Luther and the Threefold Sola of the Reformation

Approximately seventy-one million persons in Christendom bear the name Lutheran. That so large a segment of the visible church is named after the man Martin Luther is really a historical accident. The papal bull of 1521 which excommunicated Luther from the official church applied the name “Lutheran” to Luther’s adherents to stigmatize them as heretics and schismatics. Luther and his followers protested against the use of a personal name under such conditions.

Approximately seventy-one million persons in Christendom bear the name Lutheran. That so large a segment of the visible church is named after the man Martin Luther is really a historical accident. The papal bull of 1521 which excommunicated Luther from the official church applied the name “Lutheran” to Luther’s adherents to stigmatize them as heretics and schismatics. Luther and his followers protested against the use of a personal name under such conditions.

When in 1522 some overzealous followers of Luther called themselves Lutherans, Luther wrote:

“Please do not use my name; do not call yourselves Lutherans, but Christians. The doctrine is not mine; I have not been crucified for anyone.... Why should I, a miserable bag of worms, give my meaningless name to Christ’s children?”

When, however, the Catholics resorted to name calling in an attempt to discredit the Lutheran Reformation, then Luther yielded to the use of his name.

During the first fifty years the followers of Luther were known as Evangelicals or “Reformed churches.” When the line of demarcation was sharply drawn between Lutherans and Reformed, after 1580, the name Lutheran came into more frequent use, and by the end of the Thirty Years’ War it was in general use. In Germany, as in other parts of Europe, several provincial churches, notably in Wuerttemberg, though subscribing to the A. C. and Luther’s Catechisms, are known as “Evangelical.” In the Scandinavian countries, where the Lutheran church is the state church, the word “Lutheran” is not in the official title.

Luther’s Development

In seeking the answer to life’s most important question: How can I find a forgiving God? Luther initiated a “Copernican revolution” in theology. As Copernicus revolutionized scientific thought by substituting a heliocentric for the age-old geocentric world view, so Luther’s rediscovery of the Gospel proved to be the undoing of the popular egocentric or anthropocentric theology of the Law and human righteousness and re-established the theocentric or Christocentric message of man’s salvation by divine grace for Christ’s sake.

Many factors brought about this “Copernican revolution” and helped to direct it into the greatest religious and theological reformation in the history of Christendom. As is frequently the case, God employs “creative controversies” to fashion His instruments. In Luther’s case these “creative” controversies came both from within and from without and his theological development is intimately connected with these.

Conflicts from Within

The dominant thought during Luther’s formative years, especially as a young monk in Erfurt, seemed to center in a deep guilt consciousness and correspondingly in his concern to find some human device to eradicate the sin which harassed him. On the road to the rediscovery of the Gospel, Luther went through four major stages: his encounter with Occamism, Augustinianism, and mysticism.

Occamism

During his university days Luther came under the influence of the great English scholastic, William of Occam. Especially two phases in Occamist thinking were of significance for Luther. First, Occam departed radically from the epistemology of most scholastics. They held that since reason and revelation are both gifts of God, both are of equal significance as the source of divine truth. Occam and the nominalists held that reason cannot apperceive the supranatural, since it is completely outside the realm of reason. Only faith can apprehend, though not comprehend, the mysteries, the miracles, and even the dogmas of the church. This teaching undoubtedly affected Luther deeply in his evaluation of the whole structure of Roman theology. His contacts with Occam increased both Luther’s loathing for the Aristotelian dialectical method and his faith in the divinely revealed Scriptures as the only source of Christian truth.

Second, Occam’s concept of God proved to be frightening for Luther. Occam thought of God as Absolute Will; more specifically, he held that God is entirely responsible for man’s “justification.” In Luther’s effort to silence his accusing conscience, he heeded the Occamist teaching that in contrition God would cleanse man of his inbred sin, whereas scholasticism held that man earns God’s grace by his Own effort. But when Luther failed to gain assurance that he had obtained the infused grace — the means to attain righteousness — he feared that the Absolute God by an unconditioned act of predestination had excluded him from salvation, and thus the Occamist concept of God as the Absolute Will drove him to despair. It was in this frame Of mind that he was receptive for the Gospel.

