Thank God for Martin Luther (Romans 10:17)
Gary McManus, 10/08/2017Part of the Words that Divide, Words that Unite series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
October 8, 2017 Romans 10:17:
“. . .faith comes from hearing the message, and
the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
Context of the statement:
--letters
--letters to churchES !
--Letters were read publicly, circulated, kept,
Perhaps even copies (there will not be “Bibles”
for another 100 years after Paul.)
The Bible the first Christians knew—the Old
Testament also was READ in the worship services.
Not everyone had a copy of the Bible.
Not even sure that all the believers could read!
“faith comes from hearing the message”
=reading/hearing of the Bible—the Old Testament and
= the preaching of the word and /or the preaching of Jesus
AND, it goes without saying, that the first churches were hearing the letter and the Old Testament in their own language—a language they could understand.
Until Martin Luther in Germany in 1517—500 years ago
. . .hearing God’s word in your own language had ceased.
Here at DCC we are celebrating the Protestant Reformation.
We take it for granted that the Bible is in English but should not.
Martin Luther was condemned and excommunicated
from the church.
Hear what the Emperor Charles V decreed:
But Prince Frederick of Saxony protected Luther.
Men died before and after Martin Luther in the struggle to bring God’s word into the language of the people: Johann Esch, Heinrich Voes, Luther’s followers, and before Luther, John Hus, John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Humphrey Monnmouth.
One more group suffered.
This one you should know about—a group you
already THINK you know something about.
They lived in England and in Dutch lands.
They read the Bible in English.
They prayed their own prayers and
they appointed their own clergy.
They wanted things so different from the official
Church, they were called separatists.
They tried to run from England.
Founding American, John Adams, said,
“Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost
the [MY] present Generation, to preserve your Freedom!
Celebrate today and every day that you have a Bible
in your own language. That faith can come as the
Apostle intended—from hearing.
Amen
Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
---|---|---|
« Jesus and the Bible | None | The Church and the Bible » |