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Martin Luther
Martin Luther (1483–1546). Born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Saxony (now Germany), to Hans and Margarethe Luther, Martin Luther grew up in a strict Catholic household, his father intent on him becoming a lawyer. After earning a bachelor’s degree in 1501 and a master’s in 1505 at the University of Erfurt, a near-fatal thunderstorm experience led him to vow to St. Anne, entering an Augustinian monastery in 1505. Ordained a priest in 1507, he grappled with spiritual turmoil over sin until finding peace in justification by faith through studying Romans. Appointed professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg in 1512, he earned a doctorate and lectured with deepening conviction. On October 31, 1517, he nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the Wittenberg Castle Church door, condemning indulgences and igniting the Protestant Reformation. His works, like On the Freedom of a Christian (1520), challenged papal authority, spreading rapidly and emphasizing salvation by grace through faith alone. Excommunicated by Pope Leo X in 1521 and outlawed at the Diet of Worms, Luther stood firm, protected by Frederick the Wise, and hid at Wartburg Castle, translating the New Testament into German in 1522 to make Scripture accessible. Back in Wittenberg, he preached thousands of sermons, wrote hymns like “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” and penned The Bondage of the Will (1525), defending divine sovereignty. In 1525, he married Katharina von Bora, a former nun, raising six children in a vibrant Christian home, modeling family life. His reforms ended clerical celibacy, simplified worship, and birthed Lutheranism, though his harsh words against Jews and peasants drew criticism. Despite chronic illness, he produced catechisms, a full Bible translation by 1534, and mediated disputes until his death on February 18, 1546, in Eisleben. Luther said, “Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God.”
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Martin Luther discusses how false apostles cleverly tried to discredit Paul by pointing out apparent contradictions in his actions, such as circumcising Timothy and observing ceremonial laws. Paul's actions were out of consideration for the weak brethren, not to preach the Law or circumcision. The false apostles twisted Paul's intentions to make him appear unfavorable to the Jews, who would have praised him if he had preached legalism. Luther emphasizes the importance of understanding the context and motives behind Paul's actions to avoid misinterpretation and false accusations.
For if I Yet Pleased Men, I Should Not Be the Servant of Christ.
Observe the consummate cleverness with which the false apostles went about to bring Paul into disrepute. They combed Paul’s writings for contradictions (our opponents do the same) to accuse him of teaching contradictory things. They found that Paul had circumcised Timothy according to the Law, that Paul had purified himself with four other men in the Temple at Jerusalem, that Paul had shaven his head at Cenchrea. The false apostles slyly suggested that Paul had been constrained by the other apostles to observe these ceremonial laws. We know that Paul observed these decora out of charitable regard for the weak brethren. He did not want to offend them. But the false apostles turned Paul’s charitable regard to his disadvantage. If Paul had preached the Law and circumcision, if he had commended the strength and free will of man, he would not have been so obnoxious to the Jews. On the contrary they would have praised his every action.
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Martin Luther (1483–1546). Born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Saxony (now Germany), to Hans and Margarethe Luther, Martin Luther grew up in a strict Catholic household, his father intent on him becoming a lawyer. After earning a bachelor’s degree in 1501 and a master’s in 1505 at the University of Erfurt, a near-fatal thunderstorm experience led him to vow to St. Anne, entering an Augustinian monastery in 1505. Ordained a priest in 1507, he grappled with spiritual turmoil over sin until finding peace in justification by faith through studying Romans. Appointed professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg in 1512, he earned a doctorate and lectured with deepening conviction. On October 31, 1517, he nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the Wittenberg Castle Church door, condemning indulgences and igniting the Protestant Reformation. His works, like On the Freedom of a Christian (1520), challenged papal authority, spreading rapidly and emphasizing salvation by grace through faith alone. Excommunicated by Pope Leo X in 1521 and outlawed at the Diet of Worms, Luther stood firm, protected by Frederick the Wise, and hid at Wartburg Castle, translating the New Testament into German in 1522 to make Scripture accessible. Back in Wittenberg, he preached thousands of sermons, wrote hymns like “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” and penned The Bondage of the Will (1525), defending divine sovereignty. In 1525, he married Katharina von Bora, a former nun, raising six children in a vibrant Christian home, modeling family life. His reforms ended clerical celibacy, simplified worship, and birthed Lutheranism, though his harsh words against Jews and peasants drew criticism. Despite chronic illness, he produced catechisms, a full Bible translation by 1534, and mediated disputes until his death on February 18, 1546, in Eisleben. Luther said, “Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God.”