Most people have heard the term “The Gospel,” but what does it really mean when it comes to the Christian faith and church leadership? In Part Two of their conversation, Rev. Adam Kaloostian and Pastor Chris Gordon get down to the heart of this eternal and amazing gift.
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Does that mean Luther saw Roman Catholicism as not denying the gospel?
I can’t speak for Chris and Adam (but they did both take my Medieval-Reformation course 😆) but yes, Luther came to see Rome as denying the gospel. At Trent, in 1546 she did so formally, in session 7 of the Council of Trent.
Dr Clark, In his letter to the Christian nobility of the German nation (1520) Martin Luther states, when introducing his attack to the first wall that separates Protestants and Catholics, that with them “we have one baptism, one Gospel, one faith and are all alike Christians; for baptism, Gospel and faith these alone make spiritual and Christian people”.
Caleb, see my reply to your previous question. Rome’s reaction to Luther changed over time and his reaction to them changed over time. It’s a complex question because formally, there’s truth in that (e.g., none of the Protestants rejected the validity of Roman Baptism; the Protestants weren’t either Donatists or Baptists) but 1520 is very early in the Reformation. The three treatises of that summer and fall are very early in Luther’s development. They can’t be taken as final statements. Still, in 1537, in the Smalcald Articles, he continued to hold out hope for Reformation. As I say, by 1546, the picture changes.
Thank you, dr Clark.