This is another snippet from the CARM discussion, "Who Gave the Reformers Authority?"


You forget the Church Came before the bible!

No, God is the primary author of Scripture. He is the source behind it. The same Gospel in the New Testament was preached in the Old Testament (Gal. 3:5-14). The basic Gospel truths were based on the Old Testament, and were later inscripturated in the writing of the New Testament. The doctrine was the same before it was written. As William Whitaker pointed out long ago, the Word of God is the seed of the church. The seed is more ancient. For a detailed look at this argument see: David King, Holy Scripture: The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith (WA: Christian Resources inc, 2001) p.130-136.

How do you know what constitutes the New Testament canon?

Since God is the primary author of his Word, I trust in his divine providence to reveal His word to His church. So, I “know,” because God has spoken.

How do you know for certain that these 27 books here in your New Testament are in fact inspired and should be in the New Testament?

This is basically the question of an atheist. It assumes that God does not have purposes in revealing His Word, and that He is incapable of protecting and preserving that Word. The canon is the result of God’s purposes. It is God who preserves His Word for His church. The Church, or the people of God, hear the voice of God. If the people of God are indwelt with the Spirit of God, would it not make sense that they will hear the voice of God when He speaks?

But this does not mean the people of God must be infallible in order to hear it. The Roman Catholic Church did not have an infallible declaration of the canon until 1546, yet, we find the people God previous to this able to know and use Scripture. In other words, the question assumes the need for an infallible Church to announce the canon, but when this paradigm is used to interpret church history, it fails to make sense of reality.

Also, you may wish to contact Catholic apologist Gary Michuta, a Catholic canon expert. He believes that certain books not included in the current catholic canon, yet included in the Septuagint, may be canonical, or possibly not, because Trent left particular books undecided as to their canonicty. So, according to Michuta, you can’t have certainty even with your infallible interpreter.

And how do you know for certain that maybe some inspired books haven’t been left out of the canon?

Again, another question of an atheist. As Dr. White has pointed out:“The entire idea of ‘lost scripture’ requires us to believe that God would go through the work of inspiring His word so as to provide for His church guidance and instruction and encouragement; but then, having inspired His Word, be shown incapable of protecting and preserving it and leading His church to recognize if for what it is” (Scripture Alone, p.116). So what your asking me is if God is a poor steward of his very own Word. I trust in God’s providence and sovereignty. The Church trusts in God to sovereignly preserve his Word.Usually atheist balks about certainty. If one begins that God does not exist, nothing can be known with certainty. But as a Christian, I begin with “God exists”. Thus, as John writes, “these are written so that you may believe”. God promises that His Word will cause belief. I trust God can do this. Do you?

Where in Scripture do we find some doctrines listed as essential, others as ‘secondary’? The answer is: ‘nowhere’.

Another point of an atheist. This is exactly what an atheist would argue: that God can’t write a decent book. The essential doctrines are about Christ and His work. The entire Bible is about this. All the doctrines about Christ and His work are essential.

Evangelicals and Fundamentalists disagree on central issues such as baptismal regeneration and the necessity of baptism…

This is the self-refuting argument that somehow, Roman Catholics are all unified in belief. They are not. Roman Catholics hold to sola ecclesia. This is their infallible source. It does not provide unity. One can find scores of Roman Catholics disagreeing with each other. Therefore, it is simply ridiculous for Roman Catholics to hold Protestants to a standard they themselves can’t live up to. That some people misinterpret or twist the Bible is not the fault of the Bible, hence not a proof against sola scriptura. In the same way, that I may possibly configure my computer incorrectly is not the fault of the owner’s manual that comes with it. The misuse of a sufficient source does not negate the clarity of that sufficient source.

Rome has only explicitly defined a handful of passages, and allows their theologians to speculate and use their private judgment on the majority of Scripture. What this means to Catholic laymen, is that in actuality, they can’t really know what the Scriptures do mean in most cases. Rome has claimed infallible interpretive rights, but rarely use the right. Catholics can claim unity, but without an infallible interpretation of almost the entirety of the Bible, their balking against alleged Protestant disunity is more a clanging gong or a facade rather than an actual argument.

An Ancient Voice For The Day #20

Ambrose (c. 339-97):

"In most places Paul so explains his meaning by his own words, that he who discourses on them can find nothing to add of his own; and if he wishes to say anything, must rather perform the office of a grammarian than a discourser."

Source: See William Goode, The Divine Rule of Faith and Practice, 2nd ed., (London: John Henry Jackson, 1853), Vol. 3, p. 262, Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, Part 1, p. 167, and Whitaker, pp. 398, 492, who all render plerisque as “most.

Latin text: In plerisque ita se ipse suis exponat sermonibus, ut is qui tractat, nihil inveniat quod adjiciat suum; ac si velit aliquid dicere, grammatici magis quam disputatoris fungatur munere. Epistola XXXVII.1, PL 16:1084. The translation found in FC, Vol. 26, Saint Ambrose: Letters 54. Ambrose to Simplicianus (New York: Fathers of the Church, Inc., 1954), p. 286, has mistranslated this word plerisque to read “in some instances” rather than the correct translation of “most places.”

For an excellent compilation of quotes of the Church fathers teaching on the primacy, sufficiency and ultimate authority of Scripture, get a copy of Holy Scripture:The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith Vol III- The Writings of the Church Fathers Affirming the Reformation Principle of Sola Scriptura.

Site Meter allows me to see who links over to this blog, or in some cases, how someone ended up on this blog. It's very interesting to check this from time to time. I simply cannot figure out where or why this page links to this blog. If anyone can figure this out, let me know.

The Quotable Luther #1

"Now if such unbearable abuses are committed in the name of God and St. Peter, as if God’s name and spiritual authorities were instituted to blaspheme God’s honor and destroy the life and soul of Christendom, then we are certainly duty bound to offer appropriate resistance as far as we are able. We have to act as good children whose parents have lost their minds." [LW 44:90]

I got a support letter from Catholic apologist Gerry Matatics today:

"2500 a month is a shoestring operating budget. That's only $30,000 a year. Compare that to the big name Novus Ordo apologists and apologetics organizations living high off the hog because they, individually, each rake in over a million dollars a year - all of it wasted singing the praises of Benedict XVI and the "New Springtime of the Church" they vainly claim we are now enjoying, and sending people to a counterfeit "Mass" and to counterfeit sacraments from the hands of counterfeit priests who cannot properly save these people's souls."

Who gave the Reformers the Authority?

"...Who gave the reformers the authority? It is my understanding that neither Luther nor Calvin were even Bishops. So what authority did they have to bring schism to the Body?"[Source]

One unfortunate problem with this question is that Protestants do not argue the church does not have any authority. The church always has authority. What Protestants argue is the church does not have infallible authority. As David King points out in his book Holy Scripture: The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith,

"What sola scriptura presupposes is that there is no need for the magisterium of the Roman communion to define dogma infallibly. We readily submit to duly constituted authority in Christ's Church, but we reject an institution that has made void the commandments of God by the traditions of men" [p.259].

Luther was given authority by the church of his day:

"But perhaps you will say to me, 'Why do you, by your books, teach throughout the world, when you are only preacher in Wittenberg?' I answer: I have never wanted to do it and do not want to do it now. I was forced and driven into this position in the first place, when I had to become Doctor of Holy Scripture against my will. Then, as a Doctor in a general free university, I began, at the command of pope and emperor, to do what such a doctor is sworn to do, expounding the Scriptures for all the world and teaching everybody. Once in this position, I have had to stay in it, and I cannot give it up or leave it yet with a good conscience, even though both pope and emperor were to put me under the ban for not doing so. For what I began as a Doctor, made and called at their command, I must truly confess to the end of my life. I cannot keep silent or cease to teach, though I would like to do so and am weary and unhappy because of the great and unendurable ingratitude of the people. And even if I were not a Doctor, I am, nevertheless, a regularly called preacher and may teach my own people with writings. If others have desired these writings of mine and have asked for them, it is my duty to accede to their request. For I have never pushed myself in or desired or asked that anyone should read these writings, but have acted just like other pious pastors and preachers. They write books and neither prevent people from reading them nor drive them to do so; thus they teach throughout the world. They do not run and sneak like these worthless, uncalled knaves into the offices of others without the knowledge and consent of the pastors; but they have a definite office and position by which they are driven and compelled." [LW 13:66]

The problem is the Roman church at Trent anathematized the Gospel. The Roman authority has never been infallible. By its proclamations she denied the Gospel, turning her into a sect.

