Holy Trinity Weekly

Tomorrow will be the Tenth Lord’s Day after Pentecost.

The Christian Almanac records that this last week marks the anniversary of the publication of the Augsburg Confession. While an earlier version had been submitted to the Emperor and rejected and later editions would appear, its modern form was first introduced to the world on August 8, 1531. The Confession consists of twenty-eight articles which deal with the doctrine of justification and address a number of “abuses” resident in the church. The author of the confession was born Philipp Schwarzert, but at the advice of his uncle, he took a new last name and become Philipp Melanchthon while studying at the University of Heidelberg in his early teens. Later, he studied under Luther at Wittenburg and eventually became a
professor of theology at the University. While Luther was confined in the Wartburg Castle for some time, Melanchthon single-handedly filled the great Reformer’s shoes, directing the affairs of the Reformation in Wittenburg. Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of Melanchthon and the Augsburg Confession is how conciliatory they were. Melanchthon defended the truth boldly but ever with a tone of hope and prayer for peace and unity in the Church. It is said that Melanchthon died praying that “the churches might be of one mind in Christ.”

This continues to be our challenge today. How can we be the Church for the world in such a way as to hold both truth and peace in the same hand? May God give us such grace.