{"id":12993,"date":"2025-09-08T05:39:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T05:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/?p=12993"},"modified":"2025-09-09T19:10:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T19:10:50","slug":"martin-luther-king-jr-as-a-christian-rooted-in-faith-hope-and-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/blog\/martin-luther-king-jr-as-a-christian-rooted-in-faith-hope-and-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin Luther King Jr As a Christian Rooted in Faith, Hope, and Love"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1Corinthians 13:13)  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (Of course, the word charity means love in this context.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some who question Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. view on Jesus divinity, virgin birth, and resurrection; some say he was a heretic due to his views. There are also some who claim he was a Communist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do believe such people are unfairly misrepresenting what he said and not accounting for when he said it and the environment he said it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Support for and Benefit from King as a Fellow Christian:
<\/strong>
I was 12 years old when he was assassinated. So I lived during a little bit of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s though not directly involved in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduating in 1974 from High School I definitely benefited from the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act. I entered adulthood with many opportunities available due to changed attitudes and laws based on the Chrisitan based work of Rev. King and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can’t speak for him on those things of concern to some. Yet, I am confident he followed the Great Commandments Jesus speaks about in Matthew 22:34-40: Love for God first and love for self and others secondarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember something I read he said that shaped my attitude in my early 20’s that I will never forget. In speaking of the Civil Rights Movement, he said: “Our aim is not to humiliate the White man but to win his friendship”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the love thy neighbor as you love yourself principle that the civil rights movement was and still should be all about. The socio-economic good one wants for self, one ought to want for all others regardless of skin color or ethnicity or whether male or female.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have no doubt he was a Christian, though an imperfect one. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not believe the sin we do invalidates the good we do. So the reported behavioral sins whether true or not have no bearing on my assessment of his view on the above mentioned doctrines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David committed adultery and had the woman’s husband killed; yet, God used him and the Bible says David was a man after God’s own heart. My approach is to leave judgement up to God even with respect to those whose doctrines differ from mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King’s Education and Writings During That Education:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also note the MLK started college at 15 years of age attending Moorehouse. He at some point went to Crozer Theological Seminary where he apparently wrote some of the concerned articles as part of his training. He seems to have written them at about the age of 20-21. That means he was still maturing as a man and as a minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also don’t know what instructions he was given concerning the assignment by his instructors and even more importantly how he understood those instructions and reference material at such a young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being intellectually endowed does not always translate to mature judgement. Mature judgement often requires a lot of practical experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mentioned in my last Saturday message that when I was in school I answered question on evolution on the test to get a good grade. But once I left the classroom I did not have to believe in evolution and did not pass it on to others. I know been in a university is somewhat different. But to some degree that depends on the instructor and his teaching style as to how much of a difference it makes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King’s First Pastorship and Start of Involvement with Civil Rights:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also note that MLK took his first pastorship at about the age of 25 in 1954 at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. He was still studying for his doctorate at Boston University. He completed that in 1955.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not long after becoming Pastor at Dexter, in 1955 he was asked to get involved in the Civil Rights Movement because the Rosa Park incident happened in Montgomery, the city in which he was pastoring and people at his church knew Rosa Parks and recognized him as the one gifted to lead the movement in the city. And the rest is history. Oh how right they were!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So he really did not have time to further develop theologically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, reportedly there is not a lot of publicly available sermons where he speaks on theological issues only. Most if not all of his published sermons and speeches\/writings beyond school are about applying Christian principles to Civil Rights issues. This is apparently a result of his getting involved in the movement very young in ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reportedly he left being pastor of Dexter after five years because he felt he could not give ample time to pastoring and also meet his civil rights duties. From early on he seemingly concluded his God ordained purpose was to be a community pastor not a local church pastor. So he spent the rest of his life as associate\/assistant pastor at his father’s church while he fulfilled his Civil Rights Duties such as leading the Southern Christian Leadership <\/strong>Conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can’t say for sure but I believe God orchestrated his being in Montgomery at the time of the Rosa Park incident and the Rosa Park incident itself at that time though there had been similar incidents prior to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Selected King Writing on Jesus Divinity, Virgin Birth and Resurrection: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below are a series of quotes from a paper<\/a> King wrote in 1949 during his second year at Crozer Theological Seminary. The article is deals with the topics of the divinity, virgin birth, and resurrection doctrines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A. Jesus Divinity:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

In this paper we shall discuss the experiences of early Christians which lead to three rather orthodox doctrines\u2014the divine sonship of Jesus, the virgin birth, and the bodily resurrection. Each of these doctrines is enshrined in what is known as \u201cthe Apostles\u2019 Creed.\u201d It is this creed that has stood as a \u201cSymbol of Faith\u201d for many Christians over the years. Even to this day it is recited in many churches. But in the minds of many sincere Christians this creed has planted a seed of confusion which has grown to an oak of doubt. They see this creed as incompatible with all scientific knowledge, and so they have proceeded to reject its content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if we delve into the deeper meaning of these doctrines, and somehow strip them of their literal interpretation, we will find that they are based on a profound foundation. Although we may be able to argue with all degrees of logic that these doctrines are historically and philolophically [sic] untenable, yet we can never undermind [sic] the foundation on which they are based. As Dr. Hedley has so cogently stated, \u201cWhat ultimately the creed signifies is not words, but spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

