His father managed to work up to be one of the citizen agents in the Council of Mansfeld. First his father was a poor miner. Because his father was one of the citizen agents Martin could go to the University of Erfurt to go studying the study of laws.

Martin was afraid of God because He has to be righteousness and punish sinners. And Martin knew he was a sinner. But he thought he would come as a righteous man for God as he became older.

Why Luther became a monk:

Once when Luther was travelling to Erfurt after a visit to his parental house, he came in a heavy thunderstorm. Fearing that he would be hit by a bolt of lightning and would die, he fell on his knees and cried in agony,'Help me, Saint Anna, I will become a monk.

He was helped so in 1505 Luther entered the strict Augustinian Monastery of Erfurt.

What's a monk?

Noun: (in Christianity) a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious reasons, especially as a member of an order of cenobites living according to a particular rule and under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Luther as a monk:

In the monastery, Luther diligent lived up to his duties as a monk. However, the fasting, praying, confessing and studying he did not give him peace in his heart. Luther continually felt that his penance and his good works could never satisfy God. Even a visit to Rome did not help. He had a burning desire for a visit to this 'holy city'. At that time, Luther  was still convinced of the benefit of pilgrimages and relics. He visited all of the 'holy places' of Rome. And it was there that he first started to doubt 'the teachings of Rome'. He was angry at the lives of many clergymen. Instead of holiness, he often saw disrespect, lawlessness and luxurious living.

The blessed exchange

In 1512, Luther became professor of divinity at the university of Wittenberg. He explained the bible to his students. He started with the book of Psalms. When he had to explain Psalm 31, he had a problem. Verse 1 says: ‘Deliver me in Thy righteousness.’ Luther saw the word "righteousness" as a characteristic of God, which made God punish sins and reward merits. Luther knew that he was a sinner. He knew that he couldn’t satisfy the law of God as well. But how could he possibly be saved by God’s righteousness? Psalm 31 said that. Some time later, he wrote about this: ‘I could not love that just God, Who punishes sinners. I even hated Him. I muttered against him. This occupied me ceaselessly.’ When he came to explain Psalm 71, he had the same problem. Verse 2 says: ‘Deliver me in Thy righteousness.’ But Luther compared it to Romans 1:17 and found the answer. He read: ‘For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.’ The Holy Spirit showed him that this was about the righteousness that Christ by His sacrifice obtained for sinners. Christ took his sins and he received Christ’s righteousness, which made him completely righteous before God! That’s the blessed exchange. Some time later, he said that he felt himself to be totally reborn. 

Indulgences

Tetzel travelled through Germany in the autumn of 1517. He sold indulgences everywhere. Tetzel told the peaople that if they buy indulgences they could safe the death people from the purgatory. He unashamedly abused the people nescience and gullibility.                                                                                                            When Luther heard from Tetzels actions he was sad, angry and very indignant. He wrote the 95 theses and he wanted to start a theological debate about the indulgences.

95 theses

Luther made 95 theses to accuse the abuses in the Roman Catholic Church. He nailed the theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg. The date was 31 October, 1517. It led to the Reformation. He criticized the trade in indulgences. The reason why he made the theses, was that he wanted to get rid of the abuses and errors in the Roman Catholic Church. He didn’t really want to get a break in the church. Luther has been asked to revoke half of the theses, but Luther didn’t do that. But he did say that the criticism to some people was too sharp.                                          To read the theses go to 95 theses

Diet of Worms

The Diet of Worms was a Diet of the State. It was in the year 1521. It was convoked by Charlemagne. It’s best known for the discussion with Martin Luther about the 95 theses, but other subjects were also discussed. Martin Luther defended his theses: ‘Here I am, I can’t do anything else.’. He didn’t withdraw his theses so Luther was done in the state ban. Then, he was declared outlaw (everyone may murder him). His books had to be burned. But Luther was already brought to safety by Elector Frederick III of Saxony.

Bible translation

Luther had made a translation of the Bible: the Lutherbible. He translated it from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek to German. He made it not alone, he had some contributors. The first edition of the New Testament was published in 1422. The whole Bible was published in 1534. The Lutherbible was not the first bible in German, but the Lutherbible was closer to the spoken language.

Reformer in politics, society and church

The 95 theses were the beginning of seeing the errors in the Roman Catholic Church. The struggle with Rome forced Luther to say things more clearly and openly. An important role in his struggle was his conviction that the bible always had to have the final word. Luther wrote books to show that the reformation was needed. He addressed the German princes in the first book. No Reformation could come from the pope, so Luther believed that the princes had to reform their areas. Every Christian had to serve God and his neighbor. Luther called the pope an antichrist, because the pope opposed these reforms.

Reformation was also needed in daily life. Luther thought, that all Christian feast days, except for Lord’s Day, had to be abolished. The feast days often included too much celebration and drinking. They often led to many sins, too. All towns had to care for the poor and organize Bible education for girls (>1 hour a day). In 1521, Luther wrote a treatise about monastic vows. He wrote it at Wartburg. He wrote that women were looked down on, women were considered less worth creatures. Luther was married with Catharine van Bora. That was the source of his new look on marriage and the position of women.

The most important thing Luther did, was that he translated the Bible into German. But the Roman Catholic Church did not encourage to read the bible, because Rome said it was dangerous. Only the church could explain the Bible. But Luther said, that everyone should be able to read the Bible. 

In the Lutheran Church service, the preaching of the Gospel was the most important. Luther wrote a catechism book. That’s an book with instructions for the youth. There were weekly celebrations of Lord’s Supper in the Lutheran churches. Luther thought that congregational singing was important too. Luther said that music had to be used in Gods service because it’s a gift of God. And Luther removed some sacraments: he kept only Baptism and Lord’s Supper. Luther thought penance was also valuable, but it wasn’t a sacrament.

Luther and Erasmus

Similarities:

They both did not agree the Catolic Church                                                            They wanted to translate the Bible

Differences:

Luther left the church but Erasmus didn't                                                            Luther started his own religion, Erasmus didn't                                                      Erasmus believed in the free will of people, Luther was against it

Sports and music

Luther loved music! He also often sang with his children. And Luther knew that music was an important way of spreading the message of the Reformation. Luther was convinced that there was no better way than the song to involve the church in the gospel message. It is hymn, catechism, prayer and proclamation in one. In that time the music type was classical music.

3 sola's

Sola Gratia: Grace Alone. Not by indulgences or good works we can be safed no only by grace in Jesus Christ

Sola Fide: Faith Alone. We are saved because we have faith – trust – in God’s mercy. that is what we say when we are baptized.

Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone. The Bible is the foundation the base of our life.

Luther rose

Luther told in a letter in 1530 that the black cross in a heart means God and faith must be in your heart. The heart with the cross in it is on a white rose. That's because faith in God gives peace, solace and joy. This all is in a sky-blue field because the joy from the Holy Ghost in your heart is a beginning of the joy you have in heaven.                                                                                                      Behind that you see a golden ring. That's because the glorie in heaven is the best you can ever get. It is better than all the gold and silver here on earth.