Luther's Ninety-Five Theses
Luther's theses about indulgences become a catalyst for reform debates in the Western Church.
People
- Martin Luther
Primary sources
Luther writes:
Thesis 43 contrasts care for the poor with buying indulgences, giving a concrete example of Luther's reform argument.
Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons
Passage context and translation
Luther compares charitable works with purchasing indulgences. Neighboring theses criticize abuses but also retain roles for papal pardons. This is evidence for the content of his 1517 dispute; it does not by itself prove the later history of the Reformation or the disputed account of posting the theses on a church door.
Before the excerpt
the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy
After the excerpt
Because love grows by works of love