 Index To All Four Sections
PART I -
Meet Martin Luther [1483-1546] Theses, Indulgences, and A Man Named Tetzel
As the account goes, in the year 1517 Martin Luther, protesting the reprehensible doctrine of indulgences,
posted ninety five theses on the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg. Wittenberg Church Door Posting - Fact or Fiction?
It is more than likely that popular legend has dramatized the entire incident. The Intention Behind The 95 Theses
What seems to be little known is that Luther's 95 Theses were not statements of fact,
but tentative opinions - some of which he was not quite certain of.
They were presented only as objections that needed to be discussed Popular Fallacies About The Theses
Misconceptions about the content of Luther's Theses abound.
He was actually calling for the practice of indulgences to be reformed, not abolished. Rome's Reaction and Luther's Counter Reaction
The Five Solas of The Reformation
Introduction Did Luther Believe in Sola Gratia and Sola Fide (Salvation By Grace and Faith Alone)?
OR Did He Teach Salvation Through Grace, Baptism, AND The Sacraments? Luther's Reasoning Behind What We See As a Blatant Contradiction
What, according to Luther, constituted "works" Meet Martin Luther [1483-1546]
Although Martin Luther is well known throughout the Protestant world with an entire denomination bearing his name, all the average person probably knows is that, in 1517, he was supposed to have dramatically posted 95 theses on the door of the cathedral at Wittenberg, an action usually seen as the spark that set alight the Protestant Reformation. In fact, many people know Luther as the 'father' of Protestantism. There is no question that Martin Luther's refusal to bow down to the dictates of the Catholic Church let the genie out of the bottle. It helped empower the peasants, gave rise to Protestantism as we know it and in the long run even contributed to democracy and changed the course of Western civilization. He even so inspired Martin Luther King Sr., that the Baptist pastor changed his and his young son's name. The son, originally Michael, became Martin Luther. Unfortunately, people see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe. What we need to remember is that God can use anyone He chooses to, even people who are so wrong about so many things and who was so ugly to so many . Those who hold Luther in very high regard are firmly convinced that he rejecting the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic and was responsible for the spread of the Biblical principles of 'grace alone' and 'faith alone'. Others point out that Luther did not really believe in the doctrines he claimed to because, in his large and small catechisms, he specified that baptism and the sacraments were requirements for salvation. In what seems to be an ongoing tradition of the Christian church, both sides have used isolated text from Luther's own writings to support what they believe. Although what Luther wrote in his catechism was very wrong I have to wonder how many have taken the time and trouble to delve into the thinking that underscored what appears to be a glaring contradiction. On the other hand, not many Martin Luther devotees seem to be aware that while Luther and the church of Rome went their separate ways over one particular issue that he valiantly fought against, several Catholic doctrines remained firmly entrenched in his belief system. And that is not all. All too many Christians tend to gloss over the fact that Luther slandered everyone he disagreed with. He made strident and offensive verbal attacks against both the papacy and the Anabaptists, while his violent polemics against the Jews are appalling examples of extreme anti-Semitism. So much so that the Nazis literally claimed kinship with him. Even worse, while there is no question that the peasants were themselves violent, Luther took the side of the nobles in the 1524 'Peasant's War' that saw thousands of already down trodden serfs killed for attempting to overthrow the feudal system that had them at the mercy of the landowners. Background
Martin Luther was a German monk and theologian - the son of a Saxon miner who wanted him to become a lawyer. To this end he enrolled in the University of Erfurt and obtained a Master of Arts degree in metaphysics, logic, rhetoric etc. However, this plan came to rather an abrupt end when, as a young man, he was almost struck by lightning. Fearing for his life, Luther petitioned St. Anne (Mary's mother and the 'patron saint' of miners). He promised he would become a monk if she would save him. Luther escaped unscathed from the storm and despite his father's opposition kept his promise. He joined the Cloister of Augustinian Friars in Erfurt and was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. Apparently, just three years later, a trip to Rome opened his eyes to the depravity and worldliness of the Catholic Church. A year later he was sent to the University of Wittenberg, where he completed his doctorate in theology and occupied the position of "Chair of Biblical Theology". Wittenberg was no known center of learning. As Protestant theologian and ecclesiastical historian Philip Schaff informs us, it .. was a poor and badly built town of about three thousand inhabitants in a dull, sandy, sterile plain on the banks of the Elbe, and owes its fame entirely to the fact that it became the nursery of the Reformation theology. Luther says that it lay at the extreme boundary of civilization,a few steps from barbarism, and speaks of its citizens as wanting in culture, courtesy and kindness. He felt at times strongly tempted to leave it. Melanchthon who came from the fertile Palatinate, complained that he could get nothing fit to eat at Wittenberg. Myconius, Luther's friend, describes the houses as "small, old, ugly, low, wooden." Even the electoral castle is a very unsightly structure. [01]
Theses, Indulgences, and A Man Named Tetzel
As the account goes, in the year 1517 Martin Luther, protesting the reprehensible doctrine of indulgences, posted ninety five theses on the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg.
