Evangelical sacraments

In his Schmalkald Articles (1538), Luther begins with a brief statement about justification through Christ by faith. Later in the articles he returns to the issue of the gospel, and intriguingly introduces the sacraments as one of the “helps” that God provides against sin:

“We now want to return to the gospel, which gives more than just one kind of counsel and help against sin; because God is overwhelmingly rich in his grace: first, through the spoken word, in which the forgiveness of sins is preached to the whole world (which is the particular office of the gospel); second, through Baptism; third, through the Holy Sacrament of the Altar; fourth, through the power of the keys and also the mutual conversation and consolation of the brothers and sisters. Matthew 18: ‘Where two are gathered,’ etc.”