Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer, Martin Bucer was a son of a poor barrel maker in Schlettstadt. He studied in a prestigious Latin school and at the age of 15, he joined Dominican Order for religious studies. He proved to be an excellent student and hence got transferred to Heidelberg to continue his theological education.
Biography:
Birth : 11-11-1491
Death : 28-02-1551
Native Place : Schlettstadt
Country : –
Place of Vision : Strasbourg, France
In 1518, it was by chance that Bucer heard Martin Luther expounding the theology of the cross in Heidelberg. The message had a huge impact on young Bucer’s mind. He immediately abandoned his monastic life and set out in search of the theological truth.
After two years of intense discussions with reformers including Luther, Bucer started ministering in Landstuhl and Wissembourg.
Martin Bucer ministry in France
He started preaching that Bible is the sole source of salvation and everyone is responsible for their own salvation. He condemned the monks and popes who led the people away from the truth for their selfishness. This led to a strong rebuttal from the catholic leaders who excommunicated Bucer from Wissembourg.
Without any means of subsistence, Bucer arrived in Strasbourg in 1523 where Huldrych Zwingli took him in. Within few days, he started conducting Bible studies and by August 1524, he was made the pastor of the St. Aurelia parish. There he stayed till 1549, spearheading the reformation movement in different parts of Europe.
He published the Latin translations of Luther’s sermons and also wrote commentaries of his own on the synoptic Gospels, Ephesians, John, Zephaniah, and Psalms. Bucer played an important role in uniting the then widely divided protestant ideologies and mediated between Martin Luther and Huldrych Zwingli.
He advocated the believers about the need to have “child-like faith in God.” Bucer traveled extensively across Europe encouraging and correcting the church in the light of the Biblical truth. He spent his last days in England assisting Thomas Cranmer in reformation ministry and composing his magnum opus ‘De Regno Christi.’
Beloved, do you have “child-like faith in God?”
Take Away from the article
“Lord, please help me to grow in the knowledge of Scriptures, that I might rightly discern all things and recognize what is false. Amen!”
Word of Prayer
