Luther's 95 Theses

[LittleWaySoul]

So I was reading them, and it didn't seem to me as though Luther was against the idea of Purgatory. They were a bit difficult for me to understand, so I could have misread them, but the only thing they really talked about was indulgences as far as I could tell.

So... do the 95 Theses condemn anything other than the sale of indulgences? Or indulgences in general?

I guess I'm confused. What did Luther believe about Purgatory? About indulgences (not the sale of them)?

Thanks!

[qfnol31]

Martin Luther's theology changed over the course of his life. He composed the 95 Theses at the beginning of his split with the Catholic Church and they represent some of his less anti-Catholic ideas.

You are correct that in the 95 Theses, Martin Luther does not explicitly reject the notion of Purgatory. This might come later in his life, though there is some question about what Luther teaches on Purgatory. Much of his teachings on Purgatory are wrapped up in other contexts, such as indulgences. He might have believed in a Purgatory, but did not think it was a doctrine of faith or even a part of Scripture. We learn about Purgatory mostly from 2 Maccabees 12:43-46 (in which Judas Maccabeus makes atonement for the dead). If the dead are in Heaven there is no reason to pray for them. If the dead are in Hell, they cannot be saved. Therefore there must be another intermediary place for the holy souls: Purgatory. Luther rejected the two Books of Maccabees as a part of Scripture because of their origin (they came from the Greek Septuagint texts rather than the Hebrew texts). Therefore he saw no authoritative Biblical reference to the dead and praying for the dead, though I believe he privately confessed Purgatory.

The other side of this question is the practice of indulgences. You've already noted that he rejects paid indulgences. At first Luther accepts other forms of indulgences (such as those that require a certain action). However, he later says that all indulgences are a trick by the Church's authorities and should be cast away. With this rejection, he also fights against the authority of the Pope over the souls in Purgatory. He says that the authority of the Pope extends only to confirm or deny what God has already done. This is important to note when we see the rejection of the Pope's use of the "keys of St. Peter." Luther is slowly denouncing the authority of the Pope over the Church.

At the same time Luther is moving away from the Sacraments as they are instituted in the Catholic Church. The second thesis rejects the practice of penance. Luther later takes this further and says that the Sacrament of penance has been used by the Pope for his personal gain and wealth. He says that when Scripture speaks of confession, it refers to private confessions without a Sacramental merit.

One last related topic that I see is Luther's treatment of the Mass. He does not have a problem with it in the 95 Theses, but going along with his rejection of indulgences, Luther later rejects the Mass as a work, offering, or sacrifice. He says that the Mass has become used as a tool to gain money and has no merit in itself, beyond the prayers of the priest. In other words Luther splits prayers away from the Mass and says that the Mass is only the words of the Last Supper and reception of Communion. Here again Luther explicitly rejects the Pope, and also the work of priests in the Church.

Hope this helps with some of the confusion! Luther isn't always very clear. He's sarcastic and sometimes very mean, but subtle in his meanness. He doesn't always come right out to say what he intends to say.