Church History · 1521

Luther at the Diet of Worms: Here I Stand

In April 1521 Luther stood before Emperor Charles V at Worms and refused to recant unless he was shown wrong from Scripture. Hidden at the Wartburg Castle, he translated the New Testament into German in about 11 weeks.

Read it in the Bible: Acts 5:27-32 Psalm 46:1-11 Romans 1:16 2 Timothy 3:16-17

In April 1521 Martin Luther stood before the young Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms, a great meeting of the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, in the German city of Worms. He was told to take back his books. He refused unless someone could show him from Scripture that he was wrong. The emperor declared him an outlaw. On the way home, friends kidnapped him on purpose and hid him in Wartburg Castle, where he translated the New Testament into German in about 11 weeks.

What Was the Diet of Worms?

First, the name. A diet was an imperial assembly, and Worms is a city on the Rhine River. So no, it was not a meal plan involving worms, though Luther probably felt like he had been fed to the birds. Charles V, only 21 years old, ruled a huge empire and was a devout Catholic. Pope Leo X had already excommunicated Luther in January 1521. Now the emperor had to decide what to do with him.

Luther's own prince, Frederick the Wise of Saxony, made sure Luther got a hearing and a promise of safe travel. Everyone remembered that a century earlier Jan Hus had been given a safe conduct to the Council of Constance and was burned anyway. Luther went anyway. Crowds cheered him in the towns along the way.

What Happened at Worms?

On April 17, 1521, Luther was led into a hall packed with princes, bishops and officials. A table held a pile of his books. He was asked two questions. Were these his books? And would he take back what was in them? He said yes, they were his, but asked for time to think about the second question. He was given one day.

On April 18 he came back and gave his answer, first in German and then in Latin. The words recorded at the time are some of the most famous in church history. He said that unless he was convinced by the testimony of Scripture or by clear reason, he was bound by the Scriptures he had quoted. His conscience was captive to the Word of God. He could not and would not recant, because going against conscience was neither safe nor right. Then he said, God help me. Amen.

Did Luther Really Say Here I Stand?

The line Here I stand, I can do no other, appears in the earliest printed version of his speech. It is not in some of the notes taken in the room, so historians are not sure he said those exact words. It may have been added by printers who felt it captured the moment. Either way, it is exactly what he did. He stood.

But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29

Why Was Luther Hidden at the Wartburg?

A few weeks later the emperor signed the Edict of Worms in May 1521. It declared Luther an outlaw. Anyone could kill him without being punished, and his books were to be burned. Frederick the Wise had a plan. On May 4, as Luther traveled home through the forest, armed horsemen grabbed him from his wagon. Many thought he was dead. In fact Frederick's men took him to Wartburg Castle near Eisenach.

There Luther grew a beard, dressed like a knight and went by the name Knight George. He was lonely, sick and fought fierce spiritual battles. He called the castle his Patmos, after the island where John wrote Revelation. A popular legend says he threw an inkwell at the devil and left a stain on the wall. The ink spot shown to tourists has been touched up many times, so take that one with a grain of salt.

How Did Luther Translate the New Testament So Fast?

Working from the Greek text of Erasmus, Luther translated the whole New Testament into German in about 11 weeks during the winter of 1521 to 1522. He wanted it to sound like real people talking. He said a translator should listen to the mother at home, the children in the street and the common man in the market. Philip Melanchthon helped him polish it after he returned to Wittenberg in March 1522.

It was printed in September 1522 and is called the September Testament. The first printing sold out fast, and a corrected edition followed in December. Ordinary Germans could now read the words of Jesus in their own language. You can read about the full Bible that followed in the article on Luther's Complete German Bible.

What Happened After Worms?

The Edict of Worms was never fully enforced in the lands of princes who supported Luther. In 1529, when Catholic leaders tried to enforce it, the Lutheran princes made a formal protest. That is where the word Protestant comes from. Luther lived on in Wittenberg as an outlaw for the rest of his life, preaching, teaching and writing, and he died of natural causes in 1546.

Luther later built his hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God on Psalm 46, which calls God our refuge and strength. He knew what it meant to have no safe place except God. His confidence came from the message he refused to take back.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek. Romans 1:16

Why It Matters for You Today

Luther was not stubborn for the sake of it. He said again and again that he would gladly change his mind if someone showed him from the Bible that he was wrong. That is a great model. Hold your convictions humbly, test them by Scripture, and when you are sure, stand. The same Word that held Luther's conscience is the Word you have in your hands.

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Questions People Ask

What did Luther say at the Diet of Worms?

On April 18, 1521, Luther said that unless he was convinced by Scripture or clear reason, his conscience was captive to the Word of God and he could not recant. He ended with God help me. Amen.

Did Luther actually say Here I stand?

The words Here I stand, I can do no other appear in the earliest printed version of his speech, but not in all the notes taken at the time. Historians are not sure he said them, though they fit what he did.

What was the Edict of Worms?

Signed by Emperor Charles V in May 1521, the Edict of Worms declared Luther an outlaw and banned his writings. It was never fully enforced because many German princes protected Luther and his followers.

How long did it take Luther to translate the New Testament?

Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German in about 11 weeks while hiding at Wartburg Castle in the winter of 1521 to 1522. It was published in September 1522.

Sources

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