Original Source: Dr. Martin Luther - Table Talk, Chapter 25

Dr. Martin Luther
Born	10 November 1483, Eisleben
Died	18 February 1546, Eisleben
Occupation	Theologian, pastor, professor, Reformer
Known For	The Protestant Reformation, Lutheran theology, and religious writings
Major Works	Table Talk, the Ninety-five Theses, Small Catechism, and Large Catechism
Publication Notes	Translated into English by William Hazlitt. Philadelphia: The Lutheran Publication Society. Digital transcription attributed to Kathy Sewell, June 1, 1997.
Contents	00 - Introduction and Preface 01 - Of God's Works 02 - The Nature of the World 03 - Of Idolatry 04 - Of Jesus Christ 05 - Of Sins 06 - Of the Holy Ghost 07 - Of Free-Will 08 - Of the Catechism 09 - Of the Law and the Gospel 10 - Of Justification 11 - Of Prayer 12 - Of Baptism 13 - Of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 14 - Of the Church 15 - Of the Church and its Ministers 16 - Of Excommunication 17 - Of Preachers and Preaching 18 - Of the Patriarchs and Prophets 19 - Of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ 20 - Of Angels 21 - Of the Devil and His Works 22 - Of Temptation and Tribulation 23 - Of Luther's Adversaries 24 - Of Offences 25 - Of a Christian Life 26 - Of Discord 27 - Of Sicknesses and Their Causes 28 - Of Death 29 - Of the Resurrection 30 - Of Allegories 31 - Of Spiritual and Church Livings 32 - Of Christian Military Action 33 - Of Lawyers 34 - Of Universities, Arts, etc. 35 - Of Astronomy and Astrology 36 - Of Learned Men 37 - Of the Jews 38 - Of the Turks 39 - Of Countries and Cities 40 - Of Vocation and Calling
Related Pages	Table Talk (Luther) Martin Luther

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OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE

697

A Christian's worshipping is not the external, hypocritical mask that our spiritual friars wear, when they chastise their bodies, torment and make themselves faint, with ostentatious fasting, watching, singing, wearing hair shirts, scourging themselves, etc. Such worshipping God desires not.

698

'Tis a great blindness of people's hearts that they cannot accept of the treasure of grace presented unto them. Such people are we, that though we are baptized, have Christ, with all his precious gifts, faith, the sacraments, his Word, all which we confess to be holy, yet we can neither say nor think that we ourselves are holy; we deem it too much to say, we are holy; whereas the name Christian is far more glorious and greater than the name holy.

699

We can call consecrated robes, dead men's bones, and such trumpery, holy, but not a Christian; the reason is, we gaze upon the outward mask, we look after the seeming saint, who leads an austere life. Hence that vain opinion in popedom, that they call the dead, saints; an error strengthened by Zwinglius. Human wisdom gapes at holy workers, thinking whoso does good works, is just and righteous before God.

700

There's no better death than St Stephen's, who said: "Lord, receive my spirit." We should lay aside the register of our sins and deserts, and die in reliance only upon God's mere grace and mercy.

701

We ought to retain the feast of John the Baptist, with whom the New Testament began, for it is written: "All the prophets and the law prophesied until John," etc. We should observe it, too, for the sake of the fair song, which in popedom we read, but understood not, of Zachariah, which, indeed, is a most excellent song, as is shown in St Luke's preface, where he says: "And Zachariah was full of the Holy Ghost," etc.

702

A householder instructs his servants and family in this manner: Deal uprightly and honestly, be diligent in that which I command you, and ye may then eat, drink, and clothe yourselves as ye please. Even so, our Lord God regards not what we eat, drink, or how we clothe ourselves; all such matters, being ceremonies or middle things, he leaves freely to us, on the understanding, however, that we ground nothing thereon as being necessary to salvation.

703

'Twas a strange thing the world should be offended at him who raised the dead, made the blind to see, and the deaf to hear, etc. They who would deem such a man a devil, what kind of a God would they have? But here it is. Christ would give to the world the kingdom of heaven, but they will have the kingdom of the earth, and here they part; for the highest wisdom and sanctity of the hypocrites sees nothing but temporal honor, carnal will, mundane life, good days, money and wealth, all of which must vanish and cease.

704

The whole world takes offence at the plainness of the second table of God's Ten Commandments, because human sense and reason partly understand what is done contrary thereto. When God and his Word is condemned, the world is silent and regards it not; but when a monastery is taken, or flesh eaten on a Friday, or a friar marries, O, then the world cries out: Here are abominable offences.

