Christian Mission and Poverty

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Christian Mission and Poverty

critic of any church practice that smacked of works- righteousness or salvation by anything other than grace. He translated the Bible into German so that the common person could read it. With the use of the new technology made available in Gutenberg’s printing press, the Scriptures and Luther’s writings could be transmitted widely. He was a vocal opponent of the pope and anyone in power whom he saw as taking advantage of others spiritually or economically. At the famous Diet of Worms (a hearing before the political/religious powers), Luther was asked to recant his writings. After carefully considering his course of action, he replied that he would be willing to take back some of his more confrontational writings but that he could not recant his belief in salvation by grace through faith. He maintained that his conscience was captive to the Word of God. He is traditionally held to have answered, “Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me.” Luther was subsequently excommunicated, unable to take part in communion as a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther had a personality larger than life. While he shared all the foibles 1 common to humanity, he has profoundly shaped Christian experience throughout the centuries. Some of his last words are held to have been, “We are beggars; that is the truth.” In the following reading, Luther writes with his characteristic plain language and his insightful biblical exegesis. He offers a profound theological reading of Psalm 127 for the average Christian. In it, he masterfully weaves together notions about the provision of God and the role of humans. While in other writings Luther argues

1 Foible – a minor weakness