October 31st, 2025
On this date 508 years ago, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg. Though many concurrent forces over the previous few centuries led to this point, it was Martin Luther's bold action that triggered what we know now as the historical period of the Reformation. Every Protestant tradition should be grateful for Luther's courageous stand on the Word of God, but the truth is, there may have not been a Luther if not for a man named Johann von Staupitz.
As a monk, Luther put all of his peers to shame with his vigor and piety. To convey his sorrow for his sins and his desire to be right with God, Luther pushed his body to the extremes of asceticism. He fasted for three days at a time and would sleep outside in the freezing cold barefoot with no blanket. Yet, his zeal to prove himself worthy of acceptance with God drove him into deep depression and even self-hatred. Thankfully, Johann von Staupitz had recently ascended into the position of vicar general of the Order Luther joined. He also became Luther’s confessor when he was invited to teach at Wittenberg. For a catholic priest, Johann was certainly on the “evangelical” side of the spectrum, emphasizing God’s grace and mercy. (As a side note, though Johann never officially left the Catholic Church like Luther, his books were banned by the Pope after his death).
Johann von Staupitz was instrumental in Luther’s discovery of the truth of God’s grace. At one point, when Johann was encouraging Luther to stop thinking of all the sins he needed to repent and simply fall into God’s love, Luther responded, “Love God? Sometimes I hate him!” Later, Johann willingly left his position as professor of theology at Wittenberg and arranged for Luther to succeed him. Now, Luther would be teaching daily and forced to grapple with the truths of Scripture himself. Soon after, Luther began teaching Romans and came across the key passage in Romans 1:17, “the righteous shall live by faith.” When he finally understood this passage correctly, Luther said, “the entire Holy Scripture became clear to me, and heaven itself was opened to me!”
Throughout the rest of his life, Luther understood the influence Johann von Staupitz had in his life and credited him more than any other teacher. In one letter, Luther wrote, ““Doctor Staupitz is first of all my father in this doctrine and gave birth to me in Christ.”[1] Luther clearly understood that God worked through Johann to bring him to the truth. In another letter, Luther wrote, “…had not Dr. Staupitz, or, rather, God through Dr. Staupitz, helped me out, I would have been drowned in [guilt and despondency] and would have been in hell long ago.”[2]
Without a doubt, Luther’s testimony includes a lightning bolt on the way to Erfurt and a lightbulb in Wittenberg. But it was “God through Dr. Staupitz” who slowly but surely brought Luther from fear of condemnation and judgment to the peace, joy, and freedom found in the doctrine of justification by faith. The rediscovery of this biblical emphasis sent shockwaves throughout Germany and the world in the years following 1517. Aren’t you glad Johann von Staupitz helped Luther truly understand and experience the love and grace of Christ? Luther learned that “the one whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” I hope you are living and experiencing the freedom provided by the righteousness of Christ today. And may we, like Doctor Staupitz, lead others to understand that freedom as well!
_____________________
[1] http://religion.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.001.0001/acrefore-9780199340378-e-371
[2] Nebe, August, Luther as Spiritual Adviser, 109.
As a monk, Luther put all of his peers to shame with his vigor and piety. To convey his sorrow for his sins and his desire to be right with God, Luther pushed his body to the extremes of asceticism. He fasted for three days at a time and would sleep outside in the freezing cold barefoot with no blanket. Yet, his zeal to prove himself worthy of acceptance with God drove him into deep depression and even self-hatred. Thankfully, Johann von Staupitz had recently ascended into the position of vicar general of the Order Luther joined. He also became Luther’s confessor when he was invited to teach at Wittenberg. For a catholic priest, Johann was certainly on the “evangelical” side of the spectrum, emphasizing God’s grace and mercy. (As a side note, though Johann never officially left the Catholic Church like Luther, his books were banned by the Pope after his death).
Johann von Staupitz was instrumental in Luther’s discovery of the truth of God’s grace. At one point, when Johann was encouraging Luther to stop thinking of all the sins he needed to repent and simply fall into God’s love, Luther responded, “Love God? Sometimes I hate him!” Later, Johann willingly left his position as professor of theology at Wittenberg and arranged for Luther to succeed him. Now, Luther would be teaching daily and forced to grapple with the truths of Scripture himself. Soon after, Luther began teaching Romans and came across the key passage in Romans 1:17, “the righteous shall live by faith.” When he finally understood this passage correctly, Luther said, “the entire Holy Scripture became clear to me, and heaven itself was opened to me!”
Throughout the rest of his life, Luther understood the influence Johann von Staupitz had in his life and credited him more than any other teacher. In one letter, Luther wrote, ““Doctor Staupitz is first of all my father in this doctrine and gave birth to me in Christ.”[1] Luther clearly understood that God worked through Johann to bring him to the truth. In another letter, Luther wrote, “…had not Dr. Staupitz, or, rather, God through Dr. Staupitz, helped me out, I would have been drowned in [guilt and despondency] and would have been in hell long ago.”[2]
Without a doubt, Luther’s testimony includes a lightning bolt on the way to Erfurt and a lightbulb in Wittenberg. But it was “God through Dr. Staupitz” who slowly but surely brought Luther from fear of condemnation and judgment to the peace, joy, and freedom found in the doctrine of justification by faith. The rediscovery of this biblical emphasis sent shockwaves throughout Germany and the world in the years following 1517. Aren’t you glad Johann von Staupitz helped Luther truly understand and experience the love and grace of Christ? Luther learned that “the one whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” I hope you are living and experiencing the freedom provided by the righteousness of Christ today. And may we, like Doctor Staupitz, lead others to understand that freedom as well!
_____________________
[1] http://religion.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.001.0001/acrefore-9780199340378-e-371
[2] Nebe, August, Luther as Spiritual Adviser, 109.
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