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A Summary Of Martin Luther's Life To Ministry

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Martin Luther is going through a time of stress, anger, and hope. At an early age, church begins to have a large influence on his life compared to his education and family. He is living in the time of the 16th century, and is now facilitating his complete time to ministry at the monastery in Wittenberg, Germany. Getting to this position he holds in the monastery, he has to leave dreams of being a lawyer and marrying a rich wife. Although Martin has lived in the monastery for over thirty-five years, he has become unsettle of his faith lately. He claims he is receiving emotion of being “full of dirt and ashes”. In other words, he feels that even after spending this large amount of time in the monastery and dedicating his life to ministry, he …show more content…

He comes across Proverbs 22:17-19 which reads, “Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips; so that your trust may be in the Lord. I teach you today, even you.” Martin has found a new light seems to bring new meaning to his life. He finds that faith in Christ comes by faith alone: not by good works- a concept that is a staple in the Catholic faith. This staple is known as an indulgence, which is a certificate granted by the Pope for a payment of fee to the Pope of the Church. (“Martin Luther”) The practice of indulgences is put into use during the Crusades due to conflict of belief; whether or not a soul enters straight into heaven or enters into Purgatory. Purgatory is a main reason that people will purchase these indulgences for the belief that if they pay for this, their time in Purgatory will be reduced or even cancelled. Indulgences are purchased for the believers who are still living or have already passed. In addition, these certificates are purchased to decrease punishments on Earth and in the spiritual realm. (O’Neill, 19) Once Martin finds this information that salvation comes by faith alone, he decides to raise his level of influence by gaining his doctorate and becoming a professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg. Martin quotes, “Theology searches out the nut from the shell, the kernel from the grain, ad marrow from the bones.” (O’Neill, 16) Martin preaches the importance to search far deeper than the words on the page of the

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