"Even grammarians and schoolboys on street corners know that nothing more is signified by verbs in the imperative mood than what ought to be done, and that what is done or can be done should be expressed by words in the indicative. How is it that you theologians are twice as stupid as schoolboys, in that as soon as you get hold of a single imperative verb you infer an indicative meaning, as though the moment a thing is commanded it is done, or can be done?"
The Bondage of the Will is considered by many as Martin Luther's most important work. The title of this work was a response to Erasmus' letter titled, Freedom of the Will, where his argument was that God's commands implied moral ability. In what has been considered a brilliant response to this was Luther's proposition that God's commands actually implied inability! This was simply Luther's near and dear doctrine of total depravity but in a form that is direct in its address and persuasive in its candor.
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The Bondage of the Will is part of The Fig Classic Series on Reformation Theology. To view more books in our catalog, visit us at fig-books.com
