Martin Luther

MARTIN LUTHER: THE RELUCTANT REVOLUTIONARY
PROF. M. M. NINAN
that every word might be established through the mouth of two or three witnesses. It must give rise to suspicion that in
order to substantiate this doctrine no more than one passage could be discovered in the entire Bible; moreover this
passage is in the least important and most despised book. Especially since so much depends on this doctrine which is
so important that, indeed, the papacy and the whole hierarchy are all but built upon it, and derive all their wealth and
honor from it. Surely, the majority of the priests would starve to death if there were no purgatory. Well, they should not
offer such vague and feeble grounds for our faith!
Career of the Reformer II, Luther’s Works, Vol. 32
Purgatory, Luther argued, is not only unbiblical, but undermines the doctrine of salvation sola fide,
sola gratia, solo Christos. Luther wrote,
“Purgatory is the greatest falsehood because it is based on ungodliness and unbelief; for they deny
that faith saves, and they maintain that satisfaction for sins is the cause of salvation. Therefore he who
is in purgatory is in hell itself; for these are his thoughts: ‘I am a sinner and must render satisfaction for
my sins; therefore I shall make a will and shall bequeath a definite amount of money for building
churches and for buying prayers and sacrifices for the dead by the monks and priests.’ Such people
die in a faith in works and have no knowledge of Christ. Indeed, they hate Him. We die in faith in Christ,
who died for our sins and rendered satisfaction for us. He is my Bosom, my Paradise, my Comfort, and
my Hope.”
“Of purgatory there is no mention in Holy Scripture; it is a lie of the devil, in order that the papists may
have some market days and snares for catching money. . . We deny the existence of a purgatory and
of a limbo of the fathers in which they say that there is hope and a sure expectation of liberation. But
these are figments of some stupid and bungling sophist.”
C. Indulgences
There is indeed clear scriptural support on indulgence.
selling of the indulgence for money.
Only part Luther repudiated was the
Jesus sent out his Apostles saying “As the Father has sent Me, So I send you” Then he says:
“Receive the Holy Spirit”“If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them” “If you hold them
bound, they are held bound”
This power was given to the Apostles and Evangelists.
This is interpreted by the Catholics as now represented by the Priests. Luther claimed that this
power is with all believers as he declared the Preisthood of all believers.
D. Communion, Eucharistic Mass, Transubstantiation
Communion is a fellowship meal
The central act of Christian worship is a mystery embodied in a meal.
Luther’s early Eucharistic theology is present in The Blessed Sacrament of the Holy and True Body
of Christ. In this 1519 work, Luther states:
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