Thursday, February 14, 2008

A long quote on worship, but a great one...

Luther's commentary on Genesis 11:31-32, regarding Ur of the Chaldeans...

AELW2:243

"The examples of all times teach that the Word of truth and the true forms of worship are despised by the common people. Hence when new teachers arise, they present itching ears to them; and truly, as Moses says (Deut. 29:19): “The drunkard seizes the thirsting.” Perverse teachers are most ready to teach, and the common people are most eager to listen. In this manner the Word and the true forms of worship become lost. The Anabaptists proclaim the new doctrine that children should not be baptized, because they cannot have faith, since they are without reason and do not understand the Word. The common people had heard nothing of this kind from us, and so they received that idea with great applause. The Sacramentarians, Zwingli, Oecolampadius, and their like contend that when Christ says: “This is My body,” He does not mean that with the bread or under the bread He is giving His body, but that only bread is received and wine is drunk, and that the body of Christ is not received and His blood is not drunk. These teachers the ignorant common people admire and follow. But we, who do not allow ourselves to be diverted from the words of Christ, are regarded as not one whit sounder or better than the papists. Such is the custom of the world: it despises the Word and admires what is new."

No comments: