All sorts of people have claimed to see visions of God, of Christ, of Mary or of the saints over the centuries. And, from time to time, the Roman Catholic church has endorsed such visions and used them to encourage people in their allegiance to the Roman church. But Martin Luther, the great Reformer and opponent of Roman Catholic teaching, also saw visions— sometimes in considerable detail. Here he describes one such appearing:
And the more steadfastly to confirm me in this resolution, to hold solely by God’s Word, and not to give credit to any visions or revelations, I shall relate the following circumstance:—On Good Friday last, I being in my chamber in fervent prayer, contemplating with myself, how Christ my Saviour on the cross suffered and died for our sins, there suddenly appeared upon the wall a bright vision of our Saviour Christ, with the five wounds, steadfastly looking upon me, as if it had been Christ himself corporally.
How does he respond? The pious Roman Catholic would surely have been extraordinarily impressed by seeing such a vision of glory. Not Luther:
At first sight, I thought it had been some celestial revelation, but I reflected that it must needs be an illusion and juggling of the devil, for Christ appeared to us in his Word, and in a meaner and more humble form; therefore I spake to the vision thus: Avoid thee, confounded devil: I know no other Christ than he who was crucified, and who in his Word is pictured and presented unto me. Whereupon the image vanished, clearly showing of whom it came.1
Luther had absorbed Paul’s teaching to the Galatians well: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal 1:8). No matter how impressive the messenger or how great the vision, our assurance as Christians comes from the gospel that we read in Scripture and from nowhere else.
Endnote
1. Martin Luther, ‘Of Christ’s Work’, Table Talk, CCXXXVI: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/tabletalk.v.v.html.↩