The Church gave Luther authority, but this Church authority did not submit to the ultimate authority: the sacred scriptures. The Reformers had no choice but to point this out, and forge ahead as the church always does.

"Who gave the reformers the authority?... Let's assume for the moment that the Church WAS seriously off the rails in 1517 and that it HAD become apostate. Now we will make ANOTHER huge leap of faith (or personal opinion) and ASSUME that Luther WAS actually led by the Holy Spirit and that all of the "stuff" that HE taught was the Truth. This of course REALLY, REALLY leaves ALL Protestants in a VERY difficult situation. Each one must decide among all of the conflicting Protestant doctrines and choose a Church which most closely teaches what they want to be taught. They must choose from even the conflicting Protestant versions of Salvation." [source]

I was just reading how Catholic apologist Scott Hahn claimed that original sin in some sense was Adam's failure to protect the Garden of Eden, and that Satan appeared in the garden as a dragon. Catholic apologist Robert Sungenis blasted him for this, strongly disagreeing.

Catholic apologist Gary Michuta believes that certain books not included in the current catholic canon, yet included in the Septuagint, may be canonical, or possibly not, because Trent left particular books undecided as to their canonicty. The New Catholic Encyclopedia and the Catholic Catechism though think the list is fixed.

I have read how Catholic apologist Art Sippo stated there is not a fixed Roman Catholic position on the doctrine of predestination. No wonder Jonathan Prejean recently stated, "[Adam] had already put his lot in with Satan against God, setting his will in unnatural opposition to God's predestination of his nature, which is what produces death in patristic theology just as a natural consequence." Predestination of nature? What?

And then Catholic apologist Gerry Matatics say the church is in a “last days” crisis. Gerry holds the great majority of Catholics have been swept away by great deceptions in last 40 years, particularly ecumenism. He says, forget the papacy- It’s up to Catholic layman and lay-groups to preserve the “true” Catholic faith handed down from the apostles. Of course, this view isn't shared by other Catholic apologists.

What about Catholic scholar Hans Küng? He rejects the doctrine of papal infallibility. He remains a Roman Catholic priest.

I could go on and on.

The truth of the matter is that Roman Catholics are united on very little. Each exercises excessive amounts of private interpretation, often contradicting Catholic teaching, or other catholics, while at the same time saying things like, "ALL Protestants in must decide among all of the conflicting Protestant doctrines and choose a Church which most closely teaches what they want to be taught." The fact of the matter is, Catholics don't have infallible interpretations on the great majority of Scripture, and even if they did, they would still disagree with each other on how to interpret that infallible interpretation. I tire of the charade that Catholics are united in belief. This is nonsense. If you're going to use such an argument- you are left with a very difficult situation. You make a charge against Protestants that likewise, when applied to your own particular sect, refutes your particular sect.

Quotable:

"Finally, we never cite the early church witness to prove our contention for the canon of Scripture, or any other doctrine. Rather we cite them to demonstrate the false claims, regarding their witness, that non-protestants make in appealing to them." [source]

An Ancient Voice For the Day #19

Clement of Rome (c. 96):

"Ye are fond of contention, brethren, and full of zeal about things which do not pertain to salvation. Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit. Observe that nothing of an unjust or counterfeit character is written in them."

Source: ANF: Vol. I, The Apostolic Fathers, First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Chapter 45.

"Ye understand, beloved, ye understand well the Sacred Scriptures, and ye have looked very earnestly into the oracles of God. Call then these things to your remembrance."

Source:ANF: Vol. I, The Apostolic Fathers, First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Chapter 53.

For an excellent compilation of quotes of the Church fathers teaching on the primacy, sufficiency and ultimate authority of Scripture, get a copy of Holy Scripture:The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith Vol III- The Writings of the Church Fathers Affirming the Reformation Principle of Sola Scriptura.

Team Apologian

Here are my last few entries for Team Apologian:

7/14/07 The July 2007 Berean Call Top 10 The July top 10 list of why Dave Hunt's Berean Call should change its name to something else. Quotations from the July issue of The Berean Call.

07/09/2007 The Scriptural Roots of Catholic Teaching? A brief review of The Scriptural Roots of Catholic Teaching by Chantal Epie (New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press, 2002), subtitled, How the Bible Proves the Truth of the Catholic Faith.

07/07/2007 Five More Luther Myths

06/30/2007 Ten Martin Luther Myths

06/24/2007 Desperate Sophistry

6/20/2007 Romans 3:2 And The Apocrypha (Part 2) Catholic apologist Gary Michuta has released a new book, Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger. This is a part two of my examination of his interpretation of Romans 3:2.

06/18/2007 Deacons, Elders  and...Luther

06/08/2007 Romans 3:2 And The Apocrypha (Part 1) Catholic apologist Gary Michuta has released a new book, Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger. This is a part one of my examination of his interpretation of Romans 3:2.

Research Tools: What Luther Says

I’ve often thought of doing a blog entry on the primary tools of research I use when researching the Protestant Reformation. But I realized, I use everything I can get my hands on! So, every so often I’m going to highlight a resource I find particularly useful.

One of the most fascinating and helpful resources is What Luther Says by Ewald Plass (though the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church was the mastermind behind this book). The book contains 1700 pages of quotes by Martin Luther arranged topically. This book is a masterful topical arrangement of Luther’s opinion on a myriad of subjects: everything from practical matters to in-depth theological issues. There are 5,100 quotations on more than 200 subjects. A thorough index though links to hundreds of other subjects.

I have found this volume very reliable. Even within a topic where Luther’s opinion my shift or vary, this information will be included. Also included within the topics are many historical contexts and clarifying footnotes. In other words, the quotations are not left hanging in the air (like many of my Catholic apologist friends like to do). My only criticism (and not a real criticism), would be that the quotations are taken from German and Latin editions of Luther’s Works, so there will be no references to the 55-volume English set. The quotes though usually contain reference to the treatise in which they come from. Often, I’ve been able to cross-reference the quote to the English set.

The recent published copies are one volume. Amazon has some new and used copies. The book is a wonderful gift for a pastor (I gave one to my pastor as a “pastor appreciation gift”). My 1959 version of this book is broken up into three volumes, hardback, in a slip case. I specifically purchased this set because I find it easier to use. These were the volumes I used to take out of the Westminster library. I got used to them, so I specifically sought out this older set. I’ve been told the one complete volume has small type-set. As one Amazon review notes, “…the size of this text, at times, can be unwieldy, but what a trove of quotations!” My 3-volume set has larger type, and is extremely user-friendly.

For those of you with a limited income, there is a smaller volume similar in nature to What Luther Says. Before What Luther Says, there was a much smaller work called A Compend Of Luther's Theolgy by Hugh Kerr. If you read the introduction to What Luther Says, Plass says of this book:

“In 1948 Hugh Thomas Kerr of Princeton Theological Seminary published A Compend Of Luther's Theolgy compiled largely from the Holman (Philadelphia) edition of works of Martin Luther. This 250-page book also presents its selections without dates and context Its arrangement follows the pattern of systematic theology. Although it professes to be ‘elementary in character and method,’ it has to a degree filled a need in English theological literature.”

This book is still available via used book stores, and is usually under $20 (in fact, if you act now, you can get the book for under 5 bucks, depending on the used availability in the previous link). This book is a good basic overiview to Luther's theology.

Hans Küng?

