StL5b: Luther’s writings unique, for all places, all time; Walther “only imitated Luther”

      This continues from Part 5a (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series on the St. Louis Edition (StL) of Luther's complete writings in English. —  Pieper places Luther's writings in the proper context for Christian readers: Luther’s writings were unique among man’s writings, they were for all places, and for all time.  And what about Walther?

(From Der Lutheraner, vol. 63 p. 403-405 (No. 26, Dec. 17, 1907) (all underlining and bolding follows Pieper's emphasis):

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Luther's Writings.

[by Franz Pieper; continued from Part 5a]

Among all the human teachers that God gave to His Church after the Apostles” time, one occupies a unique place. This is Luther. Luther is not just a teacher among other teachers, but Luther is the God-appointed Reformer of the Church. Luther is the man through whom God placed the light of the Gospel on the lampstand in the church again, bright and clear, after it had become dark in the church due to the Antichrist. Luther was not just a gift of God for his time.  

Through Luther, God not only wanted to teach the Christians in Wittenberg, in Saxony, in Germany and in the sixteenth century, but through Luther, God wants to teach the Christians of all countries and all times until the Last Day. As God has put the Gospel back on the lampstand through Luther's ministry, so the Church can and should use Luther's ministry until the Last Day, that it may remain by the Bright Light of the Gospel and be preserved from the lies of Antichrist and all false teachers. As it says in the Word of Prophecy, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters,” Revelation 14:6—7. It is true that Luther's bodily voice died away when he committed his spirit into God's hands on February 18, 1546. But we have his writings. We should and will read his writings and thus, according to God's will, use the gifts and ministry of this unique teacher to guide us into the Scriptures and to keep us in the Scriptures against all seduction.

Of course, God has given many great teachers to our Lutheran Church. These also still speak to us in the writings they left behind. And we also value these writings highly and use them gladly. But if we ask these great men — they have spoken on this point — what they think of Luther, they speak similarly to Luther's contemporary, Urbanus Rhegius, who said, “We all write and expound Scripture, but compared to Luther, we are disciples.” 

And blessed Dr. Walther held Luther's writings in such high esteem that he used to say that what he (Walther) taught, he only imitated Luther. Walther judged that any, even the greatest, collection of theological books is incomplete if it does not contain Luther's writings. He wrote in his Pastorale: “Luther's works are an almost inexhaustible treasure trove for all branches of theology; they are such a rich treasury that they alone can replace a large library, but cannot be replaced by any collection of books, no matter how large.” (p. 13 [CPH Pastoral Theology, p. 20]) We would be acting unwise if we were to acquire and read all kinds of other human books, but leave Luther's writings unused. Walther therefore also advised the congregations to purchase Luther's works by the congregation and at the congregation's expense in order to make them available to their pastors if they did not have the means to purchase Luther's writings themselves.

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In the next Part 5c…