Luther on the Doctrine of the Church

Definition. The church is, namely, a communion of saints, that is, a crowd or
assembly of people who are Christians and holly which is called Christian holy
assembly, or Church. (Luther The Reform of the Church, Part in Lull, !"#$!"%&
Emphasis on the Word of God. Luther's early (iews on the nature of the
church reflect his emphasis on the )ord of *od+ the )ord of *od ,oes forth
con-uerin,, and where(er it con-uers and ,ains true obedience to *od is the church.
The (isible church is constituted by the preachin, of the )ord of *od+ no
human assembly may claim to be the 'church of *od' unless it is founded on this
,ospel. (.c*rath, Ibid.&.
Nature of the Church. /o human assembly may claim to be the church of
*od unless it is founded on the ,ospel. (0'Re,,io&
Seven marks of the true church. 1or Luther the heart of the matter is the
concept of church as ecclesia $ neither buildin, nor institution nor structure, but the
,athered con,re,ation, the people of *od. 2ut amon, the many communities
claimin, to bear the name of Christ, how can the true church be reco,ni3ed4 Luther
proposes se(en mar5s+
%. possession of the holy )ord of *od
6. the holy sacrament of baptism
7. the holy sacrament of the altar
". the office of the 5eys (absolution for sin&
!. the office of ministry (includin, bishops and pastors&
8. prayer, public praise, and than5s,i(in, to *od
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;. possession of the sacred cross$that is, e<perience of sufferin, (Luther 0n
the Councils and the Church$Part in Lull, "%6&
Luthers community as gift and as task. Community rests upon the fact that
Christ=s sacrifice of lo(e ma5es belie(ers one body+
$ >elf ceases
$ 1ull sharin, of life throu,h lo(e
$ Participation in this community in(ol(es e(ery member in a simultaneous ,ift,
or tas5, ,race and callin, (0'Re,,io&
Corruption of medieval church. The early reformers were con(inced that the
medie(al church had become corrupted and its doctrine distorted throu,h a
departure from >cripture on the one hand and throu,h human additions to >cripture
on the other. (.c*rath, Reformation Thou,ht, 6#6&
Distinction et!een priests and laity. ?lon,side this (iew of the nature of
the church, Luther set a new understandin, of the role of indi(idual Christians.
)hereas the medie(al church ar,ued for an absolute distinction between priests and
laity, Luther insisted that the distinction in -uestion was functional not ontolo,ical.
(.c*rath, op. cit.&.
" ne! church. The last thin, in the world Luther wanted to do was start a new
church. Luther was not an inno(ator but a reformer. @e ne(er considered himself
anythin, other than a true and faithful member of the one, holy, catholic, apostolic
church.
?s a doctor of the >cripture and as a pastor of souls, @e protested the abuse
of indul,ences (The A! theses of )ittenber,& and was catapulted in a maBor conflict
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with the Catholic Church. @is successi(e radical acts ,enerated a schism in western
Christendom, a wound ne(er healed.
@e re(olted a,ainst the church for the sa5e of the church, a,ainst a corrupt
church for the sa5e of the Ctrue, ancient church, one body and one communion
of saints with the holy, uni(ersal, Christian church.C (*eor,e, Theolo,y of the
Reformers, !A$;6&.
Conclusion. Christ will preser(e his church. t is (ery dear. to @im. 2ecause
it is built on Christ, who is its Corner$stone, the church will endure fore(er. The false
church will not endure. *od's floc5 and its doctrine persistD *od stren,thens and
upholds it a,ainst all foes, a,ainst >atan and >atan's 5in,dom, in all time of trouble.
.any claims are made, falsely, by those who ''boast of bein, *od's peopleC or C
?braham's childrenC spiritually, but the fact is that Conly those who hear .y )ord'' are
*od's children in truth. t is these whom @e will preser(e. To boast that you are
*od's creature, will not sa(e you. *od made the Ri(er Elbe, @e made apples, @e
made trees, @e made youD but that will not sa(e you. )hat counts is to belon, to
Christ by faith in @im.C This is the ,lory of the church, that it has no teacher and
bishop but Christ who alone rules o(er @is church throu,h @is >pirit and @is *ospelC.
(9lu,, Luther on the Church, 6#"&
#iliography.
Timothy 1. Lull, ed. Martin Luthers Basic Theological Writings.
Timothy *eor,e. Theology of the Reformers. 2roadman, 6##7.
?lister E. .c*rath. Reformation Thought: An Introduction. 7
rd
ed.
Tre(or 0'Re,,io. PowerPoint presentation.
Eu,ene 9lu,, Luther on the hurch, CTF, Guly %AH7 (ol. ";, no.7, %A7$6#;.
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