Brother Martin Luther, Master of Sacred Theology, will preside and Brother Leonhard
Beier, Master of Arts and Philosophy, will defend the following theses before the
Augustinians of this renowned city of Heidelberg in the customary place. In the
month of May, 1518.
Theological Theses
Distrusting completely our own wisdom, according to that counsel of the Holy Spirit,
"Do not rely on your own insight" [Prov. 3.5], we humbly present to the judgment of all
those who wish to be here these theological paradoxes, so that it may become clear
whether they have been deduced well or poorly from St. Paul, the especially chosen
vessel and instrument of Christ, and also from St. Augustine, his most trustworthy
interpreter.
1. The law of God, the most salutary doctrine of life, cannot advance man on his way
to righteousness, but rather hinders him. [Proof 1]
2. Much less can human works, which are done over and over again with the aid of
natural precepts, so to speak, lead to that end. [Proof 2]
3. Although the works of man always appear attractive and good, they are
nevertheless likely to be mortal sins. [Proof 3]
4. Although the works of God always seem unattractive and appear evil, they are
nevertheless really eternal merits. [Proof 4]
5. The works of men are thus not mortal sins (we speak of works which are apparently
good), as though they were crimes.
6. The works of God (we speak of those which he does through man) are thus not
merits, as though they were sinless.
7. The works of the righteous would be mortal sins if they would not be feared as
mortal sins by the righteous themselves out of pious fear of God.
8. By so much more are the works of man mortal sins when they are done without
fear and in unadulterated, evil self-security.
9. To say that works without Christ are dead, but not mortal, appears to constitute a
perilous surrender of the fear of God.
10. Indeed, it is very difficult to see how a work can be dead and at the same time not
a harmful and mortal sin.
11. Arrogance cannot be avoided or true hope be present unless the judgment of
condemnation is feared in every work.
12. In the sight of God sins are then truly venial when they are feared by men to be
mortal.
13. Free will, after the fall, exists in name only, and as long as it does what it is able to
do, it commits a mortal sin.
14. Free will, after the fall, has power to do good only in a passive capacity, but it can
do evil in an evil capacity.
15. Nor could the free will endure in a state of innocence, much less do good, in an
active capacity, but only in a passive capacity.
16. The person who believes that he can obtain grace by doing what is in him adds sin
to sin so that he becomes doubly guilty.
17. Nor does speaking in this manner give cause for despair, but for arousing the
desire to humble oneself and seek the grace of Christ.
18. It is certain that man must utterly despair of his own ability before he is prepared
to receive the grace of Christ.
19. That person does not deserve to be called a theologian who looks upon the
invisible things of God as though they were clearly perceptible in those things which
have actually happened [Rom. 1.20]. **
20. He deserves to be called a theologian, however, who comprehends the visible and
manifest things of God seen through suffering and the cross.
21. A theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theologian of the cross calls
the things what it actually is.
22. That wisdom which sees the invisible things of God in works as perceived by man
is completely puffed up, blinded and hardened.
23. The law brings the wrath of God, kills, reviles, accuses, judges, and condemns
everything that is not in Christ [Rom. 4.15].
24. Yet that wisdom is not of itself evil, nor is the law to be evaded; but without the
theology of the cross man misuses the best in the worst manner.
25. He is not righteous who does much, but he who, without work, believes much in
Christ.
26. The law says "Do this", and it is never done. Grace says, "believe in this" and
everything is already done.
27. Actually one should call the work of Christ an acting work and our work an
accomplished work, and thus an accomplished work pleasing to God by the grace of
the acting work.
28. The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it. The love of
man comes into being through that which is pleasing to it.
Philosophical Theses
29. He who wishes to philosophize by using Aristotle without danger to his soul must
first become thoroughly foolish in Christ.
30. Just as a person does not use the evil of passion well unless he is a married man,
so no person philosophizes well unless he is a fool, that is, a Christian.
31. It was easy for Aristotle to believe that the world was eternal since he believed
that the human soul was mortal.
32. After the proposition that there are as many material forms as there are created
things has been accepted, it was necessary to accept that they are all material.
33. Nothing in the world becomes something of necessity; nevertheless, that which
comes forth from matter, again by necessity, comes into being according to nature.
34. If Aristotle would have recognized the absolute power of God, he would
accordingly have maintained that it was impossible for matter to exist of itself alone.
35. According to Aristotle, nothing is infinite with respect to action, yet with respect to
power and matter, as many things as have been created are infinite.
36. Aristotle wrongly finds fault with and derides the ideas of Plato, which actually are
better than his own.
37. The mathematical order of material things is ingeniously maintained by
Pythagoras, but more ingenious is the interaction of ideas maintained by Plato.
38. The disputation of Aristotle lashes out at Parmenides’ idea of oneness (if a
Christian will pardon this) in a battle of air.
39. If Anaxagoras posited infinity as to form, as it seems he did, he was the best of the
philosophers, even if Aristotle was unwilling to acknowledge this.
40. To Aristotle, privation, matter, form, movable, immovable, impulse, power, etc.
seem to be the same.
