Jesus claims to be God
As I write this, we’re coming up on Halloween. Known to some American Protestants as “Reformation Day”. And while I love my Protestant friends, I can’t help but think of how history may have been different had Luther not been the first trick-or-treater in Wittenberg.
To read my previous article, go here; Are you ready to follow Jesus?
To check out my podcast episode that was just completely for fun and I am sure I screwed up on, go here; Accents!
Now, I have to qualify this, as my father was Lutheran. I also have to qualify that a lot of places that became Lutheran on the continent of Europe, didn’t really know that they’d become Protestant.
There is, in some sense, a similarity to the Church of England separating from Rome. A lot of people in England didn’t know there was a break (it’s not like news travelled as fast in those days).
So, on the continent, you still had people holding to Catholic devotions and beliefs and whatnot. And, contrary to popular belief, the Gospel was well known to the general public (Passion Plays).
Much of what modern Anglophone Protestants believe about Luther come from the (highly mythologized) film, “Luther”. (This has a brief mention of it, as well as going deeper into Luther’s thought than I ever could, “By Faith Alone?” Part I)
But what bothers me, is adding to Scripture. Catholics are often (and unfairly) accused of changing God’s word by “adding” books to the Bible (note: the original KJV version had all seven of those “extra” books, plus a few actual apocrypha), yet, while Luther called the deuterocanon “Apocrypha”, in his own backhanded way. He kind of accepted them as being biblical, (Luther being Luther), here’s a video on the problem with trusting Wikipedia on Luther’s own views on The Bible; Wikipedia: Luther's First Edition Omitted the "Apocrypha"
Anyway, let’s read what Romans 3:28 says…in Greek. Romans 3:28
If you followed the link, you’ll note something; the word “alone” is nowhere in the text. It is something that Luther himself added.
For, whatever reason, a lot of Catholics say not to use these verses in Revelation, “I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book; if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book”. (Revelation 22:18-19)
And while it is referring to the Book of Revelation, I fail to see how it doesn’t also apply to other parts of the Bible. And the reformers kind of acknowledged in their own backhanded way that that’s what they were doing.
They didn’t like Revelation all that much, as a matter of fact. Luther’s Radical Views on the Biblical Canon
There is an orthodox sense in which one can use the term “faith alone”, however, Luther wasn’t the first to hold it in a heretical sense. Pelagius went too far in the other direction with that one. Pelagius and Pelagianism
So, what is the point of all of this? Christendom is divided. And it doesn’t have to be so. If we all share in “One Lord, One faith, One baptism”, (Ephesians 4:5) so, why are we so divided?
Yes, the break of Lutherans from Catholics wasn’t the first schism in Christendom (it’s not even the longest lasting), but, somehow, I feel like Protestants are my long lost brothers, whom I don’t always understand, think they’re good people, often, but go around dissing my mom behind my back.
I’m sure that made sense to no one but me.
Ultimately, though, my point is this. The Reformation didn’t have to happen. Contrary to what many American Protestants think, Luther did NOT believe in religious freedom. Luther’s Attitudes on Religious Liberty (Roland H. Bainton)
For, whatever reason, many have made a hero out of this man, and all I am doing is reporting facts.
Luther, 1) Added to the Bible, 2) didn’t believe in religious freedom, 3) caused one of the greatest breaks in Christendom.
That’s not something to celebrate.
Adam Charles Hovey is the founder of the Catholicism, news, and whatever community and host of the weekly Bible study, Coffee and Christianity
* All scripture quotes are from the Revised Standard Version Bible, Ignatius Edition, Copyright 2006, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.