The statement would be accurate but understated to say the "church had shunned Dr. Martin Luther." By what authority, Rome asked, did Luther question the long established doctrines, practices, and traditions of the Church?
After several years of diligent study and teaching at the university in Wittenburg, Luther and the Reformers had rediscovered the pure doctrines contained in Scripture that had been obscured by a slow corruption of the truth over several centuries. They realized that Rome did not hold a monopoly on the truth, the Church was not constrained by human associations, and that Scripture itself was the only infallible authority in all matters of faith and life.
To be shunned is to be rejected, to be separated. To be separated from the Church is indeed to be severed from the very body of Christ and His salvation work. And those without salvation are deemed to be heretics. Luther wasn’t alone, the Reformers in Wittenburg and elsewhere were also shunned and considered to be heretics through their association with Luther.[1]
The church at Rome asserted that they alone held a monopoly on salvation, and that they alone were the only group on earth that could administer the free gifts of God. They alone, they thought, held the divine authority to create articles of faith and determine where the one true Church of Christ could be found.
What then is the true Church, and where can it be found? In 1539, Luther addressed these questions in his treatise, On the Councils and the Church.[2] Based on his extensive study of Holy Scripture he identified seven public marks of the Church, the "communion of saints" as confessed in the Apostles’ Creed.[3]
First: The Word. The Church has God’s Word, and the Word builds God’s Church. It is publicly preached by men, professed and lived by those who believe it. Some posses it purely, as founded on gold, silver, and precious stones. Others have built upon the foundation impurely as with hay, straw and wood which must be burned away.[4]
Second: Baptism.[5] The Church publicly administers one baptism where it is taught and believed according to Christ’s ordinance, a holy bath where God’s people are cleansed from sin and death and regenerated by the Holy Spirit as in the innocent holy blood of Christ. Believers continue to live daily in their baptism through repentance.[6]
Third: Holy Supper.[7] The Church publicly administers the Holy Sacrament where it is believed and received by faith according to Christ’s institution,[8] a supper where God’s people are made holy and receive the forgiveness of sins.
Fourth: The Keys. The Church administers the two-fold use of the keys (privately[9] and publicly) through faithfully applying God’s Word of Law and Gospel to rebuke those in error and cast out those who do not amend their lives according to God’s commandments, as Christ decreed in Matthew 18.
Fifth: The Ministry. The Church consecrates and calls[10] men to occupy public offices according to Christ’s institution as described in Ephesians 4:11. This includes bishops and preachers to administer the previous four marks as "holy possessions," ensuring these practices are done consistently and in good order on behalf of the Church. They must be well-prepared and competent selected men who adhere strictly to pure doctrine, drawn from schools where they are trained and pre-qualified for the service of ministry. All others (such as women and children) are excluded from these offices.
Sixth: Public Worship. The Church is publicly known by prayer, praise, and thanksgiving to God.[11] This includes the teaching and the open use of the Lord’s Prayer, Psalms and spiritual songs, the Creed,[12] the Ten Commandments , and the Catechism.[13]
Seventh: The Cross. The Church is publicly known for bearing the Holy Cross; Enduring hardships, persecutions, avoiding temptations and evil from the devil, the world, and the flesh. Inwardly the Church is sad, timid, and terrified; Outwardly it is poor, despised, sick, and weak, like it’s head, Christ. It holds fast to the Word and suffers for Christ’s sake yet remains blessed according to Matthew 5:10-11.
These seven marks were not intended to be a menu of options, rather all seven must be publicly visible to indicate the presence of a Church.[14] And to be publicly visible means to be publicly accessible to believers and nonbelievers alike, not sequestered as secret knowledge within a secret society,[15] or invisible to those without faith.[16]
Earlier, in 1530 the Reformers presented the Augsburg Confession[17] to Emperor Charles V. Articles VII and VIII provide simple explanations of the Church and where it can be found. Instead of dwelling on the many visible marks of the Church they focused on two primary deliverables: Word and Sacrament. The German-English translation states that the Church requires the "[Gospel] be preached in conformity with a pure understanding of it and that the sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine Word." The Latin-English translation states "[the] Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered." (Emphasis added.)
