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Story or History?

Some things people say about Luther, and about what the Bible says, really are so. Some are mix-ups that stuck. Tap what you think, then see what the record shows. No score and no clock.

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All the answers

For leaders, parents, and the curious. Every statement, with what we know.
  1. Luther grew up as a poor peasant's son. Story
    His father, Hans, started as a miner but soon leased his own mines and furnaces. The family was not rich, and it was not poor. Eisleben ›
  2. Luther became a monk because he had done something terrible. Story
    He was a careful, serious law student. A lightning storm scared him, and he wanted to be sure about God. Erfurt ›
  3. Historians are sure Luther hammered the Ninety-Five Theses to the church door. Story
    We know he mailed them to his archbishop on October 31, 1517. Historians still debate whether he also posted them on the door. His friend Philipp Melanchthon first told that part after Luther died. Wittenberg ›
  4. Luther set out to start a new church. Story
    He wanted to fix teaching he believed was wrong in the church he belonged to. Leaving it was not his plan. Wittenberg ›
  5. Luther wrote the Ninety-Five Theses in German for ordinary people. Story
    He wrote them in Latin, for scholars. Printers soon put them into German, and that's when everyone started talking. Wittenberg ›
  6. Luther shouted at the emperor at Worms. Story
    He answered with respect, first in German and then again in Latin. Worms ›
  7. Every record of the day says Luther ended with “Here I stand, I can do no other.” Story
    Those words appear in early printed versions of his speech, but not in every record made at the time. Most records agree he ended with “God help me. Amen.” Worms ›
  8. Luther threw his inkpot at the devil. Story
    That's a legend. Visitors were shown an ink stain on the wall for years, and it was touched up more than once. Wartburg ›
  9. Luther made the very first German Bible. Story
    More than a dozen German Bibles were printed before his. His was the one people loved, because it sounded like everyday speech. Wartburg ›
  10. Historians know for sure the nuns escaped hidden in herring barrels. Story
    That's tradition. A merchant really did help them escape on his wagon, but exactly how they hid isn't certain. Katharina's House ›
  11. Luther set his hymns to tavern songs. Story
    A popular myth. Many think it comes from a mix-up of “bar form,” a pattern in music, with bars where people drink. Most of his tunes were new or came from older church songs. At least one borrowed a folk tune at first. Coburg ›
  12. Luther wrote “A Mighty Fortress” while he waited at Coburg Castle. Story
    He wrote it by 1529. He went to Coburg in 1530, and people later linked the hymn with his time there. Coburg ›
  13. Luther wrote the Augsburg Confession. Story
    His friend Philipp Melanchthon wrote it. Luther read it at Coburg and approved it. Augsburg ›
  14. Luther wrote the Small Catechism only for children. Story
    He wrote it for families to learn together, and he said he prayed through it every day himself. The Catechism ›
  15. Lutherans don't remember saints. Story
    They do. Lutherans remember saints as examples of faith and of God's grace, and many congregations celebrate All Saints Sunday. The Church Year ›
  16. The book of Jonah says Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Story
    The book of Jonah says “a large fish.” It doesn't say what kind. Some older English Bibles use “whale” when Jesus retells the story in Matthew. Bible Stories ›
  17. The Bible says Joseph's coat was every color of the rainbow. Story
    The Hebrew words are hard to translate. Many Bibles today say a long robe with sleeves. Bible Stories ›
  18. Luther was born and died in the same town. History
    Born in Eisleben in 1483, he died there in 1546. He had come back to help settle a quarrel among the counts who ruled the area. Eisleben ›
  19. A lightning storm led Luther to promise he would become a monk. History
    On July 2, 1505, lightning struck close by. He cried out a vow, and two weeks later he kept it. Erfurt ›
  20. Luther mailed his Ninety-Five Theses to his archbishop on October 31, 1517. History
    That's the part we know for sure. His letter, dated that day, still exists. Wittenberg ›
  21. At Worms, Luther asked for one night to think before he answered. History
    The next day he said he could not take back his writings unless Scripture or clear reasons proved him wrong. Worms ›
  22. Friends staged a fake kidnapping to hide Luther at the Wartburg. History
    Armed riders sent by Elector Frederick the Wise grabbed him on the road and hid him in a castle as “Knight George.” Wartburg ›
  23. Luther translated the New Testament into German in about eleven weeks. History
    He worked from the Greek, and it was printed in 1522. Wartburg ›
  24. Katharina von Bora ran a farm, an orchard, and a small brewery. History
    She also kept the accounts and a house full of students and guests. Luther joked that she was “my lord Katie.” Katharina's House ›
  25. Katharina said she would marry Luther, or his friend Nicholas von Amsdorf. History
    Luther first tried to find husbands for all the women who escaped. Katharina made her own choice. Katharina's House ›
  26. “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” is based on Psalm 46. History
    The psalm calls God our refuge and strength. Luther wrote hymns plain enough for everyone to sing. Coburg ›
  27. The Augsburg Confession was read aloud to Emperor Charles V in German. History
    It was read on June 25, 1530, by an official named Christian Beyer. Augsburg ›
  28. The Small Catechism was first printed as posters to hang on the wall. History
    It came out in 1529 as large sheets, then as a little book. The Catechism ›
  29. Luther said he prayed through the catechism every day himself. History
    He said he still learned it like a child, every day. The Catechism ›
  30. Sundays aren't counted in the forty days of Lent. History
    Every Sunday is a little Easter, even in Lent, so the season is longer than forty days on the calendar. The Church Year ›
  31. Old copies of 1 Samuel give different heights for Goliath. History
    Some say nearly ten feet, others nearly seven. Either way, he was huge. Bible Stories ›