I know I have a few Roman Catholic visitors. Would any of you be willing to comment on Hans Küng? I haven’t read anything by him, but I have familiarity with the basics:

“In the late 1960s Küng became the first major Roman Catholic theologian after the late 19th century Old Catholic Church schism to reject the doctrine of papal infallibility, in particular in his book Infallible? An Inquiry (1971). Consequently, on December 18, 1979, he was stripped of his license to teach as a Roman Catholic theologian but carried on teaching as a tenured professor of ecumenical theology at the University of Tübingen until his retirement (Emeritierung) in 1996. To this day he remains a persistent critic of papal authority, which he claims is man-made (and thus reversible) rather than instituted by God. He was not excommunicated and remains a Roman Catholic priest.”

Roman Catholics, would you consider this man to be in serious error? How would you feel about belonging to a church in which you denied an important official teaching it holds?

Luther: Denying Sola Scriptura With An Unbiblical Understanding Of The Word "Prophet"?

“I am not given to having or interpreting dreams, nor do I desire this faculty or knowledge. I have made a covenant with my Lord God that He send me neither visions nor dreams nor even angels. For I am well satisfied with the gifts of Holy Scripture, which gives me abundant instruction and plentifully supplies all that I need to know both for this life and for that which is to come. This Holy Scripture I believe, and with it I am satisfied. And I am certain that it will not deceive me.” – Martin Luther


“I do not claim to be a prophet, but I do say that the more they scorn me and the higher they regard themselves, the more reason they have to fear that I may be a prophet. God is marvelous in his works and judgments. He pays attention neither to numbers, greatness, cunning, or power. As Ps. 138[:6] says: “The haughty he knows from afar.” And even if I am not a prophet, as far as I am concerned I am sure that the Word of God is with me and not with them, for I have the Scriptures on my side and they have only their own doctrine.” Martin Luther

This is a follow up to my entry Martin Luther and Ellen G. White: Prophets? This overview doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference to the Seventh Day Adventist pastor over on the CARM boards for whom it was intended. Without responding to the material, he has moved on to another phase of argument:

“You seem pretty fair-minded…are you saying that Luther allows himself to be called a prophet, but creates his own definition of what a prophet is apart from Sola Scriptura?”

Rather than admitting his previous argumentation was faulty, he found another way to argue for the sake of arguing. Now that he can’t use Luther as a prophet and Ellen White as a prophet is the same sense, might as well go after Luther for being inconsistent with his dedication to sola scriptura, and his understanding of the word “prophet.” Here’s the argument:

A. Luther believed in sola scriptura.
B. Luther’s definition of prophet is unbiblical
C. Luther denied sola scriptura by creating a non-biblical definition of a biblical term.

The term prophet is rich in meaning, and Luther realized this. For instance, here Luther uses the term to refer to those in the Bible that received their teaching immediately from God:

“That person is called a prophet who has an immediate knowledge of God and into whose mouth the Holy Spirit puts the Word; for He is the source of their knowledge, and prophets have no other teacher than God. No one can make a prophet by human teaching or preaching; and though it is God’s word and I preach it with perfect purity, I still do not make a man a prophet. A wise and understanding man I can make him. Thus in Matt. 23:34 those are called wise who draw their doctrine from the prophets, for God speaks through people and not without means. But prophets are men who have their teaching immediately from God” (What Luther Says, entry 3654).

“Prophets are those who preach by direct inspiration of the Holy spirit, who have not drawn from Scripture of from other men.” (What Luther Says, entry 3656).

Of what the Prophets said:

“The office of the prophets was twofold. First they were to exhort, rebuke, and correct the people of their time. This is the preaching of the Law. Then they were to prophesy concerning the coming kingdom of Christ” (What Luther Says, entry 3661).

These are only a few quotes of many. Obviously, Luther understood the special role and attributes of a true Biblical prophet. In my earlier entry, I pointed out that Luther did not consider himself to be a prophet in the sense of Enoch or Elijah. He was not receiving information immediately from God.

How then did Luther call himself a prophet? I earlier explained Luther at times made statements saying he was a prophet, but not in the sense of giving extra-biblical divine revelation. He would liken himself to Elijah, only in the sense that he was proclaiming the same word of God Elijah did. Robert Kolb explains Luther’s reasoning:

“In 1522 [Luther] claimed, in his Church Postil sermon on Hebrews 1:1-12, that Elijah would not return bodily from the grave. Instead, ‘it would be his spirit, that is, the Word of God would be brought forward once again, as it is appearing in this present time” [Martin Luther as Prophet, Teacher, and Hero: Images of the Reformer 1520-1560 (Michigan: Baker Books, 1999), 32].

To substantiate Kolb’s point, here is the relevant section of Luther’s sermon:

9. But first we must answer the inquiry liable to be made, “If the voice of God today is the last message, why is it said that Elijah and Enoch shall come, opposing Antichrist?” I answer: Concerning the advent of Elijah, I hold that he will not come in a physical manner. [As to the coming of Elijah I am suspended between heaven and earth, but I am inclined to believe it will not take place bodily. However, I will not contend hard against the other view. Each may believe or not believe it, as he likes. Editions, A, C, D, E.] I well know St. Augustine has somewhere said, “The advent of Elijah and of Antichrist is firmly fixed in the belief of all Christians.” But I also know there is no statement of Scripture to substantiate his assertion.

Malachi’s prophecy concerning the coming of Elijah ( Malachi 4:5) the angel Gabriel makes refer to John the Baptist ( Luke 1:17), and Christ does the same even more explicitly where he says ( Mark 9:13): “But I say unto you, that Elijah is come, and they have also done unto him whatsoever they would, even as it is written of him.” Now, if John is the Elijah of the prophecy, as the Lord here says he was, the prediction of Malachi is already fulfilled. And there is nothing more prophesied concerning the coming of Elijah. The statement the Lord made just previously to the one quoted, “Elijah indeed cometh first, and restoreth all things,” may be fairly interpreted to mean that Christ, referring to the office of John, practically says: “Yes, I well know Elijah must first come and restore all things, but he has already come and accomplished it.”

10. This view is demanded by the fact that immediately after his reference to the coming and office of Elijah, Christ speaks of his own sufferings: “It is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at naught.” If this prophecy concerning Christ was to be fulfilled after the coming of Elijah, then certainly Elijah must have already come. I know of nothing more to expect concerning the coming of Elijah unless it might be that his spirit will be manifest again in the power of the Word of God, as now seems probable. For I have no longer any doubt that the Pope, with the Turks, is Antichrist, whatever you may believe.

I haven't stopped by CenturiOn's blog in a while, but it seems he's taken a break from swimming in cyberspace. He posted the following:

"I've been on vacation for almost two weeks, which was nice. However, part of that time was spent assessing personal priorities, and it turns out that as much as I like blogging and believe I have something to say, it's at the bottom of the list of personal priorities -- and things which I say I value more than the blog are getting pushed out. For example, I have a lot of weight to lose; you can't lose weight if you don't exercise, and I only have a fixed number of hours in the day. I also have two children who deserve to have a better Dad than the one who sits in front of that stupid flat screen monitor half the time, and I have a wife who works much harder than the average wife who deserves not to have to work that hard -- she deserves to have a better husband than I am.There are also the issues of whether I am doing in real life what I blog so passionately about here, and again there being only so many hours in the day, you get the idea. What about my church? What about that trailer park? What about my pastor? What about the Gospel and lost people?"

Frank is absolutely correct about priorities. I likewise have struggled with which way best to use my time. It's always a constant battle. For those of you who keep an active blog, you know how much time simply vanishes once one sits behind the keyboard. This is one of the reasons I limit myself to not interacting with most of the blogback comments. It takes long enough to put posts together, and interacting with multiple comments from multiple people takes equally as long, if not longer. However, I do appreciate the comments, and I do read them.

My Beggars All corespondent in Sweden informed me that the template of this blog is messed up when viewed using Firefox. I don't use Firefox, so I can't see the problem. I went over to Blogger help to see if I could find anything on this, but came up empty. Apparently, when using Firefox, my sidebar is at the bottom, and every post after the first one go across the whole screen. If anyone knows anything about this, or how to fix this, I would be very grateful.

Martin Luther and Ellen G. White: Prophets?

