129 D. Mart. Luther's writing "Of the Freedom of a Christian Man". *)
In the second half of October 1520.
To the careful and wise Lord, Hieronymus 1) Mühlpfort, city bailiff of Zwickau, my special favorable friend and patron, I, called D. Martinus Luther, Augustinian, offer my willing services and all good.
Prudent, wise sir and favorable friend! The worthy Magister Johann Egran, your laudable city's preacher, has highly praised me.
1) The chronicles call him "Hermann. Seidemann in De Wette, vol. VI, 562, note 3.
praise your love and desire, which you bear to the holy scriptures, which you also diligently confess and praise before men. Because he desires to make me acquainted with you, I am easily and cheerfully persuaded. For it is a special joy to me to hear where divine truth is loved, which unfortunately so many, and most of all those who arrogate to themselves their title, resist with all violence and cunning. Although it must therefore be that Christ, set up as an offense and a sign, is not to be resisted by those who oppose it, it is not to be resisted by those who oppose it.
*This writing, written by Luther himself both in German and Latin, appeared in 1520 and in the following years in many individual editions. The above date refers to the time of writing (about it compare the introduction), because the time of the first going out is not exactly known. The Latin edition appeared
The teaching and the sermon have to be spoken, many have to bump into each other, fall and rise again. Therefore, in order to enhance our friendship, I have attributed this treatise and sermon to you in German, which I have attributed to the pope in Latin, so that no "demonstrable, as I hope, cause may be shown to anyone for my teaching and writing about the pope. Command me herewith to you and all of divine grace, Amen.
Jesus.
First, that we may know thoroughly what a Christian man is, and how it is done for the liberty which Christ has purchased and given him, of which St. Paul writes much, I will put these two resolutions, 1):
1) A Christian man is a free lord over all things, and subject to no one.
2) A Christian man is a servant of all things and subject to everyone.
2 These two resolutions are clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 9:19: "I am free in all things, and have made myself the servant of every man. Item Rom. 13:8: "Ye shall be under no obligation to any thing, but to love one another." But love is servile and subject to that which it loves. So also of Christ Gal. 4, 4: "God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, and made Him subject to the law."
3) On the other hand, these two resistant 2) speeches of freedom and servitude to ver-
1) Latin: tUemata, sentences of which to act.
2) i.e. opposing each other.
Let us remember that every Christian man is of two natures, spiritual and corporal. According to the soul he is called a spiritual, new, inward man; according to the flesh and blood he is called a bodily, old and outward man. And because of this difference [things] are said of him 3) in the Scriptures, which are strictly contrary to one another, as I have now said of freedom and servitude.
4) Thirdly. 4) If we take the inward, spiritual man before us, to see what is necessary for him to be and be called a pious, free Christian man, it is evident that no outward thing may make him free nor pious, as it may always be called. For his piety and freedom, and again his wickedness and imprisonment, are not bodily or external. What does it help the soul that the body is uncaught, fresh and healthy, eats, drinks, lives as it pleases? Again, what harm is it to the soul that the body is caught, sick and weary, hungers, thirsts and suffers as it would not like? None of these things reaches the soul to make it free or sighted, pious or wicked.
(5) Fourthly, therefore, whether the body puts on holy garments, as the priests and ministers do, or whether it is in the churches and holy places, or whether it handles holy things, or whether it prays, fasts, walks, and does all the good works that may be done through and in the body forever, does not help the soul. It must be
3) namely, from one and the same person.
4) "so", which stands here in the editions, seems to us to be too much, and is already in the old edition rightly omitted, fares disturbing and in the Latin is not expressed.
under the title: Draotutus äe libertate oüristiaria with a dedication to Pope Leo X in 1520 at Wittenberg, without indication of the printer, and at Antwerp by Michael Hillenius, and was subsequently reprinted several times. The German one is attributed to Hieronymus Mühlpfort, city bailiff in Zwickau. As Köstlin (Vol. I, 387) says, the German edition was finished first and appeared under the title we prefixed probably more than four times in Wittenberg as late as 1520, and was later reprinted there and elsewhere, e.g. in Basel by Adam Petri, in Zurich by Christian Froschauer (under the title: Eine nützliche fruchtbare Unterweisung, was da sei der Glaube und ein wahr christlich Leben), in Zwickau by Jörg Gaste! (15Ä), in Magdeburg by Joachim Walden, etc. A Wittenberg edition of 1520, by Joh. Grünenberg, has on the title the indication "geteutscht durch Georg Spalatinum", likewise an Augsburg edition of the same year, while in another Wittenberg edition is added: "Von Martins Luther selbs-teutsch gemacht." In the collections it is found: in the Wittenberg, Dow. II, col. 3; in the Jena one (1579), Dom. I, col. 435d; in the Erlangen, opp. vsr. ars, German in the Wittenberg (1554), vol. VII, p. 60; in the Altenburg, vol. I, p. 358; in the Leipzig, vol. X VII, p. 382 and in the Erlangen, vol. 27, p. 173. The letter to Mühlpfort again vol. 53, p. 54. We reproduce the text according to the Wittenberg, comparing the Latin and Erlangen editions.
nor anything else that brings and gives piety and freedom to the soul. For a wicked man, a glorifier and a hypocrite, may have and practice all these above-mentioned things, works and ways, and through such a being no other people may become but vain glorifiers. Again, it does no harm to the soul if the body wears unholy garments, is in unholy places, eats, drinks, waltzes, does not pray, and does all the works that the aforementioned glorifiers do.
