Why is Luther important? I believe Luther is critically important if for no other reason than the fact that the Church is floundering. I know Christ is building His Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Part of that building process is Luther. I believe he is the most gifted man in two thousand years of church history. We need someone to lead us out of our lethargy and blindness and this Gift to the Church can do it through the power of God.
We are essentially living in a time when every teacher teaches and believes that which "is right in his own eyes." A lack of unity and division abound. Leaders, many very sincerely, grope around for answers in new programs, ideas, a quick fix. If the Church is going to be victorious, and we know it must be, then the Church is going have to return to the Truth of Scripture. I believe Truth is being severely overshadowed by heresy on one side and a "needs-based" philosophy of ministry on the other.
To the degree the Church can submit to the teachings of Luther the Church can rejoice in Truth. When I say "submit to the teachings of Luther" I find that virtually synonymous with the teachings of Scripture. I DO NOT AND WILL NOT EXALT THE MAN LUTHER AS AN END IN ITSELF. It is only my concern and love for the Church of Christ that I offer my opinions and what will seem offensive and an extreme solution to some, maybe many.
I offer here some quotes by Luther himself taken from about ten volumes of Luther's Works. As I read and reread these, I have to come to the conclusion that this man was either a fanatical, egotistical, power-obsessed nut, or truly a very special gift given to the Church.
Luther stated somewhere that if Scripture could be likened to a forest, then there was not a branch he hadn't shaken. Maybe he was nuts even while doing his "shaking." I leave that for you to decide. I trust you will hold off on deciding until you have given him a fair hearing. For many of you a fair hearing will be difficult. Some of you will have to rise above and beyond those who have expounded on his writings and systematized them; some of you will have to transcend Calvin; and some of you will have to just be humbly led. May Christ give you grace.
I find it interesting that so many authors of varying theological opinions resort to quoting Luther. I dare say there is hardly a mainstream book that doesn't quote him. My concern is we are all quoting him on comparatively insignificant matters. How dare we quote him on prayer and not submit to him on communion, baptism, free will, and the like? It is as absurd as having a world renowned heart doctor referred to you when you have a heart problem, but you go elsewhere instead to have your heart problem solved. You then go to the renowned doctor when you have an ingrown toenail.
Any comments made by me will be parentheses. The numbers preceding the quotes are the volume and page number of Luther's Works where they may be found. Enjoy!
25/361 When will we become wise and see how much precious time we waste on vain questions, while we neglect the greater ones? We are always acting this way, so that what Seneca has said is very true of us: "We do not know what we should do because we have learned unimportant things. Indeed we do not know what is salutary because we have learned only the things that destroy us. (We have the other extreme today of not learning anything to speak of.)
Indeed I for my part believe that I owe to the Lord this duty of speaking out against philosophy and of persuading men to heed Holy Scripture. For perhaps if another man who has not seen these things, did this, he might be afraid or he might not be believed. But I have been worn out by these studies for many years now, and having experienced and heard many things over and over again, I have come to see that it is the study of vanity and perdition.
Therefore I warn you all as earnestly as I can that you finish these studies quickly and let it be your only concern not to establish and defend them but treat them as we do when we learn worthless skills to destroy them and study errors to refute them. Thus we study also these things to get rid of them, or at least, just to learn the method of speaking of those people with whom we must carry on some discourse. For it is high time that we undertake new studies and learn Jesus Christ, "and Him crucified" (I Cor. 2:2).
6/125 In addressing Gen 32 where a man wrestled with Jacob, Luther states this passage is among the most obscure. "Accordingly, this story is obscure because of the magnitude of its subject matter, and because of its obscurity all other interpreters pass it by. It would also be permissible for us to pass it by. But we shall still say what we can… We shall therefore make an attempt to see if we can dig out the true sense and doctrine of this passage. If we cannot attain it perfectly, we shall nevertheless not be very far from the mark. First of all, however, the hindrances of various opinions must be removed."
37/107 Holy Christendom has, in my judgment, no better teacher after the apostles than St. Augustine.
54/14 (At the monastery,) "the monks gave him a Bible bound in red leather. He made himself so familiar with it that he knew what was on every page, and when some passage was mentioned he knew at once just where it was to be found. "If I had kept at it," he said, "I would have become exceedingly good at locating things in the Bible. At that time no other study pleased me so much as sacred literature. With great loathing I read physics, and my heart was aglow when the time came to return to the Bible. I despised Lyra, although I recognized later on that he had a contribution to make to history. I read the Bible diligently. Sometimes one important statement occupied all my thoughts for a whole day. Such statements appeared especially in the weightier prophets, and (although I could not grasp their meaning) they have stuck in my memory to this day. Such is the assertion in Ezekiel, "'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked,' (Ezekiel 33:11)
54/77 "The papists and I write against each other in different ways. I enter the fray after careful reflection and in a sufficiently hostile frame of mind. For ten years I battled with the devil and established all my positions, and so I knew that they would stand up. But neither Erasmus nor any of the others took the matters seriously. Only Latomus has written excellently against me. Mark this well: Only Latomus wrote against Luther; all the rest, even Erasmus, were croaking toads." (You have to decide: Arrogance or a most excellent gift.)
