The Spirit and the Gifts are Ours

Martin Luther and the Charismata

Abstract

Regarding the charismata or “spiritual gifts,” Martin Luther was neither the cessationist that some have claimed, nor a proto-Pentecostal or charismatic, as others have claimed. This essay first reviews and critiques these two views and then offers a more nuanced exploration of Luther’s understanding of spiritual gifts against the broader framework of his pneumatology and ecclesiology and drawing on his sermons and commentaries. This essay aims to reframe this topic for Lutheran leaders and others who are interested in exploring spiritual gifts for the ministry and mission of the church today.