The Legacy left by Martin Luther,
the first Protestant!

His Legacy is Not something that anyone should be proud of.

"Obey your superiors and be subject to them, for they keep watch as having to render an account of your souls; so that they may do this with joy, and not with grief, for that would not be expedient for you."
Hebrews 13:17

Martin Luther, the originator of the false man-made doctrine of Sola Scriptura and its accompanying individual interpretation of Holy Scripture, obviously avoided that verse, and many others as well. Sola Scriptura, or Bible only, means, "if it is not in the Bible, I will not believe it".
I have just shown that, even if it is in the Bible, some will not believe it if they choose not to.
I will show many more verses as examples of Scripture ignored by non-Catholics in this text.

Martin Luther was definitely disobedient to his superiors, the authority of the Catholic Church, of which he was a member. Show me from where Luther's self proclaimed authority came?
He was an Augustinian monk, and was not a Bishop. He had no authority at all. He blatantly ignored more verses from Scripture which plainly tell us wherein the final authority lies, and it did not lie with himself, but with his opposition, the Catholic Church.
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
Matthew 18:15-17,
Clearly, this is GOD given authority to His Church, from words spoken by Jesus Christ Himself.
These verses were clearly ignored by Martin Luther.

He also ignored the lessons taught to us in the Old Testament:
"Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman; and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all men that were on the face of the earth. And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting”. And the three of them came out. And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses; he is entrusted with all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in dark speech; and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed;..."
Numbers 12:1-9

Here is another set of verses on the same theme, these again ignored by Luther:
It is rather lengthy for this post, but please read of the rebellion of Korah and his followers against the authority of Moses. Pay particular attention to the ending of those who refused to submit to the authority of GOD's Father Figure on earth. It isn't pretty.
Numbers 16:1-35

Those who deliberately ignore the errors of those who have gone before us in recorded history are doomed to repeat them again.

Dispensation of authority by GOD over His flock is the same today as it was then. GOD is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Apparently Luther did not know this or he ignored the fact.

He had no GOD given authority whatsoever, so he claimed he was his own authority so to speak. Luther had written many pamphlets and had them printed and distributed all over Europe.

In his pamphlet titled "The Papacy at Rome", of 1520, he claimed his own authority by 'twisting' Holy Scripture in a futile attempt to justify himself. Here are some excerpts from that pamphlet:

"It is to this church, to the believers, that Jesus gave the keys."

Sorry Luther, but you were wrong:
The only place where Jesus gave the keys to anyone is in Matthew 16:19 and He gave them to Peter and to him alone. The Greek word used in this verse for 'you' is singular, second person.

"The keys belong to the whole church and to each of its members."

Sorry Luther, but you were wrong again:
See the note regarding the previous remark made by Luther. The keys are the singular teaching authority of the Church, and if everyone had a set as Luther had claimed here, then each and every person automatically became his or her own pope. Isn't that exactly what happened in Protestantism with each person interpreting Scripture for himself?
By making this statement, each and every member of his movement thought they had a set of keys and thus became his or her own infallible discerner of Holy Scripture. "What feels good for me must be the truth", is what his statement means. A central authority or "Supreme Court", a final discernment of Holy Scripture in Protestantism was non-existent from the very beginning. This is a clear violation of yet more verses of Scripture.

"First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
2Peter 1:20-21

See? Luther was really saying to the world that he and his followers will reject the teaching of GOD and accept instead the teaching of man, namely his. Now that places him in violation of yet more verses,
But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men". Acts 5:29
"If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of GOD is greater...". 1John 5:9

The pamphlet, "The Papacy at Rome", was written early in the game, 1520, and it is obvious that Luther was trying to convey to his followers that he had some sort of authority in order to justify his movement to separate from the Catholic Church. However, he obviously failed to do so, and thus quickly moved on to the next and much more destructive stages.

Even at the time it all began in 1520, the Catholic Church was the longest living Christian institution on earth, having been in existence for almost 1500 years. The Church rested upon a sturdy three legged support with one leg being Holy Scripture, a second holy Apostolic tradition, and the third the Pope and Magisterium, the teaching authority. By his own actions in his separation from the one legitimate Church founded by Jesus Christ, Luther lost the one leg of authority, as he could not claim the Papacy and the Magisterium for himself. Secondly, since he formed his own church, he could not claim Catholic Apostolic tradition. Since he could not claim Apostolic tradition either, he lumped it in with man made tradition and thereby condemned all tradition. In doing so he violated still another verse of Holy Scripture,
"So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter."
2Thessalonians 2:15

Once again, the teaching of GOD in Holy Scripture is superseded by the teaching of man.

