Trekboer biography of martin luther

May God help me. Luther was condemned as an outlaw and thereafter he feared for his life. However, he managed to remain hidden for several months, before returning to Wittenberg to preach more of his anti-clerical speeches and doctrines. In this period he also translated the Bible from Greek to German. Martin Luther also married an ex-nun thereby giving the seal of approval for clerical marriages in the Protestant tradition.

With his wife, Katharina von Bora they had five children. During —there was a widespread peasants revolt in Germany and Central Europe. The revolt, which had a mixture of economic, social and religious causes was often supported by Protestant clergy who emphasised the equality of all people. However, Martin Luther vigorously opposed the Revolt, writing a pamphlet Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasantswhich made his opposition clear.

In these final years, he spent more time writing anti-Semitic tracts. At first, he wished to see the Jewish people converted to Christianity. But, when they seemed uninterested in conversion, he called for the force-able removal of Jews from Germany. Meanwhile, in Luther went on a trip to Rome. He was shocked by the lack of piety he found there.

Luther also had a strong sense of his sinfulness. He studied the Bible diligently and he came to disagree with some of the teachings of the Catholic Church. Luther believed that salvation was obtained by faith only. It cannot be earned by good works. Then in OctoberMartin Luther wrote 95 theses. He objected to the sale of indulgences documents written by the Church releasing individuals from punishment for their sins.

Trekboer biography of martin luther: Martin Luther:: A Christian between

Indulgences could be bought by the living on behalf of the dead who were believed to be in purgatory. Copies of the 95 theses by Luther were distributed across Germany and then across Europe. He denied there were seven sacraments as taught by the Catholic Church. Rather than being subject to both sacred Scripture and sacred tradition, as the church taught, Luther believed that we are to be subject to Scripture alone — and that Scripture has the authority to correct the traditions when they are in error.

He said:. A war of words ensued. A papal bull, or edict, called Luther to repent and threatened him with excommunication. On December 10,Luther burned it. This was tantamount to treason. Luther wrote more theological works, many of which spoke against the sacramental system of the Roman church. On April 17,Luther was summoned to the Diet of Worms — an imperial council held in Worms, Germany which would decide the fate of this troublesome monk.

Trekboer biography of martin luther: pastoralists—the Boers, also called trekboers—began

The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles the 5 th presided over the affair. The Roman officials demanded to know if these were his writings and whether or not he would recant. Luther had expected to debate his ideas, not be forced to recant them. He asked for a day to consider the matter. If he recanted, his life would be saved. If he did not, he would be declared a heretic, which was a death sentence in those days.

Although he had a letter granting him safe passage to and from Worms, when this expired he knew he could be killed by anyone and they would not be punished. The civil government would likewise put him to death, as they had countless others who crossed Rome. Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God.

Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me. Luther took a stand that his highest authority was going to be the Word of God, regardless of what the church taught. To protect his life, his friends kidnapped him and hid him away in Wartburg Castle. Here he hid for ten months in disguise. He grew a beard and took the name Junker Jorge, or Knight George.

He was not simply laying low. During his time in exile, Luther undertook the translation of the New Testament into the language of the German people. Remember, at this time Scripture was only available in Latin. Reading and studying Scripture was something reserved only for the academics and the elite.

Trekboer biography of martin luther: The Great Trek is regarded

Luther did not simply take the Vulgate and translate the Latin into German. He translated his German New Testament out of the original Greek. Within three months Luther had translated the whole of the New Testament. This is an amazing feat, and is even more so considering the monumental impact that this translation would have on the German people.

We believe that faithful proclamation of the gospel is what our hostile and disoriented world needs. Do you believe that too? Help TGC bring biblical wisdom to the confusing issues across the world by making a gift to our international work. Carl Trueman :. His thinking, while remarkably consistent, does develop over time. He nuances his positions on various issues as he faces challenges which his own Reformation theology generated.

Thus, knowing what issues he is facing and when is important when reading him. The benchmark biography of Luther in English is the three volumes by the German historian, Martin Brecht. These look rather forbidding: nearly pages of text, excluding notes.