Johannes Aepinus
Encyclopedia
Johannes Aepinus (1499–1553) was a German Protestant theologian, the first Lutheran superintendent of Hamburg
.
or Ziegesar, north-east of Magdeburg
, in the march of Brandenburg
. He was under the instruction of Johannes Bugenhagen
. He took his bachelor's degree at Wittenberg in 1520; here he became the friend of Martin Luther
and Philip Melanchthon. Then he had a school in Brandenburg, but was imprisoned for his reforming activity, and had to leave home. He then adopted the modified form of the Greek word αἰπεινός (aipeinos) (“lofty”), by which he is generally known, and which he claimed was a translation of his real name (Hoeck = hoch).
He spent some time in Pomerania
, in close relations with the leaders of the Protestant Reformation
there. From about 1524 to 1528 he was in Stralsund
, in charge of a school. The local authorities asked him to draw up an order of ecclesiastical discipline, which went into effect November 5, 1525. In October 1529, he succeeded Johann Boldewan as pastor of St. Peter's Church, Hamburg; he helped introduce Bugenhagen's order of discipline
in the city. His contest with the cathedral chapter, still Catholic, gave rise to his Pinacidion de Romanæ ecclesiæ imposturis (1530). On May 18, 1532 he was appointed to the highest office in the Lutheran Church of Hamburg, that of superintendent
according to Bugenhagen's order of discipline.
In 1534 he visited England at the request of Henry VIII
to advise him on his divorce and the Reformation. He returned to Hamburg in the following January, and subsequently made numerous journeys as a representative of the city; he took part in all the church movements of the time. He gave weekly theological lectures, usually in Latin, and spent much time on the Psalms
.
He is best known by the controversy which arose over his teaching on the descent of Christ into Hell. In 1542, finding that the article of the creed on this subject was frequently explained as meaning no more than the going down into the grave, in his lecture on Psalm 16, he put forward the view, already given in Luther’s explanation of the Psalms, that Christ had really gone down into Hell, to deliver men from its power. Johannes Garcaeus the elder, his successor at St. Peter's, called him to account for this teaching, but left Hamburg in the following year and did not return until 1546. Meantime Aepinus's commentary on Psalm 16 had been published by his assistant Johann Freder, so that his view was widely known. The controversy became serious after Garcaeus's return, and both sides sought to gain support from Wittenberg. Melanchthon could only say that there was no agreement among the doctors on this point. Aepinus's opponents in Hamburg were so turbulent that their leaders were deprived of their offices and banished from the city in 1551.
He died in Hamburg on 13 May 1553. His ordinances for the Hamburg church seem to have remained in force until 1603.
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
Life
He was born at ZiesarZiesar
Ziesar is a town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 25 km southwest of the town of Brandenburg....
or Ziegesar, north-east of Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, in the march of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. He was under the instruction of Johannes Bugenhagen
Johannes Bugenhagen
Johannes Bugenhagen , also called Doctor Pomeranus by Martin Luther, introduced the Protestant Reformation in the Duchy of Pomerania and Denmark in the 16th century. Among his major accomplishments was organization of Lutheran churches in Northern Germany and Scandinavia...
. He took his bachelor's degree at Wittenberg in 1520; here he became the friend of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and Philip Melanchthon. Then he had a school in Brandenburg, but was imprisoned for his reforming activity, and had to leave home. He then adopted the modified form of the Greek word αἰπεινός (aipeinos) (“lofty”), by which he is generally known, and which he claimed was a translation of his real name (Hoeck = hoch).
He spent some time in Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
, in close relations with the leaders of the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
there. From about 1524 to 1528 he was in Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
, in charge of a school. The local authorities asked him to draw up an order of ecclesiastical discipline, which went into effect November 5, 1525. In October 1529, he succeeded Johann Boldewan as pastor of St. Peter's Church, Hamburg; he helped introduce Bugenhagen's order of discipline
Church Order (Lutheran)
The Church Order or Church Ordinance means the general ecclesiastical constitution of a State.The early Evangelical Church attached less importance to ecclesiastical ritual than the pre-Reformation Church had done...
in the city. His contest with the cathedral chapter, still Catholic, gave rise to his Pinacidion de Romanæ ecclesiæ imposturis (1530). On May 18, 1532 he was appointed to the highest office in the Lutheran Church of Hamburg, that of superintendent
Superintendent (ecclesiastical)
Superintendent is the head of an administrative division of a Protestant church, largely historical but still in use in Germany.- Superintendents in Sweden :...
according to Bugenhagen's order of discipline.
In 1534 he visited England at the request of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
to advise him on his divorce and the Reformation. He returned to Hamburg in the following January, and subsequently made numerous journeys as a representative of the city; he took part in all the church movements of the time. He gave weekly theological lectures, usually in Latin, and spent much time on the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
.
He is best known by the controversy which arose over his teaching on the descent of Christ into Hell. In 1542, finding that the article of the creed on this subject was frequently explained as meaning no more than the going down into the grave, in his lecture on Psalm 16, he put forward the view, already given in Luther’s explanation of the Psalms, that Christ had really gone down into Hell, to deliver men from its power. Johannes Garcaeus the elder, his successor at St. Peter's, called him to account for this teaching, but left Hamburg in the following year and did not return until 1546. Meantime Aepinus's commentary on Psalm 16 had been published by his assistant Johann Freder, so that his view was widely known. The controversy became serious after Garcaeus's return, and both sides sought to gain support from Wittenberg. Melanchthon could only say that there was no agreement among the doctors on this point. Aepinus's opponents in Hamburg were so turbulent that their leaders were deprived of their offices and banished from the city in 1551.
He died in Hamburg on 13 May 1553. His ordinances for the Hamburg church seem to have remained in force until 1603.