Christians Can Be Soldiers

by Martin Luther, Holger Sonntag, Paul Strawn

It generally is not difficult to understand how a Christian can serve in the military compulsorily during a conflict in which life, family, property and even a nation itself is at stake; when right and wrong are easy to determine, when an enemy combatant is easily identifiable and a desired outcome clearly desirable and achievable. In such a situation the specific acts of individual soldiers, although troubling, and in any other context, unacceptable, are accepted and indeed, understood as necessary. But what about when the greater contours of war are not as clear? When military service is not compulsory, but voluntary? When combatants are difficult to identify? When the validity of individual acts of soldiers is routinely questioned by those outside of the military? Can a Christian serve in such a situation? Martin Luther answers this question with a sure and confident "Yes!" How? By explaining what a soldier actually is in the eyes of God and what therefore a soldier is to do. Luther even includes a prayer written specifically for soldiers before they enter combat. Formatted into 15 simple chapters along with study questions, this 128 page book is perfect for personal devotion or Bible study.

128 pages, Perfect Paperback

Published March 17, 2010

About the author

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German monk, theologian, university professor and church reformer whose ideas inspired the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of Western civilization.

Luther's theology challenged the authority of the papacy by holding that the Bible is the only infallible source of religious authority and that all baptized Christians under Jesus are a spiritual priesthood. According to Luther, salvation was a free gift of God, received only by true repentance and faith in Jesus as the Messiah, a faith given by God and unmediated by the church.

Luther's confrontation with Charles V at the Diet of Worms over freedom of conscience in 1521 and his refusal to submit to the authority of the Emperor resulted in his being declared an outlaw of the state as he had been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. Because of the perceived unity of the medieval Church with the secular rulers of western Europe, the widespread acceptance of Luther's doctrines and popular vindication of his thinking on individual liberties were both phenomenal and unprecedented.

His translation of the Bible into the vernacular, making it more accessible to ordinary people, had a tremendous political impact on the church and on German culture. It furthered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation of the English King James Bible. His hymns inspired the development of congregational singing within Christianity. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage within Protestantism.

Much scholarly debate has concentrated on Luther's writings about the Jews. His statements that Jews' homes should be destroyed, their synagogues burned, money confiscated and liberty curtailed were revived and used in propaganda by the Nazis in 1933–45. As a result of this and his revolutionary theological views, his legacy remains controversial.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was helpful in understanding the work of the Holy Spirit. I will, of course, read it multiple times to understand it more fully.