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Martin Chemnitz

If Martin Luther is considered the greatest theologian of the Lutheran Church, then Martin

Chemnitz is without a doubt our second greatest Lutheran Father. Chemnitz is certainly deserving of thetitle the Second Martin, and was the primary bulwark of orthodox Lutheran theology in the latter part

of the sixteenth century.

Born in Treuenbrietzen, in 1522, he was the last of three children given to Paul and EuphemiaChemnitz. Chemnitz life of education was varied and marked by constant moving (because of financial

difficulties). He studied at Wittenberg (1536-1538), Magdeburg (1539-42), Calbe (1542), Frankfurt on

the Oder (1543-44), where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, again at Wittenberg (1545-47) underthe tutelage of Melancthon, and Knigsberg (1547-53). At Knigsberg he was able to obtain his Master

of Arts degree, and began his study of theology (from 1550-1553) in the Dukes personal library. From

there he again returned to Wittenberg, and was made a member of the faculty in 1554. Later that year, he

accepted a call as coadjutor of Braunschweig to his friend Joachim Morlin and pastor of Martin Church,where he would remain until his death in 1586. During his time in Braunchweig he received his

doctorate at the University of Rostock (1568), and took over the office of the superintendent (1567).

It was the latter part of the sixteenth century that proved to be one of the greatest battlegrounds

for orthodox Lutheranism, which found itself facing many opponents and varied controversies. TheCatholic Church, newly revitalized from the council of Trent (1545-1563), was now ready to take a

decisive stand against the Protestants. John Calvin had come onto the scene, along with his corrupttheology. It was in the doctrines of the Lords Supper and the Person of Christ that Calvinism posed its

greatest threat to Lutheranism, with proponents of these errors masking their heterodoxy under thesupposed title of Lutheran (these men were named Crypto-Calvinists because they hid their

Calvinistic inclinations). Under the unsteady hand of Melancthon, Wittenberg itself became a hotbed for

Crypto-Calvinists. Add to this the Osiandrian controversy, the Synergists and the Anabaptists, and onecan clearly see that Satan was again hard at work trying to destroy the Gospel, which had been snuffed

out in medieval theology, but God had again brought to light through Luther.

It was in these turbulent times that God graced our Church with the second Martin, who, using

Scripture as his guide, soundly defeated the errorists in turn. In response to the Catholics he wrote hisfamous, four-volume workExamination of theCouncil of Trent, one of the great masterpieces of

Lutheran theology. Against the Crypto-Calvinists he worked tirelessly, writingDe Coena Domini (The

Lords Supper) in 1560, andDe Duabus Naturis inChristo (the Two Natures in Christ) published in1570, and expanded in 1578. But his greatest contribution to Lutheranism is his work in producing the

Formula of Concord. In collaboration with Jacob Andreae, Phillip Selnecker, David Chytraeus, Andrew

Musculus, and Christopher Korner, the Bergic Book was produced in 1577, which we today call theSolid Declaration of the Formula of Concord.

This was the flag under which orthodox Lutheranism rallied. Unbiased, it simply reproduced the

Scriptural positions of the doctrines in question, taking its stance on the Bible and Luther. The doctrinesof the Lords supper and of the Person of Christ were hammered out, so that there was no place for the

Crypto-Calvinists to hide. The work itself, written primarily by Chemnitz, was ascribed to by most ofthe Lutheran parts of the empire (Chemnitzs home town, Braunschweig, did not subscribe to it until

years later, not because of doctrinal differences, but because of a personal quarrel between Duke Juliusand Chemnitz).

We in the WELS would do well to better acquaint ourselves with Martin Chemnitz, both his life and

his works. Our second greatest Father, he stands out as a theologian and pastor in the truest sense,following in the footsteps of the first Martin and taking an uncompromising stand on Scripture. The 17

th

century saying is certainly true (written above in Latin), If the second Martin (Chemnitz) had not come,

the first Martin (Luther) would not have stood.

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Bibliography and Recommended Reading

J.A.O. Preus. The Second Martin. St. Louis: CPH, 1994.

Concordia Triglotta. Milwaukee: CPH, 1921.

Chemnitz, Martin. The Two Natures in Christ, Translated by J.A.O. Preus. St. Louis: CPH, 1971.

Chemnitz, Martin. The Lords Supper, Translated by J.A.O. Preus, St. Louis: CPH, 1979.

Chemnitz, Martin. The Examination of the Council of Trent, Part 1, Translated by Fred Kramer, St. Louis: CPH, 1971

Chemnitz, Martin.Loci Theologici, Vol. 1, Translated by J.A.O. Preus. St. Louis: CPH, 1989_____________________________

Document Information

Written by Joshua M. Zarling.

jmz@studiumexcitare.com

Published on May 7, 2003 in Studium Excitare, Volume 1, Number 1. Summer 2003.

http://www.studiumexcitare.com/docs/archives/000007.php