(6) Fifthly, the soul has no other thing, neither in heaven nor on earth, in which to live, pious, free and Christian, except the holy gospel, the word of God preached by Christ; as He Himself says John 11:25."I am the life and the resurrection, he who believes in 1) me lives forever"; item 14:6: "I am the way, the truth and the life"; item Matth. 4:4: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by all the words that proceed from 2) the mouth of God." So we must be sure that the soul can do without all things without the word of God, and without the word of God it is not helped with any thing. But where it has the word, it has no need of any other thing, but in the word it has sufficiency, food, joy, peace, light, favor, righteousness, truth, wisdom, liberty, and all good things abundantly.
Thus we read in the Psalter, especially in the 119th Psalm, v. 33 ff. that the prophet cries out no more than according to 4) God's word. And in the Scriptures the very highest plague and God's wrath is held, if he takes his word from men, again no greater grace [than] where he sends his word, as Psalm 107:20. says: "He sent forth his word, that he might help them." And Christ came for no other office, 5) but to preach the word of God, even all the apostles, bishops, priests, and the whole spiritual estate, for the word's sake alone.
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: in.
2) Wittenberg and Erlangen: from.
3) It will probably read "favor" because it stands for gratins; in the editions: Art.
4) Erlanger: after the.
5) So the Wittenbergers correctly after the Latin. Erlanger: "Helped".
is called and appointed; although now, unfortunately, it goes differently.
8. sixth. Do you ask, "What is the word that gives such great grace, and how should I use it? Answer: It is nothing else than the preaching of the fullness of Christ, as contained in the gospel; 6) which is to be, and is thus done, that thou mayest hear thy God speak unto thee, how that all thy life and works are nothing in the sight of God, but must perish for ever with all that is in thee. Which if thou dost rightly believe, as thou art guilty, thou must despair of thyself, and confess that the saying of Hosea 13:9 is true: "O Israel, there is nothing in thee but thy destruction; but in me is thy salvation." But that thou mayest come out of thyself, and from thyself, that is, out of thy destruction, he setteth thee before his dear Son JESUS Christ, and by his living and comforting word causeth thee to say, that thou shalt yield thyself unto him with steadfast faith, and freshly trust in him; and for the same faith all thy sins shall be forgiven thee, all thy destruction shall be overcome, and thou shalt be justified, true, pacified, godly, and fulfilled all the commandments, [thou shalt be] free from all things. As St. Paul says Rom. 1:17: "A justified Christian lives by faith alone"; and Rom. 10:4: "Christ is the end and fullness of all commandments to them that believe on him."
(9) Seventhly, therefore, it ought to be the good work and practice of all Christians, that they may form the word and Christ in themselves, and that they may constantly exercise and strengthen such faith. For no other work can make a Christian, as Christ said to the Jews in John 6:28, 29, when they asked him "what works they should do, that they should do godly and Christian works," he said, "This is the one divine work, that you believe in him whom God has sent," whom God the Father alone has also ordained. Therefore it is an exuberant! Riches, a true faith in Christ, because it brings with it all blessedness and takes away all unhappiness, as Marc. 16, 16: "He who believes and is saved is the one who is saved.
6) Wittenberger: inhelt; Erlanger: inne hält. In Latin: tzvanAsliniti... xrusdieasse 6Qim6üristu "i.
is baptized, he shall be saved; he that believeth not, he shall be damned." Therefore the prophet, Isa. 10, 23. 22., looked at the riches of the same faith and said: "God will make a short sum on earth, and the short sum will flow in like a flood of sin 1) Righteousness", that is, the faith in which all commandments have recently been fulfilled, will superfluously justify all who have it, so that they need nothing more, that they may be just and righteous. So St. Paul says Rom. 10, 10: "that one believes from the heart makes one righteous" and godly.
(10) Eighth, how is it that faith alone can make one godly and give such abundant riches without all works, when so many laws, commandments, deeds, states and ways are prescribed for us in Scripture? Here it is to be diligently noted and always kept in earnest that faith alone, without all works, makes one pious, free and blessed, as we shall hear more hereafter.
(11) And it is to be known that all the Scriptures are divided into two kinds of words, which are commandments or laws of God, and promises or pledges. The commandments teach us and prescribe many good works, but they are not yet done. They instruct, but do not help; they teach what to do, but do not give strength to do it. Therefore they are only meant to make man see his inability to do good and to learn to despair of himself. And that is why they are called the Old Testament and all belong to the Old Testament. As the commandment, "Thou shalt not have evil desire," proves that we are all sinners, and no man is able to be without evil desire, he does what he wills; from this he learns to despair of himself, and to seek help elsewhere, that he may be without evil desire, and thus fulfill the commandment through another, which he is not able to do of himself. Therefore all other commandments are impossible for us.
