Tuesday, October 26, 2010
1 Corinthians 1:13 Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
LUTHERAN?
The Lutheran Church is the only large Christian denomination named after a man. A rather poor choice of names for a church that claims to be founded on the Word of God and not that of any man. One might even say, "Why should some poor stinking stiff like Luther come to have Christians call themselves by his dreadful name." And that *was* said ... by Martin Luther, who then pointed to the Apostle Paul's words to people who took his name as a party designation:
Was Paul crucified for you?
Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
The fact is, the name Lutheran was not a name chosen by those who bear it, but by those who opposed them. It was a nickname flung at them, a name used to mock and belittle. But it was a name that could not be shaken -- and Lutheran Christians finally said, "OK, but let's be clear about this: our faith is not in any man, including Luther, our faith is in Jesus Christ, who died for us and rose again. And we believe what Luther taught only where and because the Bible teaches it."
I know my faith is founded on Jesus Christ, my God and Lord;
And this my faith confessing unmoved I stand on His sure Word.
Man's reason cannot fathom the truth of God profound;
Who trusts her human wisdom relies on shifting ground.
God's Word is all-sufficient, it makes divinely sure,
And trusting in its wisdom, my faith shall rest secure.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 381:1)
