The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Praying for the Dead (Purgatory)

The subject is "Praying for the dead".

However, to answer your erroneous conclusion re: Luther's "alone" with the perhaps impetus to have you start a new thread, Luther simply stated what the Scripture is teaching. For, how else would one render Paul's statements, e.g.:

Galatians 2:16 (ASV) "yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Galatians 3:22-24 (ASV) "But the scriptures shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. So that the law is become our tutor [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

Romans 3:21-26 (ASV) "But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God set forth [to be] a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; for the showing, [I say], of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus. . . (28) We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law."

In all of Paul's writings, he contrasts faith vs. works of the law and consistently shows that salvation is by faith (alone), i.e., faith and nothing else (alone). Thus, Luther didn't add to the Scriptures by insisting that salvation is by faith alone. He was simply stating what the Scriptures incontrovertibly teach.

Again, IF you are of the mind to discuss/debate "Sola Fide", then please start a new thread in the Theology Forum.

In His grace,