1. The Harmfulness of Synergism.
grace to men who are less guilty or behave better than others—there is no such gospel. According to the Gospel revealed in the Scriptures, God's grace returns to those who are broken-hearted, not to those who, in comparison with others, still find advantages in themselves with God. What synergism calls gospel and grace is the gospel and grace of the Pharisee (Luke 18:9 ff.), who thanked God that he was not like other people, and therefore went down to his house unjustified. This is the reason for Luther's dictum: "You [Erasmus] have seized me by the throat (ipsum iugulum petisti).