Which marks apply? Luther’s seven or the Reformer’s two? It seems reasonable to submit that both sets of marks apply, for indeed to ensure the faithful and true delivery of Word and Sacrament requires all seven marks!
What about your church, does it possess all seven of the marks that culminate to serve the pure Word and Sacrament? Or does your church repeat the mistakes of the medieval Roman Catholic church? Does it claim to hold a monopoly on salvation, and assert their group alone is the one true Church? Does it claim divine authority while the pure doctrines and practices are corrupted over many generations? Does it use Scripture to guide faith and life, or do the leaders, preachers, and man-made traditions of the group reign supreme? If your church is not a true Church, it must be something else. Perhaps it is simply a social or a cultural heritage club? Or a family reunion? Or a biblically oriented devotional convocation?
Is your church a true Church, or is it a church in name only? Please reply with your comparative observations.
[1] Luther had been excommunicated, as well as anyone who propagated his teachings. The emperor declared him an outlaw and permitted him to be killed by anyone without legal repercussions. See: Kittelson, James M. Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career, Second Edition. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 2016, 110, 127.
[2] Gritsch, Eric W., ed. Luther’s Works, Vol. 41, Church and Ministry III. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1966, 143-178.
[3] The Apostles’ Creed can be found in the white paperback book A Catechism According to God’s Word used by the I.A.L.C. A digital update is available for download. The Creed can also be found in: Apostolis-luterilainen seurakunta Marengon, Wis., Uskovaisten virsiä Ironwood, MI: National Publishing Company, 1961, 269-270. A digital conversion is available for download.
[4] Men are fallible, no doubt some may preach a little hay and straw rather than the silver and gold of pure doctrine. They may also be “insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers” (Titus 1:10). If the sermons are filled with impurity and the hearer must search diligently for some evidence of the purity of the Word, it becomes doubtful that such a church possesses the mark of the Word. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10).
[5] A Catechism According to God’s Word, Augsburg Confession, Art. IX.
[6] A Catechism According to God’s Word, Augsburg Confession, Art. XII.
[7] A Catechism According to God’s Word, Augsburg Confession, Art. X.
[8] Scripture is clear regarding the right administration of the Holy Sacrament. It is not rightly administered when discernment of the receivers is absent (often called "open communion") or administered by men not properly called into the ministry, or offered as a self-service snack without a properly ordered distribution, or the elements are separated between material and spiritual aspects across time and space as attempted in online remote so-called virtual communion.
[9] A Catechism According to God’s Word, Augsburg Confession, Art. XI.
[10] A Catechism According to God’s Word, Augsburg Confession, Art. XIV.
[11] "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men" (1 Tim. 2:1).
[12] The Finnish Independent Apostolic Lutheran Congregations (I.A.L.C.) frequently omit reciting the Apostles’ Creed. This change in practice was apparently made without any public notification or simply left to the discretion of individual preachers in conflict with the order established in the Uskovaisten virsiä service book. Recent examples of omitting the Creed include: Deer River, MN on March 24, 2024; Eagle Lake, MN on March 29, 2024; Minneapolis, MN on April 28, 2024; Duluth, MN on May 2, 2024; Deer River, MN on May 26, 2024.
[13] "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Cor. 14:40).
[14] These seven marks were drawn from the First Table of the Law, whereby the Holy Spirit works daily sanctification, especially in relation to God. Luther references other outward marks (not mentioned here) according to the Second Table of the Law, whereby the Holy Spirit makes one holy, especially in relation to one’s neighbors. The true Church retains both Tables of the Law as its members continuously grow as new creatures in Christ. See also A Catechism According to God’s Word, Arts. VI and XX.
[15] "I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26b).
[16] "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:14-16).
[17] A truncated version of the Augsburg Confession can be found in the white paperback book A Catechism According to God’s Word used by the I.A.L.C. Two complete English translations can be found in a digital update available for download.