A thesis (singular) is a statement, theory, or proposition put forward for consideration, to be discussed and proved or maintained against objections. Often used in the religious world as the basis of a theological discussion, Luther's theses proposed an academic discussion regarding the practice and efficacy of indulgences. Indulgences were a particularly deplorable practice that rested on the belief in purgatory and the idea that forgiveness of sin and punishment for sin are separate issues. (At the risk of stating the obvious - this renders the word "forgiveness" quite meaningless) As explained by the Catholic Encyclopedia, The Catholic doctrine of purgatory supposes the fact that some die with smaller faults for which there was no true repentance, and also the fact that the temporal penalty due to sin is at times not wholly paid in this life. [02]
A person's good works such as alms, pilgrimages, charitable acts, etc. reduced how long they would need to spend in purgatory after their death for sins that were forgiven but not paid for. Although they did not obtain forgiveness for sin, punishment in purgatory could also be reduced or remitted through papal dispensations confirmed (believe it or not) by certificate. Johann Tetzel: This false system soon fell prey to commercialism in which monetary payment often took the place of sorrow and repentance etc. It is possible that the popes started encouraging this practice to fund the Crusades and, from the 12th century onward, salvation was increasingly tied to cold hard cash and increasingly subject to misunderstanding and abuse. For example, history.com relates how "In 1517, a friar named Johann Tetzel began to sell indulgences in Germany to raise funds to renovate St. Peter's Basilica in Rome' [03], for which he was reportedly well paid. Certainly this heinous practice incurred a great deal of criticism and ridicule. There is, quite naturally, a substantial difference between the accounts of how these indulgences were dispensed. Most sources say that the Catholic church actively sold indulgences. Denying this, the Catholic church claims that indulgences could never be bought, but could be granted based on good works such as the "the giving of alms to some charitable fund or foundation...". [04]. Luther's Opposition to 'Indulgences'
Luther, who found the outrageous claims being made for the power of indulgences repugnant, preached against the practice several times - perhaps as early as 1514. He taught that receiving an indulgence was worthless unless the penitent had confessed and repented. However, the last straw probably came in the spring of 1517 when Tetzel was busy earning his money only a few kilometers away from Wittenberg. Regardless of Luther's preaching, Wittenberg church members traveled some distance to obtain indulgence letters from Tetzel and showed the letters to Luther on their return. They wanted him to absolve them on the basis of the certificates they had purchased - without any repentance nor any change in their lives. Apparently Luther's sermons had little effect and he, concerned that innumerable people were being led astray, determined to take it a step further.
Theses Posting at Wittenberg - Fact or Fiction?
Whether Luther actually posted his theses on the door of Wittenberg church on November 1st 1517 is very debatable. In fact, it is more than likely that popular legend has dramatized the entire incident.
There is no eyewitness testimony to the public posting, no reference to the event in any of Luther's later writings nor in any of the numerous documents written during his lifetime. The first time the supposed event is mentioned is in the preface to the second volume of Luther's collected works, written by his associate Philip Melanchthon in 1546 - close to a year after Luther's death. All we can be sure of is that Luther wrote to Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz and Magdeburg telling him that papal indulgences for the building of St. Peter's were circulating under the Archbishop's "most distinguished name". In the letter, Luther begged him to restrain the exaggerated preaching that was giving the common man "wholly false impressions", including the idea that indulgences ensured their salvation and freed them from "all penalty and guilt" including the most heinous of sins. They were being led to believe that as "soon as they cast their contributions into the money-box, souls fly out of purgatory". Although a letter does not have the dramatic appeal of a public posting, documentary evidence shows that the letter to the Archbishop was dated the 31st of October 1517- the day before he was supposed to have used the churches 'bulletin board'. We also know that the packet sent to the Archbishop contained other documents because, in the letter itself, Luther mentions that the Archbishop can examine the enclosed disputations in order to understand how doubtful the doctrinal basis of indulgences actually is". The Archbishop himself provides evidence that he received both the treatise and the theses. In a letter sent from his residence to the diocesan officials in Magdeberg Albrecht spoke of the documents he had received as "the treatise and conclusion about the holy negotium indulgentiarum (indulgence business or affair) and about our sub commissioners (Tetzel), written by an audacious monk in Wittenberg. [05]
Thus we can conclude that Luther sent the Archbishop not only the Theses themselves but also what he called "proof" for his Theses.
