QUOTE: Do you know what the Devil thinks when he sees men use
violence to propagate the gospel? He sits with folded arms behind the fire of
hell, and says with malignant looks and frightful grin: "Ah, how wise
these madmen are to play my game! Let them go on; I shall reap the benefit. I
delight in it." But when he sees the Word running and contending alone on
the battle-field, then he shudders and shakes for fear.
AUTHOR: Martin Luther
(10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German monk, priest,
professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He
strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be
purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five
Theses in 1517. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of
Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in
1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw
by the Emperor. Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but
received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as
redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the Roman
Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely
revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized
Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with Luther's teachings
are called Lutherans. His translation of the Bible into the vernacular (instead
of Latin) made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church
and on German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the
German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and
influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns
influenced the development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina
von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant
priests to marry.
