Welcome back to another episode of five minutes in church history.

Last week we mentioned that on the 18th we had the 478th anniversary of Martin Luther's death.

So we spent time with Martin Luther last week and I want to spend time with him again this week as we remember Martin Luther

who died on February the 18th 1546. To do so this week let's consider a text by Luther published in 1528.

He gave it what I think is a great title.

Confession of the Articles of Faith against the enemy of the gospel and all kinds of heresies.

Well, that's quite a promise in the title.

This was a very important book for Luther, or booklet we might say, small treatise.

And it's one that I don't think many folks are familiar with, but I think it's one that's

pretty crucial to Luther and is a wonderful summary of what

are all those great emphases and great contributions of Martin Luther.

First, let's take a look at the year, 1528. Luther was in poor health.

Waves of the plague had struck Wittenburg and nearby towns and Luther had lost friends.

Students' lives were in jeopardy and even the plague reached

into Luther's own household.

This was a difficult moment for him. It was still in the early

years of forming this new church and as we remember he had a bounty on his head.

There was a reward for the death of Martin Luther.

It was in this time that he wrote,

A mighty Fortress is our God.

And as we know the lyrics to that hymnmn you can see Luther in the midst of all that suffering

looking upward at the mighty fortress who is God for his protection And in the midst of all that he wrote this confession of

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