Lutheranism

To the question - the answer of the Abbot of the Sergius Monastery, Father Archimandrite Ignatius (Brianchaninov) Question. What is Lutheranism? Answer . Lutheranism is the teaching of Luther and his followers in relation to the Christian religion. Question . When did Lutheranism begin? Answer. Luther began to reveal his opinions from 1517 A.D. Question . Was the establishment of Lutheranism necessary to save people? Answer . The very time of its establishment proves that it is not needed. If Christ’s teaching was sufficient for the salvation of people for 15 centuries, then why Lutheranism? If we recognize Lutheranism as a necessary teaching, then by necessity we must admit that the original teaching of the Church of Christ was insufficient for salvation, which is obvious absurdity and blasphemy. Question . But the Roman Church, to which Luther belonged, was in error; why salvation in its depths was very doubtful. What harm did Luther do by rejecting the errors of Rome? Answer . Indeed, many errors have crept into the Roman Church. Luther would have done well if, having rejected the errors of the Latins, he had replaced these errors with the true teaching of the Holy Church of Christ; but he replaced them with his own errors; Some of Rome’s misconceptions, very important ones, were fully followed, and some were strengthened. Question . What, for example, did he follow and what did he strengthen? Answer. He followed the doctrine of the merging of the Holy Trinity, as the Patriarch of Constantinople Jeremiah puts it, retaining in the Creed the teaching of the Latins, accepted by Rome in the 9th century AD. about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son; meanwhile, this false teaching was the main reason for the rejection of the West from the true Church of Christ, which was preserved and preserved in all its purity in the East. Luther followed the error of the Latins in relation to the celebration of the sacrament of Holy Baptism, which, according to the consciousness of the Latins themselves, was performed in the West until the 12th century with threefold immersion, and not pouring. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, v. 19, where the Lord commands His disciples to teach all nations, baptizing them, the word βαπτίζοντες is used in the Greek text, which in Russian means “immersing.” This word is also used in other places in the New Testament in the Greek text, where it talks about baptism. Luther strengthened the misconception of the Latins regarding the Divine Sacrament of the Eucharist. In the 12th century, the Latins replaced their original Liturgy with a new one, in which they abolished the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the prayer for the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. For this reason, the Latins lost this great Sacrament, as they rejected the most essential part of the Liturgy. Luther rejected the Liturgy altogether, saying: “Bread is transubstantiated in the mouth of the one who receives communion through faith!” Luther replaced the errors of the Latins with his own: he, passionately rejecting the lawless power of the popes, rejected the legal one, rejected the very rank of bishop, the very consecration, despite the fact that the establishment of both belonged to the Apostles themselves, without any doubt according to the will of the Lord Himself. Likewise, having rejected indulgences, he rejected the Sacrament of Confession, although all Holy Scripture testifies that it is impossible to receive remission of sins without confessing them. Luther completely rejected good works, asserting that faith alone was sufficient for salvation, even if the works did not correspond to it. Since the holy Apostle James in his conciliar Epistle sets out with particular clarity that faith, evidenced by works, is necessary for salvation, Luther rejected the conciliar Epistle of the Apostle James. Luther in one of his letters says: “The soul does not participate at all in those voluptuous deeds to which the body indulges; she is not at all defiled by them.” Luther once asked his wife, if the union of a robed monk with a robed nun can be called marriage, does she consider herself a saint? When Katharina replied that she, being a sinner, could not consider herself a saint, Luther exclaimed: “Behold! what a damned influence of papism! We are all holy by faith!” Question . Are there other errors in Luther's teaching? Answer . Enough; but most of them do not belong to Luther himself; they are repetitions of ancient and new heresies that existed before Luther. For example, he rejects the veneration of holy icons, holy relics, the invocation of the holy saints of God and the Mother of God Herself; rejects all the Sacraments, except Baptism and Communion, which are distorted by him; rejects all traditions in general, falsely interprets the Holy Scripture, leaving everyone to interpret it according to their own understanding and will, although the holy Apostle Peter clearly says that “no prophecy in Scripture can be resolved by oneself, for a prophecy was never pronounced according to the will of man, 1 but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit” ( 2 Peter 1:20–21). All these errors, taken together, are not only contrary to the one true Holy Church, but also contain many grave blasphemies against the Holy Spirit. Question . Is it possible for someone who embraces Luther's teaching to be saved? Answer . In addition to the fact that this is already clear from all of the above, let us read in response the initial words of the Symbol composed by Saint Athanasius the Great: “Whoever wants to be saved must first of all maintain the Catholic faith, which if anyone does not keep intact and undefiled, he will undoubtedly perish forever.” Question . What prompted Luther to indulge in such strong errors, and what served as the reason for such a strong spread of his teaching? Answer . Luther was fascinated, on the one hand, by the sharp abuses of papal power, and on the other, by his indomitable temper. Opposition to the pope turned into implacable hatred - a refutation of Latin dogmas into stupid and unbridled abuse. Luther's writings are intolerable not only to the pious, but even to the decent reader. They breathe the grossest depravity and frenzied blasphemy. If his teaching had many followers, then the reasons for this were personal in some, political in others, and ignorance in the crowd. If today many educated people follow the teachings of Luther, it is because they have never considered the Christian faith, have not read the writings of the founder of their Church, or because of inflexible stubbornness. However, Lutheranism brings great convenience to a person who wants to turn to God as little as possible and limit himself as little as possible in his carnal desires. Question . Can scientific examination prove the unfoundedness of Lutheranism and lead to knowledge of the true Church? Answer . Quite possibly. The establishment of the Christian Church by the God-Man and its spread by the Apostles on earth, being an event, is explained by facts. Anyone who impartially examines these facts will see that they all prove the integrity of the Eastern Church, which has preserved both the dogmas and rituals of the Primitive Church in its entirety. He will see the gradual delusion and retreat of the West; will see the reason for this retreat: on the one hand, the pride of the popes, on the other, the predominance of barbarians and their ignorance in the West, who from the middle of the ninth century sat on the throne of the Primate of Rome. He will see the seeds of reformation in the gigantic, ugly power of the popes, in its abuses, in the gross ignorance of Europe of that time; will see the absurdity of Protestant beliefs and between them Lutheranism, forced by cruelty, born of a clash of passions, formed under the shadow of politics and ignorance; constantly changing, as having a basis in unsteady human knowledge, finally, for the most part, transformed into a neologism. A certain Zerninkampf, a German scholar educated at the universities of Leipzig and Göttingen, a Lutheran, wished to know the true Church of Christ. He devoted most of his life to research on this subject in the best libraries in Germany and England; already in his old age he arrived in Kyiv, where he received Holy Confirmation. He left behind a precious collection of facts proving that the Eastern Church is the one Church of Christ. By human will. – Ed.