Martin Luther Research Paper

Hello, my name is Martin Luther.  I was born Nov. 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany.  I was the monk, priest, and world-changer you may have read about who wrote the Ninety-Five Theses and rebelled against the Catholic church.  Even in my older age, I led revolutions.  After many years of pursuing the church, they began to hate me.  I was excommunicated from the church, but I didn’t care. I had a naive, yet persistent, attitude, and my life was fraught with determination and risk.

My father was a brilliant man who owned a copper mine in Mansfield.  He wanted me to go to law school and receive a Master’s degree in Law.  So I, at age 17, followed my father’s dreams and received a Bachelor’s degree after just one year.  I continued my study, and soon was given a Master’s degree.  I enrolled in a nearby law school.

When I was walking to school one day, a terrible thunderstorm began to rage about me.  I was fearful, yet I continued walking.  But when a claw of lightning struck very near me, I called, “St. Anne, help me!  I will become a monk!”  Knowing my father would not approve, yet staying true to my saintly promise, I dropped out of Law school, and enrolled in a monastery.

When my father heard that I had dropped out of a prestigious law school, he was enraged.    He stomped around the house yelling and pounding his fists on various objects.  He simply did not fully understand the difference between a promise and a saintly promise.

Law school and Monastery life were very different worlds.  I devoted my life to studying the Word and powerfully living what it said.  Sometimes, I would feel overwhelmed by my sins, and lock myself into my room, whipping and torturing myself.  For many days, I would fast, and stay in my small chamber studying the Bible for countless long hours at a time.

I began to think that God hated me.  I never felt that I had peace with my Creator.  The other monks tried to convince me that God loved me, but to no avail.  I believed that I would never become as pious as my fellow monks,  and never develop a firm relationship with God.

As I studied God’s word, words like penance and righteousness began to form a new definition.  My studies convinced me that the Catholic church had lost sight of a few truths.  I had seen indulgences(Scrolls that were sold stating that a loved one was saved from penance, a virtual hell) being sold around the church, and knew that you didn’t have to pay to be saved.  I began to form a scroll of 95 theses, with scriptures from the Bible in collaboration with my beliefs, against the church, and soon the scroll was published in every German town.

When I finished these theses, I hammered them onto the church door at Wittenberg.  Although this was the most recent “News center” in my time, posting any words AGAINST the church was blasphemy.  I felt that the church must not refuse to return to the truth.

The villagers read the scroll, and told the church officials.  The church officials studied every word with hatred in their corrupted eyes, and reported to the priest.  The priest went as far as to preach against the theses, and told the pope, Leo X.  

The pope was the ruler of the Roman Catholic church, and he knew exactly why he was selling indulgences.  He was using the money to build himself a new palace.  “Oh, the townsfolk won’t even know!” Leo X had snickered to himself a few weeks prior, “They’ll just step right up, and purchase an indulgence.  Or maybe TWO!  I’ll be rolling in cash!”  Leo was playing on the villagers’ hearts and emotions, knowing  that they would give in to compassion.

But I knew,  and Leo was scared of my influence.  He ordered his officials to give me the Papal Bull of Excommunication.  I wouldn’t be able to re-join the church until I repented from my deadly sin.  

When I read the Bull, I was infuriated.  I had just been pointing out the truth!  I was NOT going to repent from attempting to help the church.  So I boldly burned the Bull, smiling as the paper reduced to ashes.

When the Pope heard of this rebellious act, he was horrified.  “That scumbag!  He BURNED my Bull!  Have him put into exile!” Leo X shrieked.

So I was sent to Wartburg castle for a year.  The castle was dark and near empty, and I was forced to wear a knight’s garb and grow a beard.  But this long year gave me much time to finish my long-awaited German translation of the Bible.  I saw my time in imprisonment as an opportunity to serve my God, much like Jesus’ disciple, Paul.  I also wrote many books in my time at the Wartburg Castle.  

Finally, in the May of 1522, I left Wartburg to return to Wittenburg and continue teaching.  In 1525, I married Katharina von Bora, a woman who had been a former nun.  Over the years, we had six beautiful kids: Paul, Magdalena, Margarethe, Elisabeth, Hans, and Martin Jr.

  From 1533 to 1546, I was a theologian in Wittenburg, and during this time period, I suffered from arthritis, heart problems, and digestive disorders.   I died on Feb. 18, 1546, during a trip back to Eisleben, when I was only 62(So Young!)

My Legacy

I am best known as an influential theologian who changed Christianity when I started the 16th century Protestant Reformation.  I still live on in the LUTHERAN churches, and my name has been carried on the tongues of many for countless centuries.

Some may compare me to Jesus.  In my mind, Jesus is far superior to me.  Although both of us saw injustice in the way of the current government, Jesus calmly preached against their acts, and told them the way to the kingdom of heaven.  I fought against the government with my word sword and parchment armor.   But Jesus made a greater impression than I did, and He will always be the one and only God who shall live beyond all the suns of men.  I illuminated truth, and stubbornly fought for freedom from the injustice of the Catholic Church.