What was it about indulgences?

Martin Luther famously had a problem with indulgences. He wrote his 95 Theses about what he saw as abuses of the church concerning indulgences. So what is an indulgence?

An indulgence is a way to make up for your sins by purchasing, with money, and indulgence that would get you into heaven sooner. We have to understand some parts of medieval Christian theology to get at Luther’s problem with indulgences.

The church taught that humans were so sinful that there was no way they could be allowed into heaven until their sin was removed somehow. The concept of “purgatory” was developed in order for Christians to spend time in this uncomfortable place while they paid the price of their sins. This could take centuries if you were bad enough. Understand this Lutherans don’t do purgatory. The church developed ways for individuals to take off some of their years in purgatory through prayers, pilgrimages, and indulgences.

The church figured out selling indulgences was a great way to raise money. In Luther’s time, the Pope Leo X wanted to raise funds to rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Johann Tetzel was a great sales person, scaring the poor people of Wittenberg into buy indulgences with his famous words: “As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs.” Luther was having none of it, thus the 95 Theses.

Luther was a biblical scholar and professor at Wittenberg University. He understood through God’s word that as human beings we were unable to ever earn God’s love and forgiveness. Forgiveness was and is total gift from God. Therefore, indulgences were an offense to the gift of God that is freely given.

Luther’s 95 Theses were broadly published and soon became the bane of Pope Leo X existence, but that is a story for another day.