Augustinianism

In his study of Occam, Luther became familiar with Augustine’s writings. Among the many impacts on his theological development, Augustine’s views on sin and grace were of the greatest significance for Luther, because they differed fundamentally from the Pelagian view of sin, especially the Pelagian denial of original sin. From Augustine, Luther learned that concupiscence is truly sin, that original sin is man’s total lack of all goodness and his constant inclination toward all that is evil. Luther’s understanding of the grim reality that original sin is the “capital” sin was a most significant step on the road to the Reformation. He saw the main prop of scholastic theology crumbling away when he learned that man does not possess the capacity to merit “grace” and to work out his own salvation. The chief lesson from Augustine was that “grace” is not an acquired quality in man, but God’s favor, which alone can begin and complete man’s justification.

Mysticism

A third factor which deeply affected Luther’s theological development was mysticism, especially German mysticism. In 1516 Luther published the anonymous Deutsche Theologie because he claimed to have learned immeasurably much from it. Some types of mysticism are the highest forms of an egocentric philosophy. True, they seem to demand complete self-negation. But abnegation is in reality the acme of self-interest because it flows from the hope of attaining a higher bliss. Many mystics assert that the soul has the right and the capacity to enter directly into union with “the naked God,” with God in His transcendence. The famous mystic Tauler urged complete mortification, total surrender to God, conquest of every form of egocentricity, even the desire to be saved, and for a time mysticism seemed to offer Luther an escape from his guilt consciousness.

But the mystical way served only to aggravate Luther’s spiritual condition, for it emphasized the pious life, complete abnegation, total passivity, the very things which Luther was unable to accomplish. The mystical way seeks direct union with God, to hear the “uncreated Word,” while Luther felt that the impurity of his heart excluded such a mystical union. Thus mysticism served in a negative way to direct Luther to the Incarnate Word as He is revealed in Holy Scripture.

However, the Tauler type of mysticism also made several positive contributions to Luther’s theological development. The Roman sacramental and sacerdotal system relegates the personal relation of man and his God into the background. In mysticism the spotlight is directed not upon an altar or an intermediary but on the individual who seeks personal union with God. Scholasticism can be a logical, abstract system of thought, but the mystic is concerned with his own personal problems and is inclined to introspection. Scholasticism has an elaborate system of cataloguing sins according to their greatness, their nature, their effect. Mysticism reduces all sin to the one grievous concept of egocentricity.

And, finally, in scholasticism God is pictured as a God of justice who metes out punishments and rewards with inexorable righteousness, whereas mysticism thinks of God primarily in terms of infinite love.

Solus Christus, or “Christ alone”

The man who more than anyone else helped Luther to escape from his labyrinth of anxiety, doubt, and despair, was the prior of his Augustinian community, John Staupitz. In the hours of despair Staupitz turned Luther away from his sin, from the inadequacy of his monastic life, from an arbitrary decree of election, to “the wounds of Christ.” In his previous experience Luther had seen Christ only as a new Legislator; the Gospel as a “new law,” with countless “evangelical counsels”; the righteousness of God only as God’s condemning and punitive justice. But when Luther beheld the “wounds of Christ,” then he saw the Scriptures in an entirely new light, as Gospel, as good news. Christ became the focal point through which he now saw the concepts justification, justify, righteousness of God. Luther describes his experience as follows:

At last I perceived that the “righteousness of God” is the perfect obedience of Christ and that the believer shall live before God, not through his own righteousness, but solely through Christ’s complete righteousness. It seemed to me that I was born anew and that I had entered into the open gates of Paradise. The whole Bible suddenly took on new meaning for me. I ran through it —as much as came to mind — and found that everywhere my interpretation was confirmed. Thus, the word “righteousness,” which had been odious to me, now became the very entrance into heaven.