The Intention Behind The 95 Theses
What seems to be little known is that Luther's 95 Theses were not statements of fact nor a final statement of belief, but tentative opinions some of which he was not quite certain of - hence his desire for a discussion and debate. This is borne out in a later letter to Christoph Scheurl of Nurnberg who had complained that he had not personally received a copy of the Theses. Luther wrote, (All Emphasis Added)
You are surprised that I did not send them to you. But I did not want to circulate them widely. I only intended to submit them to a few close friends for discussion, and if they disapproved of the Theses, to suppress them. I wanted to publish them, only if they met with approval. But now they are being printed and spread everywhere far beyond my expectation, a result that I regret. It is not that I am against telling the people the truth, in fact that is all that I want, but this is not the proper way to instruct the people. For I have doubts about some of the Theses, and others I would have put much differently and more cogently, and some I would have omitted, had I known what was to come. Still, the spread of my Theses shows what people everywhere really think of Indulgences, although they conceal their thoughts 'out of fear of the Jews.’ Therefore, I had to write out proof for my Theses, but I do not yet have permission to publish these. [06]
This letter in which Luther clearly states that he only intended to submit the theses to a few close friends for discussion together with the academic tone of the theses themselves disprove the very popular idea that, in protest, one lone pioneering monk nailed a paper to the door of the church for the world to view. In any case, although the church doors were the bulletin board of the day, if Luther had intended the theses for the everyday person, he would not have penned them in Latin which very few Germans could read. What we do know is that the preface to the theses sent to the Archbishop indicated that he intended to defend his statements in Wittenberg - inviting to the debate those he had sent his theses to.. Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen (Emphasis Added) [07]
We do not really know how the theses fell into the hands of the general public but quite obviously someone translated them into German, had them printed and circulated. They certainly found favor among the rank and file, especially the poor German peasants who resented the fact that their hard earned money was being used to support a very rich papacy in Rome and the civil authorities who didn't much like the idea that much of their revenue disappeared into Rome's coffers. Luther's own words tell us that he was not trying to start a new church or split the old one, but to persuade the church to correct the dangerous fallacies being spread by men with no principles or scruples. It was only after his Theses had been widely circulated causing quite a stir, did they literally become a manifesto that turned a protest about an indulgence scandal into something much more than it was originally intended to be.
Popular Fallacies About The Theses
Additionally, all too many Christians, even those who venture to write articles about Luther, seem to know little or nothing about the content of his theses. The misinformation being wafted around makes me doubt that any of the authors have actually read them for themselves. For example, one site says (All Emphasis added in the following quotations)
a.) Luther's 95 Theses have these main ideas:
All of the Church's teachings should be based on the Bible
The Pope can't free people from Purgatory- clergy have no special powers
Christians can only be saved through faith-The Bible does NOT offer indulgences as a way out of sin
The Bible needs to be the in vernacular so all people can read it and find a personal relationship with God. [08] b.) History.com says Luther's 95 theses ".... propounded two central beliefs - that the Bible is the central religious authority and that humans may reach salvation only by their faith and not by their deeds - was to spark the Protestant Reformation. [09]
c.) The Constitutional Rights Foundation states (see Theses # 73 below) Works" like indulgences had long troubled Martin Luther. His close reading of the scriptures (the Bible, especially the New Testament) led him to conclude that a person could only be saved by personal faith in Jesus Christ and the grace of God. Luther considered indulgences, praying to saints, pilgrimages, and many other such "works" as worthless and a fraud inflicted on the people by the church. [10]
d.) And a well known Christian web site says Luther, a Roman Catholic monk, challenged the authority of the pope and, in particular, the selling of indulgences. [11]
e.) Another oft repeated fable is that, in his theses, Luther taught that the Bible, not the pope, was the central means to discern God's word — a view that was certain to raise eyebrows in Rome. [12]
I urge you to go and read all 95 points for yourself (HERE) and you will discover that much of the above is untrue. In fact...
