StL6b: Church Postils—best for “misguided Christianity”; Bucer's deception

      This continues from Part 6a (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series on the St. Louis Edition (StL) of Luther's complete writings in English. — In this installment Walther informs us of Luther's judgment on the ranking of his own writings, and how much we need them today.  

(From Der Lutheraner, vol. 38 p. 81-82 (No. 11, June 1, 1882)[EN] (all underlining and bolding follows Walther's emphasis):

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Eleventh volume.

Church-Postils. Gospel Part.

[review by C. F. W. Walther; continued from Part 6a]

By the way, there is no doubt in the minds of all those who observe the signs of the times that the Lord will soon hear the daily supplications of His oppressed Church in these last times and will come again to gather them into His Father's house. It is therefore necessary to hurry (before night falls, since no one can work any longer) to put the light of our Reformer's writings, which have long been put under a bushel, back on the lampstand, so that it may shine on all who are in the house. But now Luther himself declares his Church Postils to be his best book. When [Martin] Bucer had not only published Luther's Church Postils behind Luther's back, as much of it as had already appeared at that time, but had also fitted the disgraceful Zwinglian doctrine into it, Luther wrote the following about it in his writing “That these words of Christ: ‘This is my body’ still stand firm” in 1527:

“Similarly, my very best book that I have ever made, the Postils, which the papists also like, he (Martin Bucer) has also condemned with forewords, interjections and objections in such a way that under my name this blasphemous, shameful doctrine is brought and led further than perhaps by all your (Zwinglian) books. What shall I do? How am I to advise on the matter? I must feel as if a dog had bitten me. I have punished it with prefaces, but what does it help? The devil saw that this book [Church Postils] penetrated everywhere; therefore he seized it, loaded it and smeared his filth on it. And so I, an innocent man, must be the devil's muckraker. … It is so easy for these people and their devil with their insanity, that they also spread it through other people's books, just as if there were not enough books, so that they now wanted to deceive the world. What should happen after my death? That is what they do to me during my life and leave me to sit here in Wittenberg and watch. … If he (Bucer) had found fault with my exposition, he would have known to use writings or little books of his own to find me, and would have been without need to desecrate my dearest book behind my back and to drive his poison into the hearts with it.” (XX, 1112 f. [W2 EN 889-890])

When Luther called his Church Postils not only his “most beloved” but also his “very best book that he had ever written,” he did not do this out of a vain desire for fame, but in gratitude and honor to God, who had given him such a glorious knowledge by grace, and for the benefit of poor, misguided Christianity.

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"Poor, misguided Christianity" —  that describes today's Christianity perfectly.  And Martin Luther is the perfect antidote to the deception of today's modern theology.  In the next Part 6c…

StL6a: Walther reviews Vol. 11, 1st of sermons (Church Postils, part 1, Der Lutheraner 1882)

      This continues from Part 5d (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series on the St. Louis Edition (StL) of Luther's complete writings in English. — This begins a sub-series (#6) of C. F. W. Walther's announcement and promotion of the Old Missouri Synod's Volume 11, the first of 4 volumes containing Luther's sermons.  As I translated this short essay, I was amazed at Walther's knowledge of all things related to the published writings of Luther. But more than this knowledge, he promotes for us an indispensable Luther. I prayed that the release of the English translation of Luther's Complete Writings. would have the same reception as Walther's original German print edition. 

(From Der Lutheraner, vol. 38 p. 81-82 (No. 11, June 1, 1882)[EN] (all underlining and bolding follows Walther's emphasis):

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Dr. Martin Luther's

Complete Writings,

published by

Dr. J. Georg Walch.

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

Eleventh volume.

Church-Postils. Gospel Part.

St. Louis, Mo. "Concordia Lutheran Publishing House" (M. C. Barthel, agent). 1882.

