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Luther's Heidelberg Theses: The Forgotten But Significant Beginnings of the Reformation
"But we preach Christ crucified…." 1 Cor. 1: 23a.
If anything can be said about the great Reformer Martin Luther it is this that he echoed these words of Paul in his theological writings and preaching throughout his life with much conviction and rigor. One of these writings is the often forgotten and under-emphasized Heidelberg Theses or Disputation. Most are familiar with the famous 95 theses.
In this article I will highlight the theological and historical significance of these Heidelberg Theses for Luther's own life and for the beginning of the Reformation continued by other well-known Reformers like Martin Bucer and John Calvin. At the end I will include some samples of these theses as they were heard and debated by the first Reformers at the beginning of the Reformation.
The Significance of the Heidelberg Theses in the Context of Luther's Own Life
The Heidelberg disputation was held on the 26th of April 1518. A disputation is a medieval way of defending your theology by writing theses (succinct theological statements), and then to defending them in the presence of other theologians. In 1518 a great convention of the Augustinian order was set in Heidelberg and on this occasion Luther was called to state and defend his Reformed theology. At that time the storm had somewhat subsided which had been aroused by his more public and famous 95 theses. We can say that at Heidelberg Luther was at his calmest and most reflexive, being in the company of Augustinian monks like himself, expounding the biblical and theological foundations of the Reformation.
To see the significance of the theses it is important to put them in the historical perspective of Luther's own life and development as a Reformer.
It was at age 29 that Luther had become a doctor and professor of Biblical theology in Wittenberg. There as full professor he first held a series of lectures on the psalms (from 1513-1515) in which we can see him breaking away from the dominance of Medieval scholastic and mystic Roman Catholic theology. After that he worked on and presented the lectures on Romans during which he did foundational discoveries. However, during this time "the experience of inner penitence, what Luther called 'plowing oneself' was still the precondition for justification by faith." It is in this spirit that he wrote the famous 95 theses, of which the first one reads: "When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, says "Repent," he means that all of the life of the faithful man on earth should be repentance."
It was not until 1518 that Luther began to understand faith as such a great trust that the Christian could and should rely entirely on the word of absolution, "your sins are forgiven you." During that year Luther perceived one scriptural text in a most powerful way: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall life by faith" (Rom 1:17). Henceforth he was encouraged to disregard (as condition) his inner state, believing entirely in the Word of God alone. "The last precondition had been eliminated." Ii is in this spirit that he wrote the Heidelberg Theses or Disputation.
The Significance of the Heidelberg Theses for the Reformation
At Heidelberg Luther was in his own element, so to speak, and so he spoke with calm, ease and wit in the company of an eager crowd who absorbed it all and pondered over the outcome and significance of his Reformed theology. What is significant for the Reformed tradition and it beginnings is that among those who listened was the young man Martin Bucer, whom he gained as convert. Bucer was to be the later Reformer of Strasbourg and a very influential person in the life of Calvin. Also in the audience was Johann Brenz who became an ardent follower of the reformation movement by becoming a Reformer of Württemberg and prolific writer himself.
At Heidelberg Bucer and others heard for the first time the clear Reformation points on the meaning of the law, on man's works and God's work, and on what it meant to be a theologian of the cross and of God's love. It must be said that men like Bucer developed their Reformed theology in their own way, on some of these points, after having joined the cause of the Reformation. Nevertheless I believe it may be beneficial to re-visit these beginnings of the Reformation and listen to Luther, as once in the past great man like Bucer and Brenz were moved by the Holy Spirit to join the cause of the Refomation through them. For that let me highlight some of Luther's Theses on the points mentioned above. Standing as a Reformed Seminary in the legacy of this great man of God, I pray that these Theses may be blessed for the continual Reformation of the Church.
A Look at Some Theses
In what follows I will state what Luther wrote and said on that day plus add some commentary here and there. I borrow thereby not only from the theses but also from Luther's own commentary on them, which he had attached in their publication and most likely wrote for use during the defense of the Theses.
On the law
Thesis 1 The law of God, that wholesome doctrine of life, cannot bring man to righteousness. It is a hindrance rather than a help.
The biblical texts Luther used to support this thesis: Rom 3:21. "but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,..." Romans 5:20 "the law entered, that the offence might abound." Romans 7:9 "When the commandment came, sin revived,... " Romans 8:2 "The Law of sin and death" II Cor 3:6 "...the letter killeth.."
On the Works of Man
Thesis 3 The works of man, though they always look splendid and the appearance of being very good, are yet in all probability mortal (deadly) sins"
The works of men look good but they are in fact evil. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags,..." Isaiah 64:6. The righteous say of their own works: "Enter not into judgement with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." Ps 143:2. Without grace and faith it is impossible to have the clean heart referred to in Acts 15:9 where Peter refers to God purifying the hearts of the Gentiles by faith.
On the Works of God
Thesis 4 The works of God, though they may always look evil and have the appearance of being very bad, are yet in fact works of eternal merit.
It is clear from Isaiah 53: 2-3 and I Sam. 2:6 that the works of God are shameful: "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him…and we as it were hid our faces from Him," "The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to the grave and he bringeth back."
The way to understand this is thus: The Lord humbles and absolutely terrifies us with the law and the prospect of our sins so that not only in other man's eyes but even in our own do we seem to be nothing, just fools and evil men. The truth of the matter is that this is just what we are, in fact. Now when we admit that, and confess that there is nothing formly or comely about us, but on the contrary live in the hidden God (that is in pure unqualified trust in His mercy), then we have in ourselves the answers to sin, folly, death and hell. The words of the Apostle in II Cor. 6: 9-10 "As unknown and yet well known: as dying, and, behold we live,… as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.." are applicable here. And this is what Isaiah calls, "that he may do His work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act." (Isaiah 28:21). That means that he may humble us in our own eyes and make us despair of ourselves, so that in his mercy he may exalt us and make us men of hope.
On the theologian of the Cross
Thesis 20 But he is worth calling a theologian who understands the visible and hinder parts of God to mean the passion and the cross.
"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" 1 Cor 1: 21.
God's visibility in this world is the passion and the cross, the Word of the cross, Christ. In other words, "from now on it could never be enough for a man, nor could it benefit him to know God in His glory and majesty unless he knows him at the same time in the humility and shame of the cross." "We preach Christ crucified…" It was Philipp in John 14 who had the tendency of the theologian of glory, "show us the Father." Jesus replied, "who has seen me has seen the Father." Any enemy of the cross is called a tool of Satan. "Get thee behind me Satan," Christ said to Peter when he stood in the way of the cross.
On Love
Thesis 28. The love of God does not find but creates the object of its love, whereas love of man is created by the object of its love.
"The love of God living in a man loves sinners, evil men, foolish men, weak men, so that the love of God makes them righteous, good wise and strong. In this way it flows forth rather and confers good. Thus sinners are lovely because they are loved: they are not loved because they are lovely. And that is what the love of the cross means. It is a love born of the cross, which betakes itself not where it can find something good to enjoy, but where it may confer good to the wicked and the needy." "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise." God creates as it where out of nothing, continually. The wicked on the cross, was a true theologian of the cross, being made a theologian, by living, dying, and being damned, but yet precisely there called into the house of the Father! "Thou shalt be with me in Paradise."
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