The Freedom of the Christian

By Martin Luther

The Freedom of the Christian was Martin Luther's first public defense of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith on account of Christ alone. Luther's explosive rediscovery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shattered the Church of Rome's foundation of works, which considered good works a part of salvation instead of a resul

• Language: English
• Publisher: 1517 Publishing
• Release date: Oct 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781948969475

Martin Luther

Martin Luther (1483–1546) was a German theologian and one of the most influential figures in the Protestant Reformation. Some of Luther’s best-known works are the Ninety-Five Theses, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” and his translation of the Bible into German. 

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The Freedom of the Christian

© 2020 New Reformation Publications

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at the address below.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Published by:

1517 Publishing

PO Box 54032

Irvine, CA 92619-4032

Publisher’s Cataloging-In-Publication Data

(Prepared by The Donohue Group, Inc.)

Names: Luther, Martin, 1483–1546, author. | Francisco, Adam, translator, editor.

Title: The freedom of the Christian / by Martin Luther ; translated and edited by Adam Francisco.

Other Titles: Tractatus de libertate Christiana. English

Description: Irvine, CA : 1517 Publishing, [2020] | What follows is an English translation of the German. It is not a word-for-word translation though. In a few places it has been slightly abridged, and in many places it follows the translation of Philip and Peter Krey in their collection of primary texts entitled Luther’s Spirituality (New York: Paulist Press, 2007)—Introduction. | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: ISBN 9781948969468 | ISBN 9781948969475 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Liberty—Religious aspects—Christianity.

Classification: LCC BR332.S6 L88 2020 (print) | LCC BR332.S6 (ebook) | DDC 233/.7—dc23

Cover art by Brenton Clarke Little

Contents

Introduction

Steve Byrnes and Adam Francisco

The Freedom of the Christian

Martin Luther

Free to Be What God Has Declared You Are!

Scott L. Keith

Conclusion

Adam Francisco

Introduction

Steve Byrnes and Adam Francisco

Imagine yourself a typesetter working in a print shop in Wittenberg in the year 1520. You are no longer an apprentice, and your foreman hands you an important assignment: to set the type for what will become a small booklet. You sit down to review the material at your typesetters’ desk and move the boxes of lead type that are sitting there out of the way. Who is this for? you wonder out loud. The writing of the manuscript is recognizable.

This is the great Martin Luther, the university professor and preacher and the most important customer of your shop. It could be said that you have your employment because of this man’s voluminous writing habit and popularity. Even with these things, you are suspicious, however, and harbor in your heart reservations about the new teachings of this rebel priest. Well, now you shall have to read something from him in order to properly set the type, letter by letter.

You come from devout peasant stock. You say prayers, but you’ve despaired of trying to understand the ways of God. Your Latin, although serviceable enough for your profession, is not good, and you don’t feel you have the acumen to figure it all out by reading the Vulgate yourself. That is best left to those above you, the priests and bishops and cardinals who know the ropes. Rome is a system, and heaven apparently likes bureaucracy. You rely on these wise guides to tell you what to do on

Reviews for The Freedom of the Christian

[jpsnow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The predominant points of the work itself concern the relationship between faith and works, using the verses concerning a tree and its fruit to make the point. This is a great work and should be a central source for any Christian theological debate. It also reflects the history of the church both by itself and in relation to the history of the spirit.