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Lutheran
The Lutheran branch of Christianity was named after one of the earliest Protestants, Martin Luther. His thesis, which asked questions about the beliefs of the Catholic church, was nailed to the cathedral door. Some Lutherans believe 'The Book of Concord,' published in 1580, contains authoritative explanations of Scripture.
617 Questions
What helped Martin Luther break away from the Catholic Church?
Neither Martin Luther King, Sr. nor Martin Luther King Jr. ever broke away from the Catholic Church. They were both ever Baptists, and never Catholics. It was correctly the man they had been named after, Martin Luther, who had the controversy with the Catholic Church five hundred years earlier. Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. They turned him away. He did not leave them.
What 5 of martin luthers protets against the catholic church?
Luther openly questioned the teachings of the Roman Catholic church, in particular, the nature of penance, the authority of the pope, papal abuses, the usefulness and sale of "indulgences" and the importance of "works" over "grace".
What are the 95 theses of Luther?
DISPUTATION OF DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER
ON THE POWER AND EFFICACY OF
INDULGENCES
OCTOBER 31, 1517
Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light,
the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg,
under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther,
Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in
Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that
those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us,
may do so by letter.
In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam
agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be
repentance.
2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance,
i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by
the priests.
3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no
inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers
mortifications of the flesh.
4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as
hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward
repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom
of heaven.
5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any
penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his
own authority or by that of the Canons.
6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that
it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God's
remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases
reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in
such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely
unforgiven.
7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same
time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His
vicar, the priest.
8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and,
according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.
9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us,
because in his decrees he always makes exception of the
article of death and of necessity.
10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who,
in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for
purgatory.
11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of
purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown
while the bishops slept.
12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not
after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.
13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are
already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be
released from them.
14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the
imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity,
great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.
15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say
nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of
purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.
16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair,
almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.
17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror
should grow less and love increase.
18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that
they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of
increasing love.
19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all
of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness,
though we may be quite certain of it.
20. Therefore by "full remission of all penalties" the pope
means not actually "of all," but only of those imposed by
himself.
21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who
say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every
penalty, and saved;
22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which,
according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this
life.
23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission
of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission
can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very
fewest.
24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the
people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding
promise of release from penalty.
25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over
purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate
has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.
26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in
purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not
possess), but by way of intercession.
27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles
into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].
28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the
money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result
of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God
alone.
29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be
bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and
Paschal.
30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much
less that he has attained full remission.
31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also
the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most
rare.
32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their
teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation
because they have letters of pardon.
33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the
pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man
is reconciled to Him;
34. For these "graces of pardon" concern only the penalties of
sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.
35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that
contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls
out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.
36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full
remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of
pardon.
37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in
all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is
granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.
38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the
blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in
no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the
declaration of divine remission.
39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest
theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people
the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.
40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal
pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at
least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].
41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest
the people may falsely think them preferable to other good
works of love.
42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend
the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of
mercy.
43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor
or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;
44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes
better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more
free from penalty.
45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in
need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons,
purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation
of God.
46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more
than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary
for their own families, and by no means to squander it on
pardons.
47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is
a matter of free will, and not of commandment.
48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting
pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for
him more than the money they bring.
49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are
useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether
harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.
50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the
exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St.
Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be
built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.
51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's
wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many
of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money,
even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.
52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain,
even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself,
were to stake his soul upon it.
53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the
Word of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order
that pardons may be preached in others.
54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon,
an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this
Word.
55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons,
which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell,
with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which
is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred
bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.
56. The "treasures of the Church," out of which the pope.
grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among
the people of Christ.
57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident,
for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so
easily, but only gather them.
58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even
without the pope, these always work grace for the inner man,
and the cross, death, and hell for the outward man.
59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were
the Church's poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the
word in his own time.
60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given
by Christ's merit, are that treasure;
61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of
reserved cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.
62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of
the glory and the grace of God.
63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes
the first to be last.
64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is
naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.
