Luther's Doctrine of Work and Reward

Luther's unambiguous rejection of the doctrine of merit must not deceive us into thinking that the Reformer did not hold fast to the biblical sayings about reward. In modern research on Luther by both Protestant and Catholic scholars, his firm stance on this is unquestioned. * Respect for the biblical teaching of reward compelled him to maintain the concept of reward. T o do this seemed to him all the easier because he saw in Paul's and John's emphasis on the "high doctrine of Christ" (hoher artikel von Christo)' the soteriological priority that gave the Synoptics the right to emphasize work and reward.3 For him, Paul and Matthew stand in the unity of the faith which announces itself in works, although Luther also conceded that the emphasis of his opponents on works ("Behold works, works" [Ecce opera, opera], should not be taken lightly.4 For Luther, it was important that from praemium ("reward") we should not conclude a meritum ("earning," "merit"),5 for