Beier, Master of Arts and Philosophy, will defend the following theses before the
Augustinians of this renowned city of Heidelberg in the customary place. In the
month of May, 1518.
Theological Theses
Distrusting completely our own wisdom, according to that counsel of the Holy Spirit,
"Do not rely on your own insight" [Prov. 3.5], we humbly present to the judgment of all
those who wish to be here these theological paradoxes, so that it may become clear
whether they have been deduced well or poorly from St. Paul, the especially chosen
vessel and instrument of Christ, and also from St. Augustine, his most trustworthy
interpreter.
1. The law of God, the most salutary doctrine of life, cannot advance man on his way
to righteousness, but rather hinders him. [Proof 1]
2. Much less can human works, which are done over and over again with the aid of
natural precepts, so to speak, lead to that end. [Proof 2]
3. Although the works of man always appear attractive and good, they are
nevertheless likely to be mortal sins. [Proof 3]
4. Although the works of God always seem unattractive and appear evil, they are
nevertheless really eternal merits. [Proof 4]
5. The works of men are thus not mortal sins (we speak of works which are apparently
good), as though they were crimes.
6. The works of God (we speak of those which he does through man) are thus not
merits, as though they were sinless.
7. The works of the righteous would be mortal sins if they would not be feared as
mortal sins by the righteous themselves out of pious fear of God.
8. By so much more are the works of man mortal sins when they are done without
fear and in unadulterated, evil self-security.
9. To say that works without Christ are dead, but not mortal, appears to constitute a
perilous surrender of the fear of God.
10. Indeed, it is very difficult to see how a work can be dead and at the same time not
a harmful and mortal sin.
11. Arrogance cannot be avoided or true hope be present unless the judgment of
condemnation is feared in every work.
12. In the sight of God sins are then truly venial when they are feared by men to be
mortal.
13. Free will, after the fall, exists in name only, and as long as it does what it is able to
do, it commits a mortal sin.
14. Free will, after the fall, has power to do good only in a passive capacity, but it can
do evil in an evil capacity.
15. Nor could the free will endure in a state of innocence, much less do good, in an
active capacity, but only in a passive capacity.
16. The person who believes that he can obtain grace by doing what is in him adds sin
to sin so that he becomes doubly guilty.
17. Nor does speaking in this manner give cause for despair, but for arousing the
desire to humble oneself and seek the grace of Christ.
18. It is certain that man must utterly despair of his own ability before he is prepared
to receive the grace of Christ.
19. That person does not deserve to be called a theologian who looks upon the
invisible things of God as though they were clearly perceptible in those things which
have actually happened [Rom. 1.20]. **
20. He deserves to be called a theologian, however, who comprehends the visible and
manifest things of God seen through suffering and the cross.
21. A theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theologian of the cross calls
the things what it actually is.
22. That wisdom which sees the invisible things of God in works as perceived by man
is completely puffed up, blinded and hardened.
23. The law brings the wrath of God, kills, reviles, accuses, judges, and condemns
everything that is not in Christ [Rom. 4.15].
24. Yet that wisdom is not of itself evil, nor is the law to be evaded; but without the
theology of the cross man misuses the best in the worst manner.
25. He is not righteous who does much, but he who, without work, believes much in
Christ.
26. The law says "Do this", and it is never done. Grace says, "believe in this" and
everything is already done.
27. Actually one should call the work of Christ an acting work and our work an
accomplished work, and thus an accomplished work pleasing to God by the grace of
the acting work.
28. The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it. The love of
man comes into being through that which is pleasing to it.
Philosophical Theses
29. He who wishes to philosophize by using Aristotle without danger to his soul must
first become thoroughly foolish in Christ.
30. Just as a person does not use the evil of passion well unless he is a married man,
so no person philosophizes well unless he is a fool, that is, a Christian.
31. It was easy for Aristotle to believe that the world was eternal since he believed
that the human soul was mortal.
32. After the proposition that there are as many material forms as there are created
things has been accepted, it was necessary to accept that they are all material.
33. Nothing in the world becomes something of necessity; nevertheless, that which
comes forth from matter, again by necessity, comes into being according to nature.
34. If Aristotle would have recognized the absolute power of God, he would
accordingly have maintained that it was impossible for matter to exist of itself alone.
35. According to Aristotle, nothing is infinite with respect to action, yet with respect to
power and matter, as many things as have been created are infinite.
36. Aristotle wrongly finds fault with and derides the ideas of Plato, which actually are
better than his own.
37. The mathematical order of material things is ingeniously maintained by
Pythagoras, but more ingenious is the interaction of ideas maintained by Plato.
38. The disputation of Aristotle lashes out at Parmenides’ idea of oneness (if a
Christian will pardon this) in a battle of air.
39. If Anaxagoras posited infinity as to form, as it seems he did, he was the best of the
philosophers, even if Aristotle was unwilling to acknowledge this.
40. To Aristotle, privation, matter, form, movable, immovable, impulse, power, etc.
seem to be the same.
Heidelberg Disputation
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