods far in advance of the little preacher’s appearance in Wittenberg. In fact, Luther was so upset by the news he received about Tetzel that he finally spoke publicly about it, calling Tetzel’s mission, “The pious defrauding of the faithful.” And others, following Luther, referred to it as “Roman bloodsucking.”

But, Tetzel expected this push back. It was, in his experience, normal for some amongst the nobles and clergy to oppose his work for financial reasons, if not for theological ones too. This time however, it would turn out different for him. Instead of riding out of Germany with boxes of gold and silver, a very different outcome was waiting for him in Wittenberg.

Next week we will examine what happened when Luther publicly opposed not only Tetzel, but the sale of indulgences altogether.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 17

An Indulgence from Johan Tetzel

by Rev. Donavon Riley

Despite Martin Luther’s provocative teachings at Wittenberg University—and their influence on students, faculty, local monks and priests, and earthly rulers—the theology and practices of late Medieval Roman Catholicism continued relatively undisturbed.

One such practice was the sale of indulgences. Indulgence sales were the medieval equivalent of a modern “big tent revival meeting.” An indulgence salesman would roll into town with a theater troupe, clowns, public orators, musicians, and the like. It was quite the scene when everything was set up and the show began, like a circus and stage play and concert combined!

And even though indulgence sales were a spectacle to see, their purpose was very serious. Theologians of the church had concluded that although baptism washed away the stain and penalty of original sin, Christians still had to “do what was in them” in order to be saved at the Last Judgment. However, if a Christian lived a life that was neither too wicked or too holy, they died they were sent to purgatory when they died. As a consequence, any sin that remained on their record had to be worked off (or paid off, thus the sale of indulgences) before they could be set free to enter into heavenly peace (after presenting themselves to St. Peter and Jesus at the gates of heaven). So an “indulgence” was simply how the church “indulged” a sin by absolving it of all penalty. All that was necessary to procure an indulgence was proof that the Christian was sincerely repentant over his sin. Or, if he was dead, his family or friends had to provide proof in his place.

In purgatory, the dead could not do anything to work off their sin. On the other hand, since they were in purgatory they could not commit any more sin. So, if someone could purchase an indulgence in their name, for them specifically, showing that the dead truly was repentant over the sin committed after baptism, the dead could escape purgatory. If no one came forward on their behalf, they were essentially doomed to remain in purgatory, because they could not square accounts with God.

When one did buy an indulgence, the money that exchanged hands was proof of penitence, because this was another example of self-sacrifice on the part of the one seeking an indulgence, whether while they were still alive or on behalf of the dead. And, as always, it was said by every indulgence salesman that the money which purchased an indulgence was for “the work of the church.”

In the end, indulgence sales were held in the same esteem by the church as confession, penance, and other spiritual exercises that demonstrated a Christian was truly committed to “doing what was in him” to faithfully guarantee God was pleased with him.

Next week, we will turn our attention to John Tetzel, who became the target of Luther’s anger when the young professor finally broke from his support of the Church’s practice of selling indulgences.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.

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Higher History

Who Was Martin Luther? Part 16

Boy at baptismal font

by Rev. Donavon Riley

When Luther moved to correct the long-held teaching that a Christian was partly sinner and partly righteous (and this in varying degrees depending on his humility, penance, charity, and so on) he attacked head-on the medieval teaching about holiness.

Luther taught that a Christian is totally sinful in himself, but totally righteous in Christ through faith, and this was constant throughout life. That meant holiness was not something to be sought after on a progressive scale of works, but something to be enjoyed through faith in Christ. In fact, for Luther, especially based on his reading of the Old Testament, wherever God is He makes sinners holy by His presence among them. God is holy and those whom He calls into relationship with Him are thereby holy, by virtue of His coming near to them. Personal experience, spirituality, success or failure at living a god-pleasing life were irrelevant regarding holiness. One was either “in Christ” or not. And, in Christ, a Christian is totally holy, because God declares him righteous for Christ’s sake.

Luther knew that his teaching was theological dynamite. But he pushed on preaching and teaching that only someone who’d given up trying to achieve holiness for himself was prepared to receive God’s grace, which came from being in Christ Jesus.

As Luther wrote, “it cannot be that a soul filled with its own righteousness can be replenished with the righteousness of God, who fills up only those who hunger and are thirsty. Therefore, whoever is full of his own truth and wisdom is not capable of the truth and wisdom of God, which cannot be received save by those who are empty and destitute.”

Luther denied that a Christian can become better in the presence of God. All his works and doings are exposed as sinful and damned in relation to a holy God. Only the righteousness of God in Christ makes a Christian “holy.” Therefore, faith empties a person of his own desire to become holy and instead focuses him more and more on Christ Jesus. This is a Christian’s one sure and certain hope in life.

“The wounds of Jesus,” Luther wrote, “are safe enough for us…This, if anyone is too much afraid that he is not one of the elect…let him give thanks for such fear, and rejoice to be afraid, knowing with confidence that the God who says, ‘the sacrifice of God is a broken, that is a desperate, heart’ cannot lie.”

Not a single work we call “holy” impresses God in the least. Only Christ makes Christians holy. Likewise, then, only Christ can make a person “whole in hope,” as Luther noted.

Luther followed Scripture where it led him, where his questions were answered by God’s solid words about Jesus. But Luther’s whole world was populated by people who’d been taught that faith and good works led to salvation, not faith alone in Christ alone. The push back against Luther’s teaching, especially as he wrapped up his Romans lectures, was about to escalate. When Luther had taken his vows as a professor he’d sworn to uphold the truth and condemn false teaching.

By 1518, there were many who’d become convinced by what they heard coming out of Wittenberg that Martin Luther may have become confused about true and false teaching. They felt that young Luther was in need of severe correction before he misled too many priests, professors, students, and laity into damnable unbelief.

Next time we will examine the explosion that occurred when Luther publicly opposed the sale of indulgences.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.