Martin Luther on Secular Authority: The Powers of Princes versus the Obligations of Subjects
In 1523, Martin Luther drafted his treatise, Secular Authority: To What Extent Should It Be
Obeyed, in which he presented what scholars have dubbed “The Two Kingdoms Doctrine”
because of Luther’s interpretation of how God rules over the world in two different ways. Luther
published the treatise on secular authority just three years after his Address to the German
Nobility (1520), in which, following canon law, he had issued an appeal to the German nobility
to initiate ecclesiastical reform because the religious establishment had failed to heed Luther’s
calls to do so and now had forfeited its right to be obeyed. In doing so, he argued that the two
powers were separate but equal by recognizing secular authority as divinely ordained while
rebuking papal overreach in secular matters. He also put forth the doctrine of the priesthood of
the believer, which in essence made secular princes the spiritual equals of ecclesiastical
authorities. Not only is the pope not the sole interpreter of Scripture; he also should not be the
only one who could summon a church council to initiate reform.
Luther’s 1523 treatise on secular authority builds upon the arguments in his Address to
the German Nobility. In Luther’s evolving thinking, God rules His earthly kingdom by means of
secular and churchly governance; thus the role of secular authority is to protect the righteous and
punish the wicked, including church leaders, through positive law and by compulsion from the
sword. As explained by Baylor University Professor David Whitford,1
“God has given the
secular prince the power of the sword for the maintenance of order and justice. That calling itself
is a high and worthy office. The magistrate—whether king, duke, burgher, or father—should
devote himself to that calling and leave the proclamation of the Word and the disposition of souls
to God and the church.”
2 Meanwhile, God rules His Heavenly Kingdom through gospel and
grace. Thus the absolute sovereignty of God remained at the core of Luther’s understanding of
both kingdoms.
One of the main points of Luther’s argument in the Two Kingdoms Doctrine is the belief
that in an ideal Christian world, secular, worldly government would not be necessary. In his
treatise on Secular Authority, Luther observed, “[T]hese people [that is, the people of the
kingdom of God] need no secular sword or law. And if all the world were composed of real
Christians, that is, true believers, no prince, no king, lord, sword, or law would be needed. For
what would be the use of them, since Christians have in their hearts the Holy Spirit who instructs
them and causes them to wrong no one . . . “
Obeyed, in which he presented what scholars have dubbed “The Two Kingdoms Doctrine”
because of Luther’s interpretation of how God rules over the world in two different ways. Luther
published the treatise on secular authority just three years after his Address to the German
Nobility (1520), in which, following canon law, he had issued an appeal to the German nobility
to initiate ecclesiastical reform because the religious establishment had failed to heed Luther’s
calls to do so and now had forfeited its right to be obeyed. In doing so, he argued that the two
powers were separate but equal by recognizing secular authority as divinely ordained while
rebuking papal overreach in secular matters. He also put forth the doctrine of the priesthood of
the believer, which in essence made secular princes the spiritual equals of ecclesiastical
authorities. Not only is the pope not the sole interpreter of Scripture; he also should not be the
only one who could summon a church council to initiate reform.
Luther’s 1523 treatise on secular authority builds upon the arguments in his Address to
the German Nobility. In Luther’s evolving thinking, God rules His earthly kingdom by means of
secular and churchly governance; thus the role of secular authority is to protect the righteous and
punish the wicked, including church leaders, through positive law and by compulsion from the
sword. As explained by Baylor University Professor David Whitford,1
“God has given the
secular prince the power of the sword for the maintenance of order and justice. That calling itself
is a high and worthy office. The magistrate—whether king, duke, burgher, or father—should
devote himself to that calling and leave the proclamation of the Word and the disposition of souls
to God and the church.”
2 Meanwhile, God rules His Heavenly Kingdom through gospel and
grace. Thus the absolute sovereignty of God remained at the core of Luther’s understanding of
both kingdoms.
One of the main points of Luther’s argument in the Two Kingdoms Doctrine is the belief
that in an ideal Christian world, secular, worldly government would not be necessary. In his
treatise on Secular Authority, Luther observed, “[T]hese people [that is, the people of the
kingdom of God] need no secular sword or law. And if all the world were composed of real
Christians, that is, true believers, no prince, no king, lord, sword, or law would be needed. For
what would be the use of them, since Christians have in their hearts the Holy Spirit who instructs
them and causes them to wrong no one . . . “
