Martin Luther

Among all the happenings of November. one important event is often overlooked even by many Protestants. On November 10, 1483, Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Saxony, Germany, He was born to Hans Luder (or Ludher, later Luther) and his wife Margarethe Lindemann Ludher. Martin Luther was baptized the next morning on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours.

Of course, Luther later became an Augustinian friar, a priest, a doctor of theology, a professor of Bible studies, and the great reformer of the Western Church. Despite his human flaws, Luther was a bold and intelligent Christian preacher and teacher. He emphasized Scripture, Christ as Savior, divine grace, and faith. Directly and indirectly, his thought and his reforms influenced Anglicanism. Although English churchmen were not strict Germanic Lutherans, both the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles reflect Lutther's influence in theology and practice. So today, let us acknowledge his birth and his work on behalf of the Gospel.