Gnesio-Lutherans

Theological party in the Lutheran churches

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* v
* t
* e

Gnesio-Lutherans (from Greek γνήσιος [gnesios]: genuine, authentic)[1] is a modern name for a theological party in the Lutheran churches,[2] in opposition to the Philippists[3] after the death of Martin Luther and before the Formula of Concord. In their own day they were called Flacians by their opponents and simply Lutherans by themselves. Later Flacian became to mean an adherent of Matthias Flacius' view of original sin, rejected by the Formula of Concord. In a broader meaning, the term Gnesio-Lutheran is associated mostly with the defence of the doctrine of Real Presence, along with the practice Eucharistic adoration.[4]

## Locations

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The centres of Gnesio-Lutherans were Magdeburg and the University of Jena.

## Notable proponents

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Other notable Gnesio-Lutherans include Caspar Aquila, Joachim Westphal, Johann Wigand, Matthäus Judex, Joachim Mörlin, Erasmus Sarcerius, and Aegidius Hunnius.

## Controversies

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After the death of Martin Luther, several theological controversies arose among Lutherans due mostly to the teachings of Philip Melanchthon. Gnesio-Lutherans were profiled by defending Martin Luther's doctrine, led initially by Matthias Flacius. The Gnesio-Lutherans exercised strict doctrinal discipline, but they also opposed with equal determination what they considered to be the errors of their fellow combatants like von Amsdorf (Amsdorfians), Flacius (Flacians), Andreas Poach, and others.

Gnesio-Lutherans were involved in:

* the Adiaphoristic controversy
* the Majoristic controversy (Nicolaus von Amsdorf, Nicolaus Gallus)
* the second Antinomian controversy (Andreas Poach, Anton Otto)
* the Synergistic controversy (Matthias Flacius, Nicolaus Gallus)
* the Osiandrian controversy
* the Crypto-Calvinistic controversy.

The Crypto-Calvinistic controversy was the largest of the controversies of the second generation of the Lutheran Reformation. Since it was far more fundamental to the Lutheran Church, Lutherans outside of the Flacian party took the Gnesio-Lutheran position against Philippism and Crypto-Calvinism. In the middle between the Philippists and the Gnesio-Lutherans, the Centrist Party included Johannes Brenz, Jakob Andreae, Martin Chemnitz, Nikolaus Selnecker, David Chytraeus, Andreas Musculus, and others.

Unlike the Gnesio-Lutherans, members of the centre party were opposed to any unnecessary controversies involving no doctrinal differences, and careful not to fall into any extreme position themselves. The Gnesio-Lutheran Joachim Westphal was first to write to defend the Real Presence against the Calvinists, and Melanchthon stigmatized his and other Gnesio-Lutherans' doctrine as "bread worship".[5] The Gnesio-Lutherans practice Eucharistic adoration, following Martin Luther's treatise titled The Adoration of the Sacrament, in which he defended the practice of Eucharistic adoration.[4]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Sproul & Nichols 2016, p. 236.
2. ^ Livingstone 2013.
3. ^ Lueker, Poellot & Jackson 2000.
4. ^ a b Lamport, Mark A. (31 August 2017). Encyclopedia of Martin Luther and the Reformation. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 138\. ISBN 978-1-4422-7159-3.
5. ^ Bente 1965, p. 179.

## References

[edit]

* Bente, F. (1965) [1921]. Historical Introductions to the Book of Concord. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House.
* Livingstone, E. A., ed. (2013). "Gnesio-Lutherans". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press (published 2015). doi:10.1093/acref/9780199659623.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-174430-3.
* Lueker, Erwin L.; Poellot, Luther; Jackson, Paul, eds. (2000). "Gnesio-Lutherans". Christian Cyclopedia. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House. Retrieved 6 November 2017 – via Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
* Schaff, Philip (1910). History of the Christian Church. Vol. 8 (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Christian Classics Ethereal Library (published 2005). Retrieved 6 November 2017.
* Sproul, R.C.; Nichols, Stephen J., eds. (2016). The Legacy of Luther. Orlando, Florida: Reformation Trust.

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Early Lutheran controversies

|  Date|  Controversy|  Resolution a)|  Issues / people / publications involved

|
|
|

1527–56|  Antinomian|

* V
* VI

* Johannes Agricola
* Andreas Poach
* Anton Otto
* Matthias Flacius
* Philippists

1533–53|  Descent into Hell|  IX|
* Descent into Hell
* Johannes Aepinus
1548–55|  Adiaphoristic|  X|
* Philip Melanchthon
* Matthias Flacius
* Philippists
* Gnesio-Lutherans
1549–66|  Osiandrian|  III|
* Andreas Osiander
* Johann Funck
* Francesco Stancaro
* Philip Melanchthon
* Matthias Flacius
* Andreas Musculus
* Victorinus Strigel
1551–62|  Majoristic|  VI|
* Georg Major
* Justus Menius
* Nicolaus von Amsdorf
* Nicolaus Gallus
* Philippists
* Gnesio-Lutherans
1555–60|  Synergistic|  II|
* Philip Melanchthon
* Johann Pfeffinger
* Victorinus Strigel
* Matthias Flacius
* Philippists
* Gnesio-Lutherans
* On the Bondage of the Will
1560–75|  Flacian|  I|
* Matthias Flacius
* Simon Musaeus
* Victorinus Strigel
1560–75|  Crypto-Calvinist
and Saligerian|  VII|
* Philip Melanchthon
* Augsburg Confession Variata
* Albert Hardenberg
* Joachim Westphal
* Martin Chemnitz
* Maximilian Mörlin
* Johannes Saliger
* Philippists
* Sacramentarians
* Ubiquitarians
* Gnesio-Lutherans
* The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ
1561–63|  Predestination|  XI|
* Predestination
* Johann Marbach
* Girolamo Zanchi
1640-86|  Syncretistic| |
* Georg Calixtus

a) Articles identified (I–XII) according to the Formula of Concord.

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Lutheranism

Luther's Small Catechism|

* The Ten Commandments
* Apostle's Creed
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Chief articles of faith
in the Augsburg Confession|

* I. God
* II. Original Sin
* III. The Son of God
* IV. Justification By Faith
* V. The Office of Preaching
* VI. Of The New Obedience
* VII. Of The Church
* VIII. What the Church Is
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* XI. Of Confession
* XII. Of Repentance
* XIII. Of the Use of the Sacraments
* XIV.
* XV. Ecclesiastical Usages
* XVI. Of Civil Affairs
* XVII. Of Christ's Return to Judgment
* XVIII. Of Free Will
* XIX. Of the Cause of Sin
* XX. Of Good Works
* XXI. Of the Worship of the Saints

Practices|

* Divine Service
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Movements|

* Gnesio-Lutherans
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* Ubiquitarians
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