The inward struggles with sin and a frightening guilt consciousness came to a conclusion in the rediscovery of the Gospel. This rediscovery of the Gospel has been summarized in the threefold sola of the Reformation: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide.

Sola Scriptura

By Scripture alone means that God has revealed His truth through the Holy Bible. Scripture is the one trustworthy source for the truth about God. The Scriptures are properly read in light of Jesus as the Son of God in the flesh. The Bible teaches that His death and resurrection is the key event in all of history, because there, Jesus died to gain the forgiveness of everyone’s sins. This does not mean that Christians should only read the Bible. Sola scriptura means that the Bible is the only trustworthy source for doctrine and life.

It is sometimes assumed that the sola Scriptura principle of the Reformation implies first and foremost that “Scripture alone” means that there can be no  other secondary authorities within the Church, such as creeds and confessions. By “sola Scriptura” Luther and the subsequent Lutheran tradition did not mean that Scripture was the only theological authority, but rather that it was the ultimate authority in the Church. Throughout its history, the Christian Church has encountered situations that the prophets and apostles did not face when they composed the Scriptures. Therefore to apply and clarify what the Bible teaches, it has been necessary for Christians to draw up creeds and confessions of faith. Lutheran Christians have historically believed that these authorities are valid insofar as they witness to what is taught in the Bible.

In Luther’s thinking the sola Scriptura principle is exclusively Christocentric. The “Scriptures alone” is the same as “the Gospel alone,” and “the Gospel alone” is Christ alone. The Christocentric approach to the Sacred Scriptures revolutionized Luther’s entire theology. The Word of Christ in the Gospel became an objective reality for Luther and the Gospel promises a “given,” a “constant,” a datum, which remains ever the same regardless of his own personal experiences. The important point for Luther was that in Christ God’s gracious promises are an eternally abiding “Yea” and “Amen.” Sola Scriptura meant for Luther that God had spoken His absolution in the Scriptures, and thus the Scriptures had opened Paradise to him. Scripture alone is the Gospel alone.

After Luther had learned the true meaning of sola Scriptura, the Gospel was no longer a new law — not a lex — nor Christ the new Legislator who has established in the papacy a reign Of commandments. Formerly the “Gospel” had been cacangelium (bad news), because it was only Law, but now it became evangelium (good news). The deep chasm between Law and Gospel, and the correct distinction between the two, is for Luther the basis of true theology and summarizes the sharp antithesis of Lutheran teaching to Romanism and incidentally also to Calvinism as well ().

Luke 24:44 ESV

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

By saying “Scripture Alone,” Christians acknowledge the Bible as God’s living Word. It is not the book that we worship but the Savior of Whom the book speaks. Jesus is God’s living Word to us. Thus, Luther’s explanation of the Third Commandment in the Large Catechism says:

“The Word of God is the true holy thing above all things. Indeed, it is the only one we Christians acknowledge and have. Though we had the bones of all the saints or all the holy and consecrated vestments gathered together in one heap, they could not help us in the slightest degree, for they are all dead things that can sanctify no one. But God’s Word is the treasure that sanctifies all things. By it, all the saints themselves have been sanctified. At whatever time God’s Word is taught, preached, heard, read or pondered, there the person, the day, and the work are sanctified by it, not on account of the external work but on account of the Word which makes us all saints. Accordingly, I constantly repeat that all our life and work must be guided by God’s Word if they are to be God-pleasing and holy. Where that happens, the commandment is in force and is fulfilled” (Martin Luther, Book of Concord, The Large Catechism, “Third Commandment“).

Sola Gratia

By grace alone means that God gives His love freely. People can’t earn God’s love. People can’t earn forgiveness. God’s love is not gained by human efforts, but given freely by God’s grace.

The basic difference between Catholic and Lutheran theology may also be summarized in sola gratia. This watchword means that salvation is ours solely by God’s unmerited grace in Christ’s all-sufficient work. “By grace alone,” “for Christ’s sake alone,” “through faith alone, without any human merit” — or any of a number of variations — express the one central article of the Christian faith. In Luther’s view this article permeates all theology:

This one article, namely, faith in Christ, rules my heart. All my theological thoughts, day or night, proceed from. this article, revolve about it, and always return to it.

