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Martin Luther Page 21 MARTIN LUTHER PAGE 21 WEEK 5 - The Theses & The Tower Why The World Changed We start today right where we left off last Sunday. Martin Luther at the door of the Castle Church. We ALL know what happened there don’t we? Well today we’ll do a little ‘myth busting’ and learning. Our topic today is “The Theses” and “The Tower”. The Theses may be self explanatory, but the Tower may be a new concept for you. The Tower refers to what scholars call Luther’s Reformation Breakthrough or his encounter with the Gospel that changes his life…and ours. I’ve been waiting “All Glory Be to God Alone” for this, it’s going to be a fun hour! 1. All glory be to God alone, Forevermore the Highest One, Who doth our sinful race befriend And grace and peace to us extend. Thesis and Theses Among mankind may His good will All hearts with deep thanksgiving fll the·sis noun (Hymn builds to the last two verses) plural noun: theses 5. Thou only art the Holy One; 1. A statement or theory that is put forward as a premise Thou art o'er all things Lord alone. to be maintained or proved O Jesus Christ, we glorify Thee only as the Lord Most High; Thou art, the Holy Ghost with Thee, One in the Father's majesty. The posting of theses was a common occurrence in all universities at this time. From the University of Wittenberg Statutes (1502): “the rights of the doctor [Teacher] 6 Amen, this ever true shall be, include the right to hold disputations on any subject and to preside over the As angels sing adoringly. granting of degrees, for which a candidate had to defend theses written by his By all creation, far and wide, teacher”. The theses were to be posted, “on the doors of the churches in town.” Thou, Lord, art ever glorifed; And Thee all Christendom doth praise Now and through everlasting days. Just weeks before the “95 Theses” on October 31, 1517 - Luther had a “97 Theses Behold, His glory flleth all the earth!" on Scholastic Theology “ posted on September 4th that his student Franz Günther The beams and lintels trembled at the defended. The “97 Theses” is actually more controversial to the Roman Catholic Curia yet there is no recorded response. However within weeks of the posting of the “95 Theses” on Indulgence all of Saxony and every major city in Germany was Words & Music by Martin Luther 1 in an uproar… How and why did this happen? Let’s look at the background… (1537) The Jubilee Indulgence : The Players The Indulgence controversy that inspired Luther’s “95 Theses” was an elaborate secret in·dul·gence scheme between Albert of Brandenburg and Pope Leo X. Leo sold the vacant Archbishop 2. historical of Mainz position (His third position) to (in the Roman Catholic Church) Albert for 10,000 gold ducats that he a grant by the Pope of remission of the temporal punishment in borrowed from the bank to pay. Leo and purgatory still due for sins after Albrecht of Mainz Pope Leo X Albert agreed to sell a new “Plenary” Jubilee absolution. The unrestricted sale Indulgence in Albert’s territories. The of indulgences by pardoners was proceeds would be split 50/50 half to Albert a widespread abuse during the to repay the loan and half to Leo to build St. later Middle Ages. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. This was unknown to anyone at the time… St. Peter’s Basilica PA G E 2 2 ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL Actual Jubilee Indulgence from 1517 “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, a soul out of purgatory springs” Treasury of Merit Roman Catholic Catechism Name Date 1476 “This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They Johann Tetzel - (1465 - 1519) are truly immense, “with this document and the giving of the monies for it, Location unfathomable, and even pristine gives full and complete remission of sins.” in their value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers At this time the selling of indulgences was and good works of all the saints, common place in the church. The real abuse all those who have followed in here is the fact that, 1. No contrition was the footsteps of Christ the either expected or asked for. 2. The transfer Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out of title to others. 3. The assumption of sins the mission in the unity of the forgiven other than penance satisfed. Mystical Body.” 2003 Tetzel 1953 Tetzel 1471 “An indulgence is a remission before God of the Luther’s 95 Theses temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been We ALL know what really happened don’t we? It could be time for some “myth busting”. forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed Questions? conditions through the action of the Church which, as the 1. Did it Really Happen? minister of redemption, 2. Was it Actually Nailed? dispenses and applies with 3. What Was Luther’s Intent? authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the 4. What Were Luther’s Expectations? saints.”2 5. Why October 31, 1517? 5. What Does it Actually Say? The Pope Owns The Treasury Luther not only posted the 95 Theses in Content of The Theses Wittenberg, he sent a copy of them and a letter to Archbishop Albrecht on 10/31/1517 “The distribution of the merits contained in the treasury of the Usually the first reaction after the reading the 95 Theses is something like, “Is that Church is an exercise of it?” There is really no critique of the Roman Catholic Church. There is no critique authority (potestas of the practice of Indulgences only questions about their abuse. There is no critique iurisdictionis), not of the power of, or the questioning of, the reality of Purgatory. There is really nothing in the conferred by Holy orders (potestas ordinis). Hence the Theses that gives a hint of what is to come. In short, there is no “smoking gun” pope, as supreme head of the Church on earth, can grant all It is the unlikely “reaction” to the Theses that sets snowball rolling down the hill. kinds of indulgences to any and all of the faithful; and he alone 3 Immediate Aftermath can grant plenary indulgences.” Not knowing the “arrangement” with the Pope, not only does Luther post the Theses on the Castle Church door, he the same day 10/31/1517. The same day he sends a copy and a personal letter to Albrecht humbly asking him to to look into the matter. Within 2 weeks additional printers are printing versions of the Theses in both Latin and German… It has become the 16th Century version of the “Walking Dead” The world literally changes - the age of mass communication has broken the separation of class, education, a fire has started that feeds off itself and is still ablaze. MARTIN LUTHER PAGE 23 The Age of Celebrity & The Best Seller Begins Within weeks after posting the Theses, all of Germany is a buzz with the “monk in Wittenberg. Luther quickly pens an explanation of the 95 Theses and dedicates it with a letter to Pope Leo. Luther’s purpose was clearly pastoral. When the noise does not die down Luther writes a short and simple book in German called “A Sermon on Indulgences and Grace”. From April through December of 1518 It goes through 13 printings (13,000 copies) in less than 30 days of its release, and becomes the most popular book ever printed. Luther went from being an unknown monk in an out of the way town to becoming the most popular person in Europe in the span of only a few months. He did not predict it, plan it, expect it, nor at the time even want it … That is the real story of Martin Luther and the Dawn of the Reformation. Luther himself will later say that, “The word did it Luther’s “Breakthrough” / “Breakout” Turmerlebnis The “Tower Experience” The Reformation “Breakthrough” of Martin Luther his “Salvation experience” is one of the most discussed and debated aspects of Luther’s life. Luther discusses it several times in Table Talk and at length in his preface to the first published “Works of Luther” in 1545. Luther’s “Breakthrough” can actually be described as his “A Sermon on understanding and embracing of the Gospel of Christ alone (Justification by Indulgences and Grace” Faith)and his “Breakout” from the Roman Catholic belief and practice of “Penance”. In reality a “new faith”, and a “new practice”. It would very soon demand both a new It was 8 pages, 1500 words, 20 “Religion” and a new “Church”. short 2+ sentence paragraphs and written in the language of How and when did this take place? The simple answer is… No one knows! It is very the common people. It strange that of the 2 principal “magisterial” Reformers, Luther and Calvin, there is became the frst “Best Seller” very little known of the exact details of when they came to trust Christ alone for their and cultural media sensation. Salvation. As far as Luther goes we know how - here is his testimony being in his Even people who could not “Tower” at the Augustinian Monastery studying Romans 1:17 read bought the book. For the “I began to understand that in this verse the justice of God is that by which the just person frst time for sale on the lives by a gift of God, that is by faith.
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