Paul Gerhardt's hymns - complete listing, translated: “he sang the Gospel”; Willkomm's “Foreword”

      Paul Gerhardt is recognized within the Lutheran Church as its greatest hymn writer, after Martin Luther.  I recently learned of a complete listing of Gerhardt's hymns that was published in Germany in 1906 for the 300-year Jubilee: Paul Gerhardts sämtliche Lieder. Jubiläums-Volksausgabe.  I had to see how the hymn verses would translate with the DeepL Translator.  I was rather surprised at the results, and decided to publish them below, even though it is only a machine translation.  Many hours were spent hyperlinking this.  It can be useful in comparing to published English language hymnals, to see how faithful the human translators were to Gerhardt's original meaning in the original German language.  It may even stir someone into producing their own polished translations into English, or other languages, for their own hymns. 

      What pleased me most when finding this listing was that the “Foreword” was written by Otto Willkomm, a companion missionary of Carl Manthey Zorn who also left the erring Leipzig Mission Society (pictured here).  Willkomm, rather than emigrate to America with Zorn, stayed in Germany and became President of the separated Lutheran Free Church after the passing of Pastor Ruhland.  (He also wrote the “Foreword” to the book of Pastor Ruhland's sermons.) — 

      >>> So what made the hymns of Paul Gerhardt so special?  Read Willkomm's “Foreword”, which gives perhaps the greatest tribute to Gerhardt, given for the 300-year Jubilee celebration. This “Foreword” deserves to be given prominence here:

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Foreword.

The Lutheran Church owes its name of the singing church to the Reformer and his followers. For Luther was not only the brave confessor, but also a God-gifted singer of God's great miracle, and with his childlike, simple songs, yet so deeply grounded in the Word of God, he sang the Gospel, for which he risked his life, into the hearts of the German people. That is why he is justly called the Wittenberg Nightingale. But the fact that the Lutheran church has remained the singing church is due in large part to Paul Gerhardt, whose complete hymns are herewith presented again to the German people in a jubilee edition. Paul Gerhardt is a singer of the Lutheran Church, the church of the pure word and sacrament. Like Luther's and his contemporaries and pupils, a Speratus, Nik. Hermann, Joh. Matthesius, Nik. Selnecker, and others, Gerhardt's songs contain pure doctrine, the doctrine of the divine Word. Although in them the subjective moment asserts itself more strongly, in that the poet dwells more on what we humans feel in relation to the divine acts of salvation, and emphasizes more what God works in us and accomplishes through us, and has composed special songs for almost all situations and circumstances of human life, his songs are just as far from playing with human emotions, as is found in the pietistic songs, as from (page IV) the dry manner with which the rationalist songs refer to the particular circumstances. Gerhardt's songs rest firmly on God's clear and true word. They are far from any deviation from the wholesome example of the apostolic and prophetic words. It has been dared to claim that Gerhardt, the indomitable confessor and tolerator of the elector's efforts at union, has promoted the union through his songs more than the elector. For many of his songs were such that they could also be sung by Reformed people. This is certainly true with regard to songs that deal with general Christian truths. But that a Reformed person could honestly sing Gerhardt's songs about baptism and the Lord's Supper is inconceivable, because in them the glorious benefits of the sacraments are praised above all, but this is done only on the basis of a clearly expressed confession of the essence of the sacraments. Nor are the various situations and conditions of human life, together with their duties, discussed in a rational manner, but are praised from God's Word and illuminated with God's Word.

Paul Gerhardt is in a special way the singer of the Lutheran Church of all times and places. His songs are so full of poetry and melody that everyone likes to sing them and they have therefore caught on very quickly, to which, of course, the work of the composer, the cantor Johannes Crüger, has contributed a great deal. But this work was greatly facilitated precisely by the melodic manner of Gerhardt's poems. And because Gerhardt's songs are truly poetic, they have also survived the attempts at improvement and watering down of later times, (page V) and so they are still alive among the people almost in their original form. At least this is true of a number of them, which form, so to speak, the iron stock of every hymnbook. And quite a number of Gerhardt's songs have been translated into foreign languages, partly in the same rhythm.