Two legs of sturdiness were lost immediately. The only leg left was Holy Scripture which he took from the Catholic Church, and claimed that it alone was all that was needed, thus was born the false doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Then he promptly mutilated the Bible, by adding to Romans 3:28, and by subtracting seven books from the Old Testament simply because they did not agree with his teaching. He also attacked several New Testament books.

Several years after he had started the reformation, Luther surveyed the damage that Sola Scriptura, and its accompanying individual interpretation of Holy Scripture, had done to his movement. Shards had splintered off from his Lutheran church, with Munzer going this way, Calvin going that way, Zwingli going another way, and with all scattering the flocks.
"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."
Matthew 12:30, Luke 11:23

Immediately the errors of Protestantism emerged, for who did the scattering?
The damage of individual interpretation of Holy Scripture had taken its toll immediately.
Luther sounded as if he lamented what he had started when he made the following remarks,

"This one will not hear of Baptism, and that one denies the sacrament, another puts a world between this and the last day: some teach that Christ is not God, some say this, some say that: there are as many sects and creeds as there are heads. No yokel is so rude but when he has dreams and fancies, he thinks himself inspired by the Holy Ghost and must be a prophet."
De Wette III, 61. quoted in O'Hare, THE FACTS ABOUT LUTHER, 208.

"Noblemen, townsmen, peasants, all classes understand the Evangelium better than I or St. Paul; they are now wise and think themselves more learned than all the ministers."
Walch XIV, 1360. quoted in O'Hare, Ibid, 209.

By this time Luther realized that he had opened the door to error and he was powerless to close it.
He had released the genie and now found that the genie had grown too large to be forced back into the bottle.

Did you know that Luther admitted that the Catholic Church was the true Church?

"Accordingly, we concede to the papacy that they sit in the true Church, possessing the office instituted by Christ and inherited from the apostles, to teach, baptize, administer the sacrament, absolve, ordain, etc., just as the Jews sat in their synagogues or assemblies and were the regularly established priesthood and authority of the Church. We admit all this and do not attack the office, although they are not willing to admit as much for us; yea, we confess that we have received these things from them, even as Christ by birth descended from the Jews and the apostles obtained the Scriptures from them."
Sermon for the Sunday after Christ’s Ascension; John 15:26-16:4 (2nd sermon), page 265, paragraph 28, 1522.

Luther remarked several years later:

"We concede -- as we must -- that so much of what they [the Catholic Church] say is true: that the papacy has God's word and the office of the apostles, and that we have received Holy Scriptures, Baptism, the Sacrament, and the pulpit from them. What would we know of these if it were not for them?"
Sermon on the gospel of St. John, chaps. 14 - 16 (1537), in vol. 24 of LUTHER'S WORKS,
St. Louis, Mo., Concordia, 1961, 304

It sounds like yet another lamentation from him doesn't it?
Interestingly, how many of his present day followers would agree with what he said in those remarks?

In his favor was the fact that in 1450, the printing press had been invented. Prior to this it took months or even years to convey messages to wide areas of the population since it all had to be hand copied. Luther took great advantage of this giant leap for mankind, and it is said that he was the most prolific user of mass printing for several years. He wrote many pamphlets and letters and printed them by the thousands and distributed them all over Germany and most of Europe. Imagine the surprise of the masses at receiving so much printed material, many for the first time.

Anyhow with this great new tool at hand, Luther proceeded to the next step. Here he was attacking the largest and oldest western institution on earth. He had no authority to do so. He could not claim Apostolic tradition. He had a Bible that he took from the Catholic Church. He had a huge ego, and he was like a caged lion to boot.
What could he possibly do to try and justify what he was about to do?
He decided that if he could not fight them on their level, then he would demonize* them.

Luther wanted changes done his way and when he was rebuffed by the Catholic hierarchy, he turned more and more vicious in his writings against the Papacy and the Catholic Church.
In 1520, Luther wrote a document called, "The Babylonian Captivity of the Church".
In it, likened to the roaring lion of Scripture (1Peter 5:8), he made these rather coarse statements simply because he did not have his way in his attempt to dictate to the Papacy:

"Godless pontiffs boastfully claim the right to do this, that they pretend to be seeking the Church's welfare with this Babylon of theirs."
"Since they are wolves, they want to look like shepherds."
"Since they are antichrists, they want to be honored as Christ."
"The Papacy is antichrist."
"The Papacy is the Kingdom of Babylon."
"The Papacy is the power of Nimrod."
"The Papacy is truly the kingdom of Babylon, yes, the kingdom of the real antichrist."