65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which
they formerly were wont to fish for men of riches.
66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they
now fish for the riches of men.
67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the "greatest
graces" are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote
gain.
68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared
with the grace of God and the piety of the Cross.
69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of
apostolic pardons, with all reverence.
70. But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and
attend with all their ears, lest these men preach their own
dreams instead of the commission of the pope.
71 . He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let
him be anathema and accursed!
72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the
pardon-preachers, let him be blessed!
73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art,
contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.
74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who
use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love
and truth.
75. To think the papal pardons so great that they could
absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and
violated the Mother of God -- this is madness.
76. We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not
able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as its
guilt is concerned.
77. It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could
not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter
and against the pope.
78. We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and
any pope at all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit,
the Gospel, powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written
in I. Corinthians xii.
79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms,
which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal
worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.
80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk
to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.
81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy
matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to
the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of
the laity.
82. To wit: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the
sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are
there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake
of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former
reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."
83. Again: -- "Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the
dead continued, and why does he not return or permit the
withdrawal of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it
is wrong to pray for the redeemed?"
84. Again: -- "What is this new piety of God and the pope,
that for money they allow a man who is impious and their enemy
to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God, and
do not rather, because of that pious and beloved soul's own
need, free it for pure love's sake?"
85. Again: -- "Why are the penitential canons long since in
actual fact and through disuse abrogated and dead, now
satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were
still alive and in force?"
86. Again: -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day
greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one
church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the
money of poor believers?"
87. Again: -- "What is it that the pope remits, and what
participation does he grant to those who, by perfect
contrition, have a right to full remission and participation?"
88. Again: -- "What greater blessing could come to the Church
than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now
does once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and
participations?"
89. "Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of
souls rather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences
and pardons granted heretofore, since these have equal
efficacy?"
90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by
force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to
expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their
enemies, and to make Christians unhappy.
91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the
spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily
resolved; nay, they would not exist.
92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people
of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace!
93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of
Christ, "Cross, cross," and there is no cross!
94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in
following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and
hell;
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather
through many tribulations, than through the assurance of
peace. See the links below
Martin Luther initiated what religious movement?
German theologian Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation in the early 16th century. It was an attempt to reform the Catholic Church.
Why did matin Luther believe that christians are saved by faith alone and christ alone?
He meant that the Christian is Not saved by the works they do, (although it does not hurt to do good works for your fellow human beings). He meant that the Christian is saved because they accept Jesus as the Christ and Savior, and that He died on the cross to save the human race from being held accountable for their sins. There are no works a human being can do to save themselves. They must accept Jesus as their savior and live a Christian live in order to be saved.
What was the date that Luther wrote his theses?
Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door on Oct. 31, 1517. He started them in 1517 after the sale of Indulgences to the members of his Church he became angered by the false promises they made. So he penned the Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences (95 theses).
What month day and year Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the church door?
Unfortunately, we can never be quite sure of what happened 500 years ago, but it is common Lutheran belief that he did thus on 'mid years day' which commonly referred to as one of the four following dates:
- 15th June
- 16th June
- 21st June
- 25th June
Anonymous.
What is the difference between a Pastor and a Minister in the Lutheran Church?
Both terms are used to describe clergy in the Protestant church. The terms are two different ways to look at the work of the clergy. The term "pastor" refers etimologicly
to the picture of a shepherd: one who guides, feeds and guards his flock. The term "minister" refers more to the administrator of the congregation
Who owns convents and monasteries?
The church that is associated with that particular convent or monastery owns it.
Everywhere. Lutheranism was created in Germany in the 1500's by Martin Luther but there are churches all over the place.
Does Lutheranism support same-sex marriage?
No, it does not. The Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) is one of the most conservative Lutheran groups in the United States. It was founded in 1918 by several congregations of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America who refused to be in fellowship with other congregations of the larger church body that permitted errant doctrine to be taught. This conservative breakaway group became the ELS. Due to its ultra-conservative nature, it almost goes without saying that it would not permit same-sex marriage.
