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XV. Conclusion
Luther’s name is used today by one of the major denominations in the world. Although people readily adopted Luther’s name, Luther, to his credit, never agreed with this, but said:
The first thing I ask is that people should not make use of my name, and should not call themselves Lutherans, but Christians. What is Luther? The teaching is not mine. Nor was I crucified for anyone. St. Paul, in 1 Cor. 3, would not tolerate Christians calling themselves Paul’s or Peter’s, but only Christians. How did I, poor stinking bag of maggots that I am, come to the point where people call the children of Christ by my evil name? Not so, dear friends, let us do away with party names, and be called Christians, for it is his teaching that we have. The papists are rightly called by a party name as long as they are not satisfied with the doctrine and the name of Christ, and want to be papists as well; let them be papists; for the Pope is their master. I am no one’s master, nor do I wish to be. I share with all men the one common teaching of Christ, who alone is our master (Matt. 23:8). [28]
Praise the Lord for Martin Luther and the recovery of Christian truths which our Lord began with our brother.
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