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The 95 Theses of Martin Luther (1517)

Dennis Bratcher, ed.

Original Latin   English Translation

Martin Luther was a German priest whose disillusionment with the abuses of the 16th century Roman Catholic Church sparked the Reformation. He was born in 1483. At the encouragement of his father, he was determined to become a lawyer. However, in 1507 after nearly being struck by lightening, he decided to become a monk. He entered a monastery in 1505 and was ordained a priest in 1507. Luther was assigned to teach at the University of Wittenberg in 1508, where he would spend his entire career. Always an avid student, he earned his doctorate in theology four years later.

In 1510 he visited Rome and was appalled by the behavior of church officials and the sale of indulgences. In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the remission of the physical and temporal punishment for sins that is endured in Purgatory after death, even though the legal guilt has been pardoned by absolution. In Luther’s era, indulgences were being sold by the Church to raise money for refurbishing the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. The slogan attributed to the Dominican friar Johann Tetzel epitomized the sale of indulgences: "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs." (see Thesis 27).

In light of his discouragement with the Church, as Luther studied and lectured on Psalms, Hebrews, and Romans he came to new insights about repentance, salvation, and the role of faith. Especially from his study of Romans, he began to understand that salvation is a gift of God by grace through Christ received by faith alone (sola fide). He also came to believe that there should be a clear distinction between "law," obedience and salvation by obedience to the will of God by law, and "gospel," forgiveness of sins and salvation based on the sacrificial death of Jesus.

In 1517 Luther, informed by his growing belief that salvation is by faith alone, presented his concerns to Church officials in the form of ninety-five theses, a series of statements that presented a logical argument against the sale of indulgences. An account arose later that he nailed the theses to the door of the castle church at Wittenberg as an act of defiance. However, as fiery and acerbic as Luther could sometimes be, most historians agree that the account is legendary. Historical research suggests that he sent a letter along with the 95 theses, which included an invitation to discuss the issues openly, to Archbishop Albert of Mainz.

Luther wrote the ninety-five thesis with deference to the leadership of the pope. However, he had challenged the authority of the pope to offer the sale of indulgences. In a charged political climate, it was seen by some as an attack on the papacy and therefore on the Church. Luther was summoned to Rome to answer charges of heresy. Luther did not respond to the summons, which led to an escalating controversy between Luther and those who defended the absolute authority of the papacy. Luther continued writing about salvation by faith alone as well as other reforms that he saw needed to occur in the church. As a result, the rift between Luther and those who wanted to defend the authority of the papacy, as well as to protect the lucrative source of income from the sale of indulgences, fueled a growing controversy.

Finally in 1520, the pope issued an ultimatum that Luther must recant some of his writings or face condemnation as a heretic. Luther responded with typical bluntness that "the die is cast," that he sought no reconciliation with Rome, and called the decisions of the pope a "swamp of heresies." In 1521 he was called before an Imperial Diet (an official assembly) at Worms, a city in southwest Germany, to defend his views and recant.  Luther refused and as a result was excommunicated as a heretic and the Edict of Worms issued by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the urging of Church officials banned his writings and in effect called for his execution. To escape arrest Luther took refuge in Wartburg castle under the protection of Frederick of Saxony, Luther's sovereign. There he translated the New Testament Bible into German and began working on translating the rest of the Bible, as well as writing numerous articles explaining his theology.

Because of ongoing political and religious turmoil in Germany, the Edict of Worms was never enforced.  Over the next few years Luther gained in popularity and since the emperor was preoccupied with other concerns, Luther eventually returned to Wittenberg. He was instrumental in reforming church worship as well as laying the groundwork for the Reformation, which essentially rejected the authority of the Pope and canon law, which is the accumulated body of laws, rules, regulations, and traditional dogmas that governed the practices of the Church. Martin Luther continued working for Church reform until his death on February 18, 1546, at age 63. -Dennis Bratcher

The English translation is adapted from Works of Martin Luther, ed. and trans. by Adolph Spaeth, et al., A. J. Holman Company, 1915, Vol. 1, pp. 29-38.

The 95 Theses of Martin Luther

Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the power and efficacy of Indulgences

October 31, 1517

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and duly appointed Lecturer on these subjects at that place. He requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.

In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said "Repent", willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.


3. Yet it does not mean inward repentance only; for there is no inward repentance that does not produce outwardly various mortifications of the flesh.


5. The pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of canon law.


7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His representative, the priest.

8. The penitential canons apply only to the living, and, according to them, none applies to the dead.

9. Therefore the Holy Spirit acting in the person of the pope manifests grace to us, because in his [the pope’s] decrees he always excludes the dead and cases of hardship.





14. The imperfect piety and love of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.

15. This fear and horror is sufficient in itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.

16. There seems to be the same difference between hell, purgatory, and heaven as there are between despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.