Over on a discussion board, a friend pointed out a Seventh Day Adventist minister arguing their prophet, Ellen G. White, is an “…authoritative source of truth despite errors and contradictions to the Bible, by pointing out that Luther considered himself a prophet but still had erroneous statements.” In other words, Luther was a prophet who erred, but Protestants don’t devalue him. Similarly, Ellen White was a prophet who erred, she likewise, should not be devalued.

This SDA minister posted the following to substantiate his assertions:

Martin Luther was considered (and considered himself) a prophet. I couldn't remember exactly where it was that I read that,but browsing through an old Spectrum magazine I found who said it--the source of the idea that Ellen White's visions were the result of seizures--Molleurus Couperus. Here's the quotation:

"Nearly all Protestant churches have had at least one outstanding leader whose dedication to what he considered his divinely ordained work and message was apparent to all. In spite of the fact that these men made mistakes and erred, their grateful and admiring followers awarded them a place of unusual authority in their church, particularly in matters of Biblical interpretation and doctrine. This was especially true of Luther and Calvin. Martin Luther, for instance, was called "an instrument of God," "a prophet of the Almighty" and an "apostle of freedom." Luther also applied the title of prophet to himself occasionally. His prophecies were gathered together by Johannes Lapäus and published by him in 1578 under the title True Prophecies of the Dear Prophet and Holy Man of God Dr. Martini Luther. This book was republished in 1846. Hans Preuss in 1933 wrote a scholarly volume entitled Martin Luther the Prophet, in which he lists the prominent theologians who called Luther a prophet, both before and after the Enlightenment. During the last century, Luther was more often called apostle or reformer. As time went on after Luther's death and scholars were able to study and compare the astounding size of Luther's writings (his published works fill more than 60 volumes), a critical evaluation was possible of the nature and extent of his contribution to the Christian church. In all this, he has remained the Reformer, the great Man of God (Spectrum, vol. 10, num. 1, p. 23)."

...Luther--the man of mistakes and errors, who sometimes styled himself a prophet.

A Response
A helpful work on this subject was done by Lutheran scholar, Robert Kolb: Martin Luther as Prophet, Teacher, and Hero: Images of the Reformer 1520-1560 (Michigan: Baker Books, 1999). Kolb notes at times Luther referred to himself not only as a prophet, but also an apostle:

“[Luther] did not regard himself as a Herculean hero. But he did assume the epistolary style of saint Paul as early as 1522, and he drew parallels between the career of the apostle and his own career, moving out of works-righteousness into the proclamation of the gospel of God’s grace. Furthermore, he could call himself a prophet of the German, an apostle and evangelist in German territory, an Isaiah or Jeremiah. Yet Luther did not always possess this prophetic self-confidence. He often engaged in self-examination. He was plagued by repeated doubts about his own person. Yet he could also state, ‘I do not say that I am a prophet…But if I am not a prophet, I am nevertheless certain for myself that the Word of God is with me and not with them, for I indeed have Scriptures on my side.’” (p. 31)

But before we thank our Seventh Day Adventist friend for such a wonderful comparative insight, and we then apologize for our treatment of Ellen White, Kolb then says:

“Luther’s concept of himself as a prophet differed, therefore, from the medieval eschatological vision of the prophet who was to come. His claims to the calling of apostle or prophet rested solely on his proclamation of the gospel. For him, what mattered was God’s word.” (p.31)

“Luther had no illusions about being an Enoch or Elijah returned from the grave…. What counted for Luther- and what linked him in his own mind with Elijah- was the Word of God in their mouths. He was firmly convinced that his tongue and pen proclaimed the same Word of God which Elijah proclaimed. Only because of this could he place himself in the ranks of prophets and apostles. Thus, much of the medieval notion of the prophet was not of importance for Luther. He claimed to possess no special gift beyond the Word which had been present in the mouths of the biblical prophets. His estimate of himself, as constructive promoter of the gospel or as destructive critic of false teaching, was only and only connected with the Word of God.” (p.31-32).

There was a strand of Lutherans, dating all the way back to the early Reformation period that saw Luther as a true, Biblical prophet. They produced books, and after Luther's death, some of them even viewed Luther's writings as the only sure way to interpret Scripture.  I linked to one of these works a few months back: The Prophecies of Martin Luther

The Adventist quote above refers to a book by Johannes Lapäus True Prophecies of the Dear Prophet and Holy Man of God Dr. Martini Luther (1578). Kolb explains Lapäus was a village pastor and published collections of Luther’s prophecies “…in order to bring his call of repentance and the comfort of the Gospel to the people of Germany” (p.181). Lapäus quoted late medieval figures who he thinks prophesied of the coming of Luther (Huss and Hilten). Added to this were accounts from Luther’s contemporaries claiming his gift of prophecy. This was done to “prove” Luther’s true gift.

A large portion of Kolb’s book deals with men like this, who turned Luther into an oracle of God. Kolb states, “[Some Lutherans] had no problems transferring authority to him and to his writings. Luther’s prophetic office, his living voice, expressed the gospel for his followers” (p.33)

Regardless of what some Lutherans thought, Luther did not consider himself a prophet giving new revelation from God. When Luther proclaimed sola scriptura, he really meant it. Thus, to compare Ellen White and Luther is farcical. Ellen White did claim extra-biblical revelation, and she made mistakes.

Revised 2/2022 

Resources: Confessions

Resources: Reformed Confessions

A Brief and Untechnical Statement of the Reformed Faith

The Belgic Confession

The Cambridge Declaration

The Canons of Dort

Commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge)

The Heidelberg Catechism

The Westminster Confession of Faith

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The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Resources: Lutheran Confessions

The Augusburg Confession

The Defense of the Augsburg Confession

Epitome of the Formula of Concord

Large Catechism

Search the Book of Concord

The Smalcald Articles

Small Catechism by Martin Luther

The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord

Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope

Luther Myths: A Response

To the left: Luther hurling an inkwell at the Devil.

There was a lot of interest over my recent entries on “Luther Myths”. I saw a lot of cut-and-pastes, and links to the entries. It has been interesting reading blog feedback and discussions generated from these aomin articles. There were too many discussions for me to join in and defend every charge made (I did though get in a few). However, I was forwarded a recent criticism:

“Your 15 myths on Luther are nice, however, on the first of the five more myths- "Luther had a mental disorder" you do not dispel the myth. You tell us from where the story comes, that is was third hand from some evil Catholic who wants to destroy Luther, but do not actually say whether or not the story is true. So you have proven that the story is third hand, and perhaps comes from a very biased source, but that in and or itself does not prove or disprove the statement, all it does is cast doubt on its authenticity, but does nothing to prove or disprove it. Your goal is to dispel the myth, and you did not reach that goal, you simply demonstrated why the story MIGHT not be true.”

The myth is that Luther had a mental disorder, and the spuriousness of Erik Erikson using an unverified story to conclude he did. In other words, Erikson began with a conclusion and sought for any information, verified or not, to make his case.

It was Cochlaeus who popularized the story of Luther in the choir loft, and he did not verify it, and comes down to us as myth. Place yourself as judge hearing a witness testify against someone. The prosecution brings forth a witness with information, and this witness says a friend, told by a friend, told by a friend, told this witness that this person did something wrong. You, as a judge (or jury), should be highly suspect of such a testimony. Roland Bainton points out,

“The story is poorly authenticated. It received distribution through Cochlaeus, whose virulent misrepresentations of Luther have poisoned the Catholic attitude toward him until recently refuted by the Catholic scholar Adolf Herte. Cochlaeus wrote later than, and presumably was dependent on, Dungersheim, who took the tale from Nathin, who appears to have derived it from the Bishop of Mansfield. Thus we get it forth hand.” (Roger Johnson, ed, Psychohistory and Religion (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977), p.42)

Cochlaeus was the first Catholic apologist to critique Luther: Luther was a child of the devil, the fruit of a union between Satan and Luther's mother (who later regretted not having murdered him in the cradle). Luther lusts after wine and women, is without conscience, and approves any means to gain his end. Luther is a liar and a hypocrite, cowardly and quarrelsome. Demonic monstrosities boiled out of Luther’s powerful perverted mind. At Luther's death, Satan came to drag him off to hell.

For more information on Cochlaeus, see my paper, The Roman Catholic Perspective of Luther (Part One).