Twelfth, the ninth. When a man has learned from the commandments his inability and has felt that he is now afraid how he will be able to fulfill the commandment, then the commandment
1) i.e., to instill; Latin: innnäadit. According to the Vulgate.
must be fulfilled or he must be condemned, then he has been truly humbled and ruined in his eyes, finds nothing in him, so that he may become pious. For then comes the other word, the divine promise and promise, saying, If thou wilt fulfill all the commandments, and be loosed from thine evil desire and sin, as the commandments compel and require; behold, believe in Christ, in whom I promise thee all grace, righteousness, peace, and liberty; if thou believest, thou hast; if thou believest not, thou hast not. For that which is impossible for thee with all the works of the commandments, which must be much, and yet of no profit, is made easy and short for thee by faith. For I have lately put all things into faith, that whosoever hath it shall have all things, and be saved; and whosoever hath it not shall have nothing.
13 Thus the promises of God give what the commandments require, and accomplish what the commandments are called, so that it may all be God's own. Commandment and fulfillment. He alone is called; he also alone fulfills. Therefore, the promises of God are words of the New Testament and also belong to the New Testament.
14. to the tenth. Now these and all God's words are holy, true, just, peaceful, free and full of all goodness. Therefore, whoever adheres to them with a right faith, his soul will be united with Him so completely that all virtues of the Word will also become the soul's own, and thus through faith the soul will become holy, righteous, true, peaceful, free and full of all goodness, a true child of God, as John Cap. 1, 12.2 ) says: "He has given them to become children of God, all who believe in His name."
(15) From this it is easy to see why faith is able to do so much, and that no good works are equal to it. For no good work is attached to the divine word like faith, nor can it be in the soul, but only the word and faith rule in the soul. As the word is, so also the soul from it, as the iron becomes red-hot as the fire, from the union.
2) Here the Erlangen edition has again reprinted a wrong Bible quotation from Walch's old edition and likewise in eight other places of this writing.
994 Erl. 27, 181-183. VII Luther's Writings on Christian Freedom etc. Freiheit etc. W. XIX, I213-I2I6. 995
with the fire. So we see that a Christian man has had enough of faith; he is not allowed to do any work so that he may be pious. If then he may no longer do any work, he is certainly released from all commandments and laws. If he is released, he is certainly free.
(16) This is Christian liberty, the one faith that makes, not that we may go wrong or do evil, but that we need no work to attain to godliness and salvation, of which we will say more hereafter.
17 Eleventh. Further, faith is such that if a man believes another, he believes him because he regards him as a pious, truthful man, which is the greatest honor a man can do to another. On the other hand, the greatest dishonor is when he considers him a loose, lying, frivolous man. So also, when the soul firmly believes God's word, it considers him to be truthful, pious and just, so that it does him the greatest honor that it can do him. For then it justifies him, then it lets him be justified, then it honors his name, and lets him do with it as he wills, for it does not doubt that he is pious and true in all his words.
(18) Again, no greater dishonor can be done to God than not to believe Him, so that the soul considers Him incompetent, deceitful, frivolous, and, as much as there is in it, denies Him with such unbelief, and sets up an idol of its own mind in the heart against God, as if it wanted to know better than Him. If then God sees that the soul gives Him truth, and thus honors [Him] through its faith, then He honors it again, and also considers it pious and true, and it is also pious and true through such faith. For to give truth and godliness to God is right and true, and makes right and true, because it is true and right that truth should be given to God. Which those do not do who do not believe, and yet do and labor in many good works.
19 To the twelfth. It is not only faith that gives so much that the soul is devoted to the divine
1) aufthun - anthun, to bring upon God.
The soul becomes like the Word, full of grace, free and blessed, but also unites the soul with Christ as a bride with her bridegroom. From which marriage follows, as St. Paul says Eph. 5, 30, that Christ and the soul become one body; so also both goods, fall, accident and all things become common, that what Christ has is the believing soul's own; what the soul has becomes Christ's own. So Christ has all goods and blessedness; these are proper to the soul. So the soul has all vice and sin upon it; these become Christ's own.
20 Now here is the happy exchange and dispute. Because Christ is God and man, who has never sinned, and his piety is unconquerable, eternal and almighty, so that he makes the sins of the believing soul his own through his bridal ring, that is, faith, and does not do otherwise than as if he had done them, sins must be swallowed up and drowned in him. For his unconquerable righteousness is too strong for all sins. So the soul is freed from all its sins through its treasure, that is, because of faith, and is gifted with the eternal righteousness of its bridegroom Christ.
(21) Is this not a joyful marriage, when the rich, noble, pious bridegroom Christ takes the poor, despised, wicked bridegroom in marriage, and frees her from all evil, adorns her with all goods? Then it is not possible for sin to condemn them, for they now lie on Christ and are swallowed up in him. So she has such a rich righteousness in her bridegroom that she can stand against all sin again, even if it is already on her. Paul says of this in 1 Cor. 15:57, 55: "Praise and thanks be to God, who has given us such an overcoming in Christ Jesus, in whom death is swallowed up with sin."