In March of next year (it is no longer possible to determine the day, but the 12th of March is usually given), it will be 300 years since this God-gifted singer was born. This anniversary will be celebrated in many places. But so that it does not pass without lasting blessing, there is nothing better than that his songs, all his songs, should again become quite well known. To make this possible is the purpose of this inexpensive jubilee popular edition of his songs. May the purpose be achieved and this booklet with its beautiful content become a companion for many through good and bad days, cheerful and gloomy hours! May the words of the well-tried cross-bearer be a balm for many sore hearts!

So go forth, dear little book, and in this last afflicted time, help the Christian people of the German tongue to praise the one of whom Gerhardt sings:

“My consolation, my treasure, my light and salvation,

My highest good and life”,

and continue with such praise until it becomes

“My weeping shall be wine,

My moans will be pure rejoicing!”

O. Willkomm.

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Paul Gerhardt: not Pietist, not Rationalist, not Reformed, but Lutheran.

     What a thrill it was to read Willkomm's words which even more encouraged me to produce the below translated and hyperlinked document:

The above English translated file may be directly accessed here;   

For German readers, the original German text is available here (with hyperlinks).

      As Willkomm sent out his “dear little book”, so I send out the above translation of his book “in this last afflicted time, (to) help the Christian people of the German English tongue.”  SDG.

Walther's greatest letter? To Carl Manthey Zorn: “you have not been ashamed of us” (Part 4, Walther's Letters)

      The following letter of Walther in 1876 was not included in Ludwig Fuerbringer's or Martin Guenther's published letters. It was published by the one to whom it was written. Carl Manthey Zorn, a missionary in the well known Leipzig Missionary Society who resigned, included Walther's letter in a 1912 book on his reflections of his own life (Dies und Das aus frühem Amtsleben).  I have not seen where this letter has been translated into English before – perhaps Concordia Historical Institute provided this in one of their publications, but it does not seem to be generally available.  As I translated this letter, it became apparent that it is one of the most significant and striking letters of Walther, one that impacted the larger Lutheran Church.

Zorn, O. Willkomm, F. Zucker
after leaving Leipzig Mission

      This letter is in stark contrast to the one that Walther wrote to the German student Fackler six years earlier, where he urged the student to stay in his church until they throw him out.  Zorn and his companions resigned the Leipzig Missionary Society because of continuing tolerance of false doctrine and practice.  But what struck me was Walther's spiritual vehemence against the erring Germans!

Some quotes from this letter:

“You have not been ashamed… also of us. — The confession of our church is the unadulterated Word of God. — The name retained is only the stamp of hypocrisy. — But whoever recognizes this must, if he does not want to be lost… go out from it. — Those who have recognized these depths and yet remain… will one day not stand before God with their unbelief. — When the wolves are put together with the sheep, the latter do not tame the former, but the wolves tear them apart. — So staying in such unionist fellowships becomes the cause that the false and unbelievers corrupt the believers and gradually eat up the church skin and hair. — Or if you cannot remain in East India, come to America.”

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From Zorn's Dies und Das aus frühem Amtsleben, p. 34-37; translation by BackToLuther, all highlighting , and hyperlinks are mine.

St. Louis, February 11, 1876.

Dear, dear brother in the Lord!

God's grace and comfort above all!

Your “Declaration” and that of the brothers associated with you has reached me and has already been published in our Der Lutheraner of the 1st of this month [February 1 issue]. You have given us an unspeakable joy through this public declaration. Without suspecting that so soon a testimony would reach my hands that we have in you faithful companions in faith and confession, I had reported to the readers in the previous number of January 15 [p. 15] that a glorious work of God was in the offing among you in East India, a sincere return to the church of the Reformation. If this news had already drawn the eyes of all righteous Lutherans here to East India, I now hear that even more are now praising God abundantly for the abundant grace through many thanksgivings. Your “Declaration” has mightily strengthened many believers in these frightening times. O give thanks that you have not been ashamed not only of the truth, but also of us, the least and most despised confessors of it. God reward you for this in time and eternity! Without a doubt, many prayers for you in America are now rising up to God daily. A few days after the arrival of your “Declaration” I also received your dear letter informing us of your present position and situation. I cannot tell you how great our joy became. The more we had experienced rejection of our testimony for the old doctrine of Luther and its consequences almost everywhere, and it seemed to us as if no one wanted to take the disgrace from us or to bear with us that we were a new sect, the more we saw a dawn shining in your communications. We had to say a cheerful yes and amen to everything you wrote about the ground on which you stand and about the steps you have already taken. Since you hinted that you could easily be embarrassed with regard to food and clothing as a result of a suspension already threatened to you, we immediately (on January 21) sent a cable dispatch to you asking whether you were in need of money, with the remark that we had already paid the price of a return dispatch to be sent by you to us (page 35). We were told at the telegraph office that we would soon receive an answer. So I waited for the same, especially because you yourself had expressed the fear that our answer would “hardly” reach you, since you would probably have to vacate your post very soon. Perhaps it was foolish, however, that I did not answer immediately, even at the risk that my letter might not reach you. So I do not want to wait any longer. You cannot know with any certainty how we stand here with regard to the steps you have taken, since we have not yet exchanged a word about the concrete ecclesiastical conditions in our homeland and about your involvement in them.

