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	<title>Georg Walch &#8211; Conrad Askland</title>
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		<title>Martin Luther &#8211; Let Your Sins Be Strong</title>
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				<category><![CDATA[Witches! the Musical]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[August 1]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Interdiction]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[Is it true that Martin Luther of the Reformation said &#8220;Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong.&#8221; Yes, it is. But the second half of that sentence was &#8220;but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world.&#8221; Here is that [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is it true that Martin Luther of the Reformation said &#8220;Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong.&#8221; Yes, it is. But the second half of that sentence was &#8220;but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world.&#8221;</p>
<p>Here is that passage in it&#8217;s original context; a letter from Luther to Melanchthon on August 1, 1521. If you like you can scroll directly to number paragraph thirteen for the complete passage.</p>
<p>This is also the letter where Martin Luther expresses his favor for allowing monks to marry.</p>
<p><span id="more-3574"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Let Your Sins Be Strong:</strong><br />
A Letter From Luther to Melanchthon<br />
Letter no. 99, 1 August 1521, From the Wartburg<br />
(Segment)<br />
Translated by<br />
Erika Bullmann Flores<br />
from: _Dr. Martin Luther&#8217;s Saemmtliche Schriften_<br />
Dr, Johannes Georg Walch, Ed.<br />
(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, N.D.),<br />
Vol. 15,cols. 2585-2590.</p>
<p>Of course, you can only know and absolve those sins which have been<br />
confessed to you; sins which have not been confessed to you, you<br />
neither need to know nor can you absolve them. That is reaching too<br />
high, dear gentlemen.&#8221;</p>
<p>You cannot convince me that the same is true for the vows made by<br />
priests and monks.Â  For I am very concerned about the fact that the<br />
order of priesthood was instituted by God as a free one. Not so that<br />
of the monks who chose their position voluntarily, even though I have<br />
almost come to the conclusion that those who have entered into that<br />
state at an age prior to their manhood, or are currently at that<br />
stage, may secede with a clear conscience. I am hesitant, however,<br />
with a judgment about those who have been in this state for a long<br />
time and have grown old in it.</p>
<p>2. By the way, St. Paul very freely speaks about the priests (1.Tim:<br />
4, ff), that devils have forbidden them to marry; and St. Paul&#8217;s<br />
voice is the voice of the divine majesty. Therefore, I do not doubt<br />
that they must depend on him to such a degree that even though they<br />
agreed to this interdiction of the devil at the time, now&#8211;having<br />
realized with whom they made their contract&#8211;they can cheerfully<br />
break this contract.</p>
<p>3. This interdiction by the devil, which is clearly shown by God&#8217;s<br />
Word, urges and compels me to sanction the actions of the Bishop of<br />
Kemberg. For God does not lie nor deceive when He says that this is<br />
an interdiction from the devil.Â  If a contract has been made with the<br />
devil it must not endure since it was made in godless error against<br />
God and was damned and repudiated by God.Â  For He says very clearly<br />
(1. Tim. 4:1 Vulg.) that those spirits are in error who are the<br />
originators of the interdictions.</p>
<p>4. Why do you hesitate to join this divine judgment against the gates<br />
of hell? That is not how it was with the oath of the children of<br />
Israel which they gave to the Gibeons.Â  They had it in their laws<br />
that they must offer peace or accept peace offered to them, and<br />
accept into their midst proselytes and those who adhered to their<br />
customs.Â  All this took place. Nothing happened there against the<br />
Lord or by the advice of spirits. For even though in the beginning<br />
they murmured, later on they approved.</p>
<p>5. In addition, consider that the state of being unmarried is only a<br />
human statute and can be readily lifted. Therefore any Christian can<br />
do this.Â  I would make this statement even if the interdiction had<br />
not come from a devil, but from a devout person.Â  However, because<br />
there is no such statement by God concerning the monks, I am<br />
therefore not certain that I should make the same pronouncement<br />
concerning them. For I would not dare to presume, neither advice<br />
another to do so.Â  Would God that we could do this, though, in order<br />
to prevent someone from becoming a monk, or leaving his order during<br />
the years of his virility.Â  For we are to avoid vexations if there is<br />
no relevant scriptural passage available to us, even when dealing<br />
with things which are permitted.</p>
<p>6. Good old Carlstadt is also citing St. Paul (1 Tim.5:9-11), to let<br />
go of the younger widows and select 60-year-olds, wish to God this<br />
