Martin Luther Was -- Was Not

 

We have reached academic minor areas where Martin Luther has become a slightly known, seldom mentioned theologian from Europe and America.

I

First of all, Luther was the dominant teacher, preacher, and writer of the 16th century, the Pope being second fiddle.

II

Thanks to Zwingli and Calvin, both men chose to veer away from Luther while while setting up their own preferences. This led to the easier path for them and diluted the message of the Bible itself. Notice that multiplying the Bible versions also decreased clarity.

III

Therefore we now have Scriptural material - which is diluted, watered down, and confusing. Fifty years ago, my first Bible from a minister was given at an Augustana congregation, inexpensive and not King James Version. I pointed out two times that the printing itself was poorly made. It took some time to get the RSV, KJV, and other Bibles straightened out. However, many of us golden oldies are clear about the King James.

Few are the clergy who would publish this today!

The Hollowed Christendom, Forgotten Luther.Lost Third Spirit

 Lutherans now have little to say about the Reformation. The denominations are melted into one Protestant/Roman collection. For example, when I skim the Roman Catholic news, I find a mix of Mary and various Unitarians. 

Slightly different, the vague Protestants long for Rome, so they jump over the barriers and banners, complaining how dry and colorless their own people are. 

Let's go backwards! The Holy Spirit is the energy behind the hymns, liturgies, sermons, lessons, and prayers. 

Like St. Paul, Luther and Melanchthon included the Spirit's work with everything.

More to come - efficacy - the Spirit in the Word...

The Formula of Concord Confesses the Efficacy of the Visible Word

"The other eating of the body of Christ is oral or sacramental, when the true, essential body and blood of Christ are also orally received and partaken of in the Holy Supper, by all who eat and drink the consecrated bread and wine in the Supper--by the believing as a certain pledge and assurance that their sins are surely forgiven them, and Christ dwells and is efficacious in them, but by the unbelieving for the judgment and condemnation, as the words of the institution by Christ expressly declare when at the table and during the Supper He offers His disciples natural bread and natural wine, which He calls His true body and true blood, at the same time saying: Eat and drink. For in view of the circumstances this command evidently cannot be understood otherwise than of oral eating and drinking, however, not in a gross, carnal, Capernaitic, but in a supernatural, incomprehensible way; to which afterwards the other command adds still another and spiritual eating, when the Lord Christ says further: This do in remembrance of Me, where He requires faith [which is the spiritual partaking of Christ's body). "
Formula of Concord, SD, VII. #63. Holy Supper. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House 1921, p. 995. Tappert, p. 581. Heiser, p. 270.

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The majority sees symbolism rather than realizing efficacy.