12 Articles

The theme of the reading is reform. The peasants are demanding reform. Their reform consists of twelve articles. The articles address the ability to choose a pastor, paying just amount of tithe and not extra, and that extra money should be given to the poor or saved. The peasants declare that they should not have to be serfs and be held as property since Christ has delivered all. They also say they should be allowed to kill animals that interfere with their crops since God gave man dominion over all the animals, and they say that firewood should be free to all, instead of charging a poor man a fee for wood. The peasants say that they should not have excessive and ever increasing services to the lords and that all service to the lords should be just and fair. Fair rent prices are requested, and the peasants ask to be judged according to the old written law instead of all the new laws. The peasants ask that the meadows and fields be owned communally instead of individually. They say they will not endure the heriot due any longer, which is a feudal service due to the lord on the death of a tenant. Finally they declare that all articles should be according the word of God.

Luther and other authorities were against the peasants’ revolts. The peasants thought they were doing what Luther had suggested in his reforms, but Luther had never intended the reforms that the peasants proposed. Luther referred to spiritual freedom, not necessarily social freedom. Luther supported the feudal lords in opposing the peasant armies that were rising. Luther suggested the peasants be hunted down and killed, and 70,000-100,000 peasants were killed.

A phrase that stood out to me was, “the gospel is not the cause of revolt and disorder, since it is the message of Christ”. They continue to suggest that Christ taught only love, peace, patience, and concord. While this is partially true, Christ didn’t exactly fit in peacefully with everyone. Christ openly opposed the Pharisees and Sadducees, and even turned over tables and made a whip to get the moneychangers out of the temple. Yes, Jesus teaches love, peace, and patience, but He also was not afraid to go against the crowd and be radical. Of course the gospel itself is not the cause of violent revolt and disorder, but the gospel is not always comfortable in its message either.

The first article about being able to choose a pastor caused me to think about the way some denominations choose pastors. My church was founded over thirty years ago, and today the son of the founder of the church is the pastor. The church has had one pastor for nearly thirty years and then the church was passed down to his son and he has been pastor around five years now. Our church does not vote for a pastor. I have heard of other churches and denominations that change pastors frequently and vote them out for various reasons. I am happy to be in a church where I know the pastor is going to be around for a long time.

I think there is a modern parallel with the way people can get carried away with different church doctrines and carry them to extremes that were perhaps never intended. I have heard much talk and debate about “word of faith” and “prosperity gospel” teachings lately. Some preachers under these categories seem to take things to the extreme by suggesting a person can never be sick, or never be poor, otherwise they are outside the will of God. However, some of the “faith” teaching can be quite good, when not taken to the extreme. I admire how “faith” teachers take the Bible at its word and believe it wholeheartedly and there is much good that can come from that. I think that “word of faith” teaching can be really beneficial if not taken too far and too out of balance, just as Luther’s reforms were not meant to imply radical social reform and be taken to the extreme.

Sources:

Text Book

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Articles