Who was Martin Luther and how did his teachings differ with those of the Catholic Church?

Answer 1

Martin Luther was an Augustinian Friar, who supposedly was ordained to the priesthood in the early 16th century and taught theology. One day while sitting on the Friary's privy (outdoor toilet) he was struck with a novel idea that had never been thought of in Christianity before - that God did not care about his sins, and that since He send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for his sins, then He did not care about them, and it didn't matter how much he sinned, God would smuggle him into heaven anyway. Luther's mind, which was never far from the privy, thought of the example of a large pile of cow dung covered with snow - and that was how we were smuggled into heaven. We are the cow dung, and Christ covered us with the snow. Of course all of this is completely contrary to Christian teaching and the Bible, so Luther announced that his brand new teaching was based on the Bible Alone (Sole Scriptura) - another novel concept which was not only never thought of nor taught before, but was flat out impossible as there was no complete Bible until the end of the fifth century, and since Jesus neglected to invent the printed press AND neglected to tell His disciples to write a New Testament, was completely impossible until the fifteenth century when printing presses were finally invented.

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In addition to declaring that the Bible alone would be the basis of his new faith, he then proceeded to mutilate the Bible as it didn't support his new religion either. Thus he threw seven books out of the Old Testament, and a number out of the New Testament (including the only one where the words "faith" and "alone" are found together - unfortunately for Martin Luther with the word "NOT" in front of them - James 2:24) and then added words to other books to make them agree with him:

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"Martin Luther ADDED words to the Bible that were not there. When he was confronted with this sin of adding to the Bible he replied: "Because Dr. Martin Luther will have it so!" This man was one ego-maniac with delusions of popehood." (from An Open Letter on Translating By Martin Luther, 1530)

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"Romans 3:28 states, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (NKJV). Martin Luther, in his German translation of the Bible, specifically added the word "allein" (English 'alone') to Romans 3:28-a word that is not in the original Greek. Martin Luther reportedly said, "You tell me what a great fuss the Papists are making because the word alone in not in the text of Paul...say right out to him: 'Dr. Martin Luther will have it so,'...I will have it so, and I order it to be so, and my will is reason enough. I know very well that the word 'alone' is not in the Latin or the Greek text" (Stoddard J. Rebuilding a Lost Faith. 1922, pp. 101-102; see also Luther M. Amic. Discussion, 1, 127). This passage strongly suggests that Martin Luther viewed his opinions, and not the actual Bible as the primary authority--a concept which this author will name prima Luther."

Answer from a protestant

Luther differed from the catholic church in several ways.

He believed that there was no difference to god whether you were a layman or a member of the clergy.

The transubstination that catholics believe, when the bread and wine turn into body and blood. To luther this was untrue and that this part of the mass should only reinforce the message of the sacrifice nothing more. He also fought for the right for priests to marry, where before a priest would have a housekeeper who would have intimate relations and then their children would be bastards nothing more.

He also fought for the right to have mass in the common tongue, having translated the bible into german in 1521 when he was in hiding.

Luther believed that the pope did not have the power to interperate the scriptures but insisted that the bible spoke for its self and that the pope has no real authority on the matter.

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Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Church teaches only what was given to it by Our Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She has consistently taught this for over two thousand years with no changes, as she believes that she is a guardian of the truth, not its creator. Luther's teaching differed radically from this as he believed that he, personally, had the truth, not the Apostles, or the Church to whom Christ entrusted the truth, and thus he could dispense with various "truths", individual books of the Bible, or even rewrite books he kept in his Bible.

Answer 2

Martin Luther was an Augustinian friar in the early 16th century who had extreme emotional problems with his father. In fright during a severe thunderstorm, he promised God that he would enter the religious life if He spared his life. Luther lived and entered the Augustinian Order. He became a teacher of theology, we are told, but still had problems with God, whom he had transferred his feelings of an overbearing father from his father to God. Martin, despite severe penances and other unhealthy practices never felt worthy. He did, at one time, list 95 Theses, which he wanted to discuss, we still have them, you may view them at the link below. Most of them, however, are actually Catholic doctrine which goes to show how poorly educated and formed Martin Luther was. Finally, after having a bright idea one day while sitting in the Friary's outhouse, Martin Luther left the Order without seeking permission and started his own Church based on "faith alone". As this is found in only one place in The Bible, in the book of James: "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." (RSV James 2:24) Martin Luther wrote his own Bible throwing out the book of James and insert the word "alone" into Romans:

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from the website Beggars All: Reformation and Apologetics:

"Martin Luther ADDED words to the Bible that were not there. When he was confronted with this sin of adding to the Bible he replied: "Because Dr. Martin Luther will have it so!" This man was one ego-maniac with delusions of popehood."

"Romans 3:28 states, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (NKJV). Martin Luther, in his German translation of the Bible, specifically added the word "allein" (English 'alone') to Romans 3:28-a word that is not in the original Greek. Martin Luther reportedly said, "You tell me what a great fuss the Papists are making because the word alone in not in the text of Paul...say right out to him: 'Dr. Martin Luther will have it so,'...I will have it so, and I order it to be so, and my will is reason enough. I know very well that the word 'alone' is not in the Latin or the Greek text" (Stoddard J. Rebuilding a Lost Faith. 1922, pp. 101-102; see also Luther M. Amic. Discussion, 1, 127). This passage strongly suggests that Martin Luther viewed his opinions, and not the actual Bible as the primary authority--a concept which this author will name prima Luther."