Through God's gracious help, this part of Luther's works has now also been completed. When one considers in what time and in what country this has happened, one cannot be surprised enough and cannot praise and glorify God enough for it. In Germany, the only new edition of Luther's works begun in Erlangen in this century has been worked on for 56 years, and it is still not finished, although the configuration is a very poor one, while the first editor has added his entire fortune to it. How did this come about? — Only a few theologians had a desire for this commodity, and that it should have occurred to even one layman in Germany to acquire Luther's complete works was hardly conceivable from the outset. Only since, by God's grace, the old Luther faith has been reawakened in America, has it come to life somewhat in the Erlangen downfall of Luther's writings, and hereupon one copy after another has migrated across the sea. Unfortunately, however, the Erlangen edition, although prepared with great diligence that cannot be praised enough, is not a suitable edition for the Lutheran Christian people mainly for three reasons: first, because of the small print, second, because of the large mass of small volumes, and third, because the writings originally published by Luther in Latin have been included in the Erlangen edition only in that language. 

So here in America, where the preaching of the old Lutheran faith has created a people standing and living in this faith, we have dared in God's name to tackle a new edition of the magnificent Walch edition of Luther's works. And behold! Already the Lord has promoted and blessed beyond expectation the work begun in His name. Thousands of copies are already to be found within our congregations. In Germany, one cannot be surprised enough by this and recognizes it partly with joy that this is an undeniable proof that Lutheran life of faith must have been planted here again and that it will also take deeper and deeper root in our people through the dissemination of Luther's writings.

Perhaps some are surprised that the individual volumes do not appear in the order that the Walch Edition (or W1) has, in which the Church Postils on the Gospels only is contained in the eleventh volume. However, Walch did not publish his 24 volumes in the order that the number of them indicates. After the first seven volumes were published in 1740 and 1741, they were followed in 1742 by the eleventh and twelfth volumes, which contained the Church Postils, and in 1743 by the thirteenth volume, which contained the House Postils. The reason why we have not retained the subject order that Walch observed in his edition, even according to the volume number, is this, because our Lutheran people should first get the most necessary, most important and for them most enjoyable of Luther's writings into their hands. 

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Walther's judgment of "the magnificent Walch edition" struck me, and encouraged me that the use of Walch instead of the Weimar for translation was not without merit.  Walther's judgment outweighs all other opinions on the quality and value of the editions of Luther – I just ignore the (mostly) aloof attitude of today's CPH scholars towards the "Walther-Walch Edition". — It is hoped that the "Red Brick Parsonage" website will offer more information on the "Erlangen" Edition" that Walther reports on above, with hyperlinks. Thanks to him and James Swan (Beggars All Reformation) for their work on editions of Luther's Works.  — In the next Part 6b…

StL5d: Young pastors want complete writings; England translated, circulated Luther’s Galatians

[†††  Today is 91 years after Prof. Dr. Franz Pieper went home to his Saviour  †††] 

      This concludes from Part 5c (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series on the St. Louis Edition (StL) of Luther's complete writings in English. —  Pieper finishes his essay by showing how "younger pastors" in the Synod, and even England, at that time, highly valued Luther's writings. So his Missouri Synod should not fall behind in doing the same. 

(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; concluded from Part 5c]

The undersigned was therefore very pleased when, at a district synod, younger pastors of our synod expressed the wish that they should come into possession of the complete writings of Luther. They inquired whether our publishing house could not make it possible for the less well-off to acquire Luther's works by producing a cheaper edition and accepting partial payments. Our Concordia Publishing House has accommodated this request. We refer to the relevant advertisement in Der Lutheraner. (No. 13, p. 203.) But also our dear Christians in general should take advantage of this offer of our publishing house. Many of them spend larger or smaller sums on books every year. Why should they not also purchase the writings of the Reformer of the Church, or at least a part of them? He will have great spiritual profit from it. When our publishing house began to publish Luther's writings, among the first buyers was an old Christian from one of our St. Louis parishes. He has since gone home. He began reading the first two volumes, which contain Luther's interpretation of the first book of Moses, and, as he joyfully informed the undersigned, he was amazed at the abundance of spiritual light with which Luther's writings illuminate all things in church and world from God's Word.  

