Reformation in Germany # 3 Martin Luther and Fritz Erbe's Wartburg

The Wartburg

 THE  WARTBURG

The Wartburg is a castle situated on a  410 meter high  precipice, overlooking the town of Eisenach in the province of Thuringen, Germany. In 1999 UNESCO  proclaimed it  a  World Heritage Site  as  an "Outstanding Monument of the Feudal Period in Central Europe".  The greatest significance of this place, to my mind, is  what transpired here in support of the 16th  Century Reformation.

According to historical records, this castle was founded in  AD 1067  by the count of  Schauenburg, Ludwig  der Springer. According to tradition, the castle (Burg) got its name when its founder first laid eyes on the hill upon which the Wartburg is built. Enchanted by the site, he is supposed to have exclaimed, "Warte, Berg -- du sollst mir eine Burg werden!" ("Wait, mountain - you shall become a castle for me!")

One of its most famous residents  would be Martin Luther.  He lived there only for  a brief time - from  May 1521 until March 1522, after he had been taken there for his safety at the request of    the elector of Saxony, Frederik the Wise, following his  excommunication  by Pope Leo X, after his refusal to recant  at the Diet of Worms. It was at this time that  Luther  translated the  New Testament into German, the first translation into a modern language in over a  1000 years! This literally  (if you will excuse a pun!)   caused a storm   in the spiritual history of Europe  as the Word of God was made available in the native  tongue, German. 

The room where it all  happened !

Taking a guided tour through the castle  was interesting, but it was sad to  hear so little of the  spiritual events that shook the world. The  focus was given to  St. Elizabeth  of Hungary, who at the tender age  of four   was sent by her mother to the Wartburg to be raised there  to become the  consort of Ludwig  IV of Thuringen.  From 1211 to 1228, she lived there and  became renowned for her charitable work. She died at the tender age of 24 and was eventually  canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.  

FRITZ ERBE (died 1548) 

The most interesting discovery of my visit to the Wartburg however  was  a plague  on the  South tower,  pictured below. It was placed there  in memory of one  Fritz Erbe, an Anabaptist of Thuringen  who suffered martyrdom  in this tower.

The story goes that he had owned a large farm in Herda, a village in the Eisenach district. Early in October 1531 he was arrested because he had been baptized on the  profession  his faith. He was taken  to Eisenach and imprisoned there. At the end of January 1532 he was released by Philip of Hessen.   A little later  he  refused to have his child baptized  and  he was  arrested again in January 1533.  John Frederik the elector of Saxony at this time  insisted that he be put to death, basing his verdict on an opinion of the Wittenberg theologians and jurists recommending death by the sword for "rebaptized"  persons.  But Philip of Hessen   did not give his consent. He hesitated to execute a man for his faith, since faith is a gift of God.  He could not see how a man,  even  with  an "erring faith" could be  executed, for he thought it was done  out of ignorance, and  not malice. He favored expulsion from the country. A long correspondence between the two rulers followed, as well as lengthy negotiations with courts and officials. 

Meanwhile Fritz Erbe was kept in this dungeon  for many years.   His long imprisonment ruined his health, but his spirit remained firm. After an imprisonment of 16 years,  he died in 1548 and was buried below the  walls of the Wartburg.

A SAD  THOUGHT...

What a sad thought   then that   two godly men  had  been occupants of this  magnificent place - although they were  not there at the same time.  Martin Luther  was kept imprisoned for his own safety there  for a while, and Fritz Erbe was kept imprisoned  there for the sake of his Christian conscience, which instructed  him  by means of the sacred  Scriptures that only converted people were to be the subjects of Christian baptism. 

We know that Martin Luther  was  generally   intolerant  of the Anabaptists, but one wonders what might have happened if Fritz and Martin had met without prejudice   and had talked about the gospel  - "the power of God unto salvation  for everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16,17) 

REFORMATION IN GERMANY #2 LUTHER'S WITTENBERG

                                       WITTENBERG

Stadtkirche- Wittenberg

On our way back  to Biskirchen from Berlin  (by common consent of our family- the most fascinating city in Germany) we decided  to  take  a detour  to Wittenberg - the  town where Luther  (an Augustinian monk) had lectured at the University, and more significantly, where he had nailed his famous  "95 Theses" , to the  door of the Schlosskirche.

This event began the Protestant Reformation.

Schlosskirche - Wittenberg

I find it always  awesome to stand in a place where so much history had been made.  Although  much of what  one sees is not 'original', since a number of wars  and the "2nd law of Thermodynamics" have, since then caused much  damage to these structures,  it is nevertheless  a humbling thing  to walk where the great men have walked.

The door of the Schlosskirche , where the 95 theses were nailed

                                           LUTHER'S 95 THESES

Luther's Ninety-Five Theses, essentially  focus on  the nature of true repentance. Luther  took  the Roman Catholic practice of the sale of indulgences to task. Indulgences  were  guarantees of the forgiveness of sins  in exchange for money. These guarantees were provided by the Pope.   Confession and forgiveness  therefore became  a financial transaction rather than a matter of  genuine contrition. Luther's theses argued that the sale of indulgences was a gross violation of the original intention of confession and penance, and that Christians were being falsely told that they could find  absolution  through the purchase of indulgences.

