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Show y Feature SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS - 'WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 18, 1998 sum By Barbara Pyles Writers Note: There have been more books written about Martin Luther than any other figure in history, except our Lord Jesus I d came a part owner of several, mines and a member of the city council. Hans had the reputation of being a rugged man with a stem character. Margarete, sometimes called Hanna, came from a middle class family that was keen on higher Christ. Yet, I could find only bits and pieces about Luther in our Kanab City Library. I thought an article about this 16th cen- education. Her relatives intury reformer might be of inter- cluded doctors, lawyers, politiest. I covered only a portion of cians and university professors. Martin Luthers life, I encour- More than likely, she was the age you to find the material and one that insisted Martin attend read more. My thanks to Pastor grammar school in Mansfield Marc Spaeth and Lois Deiss for when he was still young enough lending me books and other to be carried. It has been written material. that Luthers mother was known for prayerfulness, modesty, and With grit and determination for her fear of God. four travelers crossed the Saale Both Hans and Hanna were iGiver. One was old and weak, harsh disciplinarians as were and suffered from a variety of most parents in Luthers day. physical ailments. After arriv- They nurtured a fear of God in ing at the home of friends in their children, for the Church Eisleben, Germany, the older had long forgotten the mercies man passed out from a combina- of God. tion of exhaustion and the cold Luther attended school in weather. Magdeburg, then in Eisenach Under normal circumstances, where he lived with relatives. he would not have traveled dur- When Luther was 17 years old, ing such icy weather, but noth- he enrolled at the University of ing about this man was normal. Erfurt because his dad wanted He had come back to the place of him to study law. Hans also had his birth to help solve an inher- another motive. He felt that a son could support itance dispute, but as the days wife him in their old and his man weaker. the passed grew Despite the efforts of friends and age. Luther earned his bachelor physicians, he took his last breath at 2:45 a.m. on February and masters degrees in PhilosoThe phy in a very short time. He also 18, at the age of sixty-threman was Martin Luther, the earned the nickname, The Phifounder of the Protestant Refor- losopher. On a hot July day in 1505, mation. Martin Luther was born on when Luther was returning to November 10, 1483, shortly af- college after a visit to his parter 11 p.m. His proud parents ents, he ran into a severe storm. never dreamed that one day their A bolt of lightning knocked him son would stand for the purity of to the ground and Luther the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and screamed: St. Anne help me. I eventually break up the gross will become a monk. This was theological abuses of medieval definitely a medieval reaction. Catholicism. Although it angered his father, after Luthers birth, Luther entered the local Augus-tinia- n Shortly 7i the family moved to Mansfeld monastery a few weeks where Hans found work in the later. Like many before him, Luther copper mines. In time, he be well-educat- ed e. - EE HIVE Homes Quality Senior Assisted Living 16 lit kept the rule of the order. He regularly engaged in prayer and fasts. Luther also endured bone-- , chilling cold without a blanket and according to customs practiced castigations of the flesh. Luther once said if he had kept on, he would have killed himself with vigils, prayers, reading and, other works. Despite all he did, Luther could not find peace for his troubled soul. Yet one day, Luther would raise his voice for salvation through faith in Christ alone. Luther was selected for priesthood two years after he entered the monastery. When he celebrated his first Mass, Luther was so deeply afraid of the presence of Christ in the sacrament that he almost collapsed. Luther was sent to the new University of Wittenberg to continue his education. A year after he earned his bachelors degree in theology, Luther visited Rome on business for his order. While in the Holy City, Luther climbed the Scala Sancta, the . twenty-eigh- t stairs that, accord- ing to tradition, were the same steps that Jesus Christ climbed in the palace of Pontius Pilate. Ascending on his hands and knees, Luther kissed each step of the Holy stairs as he repeated a Pater Noster in hopes of delivering a soul from Purgatory. When he reached the top of the stairs, Luther picked himself up and said, Who knows whether it is so? Luthers doubts about the church would intensify and became more frequent. Five months after he started out for Rome, Luther returned to the monastery. Later, his superiors reassigned him to the University of Wittenberg where he earned a Doctorate in Theology. The young priest became a teacher, student ofthe Bible and parish priest. Luther could often be found hunched over his Bible for days