The Theologians of Glory

Above: One of Luther’s first Roman Catholic biographers was also a great adversary with lasting impact: Johannes Cochlaeus. Cochlaeus best expressed his campaign against Luther by portraying him as a seven-headed dragon.


Jimmy Akin (blog)

Jimmy Akin (website)

Catholic Legate: "Check out Art Sippo's new blog. He has a message for Mr. Swan and the rest of the Self Important Ones."

Gary Michuta (website): "I like James Swan. I've only had a brief encounter with him on the Catholic Answers forum and he was actually willing to conceded a point, which impressed me. It tells me that he's more concerned with getting to the facts straight rather than towing the party line. At least, I didn't have to run to a photocopier to prove my point. I could be wrong and perhaps I will be proved wrong in the future, but I like Swan."

Gary Michuta (Blog)

Apolonio Latar

Patrick Madrid (blog): "Swan can say whatever he wants about purgatory on his own weblog (although he can't do so anymore here on this forum, after being deported), but you'd think the guy would at least try to make a meaningful, pertinent comment, as opposed to the foolishness there now. And that goes also for the foolishness contained in several of the posts in his comments' section.."

Patrick Madrid (Website): "Talk about Pavlov's dogs. I tinkle the bell over here and, as sure as night follows day, you know exactly what's going to happen over there. Swan must have a truly incredible amount of free time on his hands to spend so much time obsessing about and commenting on what people say on this forum.The phrase "get a life" comes to mind."

Gerry Matatics

Phil Porvaznik

Steve Ray

Mark Shea: (blog) "I'm as prone as the next guy to passing on pseudo-knowledge. So are James Swan and Ray Aviles."

Mark Shea (Website)

Robert Sungenis

Scott Windsor


Friendly Catholics:

Crossed the Tiber

phatcatholic Apologetics

Sancta Mater Ecclesia


Jonathan Prejean: "...[D]emonstrating one's ignorance about Catholicism [is] actually a form of social currency. They're not even trying to understand, for the public demonstration that one does not understand is evidence that one is "regenerate" in one's thinking."

ReformedCatholicism.com: "Why note agreement in this vein with the website of one of the most infamous Reformed Baptist apologists and the view they maintain about Roman Catholic apologists and the psychology of their tactics in pulling Protestants to Rome? Well, for one thing, Swan is certainly correct here."

Art Sippo "Anti-Catholics like Swan, Webster, Ensweger, Svendsen, Chick, and White constantly preach to the choir. Their fans want to believe their lies and so -- like their forbear Uncle Adolph -- they tell big ones and they tell them often. When challenged about this, they whine and make excuses for themselves, but they cut no one else any slack and descend into personal insults whenever they can."


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History of the Reformation Vol. VII "The German Reformation Till The Diet of Ausburg, 1517-1530" by Philip Schaff

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Resources: Martin Luther

Luther's Writings (Primary Sources)

A Commentary on Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galatians By Martin Luther, Erasmus Middleton
Edition: 3 Published by Printed for B. Blake, 1833 Original from the Complutense University of Madrid
A Manual of the Books of Psalms (tr. Henry Cole, 1837)
An Open Letter on Translating (1530)
Commentary on Galatians (1535; translated by Theodore Graebner, 1949)
A Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, Martin Luther, Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Tischer, Samuel Simon Schmucker (1860)






Bondage of the Will(Henry Cole Translation,1823)

Bondage of the Will(Edward Thomas Vaughan Translation,1823)
Martin Luther on the Bondage of the Will: Written in Answer to the Diatribe of Erasmus on Free-will. First Pub. in the Year of Our Lord 1525 By Martin Luther, Henry Cole Translated by Henry Cole Published by Printed by T. Bensley for W. Simpkin and R. Marshall, 1823 Original from Oxford University
Concerning Christian Liberty By Martin Luther Published by Plain Label Books ISBN 1603030883, 9781603030885
Concerning Christian Liberty (1520: Parts One / Two / Three)
Disputation on the Divinity and Humanity of Christ (1540; tr. Christopher B. Brown)
Large Catechism (translated by F. Bente and W. H. T. Dau, 1921)
Luther's German Bible
Luther on the Sacraments, Or, The Distinctive Doctrines of the Evang. Lutheran Church, Respecting Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Containing a Sermon on Baptism, a Letter on Anabaptism, and His Larger Confessions on the Lord's Supper By Martin Luther, Ambrose Henkel Published by Henkel, 1853 Original from Harvard University
Luther's Two Catechisms Explained by Himself: In Six Classic Writings, John Nicholas Lenker (1908)
Martin Luther's Large Catechism, translated by Bente and Dau - Luther, Martin, 1483-1546Book from Project Gutenberg: Martin Luther's Large Catechism, translated by Bente and Dau Library
Martin Luther's Small Catechism, translated by R. Smith - Luther, Martin, 1483-1546Book from Project Gutenberg: Martin Luther's Small Catechism, translated by R. Smith

Martin Luther's Spiritual Songs - Martin Luther , Richard Massie

Martin Luther's Authority of councils and churches, tr. by C.B. Smyth By Martin Luther Translated by Charles Bohun Smyth Published 1847 Original from Oxford University
Martin Luther's 95 Theses - Luther, Martin, 1483-1546Book from Project Gutenberg: Martin Luther's 95 Theses Library of Congress Classification
Martinus Lutherus contra Henricum Regem Angliæ Martin Luther against Henry King of England translated by the Rev. E. S. Buchanan, M.A., B.Sc. New York: Charles A. Swift, 1928.
Open Letter to the German Nobility (1520; tr. C.M. Jacobs, 1915)
Preface to the Book of Romans (1522)
Smalcald Articles (1537)
Small Catechism (translated by Robert E. Smith, 1999)
Temporal Authority: To What Extent Shall it Be Obeyed (1523)(alternate link)
The Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520; tr. Albert T.W. Steinhaeuser, 1915)
The German Mass and Order of Divine Service (1526)
The Life of Luther Written By Himself (M. Michelet, 1904)
The prefaces to the early editions of Martin Luther's Bible (tr. by sir G. Duckett) ed. by T.A. Readwin By Martin Luther Translated by George Duckett Published 1863 Original from Oxford University
The Small Catechism of Martin Luther - Luther, Martin, 1483-1546Book from Project Gutenberg
Words that Shook the World: Or, Martin Luther His Own Biographer, Charles Adams (1858)

Luther's Letters

Luther's Correspondence and Other Contemporary Letters Vol 1 By Martin Luther, Preserved Smith, Charles Michael Jacobs Published by Lutheran Publication Society, 1913
Item notes: v. 1

Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters Vol 2 By Martin Luther, Preserved Smith, Charles Michael Jacobs Published by Lutheran Publication Society, 1918 Item notes: v. 2

Luther's Correspondence and Other Contemporary Letters Vol. 2 by Preserved Smith

Luther's Letters to Women - Martin Luther, Karl Zimmermann, Georgiana Malcolm
Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel By Martin Luther, T. G. Tappert Translated by T. G. Tappert Published by Regent College Publishing, 2003 ISBN 1573830925, 9781573830928

Martin Luther's Letters (1908 Margaret Currie Edition)
The letters of Martin Luther ; - Luther, Martin, 1483-1546
The Letters of Martin Luther By Martin Luther Published by Macmillan, 1908 Original from Harvard University
The letters of Martin Luther ; - Luther, Martin, 1483-1546
The Life and Letters of Martin Luther By Preserved Smith




Luther's Sermons



A Selection of the Most Celebrated Sermons of Martin Luther A Selection of the Most Celebrated Sermons of Martin Luther ... (Never Before Published in the United States) To which is Prefixed, a Biographical History of His Life: (Never Before Published in the United States.) To which is Prefixed, a Biographical History of His Life By Martin Luther Published by S. & D.A. Forbes, 1830