What is the main difference in practice between Methodists Lutherans and Episcopalians?
The biggest difference among the 3 is style of worship. The Episcopal Church is a bridge between the Roman Catholic and Protestants. It is rich in tradition and rituals. The majority of Episcopal churches are "high church", meaning being formal and adhering to a liturgical practice. The United Methodists are a direct ofshoot of the Episcopal church and shares most of its beliefs and doctrine. Unlike the Episcopal church, the United Methodists have been more willing to adopt contemporary styles of worship, including praise bands and the like. You will find many UMC that are liturgical and are somewhat formal in their worship. The Lutherans are somewhat in the middle of the other 2. All three are sacramental, believe in the Apostolic Succession, and have ordained ministries. All 3 are in a formal communion with each other-allowing for shared preaching and celebrating the sacraments.
How did Martin Luther's ideas spread so quickly?
He was a teacher in a place where Monks studied and his ideas about the Church were converted during that stay, he preached what he knew
When did the Lutheran Church ministries start?
It is uncertain what the question means, but the Lutheran church began in Australia with the arrival of the first group of German settlers escaping from persecution of King Friedrich Wilhelm in Prussia.
21 German Lutheran refugees arrived on the ship 'Bengalee' on 18 November 1838, followed two days later by the main group on the 'Prince George'. They first settled at the town of Klemzig in South Australia.
Do Lutherans believe in free will?
The Reformation Calvinists did not believed in free will; they believed that God had already chosen those who were to be saved. One could prove to oneself and others that one was among the chosen by working hard and making lots of money.
Where is Lutheran General Hospital located?
Lutheran General Hospital is located in Chicago, Illinois in park ridge on 1775 Dempster street. It is rated one the top 50 in the United States for its medical excellence.
from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994
2089 Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. "Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him." (Codex Iuris Canonici, canon 751: emphasis added.)
from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980
Heresy. Commonly refers to a doctrinal belief held in opposition to the recognized standards of an establish system of thought. Theologically it means an opinion at variance with the authorized teachings of any church, notably the Christian, and especially when this promotes separation from the main body of faithful believers.
In the Roman Catholic Church, heresy has a very specific meaning. Anyone who, after receiving baptism, while remaining nominally a Christian, pertinaciously denies or doubts any of the truths that must be believed with divine and Catholic faith is considered a heretic. Accordingly four elements must be verified to constitute formal heresy; previous valid baptism, which need not have been in the Catholic Church; external profession of still being a Christian, otherwise a person becomes an apostate; outright denial or positive doubt regarding a truth that the Catholic Church has actually proposed as revealed by God; and the disbelief must be morally culpable, where a nominal Christian refuses to accept what he knows is a doctrinal imperative.
Objectively, therefore, to become a heretic in the strict canonical sense and be excommunicated from the faithful, one must deny or question a truth that is taught not merely on the authority of the Church but on the word of God revealed in the Scriptures or sacred tradition. Subjectively a person must recognize his obligation to believe. If he acts in good faith, as with most persons brought up in non-Catholic surroundings, the heresy is only material and implies neither guilt nor sin against faith. (Etym. Latin haeresis, from the Greek hairesis, a taking, choice, sect, heresy.)
Why did the Lutheranism church split?
from Martin at Yahoo Answers:
Like John Hasse said, the Lutherans made it 377 years and then split over insurance. What a load.
I think "WELS and Other Lutherans" state it best. "Lutheranism moved from Europe to America by means of a long series of migrations, which spanned three centuries. The immigrants founded dozens of Lutheran church bodies, which preached the gospel in nearly a dozen languages. Through the years these groups experienced a bewildering array of mergers, splits and reconciliations." Also remember that the Evangelical Free and the Evangelical Covenant churches were mainly comprised of Lutherans that did not affiliate themselves with Lutheran synods in the United States.
The ELCA and the LCMS comprise 94% of Lutherans in the United States, the WELS and ELS comprise 5%, and the rest comprise of smaller synodical conferences.
