It's November the 24th, 1520.

Vittenberg, the elector of Saxony, Frederick, has an ulterior motive for protecting Luther.

Students flock in droves to Frederick's university to sit under Dr Luther's tutelage.

It's the fastest growing university in Europe.

Frederick's goal of making Vittenberg the Rome of the North

is becoming a reality. But there's little peace for Luther. Students clamor

around him, badger him with questions, hang on his replies, and on this evening one such student sits at an old oak trestle table in the Augustinian cloister to have dinner with Luther.

Head on what was God doing before he created the world?

He was busy creating health for foolish students who ask these sorts of questions.

The young man tries to move on to safer territory. He asks a question about

grammar instead. Every schoolboy knows that verbs in the imperative mood show what ought to be done.

And what is done or can be done should be expressed by words in the indicative.

How is it that Erasmus and so many theologians are twice as stupid as school boys?

As soon as they get hold of a single imperative verb, they infer an indicative meaning. As though the moment a thing is commanded, it is done. Or, more to the point, can be done.

But Her Doctor, are we not commanded to hear, to come, to repent, to believe, to resist the devil

to obey?

Oh, we are indeed.

And might I add, we are commanded to be holy, to be perfect as well.

And how has mankind done in those departments?

Hmm?

All these scriptures you cite are imperative.

They prove and establish nothing about the ability of man,

...