Luther Was Not Even Against Indulgences
While one certainly has to appreciate his courage and willingness to bring the matter to the Archbishop's attention, the following points from his Theses clearly show that at the time Luther was not against indulgences. (All Emphasis Added)
41. Papal indulgences must be preached with caution, lest people erroneously think that they are preferable to other good works of love". 73. Just as the pope justly thunders against those who by any means whatever contrive harm to the sale of indulgences. 74. Much more does he intend to thunder against those who use indulgences as a pretext to contrive harm to holy love and truth. 91. If, therefore, indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.
The bottom line was that Luther was calling not for the practice of indulgences to be reformed, not abolished. What Luther opposed was the exaggerated claims (i.e. Indulgences alone could ensure salvation taking the place of contrition and confession.) made by people like Tetzel that were dangerously misleading Christians, 32. Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers. 35. They who teach that contrition is not necessary on the part of those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessional privileges preach unchristian doctrine. 36. Any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without indulgence letters.
He also taught if buying indulgences supplanted charity, it earned nothing but God's wrath. 45.Christians are to be taught that he who sees a needy man and passes him by, yet gives his money for indulgences, does not buy papal indulgences but God's wrath.
One has to wonder what Luther thought at the time. His theses might have criticized papal policy but did not deny papal rights and were presented only as objections that needed to be discussed. In fact, Luther was pretty light on the pope (See point 91 above).
Rome's Reaction and Luther's Counter Reaction
The probably very annoyed Archbishop Albrecht forwarded Luther's theses to Pope Leo X who took a very tough stand against Luther for which (from his point of view) there was good reason.
Although indulgences were condemned by many Catholic theologians, Rome had no intention of damning what had become a lucrative revenue stream. Besides which, Pope Leo X could not possibly admit that the indulgences he had permitted Albert to issue were invalid. Dealing with the troublemaker must have seemed like a far better option which is probably why the next year Luther was called to renounce his opinions which he refused to do. Several events occurred in the intervening years, but suffice to say that in June 1520 Pope Leo X condemned 41 of Luther's Ninety-five Theses. It seems that this aroused something in Luther who then cast off the humble tone of the theses and went into overdrive with an outpouring of written material in both Latin and German that was anything but deferential. He publicly burned the papal bull and published three major treatises in 1520... In his Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation Luther railed against the papacy and urged the lay leaders to take the reform of the church into their own hands. He quite rightly criticized the artificial division between the spiritual and temporal state - the clergy and the laity, the Pope's claimed sole authority to interpret (or confirm interpretation) Scripture, or call a council to discuss spiritual affairs. In A Prelude Concerning the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, Luther attacked the sacramental system of the Roman Church. Not only were their man made traditions and regulations a distortion of Christianity but the church used them to control every important event in the Christian life from birth to death. Finally there was On the Freedom of a Christian Man (also called Concerning Christian Liberty), in which he made known his position on justification and good works.
The last of the pieces mentioned above was prefaced by a letter to pope Leo X in which Luther attacked the church using very explosive language, "the Church of Rome, formerly the most holy of all Churches, has become the most lawless den of thieves, the most shameless of all brothels, the very kingdom of sin, death, and hell; so that not even antichrist, if he were to come, could devise any addition to its wickedness.
However, it is interesting that in spite of their ongoing feud, in the same document Luther repeatedly spoke well of the pope himself. He wrote of the popes "conspicuous innocence", told him that the Roman court was not worthy of him, and likened him to a lamb in the midst of wolves and Daniel in the midst of lions. [13] This was a far cry from his position in his later years when one of his last books was directed "Against the Papacy at Rome, founded by the Devil", in which Luther addresses Paul III as "Your Hellishness." instead of "Your Holiness." [14] To cut a long story short, after refusing to recant his position, Luther was excommunicated by the pope in 1521. Three years later he married Katherina von Bora - a former Cistercian nun with whom he had six children. However, a quiet life in retirement was not quite what he envisaged for his future. "His reforming work during subsequent years included the writing of the Small and Large Catechisms, sermon books, more than a dozen hymns, over 100 volumes of tracts, treatises, Biblical commentaries, thousands of letters, and the translation of the entire Bible into German." [15]
The Five Solae of The Reformation
Introduction
The word sola means 'only'. The five solae or solas of the Protestant Reformation are five Latin slogans that summarized the Reformer's position on the essentials of Christianity and salvation. Each sola represented a key Protestant belief that contradicted the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Although the slogans themselves may not have been systematically articulated until much later, the principles were the rallying cry of the reformation.
