Martin Luther - Table Talk

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Oh! how great and glorious a thing it is to have before one the Word of God! With that we may at all times feel joyous and secure; we need never be in want of consolation, for we see before us, in all its brightness, the pure and right way.

Martin Luther
God is not a God of sadness, death, etc., but the devil is. Christ is a God of joy, and so the Scriptures often say that we should rejoice... A Christian should and must be a cheerful person.

Martin Luther
The Bible is the book that makes fools of the wise of this world; it is only understood by the plain and simple hearted.

Martin Luther
Once sure that the doctrine we teach is God's Word, once certain of this, we may build thereupon, and know that this cause shall and must remain; the devil shall not be able to overthrow it, much less the world be able to uproot it, how fiercely soever it rage.

Martin Luther
God indeed tempteth no man; but yet we ask, in this petition, that he would keep and preserve us, lest the devil, the world, and our own flesh delude and draw us away from the true faith, and throw us into superstition, distrust, despair, and other grievous sins and wickedness; and that, if we should be tempted therewith even to the highest degree, we still may conquer, and at last triumph over them.

Martin Luther
Can he who understands not God's word, understand God's works?

Martin Luther
God delights in our temptations and yet hates them. He delights in them when they drive us to prayer; he hates them when they drive us to despair.

Martin Luther
No greater mischief can happen to a Christian people, than to have God's word taken from them, or falsified, so that they no longer have it pure and clear. God grant we and our descendants be not witness to such a calamity.

Martin Luther
The highest and most precious treasure we receive of God is, that we can speak, hear, see, etc.; but how few acknowledge these as God's special gifts, much less give God thanks for them.

Martin Luther
Even like as St. Paul was converted, just so are all others converted; for we all resist God, but the Holy Ghost draws the will of mankind, when he pleases, through preaching.

Martin Luther
Great people and champions are special gifts of God, whom He gives and preserves; they do their work, and achieve great actions, not with vain imaginations, or cold and sleepy cogitations, but by motion of God.

Martin Luther
A man must be able to affirm, I know for certain, that what I teach is the only Word of the high Majesty of God in heaven, his final conclusion and everlasting, unchangeable truth, and whatsoever concurs and agrees not with this doctrine, is altogether false, and spun by the devil.

Martin Luther
A theologian should be thoroughly in possession of the basis and source of faith--that is to say, the Holy Scriptures. Armed with this knowledge it was that I confounded and silenced all my adversaries; for they seek not to fathom and understand the Scriptures; they run them over negligently and drowsily; they speak, they write, they teach, according to the suggestion of their heedless imaginations.

Martin Luther
That the Creator himself comes to us and becomes our ransom - this is the reason for our rejoicing.

Martin Luther
Ambition begat simony; simony begat the pope and his brethren, about the time of the Babylonish captivity

Martin Luther
God created Adam master and lord of living creatures, but Eve spoilt all, when she persuaded him to set himself above God's will. 'Tis you women, with your tricks and artifices, that lead men into error.

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
I am of a different mind ten times in the course of a day. But I resist the devil, and often it is with a fart that I chase him away. When he tempts me with silly sins I say, 'Devil, yesterday I broke wind too. Have you written it down on your list?

Martin Luther
So it is with human reason, which strives not against faith, when enlightened, but rather furthers and advances it.

Martin Luther
Heavy thoughts bring on physical maladies; when the soul is oppressed so is the body.

Martin Luther
But the Jews are so hardened that they listen to nothing; though overcome by testimonies they yield not an inch. It is a pernicious race, oppressing all men by their usury and rapine. If they give a prince or magistrate a thousand florins, they extort twenty thousand from the subjects in payment. We must ever keep on guard against them.

Martin Luther
Men have broad and large chests, and small narrow hips, and more understanding than women, who have but small and narrow breasts, and broad hips, to the end they should remain at home, sit still, keep house, and bear and bring up children.

Martin Luther
I am entirely of the opinion that the papacy is the Antichrist. But if anyone wants to add the Turk, then the Pope is the spirit of the Antichrist, and the Turk is the flesh of the Antichrist. They help each other in their murderous work. The latter slaughters bodily and by the sword, the former spiritually and by doctrine.

Martin Luther
Astrology is framed by the devil, to the end people may be scared from entering into the state of matrimony, and from every divine and human office and calling.

Martin Luther
He that will maintain that man's free will is able to do or work anything in spiritual cases, be they never so small, denies Christ.

Martin Luther
The reproduction of mankind is a great marvel and mystery. Had God consulted me in the matter, I should have advised him to continue the generation of the species by fashioning them of clay, in the way Adam was fashioned.

Martin Luther
A theologian is born by living, nay dying and being damned, not by thinking, reading, or speculating.

Martin Luther
The multitude of books is a great evil. There is no limit to this fever for writing.

Martin Luther
The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that he sunk himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding.

Martin Luther
For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel... Thus is the Devil ever God's ape.

Martin Luther