Pew2You
11-5-17
Pastor Phil Vance
Martin Luther and the Reformers Part 3
Martin Luther
Marries Katharina von Bora
Luther was 15 years older than Katharina when they were married
Luther says he marries her for three reasons
To please his father
To spite the pope, the antichrist and the devil
To seal his witness before martyrdom
Luther: “In domestic affairs I defer to Katie, in all other matters I ask the Holy Ghost.”
Character of Katharina
She was very strong willed
Story of dressing up in funeral clothing to get a point across to Luther
The Luther Home
Was a large home
Very busy with visitors
Contained a bowling alley
1534 Luther completes his translation of the Old Testament into German.
Luther suffers the first of many heart attacks.
1546 Luther dies
Problems with Luther:
Thoughts on Church vs State
Due to corruption of Catholic Church
Luther wanted the state to police the state to keep the corruption out.
The problem: Who polices the state
Thoughts about Jews
Luther God mad that they were not accepting his message.
He become very anti-semitic.
At times was vindictive and drunk a lot.
“Luther was not a stained glass saint. He had weaknesses, but oh, what a Gospel he found and he shared it with us!”
Other Reformers
Were not a collaborative
The Holy Spirit brought them together
Ulrich Zwingli
Wrote 67 thesis.
1529 Luther and Zwingli met
Agreed on most things
Disagreed on the Lord’s supper
Luther, the Lord was present in communion
Zwingli, believed the elements were symbolic
John Knox (1513-1572)
Scottish reformer
Reformation from the people up.
John Calvin
1509-1564
Calvin was quiet and composed. Polite and preferred his books.
1536 Calvin goes to Geneva
Ends up leading the reformation there
Protestantism becomes the official religion of Geneva
At the age of 26 he completed the 1st edition of his live work “Institutes of the Christian Religion.”
Doctrine on predestination become the predominant doctrine he is known for
Married Idelette de Bure
Calvin’s blemish
Burned a heretic at the stake. Calvin was there smiling in approval.
Anabaptists;
“Anabaptism, re-baptizers, did not believe in the infant baptism. They believed the person needed to be an adult and make a profession of faith.”
Anabaptists, on the whole, were more interested in Christianity by living it then by the theology of it.
Holiness came before Theology
Anabaptists were persecuted horribly. They were martyred by burning, drowning and sword.
Felix Mans
Was drowned by being pushed into the harbor with his hands tied behind his back.
Zwingli watched and approved.
“In moves of God, the persecuted becomes the persecutors.”
We are never done growing. Once we think we have arrived, God moves the top to a whole new level.
Puritans
Wanted to reform the reformation
They thought the reformation was a good thing but not enough
“Puritanism was about reforming all of life under the sole authority of the Bible.”
1620 Puritans set sail for the new world aboard the Mayflower.
There thought was to create a fully reformed society.
98 percent of the colonists were protestants.
John Bunyan
Was put into jail for 12 years for illegally preaching the gospel
In that jail cell is where he wrote the book “Pilgrim’s Progress”
Summary of the Reformation:
Reformers were not about progress but regress. They wanted to go back to what Christ gave us, the simplicity of the gospel of being saved by faith.
There intent was to unearth original, old Christianity that had been buried under centuries of human tradition.
Protestant:
The culture of the day was: “One faith, one King, one Law”
Diet of Speyer 1526
Determined that whatever the local ruler was, “religiously”, was what the people were.
2nd Diet of Speyer
Determined that a Catholic prince could have Lutherans or Calvinists under him but a Lutheran or Calvinist prince could not have catholic.
This was unfair so the people Pro-Tested and that is where they got the name Protestant.
Discussion Questions:
We talked today about the wives of the great reformers and the instrumental role they played in the reformation. How has your spouse kept you true to the faith? Where would you be if it weren’t for their influence in your life?
Have you been baptized? In what method were you baptized? What do you believe the bible teaches us about the purpose and appropriate way we are to be baptized? Many died holding firm to their conviction on when and how we are to be baptized. Does this sacrifice give you new perspective on the importance of water baptism?
Pastor Phil said, “the intent of the reformers, was to unearth original old Christianity that had been buried under centuries of human tradition.” They wanted to go back to the truth of the gospel. What human traditions can you shed to go back, back to the simplicity of the gospel?