Notice that Luther called the Pope the antichrist, and the Papacy itself the Kingdom of Babylon, and he wrote several other calumnizing remarks in this one document. Isn't this Demonizing?
No way could the Pope ever be antichrist as explained in this antichrist link.

*Demonize, to portray as a demon, to turn into a demon, to represent as evil or diabolic.

The Catholic Church or the Papacy is "The Whore of Babylon".
How many times have you heard that from the Protestant Fundamentalist mouth?
Those who propagate that lie are also the same ones who claim to follow the Bible religiously.
Okay, let us see if they follow Scripture to the word, as they profess to do.

They base this lie from the Book of Revelation Chapter 17:

"1. Then one of the seven angels who were holding the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come here. I will show you the judgment on the great harlot who lives near the many waters. 2. The kings of the earth have had intercourse with her, and the inhabitants of the earth became drunk on the wine of her harlotry.” 3. Then he carried me away in spirit to a deserted place where I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names, with seven heads and ten horns. 4. The woman was wearing purple and scarlet and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a gold cup that was filled with the abominable and sordid deeds of her harlotry. 5. On her forehead was written a name, which is a mystery, “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” 6. I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the holy ones and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her I was greatly amazed. 7. The angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns. 8. The beast that you saw existed once but now exists no longer. It will come up from the abyss and is headed for destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world shall be amazed when they see the beast, because it existed once but exists no longer, and yet it will come again. 9. Here is a clue for one who has wisdom. The seven heads represent seven hills upon which the woman sits."
Revelation 17:1-9

Verse 9 is what Protestants, including the first one, use to try to "prove" what they had said.
We all should realize by now that truth can be proven, but the lie cannot.
Notice very closely in verse 9, the words "Here is a clue for one who has wisdom", as it clearly shows that those who do not have wisdom will interpret this verse as saying the seven hills upon which the woman sits is Rome. Demonizing? I will prove what I said here:

"The woman whom you saw represents the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth."
Revelation 17:18
So, the woman is a great city, and from what we have found so far is that she sits upon seven hills.
So now, how do we determine which city is the great city? Are there other cities in the world other than Rome which sit on seven hills? Well, for one, Jerusalem does. How then do we determine which city is the great city spoken of in Revelation 17:18?
Well, believe it or not, the Book of Revelation tells us in another verse which city is the great city:

"Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, which has the symbolic names “Sodom” and “Egypt”, where indeed their Lord was crucified."
Revelation 11:8

So, in which great city was the Lord Crucified? Was He crucified in Rome? No, it was Jerusalem, as "those who have wisdom" can readily see quite easily. With Scripture as clear as these verses, why then do non-Catholics continue to say the great city is Rome, other than to try to Demonize the Catholic Church? Answers anyone?

Revelation 11:8 is yet another verse which was ignored by Martin Luther and which is still being ignored by his Protestant Fundamentalist followers.
Once again, the lie of Protestantism is exposed, destroyed by the truth of Holy Scripture.

Another bit of information which fits quite nicely here, is the fact that the "seven hills of Rome", as they are called in Biblical times, all lie east of the Tiber River, whereas the Vatican, the seat of Christianity, which came hundreds of years later, is located to the west of the Tiber. For those who wish to check this for themselves, the names of the seven hills of Rome in its origin are the Palatine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, and Aventine.



Here are verses from Holy Scripture which describe a great city.
Notice that not one verse describes Rome as being a great city.

Great city, Babylon: Rev 14:8,16:19,17:5,18:2,10,21
Great city, Jerusalem: Neh 7:4, Jer 22:8, Lam 1:1, Rev 11:8,16:19,17:18,18:16, Rev 18:18-19,21:10
Great city, Nineveh: Jonah 1:2,3:2-3,4:11

Here is a Biblical comparison between Jerusalem and Rome. See what the Bible says about each:

There are many verses describing Jerusalem. See how many are degradations which dovetail perfectly with the "Whore of Babylon".

Jerusalem in Holy Scripture:

