How to Get to Heaven with Money

In the 16th century, “How to Get to Heaven with Money” wasn’t just an idea—it was real.
It was called an indulgence.

📖 I Have No Other Choice

— The story of Martin Luther, a dramatic retelling of the Reformation

1. “You can buy heaven… with money?”

In the early 1500s, something strange and unsettling was sweeping across Europe.

On the streets, priests in crimson robes shouted,

“As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs!”

In their hands was a piece of paper sealed with an ornate emblem.

It was called an indulgence—a costly certificate claiming to grant forgiveness of sins.

Martin Luther, a theology professor at the University of Wittenberg and an Augustinian monk, found himself deeply troubled as he studied Romans 1:17:

“The righteous shall live by faith.”

The Bible clearly taught that salvation came through faith.

Yet the Church was telling people they could escape punishment for their sins—by buying indulgences.

Luther heard that Johann Tetzel was preaching across Germany, saying,

“When the coin rings, the soul flies to heaven.”

So he began to write down his objections. Ninety-five of them.

2. “I will ask. And I will post.”

October 31, 1517.

Luther stood before the Castle Church door in Wittenberg with a sheet of paper in hand.

On it were his 95 Theses.

• “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ he intended that the entire life of believers should be one of repentance.”
  
  
• “Sermons that teach people to give money to the pope instead of helping the poor are wrong.”
  
  
• “True forgiveness comes from genuine repentance—not from indulgences.”
  
  
• “If the pope can save souls, why does he need money to do it?”
  
  

He nailed the paper firmly to the door.

People gathered, curious.

Thanks to the newly developed printing press, his words spread like wildfire across Europe.

3. “Excommunicate him!”

Luther’s theses were a direct challenge to Church authority.

The Pope excommunicated him, declaring him a heretic.

“Recant, and you will be forgiven,” they told him.

But Luther chose Scripture over papal authority.

He publicly burned the papal decree.

While others trembled before Rome’s power, Luther cried out,

“By faith alone!”

And with that, a revolution of faith had begun.

4. “Do you recant?”

In 1521, Luther was summoned to the Diet of Worms.

Emperor Charles V, noblemen, and theologians filled the hall.

Before Luther stood a pile of his writings.

The emperor asked him,

“Do you recant the contents of these books?”

Luther answered quietly, but firmly,

“I cannot and will not recant anything.

For to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.

Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

Some in the room were enraged.

Others… were moved to tears.

5. “Let the people read God’s Word for themselves.”

After the trial, Luther’s life was in danger.

But in a bold move, Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, staged a kidnapping to protect him.

Luther was hidden away in Wartburg Castle, a remote fortress.

There, in secret, he began translating the Bible into German.

For the first time, ordinary people could read Scripture for themselves.

Until then, only Latin Bibles were allowed—and only clergy could read them.

But now, people could read.

They could ask their own questions.

They could believe for themselves.

This wasn’t just a matter of language.

It was a revolution over who owned the faith.

6. And the Church began to shake.

Luther’s voice echoed across Europe.

In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli.

In France, John Calvin.

In Scotland, John Knox.

Each one, in their own way, worked to recover a faith centered on the Word.

They became known as Protestants—those who protested.

But their protest wasn’t just complaint.

It was a desperate cry to return to God.

🔚 And now, today

Until the end of his life, Luther never “left” the Church.

He always said,

“Let’s restore it.”

But the Church left him.

Now, 500 years later, we speak of salvation by faith as if it’s obvious.

But someone once risked everything for that truth.

And cried out:

“Here I stand. I can do no other.”

He stood on faith—and could not step back.

The Church has always been shaken.

Why is that?

Why do we speak of Scripture, yet use God as a tool to justify our own desires?

When Jesus came,

When Luther cried out for reform,

It was often in God’s name that people stood in the way of God.

And what about me?

I say I’m doing things “for God,”

But could it be… I’m really just trying to protect my own convictions, my comfort, my advantage?

Like Saul before he met Jesus, chasing down believers in the name of righteousness—

Is it possible that I, too, in my deepest sincerity, am working against God?

And if so…

Wouldn’t that be the saddest—and most terrifying—thing in the world?

👉Also available in: Chinese · Korean

---

※ This essay is a creative retelling based on historical events and recorded speeches. Some expressions have been adapted for clarity and impact.

Sources:

1. Luther, Martin. The 95 Theses, 1517.
   
   
2. Proceedings of the Diet of Worms, 1521.
   
   
3. Sproul, R. C. The Reformation: A History.
   
   
4. Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works, Vol. 31–33.
   
   
5. Luther’s German Bible.
   
   
6. Hans Conzelmann et al., History of the Reformation, Korean edition.
   
   
7. “As soon as a coin in the coffer rings…” – Attributed to Johann Tetzel, though direct sources remain debated.

---

© 2025 Glory Kim. All rights reserved.

This essay is an original work by the author Glory Kim.

Unauthorized reproduction, modification, or commercial use is strictly prohibited.

---