Luther and the Reformation

The Van Neste household has been gearing up for Reformation Day this weekend as we celebrate the work of God through Martin Luther and others recovering the gospel of grace. In thinking about this I returned again to a book which is a treasure in my library, What Luther Says: A Practical In-Home Anthology for the Active Christian, Edited by Ewald M. Plass. I commend this book to you as a good one to but for yourself for a Reformation Day present!

In this volume I found the following quote from Luther on the beginning of the Reformation. May we also be so committed to the Word of God and bold in its teaching.

“I, Doctor Martin, was called and compelled to become a doctor out of pure obedience, without my will. So I had to assume the office of a teacher (das Doctorampt) and swear and promise my most beloved Holy Scripture that I would preach and teach it faithfully and purely. In the course of this teaching the papacy blocked my way and wanted to keep me from doing so. But it fared as you may see, and it will fare increasingly worse and will not be able to defend itself against me. In the name and at the call of God I will ‘tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon [I will] trample under feet’ (Ps. 91:13). And this shall be begun during my life and completed after my death. St. John Huss prophesied of me when he wrote from his prison in Bohemia: They will no roast a goose (for Huss means a goose), but after a hundred years they will hear a swan sing; him they will have to tolerate. And so it shall continue, if it please God.” (p. 1175)

Bond on Calvin Tour

Douglas Bond, whose books my family particularly enjoys, is leading a tour of key places in the life of John Calvin in honor of the 500th anniversary of his birth. Bond is journaling the tour at his blog complete with photos and video. He has recently written a fascinating historical novel on the life of Calvin (The Betrayal: A Novel on John Calvin) so he knows the history well and is able to point out significant places along the way. For example in this video Bond points out the place where Calvin had to escape, most likely by lowering himself from an apartment window as the authorities closed in on him for his part in the reformation work in Paris. This sort of things makes history come alive.

Reformation Roundtable

I was privileged to participate in a roundtable discussion of the 5 sola’s of the Reformation and their contemporary relevance at Union on Monday of this week. The participants and topics were as follows:

Kevin Chairot (pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church)- Sola Scriptura
Daryl Charles (Union University)- Sola Gratia
Brad Green (Union University)- Sola Fide
Sean Lucas (Covenant Seminary)- Solus Christus
Ray Van Neste (Union University)- Soli Deo Gloria

It was a particular blessing to meet Sean Lucas for the first time
The presentations were recorded and as soon as they are posted I will link to them here.

Reformation Day 2008

Happy Reformation Day! Others may engage in Halloween or worry about Election Day, but let the church rejoice in the reminder of the recovery of the Gospel and in the reminder of the value of laboring for the purity of the church!

At Union we have had two wonderful chapel messages this week dealing with the Reformation. On Wednesday Kevin De Young, co-author of Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be, gave a great exposition of the gospel of justification by faith and you can find the audio here. Today Jim Patterson, Professor of Church History here, gave a moving overview of Luther’s work and its implications for the church today.

In a day where there is much concern about what will happen with our government (understandably), let us be reminded that the church is central. The church is the pillar and buttress of the truth (1 Tim 3:15) and the church is where we are to see the glory of God displayed (Eph 3:21). We need a recovery of the gospel in our day along with a renewal of teasing out the implications of this gospel in every area of life.

Previous Reformation Day Posts:
2007- Reformation, Mission & Suffering
2006- For All The Saints
2005- Parallels Between the 16th Century and Today

(In the photo I am holding a Luther-o-lantern carved by talented students!)

Douglas Bond on Calvin

I have commented often on my children’s literature blog on the books of Douglas Bond. Bond is a strong favorite in our family because his stories are so much fun and so theologically rich. I have had the privilege of reading a pre-publication copy of Bond’s forthcoming historical novel on the life of John Calvin. This book is aimed at adults rather than children, but it continues the winning aspects of his earlier books. Here is a jacket blurb I wrote for the book:

Another great piece of historical fiction from Douglas Bond! As in his previous books, Bond provides a compelling narrative with clear historical accuracy and rich theological reflection. I don’t know if I have ever seen these aspects so compelling combined as in Bond’s books. This is why Douglas Bond is one of my family’s favorite authors.
In this book Bond helps the reader grasp the humanness of Calvin, the manner of life in 17th century Europe and the real struggle for the gospel. This is a great entry way into the life of Calvin and the Reformation in general. It is entertaining and spiritually edifying so I commend it heartily.

The book will be published by P&R. Look for its release. It is a great read for those who are very familiar with Calvin and those who are not.

UPDATE: The Book is now available!-
The Betrayal: A Novel on John Calvin

Reformation Day 2007

It is Reformation Day once again! There is much to celebrate and remember on this day commemorating the recovery of the gospel. This year I want to highlight two related points that I don’t think are thought of enough in connection with the Reformation. They are: suffering and missions.

The Reformation had a missionary impulse from the beginning. As people understood the gospel for the first time they instinctively sought ways to take this gospel to their neighbors and other countries around them. As they went with the gospel, then, many of these individuals were killed for their allegiance to this gospel. Through the years many have criticized the Reformation for not being missionary enough because there were no mission ‘boards’ and little was done outside of Europe. However, this criticism of people who gave their lives for the gospel by people who suffer little for the gospel rings hollow. Europe it self was a dangerous mission field in the 16th century, and Calvin did support the first mission endeavor to the Americas. I have written elsewhere on Calvin’s missionary concern and a recent significant book has detailed Luther’s concern for missions.