22) The thirteenth. Now here thou seest 2) for what reason so much is ascribed to faith, that it fulfills all the commandments, and without all other works makes one pious. For you see here that it fulfills the first commandment alone, where it is commanded, "You shall honor your 3) God." Now if you
2) but - again.
3) Thus set by us. In the Wittenberg and Erlanger: one.
If you were vain of good works down to your heels, you would still not be pious and would not give honor to God, and thus you would not fulfill the first commandment. For God may not be honored, but truth and all good are ascribed to Him, as He truly is. But this is not done by good works, but only by the faith of the heart.
(23) Therefore he alone is the righteousness of man and the fulfillment of all the commandments. For he who fulfills the first commandment surely and easily fulfills all the other commandments. Works, however, are dead things, and cannot honor or praise God, though they may be done, and may be done to honor and praise God; but we look here for him who is not done as works, but for the same doer and master of works, who honors God and does the works. This is none but the faith of the heart; which is the head and whole essence 1) of godliness. Therefore, it is a dangerous and dark speech to teach that God's commandments are to be fulfilled by works, for the fulfillment must take place through faith before any works, and the works follow after the fulfillment, as we shall hear.
24. to the fourteenth. Further to see what we have in Christ, and how great a good is a right faith, is to know that before and in the Old Testament God set apart and reserved for Him all the first male birth of men and of animals, Ex 13:2. And the first birth was precious and had two great advantages over all other children, namely dominion and priesthood, or kingdom and priesthood, Genesis 49:3, so that on earth the firstborn babe was a lord over all his brothers, and a priest before God. By which figure is signified Jesus Christ, who is actually the same first male birth of God [the] Father, from the Virgin Mary. Therefore he is a king and priest, but spiritual. For his kingdom is not earthly, nor in earthly goods, but in spiritual goods, which are truth, wisdom, peace, joy, blessedness etc. But so that has not gone out time-
1) In the editions: "whole being". This had already changed Walch into "whole being". Latin: kudktLutia totius juktitias noktras.
2) All things are subject to him in heaven, earth and hell, Psalm 8:7, although he is not seen; this makes him rule spiritually, invisibly.
25 So also his priesthood is not in outward appearances and garments, as we see with men, but it is in the spirit, so that he stands before God's eyes without ceasing for his own, and sacrifices himself and does everything that a pious priest should do. "He prays for us", as St. Paul says Rom. 8, 34. Thus he teaches us inwardly in the heart; which are two proper offices of a priest. For in this way also external, human, temporal priests ask and teach.
26. to the fifteenth. Just as Christ has the first birth with its honor and dignity, so he shares it with all his Christians, so that through faith they must also all be kings and priests with Christ, as St. Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9: "You are a priestly kingdom, and a royal priesthood." And this is how a Christian man becomes so highly exalted above all things through faith that he becomes a lord of all spiritually; for there is no thing that cannot harm him for salvation, yes, everything must be subject to him and help him to salvation, as St. Paul teaches Rom. 8, 28: "All things must help the elect for their good," be it life, death, sin, piety, good and evil, as it can be called. Item 1 Cor. 3, 22.: "All things are yours, whether they be life or death, things present or things to come" etc.
(27) Not that we are able to possess or use all things bodily, as men do on earth. For we must die bodily, and though no man escape death, we must also be subject to many other things, as we see in Christ and his saints. For this is a spiritual dominion that reigns in the bodily oppression, that is, I can improve myself in all things according to the soul, so that even death and suffering must serve me and be useful for salvation. This is indeed a high, honest worthiness and a right almighty dominion, a
2) Wittenberg and Erlangen: is.
998 Erl. 87, 185-188. VII Luther's Writings on Christian Freedom etc. Freiheit etc. W. XIX, I2I8-I221.. 999
spiritual kingdom, where no thing is so good, so evil, it must serve me for good, if I believe, and yet must not, but my faith is sufficient for me. Behold, how delicious is the freedom and power of Christians.
28 To the sixteenth. Above this we are priests, which is even more than being king, because the priesthood makes us worthy to stand before God and ask for others. For to stand before God's eyes and to ask is due to no one but priests. Thus Christ has purchased for us that we may spiritually stand and ask for one another [before God] 1) as a priest stands and asks for the people in the flesh. But he that believeth not in Christ ministereth no good thing; he is the servant of all things; he must be vexed with all things. In addition, his prayer is not pleasing, nor does it come before God's eyes.
(29) Who then can conceive the glory and the height of a Christian man? Through his kingdom he is powerful of all things; through his priesthood he is powerful of God. For God does what he asks and wills, as it is written in Psalm 145:19: "God does the will of those who fear him, and hears their prayer," to which honor he comes only through faith and not through any work. From this it is clear how a Christian man is free from all things and above all things, so that he does not need any good works to be pious and blessed, but faith makes it all superfluous. And if he were so foolish as to think that by a good work he would become devout, free, blessed, or his own Christian, he would lose faith with all things, just as the dog that carried a piece of flesh in its mouth and snatched at the shadow in the water, thus losing both flesh and shadow.
30. to the seventeenth. Do you ask: What then is the difference between the priests and the laity in Christendom, if they are all priests? Answer: The word priest, priestly, clerical and the like have been wronged, because they have moved from the common heap to the small heap that is now called the spiritual state. The holy scripture gives no other subordinate term.