Abomination: Ez 16:2, Mal 2:11
Associate of the Scarlet Beast: Rev 17:1-3
Babylon: Rev 17:5,18:2,18:10,21
Babylon the Great: Rev 17:5
Bad City: Ezra 4:8,12
Bloody City: Ez 22:2,24:6,9, Nah 3:1
Burdensome Stone: Zech 12:3
Captivity of Jerusalem: Joel 3:1
City of Precious Stones and Fine Clothing: Ex 35:30-36,39:1-2, Ex 39:8-14, Isa 52:1, Rev 18:16-17
Cup of Trembling: Zech 12:2
Cursed in the City: Deut 28:15-19
Daughter: Lev 21:9, Lam 2:15-18.
Death of the Prophets: Mt 23:29-36, Lk 11:47-51,13:31-34, Rev 17:5-6,18:24
Den of Dragons: Jer 9:11
Desolation: Isa 64:10, Dan 9:2
Destroyed by Fire: Deut 29:22-24, Lev 21:9,26:15-16,27-28, Ez 16:2-3,35,38,41, Ez 19:12,21:2-3, Ez 22:19-21, Ez 23:2-4,17-19,22-25,44-47, Lam 2:all, Neh 1:3, Mt 24:15-22, Mk 13:14-20, Lk 21:20-24, Rev 18:8,17. Note: Jerusalem was completely destroyed by fire in 70 A.D., whereas Rome was only partially burned by Nero in 64 A.D.. This is yet another reason why the Whore of Babylon could not possibly be associated with Rome, for the whore is destroyed by fire in Rev 17:16.
Egypt: Rev 11:8
Evil brought upon Jerusalem: Ez 14:22
Evil Done to the Saints in Jerusalem: Acts 9:13,21
Faithful City: Isa 1:21
Fire Devouring Palaces of Jerusalem: Amos 2:5
Fornicator: Jer 13:27, Rev 18:3,9
Four Grievous Judgments upon Jerusalem, sword, famine, beasts, and pestilence: Ez 14:21
Fury upon Jerusalem: Ez 9:8
Gomorrah: Isa 1:10, Jer 23:14, Rom 9:27-29
Great City: Jer 22:4-8, Rev 11:8,17:18,18:10,16,18-19,21
Great Evil upon Jerusalem: Dan 9:12
Great Harlot (RSV): Rev 17:1,19:2
Great Mourning in Jerusalem: Zech 12:11
Great Whore, (KJ): Rev 17:1,19:2
Habitation of Demons: Rev 18:2
Harlot (RSV): Isa 1:21, Jer 2:20,3:3,6,5:7, Ez 16:1-3,15-16,28,31,35, Ez 16:41, Ez 23:2-49, Hos 3:3,4:15, Joel 3:3, Amos 7:17, Mic 1:7, Nah 3:4, Rev 17:1,5,15-16
Her: Rev 17:4,18:4-10,20,24
Immoral: Rev 18:3
Iniquity Built Jerusalem: Mic 3:10
Jerusalem Encompassed with Armies: Lk 21:20
Jerusalem Killed the Prophets: Matt 23:37, Lk 13:33-34
Jerusalem Shall be Trodden Down: Lk 21:24
Jerusalem to Become Heaps: Mic 3:12
Jesus Killed in Jerusalem: Matt 16:21, Mk 10:33
Laid Waste: Ez 26:2
Menstruous Woman: Lam 1:17
Mother of Harlotries: Rev 17:5
Mother of the Abominations of the Earth: Rev 17:5
Prostitute: Jer 2:20, Ez 16:15
Queen: Rev 18:7
Rebellious City: Ezra 4:8,12
Reduced to Ruins: Psa 79:1, Isa 3:8
Removed: Lam 1:8
She: Rev 18:2
Sin and Uncleanness: Zech 13:1
Sinned Grievously: Lam 1:8
Smitten City: Ez 33:21
Sodom: Isa 1:10, Jer 23:14, Rom 9:27-29, Rev 11:8
Sorcerer: Rev 18:23
Unfaithful Wife: Ex 16:1-3,44-63
Whore (KJ): Ez 16:28, Rev 17:1,15-16
Wickedness of Heart: Jer 4:14
Woman: Rev 17:3-9,18
Worship of GOD shall not be in Jerusalem: Jn 4:21

With such titles as, Abomination, Associate of the Scarlet Beast, Babylon, Bad, Bloody City, Cursed, Death of the Prophets, Evil brought upon, Evil Done to the Saints, Fornicator, Gomorrah, Great Harlot, Great Whore, Habitation of Demons, Harlot, Immoral, Laid Waste, Mother of Harlotries, Mother of Abominations, Prostitute, Rebellious, Smitten City, Sodom, Sorcerer, Unfaithful Wife, Whore, and Wickedness of Heart, do you have any doubts as to just whom, what, or where, the Whore of Babylon refers?

Rome in Holy Scripture:
Here is every verse in the Bible that mentions Rome by name:

Visitors from Rome, Acts 2:10
Claudius ordered Jews to leave Rome, Acts 18:2
Paul said he must also see Rome, Acts 19:21
Bear witness in Rome, Acts 23:11
We came to Rome, Acts 28:14
On our arrival at Rome, Acts 28:16
To all GOD's beloved who are in Rome, Rom 1:7
I am ready to preach the gospel to you also who are at Rome, Rom 1:15,
But when he came to Rome he sought me out, 2Tim 1:17

Contrast what is written about Jerusalem in Scripture with what is written about Rome?
Where is the coarse and degrading language regarding Rome in Holy Scripture?