Since God has brought you to the conviction that the confession of our church is the unadulterated Word of God and the voice of the whole holy Christian church of all times on the whole globe, could not and should not, according to our conviction, act in any other way than you have acted. It is true that the Leipzig Mission is an institute of such ecclesiastical fellowships which have not yet given up the name Lutheran, have not yet completely abolished the confessions and lay claim to the character of Lutheran churches. But what is the use of not officially declaring oneself united, while the very worst union permeates the whole ecclesiastical organism like a leaven? An ecclesiastical fellowship which trains and equips its preachers with men who teach almost no article of the faith purely and who reject even primary fundamental articles, sometimes in reverse and sometimes outright; an ecclesiastical fellowship which, while not abolishing the confession, puts the obligation to it on screws, in order to give the enemies of the truth the possibility of remaining in its midst and to keep them back, at least for a time, from an ecclesiastical revolution which is now only too easy to carry through; an ecclesiastical fellowship which tolerates all kinds of unbelievers and false believers in its pulpits and has its own children poisoned and murdered with obviously fundamental false teaching: such a fellowship may call itself what it will, it is United [Prussian Union]; the name retained is only the stamp of hypocrisy which it thereby expresses. (Page 36) But whoever recognizes this must, if he does not want to be lost and become a partaker of the punitive judgments of the apostate church, go out from it. As far as we are from throwing out the baby with the bathwater and claiming that even those in the State Churches who “have not recognized the depths of Satan” are lost, it is clear to us that the apostate church is not the only one who is lost. It is clear to us that those who have recognized these depths and yet remain, whether out of concern that otherwise everything will fall to pieces, or out of timidity before the cross, which always follows the confession of the deed, will one day not stand before God with their unbelief, which puts the church on the basis of human wisdom, and with their denial, which wants to follow Christ but not deny itself. The blindness is horrifying and already a sign of God's judgment on the proven unfaithfulness, that one does not see how waiting does not stop the fall of the church, but rather makes it more and more frightening. As when the wolves are put together with the sheep, the latter do not tame the former, but the wolves tear them apart, as the Lord says, so staying in such unionist fellowships becomes the cause that the false and unbelievers corrupt the believers and gradually eat up the church skin and hair. Woe to those who look on calmly, be it out of church politics, struck with blindness, be it out of love for the world! It is true, as our confession testifies [Power and Primacy of the Pope, § 42, after the German]: “It is hard to want to separate from so many countries and people and to lead a particular doctrine. But here is God's command, that everyone should beware and not be united (socii) with those who lead unrighteous doctrine or intend to maintain it with rage.” Those who stay persuade themselves that they must do so in order to preserve the Gospel and its goods for the poor people, but in their blindness they do not see that by staying they are not preserving the Gospel for the people, but taking it away, and that the only way of salvation is to flee the holy vessels from Babylon. One credits oneself and consoles oneself with the fact that there are no longer so many rationalists in the pulpits of the State Churches, and that the number of believing pastors has grown considerably and the knowledge has become clearer. But O! miserable consolation! The more God has done to open eyes, the more resolute obedience He now demands, having “overlooked the time of ignorance.” (page 37)

So then, dear brothers, stand firm! Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! Do not give way, for His soul will not be pleased with those who give way. Though we are few in number, and though our adversaries may say, “My name is Legion, for we are many,” [Mark 5:9] yet the Lord is with us, against whom millions are but a drop in the bucket. “Just fresh in, it won't be that deep!” [hymn by M. Konegehl] God cannot become a liar. He cannot abandon in His glory those who, even if all the world abandons them, do not want to give away one iota of His pure Word. Even if we remain small, we remain a salt and a light; but the salt and light need not be so much as that which it is to salt and to illuminate.

