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Work as Vocation. The Priesthood of All Believers

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Martin Luther

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Abstract

The Protestant Reformation is proof of the fact that across the past centuries religion had an extremely important role in developing the European culture and civilisation. Since it appeared, Protestantism has permanently pointed out that all human beings live in the presence of God, ad that is why religion and education should be in close connection. And that is also why man’s entire life is relevant from a religious point of view. Luther openly showed his appreciation for the Christians’ daily activity and considered the secular occupations constitute a vocation: as a result, everyone should prove responsible, professional, and conscientious in his/her work, including those dealing with the education of the young. This change of perception in regard to vocation occurring in the century of the Protestant Reformation needs to be related to the priesthood of all believers and the doctrine of justification by faith alone. These two teachings specific to Protestantism explain why Luther was so keen on the educational role of the family, and the need for a close cooperation between the family, the state authorities, Church, and school. Luther evinced the nobility of the schoolteacher’s work by considering it a vocation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Holl (1959: 25–26).

  2. 2.

    Holl (1932: 470).

  3. 3.

    Holl (1959: 26), Holl (1932: 470).

  4. 4.

    “Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed”, LW 45, 111. Acts 5, 29.

  5. 5.

    “Won weltlicher Oberkeit” (1523), WA 11, 266, 36–37.

  6. 6.

    Kuyper (1899: 62–63).

  7. 7.

    Ephesians 2, 8. The Bible is fundamental to understanding the promises of God: “For where there is the Word of the promising God, there must necessarily be the faith of the accepting man. It is plain therefore, that the beginning of our salvation is a faith which clings to the Word of the promising God, who […] takes the initiative and offers us the word of his promise. […] First of all there is God’s Word. After it follows faith; after faith, love; then love does every good work […]. For anyone can easily see that these two, promise and faith, must necessarily go together. For without the promise there is nothing to be believed; while without faith the promise is useless, since it is established and fulfilled through faith.” “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church”, Luther (1970: 156, 160). Hence the remark made by the Reformer in the same work: no other sin can condemn the Christian apart from the unbelief (Luther (1970: 182)). If any man is saved sola fide, it logically ensues that he is condemned sola infidelitas/incredulitas. Unbelief is man’s greatest sin! It is a warning addressed by the Reformer to the secularized Western society across the centuries.

  8. 8.

    Bavinck (1909: 448). “Luther recognized education as a potent ally of religious reformation. He saw church, state, family, and school as crucial reform agencies. Luther recognized education as a potent ally of religious reformation. He saw church, state, family, and school as crucial reform agencies.” Ornstein and Levine (2008: 86).

  9. 9.

    Bavinck (1909: 461).

  10. 10.

    Weber (1920: 36), Weber (1950: 54, 194).

  11. 11.

    LW 26, 307–308.

  12. 12.

    LW 3, 128.

  13. 13.

    LW 26, 217.

  14. 14.

    LW 44, 127.

  15. 15.

    Jüngel (2011: 15), Jüngel (2001: 18), Loofs (1917: 323ff), McGrath (1985: 23), McGrath (1986: 1), WA 40 III, 352, 3.

  16. 16.

    “Die Promotionsdisputation von Palladius und Tilemann”, WA 39 I, 205, 5.

  17. 17.

    LW 44, 170.

  18. 18.

    Wingren (2004: 27–28). Man is body and soul/spirit, and just like he cannot possibly live in this world without one or the other, but has to give equal attention to each, society in its entirety cannot survive if it gives up physically active jobs or the science of the scholar.

  19. 19.

    Holl (1958: 126–154), Holl (1928: 189–219).

  20. 20.

    Jerome (1963: 68).

  21. 21.

    Holl (1928: 192).

  22. 22.

    See in this respect Vuillaume (1991: 275–292). In any case, John Calvin mentions in his work Institutes of Christian Religion (IV, 13, 14), the fact that in his time monasticism was perceived as a second baptism and the monks considered themselves as different from the “ordinary Christians”.

  23. 23.

    “Others […] assert in addition that entrance into religious order is like a new baptism, which may afterward be repeated as often as the purpose to live the monastic life is renewed. Thus these votaries have appropriated to themselves all righteousness, salvation, and glory, and left to those who are merely baptized nothing to compare with them.” Luther (1970: 199).