A selection of the most celebrated sermons of M. Luther and J. Calvin ...: (Never before published in the United States.) To which is prefixed, a biographical history of their lives By Martin Luther, Jean Calvin Published by Comp. and pub. by R. Bentley, 1829
Sermons of Martin Luther
How Christians Should Regard Moses, Sermon By Martin Luther August 27, 1525
How Christians Should Regard Moses, Sermon by Martin Luther August 27, 1525
How Christians Should Regard Moses 1525
Dr. Martin Luther's House-Postil vol. 2: or, Sermons on the gospels for the Sundays and principal festivals of the church-year By Martin Luther Edition: 2 Published by J.A. Schulze, 1884
Luther's Christmas Sermons: Epistles By Martin Luther Translated by John Nicholas Lenker Published by Luther Press, 1908 Original from Harvard University

Sermons of Martin Luther: The Church Postils By Martin Luther, InteLex Corporation
Published by Forgotten Books

Sermons on the Passion of Christ By Martin Luther Sermons on the Passion of Christ: by Martin Luther By Martin Luther, Duke University. Library. Jantz Collection. German Americana
Published by Lutheran Augustana Book Concern, 1871 Original from Harvard University

Standard edition of Luther's works Vol. 1 By Martin Luther, John Nicholas Lenker, Johann Georg Walch, Johann Bugenhagen Published by Lutherans in All Lands, 1903 Item notes: v. 1




The Tabletalk



Conversation With Luther (Selections From Recently Published Sources of the Tabletalk) by Preserved Smith
Conversations with Luther: Selections from Recently Published Sources of the Table Talk By Martin Luther, Preserved Smith, Herbert Percival Gallinger Published by The Pilgrim press, 1915 Original from the University of California
Luther's Table Talk: A Critical Study By Preserved Smith Published by The Columbia University Press, 1907 Item notes: nos. 68-71 Original from Harvard University
Selections from the Table Talk of Martin Luther - Luther, Martin, 1483-1546Book from Project Gutenberg: Selections from the Table Talk of Martin Luther

The Tabletalk (John Aurifaber Collection)

The Table Talk Luther's table talk: or, Some choice fragments from the familiar discourse of that godly man By Martin Luther Published by Longman & Co., 1832 Original from Oxford University

The Table Talk Or Familiar Discourse of Martin Luther By Martin Luther, William HazlittT ranslated by William Hazlitt Published by D. Bogue, 1848 Original from Oxford University

The table talk of Martin Luther By Martin Luther, William Hazlitt, Alexander Chalmers
Published by H. G. Bohn, 1857 Original from the New York Public Library

The table talk of Martin Luther By Martin Luther, William Hazlitt, Alexander Chalmers
Published by G. Bell, 1875 Original from Harvard University
Table-Talk (Selections: translated by Henry Bell, 1650)
Table-Talk (translated by William Hazlitt)


Luther's Works
Luther's Primary Works (Henry Wace, 1896)
Luther's Works (limited previews from the 55 volume English edition)
Volume 1: Lectures on Genesis Chapters 1-5 (1958)
Volume 3: Lectures On Genesis Chapters 15-20 (1961)
Volume 9: Lectures On Deuteronomy (1960)
Volume 12: Selected Psalms I (1955)
Volume 13: Selected Psalms II (1956)
Volume 31: Career Of The Reformer I (1957)
Volume 36: Word And Sacrament II (1959)
Volume 40: Church And Ministry II (1958)
Volume 51: Sermons I (1959)
Companion Volume: Luther The Expositor, Jaroslav Pelikan (1959)

Select Works of Martin Luther: An Offering to the Church of God in "the Last days"(vol.1) (Translated by HenryCole (Published by W. Simpkinand R. Marshall and sold by J. Eedes, 1826) (plain text)

Select works of Martin Luther: an offering to the church of God in "the last days (vol 1)" ...
By Martin Luther, Henry P. Cole Published by Printed for the author by T. Bensley, 1826 Item notes: v. 1 Original from the New York Public Library
select works of martin luther an offering to the church of god vol. 1 Published 1824 Original from Harvard University

Select Works of Martin Luther: An Offering to the Church of God in "the Last days"(vol.2) (Translated by HenryCole (Published by W. Simpkinand R. Marshall and sold by J. Eedes, 1826) (plain text)

select works of martin luther vol. IV Published 1826 Original from Harvard University
Standard edition of Luther's works Vol. 1 By Martin Luther, John Nicholas Lenker, Johann Georg Walch, Johann Bugenhagen Published by Lutherans in All Lands, 1903 Item notes: v. 1
The precious and sacred writings of Martin Luther ... based on the Kaiser chronological edition, with references to the Erlangen and Walch editions; (Volume 7)
The precious and sacred writings of Martin Luther ... based on the Kaiser chronological edition, with references to the Erlangen and Walch editions; (Volume 8)
The precious and sacred writings of Martin Luther ... based on the Kaiser chronological edition, with references to the Erlangen and Walch editions; (Volume 9)
The precious and sacred writings of Martin Luther ... based on the Kaiser chronological edition, with references to the Erlangen and Walch editions; (Volume 12)
The precious and sacred writings of Martin Luther ... based on the Kaiser chronological edition, with references to the Erlangen and Walch editions; (Volume 13)
The precious and sacred writings of Martin Luther ... based on the Kaiser chronological edition, with references to the Erlangen and Walch editions; (Volume 14)
Works of Martin Luther Vol. 1: With Introduction and Notes ... By Martin Luther, Henry Eyster Jacobs, Adolph Spaeth Published by A. J. Holman company, 1915 Item notes: v. 1
Works of Martin Luther: With Introductions and Notes - Martin Luther, Henry Eyster Jacobs, Adolph Spaeth
Works of Martin Luther, with introductions and notes (Volume 1) - Luther, Martin, 1483-1546
Works of Martin Luther, with introductions and notes (Volume 2) - Luther, Martin



D. Martini Lutheri opera Latina Vol. V (supplement to Erlangen edition of Luther's Latin works, in 7 vols)

D. Martini Lutheri Opera Latina Vol. VII (Cont. Scripta Lutheri A. 1525-1544) (supplement to Erlangen edition of Luther's Latin works, in 7 vols. )






D. Martin Luthers Werke Vol 17 By Martin Luther Contributor Ulrich Köpf Published by H. Böhlau, 1907 Item notes: v. 17, pt. 1 Original from Harvard University

D. Martin Luthers Werke Vol. 19

Dr. Martin Luther's sämmtliche Werke By Martin Luther, Ernst Ludwig Enders, Johann Georg Plochmann, Johann Conrad Irmischer Edition: 2 Published by Heyder & Zimmer, 1880Item notes: v. 20 Original from Harvard University
Dr. Martin Luther's sämmtliche Werke - Martin Luther , Johann Georg Plochmann, Johann Conrad Irmischer
Dr. Martin Luther's sämmtliche Werke - Martin Luther , Johann Georg Plochmann, Johann Conrad Irmischer
Dr. Martin Luther's sämmtliche Werke - Martin Luther
Sämtliche Werke By Martin Luther Published 1883 Item notes: v. 24-26 Original from Harvard University


Luther's Writings: Internet Collections

CCEL collection of Works of Martin Luther

Ebooks of the author Martin Luther

Free Out-Of Print Book on Martin Luther

Martin Luther and the 16th Reformation

Martin Luther's Writings

Luther's German Writings Weimar Edition 1516-1525

Project Wittenberg:The Writings of Martin Luther

Sermons of Martin Luther #1

Sermons of Martin Luther #2

Sermons of Martin Luther (CCEL Page)

Small Collection of Luther's Writings

The Writings of Martin Luther

Writings by Martin Luther

Monergism's Luther Page




Martin Luther- Articles, Webpages, Theology, Biography



Anecdotes of Luther and the Reformation [signed G.H.P.]. By G H. P Published 1883 Original from Oxford University
A treatise on Good Works together with the Letter of Dedication_by Dr. Martin Luther, 1520 Published in:_Works of Martin Luther_ Adolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al., Trans. & Eds. (Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915), Vol. 1, pp. 173-285. Introduction by M. REU. WARTBURG SEMINARY, DUBUQUE, IOWA
At the Tribunal of Caesar: Leaves from the Story of Luther's Life Vol 1.
At the Tribunal of Caesar: Leaves from the Story of Luther's Life Vol 2.
At the Tribunal of Caesar: Leaves from the Story of Luther's Life Vol 3.