17. The horror of souls in purgatory should grow less and love ought to increase.

18. It seems unproven, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.

19. Again, it seems unproven that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own salvation, though we may be quite certain of it.


21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty and saved are in error;

22. Indeed he cannot pass on to souls in purgatory any penalty which canon law declares should be paid in this life.

23. If it is at all possible to grant to anyone the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission could be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to very few.

24. Therefore it must be the case that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty.

25. The power which the pope has, in general, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in particular, within his own diocese or parish.


27. There is no divine authority for preaching that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].



[*This legend tells of two saints who were willing to remain in torment in purgatory to suffer for others.]






35. It is not according to Christian doctrine to preach and teach that contrition is not necessary for those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessional licenses.



38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for as I have said, they are the declaration of divine remission.

39. It is most difficult, even for the very best theologians, to commend to the people the abundance of pardons while at the same time encouraging true contrition.

40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but generous pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].

41. Papal pardons should be preached with caution, lest people falsely think they are preferable to other good works of love.

42. Christians should be taught that the pope does not intend the purchase of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.

43. Christians should be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;

44. Because love grows by works of love, and a man becomes a better man; but by pardons he does not grow better, only escapes penalty.

45. Christians should be taught that he who sees a person in need, and passes him by, and then purchases pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

46. Christians should be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep what is necessary for their own families, and should by no means squander it on pardons.

47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a voluntary matter, and not a legal requirement.

48. Christians should be taught that in granting pardons the pope needs and desires their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring.

49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are useful only if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if they lose their fear of God because of them.

50. Christians should be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church be reduced to ashes than be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians should be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money.

52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is useless, even though the commissary, or indeed even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.

53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who forbid the Word of God to be preached at all in some Churches, in order that pardons may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done the word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this word.


56. The "treasures of the Church," out of which the pope grants indulgences, are not sufficiently spoken of or known among the people of Christ.

57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident, for many of the vendors do not grant such treasures freely, but only collect them.


59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the Church's poor, but he used the term in accordance with the custom of his own time.

60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church are that treasure, given by Christ's merit;

61. For it is clear that the power of the pope is of itself sufficient for the remission of penalties and of reserved cases,




65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they formerly desired to fish for men of wealth.

66. Now, the treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they fish for the wealth of men.

67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the "greatest graces" are in fact truly such only when they promote financial gain.


69. Bishops and curates are bound to receive the commissaries of papal pardons, with all reverence.

70. But they are under greater obligation to watch closely and listen carefully lest these men preach their own imaginings instead of the commission of the pope.

71. He who speaks against the validity of apostolic pardons, let him be anathema and accursed!


73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any means, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.


75. It is folly to think that the papal pardons are so powerful that they could absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and violated the Mother of God.





80. The bishops, curates and theologians who permit such assertions to be spread among the people will be held accountable for it.

81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it difficult even for learned men to defend the respect due the pope from false accusations, or even from the astute criticisms of the laity;

82. For example: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he can redeem an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."

83. Again: -- "Why do funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continue to be said? Why does the pope not return or permit the repayment of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it is wrong to pray for those now redeemed?"

84. Again: -- "What is this new piety of God and the pope, that for money they allow an impious man who is their enemy to buy out of purgatory the devout soul of a friend of God, when they do not allow that pious and beloved soul to be redeemed without payment for pure love's sake or because of its need of redemption?"

85. Again: -- "Why are the penitential canon laws long, which in actual fact and practice are long obsolete and dead, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were still alive and in effect?"

86. Again: -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealthiest of the wealthy, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"

87. Again: -- "What is it that the pope dispenses to people, and what participation does he grant, to those who have a right to full remission and participation because of their perfect repentance?"

88. Again: -- "What greater blessing could come to the Church than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now does only once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and participations?"

89. "Since the pope seeks the salvation of souls rather than money by his pardons, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons granted before now, since these have equal efficacy?"


91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; indeed, they would cease to exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," where there is no peace!

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "the cross, the cross," where there is no cross!



The 95 Theses of Martin Luther

Original Latin Version


Disputatio pro Declaratione Virtutis Indulgentiarum.

D. Martin Luthers



























27. Hominem predicant, qui statim ut iactus nummus in cistam tinnierit evolare dicunt animam.



30. Nullus securus est de veritate sue contritionis, multominus de consecutione plenarie remissionis.

31. Quam rarus est vere penitens, tam rarus est vere indulgentias redimens, i. e. rarissimus.

32. Damnabuntur ineternum cum suis magistris, qui per literas veniarum securos sese credunt de sua salute.

33. Cavendi sunt nimis, qui dicunt venias illas Pape donum esse illud dei inestimabile, quo reconciliatur homo deo.

34. Gratie enim ille veniales tantum respiciunt penas satisfactionis sacramentalis ab homine constitutas.

35. Non christiana predicant, qui docent, quod redempturis animas vel confessionalia non sit necessaria contritio.

36. Quilibet christianus vere compunctus habet remissionem plenariam a pena et culpa etiam sine literis veniarum sibi debitam.


