Luther Doubted Baptists and Sacramentarians Were Christians
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

The following are quotations from Luther's 8-volume Genesis Commentary (American Edition of Luther's Works published by Fortress Press and Concording Publishing House) where he questions the salvation of Anabaptists, today's Baptists, and Sacramentarians, those who reject the physical presence of Christ's Body and Blood in the Lord's Supper for the forgiveness of sins.

"Thus the Anabaptists, the Sacramentarians, and the papists are all idolaters-not because they worship stones and pieces of wood, but because they give up the Word and worship their own thoughts." LW1:149

"Nevertheless, I do not deny that even after Methuselah's death Noah heard God speaking. God speaks with men in a twofold way: in the first place and ordinarily, through the public ministry, that is, through parents and the teachers of the church; in the second place, through inner revelation or through the Holy Spirit. This latter method, however, He is wont to employ only in special situations and very rarely. It is profitable to be aware of this, so that we may not emulate the fanatics, who disregard the Word and expect new revelations. It is this idea that gives rise to the misguided spirits who later on bring confusion to the world by their dreams, as the example of the Anabaptists proves.' LW2:83

"All the fanatical spirits follow this procedure of Satan. Thus Arius raises the question: "Do you believe that Christ is God, inasmuch as He clearly states (John 14:28): The Father is greater than I'?" Likewise the Sacramentarians: "Do you believe that the bread is the body of Christ, and the wine the blood of Christ?" LW1:152

"We have Christ's clear word about the Lord's Supper, where He says concerning the bread: "This is My body which is given for you," and concerning the cup: "This is the cup of the New Testament in My blood." Therefore when the fanatics depart from faith in these words and discuss how these things can be so, they gradually get to the point where they simply deny this word of Christ and attack it, just as happened to Eve in this passage." LW1:157

"Moreover, by his addition-"And the earth was filled with violence"-he indicates that this is the unvarying sequence of events: after the Word has been lost, and faith has ceased to exist, and tradition and (Greek text), as Paul calls them (Col. 2:23), flourish in place of the true forms of worship, acts of violence and a shameful life follow." LW2:59-60

"Thus at the beginning of the restoration of the Gospel,32 Münzer, Carlstadt, and the Sacramentarians arose. They abandoned the Gospel, which had been given through the Holy Spirit from heaven, and were on the lookout for extraordinary illuminations. Some arrived at such a degree of folly that they boasted of hearing the voice of God speaking in heaven." LW4:125

'If your dream differs from what the Word itself states, you must remember that it is false and vain. But this dream of Jacob is in very beautiful agreement with the divine Word which he hears being sent down from heaven: "I am the Lord, etc." Therefore the godless err in their interpretation and understanding of dreams, just as they talk nonsense when they explain signs and prodigies; for they neither observe nor have the Word. This is what happened to the Anabaptists at Münster, who had seen a bow in the clouds and next to it a bloody hand." LW5:239

"But it is very troublesome that my wisdom is only passive and that I am ordered to mortify and kill it. Indeed, on this account many have fallen horribly, since they could not bear this mortification. Thus the Sacramentarians teach God most prettily: "How could Christ's body be in the bread and wine when Christ has ascended into heaven?" For they think as follows: "Because I cannot comprehend the presence of the body and blood in the Lord's Supper, I shall prescribe to God some way in which He can be present." LW7:104

"But one of these days it will be evident what our heretics and fanatics will dare. For today both the Anabaptists and the Sacramentarians despise the Word and neglect the doctrine of faith. Meanwhile they manifest the greatest show of devotion and respectability. I hear that there is very strict discipline among the Swiss.35 They do not play, do not gormandize, and do not give themselves up to luxury in clothing, in feasts, etc. This is their religion, and they are proud of it. They boast that they excel us by far. But where is the Word? "The body of Christ," they say, "is in heaven; but the bread is bread, and the wine is wine." They believe nothing but have fallen away from the Word and faith." LW8:133

"Thus we-not only when we pray, but also when we baptize, absolve, have been absolved, and go to the Lord's Supper, yes, even at the reading of the promises or the text of the Gospel-should bend our knees or at least stand as a sign of our adoration or reverence and gratitude. Accordingly, even if nothing else were offered in the Lord's Supper than bread and wine, as the Sacramentarians blasphemously assert, nevertheless the promise and God's Word are there, and the Holy Spirit works through the Word at the Supper. For this reason we should approach it with reverence. But how much more fitting it is for this to be done when we believe that the true body and the true blood are present with the Word! " LW8:144


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

February 16, 2002