Luther Thought Purgatory was an Open Question?

Beggars All Reformation and Aplogetics ^ | May 04, 2013 | James Swan

[boatbums]

Luther Thought Purgatory was an Open Question?

I came across this link posted on the Catholic Answers Forums: The Hope of Eternal Life. The link is ecumenical in nature, an attempt to smooth over the edges between Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism. This is the excerpt that was posted on CAF:

181. The most explicit discussion of purgatory in the Confessions comes in the 1537 Smalcald Articles, II, 2, which addressed the mass as sacrifice. Besides being itself a violation of the Gospel, the mass as sacrifice "has produced many noxious maggots and the excrement of various idolatries" (§11), the first of which is purgatory. Purgatory, "with all its pomp, requiem Masses, and transactions, is to be regarded as an apparition of the devil for it obscures the chief article..." (§12). Behind Luther's typically extreme language, however, a more nuanced understanding is elaborated. "Concerning the dead we have received neither command nor instruction. For these reasons, it may be best to abandon it [derhalben man es mocht wohl lassen], even if it were neither error nor idolatry" (§12). In a revised version of the article, Luther added a discussion of the authority of Augustine claimed for the doctrine. "When they have given up their purgatorial 'Mass fairs' (something Augustine never dreamed of), then we will discuss with them whether St. Augustine's word, lacking support from Scripture, may be tolerated and whether the dead may be commemorated at the sacrament. It will not do to formulate articles of faith on the basis of the holy Fathers' works or words" (§14f). The existence of purgatory is not dogmatically denied. Rather, 1) the existence of purgatory is not taught by Scripture and thus cannot be binding doctrine, and 2) belief in purgatory is now hopelessly bound up with unacceptable practices. A belief that could be discussed in principle is concretely objectionable because of its associations.

This excerpt is fascinating because it argues Luther believed:

-Purgatory isn't taught in Scripture, but yet may exist.
-Purgatory is only to be avoided because of its associations with "unacceptable practices."
-If these practices were removed, a proper discussion on purgatory could occur.

According to this article here is Luther's view of purgatory: "A belief that could be discussed in principle is concretely objectionable because of its associations." In other words, purgatory, for Luther, was an open question. Get rid of the abuses attached to it, and then it could be discussed.

In regard to the Smalcald Articles, LW states, "Under these circumstances the elector of Saxony instructed Luther in a letter of Dec. 11, 1536, to prepare a statement indicating the articles of faith in which concessions might be made for the sake of peace and the articles in which no concessions could be made."

Here are the two statements from the Smalcald Articles alluded to above. Read them for yourself and see if Luther is willing to make a concession on purgatory for the sake of peace:

Luther states in Article 12:

12 The first is purgatory. They were so occupied with requiem Masses, with vigils, with the weekly, monthly, and yearly celebrations of requiems, with the common week, with All Souls’ Day, and with soul-baths that the Mass was used almost exclusively for the dead although Christ instituted the sacrament for the living alone. Consequently purgatory and all the pomp, services, and business transactions associated with it are to be regarded as nothing else than illusions of the devil, for purgatory, too, is contrary to the fundamental article that Christ alone, and not the work of man, can help souls. Besides, nothing has been commanded or enjoined upon us with reference to the dead. All this may consequently be discarded, apart entirely from the fact that it is error and idolatry.

Luther states in Article 13:

13 The papists here adduce passages from Augustine and some of the Fathers who are said to have written about purgatory. They suppose that we do not understand for what purpose and to what end the authors wrote these passages. St. Augustine (tr-467) does not write that there is a purgatory, nor does he cite any passage of the Scriptures that would constrain him to adopt such an opinion. He leaves it undecided whether or not there is a purgatory and merely mentions that his mother asked that she be remembered at the altar or sacrament. Now, this is nothing but a human opinion of certain individuals and cannot establish an article of faith. That is the prerogative of God alone. 14 But our papists make use of such human opinions to make men believe their shameful, blasphemous, accursed traffic in Masses which are offered for souls in purgatory, etc. They can never demonstrate these things from Augustine. Only when they have abolished their traffic in purgatorial Masses (which St. Augustine never dreamed of) shall we be ready to discuss with them whether statements of St. Augustine are to be accepted when they are without the support of the Scriptures and whether the dead are to be commemorated in the sacrament. 15 It will not do to make articles of faith out of the holy Fathers’ words or works. Otherwise what they ate, how they dressed, and what kind of houses they lived in would have to become articles of faith — as has happened in the case of relics. This means that the Word of God shall establish articles of faith and no one else, not even an angel.

The reading given to these statements by The Hope of Eternal Life downplays the first explicit rejection of purgatory, and sees the real Luther in his willingness to discuss what Augustine meant when "purgatorial masses" are abolished. The problem as I see it, is this reading of the Smalcald Articles isolates these statements from Luther's total written corpus, particularly any writings after the Smalcald Articles.