"And in her was found the blood of the prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."
Revelation 18:24
"For true and righteous [are] his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand."
Revelation 19:2
What city is responsible for the blood of the prophets? Is it Rome, or is it Jerusalem?
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"
Matthew 23:37
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!"
Luke 13:34
Again, what city is responsible for the blood of the prophets?
Jesus Christ in Holy Scripture clearly said it is Jerusalem.
Why then do Protestants insist it is Rome, when Holy Scripture does not agree with them?

The only place I could find regarding the Demonizing of Rome, or association of Rome with the Whore of Babylon, is from the false charges spread by Protestantism, as I can find nothing whatsoever from Holy Scripture to support what clearly is a lie.
Remember, for believers of the false man-made doctrine of Sola Scriptura, if you cannot find it in the Bible then it simply did not happen, or does not exist, right?


Now that the lie of the Whore of Babylon being connected with Rome has been exposed, let us find from whom it had its origin.
There are no authentic historical documents in which the Catholic Church or the papacy is called the Whore of Babylon before the Protestant reformation of 1520-1521.
Therefore, it is a Protestant fabrication. Isn't this Demonizing?

When you think about it, a lie or fabrication, is an untruth designed to deceive, denigrate, or to calumnize another. Jesus Christ said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life", in John 14:6.
If He is the truth then the devil is the liar, and Jesus even said so speaking of him in John 8:44,
"When he tells a lie he speaks from his very nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
So from whom, and through whom, comes the Demonizing of the Catholic Church?

Referring again to Hebrews 13:17, Luther obviously failed to comprehend, or he deliberately ignored the fact, that the Catholic Church to which he belonged never was, and is not today, a democracy, but a "theocracy" which is governed by a hierarchy. Jesus Christ Himself is the invisible head (Ephesians 5:23), who governs through His visible head, or "Father Figure" on earth through whom GOD has always spoken, and in conjunction with the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, John 16:12-14, Acts 15:28).

"But just as the Church is subject to Christ, so also let wives be to their husbands in all things".
Ephesians 5:24.
With that said, you can clearly see that the governing powers of the Catholic Church do not come from the Body of Christ but from the Head. Scripture does not say that the Church is subject to any person, as in a democracy. It is obvious from "Here is a clue for one who has wisdom", as mentioned earlier, that the head always tells the body what to do. The body, Luther, or any other person can never tell the head what to do in a theocracy.

Luther took it upon himself, as a member of the body who had no authority whatsoever, to try to tell the visible head of the Church on earth, how to run it. He did make some good points, as some things needed to be changed. However, he went about it the wrong way. Some personnel needed to be changed, but instead, Luther decided to break from the Church which Jesus Christ founded, and to form his own church. Now, I ask anyone to show me the verse in the Bible which gives authority for any human person to found another church other than the ONE Church which the divine person of Jesus Christ founded in Matthew 16:18?

Here is yet another verse which Luther either did not see, or intentionally ignored:
"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."
Psalms 127:1
Doesn't that one verse negate every church founded by mere human persons?
Doesn't it say that the labors of Martin Luther and all of his followers are in vain?

By September 1522, Luther had translated the New Testament into his version of the German Bible. It is to be noted that Luther taught a false doctrine that man was saved by faith alone, and upon his own recognizance and without any authority, he added the word "alone" to Romans 3:28, as mentioned earlier, thereby ignoring all of the verses which admonish anyone not to add to or take away from, the Holy Word of GOD.
He displayed his inflated ego and total arrogance, when he wrote the following regarding his addition:

"If your Papist annoys you with the word (alone), tell him straightway, Dr. Martin Luther will have it so: Papist and ass are one and the same thing. Whoever will not have my translation, let him give it the go-by: the devil's thanks to him who censures it without my will and knowledge. Luther will have it so, and he is a doctor above all the doctors in Popedom."
Amic. Discussion, 1, 127. Demonizing again!
My My, tsk tsk, such language Dr Luther, and didn't he elevate himself above everyone on earth?
This is the example set by the first Protestant, for his version of the command of Jesus Christ of,
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:36-40).


The only verse in the whole Bible in which the words "faith" and "alone" are both to be found, is in James 2:24, and it says "NOT" by faith alone. By the way, it is for this reason, that James was one of several New Testament books which Luther wanted to remove from the Bible. The book of James, among others, proved to be a great embarrassment to him, since it was diametrically opposed to his teaching.
He wrote regarding it:

"...the epistle of St. James is an epistle full of straw, because it contains nothing evangelical." Luther's "Preface to the New Testament".

