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Staupitz, Frederick the Wise, Spalatin, Erasmus, Melanchthon and Katherine Von Bora Were Such People

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Staupitz, Frederick the Wise, Spalatin, Erasmus, Melanchthon and Katherine Von Bora Were Such People HERE WE STAND, BY REV. HERB HOFF Men and women who helped shape the evangelical movement; those surrounding Martin Luther and the Reformation by David Churness. n my years of being a life long Lutheran Christian, I knew a great deal about the life of Martin Luther. The I book Here I Stand by Roland Bainton, the Luther film and many illustrations in sermons, told of Luther’s life and struggles. The minor figures of the Reformation period fascinated me. I realized that in the Providence of God, a great many people had an important role to play in the Reformation. Staupitz, Frederick the Wise, Spalatin, Erasmus, Melanchthon and Katherine Von Bora were such people. I am rather persuaded that Martin Luther could not have accomplished the Reformation alone. JOHANN VON STAUPITZ Without Staupitz, Martin Luther probably would not have discovered God’s grace in Jesus Christ! But first, who was Staupitz? Johann von Staupitz joined the monastic order of the Augustinian Hermits. He was a Doctor of Holy Scripture. He was the organizer of the University of Wittenberg and the first dean of the theological faculty. He was Martin Luther’s superior in the Augustinian Order. Johann von Staupitz induced Luther to be his successor as professor of Bible in 1512. Staupitz was theologically a Thomist and a mystic, but held very closely to Scripture. Now how did Staupitz aid Luther’s search for a gracious God? He exhorted Luther not to confess his sin so often or so much. Luther is known to have confessed his sins for as much as six hours at a time. He encouraged Luther to concentrate on God’s grace and comfort. He told Luther to look to Jesus more and not to concentrate on himself. He encouraged Luther to study theology and get his doctorate. He encouraged Luther in his Biblical studies, especially Psalms and Romans. He told Luther that God was not angry with him. But Luther could not accept that until 1513 when he discovered “Justification by faith”. Staupitz was in agreement with much of Luther’s thoughts. He acknowledged the abuses in the Church, the priority of faith in salvation, the importance of Holy Scripture, and the Grace and Love of God. Being an Augustinian, his view on the sovereignty of God Bruno Ganz as Staupitz would have been very similar to Luther’s view. in Luther. Staupitz loved Luther immensely as a father would his son. He was his mentor and a brother in Christ. In 1518 he absolved Luther from his vow of obedience in order to protect him. Staupitz resigned as vicar-general of the Order when the Papal See suspected him of being an adherent of Luther. At one point, Staupitz wanted Luther to join him in some remote place, live away from all controversy, worship Christ, and die in peace. I believe that Staupitz was quite evangelical and knew and trusted Christ. Luther was extremely indebted to Staupitz and there was much love between these two men. Johan von Staupitz could not leave the institution of the Roman Catholic Church and so their lives separated. Staupitz died as Abbott of St. Peter’s Benedictine monastery in Salzburg on December 28, 1525. These articles on the people of the evangelical movement can help us to grow in appreciation for those who confessed the faith that we share. David Churness is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, CA. He wrote this series for the Trinity Newsletter in 2006. .
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