The  Castle Church  in Wittenberg  also held one of Europe's largest collections of  holy  relics  that had been collected   by Frederik III of Saxony. At that time  the  veneration  or viewing  of relics was purported to allow the viewer to receive relief from temporal punishment for sins in purgatory. By 1509 Frederick had collected  apparently  over 5,000 relics, purportedly including vials of the milk of the Virgin Mary, straw from the manger [of Jesus], and the body of one of the  babies  massacred  by King Herod.

As part of a fund-raising campaign commissioned by Pope Leo X to finance the renovation of  St Peter's Basilica in Rome, Johann Tetzel, a Dominican  priest  started to sell indulgences in the German territory.   Even though Luther's prince, Frederick III, and the prince of the neighboring territory, George , Duke of Saxony  forbade the sale in their lands, Luther's parishioners traveled to purchase them anyway. When these people came to confession  they presented their  indulgences which they had paid for, claiming they no longer had to repent of their sins, since the document promised to forgive all their sins.

Luther became very angry  that they had paid money for what was theirs by right as a free gift from God. He felt compelled to expose the fraud that was being sold to these uneducated and superstitious people.  The Ninety-five Theses outlined the items to be discussed and issued the challenge to any and all comers.

               WITTENBERG  TODAY

Wittenberg  today is a  town of about 50 000 inhabitants, and even though Wittenberg has  an enormous spiritual  history,  and even though tens of thousands  of vistors visit Wittenberg  every year  (Wittenberg  and Wartburg  are  recognised World Heritage Sites)  one doesn't get the impression that this town is abuzz with spiritual vitality.

I  got the  impression  that the town  really  reflected   the ethos of the   buyers and sellers in the temple precincts  in Jerusalem. Way back then in the days when the Lord Jesus walked upon the face of this earth,  the temple had ceased to be the great spiritual renewal center for which it was designed by God. The big buzz in the temple  then  was commerce  - not  prayer  or worship. It appears that modern Wittenberg is trading  on its past, making money out of history  and selling Luther  relics  without embracing the red hot  faith of Luther .

"Oh Lord , in your wrath remember mercy ! "  (Habakkuk  3:2)

 

The majestic  pulpit of the Schlosskirche

"O land, land , land hear the Word of the Lord."    - Jeremiah 22:29

Reformation in Germany #1

The bulk of my 2 month sabbatical was spent in Germany , the land of my fathers. My father was born in Hamburg and my mother was born in Ansbach. They emigrated to Namibia (Walvis Bay)  in the 50's,  after WW II.

Although I had been in Germany twice before, I had never actually  lived there -  I never had  developed a feeling for the place.

This time it felt actually as if I had lived there.

Gemeinde Freier Evangelischer Christ - Biskirchen

I was very warmly received by the "Gemeinde Freier Evangelischer Christen" in a little village called Biskirchen. Biskirchen is  situated  on the B49  between Wetzlar and Limburg  along the river Lahn  - indeed  a beautiful part of Germany.

The  church in Biskirchen  is   doctrinally   a 'Reformed Baptist  Church'.  It is a lively and loving little congregation led by two capable elders, Henrik Riesen and Tobias Glaum. These two men are both teachers at local schools, fathers of a young family, good  preachers and  highly committed to their local church.

This church has only been existence for about 5 years, but it already bears the marks of a sound church. Through this  church's hospitality and goodwill I was able  to explore the spiritual scene  in Germany somewhat.

It is clear that the land of the Reformation  has fallen prey to the common pitfalls  so well described in the Bible. Spiritual  prosperity   is  frequently followed by material prosperity, and this in turn, if not carefully checked , leads so easily  to spiritual apostasy and various forms of idolatry.

The  spiritual gains made  during and after the 16th  Century  Reformation are still  clearly visible. Germany is a land sown through with church buildings -  many impressive church buildings, may I add .

Berliner Dom - A Lutheran Church

The  evidence of  churches and cathedrals, all built in a  bygone era,   testifies that this is indeed a bygone era. Such buildings  are no longer built in our day. The  cathedral of the modern man is the shopping center and the sports stadium! 

 

The Germans are generally very proud of their church buildings, even though few will actually attend services there on a Lord's day.  Much money is poured into the maintenance  and upkeep of these splendid edifices. Some of this money comes from the  German tax payer  and other money comes from entrance fees  and music concerts  that are being regularly held  in these churches. An average  German congregation  that meets in these buildings would hardly be able to maintain  such  buildings  with their own means.