Should you not succeed with your conditions, our opinion is this: either you remain in East India, if you can continue your mission there, and we offer ourselves as your providers with the means for this poor life, namely we Missourians, with whom all synods belonging to the Synodical Conference, of which our Missouri Synod is a part, will unite in any case; or if you cannot remain in East India, come to America. Here is work and bread for you all, though only a modest part. Ten per parish will open their doors to receive you with wife and child for the waiting period. It would not be a burden for us to receive you, but a high honor of which we do not even consider ourselves worthy, namely the honor of receiving confessors and with them the Lord Jesus Himself. What you need beforehand, just report to us as God's treasurers, and as much as God gives us, we will happily share with you.

My colleagues, Professors Schaller, Günther and Schmidt, as well as the local pastors Brohm, Bünger, Brauer, Link, Sapper, Töwe and Lenk greet you with brotherly love.

It commands you all to the divine guidance for the temporal and eternal salvation of all of you and for the consolation of the Church in these last sorrowful times.

Your brother and companion in tribulation

and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ

C. F. W. Walther

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      As I studied Walther's letter and the background of this situation, I found a striking similarity between what was going on in the Leipzig Missionary Society and what happened within the Missouri Synod after the death of Franz Pieper. After the 1974 Walkout, the so-called "moderates" were given space for their doubts, and now have turned the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod into the church of "Moderates", just like the unionistic Leipzig Mission Society.  And we see Walther's counsel for those remaining in the LC-MS today.

The “war-mad” Luther? Pieper proves false (100 years ago)

      100 years ago, in 1921, the world was still recovering from the First World War (World War I, or WWI).  Tensions were still high, and we see that Martin Luther was the object of charges regarding war itself.  Franz Pieper describes one of the charges made, and then demonstrates, from Luther's own words, that the charge was false:

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Lehre und Wehre, vol 67 (1921), p. 92-93; translation by BackToLuther

The “war-mad” Luther. Some years ago, during an occasional stay in New York, we read an article in a New York newspaper in which Luther was also referred to as the cause of the World War. [World War I] The reason given was that Luther had given the advice to suppress the peasant uprising by force of arms. A few weeks ago we were confronted with the same claim, albeit on different grounds. Well, Luther's judgment on revolutions is well known. He sees every revolution as a sin against Rom.13:1 ff. At the same time, Luther occasionally reads the text to the superiors of the peasant revolt because of tyrannical oppression of the peasants in such a way that one must come to the conviction that God's hand protected him from violence on the part of the spiritual and secular superiors. Luther's position on war in general is also known. On the one hand, Luther firmly condemns every unjust war, on the other hand, he teaches that a just war, waged not for the sake of conquest but for the necessary defense of the country, is not sinful, but a work pleasing to God. But Luther is not “war-mad,” but the great peace-man who advises “arbitration” before one takes up arms, and declares “the lust for war,” whether it be out of lordship or for other selfish reasons, to be the work of the devil and frenzy. At this point Luther also turns against the "classical" poets, such as Homer and Virgil, who glorify the "glory of war", and warns Christians not to let themselves be infected by the lust for war by reading these poets. Luther says on Ps. 14:2: 