1) Latin: eorarn vso proäirs.
The difference between them is that they call the scholars or consecrated ministros, servos, oeevnowos, that is, servants, servants, conductors, who are to preach Christ, faith and Christian freedom to others. For though we are all priests alike, yet we cannot all serve or work and preach. So St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 4:1: "We want nothing more to be held by men than to be Christ's ministers and ministers of the gospel." But now this authority has become such a worldly, outward, splendid, fearful rule and power that the real worldly power may in no way resemble it, just as if the laity were something else than Christian people. Thus the whole mind of Christian grace, freedom, faith and all that we have from Christ, and Christ Himself, has been taken away; they have overcome many human laws and works for it, have become completely servants of the most unfit people on earth.
31 To the eighteenth. From all this we learn that it is not enough to preach Christ's life and work above and only as a history and chronicle, if one is silent at all, and preaches spiritual law, or other human law and doctrine.
32. Their 2) There are also many who preach and read Christ in such a way that they feel sorry for him, are angry with the Jews, or otherwise practice childish ways in it. But it should and must be preached in such a way that faith grows out of it and is preserved for me and you. Which faith grows and is preserved when I am told why Christ has come, how I should use and enjoy his things, what he has brought and given me. This happens when one rightly interprets the Christian freedom that we have from him, and how we are kings and priests, powerful in all things, and everything that we do is pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God, as I have said so far.
For where a heart thus hears Christ, it must rejoice, receive consolation from the bottom of its heart, and become sweet toward Christ,
xauei.
to love him in turn. To which it may never come by laws or works. For who will harm or frighten such a heart? If sin and death fall, it believes that Christ's piety is its own, and that its sin is no longer its own, but Christ's; then sin must disappear before Christ's piety in faith, as was said above, and it learns to defy death and sin with the apostle, saying, "Where is now, O death, your victory? where is now, O death, your spear? your spear is sin. But praise and thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord, and death is drowned in his victory" etc. [1 Cor. 15:55-57.]
The other part. 1)
34 To the nineteenth. Let this be said of the inward man, of his freedom and the main righteousness, which needs no law nor good works, indeed, is harmful to it, if anyone would presume to be justified by it.
Now we come to the other part, to the external man. Here we want to answer all those who are annoyed by the previous speeches and are in the habit of saying: Well then, if faith is all things, and alone is sufficient to make one godly, why are good works required? Let us be of good cheer and do nothing. No, dear man, not so; it would be so if you alone were an inward man and became completely spiritual and inward, which does not happen until [the] last day. It is and remains on earth only a raising and increasing, which will be accomplished in that world. Therefore the apostle calls it primitias Spiritus, that is, the first fruits of the Spirit [Rom. 8:23]. Therefore it belongs to this that is said above: A Christian man is a servant and subject to everyone; immediately, where he is free, he may do nothing; where he is a servant, he must do all kinds of things; how this happens, we will see.
1) This superscription is in the Wittenberg edition.
2) So right in the Erlangen edition. Wittenberg: to be justified to be measured. Latin: pEsumat sustiüears.
36 Twentieth. Although a man is justified enough inwardly by faith and has everything he should have, without this faith and sufficiency having to increase until the next life, he still remains in this bodily life on earth and must govern his own body and deal with people. Here he must not walk idly, but the body must be driven and exercised with fasting, watchfulness, work and all moderate discipline, so that it becomes obedient and conformed to the inner man and the faith, and does not hinder or resist, as is its nature, where it is not forced. For the inward man is at one with God, happy and joyful for the sake of Christ, who has done so much for him, and if all his desire is to serve God in free love, then he will find in his flesh a rebellious will that wants to serve the world and seek what he desires. Faith does not like this, and takes pleasure in putting a stranglehold on it to restrain and resist it. As St. Paul says Rom. 7, 22. 23: "I have a desire in God's will according to my inner man; so I find another will in my flesh, which wants to take me captive with sins"; item 1 Cor. 9, 27: "I discipline my body and drive it to obedience, lest I myself become reprobate, who should teach others"; item Gal. 5, 24: "All who belong to Christ crucify their flesh with its evil lusts."
(37) The twenty-first. But the same works must not be done in the opinion that thereby man becomes pious before God, for the wrong opinion cannot suffer faith, which alone is and must be piety before God, but only in the opinion that the body becomes obedient and purified from its evil lusts, and the eye only looks at the evil lusts to cast them out. For since the soul is pure through faith and loves God, it would like all things to be pure before its own body, and for everyone to love and praise God with it. Thus it comes to pass that a man cannot walk idly on account of his own body, and must do much good work.
1002 Erl. 27, 180-192. VII Luther's Writings On Christian Freedom etc. Freiheit etc. W. xix, 1223-1226. 1003
But the works are not the right good, so that he may be pious and righteous before God, but do them freely out of love to please God; nothing else is sought or regarded in them, except that it may please God, which will he would gladly do to the very best.
