Did You Ever Wonder... About Philip Melanchthon?

We are Lutherans, and we are well aware of Martin Luther because this church bears his name as part of our identity.  However, I would like to just let you know a little about Philip Melanchthon, who helped greatly in the spread of Lutheranism and Protestant Christianity. 

14 years younger than Luther, Melanchthon was an academic of his time, having been known as a Greek scholar as well as a theologian.  He eventually became a professor in Greek Studies at the University of Wittenburg, which is where he became close friends and a coworker of Martin Luther.  While a professor there, he worked on another degree, receiving a Bachelor’s of Theology, after which he transferred to that department. 

His most important work was the production of the Augsburg Confession in 1530, which was informed by Luther, but was mainly his own work.  This became known as the most important document of the Protestant Reformation, as it laid forth a concise argument for what would become the Lutheran Church.

After Martin Luther died, it was Philip Melanchthon who became seen as the leader of the German reformation.  He was known as a very measured theologian who could speak eloquently; however, compared to the more bombastic Luther, he was fairly timid and evenhanded.  This is probably why we don’t remember him as vividly.