“Do they,” the depraved men, “not praise most highly among all things that which is the very worst? For who does not make the glory of war (bellorum gloriam), that is the shedding of human blood, the epitome of virtue among men? What are Homer, Virgil and the other poets of heroic songs other than the most blood-soaked and cruel instigators, inciters and eulogists of murderers, tyrants and the most terrible enemies of human blood and race? so that there is danger for a Christian man, when he reads their books, he may want to soak up the inclination to this bloody fame, or, tickled by the honeyed eloquence, or rather, corrupted by the innate thirst for human blood, to delight in such great murder of the human race. Therefore, to say nothing of dirty poets and love poems: if men were intact in all other things, would not the desire to acquire (belli libido) [lust for war] alone prove with full right that they are all quite nonsensical (insanissimos) to the last man? Dear ones, how great is this anger! What a darkness it is that one can even rejoice, sing and praise the slaughter, defeat, blood, murder and all the misfortune that war brings with it, when it would be fitting to weep tears of blood over them all, especially when war is not waged on God's command, but out of senseless lust for dominion, as the heathen have done and still do and today, unfortunately of God, even the Christians, the people of peace, the children of God, do even more cruelly than all the heathen. So leave this praise to Homer [page 93] and similar people, where Horace speaks: Post quos insignis Homerus Tyrtaeusque mares animos in Martia bella versibus exacuit (after these the excellent Homer and Tyrtaeus inspired mens’ hearts with verses to the wars sacred to Mars) [Mars: Roman god of war]. A Christian should know, however, that this angry praise from angry people is excellent in the eyes of the children of men, but an extreme abomination in the eyes of God. And so it happens that the poets, the eulogists of the sins of men, do so, as all confess, that the lines of poetry flow to them much more fully and better when they are about the works of Mars or Venus [war or “love”] than when they are about works of peace or chastity or of any divine thing.” (St. L. IV, 893 f.) [not in Am. Ed. vol. 10]  

Even now after the war [WWI] we still see the world full of “lust for war”, which continues to try all means not to let peace come. How great patience God has for Christ's sake toward us men that He is still holding back with His great Judgment Day!    F. P. [Franz Pieper]

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      I was struck by Luther's characterization of war as the devil's work.  No one has deplored war more than… Martin Luther. No one was more a man of peace than… Martin Luther. — It gives me some comfort in today's world to read that Luther was under attack even in the “good old days”. Franz Pieper knew Luther well, and properly defended him with a quote that negates the false charge. — And so, just like 100 years ago, Lutherans and all Christians are to remain resolute in the Truth, that is the One who said “I am the way, the truth, and the life”, John 14:6.

2 Bible instructional books - Drewes & Zorn; best of Old Missouri - in English

 [2021-01-17: I have been informed that both books are available as reprints – see notes in red]

      Christian education is extremely important, so much so that I would recommend the follow two books as very good instructional resources published by Old Missouri.  Both authors were thoroughly "Missourian", i.e. Biblical, Lutheran.  No Reformed teacher is as good as these teachers. No scholarly teacher of today surpasses them. A bonus is that these books were published in the English language – no translation needed.

(1) C. F. Drewes, Introduction to the Books of the Bible, CPH 1929

      As I was returning to my Christian faith after falling away, I discovered this book and devoured it as a quick way to know and understand the Bible for what it is – God's Book.  From the Foreword: 

“The valuable information contained in this book will add greatly to intelligent Bible-reading in family worship, in schools and Bible classes, and in the private study of Scripture by Bible students. A knowledge of the language, composition, writer, authenticity, and outline of the various books of the Bible as given in this little volume will deepen the interest and add to the understanding of God’s Book.”

It is simply worded, not critical of the Bible text in any way, and imminently qualified for teaching – from youths to adults. It is perfect for parents to use with their at-home children. Drewes ministered to black people during a time when they may have been less educated and so would have needed the basics of Christian teaching in simple language, just as I did 20+ years ago. Even now as I look it over again, I want to stop and read it because it draws me in. — The text of this book may be downloaded as a DOCX file >> here <<. [This book is available from CPH as a Print-On-Demand book here.]

(2) Carl Manthey Zorn, Handbook for the Beginner’s Home Study In The Word of God, CPH 1907.

      I ran across this book while researching the publications of Pastor Zorn and determined that it would be an excellent, appropriate instructional text. From the Preface: 

“I have in this book compiled a very brief Bible History and a short exposition of the Catechism, and have given it in the manner in which I have for years instructed adults. I have endeavored to speak simply and intelligibly to everyone. I do not take for granted either human learning or religious knowledge… I have tried to hold the reader’s attention. The Bible History is given in the words of Scripture. The exposition of the Catechism is that of the church of the true faith.”

