Martin Luther's 95 THESES

THE 95 THESES

Martin Luther – 31 October 1517

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1. When Jesus said “Repent,” He meant that the whole life of a believer should be repentance.

2. This repentance is not the sacrament of penance administered by priests.

3. True inner repentance produces outward change and mortification of the flesh.

4. Repentance does not remove guilt; that belongs to God alone.

5. The Pope cannot remit guilt except by declaring what God has already forgiven.

6. The Pope can forgive penalties imposed by the Church, not sin itself.

7. God forgives guilt apart from the Pope’s authority.

8. Penances imposed by priests are not to be despised, but they are not divine law.

9. What the Pope remits are penalties he or the Church has imposed.

10. The Church’s canons apply only to the living, not the dead.

11. Canon law does not apply after death.

12. Souls released from purgatory at the Pope’s intercession were already forgiven by God.

13. A dying person is released from all Church penalties because death cancels them.

14. Imperfect fear of punishment can be a sign of true repentance.

15. Such fear is not enough in itself, but it shows genuine inner movement toward God.

16. Purgatory seems to differ from hell only in that the suffering will eventually end.

17. Souls in purgatory grow in love, not in merit.

18. Souls cannot merit salvation anywhere — not on earth, not in purgatory.

19. Indulgences cannot help the dead, since they cannot perform works.

20. The Pope does not know whether all souls desire release from purgatory.

21. The Pope’s indulgences cannot assist the dead except through human intercession.

22. We must not build doctrines on visions and dreams.

23. The Pope’s authority is the same for the dead as for the living: none beyond Scripture.

24. The Church’s treasures are not indulgences.

25. Indulgences cannot be compared to God’s grace.

26. The true treasury of the Church is the Gospel of the glory and grace of God.

27. Those who say “As soon as the coin rings, the soul springs” preach man-made doctrine.

28. It is certain that when money clinks, greed grows — but the Church gains nothing.

29. Who knows whether souls are released at the very moment money is paid?

30. No one is sure of the authenticity of his own repentance — much less an indulgence.

31. True repentance seeks punishment for sin; indulgences attempt to escape it.

32. Those who believe indulgences absolve them are damned.

33. Those who preach indulgences are enemies of the cross.

34. Indulgences should be preached with caution.

35. Christians should be taught that buying indulgences is optional, not commanded.

36. Every truly repentant Christian has complete forgiveness without indulgences.

37. A true Christian shares equally in the blessings of Christ without indulgence letters.

38. Indulgences do not share in the remission provided by Christ.

39. Indulgences are good when they cause men to look less at wealth and more at God.

40. Indulgences become evil when they encourage moral laxity.

41. Bishops must scrutinize indulgence preaching very carefully.

42. Christians should not be threatened by indulgence preachers.

43. Gifts to the poor or to one’s family are better than buying indulgences.

44. He who gives to the poor does a better deed than he who buys an indulgence.

45. He who sees a needy person and neglects him to buy indulgences earns God’s anger.

46. Christians should buy necessities before indulgences.

47. Christians should give only what is left over after caring for their own families.

48. Christians must beware of indulgence preachers who exaggerate claims.

49. The Pope needs and desires faithful Christians — not money.

50. The Pope would rather see St. Peter’s Basilica burn than be built with the skin of the poor.

51. The Pope should distribute his own money, not the poor’s, to build churches.

52. Confidence in indulgences makes true repentance harder.

53. Indulgence preaching silences the Gospel.

54. Wrong is done when the Word of God is preached less than indulgences.

55. The Pope’s intention must not be misunderstood by indulgence sellers.

56. The riches of the Church should be used for the poor, not indulgence markets.

57. Church wealth should not be spent on pomp while the poor starve.

58. Indulgence preaching is inconsistent with the Pope’s true intentions.

59. The gospel nets fish; indulgences catch wealth.

60. Church treasures are nets for collecting men, not money.

61. The Gospel brings glory; indulgences bring shame.

62. The true treasure of the Church is the holy Gospel.

63. The Gospel is despised when indulgences are exalted.

64. The Gospel’s treasures are poor in appearance but rich in grace.

65. Indulgence treasures appear rich but are poor in spiritual value.

66. The treasures of indulgences attract the rich.

67. The treasures of the Gospel attract the poor.

68. Indulgences are the last things to be used in genuine pastoral care.

69. Indulgences are harmful if they make people neglect the Gospel.

70. A papal indulgence cannot compare with God’s grace.

71. Those who speak against papal indulgences should be heard.

72. Those who speak against the Pope’s true intention are cursed.

73. The Pope’s will must be followed — but not invented for profit.

74. Christians must pray for the Pope but not trust indulgence lies.

75. The Pope’s pardons cannot remove any guilt except what he has imposed.

76. Papal pardons cannot absolve blasphemy.

77. Not even St. Peter could release guilt before God.

78. Papal pardons can only be for penalties the Church has set.

79. Those who say the cross and indulgences are equal blaspheme Christ.

80. Bishops should shut down indulgence sellers who behave outrageously.

81. The Pope should publicly expose indulgence fraud.

82. Why doesn’t the Pope empty purgatory out of love, not out of money?

83. Why does the Pope permit indulgences for empty works?

84. What good does indulgence money do if the Pope already has vast wealth?

85. Why does the Pope grant indulgences only to those who pay?

86. The Pope should build churches with his own money, not the poor’s.

87. The indulgence sellers preach human ideas, not Christ’s.

88. The Church must answer serious questions about indulgence theology.

89. The laity are growing smarter — they see through indulgence fraud.

90. When the Gospel is preached, indulgence fraud collapses.

91. True Christians follow Christ through suffering, not indulgences.

92. Those who preach indulgences oppose Christ.

93. Christians should be exhorted to imitate Christ, not to trust indulgences.

94. Christians should be taught that entering heaven through affliction is normal.

95. Let Christians place their trust in Christ, not in indulgence sellers.

https://reasonabletheology.org/95-theses/