At this time preaching the gospel of grace almost certainly brought persecution. So, I want to post here a hymn Luther wrote in response to the first martyrs for the evangelical cause. The background of the hymn is given by cyberhymnal:

On June 23, 1523, two young Augustinian monks, Heinrich Voes and Johann Esch, from Antwerp, had been, after examination by the Cologne Inquisitor, Jacob von Hogstraten, and at the instigation of the Louvain professors, condemned to death and burnt at the stake in Brussels. On receipt of the news of this first martyrdom for the Evangelical cause Luther’s spirit was fired, and he wrote this spirited narrative, ending with the prophetic words [translated by Richard Massie, 1854]:
Summer is even at our door,
The winter now hath vanished,
The tender flowerets spring once more,
And He, Who winter banished,
Will send a happy Summer.

Here is the hymn:

Flung to the heedless winds,
Or on the waters cast,
The martyrs’ ashes, watched,
Shall gathered be at last.

And from that scattered dust,
Around us and abroad,
Shall spring a plenteous seed,
Of witnesses for God.

The Father hath received,
Their latest living breath,
And vain is Satan’s boast,
Of victory in their death.

Still, still, though dead, they speak,
And, trumpet tongued, proclaim,
To many a wakening land,
The one availing Name.

[Words: Martin Luther, 1523 (Ein neues Lied wir heben an); translated from German to English by John A. Messenger.]

May we be so faithful with this glorious gospel.

William Bradford on persevering in spite of danger

I am currently reading to my boys about the Pilgrims. In our current book(review coming soon), the author occasionally provides quotes from William Bradford’s journals. The following quote really struck me. Bradford is talking about the attempt to plant a colony in the New World. I thought of it in connection with pastoral ministry (no doubt it could apply in various areas), particularly the effort of renewal in the church. It will be difficult, there will be costs. Yet, it is worth it. This is good advice. Let us not be paralysed by fear. Rather, let us press on in faith.

“All great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties; and must be both enterprised and overcome with answerable courages. It was granted the dangers were great, but not desperate; the difficulties were many, but not invincible. For though there were many of them likely, yet they were not certain. It might be that sundry of the things feared might never befall; others, by provident care and the use of good means, might in a great measure be prevented; and all of them, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might either be borne or overcome.”

Note to reformers, 2

The church of God in our day is in dire need of reformation once again. I believe that is a given among us. Yet, this is a daunting task and if we put our hands to it we will face exhaustion, desperation, despondency and frustration in addition to open resistance. In this then we ought to look back to those who have gone before in the reforming work to learn from their lessons. Luther again instructs us here reminding us of a truth that we certainly know but very easily lose sight of in our labors. Hear his counsel in two excerpts from his letters:

"Christ knows whether it comes from stupidity or the Spirit, but I for my part am not very much troubled about our cause. Indeed, I am more hopeful than I expected to be. God, who is able to raise the dead, is also able to uphold his cause when it is falling, or to raise it up again when it has fallen, or to move it forward when it is standing. If we are not worthy instruments to accomplish his purpose, he will find others. If we are not strengthened by his promises, where in all the world are the people to whom these promises apply?"[1]

"I simply taught, preached, wrote God's Word: otherwise I did nothing. And when, while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my Philp and my Amsdor, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a Prince or Emperor inflicted such damage upon it. I did nothing. The Word did it all."[2]

The Word of God will do this work. Our task is simply to be like Ezra of old setting our hearts to study the Word, practice it and teach it (Ezra 7:9-10). Then whether flourishing in our hands or simmering, lingering after our apparent defeat, the Word will do this thing.

Jeremiah tells us the Word of God is like a hammer crushing the rock (Jer 23:29). The Word has the necessary power. Our task then is- whether you can handle only a small hammer’s worth or whether you can wield a huge sledge hammer’s worth- take up whatever of the hammer you can and bring it to bear on the rock around you. Compare not your swings with others, simply take what you have to offer and bring it to bear. And do so in faith- for the Word will do this thing! God has promised.

[1] Martin Luther, Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel, Vol. 18 of Library of Christian Classics, ed. Theodore G. Trappert (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1955), 146‑7.
[2] Quoted by John Stott in in Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the Twentieth Century (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), 25.

A Note to Reformers

"I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the greatest pope" - Martin Luther

In our work of reforming the church in our day, this statement from a great Reformer is a good reminder to us. There are errors within our churches which grieve us deeply because we believe they grieve God deeply. We do see insidious encroachment of paganism within the people of God as was described in the book of Judges where people practiced paganism in the name of Yahweh. These things should and do bother us. They even discourage us at times.

However, we must remember that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, and our greatest battlefield is not out there anywhere but in our own hearts. Let us not become so engrossed with the planks in the eyes of the church out there that we become ignorant or careless about those in our own eyes. We must continue to be aware of our own need for being personally reformed according to the Word of God and growing in holiness. This will guard us from arrogance and infuse us with graciousness and mercy as we do the necessary task of pointing out error. One cannot truly labor for the purity of the church while bypassing the pursuit of personal purity.