"I think, when I reflect on the matter, {regarding Philip Melanchthon's more moderate approach} that my way is still the best. I speak right out and scold my opponents like schoolboys. For a knotty stump requires a tough wedge." (We have the "knotty stump" today of self religion. Not even the Catholic Church hods much sway. Our wallets have become our altar; our children our shrine; and our arrogance our atmosphere.)
54/430 "In the last thousand years God has given to no bishop such great gifts as he has given me (for one should boast of God's gifts). I'm angry with myself that I'm unable to rejoice from my heart and be thankful to God, though I do at times sing a little song and thank God."
36/265 True, by any consideration of body or soul you should never say: I am Lutheran, or Papist. For neither of them died for you, or is your master. Christ alone died for you, he alone is your master, and you should confess yourself a Christian. But if you are convinced that Luther's teaching is in accord with the gospel and that the pope's is not, then you should not discard Luther so completely, lest with him you discard also his teaching, which you nevertheless recognize as Christ's teaching. You should rather say: Whether Luther is a rascal or a saint I do not care; his teaching is not his, but Christ's. For you will observe that the tyrants are not out merely to destroy Luther, but to wipe out the teaching. (The issue should not be Luther, but the teaching of Scripture. We only use Luther to lead us back and keep us in the way of Truth.)
39/103 I shall spare my dear Romanist an answer to the slanders and malicious words with which my person is being attacked, although they are numerous. They do not affect me. I have never meant to take revenge on those who slander my person, my life, my work, or my nature. I myself know very well that I am not worthy of praise. But that I am more cutting and passionate when defending Scripture than some can stand—no one can deny me that, nor do I intend to stop. Let anyone who pleases slander, curse, and judge my person and my life—it is already forgiven him. But let no one expect grace or patience from me when he wants to make liars out of the Holy Spirit and my Lord Christ, whom I preach. I am not concerned about myself, but I shall defend Christ's word with a joyful heart and renewed courage, without regard to anyone. To this end God has given me a joyful and fearless spirit, which I trust they shall not harm in all eternity. (Comparatively, we only talk about being true to the Word. Luther here proves how much Christ loves His Church to give us such a splendid Gift!)
8/54 For it is the peculiar duty of pastors to teach, buoy up, and comfort, not hardened and foolish persons who cannot be set right with words and should rather be left to the executioner and hangman, but to apply the balm of Holy Scripture to the afflicted and the distressed. "Do not fear! Have confidence, my son! Your sins are forgiven you!" (Matt 9:2) But how difficult this application is both my own experience and that of others testifies. I have read the Bible with the greatest zeal and diligence for about 30 years, but I have not yet been cured in such a way that I could with full confidence find rest in the remedies shown by God. I would desire to be stouter and stronger in faith and prouder in Christ, but I cannot be.
8/308 Titus 3:6, "He poured out upon us richly." For this reason the prophets and the whole Bible should be read with the greatest diligence; and I indeed, whenever I make a comparison of these things, am angry with myself and am ashamed of my life and full of regrets, because after Christ has been revealed, we have such a cold attitude toward our gifts and believe the Word so weakly, whereas the fathers believed with such great steadfastness and lived in faith in the promises. In this way they overcame great dangers and difficulties. In comparison with us they were the last; but they became the first, whereas we, who were the first, are now the last.
48/153 I have taught and held all the teachings of John Huss, but thus far did not know it. In short we all are Hussites and did not know it. Even Paul and Augustine are in reality Hussites. See the monstrous things into which we fall, I ask you, even without the Bohemian leader and teacher. I am so shocked that I do not know what to think when I see such terrible judgments of God over mankind, namely, that the most evident evangelical truth was burned in public and was already considered condemned more than one hundred years ago. Yet one is not allowed to avow this. Woe to this earth.
48/170 Almost all condemn my stinging tone. Yet I share your opinion that perhaps in this way God reveals the figments of man's imagination. For I realize that those things which in our age are treated quietly will soon be forgotten, and nobody will care about them. But the womb of Rebecca also had to bear children who were contentious and kicked each other. The present age passes an unfavorable judgment; the judgment of future generations will be better. Even Paul calls his enemies now "dogs," now "mutilation," now "babblers," "false workmen," "servants of Satan," and names of that kind and strikes the face of the whitewashed wall. Who does not see that the prophets attack the sin of the people with the greatest violence? But we have become accustomed to these things, and therefore they no longer disturb us. Who knows whether the Spirit himself is not driving me on with His force, since it is certain that I am not carried away by zeal for fame, money, or pleasure.