He also wrote against the Book of Revelation:

"...to my mind it bears upon it no marks of an apostolic or prophetic character... Everyone may form his own judgment of this book; as for myself, I feel an aversion to it, and to me this is sufficient reason for rejecting it."
Sammtliche Werke, 63, pp. 169-170

By writing against Holy Books of the Bible, inspired by GOD, wasn't Luther judging GOD Himself?
"And the LORD said to Job: "Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it."" Job 40:1-2

He also, again without any authority, removed seven books from the Old Testament which had been in the Bible for over 1100 years, simply because they did not agree with his false teaching.

One of the many arguments for the impossibility of the false man-made doctrine of Sola Scriptura ever being workable at that time, was the fact that 90-95% of the population was illiterate. If they could not read, then how could anyone say it is "bible only", which by its very title meant being literate? Present day Protestants deny this. History proves them wrong. However, paradoxically, their founder and the originator of Sola Scriptura, found himself in a dilemma. How could he claim Sola Scriptura, and at the same time convey his message to a mostly illiterate populace? Realizing this, Luther decided the best way to convey his message was through pictures added to his text. Consequently, he had his artist friend Lucas Cranach (1472-1553) make woodcuts, pictures, and had them inserted into his German bibles so that all of the populace could see and understand his teaching, first in his native Germany, and then throughout much of Europe.
It was by a visual reference that Luther first communicated with the bulk his followers the false charge of the Papacy as being the Whore of Babylon. Here is a reproduction of that woodcut.




The Pope as the Whore of Babylon, as portrayed in a woodcut by Martin Luther's
friend and artist, Lucas Cranach, September 1522.


Notice that the figure is carrying a golden cup (Rev 17:4) shaped like a chalice with a cross on top, and is wearing a three tiered Papal crown. Neither a chalice with a cross on top, nor a Papal crown is mentioned in Revelation 17, nor a Pope either, for that matter.
This is nothing more than another Protestant fabrication designed to Demonize the Catholic Church. I seem to recall earlier in this text that the man made doctrine of Sola Scriptura, by its very title and nature, assumes that everything is in the Bible, and as such, demands that anything not mentioned in it is not to be believed. Well I wish some Sola Scriptura believer could show me in Biblical text where a chalice, a triple papal tiara, and the Pope are found? For this fabrication of Protestant Sola Scriptura believers to be true, then please show me where I can find it in Holy Scripture?
Therefore Luther has shown us yet another error of his ways, that of hypocrisy. If it is not in the Bible, but fits his method to Demonize the Catholic Church, he will use it regardless of the rules of Sola Scriptura.
Interestingly, apparently the outcry of the masses over the woodcuts was so great that Luther removed the offensive ones, such as this one, from his German translation just a few months later. That is why it is so hard to find. But alas, the genie of the title "Whore of Babylon" was yet another genie which Luther had released and found himself powerless to put back into the bottle.

More of Martin Luther's remarks. Here you can see more of his unauthorized changes and examples of his coarse language designed to Demonize the Catholic Church:

In his version of the Apostles Creed it reads, "One Holy Christian Church".
Isn't it written "One Holy Catholic Church"?

Smalcald Articles, 1537, Article II, of the Mass.
"The Mass in the Papacy must be the greatest and most horrible abomination."
Demonizing?
"The Mass itself and anything that proceeds from it, and anything that is attached to it, we cannot tolerate, but must condemn, in order that we may retain the holy Sacrament pure and certain..."

Smalcald Articles, 1537, Article IV, of the Papacy.
"A power so false, mischievous, blasphemous, arrogant and diabolical, a tyrant and faithless scoundrel for the ruin of the entire holy Christian church. All of which amounts to nothing less than [the Pope] saying, Although you believe in Christ, and have him [alone] everything that is necessary to salvation, yet it is nothing and all in vain unless you regard [have and worship] me as your god, and be subject and obedient to me."
Demonizing? Martin, where is this written by the Pope?

"As little as we can worship the devil himself as Lord and God, we can endure his Apostle, the Pope, or antichrist, in his rule as head or Lord." Demonizing?

"The Pope is not the head of all Christendom."
What about Luke 22:32? Another verse ignored?

"The holy Christian [or Catholic] Church can exist without such a head..."
Then why did Jesus appoint a head for His Church?

"The Papacy is of no use in the church, because it exercises no Christian office, and therefore it is necessary for the church to continue and to exist without the Pope."
What about Matthew 16:18?

"The Pope, however, prohibits this faith, saying that to be saved a person must obey him."
What about Hebrews 13:17?

