Introduction
The theology presented by Martin Luther in the sixteenth century greatly influenced the Protestant church reformation. Luther offered several ideas that tried to determine the relationship between the gospel and the law and others that sought to explain justification by faith. Unlike the Christian teachings during his time, Luther affirmed that the Christian righteousness is only acquired from without. He suggested that the righteousness not only comes from Christ but is also Christ’s righteousness that is ascribed to Christians through faith. In this regard, Luther explored the dissimilarities between the righteousness accorded to Christians as a gift through faith and Christian’s own proper righteousness which works in the power of the gift through Jesus to do different works of mercy and love. Consequently, Luther presented a Latin phrase that further described Christian justification, “Simul Justus et Peccator” which is directly interpreted as “simultaneously just and sinners.” Therefore, this paper will explain and evaluate Martin Luther’s ideas of the double righteousness possessed by Christians using his commentaries on Galatians and Romans as well as his 1519 sermon on two kinds of righteousness.
Luther’s ideas on Simul Justus et Peccator and Justification
Luther’s sermon on the two kinds of righteousness is associated with the reformers belief of salvation and living by faith and not works. The original justice presented by Luther is the alien righteousness that comes from without. This kind of righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus Christ and is ascribed through faith. Luther quotes the Bible in John 14:6 where Jesus Christ says ‘I Am the way, the truth, and the life.’ this form of righteousness is accorded to people in baptism after believing in Jesus Christ and beyond doubt being repentant. Luther’s argument is that the