A Monday Mystery Quote

All right, here is a great quote. The question is who said it? The winner will receive the highest honors available via this site: “props” in the comment thread. Believe it.

Please do not consult your seemingly omniscient friend named Google in order to answer…that ruins the fun.

“If any one of you consider your doctrine and theology to be completely true and right, then you have only to reach your hands up and to feel your ears and discover that they are the furry ears of an ass.”

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4. Q&A Friday: Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart….God or Pharaoh?
5. How Evangelicals Can Undermine God -in Sanctification

9 Responses to “A Monday Mystery Quote”

1. Chris Roberts says:

   February 4, 2008 at 5:54 am

   Luther
2. Ron says:

   February 4, 2008 at 8:06 am

   Tom Coughlin speaking to Belichick and the Patriots.
3. Clint Goode says:

   February 4, 2008 at 8:30 am

   It sounds like something Luther would say… but since he has already been selected, I would go wth Spurgeon. He would be my second pick.
4. erik says:

   February 4, 2008 at 8:48 am

   Luther it is. Props to you Chris. Now..where is it from. I should have included this. I cannot find its source. I heard it in a sermon by Lewis Johnson.

   Ron- that is well done, extremely funny and highly probable.

   erik
5. David Jordan says:

   February 4, 2008 at 12:59 pm

   I’d have said Spurgeon as well. No props here!
6. jeff says:

   February 4, 2008 at 3:35 pm

   I was thinking Chesterton. Oh well.
7. Chris Roberts says:

   February 4, 2008 at 9:29 pm

   Erik,

   I’ll have to go look for it. I recognized it because I just recently read it in a collection of Luther’s writings. Pretty sure I underlined it so I should be able to find it.
8. Chris Roberts says:

   February 4, 2008 at 9:48 pm

   Found it. It’s in his Preface to the German Writings. The preface itself is interesting in that Luther didn’t want his works collected. In the same writing he says, “…when we began translating the Bible itself into German, [we had] the hope that writing would decrease and the studying and reading of the Scripture would increase.” And later: “…if you want to have my books at this time, do not, on pain of death, let them hinder you from studying the Scriptures themselves.” There are other such interesting comments in the preface.

   Your quote isn’t entirely accurate but it gets the gist:

   “It may please you very much to be praised before others; perhaps you even yearn to be praised, or else you would grieve and quit. If you fit that description, my friend, then reach up and grab your ears, and, if you grab them just right, you will find a beautiful pair of big, long, hairy donkey ears. Then do not spare any expense, but decorate them with golden bells, so that, wherever you go, they can hear you and point their fingers at you and say, ‘Look, look, there goes that fine animal, who can write such precious books and preach so excellently well.’ Then you will be blessed and more than blessed in the kingdom of heaven – yes, in that heaven where the devil and all his angels have prepared hellfire for you.”

   A quick Google finds a copy of the preface here:
   http://www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org/ResourceLibrary/LutherPreface.htm
9. erik says:

   February 5, 2008 at 11:08 am

   Nicely done Chris. You get double credit, which, since it was nothing more than props in a comment thread…well, more props :/ Thanks for chasing it down.

   erik