[BBC List] Deus superbis resistit, humilibus autem dat gratium. Cui est gloria in secula seculerum

[Mike Abendroth]

HOW TO BE A GREAT THEOLOGIAN
 

excerpts from Martin Luther. 

1. Prayer. For this reason you should despair of your wisdom and reason; for
with these you will acquire nothing, but by your arrogance cast yourself and
others into the pit of hell as did Lucifer. Kneel down in your chamber and
ask God in true humility and seriousness to grant you true wisdom. 

2. Meditation. In the second place, you should meditate, and not only in
your heart, but also outwardly, the oral Word and the expressed words that
are written in the Book, which you must always consider and reconsider, and
read and read over with diligent attention and reflection to see what the
Holy Spirit means thereby. And take care that you do not become weary of it,
thinking that you have read it sufficiently if you have read, heard, or said
it once or twice and understand it perfectly. For in this way no great
theologian is made, but they (who do not study) are like immature fruit,
which falls down before it is half ripe. For this reason you see in this
Psalm 119 that David is always boasting that he would speak, meditate,
declare, sing, hear, read, day and night forever nothing else than the Word
of God alone and the commandments of God. For God does not purpose to give
you His Spirit without the external Word. Be guided by that. For He did not
command in vain to write, preach, read, hear, sing, and declare His external
Word. 

3. Temptation. In the third place, there is tentatio, that is, trial. That
is the true touchstone which teaches you not only to know and understand,
but also to experience how true, sincere, sweet, lovely, powerful,
comforting the Word of God is, so that it is the wisdom above all wisdom.
Thus you see how David in the Psalm just mentioned complains about all
manner of enemies, wicked princes and tyrants, false prophets and factions,
which he must endure because he always meditates, that is, deals with God's
Word in every possible way, as stated. For as soon as the Word of God bears
fruit through you, the devil will trouble you, make you a real teacher, and
teach you through tribulation to seek and to love the Word of God. For I
myself - if I am permitted to voice my humble opinion - must thank my
papists very much for so buffeting, distressing, and terrifying me by the
devil's fury that they made me a fairly good theologian, which otherwise I
should never have become. 

4. Humility. Then (namely, if you follow the rule of David exhibited in
Psalm 119) you will find how shallow and unworthy will appear to you the
writings of the Fathers, and you will condemn not only the books of the
opponents, but also be ever less pleased with your own writing and
preaching. If you have arrived at this stage, you may surely hope that you
have just begun to be a real theologian, one who is able to teach not only
the young and unlearned, but also the advanced and well-instructed
Christians. For Christ's Church includes all manner of Christians - young,
old, weak, sick, healthy, strong, aggressive, indolent, simple, wise, etc.
But if you consider yourself learned and imagine that you have attained the
goal and feel proud of your booklets, teaching and writing, as though you
had done marvelously and preached wondrously, and if you are much pleased
because people praise you before others and you must be praised or otherwise
you are disappointed and feel like giving up - if you are minded like that,
my friend, just grab yourself by the ears, and if you grab rightly, you will
find a fine pair of big, long, rough, donkey ears. Then go to a little more
expense and adorn yourself with golden bells, so that wherever you go people
can hear you, admiringly point at you with their fingers and say, "Lo and
behold, there is that wonderful man who can write such excellent books and
preach so remarkably!" Then certainly you will be blessed, yes more than
blessed, in the kingdom of heaven; indeed, in that kingdom in which the fire
of hell has been prepared for the devil and his angels! . . In this Book,
God's glory alone is set forth, and it says: Deus superbis resistit,
humilibus autem dat gratium. Cui est gloria in secula seculerum [God resists
the proud, but gives grace to the humble. To Whom be glory forever and
ever]. Amen. 
--


Charis,
 
Mike Abendroth
 
"Make us choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to
be contented with half truth when whole truth can be won.   Endow us with
courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns
to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when right and truth
are in jeopardy."
  - West Point Military Academy Cadet Prayer
 
HYPERLINK "http://www.bbcchurch.org"www.bbcchurch.org
 


-- 
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.2/293 - Release Date: 3/26/2006
 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: winmail.dat
Type: application/ms-tnef
Size: 6494 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.bbcchurch.org/pipermail/bbc_list/attachments/20060328/08e9587c/winmail.bin