1) Sola scriptura - by Scripture alone,
2) Sola fide - by faith alone,
3) Sola gratia - by grace alone,
4) Solus Christus or Solo Christo - Christ alone or through Christ alone, and
5) Soli Deo gloria - glory to God alone. Contrary to popular opinion, these concepts found no place in Luther's theses.
Did Luther Believe in Sola Gratia and Sola Fide (Salvation By Grace and Faith Alone)?
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
In their wholehearted endorsement of Martin Luther, reformed and other Protestant websites are often very quick to point out how much he underscored the critically important 'grace and faith only' doctrine. They often stress how grace alone was a recurring theme in several of Luther's later sermons and his commentaries on Paul's epistles - most often in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. Examples include (All Emphasis Added)
The fact is, the more a person seeks credit for himself by his own efforts, the deeper he goes into debt. Nothing can take away sin except the grace of God. In actual living, however, it is not so easy to persuade oneself that by grace alone, in opposition to every other means, we obtain the forgiveness of our sins and peace with God. [16] Every teacher of work-righteousness is a trouble-maker. Has it never occurred to you that the pope, cardinals, bishops, monks, and that the whole synagogue of Satan are trouble-makers? The truth is, they are worse than false apostles. The false apostles taught that in addition to faith in Christ the works of the Law of God were necessary unto salvation. But the papists omit faith altogether and teach self-devised traditions and works that are not commanded of God, indeed are contrary to the Word of God, and for these traditions they demand preferred attention and obedience. [17]
The 'Reformed Reader' also points out "some great words from Luther on salvation by grace alone" "found in volume 3 of Baker’s 7-volume set of Luther's sermons (edited by J. N. Lenker and others)". So he (Paul after conversion) discards all boasted free will, all human virtue, righteousness, and good works. He concludes that they are all nothing and are wholly perverted, however brilliant and worthy they may appear, and teaches that we must be saved solely by the grace of God, which is effective for all believers who desire it from a correct conception of their own ruin and nothingness." Yes, dear friend, you must first possess heaven and salvation before you can do good works. Works never merit heaven; heaven is conferred purely of grace. [18]
Sola Fide (Faith Alone),
As early as 1920 in Concerning Christian Liberty, Luther directly referred to faith as opposed to works, saying (All Emphasis Added) To preach Christ is to feed the soul, to justify it, to set it free, and to save it, if it believes the preaching. For faith alone, and the efficacious use of the word of God, bring salvation. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. x. 9.) And again: "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Rom. x. 4); and "The just shall live by faith." (Rom. i. 17.) For the word of God cannot be received and honored by any works, but by faith alone. Hence it is clear that, as the soul needs the Word of God alone for life and righteousness, so it is justified by faith alone and not by any works. For if it could be justified by any other means, it would have no need of the Word, nor consequently of faith...
Since then this faith can reign only in the inward man, as it is said, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Rom. x. 10); and since it alone justifies, it is evident that by no outward work or labour can the inward man be at all justified, made free, and saved; and that no works whatever have any relation to him. And so, on the other hand, it is solely by impiety and incredulity of heart that he becomes guilty and a slave of sin, deserving condemnation, not by any outward sin or work... Hence a right faith in Christ is an incomparable treasure, carrying with it universal salvation, and preserving from all evil, as it is said: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark xvi, 16.) [19] However, in his Large and Small Catechisms Luther added to both.
OR Did He Teach Salvation Through Grace, Baptism, AND The Sacraments?
Luther's Large and Small Catechisms (published in 1929)
The word 'catechism' means a summary of the basic principles of a Christian denomination usually in question-and-answer form". In other words, it endeavors to teach Biblical truth is an succinct and systematic way.