I think that the Lutheran churches in the United States can be lumped into three categories, Liberal Protestant, Confessional Lutheran and what remains of Lutheran Pietism. I will concentrate on Liberal Protestant and Confessionalism because they are the most prevalent.
The Liberal Protestant (like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) can be described as following:
1. Questioning or denying the inerrancy of the Bible
2. Questioning or denying the divinity of Jesus Christ or the members of the Trinity.
3. Acceptance of popular moral or social teachings
4. Movement away from teaching of the Lutheran Confessions (Book of Concord)
5. Ordination of Women and openly homosexual in the priesthood.
6. Heavy emphasis on Ecumenicism
7. Departure from the teach of Justification through Faith. It is either taught that man can save himself or that man is really not that bad and doesn't need to be saved.
8. Departure from moral absolute truths.
9. Movement toward Universalism.
Confessional Lutherans (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Church of Lutheran Confession) can be described as:
1. Believe that Scriptures are the sole authority on faith and Christian living. With out error and unified. Therefore, they do not ordain Women or openly homosexuals into the priesthood.
2. The Scriptures are God's revelation, which is Christ, centered with two main messages, the Law and the Gospel.
3. Believe that the three ecumenical creeds (the Apostles', the Nicene, and the Athanasian) as well as the Lutheran Confessions as contained in the Book of Concord of 1580 express the true doctrine of Scripture. Since the doctrines they confess are drawn from Scripture alone, we are bound to them in our faith and life. Therefore all preaching and teaching in our churches and schools must be in harmony with these confessions, and we reject all the errors that they reject.
4. Affirm the doctrine of Original Sin and that man is not basically good not only corrupted by the world and cannot save himself.
5. Affirm Justification by Grace through Faith.
6. Believe that unity in Christian Doctrine is necessary for establishing Christian Fellowship with other Synods or Denominations.
Synodical Conference:
It can be noted that the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod were in communion with each other in the Synodical Conference until 1963. The WELS suspended fellowship with the LCMS over differences on the Office of the Ministry, the LCMS's extension of fellowship with the forerunners of ELCA (varying views on church fellowship) and the LCMS allowing members to join the Boy Scouts. Prior to the WELS suspending fellowship with the LCMS, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod broke of fellowship with the LCMS in 1955 and broke off from the Synodical Conference in 1963 with the WELS. The Concordia Lutheran Conference split from the LCMS in 1956, but still holds to the LCMS doctrinal positions as ratified from 1932. The Church of Lutheran Confession split from the WELS in 1960, prior to the WELS suspending fellowship with the LCMS. I think it can also be said that the the more liberal elements that appeared to cause the majority of problems for the LCMS in the Synodical Conference left the LCMS in 1974 under the auspices of Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (research Concordia's "Seminex"), which later merged into the ELCA in 1988.
The Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod are currently in fellowship with each other.
American Association of Lutheran Churches- congregations from the American Lutheran Church that resisted the merger with the ELCA.
Association of Free Lutheran Congregations- congregations from the Lutheran Free Church that resisted the merger with the American Lutheran Church.
Church of Lutheran Brethren- congregations from the United Norwegian Lutheran Church that resisted merger into the Lutheran Free Church (see above).
Lutheran Confessional Synod split from the ELCA in 1994 to be a haven from confessional congregations leaving the ELCA. They were in brief fellowship with the WELS and the ELS, but broke off fellowship over differences in the doctrines of the Lord's Supper and the Ministry.
Protes'tant Conference split the WELS in 1920
Lutheran Churches of the Reformation formed from the members left over from the Orthodox Lutheran Conference, when member congregations split to form the Concordia Lutheran Conference.
A very good book to read on the subject is WELS and Other Lutherans from Northwestern Publishing House.
http://online.nph.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?10...
What is the traditional Lutheran clothing?
If you mean when they are attending service, then it entirely depends on the individual church. Some churches are very formal, while others are more relaxed. At any Lutheran church, though, you will see everything from jeans to suits. There is no dress code.
When was Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod created?
Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod was created in 1820.