(38) From this, then, each one can himself take the measure and modesty to mortify the body; for he fasts, watches, works as much as he sees is necessary for the body to subdue its will of courage. But others, who think that they become godly by works, pay no attention to mortification, but look only at the works, and think that if they only do them much and greatly, it will be well done and they will become godly; sometimes they 1) break their heads and ruin their bodies over it. This is a great foolishness and lack of understanding of the Christian life and faith, that without faith they want to become godly and blessed by works.
39. second and twentieth. Since we have given several parables, the works of a Christian man, who has been justified and saved through his faith and by the grace of God in vain, should be regarded no differently than the works of Adam and Eve in paradise. In Genesis 2:15 it is written, "that God placed the created man in paradise to work and tend there.
40 Now Adam was pious and well created by God without sin, so that he was not allowed to become pious and justified through his work and care; but so that he would not be idle, God gave him to create, to plant, to build and to preserve paradise. These would have been vain free works, done for the sake of no thing, but only to please God and not to attain piety, which he had before; which also would have been natural to all of us.
(41) So also the work of a believing man, who through his faith is restored to paradise and created anew, must not work to become righteous, but not to be idle and to lose his body.
1) "they" is missing in the Erlanger. In Latin: aliynanao esrevrum tasäsntss - sometimes they become insane.
If he works and preserves, he is commanded to do such free works only to please God.
(42) Just as an ordained bishop, when he consecrates, confirms, or otherwise performs the works of his office, these works do not make him a bishop; indeed, if he had not been consecrated a bishop beforehand, these works would be of no use and would be vain foolishness. So a Christian who, consecrated by faith, does good works, does not become better or more consecrated (which does nothing but increase faith) a Christian by them; indeed, if he did not believe beforehand and were a Christian, all his works would count for nothing, but would be vain foolish, criminal, damnable sins.
43. to the third and twentieth. Therefore the two sayings are true: Good righteous works never make a good righteous man, but a good righteous man makes good righteous works. Evil works never make an evil man, but an evil man makes evil works. So that the person must always be good and pious before all good works, and good works follow and proceed from the pious good person. Just as Christ said Matth. 7, 18: "An evil tree does not bear good fruit. A good tree bears no evil fruit." Now it is evident that the fruit does not bear the tree, neither do the trees grow on the fruit, but again, the trees bear the fruit and the fruit grows on the trees. Now as the trees must be before the fruits, and the fruits do not make the trees either good or evil, but the trees make the fruits; so man must first be pious or evil in person before he does good or evil works, and his works do not make him good or evil, but he does good or evil works.
44 We see the same thing in all crafts. A good or bad house does not make a good or bad carpenter, but a good or bad carpenter makes a bad or good house. No work makes a master, according to which the work is, but as the master is, so is his work. So are the works of man; according as he is in faith or unbelief, so are his works good or evil. And not
Again, how his works stand, according to which he is devout or believing. The works, as they do not make believers, so they do not make believers. But faith, as it makes pious, so it makes good works.
(45) Since works do not make anyone godly, and a man must first be godly before he works, it is evident that faith alone, by pure grace through Christ and his word, makes a person sufficiently godly and blessed. And that no work, no commandment is necessary to a Christian's salvation, but that he is free from all commandments, and out of pure freedom does all that he does in vain, not seeking his profit or salvation, for he is already full and blessed through his faith and God's grace, but does good works 1) only to please God in them.
46. fourth and twentieth. Again, to him who is without faith, no good work is conducive to godliness and blessedness. Again, 2) no evil work can make him evil and damned, but unbelief, which makes the person and the tree evil, does evil and damned works. Therefore, if one becomes righteous or wicked, it is not because of works, but because of faith [or unbelief], 3) as the wise man says [Sir. 10, 14.]: "The beginning of all sin is to depart from God and not to trust in Him." So also Christ teaches [Matth. 12, 33.], how one must not start at the works, and says: "Either make the tree good, and its fruits good; or make the tree evil, and its fruits evil"; as if he should say: Whoever wants to have good fruits, must first start at the tree, and set it well.
(47) Therefore he that would do good works must not begin at the works, but at the person who is to do the works. But no one makes a person good except by faith, and no one makes him evil except by unbelief. This is true: works make one righteous or wicked in the sight of men, but this is not the case.
1) In the Erlanger there is missing: "thut gute Werke" and right after that "zu" is missing.
2) "can" is missing in the Erlangen edition.
3) The bracketed words are missing in the Wittenberg and Erlangen editions. We have inserted them after the Latin. Walch has here in the old edition "und Unglauben".
They show outwardly who is righteous or wicked, as Christ says Matth. 7, 20: "By their fruits you shall know them. But this is all in appearance and outwardly, which appearance misleads many people who write and teach how to do good works and become godly, yet they never think of faith, they go and always lead one blind man over another, torturing themselves with many works and yet never come to the right piety, of which St. Paul says 2 Timothy 3:5. Paul says 2 Tim. 3, 5: "They have a semblance of godliness, but the reason is not there", go and learn always and always, and yet never come to the knowledge of true godliness.
