Our readings in this series are from the book, The Church Captive. Here is a brief excerpt from pages 39 and 40.
“Luther believed that true Christian faith had been taken captive by Church leaders, who had learned over the years to make certain forms of faith work to their advantage in controlling their flocks. Christians had been ‘robbed of their liberty’ by church leaders who were committed to managing programs and practices rather than shepherding the flocks of the Lord. Whenever any church leader was challenged at the local level, he simply appealed to the status quo – he was only doing what everyone else was doing, and what acknowledged leaders had long prescribed. ‘Yet,’ Luther insisted, ‘no such appeal abolishes either the Word of God or the testimony of the truth.’
“Luther challenged beliefs and practices which he insisted were ‘without a basis of Scripture’ and were nothing more than ‘the doctrines of men,’ imported and adapted from worldly philosophies. The teachings and forms of faith to which Luther objected had become established practices for worship and Christian life, and it was no surprise that Church leaders took umbrage at his protests.”
Now, and for a limited time, you can order The Church Captive together with the next book in our Read Moore series, Revived!, at no cost. Order copies for yourself and for a study group or companion. A free discussion guide is available as well.
T. M. Moore.