For instance, in his later sermons on Genesis, Luther states something with similar characteristics to the Smalcald articles. Note particularly the reference to Augustine:

The pope invents four separate places for the dead.The first is the hell of the damned. The second is purgatory, and Thomas Aquinas says that hell is the middle point, so to speak. It is surrounded by purgatory. But around this there is a third circle. It is for unbaptized infants. The fourth circle is the limbo of the fathers. Here the godly dwelt before the resurrection of Christ. These are nothing but dreams and human inventions. Peter and Paul state clearly that the demons move about in the air. With regard to what Paul says see Eph. 2:2, and in 2 Peter 2:4 it is stated that “God did not spare the angels when they sinned but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the judgment.” With these statements I rest content, and I do not inquire into things higher than those handed down by the apostles. Of purgatory there is no mention in Holy Scripture; it is a lie of the devil, in order that the papists may have some market days and snares for catching money. The sophists agree with the pope because of Thomas. But Thomas does not concern us. Augustine makes mention of purgatory somewhere, but he speaks very obscurely. Therefore I do not believe that those four separate classes really exist; for Scripture does not speak this way but testifies that the dead saints are gathered to their people, or to those who believe in the Messiah and awaited His coming, just as Adam, together with all his descendants, died in faith in Christ. But how these saints are kept in definite places, we do not know. [Luther, M. (1999, c1966). Vol. 8: Luther's works, vol. 8 : Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 45-50 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (8:316). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House].

Here again Luther explicitly denies purgatory, then mentions the obscurity of Augustine. He then goes on to deny that "four separate classes really exist." In the same volume, Luther refers to "Masses, purgatory, indulgences, and prayers to the dead" as false forms of worship (LW 8:230). Elsewhere in Luther's lectures on Genesis he states,

[P]urgatory is the greatest falsehood, because it is based on ungodliness and unbelief; for they deny that faith saves, and they maintain that satisfaction for sins is the cause of salvation. Therefore he who is in purgatory is in hell itself; for these are his thoughts: “I am a sinner and must render satisfaction for my sins; therefore I shall make a will and shall bequeath a definite amount of money for building churches and for buying prayers and sacrifices for the dead by the monks and priests.” Such people die in a faith in works and have no knowledge of Christ. Indeed, they hate Him. We die in faith in Christ, who died for our sins and rendered satisfaction for us. He is my Bosom, my Paradise, my Comfort, and my Hope. [Luther, M. (1999, c1964). Vol. 4: Luther's works, vol. 4 : Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 21-25 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (4:315). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House].

And here:

The third sphere is that of purgatory, into which neither the damned nor infants enter; it is for those who, while they believe, yet have not rendered satisfaction for their sins. The souls of these are ransomed by means of indulgences. From this source comes the hogwash of indulgences and the entire papistic religion.The fourth place is the limbo of the fathers. They say that Christ descended to this place, broke it open, and set free—not from hell but from the limbo—the fathers who were troubled by the longing and waiting for Christ but were not enduring punishment or torments. With these silly ideas the papists have filled the church and the world. We have overturned all this completely and maintain that unbaptized infants do not have such a sphere. But in what state they are or what becomes of them we commend to the goodness of God. They do not have faith or Baptism; but whether God receives them in an extraordinary manner and gives them faith is not stated in the Word, and we dare not set down anything as certain. To be deprived of the vision of God is hell itself. They admit that they have will and intellect, especially concerning the vision of God and life; but these are falsehoods. And purgatory is the greatest falsehood, because it is based on ungodliness and unbelief; for they deny that faith saves, and they maintain that satisfaction for sins is the cause of salvation. Therefore he who is in purgatory is in hell itself; for these are his thoughts: “I am a sinner and must render satisfaction for my sins; therefore I shall make a will and shall bequeath a definite amount of money for building churches and for buying prayers and sacrifices for the dead by the monks and priests.” Such people die in a faith in works and have no knowledge of Christ. Indeed, they hate Him. We die in faith in Christ, who died for our sins and rendered satisfaction for us. He is my Bosom, my Paradise, my Comfort, and my Hope. [Luther, M. (1999, c1964). Vol. 4: Luther's works, vol. 4 : Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 21-25 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (4:315). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House].

Comments from Luther similar to these could be greatly multiplied, which is why some Lutherans see any affirmation that Luther held purgatory was an "open question" as a lie of the Devil.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I do not have time to educate you, unfortunately. I have a long drive today and quite a bit of work.

I do wish you well and do hope you come to saving faith in Christ.

[Cronos]

The thing is that you need to educate yourself. I wish you well and hope you realize that Christ's sacrifice is working in you and that Christ has never left His Church - He promised and He keeps His promise

May God bring you back to Him

[aMorePerfectUnion]

The thing is that you need to educate yourself. I wish you well and hope you realize that Christ's sacrifice is working in you and that Christ has never left His Church - He promised and He keeps His promise May God bring you back to Him

FRiend, now you are silly.

Christ's sacrifice saved me, keeps me, sanctifies me, places me seated with Him in the heavenlies, and His Life expresses itself through me as I orbit the sun.

He lives inside the believer and cannot be closer, consequently, no believer needs to be "brought back."

I do agree that Christ never left His church, but I don't believe His church is Rome.