38. Remissio tamen et participatio Pape nullo modo est contemnenda, quia (ut dixi) est declaratio remissionis divine.

39. Difficillimum est etiam doctissimis Theologis simul extollere veniarum largitatem et contritionis veritatem coram populo.

40. Contritionis veritas penas querit et amat, Veniarum autem largitas relaxat et odisse facit, saltem occasione.

41. Caute sunt venie apostolice predicande, ne populus false intelligat eas preferri ceteris bonis operibus charitatis.

42. Docendi sunt christiani, quod Pape mens non est, redemptionem veniarum ulla ex parte comparandam esse operibus misericordie.

43. Docendi sunt christiani, quod dans pauperi aut mutuans egenti melius facit quam si venias redimereet.



46. Docendi sunt christiani, quod nisi superfluis abundent necessaria tenentur domui sue retinere et nequaquam propter venias effundere.

47. Docendi sunt christiani, quod redemptio veniarum est libera, non precepta.






53. Hostes Christi et Pape sunt ii, qui propter venias predicandas verbum dei in aliis ecclesiis penitus silere iubent.

54. Iniuria fit verbo dei, dum in eodem sermone equale vel longius tempus impenditur veniis quam illi.


56. Thesauri ecclesie, unde Pape dat indulgentias, neque satis nominati sunt neque cogniti apud populum Christi.

57. Temporales certe non esse patet, quod non tam facile eos profundunt, sed tantummodo colligunt multi concionatorum.


59. Thesauros ecclesie s. Laurentius dixit esse pauperes ecclesie, sed locutus est usu vocabuli suo tempore.

60. Sine temeritate dicimus claves ecclesie (merito Christi donatas) esse thesaurum istum.

61. Clarum est enim, quod ad remissionem penarum et casuum sola sufficit potestas Pape.

62. Verus thesaurus ecclesie est sacrosanctum euangelium glorie et gratie dei.

63. Hic autem est merito odiosissimus, quia ex primis facit novissimos.

64. Thesaurus autem indulgentiarum merito est gratissimus, quia ex novissimis facit primos.

65. Igitur thesauri Euangelici rhetia sunt, quibus olim piscabantur viros divitiarum.

66. Thesauri indulgentiarum rhetia sunt, quibus nunc piscantur divitias virorum.

67. Indulgentie, quas concionatores vociferantur maximas gratias, intelliguntur vere tales quoad questum promovendum.

68. Sunt tamen re vera minime ad gratiam dei et crucis pietatem comparate.

69. Tenentur Episcopi et Curati veniarum apostolicarum Commissarios cum omni reverentia admittere.

70. Sed magis tenentur omnibus oculis intendere, omnibus auribus advertere, ne pro commissione Pape sua illi somnia predicent.

71. Contra veniarum apostolicarum veritatem qui loquitur, sit ille anathema et maledictus.

72. Qui vero, contra libidinem ac licentiam verborum Concionatoris veniarum curam agit, sit ille benedictus.

73. Sicut Papa iuste fulminat eos, qui in fraudem negocii veniarum quacunque arte machinantur,

74. Multomagnis fulminare intendit eos, qui per veniarum pretextum in fraudem sancte charitatis et veritatis machinantur,


76. Dicimus contra, quod venie papales nec minimum venialium peccatorum tollere possint quo ad culpam.



79. Dicere, Crucem armis papalibus insigniter erectam cruci Christi equivalere, blasphemia est.

80. Rationem reddent Episcopi, Curati et Theologi, Qui tales sermones in populum licere sinunt.







87. Item. Quid remittit aut participat Papa iis, qui per contritionem perfectam ius habent plenarie remissionis et participationis?




91. Si ergo venie secundum spiritum et mentem Pape predicarentur, facile illa omnia solverentur, immo non essent.

92. Valeant itaque omnes illi prophete, qui dicunt populo Christi 'Pax pax,' et non est pax.

93. Bene agant omnes illi prophete, qui dicunt populo Christi 'Crux crux,' et non est crux.

94. Exhortandi sunt Christiani, ut caput suum Christum per penas, mortes infernosque sequi studeant,

95. Ac sic magis per multas tribulationes intrare celum quam per securitatem pacis confidant.


-Dennis Bratcher, ed. Copyright © 2013, Dennis Bratcher, All Rights Reserved
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