Aerf l&jt to Irfothd Personalized Assistance d Meals with Rooms Bath Private Single Level, Housekeeping, Linen & Personal Laundry ll Service Emergency Scheduled Activities Medication Supervision Included Utilities, Telephone and Cable Hook-U- p 24-Ho- ur 3 Nutritionally 24-Ho- ur Home-Cooke- On-Ca- Taking reservations for early December opening BEEHIVE HOMES OF KANAB 1364 S. Powell Drive Kanab, UT 84741 (435)644-810- 0 'C' j WA on end. He must have read Ro- agreements onthe'inajor docmans 1:17 many times. As he trines of the church, Luther, a read the passage: The just shall devoted Roman Catholic Priest, live by his faith. Luther loved his church. His intentions fastof realized all his had been to reform existing that denly ing and penance did not carry abuses, not to start the Protesany weight with God. The simple tantism movement. Luther was given 60 days to truth was that all he needed to save himself was faith. When I appear in Rome and confess that found the truth at last, it was as he was wrong. Luther would not if the gates of heaven were open recant. He was excommunicated to me, said Luther. on January 3, 1521. In the spring of 152 1 , this couLuther started to preach the unfashionable belief that for- rageous man was brought to trial giveness of sin from God cannot at the Diet of Worms. Luther be bought or earned. He read: watched intently as his books For by grace are ye saved were placed on a table before through faith; and that not of himu Are these your books? yourselves: it is the gift of God: asked the examiner. Not of works, least any man Yes, answered Luther. Do you want to recant any of should boast. (Ephesians 2, ). This grace of God in Christ the information? ' Luther asked for time to think poured through his fingertips, and echoed through his pulpit, over his answer. The next day and classroom. He was ordered Luther gave this well known to stop questioning Rome, but speech. Unless I am convicted he could not. This led to a clash by scripture and plain reason-- I between Luther and the offi- do not accept the authority of cials of the Roman Catholic the popes and councils, for they Church and pushed Luther into have contradicted each other-m- y the spotlight. conscience is captive to the It didnt surprise Luther that Word of God. I cannot and I will many of his parishioners were not recant anything for to go obtaining indulgences as he had against conscience is neither once done. ( An indulgence is right nor safe. God help me. - 8-9- where money is, paid to an agent of the Popes for Gods forgiveness). Luther knew that as their parish priest he was the one responsible for their spiritual welfare. In one sermon Luther said, my beloved you cannot buy Gods mercy. On October 31, 1517, some historians say Luther posted his famous 95 theses on the door of Amen. According to legend, he also said these words. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. Luther was declared a heretic and an enemy of the Church. The order went out to assassinate him on sight. Although he would spend the rest of his days as an outlaw, Luther maintained an unshakable belief that man is saved by faith in the merits of the Castle Church in Jesus Christ alone. After his encounter at the Diet Wittenberg, Germany. Today, rethe majority of Luther of Worms, Luther fled to searches say he did not nail his Wartburg Castle where he lived 95 Theses to the door, but mailed for a year in exile under the them to friends and Bishops. protection ofFrederick the Wise. two Luther wasnt the type of man Nevertheless, within weeks his 95 Theses were trans- that wasted time. During his lated into German and distrib- exile, he translated the New uted across the country. Luther Testament from the original felt that these 95 statements Greek into German. were proof of Church corrupThroughout the rest ofhis life, tion. In a fewyears, the West Luther continued his teachings ern church would fall in ruins. and writings. Today, Luther Long standing doctrines and would be astounded that his lifes practices would be plucked out work transformed Western civiand ripped apart. The document lization and impacted the entire that he thought would be read world. and debated by scholars in his This 16th century reformer left day, became the most widely behind many writings. These read document in dll history. include the Small and Large As copies of his 95 theses Catechisms, at least a dozen spread throughout Europe, they hymns, more than 100 volumes unleashed a storm of contro- of tracts, treatises, biblical comversy. This, of course, was the mentaries and thousands of let. beginning of the Reformation. It ters. It also includes the translawould split the Christian church tion of the Old Testament from into two groups, Catholic and the original Hebrew into the Protestant. Luther once said, peoples language. He wanted Others before me have con- everyone to have the opportutested practice. But to contest nity to read the Bible. Luther doctrine, that is to grab the goose once said, I hope all my books would disappear and the Holy by the neck. Despite his theological dis Scriptures alone be read. SiwV'wh' ijtutifiQr&Glefrt . |