What a Danger

A portion of a letter by Martin Luther to Cardinal Albrecht against the sale of indulgences, one of the biggest money making schemes ever invented by religious men. Forgiveness of sins were promised on the payment of money into the coffers of the Roman Catholic Church. Roland Bainton called the sale of indulgences "the bingo of the sixteenth century." With much grace and humility Luther pleaded for this practice to cease. This letter was written on the same day that Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, October 31, 1517.

The first and only duty of the bishops… is to see that the people learn the gospel and the love of Christ. For on no occasion has Christ ordered that indulgences should be preached, but he forcefully commanded the gospel to be preached. What a horror, what a danger for a bishop to permit the loud noise of indulgences among his people, while the gospel is silenced, and to be more concerned with the sale of indulgences than with the gospel!

Luther's Works, Vol. 48, Letters I, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press, letter # 16, p. 47.

Preaching Grace

A portion of a letter by Martin Luther to Philip Melanchthon. The bulk of the letter contains Luther’s views on celibacy and communion but he concludes with a word about sin and forgiveness. Luther appears to encourage licentiousness but his intentions lay elsewhere. The great reformer meant to highlight the greatness of Christ’s atonement. However, it is easy to see why others misunderstood his meaning. The letter was written August 1, 1521.

If you are a preacher of grace, then preach a true and not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here [in this world] we have to sin. This life is not the dwelling place of righteousness, but, as Peter says, we look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. It is enough that by the riches of God’s glory we have come to know the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day. Do you think that the purchase price that was paid for the redemption of our sins by so great a Lamb is too small? Pray boldly—you too are a mighty sinner.

Luther's Works, Vol. 48, Letters I, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press, letter # 91, p. 283.

A Little Fire for the Devil

A selection of a letter from Martin Luther to his wife, Katie. He was hoping to return home soon. He reported on a fire that raged in the Thuringian Forest. He believed the devil was behind the damage done. He then asked Katie to pray and have the children to pray against the attacks of the devil. The letter was written July 26, 1540.

Pray, and have [the children] pray against that horrible Satan who most violently attacks us not only in soul and body but also in property and honor. May Christ our Lord come down from heaven and also start a little fire for the devil and his companions which the devil would be unable to extinguish. Amen.

Luther's Works, Letters III, Vol. 50, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press, letter # 293.

I Have Great Hope

A selection of a letter from Martin Luther to Martin Bucer, pastor in Strassburg. They were seeking to come to an understanding of the Lord’s Supper. Luther wanted greater fellowship with Bucer but it depended on their common agreement concerning this doctrine. The letter was written from Wittenberg on January 22, 1531.

I wish you would believe that, as I have told you at the Coburg, I want to settle our discord even though I might have to live three times to accomplish it, because I have seen how necessary your fellowship is for us, and how the gospel was and still is disadvantaged [by our discord]. I have become so much aware of this that I am convinced that all the gates of hell, the whole papacy, all of Turkey, the whole world, all the flesh, and whatever evils there are could not have harmed the gospel at all, if we had only been of one mind. But what am I to do with something which cannot be accomplished? If you wish to be fair, then you will attribute the fact that I shun this unity not to stubbornness, but to the urging of my conscience and to the force of my faith. Since our discussion at the Coburg I have great hope, but this hope is not yet unwavering.

Luther's Works, Letters III, Vol. 50, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press, letter # 238.

God Makes a Man What He Wishes

The conclusion of a letter by Martin Luther to Caspar Müler, the chancellor at Mansfeld, whom he addressed, “my kind lord and dear friend.” The letter reveals the good humor of Luther even when not feeling his best. The letter was written January 19, 1536.

Accept my ways (as Your Honor knows them); for I am quite rough and coarse, big, grey, green, overburdened with, excessively mixed up in, and overtaken by [all kinds of] affairs, so that sometimes, in order to preserve myself, I have to force myself to make a joke. Of course, a man is not more than a man, even if God can make out of a man what he wishes—yet we have to do our part too. Greet all good gentlemen and friends!

Luther's Works, Letters III, Vol. 50, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press.

They Are Born and They Die

A portion of a letter by Martin Luther to his friend, Philip Melanchthon, December, 1535. He wrote to tell him that he should not be deterred from returning to Wittenberg by rumors concerning the plague.

We expect your return, and should a rumor reach you, then endure and overcome it. We hope that, even if there should be any future cases of contagious disease [around here], we will nevertheless have clean air (instead of this Scythian sky). Were it the plague, it would need other symptoms. Everywhere on earth people are mortal; they are born and they die. We cannot all remain alive here on earth, otherwise we will not get yonder.

Luther's Works, Letters III, Vol. 50, #266, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press.

Pray

A selection from a letter by Martin Luther to his wife, Katie. He exhorted for her to pray for the children. The letter was written on July 26, 1540.

Pray, and have [the children] pray against that horrible Satan who most violently attacks us not only in soul and body but also in property and honor. May Christ our Lord come down from heaven and also start a little fire [see Gen. 19:24; 2 Kings 1:10; Ezek. 21:31; Luke 9:54] for the devil and his companions which the devil would be unable to extinguish. Amen.

Luther's Works, Letters III, Vol. 50, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press, letter # 290.

Let God Worry About Me

A portion of a letter from Martin Luther to his wife, Katie, who had been worrying about him. The letter was written on February 7, 1546. He died eleven days later after experiencing a heart attack or stroke.

Grace and peace in the Lord! You, dear Katie, read John and the Small Catechism, about which you once said: Everything in this book has been said about me. For you prefer to worry about me instead of letting God worry, as if he were not almighty and could not create ten Doctor Martins, should the old one drown in the Saale, or burn in the oven, or perish in Wolfgang’s bird trap. Free me from your worries. I have a caretaker who is better than you and all the angels; he lies in the cradle and rests on a virgin’s bosom, and yet, nevertheless, he sits at the right hand of God, the almighty Father. Therefore be at peace.

Luther's Works, Letters III, Vol. 50, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press, letter # 321.

Disgraceful Unbelief

From a letter by Martin Luther to his wife, Katie, July 2, 1540, writing about the recovery of Philip Melanchthon from a severe illness.

… Master Philip truly had been dead, and really, like Lazarus, has risen from death. God, the dear father, listens to our prayers. This we [can] see and touch [with our hands], yet we still do not believe it. No one should say Amen to such disgraceful unbelief of ours.

Luther's Works, Letters III, Vol. 50, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press, letter # 290.

Letters Not Good for Debating

From a letter by Martin Luther to Philip Melanchthon, September 9, 1521, in discussing the problem of monastic vows:

It is not good to debate in a letter. While one writes quite verbosely about something the other person already knows only too well, one omits what the other person is most interested in…

Luther's Works, Letters I, Vol. 48, edited by J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Fortress Press, letter # 95.