Roman theologians, however, refuse to accept this Lutheran watchword. Either Rome defines grace as some infused quality, virtue, or power in man, or Rome objects to the word “alone” and ascribes man’s justification in part to God and in part to man. But grace is not grace unless it is entirely grace. Grace cannot be quartered, or halved, or treated in any piecemeal fashion. We obtain everything by grace, or we get nothing at all (; see also ; ).

John 1:17 ESV

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Acts 15:11 ESV

But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Romans 5:21 ESV

so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

By saying “Grace Alone,” Christians acknowledge that their salvation is given to saved sinners solely by of God’s mercy shown on account of Christ alone. God’s Grace is not only an object but is a part of His character. Rather, grace is part of who God is. It is an attitude with which He views us sinners as His children, by His great love, on account of Christ. The Reformer and colleague of Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, explains in his Loci Communes:

“Grace signifies gracious acceptance, to the mercy of God, on account of the promise of Christ. As Paul says in : ‘free gift by the grace.’ That is, we are called by the Holy Spirit and to eternal life. Further, the exclusive participle ‘only’ or ‘alone’ used with the word of grace, signifies that it is a gratuitously given remission of sins and reconciliation. The exclusive participle alone does not exclude our repentance and good works, but it rather eliminates the condition of all of our dignity and transfers the whole cause of our salvation to the benefit of the mercy shown us in Christ, so that it is clearly certain. Therefore, we are justified freely by His grace, that is, by God’s mercy, so that we understand that we are pleasing to God, not on account of the dignity of our works, but on account of Christ” (Philip Melanchthon, The Loci Communes Theologici, 1535).

Sola Fide

By faith alone means that those who believe in Jesus as God’s Savior for all of mankind receive forgiveness and eternal life. Faith is something God gives to people through His Holy Spirit, working in the Word of God and the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. People do nothing to earn God’s love, but receive it by grace through faith.

The sola fide principle flows inevitably from sola gratia. They stand in relation to each other as the convex and concave of a sphere. If the sinner’s justification is by grace, it can be only by faith, since grace excludes every meritorious cause in man, even faith as a meritorious cause. The fact that man is justified by faith without any work on his part, that faith is the hand which receives gratuitously God’s pardon, that great fact was the heart Of Luther’s new experience. The Catholics were willing to accept the letter but not the spirit Of the sola fide. They held that man is saved by faith, but it must be a faith active in good works and therefore meritorious (, ; see also ; ).

is justified by faith without any work on his part, that faith is the hand which receives gratuitously God’s pardon, that great fact was the heart Of Luther’s new experience. The Catholics were willing to accept the letter but not the spirit Of the sola fide. They held that man is saved by faith, but it must be a faith active in good works and therefore meritorious (, ; see also ; ).

Romans 3:21a ESV

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—

Romans 3:22a ESV

the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

Galatians 3:26 ESV

for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

1 Timothy 1:14 ESV

and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

“Faith Alone” saves the sinner. Faith is simply this: that we trust in the mercy of God on account of Christ alone as our only hope for salvation. This Paul says in his letter to the church at Rome: “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.” This faith, or trust, is not a work of our own, but a work of God within us. Thus, Martin Luther describes it this way:

“Faith is and indeed must be a steadfastness (ein steadfasten) of the heart, which does not waver, wobble, shake, tremble, or doubt, but stands firm and is sure of its case. Do not think lightly of faith. It is a work that is of all works the most excellent and the most difficult. Through it alone you will be saved, even though you were obliged to do without all other works. For it is the work of God, not of man as Paul teaches in : ‘and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.’ The other works He performs without our co-operation and through us; This alone He works within us and without our co-operation (sine nobis)” (Luther, Martin, and Ewald M. Plass. What Luther Says, An Anthology. Saint Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1959.).