(48) He who does not want to err with the same blind men must look further than the works, the commandment or the teaching of the works. He must look at 4) the person first of all, how he becomes pious. This person does not become pious and blessed through commandments and works, but through God's word (that is, through his promise of grace) and faith; so that his divine glory may exist, that he does not make us blessed through our works, but through his gracious word in vain and out of pure mercy.
(49) The fifth and twentieth. From all this it is easy to understand how good works are to be rejected and not to be rejected, and how all doctrines that teach good works are to be understood. For where the false appendix and the wrong opinion are in it, that by works we want to become godly and blessed, they are already not good, and quite condemnable; for they are not free, and revile the grace of God, which alone makes us godly and blessed by faith, which works are not able to do, and yet they presume to do it, and so take hold of grace in their work and glory.
(50) Therefore we reject good works, not for their own sake, but for the sake of that evil addition and false perverse opinion which makes them seem good and yet they are not good, deceiving themselves and everyone with them, like the ravening wolves in sheep's clothing.
4) Wittenberger and Erlanger: in.
1006 Erl. 27, ist-iss. VII Luther's writings on Christian freedom. Freiheit etc. W. xix. 1223-1231., 1007
51) But the same evil addition and wrong opinion in the works is insurmountable where faith is not. It must be in the same saints of works 1) until faith comes and destroys it: nature is not able to expel it from itself, nor even to recognize it: but it considers it a delicious, blessed thing; that is why so many are deceived by it.
52, For this reason it is good to write and preach about repentance, confession, and satisfaction; but if one does not go on to faith, they are certainly vain, devilish, seductive teachings. One must not preach one thing alone, but both words of God. The commandments should be preached to frighten sinners and expose their sin so that they repent and convert. But it should not stop there; one must also preach the other word, the promise of grace, to teach faith, without which the commandments, repentance and everything else is in vain. There are still preachers who preach repentance of sin and grace, but they do not omit the commandments and promise of God, so that one may learn 2) from where and how repentance and grace come. For repentance flows from the commandments, faith from the promise of God: and thus man is justified and exalted by faith in the divine word, who has been humbled by the fear of God's commandment and has come to his knowledge.
53. sixth and twentieth. Let this be said of works in general, and which a Christian man should practice against his own body. Now let us say of more works which he does toward other men. For man lives not only in his own body, but also among other men on earth. Therefore, he cannot be without works toward them; he must have to speak and work with them, even though none of these works are necessary to him for godliness and salvation. Therefore, in all works, his mind must be free and directed only toward helping others.
1) Erlanger: "He must sanctify his in the same work." The Wittenberg has the reading given by us correctly according to the Latin.
2) Latin: ut äisei Hueat. Wittenberg and Erlanger: lehre.
He serves and benefits people with it; nothing else is a model for him, but what is necessary for others. This is then called a true Christian life, and there faith goes into action with joy and love, as St. Paul teaches the Galatians [Cap. 5, 6].
54 For to the Philippians, when he had taught them how they had all grace and sufficiency through their faith in Christ, he teaches them further, saying [Phil. 2:1-4.I commanded you all the comfort which ye have in Christ, and all the comfort which ye have from our love toward you, and all the fellowship which ye have with all godly spiritual Christians, that ye may fully rejoice in my heart; and that henceforth ye may be of one mind, showing love one to another, serving one another, and taking heed every man, not to himself, nor to his own, but to another, and what is his need."
(55) Paul has clearly set forth a Christian life, that all works should be directed to the benefit of the neighbor, since each one has enough for himself in his faith, and all other works and life are left for him to serve his neighbor with out free love. To this end he gives an example of Christ and says Phil. 2, 5. 6.Be ye thus minded, as ye see in Christ, who, though he was full of the divine form," and had enough for himself, and his life, works, and sufferings were not necessary to him, that he should thereby become godly or blessed, "yet he did all these things, and gave himself as a servant," doing and suffering all things, looking to nothing but our best; and so, though he was free, yet for our sakes he became a servant.
56. to the seventh and twentieth. So a Christian man, like Christ, should let his head, full and satisfied, also be content with his faith, always increasing the same, which is his life, piety and blessedness, which gives him all that Christ and God have, as said above. And St. Paul Gal. 2, 20. says: "What I still live in the body, I live in the faith of Christ, the Son of God." And whether he be now wholly free, [let a Christian] again willingly make himself a servant to his neighbor, to
help, ride with him and act as God has acted with him through Christ. And all this in vain, seeking nothing in it but divine good pleasure, and thinking thus: "Well, my God has given me unworthy, condemned man without any merit, purely in vain and out of pure mercy, through and in Christ, full riches of all godliness and blessedness, so that henceforth I need nothing more, but believe it to be so. Well then, I will again freely, cheerfully and freely do to such a Father, who has thus showered me with his abundant goods, whatever pleases him, and I will also become a Christian toward my neighbor, just as Christ became me, and do nothing more than what I see is necessary, useful and blessed for him, since I have enough of all things in Christ through my faith.
Behold, out of faith flows love and desire for God, and out of love a free, willing, joyful life of serving one's neighbor in vain. For just as our neighbor suffers hardship and needs our help, so we have suffered hardship before God and are in need of His grace. Therefore, just as God has helped us through Christ in vain, so we should not help others through the body and its works. So we see how a highly noble life is for the sake of a Christian life, which unfortunately is now not only lying low in the whole world, but is also no longer known or preached.
