Did Martin Luther Really Say . . . ?
by Pastor Walter Snyder

Q: I'm curious how your church can retain the name "Lutheran" when Martin Luther was
so extremely anti-Semitic, advocated  burning down Jews' houses, burning their books, and
force-enslaving them. Just look at the book ~On Jews and their Lies~. Isn't it about time
your church abandoned praising someone who obviously was a terrible person and not in
the right mind of a sound moral being, let alone a mind of Christ?

A: I agree that some of what he wrote, particularly concerning the Jews, is indefensible. However,
this doesn't mean that all of his writings nor the man himself can so easily be dismissed. And even
at his worst, we must understand such a violence-filled writing in its full and proper context.

Luther grew up in a time and place where anti-Semitism already flourished. Yet already earlier in
his life, times came where he swam against this flow. One noted instance came in 1510, when a
converted Jew named Pfefferkorn, who evidently had a big axe to grind, accused his people of
many cruelties and blasphemies. He urged the burning of Jewish books. Luther joined noted
Hebrew scholar Reuchlin in opposing this. Perhaps it was love of scholarship more than love of
the Jews, but Luther, an Old Testament scholar himself, saw value in these works.

In 1523, the Reformation well under way and Luther hoping that the Jews would see Christianity
under a more favorable light, he wrote ~That Christ Was Born a Jew~. It was obviously an
attempt to reach out with the Gospel to those he acknowledged as Christ's brothers in the flesh.
There he said, "I hope that if one deals with the Jews in a kindly way and instructs them carefully
from Holy Scripture, many of them will become genuine Christians and turn to the faith of their
fathers, the prophets and patriarchs." Ever the realist, he recognized that not all would convert:
"If some of them prove stiff-necked, what of it? After all, we ourselves are not all good Christians
either."

So what brought the changes? Seemingly a part of it is that Mediaeval society blamed the Jews for
all manner of ills, including poisonings, kidnapings, and sorceries. Perhaps advancing years and
increasing ill health contributed to attitude, if not content. In large part, a flood of grateful
converts which never materialized out of Judaism probably remained a deep disappointment.

Other religious reasons probably supplied the greatest ammunition and provoked the greatest
animosity. Along with his Old Testament study, Luther was a devout student of Paul. Luther
clearly saw parallels between the "Judaizers" of Paul's time and some of the radical reformers of
his own. Both sought to impose Sabbath regulations and other works of the Law. In the preface
of the 1535 ~Commentary on Galatians~, written eight years before his diatribe against the Jews,
he lumped them with others who impose works-based religion upon man rather than proclaiming
the freedom of the Gospel. Remembering that the Reformation grew out of abuse of human
works in Catholicism, we read, "And those who do [works] are not Christians; they are hirelings,
whether they are called Jews, Mohammedans, papists, or sectarians." Well before the text in
question, Luther wrote ~Against the Sabbatarians~. However, while seeing the influence of
Judaism on the sectarians, he had already abandoned much hope of a great Jewish conversion.

~On the Jews and Their Lies~ was triggered by a copy of a Jewish tract given him by Count
Schlink of Moravia. It defended traditional Judaism and invited Christians to abandon their faith.
On the Jews became his wrathful reply. Likely, Paul's angry question, "O foolish Galatians! Who
has bewitched you? (Gal 3:1)" was in his mind; only with Germans and German Jews the new
subject.

While Jews (and most Christians) focus on Luther's demanded penalties, we must not overlook
his arguments. He paralleled Paul (and Christ and John the Baptizer) in condemning them for
keeping only their ~heritage~ of patriarchs and prophets rather than their Messianic ~faith~. In
fact, most of the book is not so much against "the Jews" as it is against "their lies." However,
when he does recommend action, his suggestions are brutal: 1) burn their synagogues and
schools, 2) raze and destroy their homes, 3) take away their books, 4) forbid their rabbis to teach,
5) allow no safe-conduct for them on the highways, 6) prohibit usury, take their money from
them, and 7) put an ax, hoe, or spindle into the hands of young, strong Jews to let them earn their
bread.

At his angriest, especially as blasphemous writings from the Jews continued, Luther might have
been using intentional overstatement. He recognized Jews as unconverted sinners who needed
Christ in order to avoid an eternity in hell. Perhaps some of the violent talk was his way of
proclaiming the Law in order to prepare hearts for repentance and the Gospel. In the same work
he also wrote, "O God, heavenly Father, relent and let Your wrath over them be sufficient and
come to an end, for the sake of your dear Son." Stark contrasts continue through the very end of
the book. In closing, Luther first wrote, "My essay, I hope, will furnish a Christian ... with enough
material not only to defend himself against the blind, venomous Jews, but also to become the foe
of the Jews' malice, lying, and cursing...." The next (and final) sentence then says, "May Christ,
our dear Lord, convert them mercifully and preserve us steadfastly and immovably in the
knowledge of him, which is eternal life. Amen." Hating the lies and blasphemies, lamenting
hardened hearts, Luther still willed their conversion and salvation.

So why do we honor Luther? Why do Jews (and Christians) honor King David the adulterer and
murderer? Why name churches after Peter the denier or Thomas the doubter? We cannot ignore
their grave sins. To do so leads us to ignore our own. Instead, we see them as does God, through
the lens of Jesus Christ, whose blood covers all sins and by whom God would have all be saved
and come to the knowledge of the truth. For just as He forgave Paul for his violent words and
actions against the early believers, so He forgave Luther and so He forgives us. We remember and
honor them not because of themselves but because of what God worked in and through them.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from ~The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version~<TM>, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

~On the Jews and Their Lies~ quoted from ~Volume 47: Luther's Works~, © 1977 by Fortress Press.

~Lectures on Galatians, 1935~ quoted from Volume ~26: Luther's Works~, © 1963 by Concordia
Publishing House.

Ask the Pastor, © 2005 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced in totality, including this disclaimer,
by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said republication and redistribution. Translations
into other languages should similarly note the United States and any appropriate international
copyrights, as well as God's Scriptural injunctions concerning the property of others.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book
~What Do Lutherans Believe.~