Luther on Justification by Faith

Introduction. The Protestant Reformation began when a Catholic monk

rediscovered a Catholic doctrine in a Catholic book. (Peter Kreeft, Jstification b!
"aith#
The former statement from a catholic theologian is right, becase $ther%s
doctrine on &stification b! faith alone was generated b! his std! on 'gstine%s
em(hasis on )od%s grace and the inherent de(ravit! of hman being.
The doctrine b! which the chrch stands or falls. *o said +artin $ther abot
&stification b! faith alone. ()erstner , The -istor! of Jstification#
Luthers early view. )od gives his grace to the hmble that all who hmble
themselves before )od can e.(ect to be &stified.
/ righteosness of )od refers to an im(artial divine attribte.
/ )od &dges individals with com(lete im(artialit!0 shows neither lenienc! or
favoritism0
/ &dges solel! on the merit0 gives to s what we merit0 nothing more, nothing
less (1%Reggio#
Later view. 2t looked like the (recondition for &stification was im(ossible to
flfill in $ther%s view. 2n the !ears 3434/3435 he began nderstanding the
im(ortance of faith in &stification and merits cannot be ac6ired b! men before )od.
-e is not righteos who does mch, bt he who, withot work, believes mch
in Christ. 789 +an knows that works which he does b! sch faith are not his bt
)od%s. "or this reason he does not seek to become &stified or glorified throgh them,
bt seeks )od. -is &stification b! faith in Christ is sfficient to him. ($ther ,
-eidelberg :is(tation in $ll, ;</;=#
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Crucial phrases in Luther's vocabulary. ()eorge, Theolog! of the
Reformers, 45/=?#.
Coram Deo (in front of )od# / it means that while we are alwa!s at )od%s
dis(osal, )od is never at or%s @To believe in sch a )od,@ $ther said,@is to go down
on !or knees.@ This is an initial stage in &stification , (ersonal hmiliation.
Christos pro Me (Christ for me# , The heart of $ther%s theolog! was that in
Jess Christ )od has given -imself, tterl! and withot. reserve, for s. Ahen we
recogniBe that Jess was given pro me and pro nobis (for me and for s#, we can
nderstand that or &stification is b! grace.
Anfechtung (sall! translated tem(tation, bt reall! means dread, des(air,
an.iet!. The e.(erience of the Anfechtungen was more than a momentar! (hase
in $ther%s s(irital (ilgrimage. This recrring (rinci(le throghot his
entire life defined his a((roach to theolog!. 2n a famos statement $ther
confessedC 2 did not learn m! theolog! all at once, bt 2 had to search dee(er for it,
where m! tem(tations 7Anfechtungen9 took me .... Dot nderstanding, reading,
or s(eclation, bt living, na!, rather d!ing and being damned make a theologian.
*o, his central doctrine of &stification b! faith went throgh this (rocess.
Sola fide Jstification is b! faith alone, bt $ther was anno!ed at those who
trned his em(hasis on , sola fide into an eas! believe/ism. Tem(tation and
e.(erience, he said, certainl! teach s that faith is @reall! a difficlt art@.
Simul (semper# iustus et peccator the believer is not onl! both righteos and
sinfl at the same time, bt is also com(letel! both righteos and sinfl at the same
time.
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Dialectical character. $ther%s theolog! has a dialectical character and this is
visible in the doctrine of &stification b! faith, also , law and gos(el, wrath and grace,
faith and works, flesh and s(irit, before )od and before the world (coram Deo /
coram mundo#, freedom and bondage etc. ()eorge, Ibid.#
Luther's three points on faith.
3. "aith has a (ersonal rather than a (rel! historical reference.
?. "aith concerns trst in the (romises of )od.
E. "aith nites the believer to Christ.
Critique. Trent%s criti6e of $ther%s doctrine of &stification can be broken
down into for main sectionsC
3. The natre of &stification.
?. The natre of &stif!ing righteosness.
E. The natre of &stif!ing faith.
;. The assrance of salvation. (+c)rath, Reformation Thoght#.
Conclusion. $ther%s doctrine of &stification fell like a bombshell on the
theological landsca(e of medieval Catholicism. 2t altered the entire theolog! of merits
and indeed the sacramental/(enitential basis of the chrch itself. ()eorge , Theolog!
of the Reformers#.
Biblioraphy.
Timoth! ". $ll, ed. Martin Luthers Basic heological !ritings.
Timoth! )eorge. heolog" of the #eformers. Froadman, ?GGE.
'lister H. +c)rath. #eformation hought$ An Introduction. E
rd
ed.
Trevor 1%Reggio. PowerPoint (resentation.
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Peter Kreeft, %ustification b" &aith' htt(CIIwww.catholicedcation.orgIarticlesI
a(ologeticsIa(GG?=.html
John )erstner, (istor" of the Doctrine of %ustification,
htt(CIIwww.a(ritansmind.comI&stificationIgerstner&ohn&stificationhistor!.htm
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