Martin Luther Biography Essay
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483, in the town of Eisleben, Germany. His parents, Hans and Margarethe Luther, having some success in mining, were only considered to be a peasant family. Due to an abundance of ore deposits, the Luther family relocated to Mansfield in 1484.
In 1501, Martin Luther entered the University of Erfurt and earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy. While his goal seemed to be toward becoming a lawyer, Luther had a life-changing experience in 1505. He was caught in a horrible thunderstorm and he was afraid for his life. Luther, “…fell to the ground and cried: ‘St. Anne, mother of Mary, help me! I promise to become a monk!’” The storm subsided and he was saved. The decision to become a monk was difficult and …show more content…
greatly disappointed his father, but he felt he must keep a promise. Luther was also driven by fears of hell and God’s wrath and felt that life in a monastery would help him find salvation.
Through his studies of Scripture, Luther finally gained religious “enlightenment.” Beginning in 1515, he read, “The just will live by faith.” After dwelling on the phrase, Luther realized the key to spiritual salvation was not to be enslaved by religion; rather, to believe that faith alone would bring forth salvation.
This revelation marked the beginning of the Reformation in Luther’s mind.
In 1517, after the buying and selling of indulgences had reached a record height, Luther had taken enough. On October 31st, Luther nailed a sheet of paper with his Ninety-Five theses on the chapel door. Though he intended for this to be more of a discussion, the theses delivered a critical hit on the indulgences as corrupting people’s faith. Within a few weeks, copies had been spread throughout Germany and the rest of Europe.
In an attempt to stop Luther’s defiance, a meeting with Cardinal Thomas Cajetan was called in October of 1518, and Luther was demanded to recant his Ninety-Five Theses by the pope. Luther said he would not recant unless Scripture could prove him wrong. On January 3, 1521, Luther was officially excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church, and in March, he was summoned before the Diet of Worms. In the midst of this, he refused to recant his position and “…was placed under Imperial Ban” on May 8,
1521.
Luther then began organizing a new church: Lutheranism. In 1525, he married Katharina von Bora, a former nun who had abandoned the convent and taken refuge in Wittenberg. Together, they had six children. From 1533 to his death, Luther served as the Dean of Theology at the University of Wittenberg. During this time he suffered from many illnesses. While on a trip to Eisleben, he died on February 18, 1546, at age 62. While Martin Luther’s efforts took place nearly 400 years prior to the 10th Century Pentecostal movement, it made a great impact. His writings and theories concerning justification by faith became part of the foundation for future Pentecostal Doctrine.
In 1501, Martin Luther entered the University of Erfurt and earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy. While his goal seemed to be toward becoming a lawyer, Luther had a life-changing experience in 1505. He was caught in a horrible thunderstorm and he was afraid for his life. Luther, “…fell to the ground and cried: ‘St. Anne, mother of Mary, help me! I promise to become a monk!’” The storm subsided and he was saved. The decision to become a monk was difficult and …show more content…
greatly disappointed his father, but he felt he must keep a promise. Luther was also driven by fears of hell and God’s wrath and felt that life in a monastery would help him find salvation.
Through his studies of Scripture, Luther finally gained religious “enlightenment.” Beginning in 1515, he read, “The just will live by faith.” After dwelling on the phrase, Luther realized the key to spiritual salvation was not to be enslaved by religion; rather, to believe that faith alone would bring forth salvation.
This revelation marked the beginning of the Reformation in Luther’s mind.
In 1517, after the buying and selling of indulgences had reached a record height, Luther had taken enough. On October 31st, Luther nailed a sheet of paper with his Ninety-Five theses on the chapel door. Though he intended for this to be more of a discussion, the theses delivered a critical hit on the indulgences as corrupting people’s faith. Within a few weeks, copies had been spread throughout Germany and the rest of Europe.
In an attempt to stop Luther’s defiance, a meeting with Cardinal Thomas Cajetan was called in October of 1518, and Luther was demanded to recant his Ninety-Five Theses by the pope. Luther said he would not recant unless Scripture could prove him wrong. On January 3, 1521, Luther was officially excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church, and in March, he was summoned before the Diet of Worms. In the midst of this, he refused to recant his position and “…was placed under Imperial Ban” on May 8,
1521.
Luther then began organizing a new church: Lutheranism. In 1525, he married Katharina von Bora, a former nun who had abandoned the convent and taken refuge in Wittenberg. Together, they had six children. From 1533 to his death, Luther served as the Dean of Theology at the University of Wittenberg. During this time he suffered from many illnesses. While on a trip to Eisleben, he died on February 18, 1546, at age 62. While Martin Luther’s efforts took place nearly 400 years prior to the 10th Century Pentecostal movement, it made a great impact. His writings and theories concerning justification by faith became part of the foundation for future Pentecostal Doctrine.