48/118 For after all, we are not the ones who can preserve the church, nor were our forefathers able to do so… A thousand years ago you and I were nothing, and yet the church was preserved at that time without us. He who is called "who was" and "yesterday" had to accomplish this. Even during our lifetime we are not the church's guardians. It is not preserved by us, for we are unable to drive off the devil in the persons of the pope, sects, and evil men. If it were up to us, the church would perish before our very eyes, and we together with it (as we experience daily). For it is another Man who obviously preserves both the church and us. He does this so plainly that we could touch and feel it, if we did not want to believe it. We must leave this to him who is called "who is" and "today." Likewise we will contribute nothing toward the preservation of the church after our death. He who is called "who is to come" and "forever" will accomplish it. What we are now saying about ourselves in this respect, our ancestors also had to say, as is borne out by the psalms and the Scriptures. And our descendants will make the same discovery, prompting them to join us and the entire church in singing Psalm 124: "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, let Israel now say… "
45/70 In the first place, I ask that men make no reference to my name; let them call themselves Christians, not Lutherans. What is Luther? After all, the teaching is not mine (John 7:16). Neither was I crucified for anyone (I Cor. 1:13). St. Paul, in I Corinthians 3, would not allow the Christians to call themselves Pauline or Petrine, but Christian. How then should I—poor stinking maggot-fodder that I am—come to have men call the children of Christ by my wretched name? Not so, my dear friends; let us abolish all party names and call ourselves Christians, after Him whose teaching we hold. The papists deservedly have a party name, because they are not content with the teaching and name of Christ, but want to be papist as well. Let them be papist then, since the pope is their master. I neither am nor want to be anyone's master. I hold, together with the universal church, the one universal teaching of Christ, who is our only master (Matt. 23:8).
45/366 I know full well that while it is the Spirit alone who accomplishes everything, I would surely have never flushed a covey if the languages had not helped me and given me a sure and certain knowledge of Scripture. I too could have lived uprightly and preached the truth in seclusion; but then I should have left undisturbed the pope, the sophists, and the whole anti-Christian regime. The devil does not respect my spirit as highly as he does my speech and pen when they deal with Scripture. For my spirit takes from him nothing but myself alone; but Holy Scripture and the languages leave him little room on earth, and wreak havoc in his kingdom.
45/370 How I regret now that I did not read more poets and historians, and that no one taught me them! Instead, I was obliged to read at great cost, toil, and detriment to myself, that devil's dung, the philosophers and sophists, from which I have all I can do to purge myself.
45/372 Let us for once make use of our reason, that God may perceive our thankfulness for his benefits, and other nations see that we too are human beings, able either to learn something useful from others or to teach them in order than even through us the world may be made better. I have done my part. It has truly been my purpose to counsel and assist the German nation. If there be some who despise me for this and refuse to listen to my sincere advice because they think they know better, I cannot help it. I know full well that others could have done this better; since they keep silent, I am doing it as well as I can. It is surely better to have spoken out on the subject, however inadequately, than to have remained altogether silent about it. It is my hope that God will awaken some of you, so that my well-meant advice may not be offered in vain, and instead of having regard for the one who utters it you will rather be stirred by the cause itself to do something about it. (This is my sincere hope, prayer, and expectation.)
44/22 Although I know full well and hear every day that many people think little of me and say that I only write pamphlets and sermons in German for the uneducated laity, I do not let that stop me. Would to God that in my lifetime I had, to my fullest ability, helped one layman to be better! I would be quite satisfied, thank God, and quite willing then to let all my little books perish. Whether the making of many large books is an art and of benefit to Christendom, I leave for others to judge. But I believe that if I were of a mind to write big books of their kind, I could perhaps, with God's help, do it more readily than they could write my kind of little discourse. If following Christ had been as easy as persecuting him, Christ would long since have been cast down from heaven and the very throne of God overturned. If we cannot all be writers, then we all want to be critics! I will most gladly leave to anybody else the glory of greater things. I will not be ashamed in the slightest to preach to the uneducated layman and write for him in German. Although I may have little skill at it myself, it seems to me that if we had hitherto busied ourselves in this very task and were of a mind to do more of it in the future, Christendom would have reaped no small advantage and would have been more benefited by this than by those heavy, weighty tomes and those questions which are only handled in the schools among learned schoolmen. Furthermore, I have never forced anyone or begged him to listen to me or read my sermons. I have served the church unstintingly with that which God gave m. This is my duty. If anybody so chooses, he is free to read others and listen to them. If people do not want to read my books or hear my sermons, that does not matter very much. As far as I am concerned it is quite enough, really more than enough, that some laymen—and those the most distinguished—are humble enough to read my sermons.
44/205 The number of books on theology must be reduced and only the best ones published. It is not many books that make men learned, nor even reading. But it is a good book frequently read, no matter how small it is, that makes a man learned in the Scriptures and godly. Indeed, the writings of all the holy fathers should be read only for a time so that through them we may be led into the Scriptures. As it is, however, we only read them these days to avoid going further and getting into the Bible. We are like men who read sign posts and never travel the road they indicate. Our dear fathers wanted to lead us to the Scriptures by their writings, but we use their works to get away from the Scriptures. Nevertheless, the Scripture alone is our vineyard in which we must all labor and toil.