"The Pope is the very antichrist who has exalted himself above, and opposed himself against Christ because he will not permit Christians to be saved without his power which is nothing and is either ordained nor commanded by God."
What about Luke 22:32? Demonizing?

"We will appear before the Pope and devil himself, who intends to listen to nothing, but merely to condemn, to murder, and to force us into idolatry."
Calumny Luther... Demonizing?

Smalcald Articles, 1537, Article X, Of Ordination and the call.
"...we ourselves will and ought to ordain suitable persons to this office."
Sorry Luther, but it takes a Bishop to ordain a priest, so your so-called "ordinations" as a priest are invalid.

Smalcald Articles, 1537, Article XII, Of the Church.
"We do not concede that they are the Church, and in truth they are not, nor do we listen to those things which, under the name of Church, they enjoin or forbid. For, thank GOD a child 7 years old knows what the church is..."
Once again, his followers are to believe what Luther said, and not what GOD said in Scripture.

Luther was also known to contradict himself in his writings, and this quote above is a perfect example. Earlier in this writing you may recall that I posted a contrary quote from him, and I have repeated it below.
Notice that both statements were written in the same year, 1537.

"We concede -- as we must -- that so much of what they [the Catholic Church] say is true: that the papacy has God's word and the office of the apostles, and that we have received Holy Scriptures, Baptism, the Sacrament, and the pulpit from them. What would we know of these if it were not for them?"
Sermon on the gospel of St. John, chaps. 14 - 16 (1537), in vol. 24 of LUTHER'S WORKS,
St. Louis, Mo., Concordia, 1961, 304

Against Catholicism, a pamphlet, par 2, 1535.
"We, through God's grace, are not heretics, but schismatics, causing, indeed, separation and division, wherein we are not to blame, but our adversaries, who gave occasion thereto, because they remain not by God's Word alone, which we have, hear, and follow."
This one sentence by Luther is loaded with admissions of deception. First the lie that he is not a heretic. I have shown otherwise in this writing. Next he admits he is schismatic. Then he admits to separation and division. Isn't that what apostates do?
"Has Christ been divided up?" 1Corinthians 1:13
Do you remember, "...he who does not gather with me scatters"? Luke 11:23
And what about the many verses which admonish us to be of one mind:
"I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
John 17:20-21
Luther was not only disobedient to his superiors, but also to Jesus Christ Himself, and yet he claimed he was not a heretic.

Holy Scripture is teeming with verses telling us to lead pure lives and to avoid sin.
Luther, however, writes a different story.

Letter to Melanchthon, August 1,1521 Luther's Works, vol. 48
"If you are a preacher of grace, then preach a true and not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.... as long as we are here [in this world] we have to sin.... No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day."

Next, typical of what his followers do today, he blames his adversaries and denies blame for his own deeds. Finally he injects his false doctrine of Sola Scriptura with 'God's Word alone'.

Against Catholicism, a pamphlet, par 5, 1535
"There are many that think I am too fierce against popedom; on the contrary, I complain that I am, alas! too mild;"
Luther, I would not call demonizing another human person mild.

Riffel, Kirchengeschichte.
"Heretics are not to be disputed with, but to be condemned unheard, and whilst they perish by fire, the faithful ought to pursue the evil to its source, and bathe their heads in the blood of the Catholic bishops, and of the Pope, who is the devil in disguise."
Luther advocating murder? Calling the Pope the devil is demonizing the Pope again Luther.

Walch, XVIII, 245.
"As for pope, cardinals, bishops, "and the whole brood of Roman Sodom", why not attack it with every sort of weapon and wash our hands in its blood."
Luther called for murder of others again.

The Church and the Pope, Chapter 5, Against the Papacy, An Institution of the Devil.
"The Pope being born from the devils behind".
Calumny, lies, and filth Martin, and from where does it come? Did anyone read John 8:44?
What could this be called other than demonizing another human being of whom Jesus Christ commanded us to love?

Luther had a low opinion of women.

Works 12.94
"The word and works of God is quite clear, that women were made either to be wives or prostitutes."
Works 20.84
"Even though they grow weary and wear themselves out with child- bearing, it does not matter; let them go on bearing children till they die, that is what they are there for."

Luther was highly anti-semitic later in his life.
Look at some of what he wrote against those who are the very roots of Christianity.

Concerning the Jews and Their Lies, 1543.
"We are at fault for not slaying them [the Jews]."
Again Luther condones the murder of innocent people.