Another example: An American preacher, who belongs to a sectarian church but has a better Christian knowledge than most of his comrades, made a trip to Europe and met in England with a man who displayed an exceptionally clear knowledge of sin and grace, Law and Gospel. When asked in amazement where he got the knowledge of who his teacher had been, the man replied: “I read Luther's Explanation of Galatians.” Luther's Explanation on the Epistle to the Galatians — the most formidable human writing on the main article of Christian doctrine, the article of justification — was in fact translated into English early on and widely circulated in England.

So we Lutherans, too, do not want to let the great treasure we have in Luther's writings lie unused.   F. Pieper.

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I have experienced Pieper's point about England and Luther. While searching for English translated works of Luther 20+ years ago, I found that in the 19the century, there were several writings of him available in English from England. My "Luther's Letters" blog documents several of these. Another example is from Henry Cole in 1824, Select works of Martin Luther. And the Bible given to me at my confirmation?… printed in Great Britain. How things have changed in that country since then! — In the next sub-series Part 6x, I present a translation of Walther's announcement of Volume 11, the first one (of four) of Luther's sermons.

StL5c: human wisdom… done in smooth, pleasing language; No human teacher… like Luther

      This continues from Part 5b (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series on the St. Louis Edition (StL) of Luther's complete writings in English. — Pieper highlights Luther's way of writing that is so understandable, as compared with modernists, and so Scriptural, as compared, again, with modern theology. Walther called the modernists the "newfangled faith".  Pieper uses different terms. 

(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 5b]

For the church, it depends immensely on which human writings are read in addition to the Holy Scriptures. If one reads writings that clearly and soberly inculcate the pure doctrine of Scripture and thus lead the reader into Scripture and keep him with Scripture, as is the case with Luther's writings in a unique way, then it is well in the church. If, however, one's teachers and advisors are primarily books that mix human wisdom into the teaching of the Word of God, then — especially if it is done in smooth, pleasing language — one will unmistakably come under the influence of false teachers, and things will then go badly in the church. The undersigned is vividly convinced that if our synod is to maintain clarity, simplicity, certainty and decisiveness in doctrine, and if above all we teachers are to remain and increase in the right teaching ability, then one of the most excellent means to this end is that we place Luther's writings first among the human writings that we study. 

No human teacher leads so powerfully into the Scriptures and binds heart and conscience so firmly to the Scriptures as Luther. Under Luther's guidance, one becomes certain of things from Scripture, and certainty creates joy and constancy. And as far as the exposition of the individual doctrines is concerned: no human teacher has explained so simply, clearly and powerfully from Scripture what sin and grace, Law and Gospel, what faith, justification, sanctification and a truly Christian life are, than the Reformer of the Church. The longer one reads Luther, the more one realizes this. The beginner in reading Luther is somewhat hindered here and there by the peculiar language. But as soon as one has “read into it” a little, Luther is easily understood, because he speaks of the highest things so very [p. 405] simply and plainly. Experience also teaches that especially those who are more accustomed to the learned-sounding language of our time initially overlook much in Luther that is really there, because Luther speaks so simply and plainly of the things that others struggle over with high words. [Nafzger, LC-MS, Harrison] But even that soon changes. The longer one reads Luther, the more one notices his God-given mastery in the exposition of the doctrine of Scripture, and the more reading becomes not only a study, but also a spiritual refreshment and delight.

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Luther does not use many of the terms that today's LC-MS teachers do (as pointed out earlier):

actualization, contextualization, culture, data/datum, enmeshed, enfleshed / enfleshment, epistemology, etiology, etymological, existential / existentialism, human creatures (man?), identity, metatheological, metalinguistic, motif, nomological, ontological, paradigm/paradigmatic, personhood, postmodern, matrix, psychology, sociology, resonate, teleological, transsubjective

These "learned-sounding" words are used in the so-called "Confessional Approach" by Dr. Sam Nafzger in his new CPH 2-volume doctrinal teaching book at LC-MS seminaries. — In the concluding Part 5d…

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…

StL5a: Pieper on Luther's Writings (Der Lutheraner 1907)

