Dear Pastor:

I write with a heavy and hopeless heart because of our adversary, the Devil, who has transformed himself into an angel of light and reigns in our very midst. I pray most devoutly that you will consider what I say and pray also that God would give you true peace and proper judgment to spiritually consider my plea to you.

You probably quote Martin Luther from time to time and certainly look up to him in many ways, as I did before I began studying his writings. I was raised Baptist and attended other Protestant churches and always had a pride in thinking I, too, would not recant when it came to the Word. But when I began studying what this man wrote, I realized what a hypocrite, or at least deceived, I was.

I came to this conclusion when I saw that what Luther believed the most and was most dearly held by him to be the basis of our great salvation, I believed and understood the least. I proudly stood by his side in my pride in standing on Scripture alone, but I did not know what this meant, at least the way Luther did. I suppose it was easy for me to do this when there is so very little persecution for the Word, and we do not have the opportunity today to, as Luther says, "become theologians by living, dying and being damned."

My simple point is I did not have the truth concerning Scripture, though I had much knowledge and formal education surrounding it. The fact of the matter is that I did not understand the truth of the Word concerning baptism, communion, and the keys-the three things that Luther fought for, explained, and contended for the most. Surely Satan is the great deceiver and persecutor of the Brethren and their Truth.

We condemn many who deny the plain teaching of Scripture, and yet I denied the truth for many years, and you probably do also. Scripture is clear: Christ said, "THIS IS MY BODY; THIS IS MY BLOOD." He did not say "signifies" or "memorializes." I give this as just one example to encourage you to investigate further. You are commanded by your own Word to "prove all things; hold fast to that which is sound." If you love the truth, you will investigate at least until you reconcile how you can quote and admire Luther and yet not believe and practice what he believed and practiced the most!

This is an equivocal day and age. Surely you know that your own people don't pay all that much attention to you as their pastor. They think they have the right to interpret Scripture pretty much any way they please and will have an opinion contrary to yours if they so choose. Is this really what Scripture wants, a private interpretation? But is this situation not what we deserve because we, too, have gone astray to our own interpretation, ignoring, out of hand, this great teacher given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Can you really risk not investigating this further? Could what I am saying having any relation to Christ's words: "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

I have compiled and continue to compile Luther on a number of subjects. I trust you will utilize this source if you do not have Luther's Works. I invest my own time and money into this project and will never ask you for a penny. And I have no hope or aspiration of building a following. My family follows me and that is blessing enough.

I commend this cause to Christ,

Timothy Vance
www.askluther.com

Augustine said: "I may err, but I shall not become a heretic." Reason: heretics not only err, but do not want to be corrected; they defend their error as though it were right, and fight against recognized truth and their own conscience." Martin Luther, Vol. 41, p. 50