For those that would like access to the text of this book for ease of translation to another language, they may download the DOCX file >> here <<. [Available as a reprint here on Amazon here]

Paul McCain- last comment to BTL; his passing (The Book in his hands)

      The following post was prompted by 2 factors, the first of which was my previous blog post “W-Ltrs3: When to leave a church”.  The second is covered by this blog…

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      It was quite a surprise for me – that when searching for a recent picture of Rev. Paul T. McCain, up popped his Obituary († Nov. 25, 2020) from the LC-MS Reporter with their photo of him at right (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford).  He was 58 years old. I had blogged a year ago about his name becoming less visible on CPH's website in recent years. (A commenter assured me that he was still CPH Publisher.) — I chose the LCMS Reporter's picture to represent him, which shows him holding up an old CPH Luther German Bibel. 

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      What made his passing especially surprising for me was that I had received a public comment from him on my blog 2 months prior to his passing, on September 27, 2020.  I had not published that comment… until today as I had decided at that time that I had responded sufficiently to him (here and here) on his earlier sharp rebuke and warning over 8 years ago.  What did he say to me, and my blog Back To Luther, back in 2012? 

Rev. Paul T. McCainApril 11, 2012 at 1:16 PM

If you are not attending the Divine Service of Word and Sacrament, all these blog posts are useless to you, and for you.

Repent and return to Christ.

That rebuke was stinging for me, but I knew in my heart that what I wrote was true, even if it was a stinging polemic against the LC-MS.  Since 2012, my blog had received no more comments from Rev. McCain (CPH Publisher)… until September 2020.  What did Rev. McCain comment on my Part 16 of Hochstetter's History, Chapter 12?

Rev. Paul T. McCainSeptember 27, 2020 at 5:06 PM

Sir, if you are not attending a congregation and receiving our Lord's gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation through the absolution, the sermon, and the Lord's Supper you are placing yourself in a horrendous situation of the risk of eternal damnation.
Take action on this, now.
If you have, wonderful news.

It seemed to me at first that he was offering the same sharp warning all over again.  I drafted a harsh response in a blog post… but never posted it.  However, over the weeks that I let his comment languish without my publishing it, it occurred to me that his most recent comment was quite different from his 2012 comment, which condemned my blog as “useless”. Also missing was his ultimate rebuke to “Repent and return to Christ.” No, Rev. McCain seemed genuinely concerned for my eternal welfare, and was not necessarily discrediting my blog.   After all, how could he condemn the blog post that was Hochstetter's great history of the Predestinarian Controversy? — Another matter concerned the timing of his comment, 5-1/2 weeks after the date of that blog post of August 16, 2020. Was he in failing health at the time of his comment, as the date of his passing was only 2 months away?  I do not know the answer to this.

 
      I have now answered Rev. McCain's strong counsel in my last blog post using Walther's counsel. — One of his best blog posts (cyberbrethren.com) was his exposure of the errors of the (Robert) Kolb/Wengert Book of Concord.  It offers one of the strongest reasons why his “Reader's Edition” of the Book of Concord is dependable – it was based on the venerable Concordia Triglotta. And his last best legacy is his promotion of a “reader's edition” of Luther's sermons: A Year in the Gospels with Martin Luther.

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      I would add the following translation of a short blurb by C.F.W. Walther in Der Lutheraner to honor the book that Rev. McCain is holding in the obituary picture of him – the Heilige Schrift, the Holy Bible. (Der Lutheraner, March 15, 1873, p. 95): 

The Book of all books.

    A French rationalist, Réville by name, tells the following:

   One day, in a meeting of serious-minded men, the question was raised: which book would a man condemned to life imprisonment have to choose, who would be allowed to take only one book into his cell. But there were Catholics, Protestants, philosophers and even materialists, who believe neither in God nor in an immortal soul, together in that society. Which book, do you think, dear reader, will have been suggested by this motley company as the one that one could research daily and yet not explore, with which one could occupy oneself day and night until one's death and yet not get tired of it? — All agreed that the choice could only fall on the Bible! — And do you, dear reader, know any other book? — Think of it! — Certainly, even if you were not a Christian, you would not know any other. What daily bread is to the human body, that is the Bible to the human soul. Happy is he, therefore, who would not only choose this book of all books for his lonely dark prison as his only light and take it with him, but also lets it be the ‘lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path’  [Ps. 119:105] outside the prison! W. [Walther]