Árdís - 01.01.1954, Page 10

8
ÁRDÍS
he most needed such advantages, he experienced the influence of a
cultured Christian woman and of a peaceful family life spent in the
fear of God and helpful to the wants of those less highly favored.
Here he found also an instructor vastly different from his previous
ones, one who showed courtesy and consideration to his pupils,
and under his tutelage Luther’s progress was most rapid. Four years
were spent here after which he entered the University of Erfurt in
1501. At this point his father had prospered financially and he was
relieved of all further care concerning his own support and was
thus enabled to devote himself entirely to his studies.
In 1505 he received his Master’s degree. The strict religious
atmosphere of the Roman Catholic Church and lack of knowledge
of the Bible caused him terrifying thoughts of the wrath of God—
and that same year he resolved to become a monk and entered the
Augustinian Monastery at Erfurt. This grieved his father greatly
for he had expected his son to follow a legal career. In 1507 he was
ordained to the priesthood—but his studies brought him no inward
peace. At about 1512 his change of views had become evident. He
and his followers protested strongly against the errors of Rome.
They rejected the teachings concerning the infallibility of the Pope,
the penal system of Catholicism, including the idea of indulgences,
purgatory, the celibacy of the clergy, superior merits of the saints
and numerous other teachings. Luther had learned from the Scrip-
tures and firmly believed that full forgiveness of sin is promised
through faith in the merciful God revealed in Christ.
This was the central idea of his protest. This doctrine of Justifi-
cation by Faith was to Martin Luther the core of his beliefs for the
obtaining of which he sold and surrendered all. Faith that lives in
the heart warms the personality, controls activity, and saves the
soul. As a man thinketh in his heart so he is. In 1508 Luther, with
six others, was sent to Wittenburg as an instructor but he remained
there only one year, being recalled to Erfurt in 1509 where he took
his place on the theological faculty. It was during this time that
he made the memorable ti'ip to Rome, which opened his eyes and
mind to many corruptions within the church.
In 1512 he became a Doctor of Theology, which brought with
it new duties and responsibilities. He was installed into the Profes-
sorship of theology at Wittenburg. He preferred to be called Doctor
of the Holy Scriptures and made the study of the Bible the first