Martin Luther on miracles, healing, prophecy and tongues

Abstract

Although Martin Luther does not evolve a theology of charismata or church development along the lines of Corinthians 12-14 and in spite of the historical difference of the questions and the awareness of life, we individualistic post-moderns may learn from his approach and, looking at his way of arguing from the centre of Reformation theology, sharpen our instruments of discernment. Martin Luther has more to say in detail on the matter of extraordinary phenomena and present-day charismatic-pentecostal piety than many of us would think. In reading how he evaluates the specific matter of charismata, we note that a theological framework is unfolded which, in the diffusion of today, may serve to strengthen protestant identity. The historical findings question current positions of both strict negations of the miraculous and overemphasis of extraordinary things. At the same time they also reveal that all human knowledge is ‘in part’.