….<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Church called Jesus divine because they had found God in him. They could only identify him with the highest and best in the universe. It was this great experience with the historical Jesus that led the early Christians to see him as the divine son of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

B. Jesus Virgin Birth:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The second doctrine in our discussion posits the virgin birth. This doctrine gives the modern scientific mind much more trouble than the first, for it seems downright improbable and even impossible for anyone to be born without a human father

A more adequate explanation for the rise of this doctrine is found in the experience which the early christians had with Jesus. The people saw within Jesus such a uniqueness of quality and spirit that to explain him in terms of ordinary background was to them quite inadequate. For his early followers this spiritual uniqueness could only by accounted for in terms of biological uniqueness.5<\/sup><\/a> They were not unscientific in their approach because they had no knowledge of the scientific. They could only express themselves in terms of the pre-scientific thought patterns of their day. No laws were broken because they had no knowledge of the existence of law. They only knew that they had been with the Jesus of history and that his spiritual life was so far beyond theirs that to explain his biological origin as identical with theirs was quite inadequate. We of this scientific age will not explain the birth of Jesus in such unscientific terms, but we will have to admit with the early Christians that the spiritual uniqueness of Jesus stands as a mystery to man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

C. Jesus Resurrection:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The last doctrine in our discussion deals with the resurrection story. This doctrine, upon which the Easter Faith rests, symbolizes the ultimate Christian conviction: that Christ conquered death. From a literary, historical, and philosophical point of view this doctrine raises many questions.6<\/sup><\/a> In fact the external evidence for the authenticity of this doctrine is found wanting. But here again the external evidence is not the most important thing, for it in itself fails to tell us precisely the thing we most want to know: What experiences of early Christians lead to the formulation of the doctrine?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The root of our inquiry is found in the fact that the early Christians had lived with Jesus. They had been captivated by the magnetic power of his personality. This basic experience led to the faith that he could never die. And so in the pre-scientific thought pattern of the first century, this inner faith took outward form.7<\/sup><\/a> But it must be remembered that before the doctrine was formulated or the event recorded, the early Christians had had a lasting experience with the Christ. They had come to see that the essential note in the Fourth Gospel is the ultimate force in Christianity: The living, deathless person of Christ. They expressed this in terms of the outward, but it was an inner experience that lead to its expression.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n

King on Communism. Below is a quote from a sermon King gave in 1962 entitled Can a Christian be a Communist?

Now, let us begin by answering the question which our sermon topic raises: Can a Christian be a communist? I answer that question with an emphatic \u201cno.\u201d These two philosophies are diametrically opposed. The basic philosophy of Christianity is unalterably opposed to the basic philosophy of communism, and all of the dialectics of the logician cannot make them lie down together. They are contrary philosophies.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rightness of the Active Involvement of Christian and Churches in Resolving Civil Rights Issues:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like King I hold that God is concerned about socio-economic and related matters of fairness and justice. And so should the Christian Church as many though not all were involved during the Civil Rights movement. Of course, some pastors and other ministers are needed to take care of the local congregations whereas others are needed to be community pastors\/ministers to deal with societal problems and solutions while not neglecting salvation invitation to all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Below in the references section are links to articles and videos by and about Rev. King. I also include links to articles I wrote about Christians and the Church relationship to and involvement in society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

References include link to my article on the King’s dream to nightmare claim some make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


References:

Christ Divine Sonship, Virgin Birth, Bodily Resurrection at Crozer Seminary (1949)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Humanity and Divinity of Jesus at Crozer Seminary (1949-1950)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions That Easter Answers, Sermon Delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church (1957)<\/a> — Resurrection Issue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Walk Through the Holy Land, Easter Sunday Sermon Delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church (1959)<\/a> – Resurrection Issue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Comparison and Evaluation of the Theology of Luther with That of Calvin at Boston University (1953)<\/a> – Person of Christ and Critique Sections Deal with Divinity of Christ

Can A Christian Be a Communist?” Sermon Delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church (1962)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Role of Law According to Holy Bible Video<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Church and Politics<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government and Church<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

King’s Dream to Nightmare But I Still Have a Dream<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction: (1Corinthians 13:13)  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (Of course, the word charity means love in this context.) There are some who question Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. view on Jesus divinity, virgin birth, and resurrection; some say he was a heretic due toContinue reading Martin Luther King Jr As a Christian Rooted in Faith, Hope, and Love<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basic-christian-doctrine","category-civil-rights-leaders-black"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12993"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13055,"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993\/revisions\/13055"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallifeinsight.com\/tli\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}