The lack of spiritual vitality and life is evident.  A visit to  the church  in Wittenberg where Luther penned his 95 theses on the door  of the castle church,  and  a visit to the Wartburg in Eisenach where he translated  the Scriptures, confirms  that . At the Wartburg  for instance,  far less prominence was given  to  Luther  than to a woman called 'Elizabeth ' canonized by the  Catholic church as a saint. I will write more about this experience in my next blog.

The land of the Reformation is  evidently sorely in need of  another  Reformation. Thank God then that there is a  very small  movement of  Reformed Baptists  at work. We do not despise  the day of small things. We must encourage these churches  to persevere. Pray for them! Biskirchen  is perhaps  a drop in the bucket - but they are already doing much to reach out   to  find like minded  churches  who will perhaps one day band themselves together  for greater  unity and prayer  for Germany.   

 I for one am praying and am  looking  forward  to such  possibilities.

Reformation in Holland

At the Beginning of May   I had the privilege of visiting Holland  where   previous members of our church ,  Aad and Janny  van Onselen  are now  living in the  village of Ameide . On that occasion I was able to link up with Kees van Kralingen whom I had met 15 years  ago at  the Carey  Family Conference in the UK .  At that stage there was no Reformed Baptist Church in Holland .  Kees  is   clearly a man who loves the Lord Jesus Christ . He loves the Scriptures and longs to see a renewal  of God centered  theology and preaching  in Holland .  It was  so good to have fellowship with him  and to hear of the  existence of a  Reformed Baptist group called "SOLA 5 BAPTISTEN".  Apparently the name of the " SOLA 5"  Association of God centered Churches in Southern Africa  ,of which our church is a member , has  provided  this new  association  in Holland  with a suitable  Name .

Below is a report  from Kees van Kralingen  ( pictured above)  concerning  this new association . 

Please join them  in praying for gospel success !

 

Sola 5 Baptists Conference in The Netherlands

Under the name ‘Sola 5 Baptisten’ a Dutch group of Baptist pastors and leaders is setting up a conference and a website to call Baptist churches back to their theological roots in the Reformation. They believe the Dutch churches more than ever need the doctrines of grace, as taught and applied by Reformed Baptists worldwide, to counter current man-centred approaches. About 75 people from The Netherlands and Belgium gathered in Doorn for the first conference on 26+27^th March with Erroll Hulse as one of the speakers. The aim of this conference was to show the value of a biblical confession of faith such as the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689.

Michael Gorsira emphasised the importance of a confession to help us to maintain a biblical form of church and worship with God at the centre instead of man/centred approaches.

We are very grateful to Erroll Hulse who came over from the UK to encourage and instruct us from his long time experience. He presented the teaching of the confession on sanctification and gave practical guidelines on how to preach this doctrine making use of the confession. His second address gave us practical advice on how to use the confession in the local church.

Kees van Kralingen discussed some key characteristics of the 1689 confession which are of particular relevance today: chapter 1 of the 1689 confession on the authority of Scripture, the particular position of the confession on the liberty of the conscience together with the role of the civil magistrate (chapters 21 and 24), and the doctrine of the church (chapter 26).

The conference also included lively Q&A and Prayer & Share sessions. Oscar Lohuis preached the conference sermon from Acts 7: through the death of the first martyr Stephan, the Lord achieved his purposes for the church. We all left most encouraged by the Word we received and the experience of true Christian fellowship and unity.

For details about this work, visit the website: www.sola5baptisten.nl

A visit to Switzerland

My purpose  for coming to this beautiful part of God's   world was not to do sight seeing, but to attend  a Reformed Baptist Family Conference  which was held in Sedrun, in  the Canton of Graubuenden. About 160 adults and children gathered  here  over the  Easter Weekendof 2010 to enjoy choice fellowship  and  to hear God's Word proclaimed. 

Stephen Rees  from the UK  was the  speaker  who  led us through some thought provoking meditations upon  some of those Psalms   that  reveal  the  emotional life of the Psalmist - f rom deep sorrows to  great joy.

I was most encouraged by this conference that seeks to draw together likeminded believers  from Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria. The  fellowship was excellent  and the hunger for the Word of God  evident. There is true earnestness  and love for Christ among these believers.

Stephen Rees (UK) with Robert Kunstmann translating

The Reformed Baptist movement  in Europe is  in its "infant shoes". This seems ironic when we consider that  the Reformation came initially  from Germany.  This simply reminds us that every generation needs to be re-evangelised and re-discipled  according to the dictates of God's Word. I  truly trust and pray that   God would be pleased to multiply this  generation of believers.

One of the  areas of concern would be an 'over zealousness' that would  sometimes creep  into  such young movements. There have been  divisions  in the past, and we must pray that conferences such as these will bring the necessary  perspectives  and  impetus for unity .

We are blessed in SOLA 5 (An Association of God centered Evangelicals in Southern Africa)  to experience such wonderful unity  among our churches. I pray that this young work in  the heart of Europe  will indeed blossom and flourish under the good hand of our God.

Andre & Masha Bay - a missionary couple from South Africa   doing church planting in Wetzlar, Germany