Sublime

The prisoner passed from the first to the second phase; the phase of relative apathy, in which he achieved a kind of emotional death.

from the perspective of the dominant class in Israel.

the Anabaptists were, by overwhelming majority, convinced pacifists. Typical of the movement was Menno Simonsz (1496–1561), the Dutch founder of the Mennonites.

TEMPORARY RESIDENTS

“Never take your own revenge, beloved” (Rom. 12:19). Instead of seeking vengeance against those who persecuted them he urged them to “bless those who persecute you” (v. 14a).

Divided by Faith,

Into this maelstrom stepped Martin Luther, a theology professor at Witten­berg. In 1517, his posting of 95 grievances against the Catholic Church was only a hint of how the status of the individual was changing. Luther’s most revolutionary act was his defiance at the Diet of Worms, where he elevated the solitary believer — armed only with the Bible

(Acts 10:13).

Starting with the sinfulness of humans and the wrath of God against sin, he moves on to tell of God’s grace in salvation, which comes to us through God-given faith and not our works.