The Reformed Olive Press

20 Major Ethical and Theological Problems in Martin Luther’s Thought Martin Luther is often hailed as a hero of conscience—a bold reformer who shattered the power of the medieval Church and rediscovered the gospel of grace. Yet like Augustine before him, Luther was also a man of deep contradictions. His words and actions often clashed with his ideals of Christian love, freedom, and truth. The following list outlines 20 major ethical and theological problems in Luther’s thought and legacy—issues that continue to challenge both historians and theologians today. Violence & Intolerance 1. Violent rhetoric against peasants – During the Peasants’ War (1524–1525), Luther urged rulers to “smite, slay, and stab” revolting peasants, contributing to tens of thousands of deaths. His reaction revealed his fear of social chaos overriding compassion for the oppressed. 2. Hatred toward Jews – In his later years, especially in On the Jews and Their Lies (1543), Luther called for burning synagogues,...

O mnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence: Did Ancient Near Eastern Gods Have Them? When most people think of God, they imagine an all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present being. But these ideas—omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence—are not originally Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) concepts. They are largely a product of Greek philosophy that was later applied to the Hebrew God. Let’s unpack this. How Ancient Near Eastern Gods Were Viewed In civilizations like Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Canaan, gods were incredibly powerful but limited in scope: Marduk, the Babylonian chief god, battled chaos but did not have infinite power. Ra, the Egyptian sun god, could be challenged by Apep, the serpent of chaos. El, the Canaanite high god, presided over a council of gods and delegated authority; he was not omnipresent. These gods often had territories or spheres of influence, were anthropomorphic, and sometimes were surprised or deceived. They had influence, not absolute control. Omnipotence,...

  This Is My Body and Blood Broken for You: Was It in the Original Texts? One of the most famous lines in all of Christianity—“This is my body, which is broken for you; this cup is the new covenant in my blood”—lies at the center of Eucharistic theology. Yet, when we look closer at the manuscript history of the New Testament, this phrase wasn’t as uniform or as original as later Christian tradition assumed. Missing from the Earliest Manuscripts The phrase “broken for you” (in Greek, τοῦτο ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κλώμενον) does not appear in the earliest manuscripts of the Gospels of Matthew or Mark. Even in Luke, textual critics note that verses 19b–20—where Jesus says, “This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me”—are missing from some of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts, such as Codex Bezae (D) and some Old Latin texts. Many scholars believe these verses were later inserted to harmonize Luke’s account with Paul’s version in 1 Corinthians 1...

R ethinking “In the Beginning”: How Isaiah and Jeremiah Challenge Our Reading of Genesis 1:1 For centuries, Genesis 1:1 has been the go-to verse for defending the idea that God created the universe out of nothing: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” At first glance, it seems clear and simple—God started everything. This verse has fueled countless sermons, theological arguments, and even science debates. But what if we’ve misunderstood what “the beginning” means? And what if other passages in the Hebrew Bible give us the key to rethinking this foundational verse? Let’s take a closer look at Isaiah 46:10 and Jeremiah 26:1—two verses that use the same Hebrew word for “beginning” (re’shith)—and see how they open up a deeper, richer understanding of Genesis 1:1 that doesn’t rely on the idea of a cosmic “creation out of nothing.” Isaiah 46:10: The Beginning as Purpose Isaiah writes: “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done...” (...

F rom Taboo to Transgression: How Sin Evolved from the Ancient Near East to the Greco-Roman World The concept of sin is not static—it has evolved over centuries and cultures. In the Ancient Near East (ANE), sin was largely understood through external actions that disrupted communal harmony or defied divine instruction. But by the time of the Greco-Roman period, especially through Hellenistic influence and post-exilic Jewish thought, sin had morphed into a deeply internalized, psychological, and even metaphysical category. This shift radically altered how people understood human nature, morality, and divine judgment. Sin in the Ancient Near East: Breach of Order In the earliest biblical and ANE contexts (like Mesopotamia and Canaan), sin was viewed more as a breach of covenant or ritual violation than as an internal moral failing. It was a disruption of cosmic or social order—"missing the mark" or breaking loyalty to a sovereign deity. For example: In Genesis, Cain is warned t...

  Divine Wrath in the Ancient Near East: A Shared Theme The notion of divine wrath is a common motif across Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) literatures. From Mesopotamia to Egypt, Ugarit, and the Hittite lands, deities were often portrayed as expressing anger in response to human actions or cosmic disorder. While each culture framed this theme in its unique theological context, the underlying idea—a god’s rage resulting in judgment or catastrophe—resonates across the region. Epic of Gilgamesh – Tablet XI: The Great Flood In this Mesopotamian epic, the gods decide to send a flood to destroy humanity due to their noise disturbing the gods' peace. The storm god, Adad, and other deities unleash a catastrophic deluge: "The gods were frightened by the flood, and retreated, ascending to the Anu-heaven. They crouched against the walls, cowering like dogs lying by the outer wall." — Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet XI  This scene depicts divine anger manifesting as natural catastrophe, a moti...

W hen Gods Strike: Cautionary Tales and Instant Death in the Ancient Near East Stories of sudden death at the hands of a deity aren’t unique to the Bible. Across the Ancient Near East (ANE), myths, inscriptions, and legal texts regularly warned people that touching the wrong thing, lying to the gods, or mishandling sacred rituals could bring instant death. These stories functioned as cautionary tales, teaching reverence, obedience, and respect for the divine order. Touching the Sacred In the Hebrew Bible, Uzzah’s story (2 Samuel 6:6–7) is striking: he reaches out to steady the Ark of the Covenant and is immediately struck dead. This is far from an anomaly. Mesopotamia: Temple inscriptions warned that unauthorized handling of sacred objects—like the Tablets of Destinies or ritual vessels—could bring instant death by divine decree. Egypt: Tombs and temples were full of curses threatening death for those who touched sacred objects or entered holy spaces unclean. The Opening of the Mouth r...