Catharine Von Bora: The Wife of Martin Luther - Armin Stein, M . Drisler
Count Arensberg; or, The days of Martin Luther - Joseph Sortain
Count Arensberg; or, The days of Martin Luther - Joseph Sortain
Four Hundred Years: Commemorative Essays on the Reformation of Dr. Martin Luther
Four hundred years ; commemorative essays on the reformation of Dr. Martin Luther and its blessed results, in the year of the four-hundredth anniversary of the reformation.
Henry VIII and Luther by Erwin Doernberg (California: Stanford University Press), 1961
Grace and Reason: A Study in the Theology of Luther (B.A. Gerrish, 1962)
Here I Stand (Roland H. Bainton, 1950)
Life of Martin Luther - Bunsen, Christian Karl Josias, Freiherr von, 1791-1860
Life of Martin Luther - Bunsen, Christian Karl Josias, Freiherr von, 1791-1860
Life of Martin Luther - Bunsen, Christian Karl Josias, Freiherr von, 1791-1860
Life of Luther - Köstlin, Julius, 1826-1902
Life of Luther - Köstlin, Julius Theodor, 1826-1902
Life of Luther - Köstlin, Julius, 1826-1902
Life of Martin Luther - Thomas Carlyle, Sir William Hamilton
Life of Martin Luther - Tischer, John Frederick William
Luther: A Life by John M. Todd (Chapter 16: The Shining of the Sun)
Luther: a poem - Montgomery, Robert, 1807-1855
Luther : a short biography - Froude, James Anthony, 1818-1894
Luther: a short biography - Froude, James Anthony, 1818-1894
Luther and the German Reformation (Thomas M. Lindsay, 1900)
Luther and the Reformation, Vol. III: Progress of the Movement: 1521-29 (James MacKinnon, 1962)
Luther and the Reformation, Vol. IV: Vindication of the Movement: 1530-46 (James MacKinnon, 1962)
Luther by a Lutheran: Or, A Full-length Portrait of Doctor Martin Luther : Being a Comprehensive ... - Reuben Weiser
Luther Discovers The Gospel New Light Upon Luther S Way From Medieval Catholicism To Evangelical Faith (1951)
Luther Examined and Reexamined: A Review of Catholic Criticism and a Plea for Revaluation
Luther Examined and Reexamined A Review of Catholic Criticism and a Plea for Revaluation
Luther in light of recent research By Heinrich Boehmer, Carl Frederick Huth, William Koepchen
Translated by Carl Frederick Huth Published by The Christian herald, 1916 Original from the New York Public Library
Luther in light of recent research - Boehmer, Heinrich, 1869-1927

Luther's Love For The Bible
Luther on education (1889)
Luther On Islam
LUTHER ON ISLAM AND THE PAPACY By Rev. Prof. Dr. Francis Nigel Lee,Professor of Systematic Theology and Caldwell-Morrow Lecturer in Church History at the Queensland Presbyterian Theological College in Brisbane, Queensland, Commonwealth of Australia. For Reformation Day, October 31st, 2000 A.D
Luther on the Sacraments (Henkel)

Luther's Table Talk: A Critical Study By Preserved Smith Published by The Columbia University Press, 1907 Item notes: nos. 68-71 Original from Harvard University
Luther, the leader - Nuelsen, John Louis
Luther, the reformer - Hay, Charles Ebert, 1851-1934

Luther's Translation of the Bible by Philip Schaff
Luther Vindicated By Charles Hastings Collette Published by Bernard Quaritch, 1884 Original from Harvard University
Martin Luther - Carl Burk, Karl von Burk
Martin Luther From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Martin Luther and antisemitism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Martin Luther and His Work - John H. Treadwell
Martin Luther and Other Essays - Frederic Henry Hedge
Martin Luther, a poem - Cursham, Mary Anne
Martin Luther: A Study of Reformation, by Edwin D. Mead - Edwin Doak Mead
Martin Luther: Confessor of the Faith (Kolb)
Martin Luther, the man and his work - McGiffert, Arthur Cushman, 1861-1933Boyhood and youth -- Life as a monk -- Visit to Rome -- Preacher, professor, & district-vicar -- The awakening reformer -- The attack on indulgences -- The gathering storm -- The beginning of the conflict with Rome -- The leipsic debate -- The developing controversialist -- The national reformer -- The prophet of a new faith -- The final break with Rome -- The diet of worms -- At the wartburg -- The conflict with radicalism -- The peasants' war -- The break with humanism -- Marriage -- Home life...
Martin Luther : the man and his work - McGiffert, Arthur Cushman, 1861-1933Boyhood and youth -- Life as a monk -- Visit to Rome -- Preacher, professor, & district-vicar -- The awakening reformer -- The attack on indulgences -- The gathering storm -- The beginning of the conflict with Rome -- The Leipsic debate -- The developing controversialist -- The national reformer -- The prophet of a new faith -- The final break with Rome -- The diet of worms -- At the wartburg -- The conflict with radicalism -- The peasants' war -- The break with humanism -- Marriage -- Home life...
Martin Luther: student, monk, reformer - Rae, John
Martin Luther: Student, Monk, Reformer. - John Rae
Martin Luther, the hero of the reformation : 1483-1546 - Jacobs, Henry Eyster, 1844-1932
Martin Luther, the hero of the reformation; 1483-1546; - Jacobs, Henry Eyster, 1844-1932
New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia Article on Luther
On the Jews and Their Lies From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The History of the Life and Acts of Luther (+ Volume Two) (Philip Melanchthon, 1548; translated by T. Frazel, 1995)
The Leipzig debate in 1519 : leaves from the story of Luther's life (Volume 1)
The Leipzig debate in 1519 : leaves from the story of Luther's life (Volume 2)
The Leipzig debate in 1519 : leaves from the story of Luther's life (Volume 3)
The Meaning of Christianity, According to Luther and His Followers in Germany (M.J. Lagrange, O.P., 1920)
The Life of Dr. Martin Luther: Sketched for Young People's Societies and the Necessary Directions for General Discussion Appended By Johann Michael Reu, Emil H. Rausch Published by Wartburg Publishing House, 1917
The life of Martin Luther, the German reformer - König, Gustav, 1808-1869
The life of Martin Luther - Stang, Wm. (William), 1854-1907
The Life of Martin Luther (William Stang, 1883)
The life of Martin Luther - Rein, Wilhelm, 1847-1929
The Life of Martin Luther - Wilhelm Rein
The life of Martin Luther (Volume 1) - Worsley, Henry
The life of Martin Luther (Volume 1) - Worsley, Henry, 1820-1893
The life of Martin Luther (Volume 2) - Worsley, Henry
The life of Martin Luther (Volume 2) - Worsley, Henry, 1820-1893

The Life of Luther: Written by Himself By Martin Luther, Jules Michelet, William Hazlitt
Translated by William Hazlitt Edition: 2 Published by H. G. Bohn, 1862 Original from Harvard University

The Life of Luther Written by Himself By Martin Luther Published by G. Bell, 1904 471 pages

The Life of Martin Luther By Julius Köstlin, John Gottlieb Morris Published by Lutheran publication society, 1883 Original from Harvard University
The Life of Martin Luther - Julius Köstlin , Julius Theodor Köstlin, John Gottlieb Morris

The life of Martin Luther gathered from his own writings By Jules Michelet, G. H. Smith
Translated by G. H. Smith Published by G.S. Appleton, 1846 Original from Harvard University

The Life of Martin Luther, Gathered from His Own Writings By Martin Luther, Jules Michelet
Translated by G. H. Smith Published by A.A. Kelley, 1858 Original from the University of Michigan
The Life of Martin Luther, Gathered from His Own Writings - Jules Michelet
The miners' sons: Martin Luther and Henry Martyn - Charles Dent Bell
The Political Theories of Martin Luther, Luther Hess Waring (1910)
The Revolt And Martin Luther - Robert Herndon Fife
The Revolt and Martin Luther (Robert Herndon Fife, 1957)
The Story of Luther's Life (Thomas Sefton Rivington)
The story of Martin Luther - Elizabeth Jane Whately
THE WARTBURG AND LUTHER :- By MARY HARRISON The Sunday Magazine 1887 - London Isbister And Company 56 Ludgate Hill

