CUE NET CONFESSIONS CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY EDUCATION NETWORK CONFESSION 1 QUESTION 58 Captioning Provided By: Caption First, Inc. 3238 Rose Street Franklin Park, IL 60131 800-825-5234 *** This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. *** >>Often the Smalcald Articles are called Luther's last testament. Was he near death and if so, with what illness was he plagued? How did it affect the outcome of the meeting? >>DR. CHARLES P. ARAND: The Smalcald Articles do, in fact, have something of a two-fold or double character. On the one hand they were prepared as a memorandum of a number of issues that might guide the deliberations at the council between the Lutherans and the Catholics. On the other hand, Luther also prepared it as many scholars now acknowledge and recognize as something of a last will and testament. Now, it was not uncommon in the 16th century that if one was facing death, that one draw up a last will and testament. But perhaps a little bit unlike our day and age, some of these last wills and testaments not only included a list of material possessions that a person desired to bequeath to their descendents, it would also include a confession of faith as a way of saying "Not openly do I bequeath my material possessions, but I bequeath to you that which is my greatest treasure, this confession of faith." And you can see this even in the preface to the book of Concord as a whole. There is a solemn recognition if you will that what one confesses, we -- one has to give account for before the judgment seat of God. But also that what one confesses is what a person desires to bequeath to their children, to their spouse, to those who come after them. Well, Luther had done this at least one time prior to 1537. The most famously it is called his great confession of 1528. This is a fairly lengthy treatise. And two-thirds of it are devoted to the debate over the Lord's Supper between Luther and sween knee. Luther expounds in great lengths the words of institution. But at the very conclusion of it, Luther includes in the last will and testament in which he confesses his faith organized around the three articles of the Apology's creed. At that time he was -- he was not sure that he would survive the illness. In fact, from the mid 1520s to the end of his life, Luther suffered from a variety of ailments from intestinal problems, kidney stones, ringing in his ears, and the like. In 1536 -- the end of 1536 and beginning of 1537, Luther was severely ill. Most historians speculate today that it was a cause or the illness was related to a severe, severe case of kidney stones. In fact, it got to such a point that the prince's called Luther's wife Katie from Wittenberg to Smalcald fearing he was, in fact, in his final days. William rustle and perhaps the only major -- has written perhaps the only major book about the Smalcald Articles, the history and theology of English. He entitled it the Smalcald Articles Luther's last will and testament. He will provide you with all of the -- how shall I say it? -- medical and gory details about Luther's illness to the point where indicating that, you know, they tried getting Luther back to Wittenberg to die. And about halfway to Wittenberg, the kidney stone finally passed and he has a statement there from Luther an exclamation of joy and praise to God. Well, he also points out that the illness was so severe that in the original manuscript, the first half of the Smalcald article is written in Luther's own hand but about halfway through the Smalcald Articles it's written into different handwriting different style there by rustle speculates Luther's secretary at that point took over and Luther dictated the remaining of the Smalcald Articles. So it was very real illness. Very severe. That Luther was unable to take an active part in the deliberations of the Smalcald league itself. Once again, Melanchthon, along with other Wittenberg's theologians had to take the lead or play that role. So we also have to then read the Smalcald Articles not only as a memorandum for the princes on what we might discuss at the council what we cannot compromise but also to read them as emphasizing Luther's -- the heart of Luther's faith. The heart of his confession of faith as to what he wants to leave behind for prosperity. *** This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. ***