Possibly his main concerns were indulgences here is his major concerns
In Europe, bishops and the clergy often lived like aristocrats, and seemed part of the ruling elite. Corruption was rife: for example, bishops not undertaking religious duties, or even not living in their diocese. In France, the king rather than the Pope chose people for church positions. In Louis XIV’s court, bishops vied with nobles to make extravagant displays of wealth - often by endowing religious works of art. Luther criticised the Church for selling "indulgences" - i.e., saying God would pardon people’s sins if they gave to the Church. The Protestants objected to bible readings and services being in Latin - "mumbo-jumbo" that few ordinary people understood.
Catholic churches were full of works of art: statues, shrines, paintings, relics of saints, altars ornamented with gold and jewels. Lofty cathedrals were designed for the performance of fine music, from choirs and later with organs. All these practises Protestants described as “pagan idolatry”.
Do you not find it just as important for non-clergy to become slave to righteousness? Giving your all to god should be something every Christian strives to achieve married or not. For marriage is a worldly institution but our relationship with god is eternal. I don't argue that there may not be some benefits from a celebrate clergy just as there are some benefits from a non-celebrate clergy, I am merely questioning wether it is necessary for clergy to remain celebrate.
And in situations where there is a great possibility that they may be killed for serving the lord I see no reason why the words of Paul which were brought to life by the Holy Spirit should not be considered.
I generally don't see what relevance at all this has to the issue of marriage as this is metaphorical for us being one with Christ. Where as Genesis 2:24 states directly that gods intention was for a man and a woman to become one through sexual intercourse and there by bounded together as one which is symbolised by marriage.
My feelings on purgatory are this. Purgatory does nothing to honour the achievements of Christ’s death. It says, in effect, that his death did not achieve a full pardon for our sins and that his suffering and death must be supplemented by our own suffering in purgatory. This doctrine as a contradicts the plain teachings of scripture and does not acknowledge the redemptive power of the cross of Christ. Paul said that Jesus is able to save completely
Those who come to god through him, because he always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:25)
We can't if we do commit the unforgivable sin or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit we will go to hell. I will explain my interpretation of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in a moment.
as for the Apocrypha as being part of canon I honestly don't have the patience at the moment to give reasons as to why non-Catholics don't believe it was divinely inspired just go here that’s pretty much on par with what I feel.
http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/apocryph.htm
You a clearly misquoting Luther here may because of lack of understanding of Luther’s beliefs (I encourage you if you want to investigate his small catechism). Now I have been a Lutheran from birth, my father is a minister, as is my brother and I assure you my brother was lead to that calling by the holy spirit not because it is what my father does, trust me being a child of a minister only makes it harder for you to desire to be a minister.
He is saying that no sin can separate us from god if we have faith in Jesus Christ. He's not challenging people to test god by killing, maiming and raping but merely that no sin we may have committed is too great to lead the grace of god to fall out of our reach as all sins are equal at the foot of the cross and who are we to judge what is considered a worse sin.
The unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit what would you say that is then? I see it as our rejection of the gift from Jesus Christ. No man can be brought to god he must be prepared by the Holy Spirit first. If one was to reject the holy sprit and therefore reject the gift of Jesus redemptive blood they would be rejecting god and would be unable to be forgiven for that, and would go to hell.
Perhaps I'm not saying Luther was perfect everybody is sinful we were born that way but he was inspired by the holy spirit as were hundreds after him to do the work they did.
You do know what denomination Hitler grew up with don't you? But that in it is irrelevant to say Hitler was inspired in anyway by religious movements is absurd. He pretty much destroyed the German Protestant Church at the time and killed thousands of Catholics and Protestants. Its possible that Hitler was possessed (I'm sure there’s something I will have no trouble talking to you about as Catholics tend to have more belief in such things than protestants) one of Hitler’s higher officers in a documentary states that Hitler was a very peculiar person who would always be found talking to himself.
Please don't be ignorant the reformation changed the Catholic Church. The Council of Trent between 1545 and 1563 is evidence of this it would have not taken place were it for the protestant movement. Granted it did not change the church into the direction which Protestants moved but still the church was changed.
What exactly do you mean success is the grace of god?
Society has always been corrupt and always will be there is nothing any church can do about that sin entered the world at the fall of Adam and all men have been corrupted because of it.
All the church can do it assist the spirit in bringing people to Jesus and keeping people strong in Jesus that is what I see the primary purpose of protestant churches I have no more than a general education on the catholic church so I don't care to make assumptions about what the purpose of the church is.
Works mean merely nothing we can do by our own hand. We could live a perfect life help millions of people be a moral citizen obey the law and give generously to the church and the needy but none of that would make us in anyway fit to go to heaven it
I quote it again
Ephesians 2
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9not by works, so that no one can boast
we are saved because of what Jesus did not because of anything we can do we merely have to accept his love and let ourselves have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and no that’s not works because it is not by our own hands but by gods hands.
I guess what I'm saying is that if we could fulfil every law god set for human kind we would still not get to heaven as we are born into the bondage of sin and only the blood of Jesus Christ (who was not born of men but of god therefore the line of Adam was broken and he was born free from sin) frees us from that sin if we choose to except him.
Again I am unaware of this any non-catholic sources? Merely to fulfil my own curiosity.
Yes talking to the church at Ephesus that had grown out of a place of great evil you must also read scripture in the context of scripture here he is questioning the churches lack of compassion which was a result of their continual battles with heresy. Repentance is the important thing not doing the works they first did. By repenting what they did wrong they would stop doing that which displeased god and would do what made him happy but it doesn't say they will be judged because of the deeds they have done merely that god does look at our deeds with either joy or sorrow.
Yes Jesus takes joy in good deeds but it still doesn't say we will be judged on our deeds (Works)
Read the verse before it "Blessed are the dead who die in the lord from now on"
Your verse says nothing about judgement on deeds. The one I gave shows that judgment is dependant rather if one was to die in the lord or not.
Still it doesn't tell in what context 'deeds' is use maybe it means judged on what works you have done on earth or possible as I interpret it as what choice a person has decide to make in relation to Jesus Christ. My translation is “Behold, I come soon! My reward is with me and I will give to every one according to what he has done" If you are really interested I could get it translated from the Hebrew or Greek versions?
And if scripture is use to interpret it if you look a couple of verses down it says "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city" I see this as saying if we are washed clean of sin by the blood of the lamb Jesus Christ we have the right to eternal life and heaven.
Well we will disagree on this one because I have studied Luther’s teachings and the scriptures for over 15 years now and I find them to fit perfectly with scripture and derived from scripture. To me scripture which was inspired by god is from god and therefore of greater authority than anything else which may come from man or the institutes of men or any tradition.