705

The obedience towards God is the obedience of faith and good works; that is, he who believes in God, and does what God has commanded, is obedient unto him; but the obedience toward the devil is superstition and evil works; that is, who trusts not in God, but is unbelieving, and does evil, is obedient unto the devil.

706

In the Old Testament are two sorts of sacrifices; the first was called the early morning sacrifice; thereby is shown that we first should offer unto Christ, not oxen or cattle, but ourselves, acknowledging God's gifts, corporal and spiritual, temporal and eternal, and giving him thanks for them. Secondly, the evening sacrifice; whereby is signified that a Christian should offer a broken, humble and a contrite heart, consider his necessities, and dangers, both corporal and spiritual, and call upon God for help.

707

God will, say some, that we should serve him freely and willingly, whereas he that serves God out of fear of punishment, of hell, or out of a hope and love of recompense, serves and honors God not uprightly or truly. This argument is of the stoics, who reject the affections of human nature. It is true we ought willingly to serve, love, and fear God, as the chief good. But God can well endure that we love him for his promise's sake, and pray unto him for corporal and spiritual benefits; he therefore has commanded us to pray. So God can also endure that we fear him for the punishment's sake, as the prophets remember. Indeed, it is somewhat, that a human creature can acknowledge God's everlasting punishments and rewards. And if one looks thereupon, as not being the chief end and cause, then it hurts him not, especially if he has regard to God himself, as the final cause, who gives everything for nothing, out of mere grace, without our deserts.

708

The word, to worship, means to stoop and bow down the body with external gestures; to serve in the work. But to worship God in spirit is the service and honor of the heart; it comprehends faith and fear in God. The worshipping of God is two-fold, outward and inward - that is, to acknowledge God's benefits, and to be thankful unto him.

709

A certain prince of Germany, well known to me, went to Compostella in Spain, where they pretend St James, brother of the Evangelist St John, lies buried. This prince made his confession to a Franciscan, an honest man, who asked him if he were a German? The prince answered, yes. Then the friar said: "O, loving child, why seekest thou so far away that which thou hast much better in Germany? I have seen and read the writings of an Augustine friar, touching indulgences and the pardons of sin, wherein he powerfully proves that the true remission of sins consists in the merits and sufferings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. O loving son, remain thereby, and permit not thyself to be otherwise persuaded. I purpose shortly, God willing, to leave this unchristian life, to repair into German, and to join the Augustine friar.

710

Since the Gospel has been preached, which is not above twenty years, such great wonders have been done as were not in many hundred years before. No man ever thought such alterations should happen; that so many monasteries would be made empty, that the private mass should be abolished in Germany, despite heretics, sectaries, and tyrants. Rome has twice been ravaged, and many great princes, who persecuted the Gospel, have been thrown down to the ground and destroyed.

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Index

• Table Talk, Chapter 00
• Table Talk, Chapter 01
• Table Talk, Chapter 02
• Table Talk, Chapter 03
• Table Talk, Chapter 04
• Table Talk, Chapter 05
• Table Talk, Chapter 06
• Table Talk, Chapter 07
• Table Talk, Chapter 08
• Table Talk, Chapter 09
• Table Talk, Chapter 10
• Table Talk, Chapter 11
• Table Talk, Chapter 12
• Table Talk, Chapter 13
• Table Talk, Chapter 14
• Table Talk, Chapter 15
• Table Talk, Chapter 16
• Table Talk, Chapter 17
• Table Talk, Chapter 18
• Table Talk, Chapter 19
• Table Talk, Chapter 20
• Table Talk, Chapter 21
• Table Talk, Chapter 22
• Table Talk, Chapter 23
• Table Talk, Chapter 24
• Table Talk, Chapter 25
• Table Talk, Chapter 26
• Table Talk, Chapter 27
• Table Talk, Chapter 28
• Table Talk, Chapter 29
• Table Talk, Chapter 30
• Table Talk, Chapter 31
• Table Talk, Chapter 32
• Table Talk, Chapter 33
• Table Talk, Chapter 34
• Table Talk, Chapter 35
• Table Talk, Chapter 36
• Table Talk, Chapter 37
• Table Talk, Chapter 38
• Table Talk, Chapter 39
• Table Talk, Chapter 40
• Table Talk, Chapter 41
• Table Talk, Chapter 42