Two of Luther's most famous works published in 1529 are his Small Catechism and his Large Catechism (geared toward children and adults respectively) documents on which the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) was founded. Both catechisms cover the same five topics: The Ten Commandments; The Apostles Creed; The Lord's Prayer; Baptism; and Communion. About the Catechism Luther himself said, (Emphasis Added) In the catechism, we have a very exact, direct, and short way to the whole Christian religion... The catechism is the most complete and best doctrine, and therefore should continually be preached; all public sermons should be grounded and built thereupon. I could wish we preached it daily... the catechism, I insist, is the right Bible of the laity, wherein is contained the whole sum of Christian doctrine necessary to be known by every Christian for salvation... We should esteem and love the catechism, for therein is the ancient, pure, divine doctrine of the Christian church. [20]
Baptismal Regeneration
In his Small Catechism, Luther added baptism and the sacraments to grace and faith as requirements for salvation. The section on Baptism is prefaced by the words "The Sacrament of Holy Baptism: The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household".
I. Q. What is Baptism? A. Baptism is not just plain water, but it is water contained within God's command and united with God's Word. II. Q. What does Baptism give? What good is it?
A. It gives the forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the Devil, gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, just as God's words and promises declare. (Emphasis added.) [21] Here Luther clearly says that baptism forgives sin and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this. In other words, salvation is achieved by God's grace plus baptism. The believer has to have faith and be baptized. Luther's Large Catechism adds that without the two sacraments instituted by Christ (baptism and the Lord's Supper) "no one can be a Christian". (All Emphasis Added) It remains for us to speak of our two sacraments, instituted by Christ. Every Christian ought to have at least some brief, elementary instruction in them because without these no one can be a Christian ... First we shall take up Baptism through which we are first received into the Christian community... For as truly as I can say, No man has spun the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer out of his head, but they are revealed and given by God Himself, so also I can boast that Baptism is no human trifle, but instituted by God Himself, moreover, that it is most solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we cannot be saved, lest any one regard it as a trifling matter, like putting on a new red coat. Thus we must regard Baptism and make it profitable to ourselves, that when our sins and conscience oppress us, we strengthen ourselves and take comfort and say: Nevertheless I am baptized; but if I am baptized, it is promised me that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both in soul and body...
"No greater jewel, therefore, can adorn our body and soul than baptism, for through it we become completely holy and blessed, which no other kind of life and no work on earth can acquire." [22] Many who are pro-Luther claim that the following words from his commentary on Titus are one of his many "great words on salvation by grace alone". you must first possess heaven and salvation before you can do good works. Works never merit heaven; heaven is conferred purely of grace. (see above)
On the other hand, others who do not see Luther as quite so saintly will quote his Large Catechism in which he wrote, "we must be baptized or we cannot be saved" and "if I am baptized, it is promised me that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both in soul and body".
Quite obviously one cannot have it both ways - salvation either comes by grace alone, OR salvation is obtained through grace and baptism. So what accounts for the contradiction?
Luther's Reasoning
In his Large Catechism, Luther gives us a glimpse into the workings of his mind. In his words, (All Emphasis Added)
But if they say, as they are accustomed: Still Baptism is itself a work, and you say works are of no avail for salvation; what then, becomes of faith? Answer: Yes, our works, indeed, avail nothing for salvation; Baptism, however, is not our work, but God's (for, as was stated, you must put Christ-baptism far away from a bath-keeper's baptism). God's works, however, are saving and necessary for salvation, and do not exclude, but demand, faith; for without faith they could not be apprehended. For by suffering the water to be poured upon you, you have not yet received Baptism in such a manner that it benefits you anything; but it becomes beneficial to you if you have yourself baptized with the thought that this is according to God's command and ordinance, and besides in God's name, in order that you may receive in the water the promised salvation. Now, this the fist cannot do, nor the body; but the heart must believe it. [23] In other words, Luther clearly specified that our works (it is more than likely that he had pilgrimages, alms, charitable acts, monetary donations etc. - the works invented by the church to obtain indulgences) avail nothing for salvation. However, because God Himself instituted baptism - It was His work, not ours and considered by Luther to be part of God's grace. The importance Luther places on the Lord's Supper instituted by Christ Himself is also made clear, (Emphasis Added) Now, it is true, as we have said, that no one should by any means be coerced or compelled, lest we institute a new murdering of souls. Nevertheless, it must be known that such people as deprive themselves of, and withdraw from, the Sacrament so long a time are not to be considered Christians. For Christ has not instituted it to be treated as a show, but has commanded His Christians to eat and drink it, and thereby remember Him. [24] Context, Context, Context
