Worship without biblical command

1 passages · search this phrase →

Often appears with: trust in christ · the nature and attributes of God · prayer and worship · intercession of saints · idolatry · heresy, orthodoxy, and schism

Usually: argument (1) · crisis of belief (1) · censure (1) · indignation (1)

Quotable

“As it is not proper in the matter of divine worship for us to do anything that is not commanded by God (and that whoever does is putting God to the test), it is therefore also not advisable or tolerable for one to call upon the saints for intercession or to teach others to do so.” Martin Luther, An Open Letter on Translating · precept

An Open Letter on Translating primary

Martin Luther · 1530-09-15
Chapter 4: "If Abraham is justified by works, he may boast, but not before God." However, when all works are so completely rejected--which must mean faith alone justifies--whoever would speak plainly and clearly about this rejection of works would have to say "Faith alone justifies and not works." The matter itself and the nature of language necessitates it. (3/5)

Luther argues there is no biblical warrant for asking saints or angels to intercede, so such worship is human invention that risks turning people away from trusting Christ.

the intercession of the saints. I will leave this subject for now--but you can count on my not forgetting it and allowing this primping and preening to continue without cost. And again, you know that there is not a single passage from God demanding us to call upon either saints or angels to intercede for us, and that there is no example of such in the Scriptures. One finds that the beloved angels spoke with the fath…