  24. 24.

    Weber (1920: 84ff).

  25. 25.

    Bonhoeffer (1955: 40), Bonhoeffer (1985: 17).

  26. 26.

    Bonhoeffer (1955: 40).

  27. 27.

    Bonhoeffer (1955: 42).

  28. 28.

    LW 44, 129.

  29. 29.

    LW 44, 127. “An den christ. Adel deutscher Nation von des christ. Standes Besserung (1520)”, WA 6, 407, 22–23.

  30. 30.

    LW 40, 21.

  31. 31.

    “Vorlesung über die Briefe an Titus und Philemon (1527)”, WA 9, 16, 17; 23–25.

  32. 32.

    Nagel (1997: 278).

  33. 33.

    Nagel (1997: 278).

  34. 34.

    PE 5, 276.

  35. 35.

    “An non enim ingens hoc donum et gloria est, quod etiam mulier in nocessitate potest baptizare et dicere: Libero te a morte, Diabolo, peccato et omnibus malis, et dono tibi vitam aeternam, facio ex filio Diaboli filium Dei. […] ut etiam puer possit absolvere, et transferre de regno Diaboli in regnum Dei per nihil aliud, quam per verbum”. “Vorlesungen über 1 Mose von 1535–1545”, WA 44, 806, 23–25, 30–31.

  36. 36.

    LW 40, 18.

  37. 37.

    LW 40, 34.

  38. 38.

    LW 44, 129.

  39. 39.

    “De captivitate Babylonica ecclesiae praeludium (1520)”, WA 6, 566, 29.

  40. 40.

    McGrath (2004: 130).

  41. 41.

    “Operationes in Psalmos” (1519–1521), WA 5, 407, 35–36.

  42. 42.

    Kretzmann (1940: 17). W2, 10, 1643.

  43. 43.

    LW 44, 126.

  44. 44.

    “Das Abendmahl” (1528), WA 30 I, 57, 12–13–58, 8–9.

  45. 45.

    WA TR 2, 617, 10ff., no. 2726a, b.

  46. 46.

    LW 45, 368.

  47. 47.

    Painter (1889: iii), Eby and Arrowood (1946: 82).

  48. 48.

    Cf. LW 45, 353. God gave parents a particular command, i.e. everyone should “diligently teach” their family, according to Calvin; the Latin text is the best expression of the concept of education as divine mandate: Peculiare tamen interea mandatum datur patribus, ut singuli suas familias sedulo erudiant. CO 31, 723.

  49. 49.

    LW 45, 353.

  50. 50.

    LW 45, 353.

  51. 51.

    LW 45, 353.

  52. 52.

    LW 45, 352.

  53. 53.

    LW 45, 350.

  54. 54.

    LW 45, 350–351.

  55. 55.

    LW 45, 355.

  56. 56.

    LW 45, 368.

  57. 57.

    Stjerna (2009: 45).

  58. 58.

    LW 45, 370.

  59. 59.

    LW 45, 371.

  60. 60.

    LW 45, 371.

  61. 61.

    Classen and Settle (1991: 231ff).

  62. 62.

    Wiesner-Hanks (2000: 88).

  63. 63.

    PE 5, 276.

  64. 64.

    Wiberg Pedersen (2010: 193). See also Titus 2, 3–5.

  65. 65.

    “An die Ratherren aller Städte deutches Lands” (1524), WA 15, 47, 13–16.

  66. 66.

    LW 36, 151.

  67. 67.

    LW 36, 151.

  68. 68.

    LW 36, 152.

  69. 69.

    LW 36, 152.

  70. 70.

    LW 40, 388.

  71. 71.

    Plass (1959: 1457).

  72. 72.

    LW 40, 391.

  73. 73.

    Mattox (2009: 254).

  74. 74.

    LW 46, 221.

  75. 75.

    LW 46, 221.

  76. 76.

    LW 46, 232.

  77. 77.

    LW 40, 388.

  78. 78.

    LW 46, 222.

  79. 79.

    LW 46, 223.

  80. 80.

    LW 46, 231.

