StL4a: Walther on Vol. 2-Luther's Genesis, better than church fathers, no fault with Scripture

      This continues from Part 3e (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series on the St. Louis Edition (StL) of Luther's complete writings in English. — This new 4-part sub-series presents Walther's second announcement and review of a new volume in the St. Louis Edition, Volume 2. This is the first book review with extensive comments promoting the Genesis exposition, and this edition. Walther gives us the inside story on how this edition was produced, and why there was a delay. But more than that, Walther begins one of the best promotions of Luther's writings ever written. 

(From Der Lutheraner, vol. 37 p. 113-115 (No. 15, Aug. 1, 1881)[EN] (all underlining and bolding follows Walther's emphasis):

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Dr. Martin Luther's

Interpretation of the First Book of Moses.

Second part.

Edited in German by Dr. J.G. Walch.

Newly published on behalf of the Ministry of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States.

St. Louis, Mo. “Concordia Lutheran Publishing House.” 

(M. C. Barthel, Agent.) 1881. 

It is with great pleasure that we inform our dear readers that this second part of the complete writings of Luther, published by Walch, is now ready for dispatch in a new edition with God's help. With the appearance of this volume in impeccable, yes, in every respect excellent layout goes in this so gloomy time of a bitter dispute for our American Lutheran Church — God be praised for it! — a brightly shining star of peace is rising.

Let it not alienate anyone that this second part appears later than the readers might have hoped and than the editors had hoped. The large work is stereotyped, so that at any time, when the supply comes to an end, new copies can be produced without delay. However, since the stereotype plates could not always be produced all at once in our own establishment, the temporary dependence on the stereotypist outside our printing plant caused a delay, the prevention of which was beyond the power of our managing directors. When Walch's edition of Luther's complete writings came out for the first time, they appeared within the short period of fourteen years, namely in the years 1740-1753. Already in the first year, the publisher Gebauer in Halle was able to deliver no less than four volumes to its subscribers. Of course, volume after volume of our new edition will not be able to follow so quickly one after the other. However, as great a test of patience this may be for some of our dear Godly subscribers, the appearance of the individual volumes in longer intervals may also have its good side. In this way, it will be possible for the less well-off to gradually come into possession of the entire work.

The second part before us contains the second major half of Luther's lectures on the first book of Moses [Genesis], namely the interpretation of chapter 25, verse 11, up to the conclusion, chapter 50, verse 26. Whoever has this part together with the first part possesses a priceless treasure. Not only does it give him an insight into the true meaning of the first book of Moses, but it also gives him the key to the entire Holy Scripture, for, as Luther writes, from the first book of Moses “flowed as from a well of all the prophetic books, even the entire New Testament, which is promised in it.” (XIV, 170 [StL14, 148]) Everything that even the best church fathers before Luther wrote about the first book of Moses is to Luther's interpretation of it what the half-light of twilight is to the brightness of the noonday Sun.   

What until then no one had found in the simple words of Moses, the Holy Spirit has opened to the ceaselessly praying and pondering Luther and that he now shares with his listeners in his lectures on the first book of Moses in a fresh and powerful stream of words. From the few words with which Moses describes the prehistory of the Kingdom of God in Genesis, Luther knows how to create such a vivid picture that it is to the attentive reader as if he experienced everything and saw it before his eyes. Luther portrays the Old Testament saints as if they had been New Testament believing Christians, and yet one sees that Luther does not invent anything, but as a master in the exposition of Scripture really takes everything from his holy text and, as it were, eavesdrops on it. 

Often a single word, which until then all readers and interpreters had completely overlooked, becomes a star that radiates the brightest and sweetest light. Yes, what until then had seemed almost offensive to others in Mose’s reports not only loses all apparent offensiveness through the illumination it receives through Luther's interpretation, but also becomes to the devout believing reader what it is, namely “divine power and divine wisdom.” The reason for this is that Luther did not, like the theologians of the newfangled faith, find fault with the Holy Scriptures [Column 3] as if they were a book of fables stitched together with a few grains of gold, but that he believed in the Holy Scriptures as the Word of the great God from the heart. 

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As Luther provided the ultimate exposition of Genesis, so Walther provides the best promotion of it.  In the next Part 4b…