Why did Martin Luther translate the bible into German?

Question: Why did Martin Luther translate the bible into German!?
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Before Martin Luther translated the bible into German, the bible could only be read in LAtin!. Since opnly clergymen and the very rich knew Latin, the poor relied on their priests translations and interpretations of the bible for their understanding of religion!.

Martin Luther thought that this was unfair and elitist!. he felt that people should be able to read God's word for themselves and decide for themselves what their interpretations were!.

This was very unpopular at the time becasue the Catholic Church (there were no Protestants at this point) felt that they would lose control over the masses and that the common people were too stupid to understands God's wordWww@QuestionHome@Com

The concept of translating the Bible into what were called "vulgar" languages was that everyone would have access to the Word, rather than having the access restricted to the priesthood, who would interpret the Word for the laity!.

The statement in the Bible, "no one comes to the father except through Me" came from Christ, and when Christ told Peter that he was his Rock (Petra) upon which he would build, "whatever he bound on Earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever he loosed on Earth shall also be loosed in Heaven", was interpreted by the church in the west as being the succession of the apostle, and whoever succeeded Peter as Bishop of Rome (aka the Pope) was likewise the agent of Christ on Earth, and by extension no one came to the father except through Christ, and no one to Christ except by the Pope, the agents of the Pope were the only way to reach God!.

People like the Lollards, John Wyclif, and later Jan Hus, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer, were intending to interrupt this monopoly, and connect the laity directly to God, through his Word!.

Personally, I think this is the most revolutionary part of the Protestant movement!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Prior to Martin Luther bibles were almost entirely written in Latin and knowledge of the Bible was restricted to the clergy!. Knowledge of the bible, or reading the bible by non-clergy often brought forth a charge of hearsay and a burning at the stake!. During the following reformation of the Church Catholic fractions catching common people with a bible were put to death!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

At the time Martin Luther lived, what language do you think the Bible was written in!. I've always been taught that Bibles at that time were mostly written in Latin, a language the average person could not read!. For the average German citizen if they knew how to read it would have only been in German, not Latin!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

German was a pretty well spoken language, and only priests and cardinals and other high powered catholics could read the current bible!.
Martin Luther wanted everybody to be able to read the bible, so he translated it into german!.Www@QuestionHome@Com