  81. 81.

    LW 46, 231.

  82. 82.

    LW 46, 234.

  83. 83.

    LW 46, 233.

  84. 84.

    LW 46, 243.

  85. 85.

    LW 46, 223.

  86. 86.

    LW 46, 256.

  87. 87.

    LW 46, 228.

  88. 88.

    LW 46, 227.

  89. 89.

    LW 46, 229.

  90. 90.

    LW 46, 238.

  91. 91.

    LW 46, 237.

  92. 92.

    LE 7, 100. “Eine gemeine Verstörung aller Stifte und Klöster wäre hierin die beste Reformation” W2, 12, 88.

  93. 93.

    Martin Luther, Commentary on Genesis 13, 13, quoted by McGrath (2012: 257).

  94. 94.

    LW 44, 130.

  95. 95.

    “It follows from this argument that there is no true, basic difference between laymen and priests, princes and bishops, between religious and secular, except for the sake of office and work, but not for the sake of status.” LW 44, 129.

  96. 96.

    LW 44, 130.

  97. 97.

    “The facts themselves tell us that all those who enter into the monastic community break with the church. Why? Do they not separate themselves from the lawful society of believers, in adopting a peculiar ministry and a private administration of the sacraments? If this is not to break the communion of the church, what is? […] By erecting a private altar for themselves, what else have present-day monks done but broken the bond of unity? For they have both excommunicated themselves from the whole body of the church and despised the ordinary ministry by which the Lord willed to preserve peace and love among his people. For every monastery existing today, I say, is a conventicle of schismatics, disturbing the order of the church and cut off from the lawful society of believers. And that this separation should not be obscure, they have taken upon themselves various names of sects.” Inst., IV, 13, 14.

  98. 98.

    “Denn ein Priester ist nich für sich, sondern für andere da.” Holl (1928: 216).

  99. 99.

    Lindsay (1900: 238).

  100. 100.

    “Marriage is good, virginity is better, but liberty is best.” Bainton (1955: 156). “Bonum coniugium, melior virginitas, sed optima fidei libertas.” “Themata de Votis” (1521), WA 8, 330, 29. Through this statement the Reformer reconfirms the dignity of marriage, but not to the detriment of virginity: the sentence above leads to the conclusion that any man is free to decide if he should get married or not.

  101. 101.

    Luther (1970: 286).

  102. 102.

    Schaff (1904: 461).

  103. 103.

    WA 6, 541, 8–9.

  104. 104.

    Luther (1970: 205).

  105. 105.

    Harran (1983: 127). “In epistolam Pauli ad Galatas commentarius” (1519), WA 2, 454, 40–455, 1–4.

  106. 106.

    WA 40 I, 210, 16–18: “Hic, si es praedicator, magistratus, maritus, praeceptor, discipulus etc., non est tempus tum audiendi Evangelium, sed legem, ibi servito vocationi.”.

  107. 107.

    WA 49, 607, 5–8: “Ich soll denken: Habes donum dei et doctor. Si superbus: tum paganus auff dorff, qui non tibi par, sed grosser, et sic ipse geu himel, ego zu hell. Si princeps, edelman, bauer, burger wil stoltziern, cogita: Deus non creavit solum princepes, edellent, menner, quid hochest?”.

  108. 108.

    WA 49, 610, 8.

  109. 109.

    Bonhoeffer (1962: 226).

  110. 110.

    Bonhoeffer (1962: 225).

  111. 111.

    Bonhoeffer (1962: 239).

  112. 112.

    LW 21, 237.

  113. 113.

    Luther (2001: 553). “In epistolam S. Pauli ad Galatas Commentarius” (1535), WA 40 II, 153, 14ff.

  114. 114.

    Luther (1970: 277). “Eyn Christen mensch ist eyn freyer herr über alle ding und niemandt unterthan. Eyn Christen mensch ist eyn dienstpar knecht aller ding und yderman unterthan.” “Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen”, 1520, WA 7, 21, 1–4. See 1 Corinthians 9, 9.

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    Mihai Androne

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Androne, M. (2020). Work as Vocation. The Priesthood of All Believers. In: Martin Luther. SpringerBriefs in Education(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52418-0_3

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