The Augsburg Confession's Controversial Articles: What the Reformers Rejected

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

June 13, 2026

2 min read

Oil painting of Reformation theologians debating controversial articles before Emperor Charles V in dramatic candlelight

The Augsburg Confession has two parts. Articles I through XXI present Lutheran doctrine positively, showing its continuity with Scripture and the early church. Articles XXII through XXVIII address specific abuses in the Roman church that the Lutherans had reformed. This second part reveals where the practical conflicts of the Reformation were most intense.

Communion in Both Kinds

Article XXII defended giving the cup to the laity at the Lord's Supper. In Roman practice, only the priest received the wine; the laity received only bread. The Reformers argued from Christ's institution: He gave both bread and cup to His disciples and said drink of it, all of you. Withholding the cup from the congregation had no scriptural warrant and symbolized a clergy-laity divide that undermined the priesthood of all believers.

Mandatory Clerical Celibacy and Monastic Vows

Articles XXIII and XXVII challenged mandatory clerical celibacy and monastic vows. The Reformers argued that both had been elevated to a quasi-meritorious status that undermined the doctrine of grace. Luther himself had left the monastery and married, and he defended the freedom of clergy to marry on both scriptural and pastoral grounds.

The Mass as Sacrifice

Article XXIV addressed the Mass. The Reformers accepted the Lord's Supper but rejected the teaching that the Mass was a sacrifice propitiating God for the living and the dead. If the Mass adds to or re-presents Christ's sacrifice, then Calvary's once-for-all atonement is implicitly insufficient. The Augsburg Confession drew the line here as clearly as anywhere in the document.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the controversial articles of the Augsburg Confession?

Articles XXII–XXVIII of the Augsburg Confession address disputed practices: communion in both kinds, clerical marriage, private masses, confession, monastic vows, and the authority of bishops. These articles argue that Reformation practices were corrections of abuses, not departures from the ancient church.

Why did the Reformers insist on communion in both kinds?

The Reformers argued that Christ's institution of the Lord's Supper explicitly included both bread and wine for all communicants. Withholding the cup from laypeople had no scriptural warrant and contradicted Christ's own command: 'Drink of it, all of you' (Matthew 26:27).

How did the Augsburg Confession handle the question of clerical marriage?

Article XXIII argues that the requirement of celibacy for priests is a human regulation, not a divine command, and that it has caused immense harm. Since Paul permitted marriage for church leaders and Scripture nowhere forbids it, the Reformers saw priestly marriage as a legitimate and scripturally grounded practice.

Did the Augsburg Confession reject church authority entirely?

No. Article XXVIII acknowledges the authority of bishops but argues that their authority is spiritual — to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments — not civil. The Reformers objected to bishops exercising coercive temporal power and inventing laws that bind consciences beyond what Scripture teaches.

← Back to all articles