Concerning the Jews and Their Lies, 1543
"First, their synagogues or churches (sic) should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or spread over with dirt so that no one may ever be able to see a cinder or stone of it.
Secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed.
Thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer books and Talmuds in which such idolatry, lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught.
Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under the threat of death to teach any more...
Fifthly, passports and traveling privileges should be absolutely forbidden to Jews.
Sixthly, they ought to be stopped from usury. All their cash and valuables of silver and gold ought to be taken from them and put aside for safekeeping.
Seventhly, let the young Jews and Jewesses be given the flail, the ax, the hoe, the spade, the distaff and spindle, and let them earn their bread by the sweat of their noses..."

Tragically, these anti-Semitic rantings written by Luther were adopted and carried out by thugs of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Third Reich in that terrible Kristallnacht in November 1938 in Germany.
Added to the Luther Legacy was Hitler's admiration who revered him as a great German.
Hitler wrote this about Luther in his book Mein Kampf:

"To them belong, not only the truly great statesmen, but all other great reformers as well.
Beside Frederick the Great stands Martin Luther as well as Richard Wagner."
Mein Kampf, book 1, chap 7, "The Beginning of my Political Activity", October 16, 1924

Now let me recap what I have presented here:
It is the Legacy left by Martin Luther, and all of Protestantism owes its heritage to this one man.
As I said at the beginning, it is not something anyone should be proud of.
Again, from Revelation 17:9, "Here is a clue for one who has wisdom".
Take heed!

1. Luther had no Biblical authority to do any of the things of which he did.

2. Luther started the false man made doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Then he promptly defied the theme of it by ignoring many verses from Scripture which I have mentioned in this writing,
Psalms 127:1
Hebrews 13:17
Matthew 16:18
Matthew 18:15-17
Luke 22:32
Acts 5:29
Ephesians 5:24
James 2:24
Revelation 11:8

3. Luther started the man made "individual interpretation of Holy Scripture" and ignored verses of Scripture which forbid it. Since I could not find the verse which authorizes individual interpretation of Scripture, then this is another violation of Sola Scriptura by him.
2Peter 1:20-21
Acts 8:26-34

4. Luther denied Apostolic tradition which had been preserved for almost 1500 years.
That was a clear violation of, 2Thessalonians 2:15

5. Luther added to the Bible, in Romans 3:28, inserting the word "alone". This was a clear violation of all of the verses which forbid any person to do so.

See Deut 4:2, Deut 11:32,13:1,Psa12:7,33:4,50:16-17,10 Psa 7:10-11,119:57,139-140, Prov 5:7,
Prov 30:5-6, Eccl 3:14, Jer 23:36, Gal 1:8-9, 1Pet 1:24-25, 2Pet 3:15-16, and Rev 22:18-20.

6. Luther subtracted from the Bible, the seven Deuterocanonical books which had been in the Bible for over 1100 years, and he wanted to remove others such as the book of James from the New Testament. This is a clear violation of Holy Scripture in many places, proving him to be guilty of all of the verses shown in the previous segment.
Show me the verse in Scripture which authorized him to do this?

7. Luther ignored other verses which I have not presented earlier.
No private interpretation of Holy Scripture, Acts 8:26-34
That we all may be ONE, and not more than the one Church which Jesus Christ founded
in Matthew 16:18

8. Luther refuted the GOD given gift of ordination by a Bishop, by saying he will do his own ordination. Clearly, this is blatant arrogance at its worst, by creating heresy and placing himself above Holy Scripture.

9. He is guilty of calumnizing and Demonizing, and of calling for the murder of other human beings, while completely ignoring the command of Jesus Christ to love one another. (John 15:12)

10. He spoke against some of the New Testament books, two of which were James and Revelation.

11. By speaking against GOD's Holy Word, Luther has judged GOD Himself.

12. He converted Scripture handed down by GOD into scripture devised by man.

13. He preached anti-Semitism against the Jews who are the very roots of Christianity.

14. I have shown in this document that Martin Luther placed himself above the authority of the Church which Jesus Christ founded. He placed himself above Holy Scripture with his "listen to me" rhetoric, and he has tried to place himself above GOD by criticizing GOD's Holy Word.

Whom do you believe, the Church which Jesus Christ founded, Holy Scripture and GOD,
or do you choose to believe Martin Luther?
Who on earth would dare to follow in the footsteps of this person?
Yet all of Protestantism does.
All of Protestantism owes its heritage to this apostate, calumnizer, blasphemer, and Demonizer.

I choose GOD, His Holy Word, and the 2000 year old Catholic Church which He founded.

The Catholic Church is the only Church on earth which fits all of these verses perfectly.
Psalms 127:1, Matthew 16:18, Matthew 28:20, John 14:16-17, John 16:12-13, Ephesians 3:21, 1Timothy 3:15
©
Written by Bob Stanley, May 20, 2002
Updated October 1, 2005

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