Luther burning the papal bull: Encouragement to flaunt church discipline? (2)
This article examines Martin Luther's 1520 burning of the papal bull as a case study in ecclesiastical authority and the proper response to false church discipline. Kuiper argues that Luther's actions were justified because Rome was not a true church of Christ, and he explores what it means for modern believers to follow Luther's example by prioritizing Scripture's authority over corrupt church leadership. The article emphasizes that faithful Christians in true churches follow this principle by ensuring that all church discipline aligns with biblical doctrine, particularly the gospel of sovereign grace and Christ's sole headship over His church.
Previous article in this series: December 15, 2020, p. 135. On December 10, 1520, Martin Luther burned the bull of Pope Leo X threatening Luther with excommunication. In these articles we are answering the question how this event is relevant for us.1 The last article explained why Luther did what he did. Luther understood that Rome was not the church of which Christ was the Head and in which He worked for the salvation of His people. A proper understanding of the doctrine of the church is...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org