That's an old pope's tale, not found in Scripture.

[xone]

Nice try, a Christian Lutheran. Luther didn’t ‘follow’ Luther, he followed Christ.

[Jack Black]

The advances in art were quite significant. Realistic perspective, both single and double vanishing point, naturalistic depiction of human form, recovery of knowledge of ancient sculpture, first large dome raised in the west since Antiquity.

[HiTech RedNeck]

God’s blessings on Jews often provoked jealousy. That’s it in a nutshell. When burning with jealousy, it’s easy to come to grandiose accusations.

[Jack Black]

Thank you for your two thoughtful and informative postings addressed to me (and others). Lots of interesting information in them.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Christian walks do vary in this life, and it’s possible for some to be closer to the Lord (in some senses) than other Christian walks.

If all the various earthly Christian churches would emphasize people getting closer to the Lord within their own walls, they might start to find ways to get closer to each other, too. A local church body can be “orthodox” (by tradition or by bible) and yet have a few, many, or most of its parishioners taking little benefit from the orthodoxy. It’s a problem in all the wings of Christendom.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The Eastern Orthodox Church holds that it is necessary to believe in this intermediate after-death state in which souls are perfected and brought to full divinization, a process of growth rather than of punishment, which some Orthodox have called purgatory

I've seen various references to "periods of adjustment" in Protestant theology too. The idea isn't that of paying for a guilt (which only Christ can do) but of continuing to grow in grace -- in the presence of the Lord. Coming to final repudiation of all one's past sinfulness would be part of it, which is brief. As I grow older and sin less, yet ironically I see my remaining sin better and better, and then part with it better and better. Some of that sin is in self agonizing doubts that the Lord could or would show sufficient mercy, like He would say "well, you didn't get perfect on earth, so I'm going to send you to the eternal scrap heap." What kind of hope could be based on THAT? But then when I go to relief of the everlasting arms, it seems strange at first. Until I realize that it's just a place to rest, not a place to carry on.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

We agree as far as you went.

[Cronos]

The idea isn't that of paying for a guilt (which only Christ can do) but of continuing to grow in grace -- in the presence of the Lord.

and that is the concept of purgatory - part of the purification process.

like He would say "well, you didn't get perfect on earth, so I'm going to send you to the eternal scrap heap." - but He won't. He will purify you. You can't save yourself, but you must be completely sinless in heaven, so god purifies you.

[Cronos]

No, it is not that simple. Not that simple

Jews lived in Cochin, India for 2500 years and no pogroms, no attacks by local Hindus. Nothing

The Early and High Middle ages (until the 11th century) saw few Jewish persecutions compared to post the Black Death.

[Cronos]

And yet you deny God's love by saying He would not keep His promise. So I say, may God bring you back to Him and to His Church.

I wish I could educate you more and do hope you come to Christ.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“And yet you deny God’s love by saying He would not keep His promise.

I did not.

God always keeps His promises.

[Cronos]

You can see in History how Church divisions over words has ended up causing misery.

As I said above, the Oriental Christians were persecuted by the orthodox-catholic Melkites and they (along with persecuted Jews) supported the Arabs in their conquest of Christian Egypt and Syria

I weep when I think of that - Egypt was the center of Christian thought until the 8th century; North African Berbers included St Augustine and Tertullian among their number etc.

All doomed by christian division.

Ditto for the fall of Constantinople -- the Constantinople people first massacred the Latins, then got the Venetians to sponsor the fourth crusade to destroy Constantinople, leaving it weakend for Ottoman invasion

Then in the seige of Vienna, Protestant Calvinist Hungarians fought on the side of the Ottomans against Catholic Hungarians and the Hapsburgs - due to intra-Christian animosity

And in 1850s - Russia would have got Constantinople back, but England and France (Catholic and Protestant) allied with the Turks.

horrifying

And we do it today when we do not support the Christians in Iraq or in Syria.

[af_vet_1981]

I do agree that Christ never left His church, but I don't believe His church is Rome.

That's an old pope's tale, not found in Scripture.

His church in Rome is certainly found in Scripture, whose faith was spoken of throughout the whole world; one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Romans, Catholic chapter one, Protestant verses one to eight,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[Cronos]

Note - we don't consider Purgatory to be a place like Sheol was. it's not a place, not a time, but the culmination of the process of purification.

Before entering heaven you are with sin. In heaven you are sinless. You are washed free of your sin by the blood of the Christ. That is purification. Purgatory is the final striping away of every vestige of sin before you enter heaven

[Cronos]

Undisputed books - the book of the Apocalypse was disputed. Would you consider it to be also one not to be referred

Also, on what basis do you consider anything outside the Gospels or the first Pauline letters to be scripture? Seriously? What's your basis for calling say the book of the Apocalypse as scripture?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Yes, there was a church in Rome - a real one, back then.

[af_vet_1981]

Yes, there was a church in Rome - a real one, back then.

Yes, part of one holy catholic and apostolic Church

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew, Catholic chapter sixteen, Protestant verses eighteen to nineteen
as authorized, but not authored, by King James