Luther's comment "works never merit heaven; heaven is conferred purely of grace" does not mean Luther was opposed to all 'works'. The lead-in to these verses makes it perfectly obvious that Luther was speaking specifically against purgatory and indulgences. However, to be noted is that although he was very vocal in condemning the doctrines he opposed, Luther never came right out and contested the idea of purgatory (See Next Page). He was pointing out that after being baptized people who should have trusted in their salvation were offered a false security. In his words, the fact that we expend so much by reason of purgatory and, forgetful of faith, presume to secure ourselves against purgatory or to liberate us from it by good works, unquestionably indicates we are under the influence of the devil and of Antichrist. [25]
He added that he wished that "purgatory had never been instituted or introduced into the pulpit for it is very destructive of Christian truth and true faith" and the devil's influence has been so great that "nearly all institutions, cloister ceremonies, masses and prayers have reference simply to purgatory, leading us to the pernicious inference that through works we must improve our condition and secure salvation." Instead of imitating Christ and Paul and teaching Christians to "consider themselves, after baptism or absolution, ready for death at any hour and waiting for the manifestation of the salvation already theirs" we, by relying on purgatory afford them indolence-fostering security." [26]
However, baptism, a one time ritual, was not included in Luther's idea of good works. In the very next point he referred to part of Titus 3:5 (Through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit), about which he wrote, How beautifully the apostle in these strong words extols the grace of God bestowed in baptism! He refers to baptism as a washing; whereby not out feet only, not our hands, but our whole bodies are cleansed. Baptism perfectly and instantaneously cleanses and saves. For this vital part of salvation and its inheritance, nothing more is necessary than this faith in the grace of God. Truly, then are we saved by grace alone, without works or other merit. [27]
In other words, contrary to prevailing wisdom, Luther was NOT preaching salvation solely by grace and faith - not as we understand it.
End Notes
[01] Philip Schaff History of the Christian Church, Volume VII. Modern Christianity. The German Reformation. 26. The University of Wittenberg. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc7.ii.ii.xii.html
[02] Hanna, E. (1911). Purgatory. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved August 24, 2017 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm [03] History.com. Martin Luther and the 95 Theses by History.com Staff. 2009.
http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses [04] Myths about Indulgences. Catholic Answers. https://www.catholic.com/tract/myths-about-indulgences [05] Luka Ilic , Martin J. Lohrmann. Martin Luther's Tractatus de indulgentiis: A Commentary on an Unknown Text.
https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/261/edited_volume/chapter/2914855 [06] Luther: A Life by John M. Todd. Chapter 7: Crisis. Religion Online. http://www.religion-online.org/book-chapter/chapter-7-crisis/ [07] The 95 Theses. https://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html [08] Reformation. Review- https://slideplayer.com/slide/10229831/ [09] History.com. Martin Luther and the 95 Theses by History.com Staff. 2009.
http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses [10] Luther Sparks the Protestant Reformation. Constitutional Rights Foundation.
https://teachdemocracy.org/online-lessons/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-17-1-c [11] What was the Protestant Reformation? Got Questions Ministries. https://www.gotquestions.org/Protestant-Reformation.html [12] The Protestant Reformation. United States History. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1136.html [13] Letter Of Martin Luther To Pope Leo X. Christian Classics Ethereal Library. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/christianliberty.ii.html [14] Luther burns the Pope’s bull, and forever breaks with Rome. Dec. 10, 1520. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc7.ii.iii.xviii.html? [15] St. Ansgar Lutheran Church. Martin Luther. http://stansgar.ca/?page_id=28 [16] Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. Chapter I. Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
https://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/galatians.iv.html [17] ibid. [18] Luther on Grace Alone (Sola Gratia) by Reformed Reader.
https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/luther-on-grace-alone-sola-gratia/ [19] Martin Luther: "Concerning Christian Liberty" Christian Classics Ethereal Library. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/first_prin.v.ii.ii.html [20] https://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/tabletalk.v.ix.html [21] Project Wittenberg. Luther's Little Instruction Book. (The Small Catechism of Martin Luther) Translated by Robert E. Smith. May 22, 1994 [22] Martin Luther. The Large Catechism. Christian Classics Ethereal Library. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/largecatechism.vi_2.html [23] ibid. [24] Martin Luther. The Large Catechism. Christian Classics Ethereal Library. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/largecatechism.viii_2.html [25] God's Grace Received Must Be Bestowed. A Sermon By Martin Luther. Early Christmas Morning Service (1522). P.31.
https://www.monergism.com/gods-grace-received-must-be-bestowed [26] ibid. [27] ibid. | 
