N.T. Wright on Martin Luther Not Being All That Right

Another Catholic blogger (Purify Your Bride) picks up on my “Ten Questions for N.T. Wright regarding Catholicism, Justification, and the Church.”

He makes a really good point:

The other thing that [Wright] does not address…is the main subject of Taylor’s Marshall post. That his comments on Paul do suggest Luther was just plain wrong on doctrine when he split the church. He does not seem to grasp the significance of this. I know, as an Anglican, [Wright] may have a different relationship with Luther than those of us who were his more direct spiritual ancestor. But as a Protestant, all our thinking about the reformation revolved around Luther being right. He has scripture on his side. He had the truth on his side. To suddenly say that he really didn’t is huge. Wright might never ask himself why he split from Rome but when reformed Christians ask that they answer because Luther was right and the Catholic church was wrong. When that answer disappears then it makes perfect sense people would take a second look at Rome.

The point here being that whenever anyone says “Luther was wrong,” it doesn’t matter what he says next. As soon as you grant Luther’s error, you raise serious question as to the legitimacy of the Protestant Reformation.

You may also enjoy:

• Ten Questions for N.T. Wright regarding Catholicism, Justification, and the Church