58. to the eighth and twentieth. So we read in Luc. 2:22 that the Virgin Mary went to church after the six weeks and was cleansed according to the law, like all the other women, even though she was not unclean with them, nor in need of the same cleansing, nor did she need it. But she did it out of free love, so that she did not despise the other women, but stayed with the crowd.
So St. Paul had St. Timothy circumcised, Apost. 16, 3, not that it was necessary, but that he would not give the weak believing Jews cause for evil thoughts, who in turn did not want to have Titum circumcised, because they wanted to insist that he had to be circumcised and was necessary for salvation [Gal. 2, 3]. And Christ Matth. 17, 24. ff., when from his disciples was said
who demanded 1) interest penny, he disputed with St. Peter whether royal children were not free to give interest, and St. Peter said yes, yet he told him to go to the sea and said: "So that we do not offend them, go, the first fish you see, 2) take it, and in its mouth you will find a penny, give it for me and for yourself. This is a fine example of this doctrine, since Christ calls Himself and His own free royal children, who have no need of anything, and yet refrains from serving willingly, and gives the interest.
(60) Now as much as Christ's work was necessary and served for his piety or salvation, so much are all other works of his and his Christians necessary for his salvation, but are all free services, for the will and betterment of others. In the same way, all priests, monasteries, and convents should do their work, so that each one of them may do the work of his state and order only to help others, and to govern his body, to give examples to others, and also to do so to force those who also need their bodies; but always take care that they do not become pious and blessed by this, which is only the ability of faith.
61 In the same way St. Paul teaches, Rom. 13, 1. 2. and Titus 3, 1. that they should be subject to worldly authority and be willing; not that they should thereby become pious, but that they should freely serve others and the authorities and do their will out of love and freedom. Whoever would have this understanding could easily judge the innumerable commandments and laws of the pope, the bishops, the monasteries, the convents, the princes and lords, which some foolish prelates do as if they were necessary for salvation, and call them commandments of the church, although unjustly. For a free Christian speaks thus: I will fast, pray, do this and that which is commanded, not that I need it or want to become pious or blessed by it, but I will do it to the pope, bishop, the congregation, or my own family.
1) Wittenberg and Erlangen: the.
2) Wittenberger: "sihest", which may be the correct reading, because the Latin as well as the basic text and Luther's later translation offers: "the first fish that goes up"; but perhaps it is read from "sehest". - "Den" is missing in the Erlanger.
1010 Erl. 87, 1S8 f. VII Luther's writings on Christian freedom. Freiheit etc. W. XIX, 1233-1235. 1011
I must do and suffer examples and services for my fellow brother, Lord at will, just as Christ did and suffered much greater things at my will, of which he had much less need. And although the tyrants do wrong to demand such things, it does me no harm, because it is not against God.
62. to the ninth and twentieth. From this each one may take a certain judgment and distinction among all works and commandments, also which are blind, foolish or right-minded prelates. For whichever work is not directed to serve another or to suffer his will (unless it compels to do against God), 1) it is not a good Christian work. Therefore, I care little for foundations, churches, monasteries, altars, masses, wills, 2) to be Christian, in addition to fasting and prayers, especially done to some saints. For I fear that in all of them each one seeks only his own, thinking to atone for his sin and to become blessed, which all comes from ignorance of faith and Christian freedom. And some blind prelates drive the people there and praise such beings with indulgences, and never teach the faith.
(63) But I counsel thee, if thou wilt endow any thing, pray, fast, do it not with a view to do thyself any good; but give it freely, that other men may enjoy it, and do it for their benefit, and thou shalt be a true Christian. What shall thy goods and good works, which are left thee to govern and support thy body, if thou hast enough in faith, wherein God hath given thee all things? Behold, thus
1) These brackets are set by us according to the Latin.
2) Namely, wills in which soul masses are endowed. Latin: (My eoelesiastiea.
God's goods must flow from one to the other and become common, so that each one may take care of his neighbor as if he were himself.
From Christ they flow into us, who took care of us in his life as if he had been what we are. From us they should flow into those who need them, even to the extent that I must also place my faith and righteousness before God for my neighbor, cover his sin, take it upon myself, and do no other than as if it were my own, just as Christ has done for us all. Behold, this is the nature of love where it is true; but there it is true where faith is true. Therefore the holy apostle gives to love as his own, 1 Cor. 13:5, "that he seek not his own," but what is next to him.
Decision. 3)
65 To the thirtieth. From all this follows the conclusion that a Christian man lives not in himself, but in Christ and his neighbor; in Christ through faith, in his neighbor through love. Through faith he goes above himself into God; from God he goes below himself again through love, and yet always remains in God and divine love. Just as Christ says Joh. 1, 51: "You will see heaven open, and the angels ascending and descending over the Son of Man."
(66) Behold, this is the right spiritual Christian freedom, which makes the heart free from all sins, laws and commandments, which surpasses all other freedom, as heaven surpasses earth. Which God grant us to rightly understand and keep, Amen.
3) This superscription is in the Wittenberg edition.