could be demonstrated. Quite easily someone might say that the<br />
Apostle referred to the future, while in reference to the past (V.12)<br />
they are condemned because they have broken their first troth.<br />
Therefore this expression has come to naught and cannot be a<br />
dependable basis for the conscience. For that is what we are<br />
searching for.Â  Moreover, this reasoning that it is better to be<br />
married than to burn with vain desire (1 Cor.7:9), or to prevent the<br />
sins of immorality (1 Cor.7:2), by entering into marriage while<br />
committing the sin of the broken troth, that is nothing but common-<br />
sense.Â  We want the scripture and the witness of God&#8217;s will.Â  Who<br />
knows if the one who is very enthusiastic today will still be so<br />
tomorrow?</p>
<p>7. I would not have allowed marriage for priests for the sole reason<br />
of &#8220;burning&#8221; had not St. Paul called this interdiction devilish and<br />
hypocritical, condemned by God. Even without the burning he urged<br />
that this unmarried status be cast aside simply for the fear of God.<br />
However, it is necessary to discuss these things more thoroughly. For<br />
I too would love to come to the aid of the monks and nuns. I very<br />
much pity these wretched human beings, these young men and girls who<br />
suffer defilement and burning.</p>
<p>8. Concerning the two elements of the Holy Supper I will not give an<br />
example, but give testimony with Christ&#8217;s words. Carlstadt does not<br />
show that those who have received only one element have sinned, or<br />
not sinned. I am concerned that Christ did not command either one of<br />
the two, just as He does not command baptism if the tyrant or the<br />
world withhold the water.Â  So also the violence of persecution<br />
separates men and women, which God forbids to separate, neither do<br />
they agree to be separated. Therefore, neither do godfearing hearts<br />
agree that they should be robbed of one of the elements. However,<br />
those who do agree and approve: who can deny that these are not<br />
Christians but Papists who are sinning.</p>
<p>9. There HE does not demand it, and here the tyrant oppresses, I<br />
therefore cannot agree that those who receive only one element are<br />
sinning.Â  For who can exert power to take something when the tyrant<br />
is not willing?Â  Therefore it is only common-sense which observes<br />
here that Christ&#8217;s institution is not adhered to.Â  Scripture makes no<br />
definition by which we could declare this act a sin.Â  It is Christ&#8217;s<br />
institution, given in freedom, which cannot be incarcerated as a<br />
whole or in part.</p>
<p>10. It happened to Donatus, the martyr, where several people could<br />
not participate because the cup broke or the wine was spilled. What<br />
if this happens and there is no other wine available? There are other<br />
similar situations. In short, because Scripture does not speak of sin<br />
here, I therefore say there is no sin involved.</p>
<p>11. I am quite pleased, though, that you are re-establishing Christ&#8217;s<br />
method. For it was just that which I planned to take up with you<br />
first of all upon my return to you.Â  For now we recognize this<br />
tyranny and can oppose it, in order not to be forced to receive only<br />
one of the elements.</p>
<p>12. From here on I will no longer conduct private mass. Rather we<br />
should pray God to give us more of His Spirit.Â  For I am expecting<br />
that the Lord will soon ravish Germany&#8211;which she deserves because of<br />
her unbelief, godlessness and hate of the Gospel.Â  However, we shall<br />
be blamed for this chastisement, as we are made out to be heretics<br />
who have provoked God to this action. We shall be scorned by the<br />
people and disdained by the nation.Â  Those, however, will make<br />
excuses for their sins, through which He will manifest that the hard-<br />
hearted do not become godly neither by mercy nor wrath. Let it<br />
happen, let the will of the Lord be done. Amen!</p>
<p><strong> 13.</strong> If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach an imaginary but<br />
the true mercy.Â  If the mercy is true, you must therefore bear the<br />
true, not an imaginary sin.Â  God does not save those who are only<br />
imaginary sinners.Â  Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let<br />
your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the<br />
victor over sin, death, and the world.Â  We will commit sins while we<br />
are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides.Â  We,<br />
however, says Peter (2. Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new<br />
heaven and a new earth where justice will reign.Â  It suffices that<br />
through God&#8217;s glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the<br />
sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to<br />
kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day.Â  Do you think<br />
such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager<br />
sacrifice for our sins?Â  Pray hard for you are quite a sinner.</p>
<p>On the day of the Feast of St. Peter the Apostle, 1521</p>
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