The theology of Luther: in its historical development and inner harmony By Julius Köstlin, Charles Ebert Hay Translated by Charles Ebert Hay Published by Lutheran Publication Society, 1897 Item notes: v. 1 Original from Harvard University

Thirty-five Years of Luther Research By Johann Michael Reu Published by Wartburg Publishing House, 1917 Original from Harvard University



Reformation History

Henry Vedder, The Reformation In Germany




Polemics: The Catholic Collection





ASSERTIO SEPTEM SACRAMENTORUM (DEFENCE OF THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS ) by Henry VIII
Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Martin Luther
Denifles Luther eine Ausgeburt römischer Moral By Wilhelm Walther Published by A. Deichert, 1904 Original from Harvard University
Hartmann Grisar - Luther (Volume 6)
Hartmann Grisar - Luther (Volume 3)
Hartmann Grisar - Luther (Volume 2)
Hartmann Grisar - Luther (Volume 1)
Luther by Hartmann Grisar (German)(alternate link)1911
Luther by Hartmann Grisar (English (1913) London, K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., ltd., (Full text)
Luther's Lives, by Melanchthon & Cochlaeus
Luther Vol. 1 by Hartmann Grisar 1913 London : Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner (full text)alternate: Luther (Volume 1) Luther (Volume 1)
Luther (Volume 2) - Grisar, Hartmann, 1845-1932 alternate: Luther (Volume 2) Luther (Volume 2)
Luther (Volume 3) - Grisar, Hartmann alternate: Luther (Volume 3) Luther (Volume 3)
Luther (Volume 4) - Grisar, Hartmann alternate: Luther (Volume 4)
Luther (Volume 5) - Grisar, Hartmann alternate: Luther (Volume 5)
Luther (Volume 6)- Grisar, Hartmann alternate: Luther (Volume 6) Luther (Volume 6)
Luther, eine Skizze - Döllinger, Johann Joseph Ignaz von, 1799-1890
Luther and Lutherdom, H. Denifle (full English text)
Luther and Lutherdom, H. Denifle, Forward to the First Edition
Luther and Lutherdom, Heinrich Denifle, Forward to the Second Edition (Word format)
Luther and Lutherdom, H. Denifle, Contents
Luther and Lutherdom, Heinrich Denifle, table of contents (pp. XLI – LI)
Luther and Lutherdom, Heinrich Denifle, pp. 272-295.
Luther und Luthertum - Denifle, Heinrich. P.
Luther und Luthertum. Ergänzungen - Heinrich Denifle , Albert Maria Weiss
Luther et le luthéranisme; étude faite d'après les sources (Volume 2) - Denifle, Heinrich, 1844-1905Translation of Luther und Luthertum in der Ersten Entwickelung
Luther und Luthertum in der ersten Entwickelung: Quellenmässig dargestellt - Heinrich Denifle , Albert Maria Weiss
Luther und Luthertum in der ersten Entwickelung: Quellenmässig dargestellt - Heinrich Denifle , Albert Maria Weiss
Luther und Luthertum in der ersten Entwickelung; quellenmässig dargestellt - Denifle, Heinrich, 1844-1905
Luther und Luthertum in der ersten Entwickelung; quellenmässig dargestellt - Denifle, Heinrich, 1844-1905
Luther und Luthertum in der ersten Entwickelung; quellenmässig dargestellt - Denifle, Heinrich, 1844-1905
Luther und Luthertum in der ersten Entwickelung; quellenmässig dargestellt - Denifle, Heinrich, 1844-1905

Luther's own statements concerning his teaching and its results: Taken exclusively from the earliest and best editions of Luther's German and Latin works By Henry O'Connor, Martin Luther, Andrew Dickson White Contributor Andrew Dickson White
Edition: 3 Published by Benziger Brothers, 1884 Original from Harvard University
The facts about Luther - O'Hare, Patrick F., 1848-1926



Read at your own Risk
Luther, Exposing the Myth By Raymond Taouk
Martin Luther General Teachings/Activities
Martin Luther, Hitler's spiritual Ancestor By Peter F. Wiener HUTCHINSON & Co. (Publishers) LTD.LONDON : NEW YORK : MELBOURNE : SYDNEY
Martin Luther — Master Of Deceit (277 page online book by Dr. Max D. Younce, Th.D. Requires free Adobe Acrobat)
Martin Luther The Anti-Semite father of Christian Protestantism
Martin Luther Quotes from Ex-Christian.net
Martin Luther's Sacramental Gospel by Dwight Oswald
Martin Luther was a Mary Worshipper! by David J. Stewart
Martin Luther Was No Christian By David J. Stewart
The Black Box Speaks: The Legacy of Martin Luther
The Truth About Martin Luther




Counter-Reply: Martin Luther's Mariology (Particularly the Immaculate Conception) Has Present-Day Protestantism Maintained the "Reformational" Heritage of Classical Protestant Mariology?  (2003a, 2003b, 2004a, 2004b, 2004c ,2006a, 2006b, 2006c)
DA's Luther page
Luther vs. the Canon of the Bible (1999 , 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
Martin Luther: Beyond Mythology to Historical Fact (2001, 2002, 2003)
Martin Luther's Devotion to Mary (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
Martin Luther the "Super-Pope" and de facto Infallibility With Extensive Documentation From Luther's Own Words (2003a, (2003b, 2003c, 2004)
Second Reply Concerning Martin Luther's Mariology  (2003a, 2003b, 2004a, 2004b, 2004c, 2006a , 2006b, 2006c
THE ORTHODOX VS. THE HETERODOX LUTHER (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)

Other Languages:
Doktor Luther - Freytag, Gustav, 1816-1895
Doktor Martin Luther: Ein Lebensbild für das deutsche Haus - Georg Buchwald
Dr. Martin Luther's Bibelübersetzung
Martin Luther's Bibelübersetzung, Nach Der Letzten Original-Ausg. - Heinrich Ernst Bindseil
Martin Luther's Bibelübersetzung, Nach Der Letzten Original-Ausg. - Heinrich Ernst Bindseil,
Martin Luther's Bibelübersetzung, Nach Der Letzten Original-Ausg. - Heinrich Ernst Bindseil,
Martin Luther: Eine Biographie - Theodor Kolde
Martin Luther: Eine dramatische Trilogie - Adolf Bartels
Martin Luther, eine Biographie - Hermann Friedrich Theodor von Kolde , Theodor Kolde
Martin Luther, ein Lebensbild - August Baur
Martin Luther in kulturgeschichtlicher Darstellung - Arnold Erich Berger
Martin Luther in kulturgeschichtlicher Darstellung - Arnold Erich Berger
Dr. Martin Luther's Krankengeschichte - Gottlob Friedrich H . Küchenmeister
Dr. Martin Luther's Krankengeschichte - Friedrich Küchenmeister
Litterargeschichte der Briefsammlungen und einigen Schriften von Dr. Martin Luther - Georg Veesenmeyer
Luther und Kant - Bauch, Bruno, 1877-1942
Martin Luther, sein Leben dem deutschen Volke erzählt - Junge, Friedrich
Martin Luther's Leben - Gustav Pfizer
Martin Luther; oder, die Weihe der Kraft: eine Tragödie ... - Friedrich Ludwig Zacharias Werner , Zacharias Werner , Julian Schmidt
Martin Luther: Thomas Murner und Das Kirchenlied Des 16. Jahrhunderts - Martin Luther , Thomas Murner
Martin Luther: Thomas Murner und Das Kirchenlied Des 16. Jahrhunderts - Martin Luther , Thomas Murner
Martin Luther, Thomas Murner und das kirchenlied des 16. jahrhunderts - Berlit, Georg, 1850-1916With brief bibliographies
Martin Luther und wir: Das reformatorische Christentum Luthers - Theodor Brieger
Tagebuch über dr. Martin Luther - Conrad Cordatus