Marburg article

The Marburg Articles are a compilation of confessional statements that arose on Monday, October 4th, 1529 at the Marburg Religious Discussion .

Origin and Effect

Martin Luther , Ulrich Zwingli and other reformers met at the invitation of Landgrave Philipp von Hessen in Marburg Castle to resolve their differences in understanding the Lord's Supper . The central point of contention was the doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the meal offerings of bread and wine at the Lord's Supper. In the conversation that took place on October 2nd and 3rd, however, no consensus was reached.

Landgrave Philipp, who wanted to make the conversation successful, suggested that a short text should record the points on which there was agreement. Luther then formulated fifteen articles on the basis of the Schwabach articles , fourteen of which formulate the similarities between the Lutheran and Zwinglian teachings. The structure partly follows the Apostles' Creed . The fifteenth article expresses dissent on the question of the understanding of the sacrament; but largely without reference to the conversation that had previously taken place over two days. After a few changes had been made, the articles were signed by all theologians present.

Since the two sides interpreted the text differently soon after leaving, it did not achieve any official validity and did not achieve the effect Landgrave Philipp had hoped for as the basis of a political alliance. However, more recent research evaluates it as “evidence of the historical unity of the early Reformation”.

content

Article 1 : Unity of God, Trinity, conformity with the Confession of Nicaea

Article 2 : Christology , incarnation of the Son , virgin birth

3rd article : Passion , death , resurrection , ascension

4th Article : Original Sin

Article 5 : Salvation through Christ

Article 6 : Faith is a gift from God without works

7. Article : Faith is the ground of justification

8th Article : The Word of God awakens faith through the Holy Spirit

Article 9 : Baptism as a sign of being born again

Article 10 : Sanctification Through Good Works

Article 11 : Use of Confession

Article 12 : Recognition of the Secular Authority

13. Article : Maintaining the church tradition, provided it is not in contradiction to the Word of God, to "spare the weak"

Article 14 : Baptism of Children

Article 15 : Lord's Supper in Both Forms, Necessity for Christians to Participate in the Sacrament of the Altar. Disagreement on the question of real presence : “ And although we have not compared this time whether the true body and the true blood of Christ is bodily in bread and wine, one part should be Christian love for the other, provided that every conscience is always that can suffer, and both parts diligently ask God Almighty that he will confirm the right use for us through his spirit. "

literature

Wolf-Friedrich Schäufele (Ed.): The Marburg article as a testimony to unity. Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Leipzig 2012, ISBN 978-3-374-03080-4

Web links

Marburg article on Glaubensstimme (accessed on August 1, 2008; 6:58 pm)

Individual evidence

^ Wolf-Friedrich Schäufele : Alliance and Confession. The Marburg articles in their threefold historical context . In the S. (Ed.): The Marburg Articles as a testimony to unity . Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Leipzig 2012. p. 66, ISBN 978-3-374-03080-4 .

[1] Wolf-Friedrich Schäufele : Alliance and Confession. The Marburg articles in their threefold historical context . In the S. (Ed.): The Marburg Articles as a testimony to unity . Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Leipzig 2012. p. 66, ISBN 978-3-374-03080-4 .