If thou art wise thou knowest thine own ignorance; and thou art ignorant if thou knowest not thyself.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Ignorance
A preacher should have the skill to teach the unlearned simply, roundly, and plainly; for teaching is of more importance than exhorting.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Teaching, Education, Preaching, Teachers
Our Lord God doeth work like a printer, who setteth the letters backward; we see and feel well His setting, but we shall see the print yonder—in the life to come.
—Martin Luther
Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Faith
If I had to refute all the other articles of the Jewish faith, I should be obliged to write against them as much and for as long a time as they have used for inventing their lies – that is, longer than two thousand years
—Martin Luther
Topics: Judaism
There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Marriage, Charm
Tomorrow I plan to work, work, from early until late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Prayer
We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.
—Martin Luther
Cannons and fire-arms are cruel and damnable machines; I believe them to have been the direct suggestion of the Devil. If Adam had seen in a vision the horrible instruments his children were to invent, he would have died of grief.
—Martin Luther
Topics: War
The will is a beast of burden. If God mounts it, it wishes and goes as God wills; if Satan mounts it, it wishes and goes as Satan wills; Nor can it choose its rider… the riders contend for its possession.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Wishes
Mankind has a free will; but it is free to milk cows and to build houses, nothing more.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Freedom
The allegory of a sophist is always screwed; it crouches and bows like a snake, which is never straight, whether she go, creep, or lie still; only when she is dead, she is straight enough.
—Martin Luther
An earthly kingdom cannot exist without inequality of persons. Some must be free, some serfs, some rulers, some subjects.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Equality
For truth and duty it is ever the fitting time; who waits until circumstances completely favor his undertaking, will never accomplish anything.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Opportunity
Pray, and let God worry
—Martin Luther
Topics: Worry
People must have righteous principles in the first, and then they will not fail to perform virtuous actions.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Principles
Lord God, I thank thee that thou hast been pleased to make me a poor and indigent man upon earth. I have neither house nor land nor money to leave behind me.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Poverty
Forgiveness is God’s command.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Forgiveness
How soon ‘not now’ becomes ‘never’.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Procrastination
Grace is given to heal the spiritually sick, not to decorate spiritual heroes
—Martin Luther
Topics: Grace
In his life, Christ is an example, showing us how to live; in his death, he is a sacrifice, satisfying for our sins; in his resurrection, a conqueror; in his ascension, a king; in his intercession, a high priest.
—Martin Luther
Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but – more frequently than not – struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Faith, Reason
Anyone who can be proved to be a seditious person is an outlaw before God and the emperor; and whoever is the first to put him to death does right and well. Therefore let everyone who can, smite, slay and stab, secretly or openly, remembering that nothing can be more poisonous, hurtful, or devilish than a rebel.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Revolution
I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men.
—Martin Luther
You must learn that if you are a Christian, you will without a doubt experience all kinds of opposition and evil inclinations in the flesh. For when you have faith, there will be a hundred more evil thoughts and a hundred more temptations than before.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Temptation
The defects of a preacher are soon spied. Let him be endued with ten virtues, and have but one fault, and that one fault will eclipse and darken all his virtues and gifts, so evil is the world in these times.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Preaching
The God of this world is riches, pleasure and pride.
—Martin Luther
Topics: God
To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Miscellaneous, Prayer
Justice is a temporary thing that must at last come to an end; but the conscience is eternal and will never die.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Conscience, Justice
Next to theology I give music the highest place of honor.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Music, Art
Who loves not wine, woman and song, remains a fool his whole life long.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Fools, Thought, Foolishness, Reason, Wine
The Devil beget darkness; darkness beget ignorance; ignorance beget error and his brethren; error beget free-will and presumption; free-will beget works; works beget forgetfulness of God; forgetfulness beget transgression; transgression beget superstition; superstition beget satisfaction; satisfaction beget the mass-offering; the mass-offering beget the priest; the priest beget unbelief; unbelief beget hypocrisy; hypocrisy beget traffic in offerings for gain; traffic in offerings for gain beget Purgatory; Purgatory beget the annual solemn vigils; the annual vigils beget church-livings; church-livings beget avarice; avarice beget swelling superfluity; swelling superfluity beget fulness; fulness beget rage; rage beget license; license beget empire and domination; domination beget pomp; pomp beget ambition; ambition beget simony; simony beget the pope and his brethren, about the time of the Babylonish captivity.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Consequences
First I shake the whole [Apple] tree, that the ripest might fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch and then each twig, and then I look under each leaf.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Bible, Religion
God save me from my friends. I can protect myself from my enemies.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Enemy
All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired.
—Martin Luther
Topics: God, Prayer, Divinity, Faith
I am more afraid of my own heart than the Pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great Pope, Self.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Integrity, Conscience, Heart
Love is an image of God, and not a lifeless image, but the living essence of the divine nature which beams full of all goodness.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Love
Sin is, essentially, a departure from God.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Sin
The devil is God’s ape!
—Martin Luther
Topics: Evil
So our Lord God commonly gave riches to those gross asses to whom he vouchsafed nothing else.
—Martin Luther
Topics: Riches, Wealth
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Harold Kushner American Jewish Religious Leader
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