      This continues from Part 4d (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series on the St. Louis Edition (StL) of Luther's complete writings in English. —  This new sub-series presents Franz Pieper's essay from the 1907 Der Lutheraner on "Luther's Writings".  He was not as frequent a contributor to this periodical as Walther was.  So this essay was prominent for him.  He must have sensed a weakening in his Missouri Synod in the struggles it faced against erring American Lutherans, and a tendency for unionism. And so he felt compelled to again raise Luther’s flag before the people, that they read Luther first. — This blog series should be read along with my blog on Walther’s “Fruitful reading of Luther’s writings” from May 14, 2012 — In that blog it was stated: “As Pieper pointed to Walther… I point to Pieper…”  — This blog should be read after re-reading that blog on Walther's essay on the same subject. 

(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.

Christians base their faith on God's Word alone. The word of man, even if it is spoken or written by the most respected and learned people, is completely incapable of serving as a glowing foundation for Christians. As Christ in his work, whereby he kept the Law for us and paid for our sin with His death, is our one righteousness before God, so also Christ in His Word, which He spoke through His Apostles and Prophets, is our one wisdom. In the Christian Church, only God's Word is to be taught by the teachers and only God's Word is to be believed by the hearers. Christ himself says: “One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.”, Matt. 23:8. And: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed", Joh. 8:31. The Lutheran church therefore makes a big difference in its confession between the Holy Scriptures and the writings of all human teachers. Of the Holy Scriptures she confesses: 

“We believe, teach, and confess that the sole rule and standard according to which all dogmas together with [all] teachers should be estimated and judged are the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and of the New Testament alone, as it is written Ps. 119, 105: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” But of all writings of human teachers, our church confesses: “Other writings, however, of ancient or modern teachers, whatever name they bear, must not be regarded as equal to the Holy Scriptures, but all of them together be subjected to them.” (Formula of Concord, Epitome, p. 517 [Triglotta p. 777].)

Nevertheless, it would be against the Scriptures if Christians and Christian teachers did not want to read the writings of human teachers. According to Eph. 4:11—12, not only the Apostles and Prophets, but also the evangelists and the pastors and teachers are a gift of Christ to His church here on earth. But the Christians must use the other teachers in addition to the Apostles and Prophets, so that they do not take their own word from the other teachers, but the Word of the Apostles and Prophets, that is, they let them lead them into the Scriptures. God distributes the gifts in the church differently according to His pleasure. All Christians understand so much from the Scriptures that they can recognize their faith from it and also confess it in the circle in which God has placed them. But to some Christians God gives even more for the good of the church, He gives them the gift that they can teach not only themselves and their household members, but a whole congregation, a whole church community, yes, the whole church, in word and writing from God's Word. And these special teaching gifts, which God has given to individual Christians, He also wants Christians to value and use. It would be folly and contrary to God's will if someone were to despise all human writings and say that he wanted to draw everything directly from Scripture without any help from others. No, Scripture itself says: “In each one the gifts of the Spirit are manifested for the common good”, 1 Cor. 12:7.

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In the next Part 5b, Pieper begins to show his readers just how important Luther's writings are to "lead them into the Scriptures".

StL4d: “old famous theologians” testify: "surpasses all other writings"

      This concludes from Part 4c (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series on the St. Louis Edition (StL) of Luther's complete writings in English. — Walther concludes his book announcement with some testimonies from faithful fathers of the Lutheran Church… and we learn from the master Lutheran historian.

(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.

[review by C. F. W. Walther; concluded from Part 4c]

Before we close this report, we are permitted to share some judgments that old famous theologians have made about Luther's interpretation of the first book of Moses.

Not only does our Formula of Concord call it a “glorious exposition” (p. 599 [Trig. 899]), but almost all of our greatest theologians have not been able to exhaust themselves in praising it. It is sufficient to cite only the following judgments. First, Luther's trusted friend Hieronymus Weller writes:

“Although all of Luther's writings are full of excellent teaching and comfort, the exposition of the first book of Moses far surpasses all other writings and books. No challenge can be conceived for which and against which he has not shown a certain remedy and consolation in the same exposition. It is certainly true that he, Lutherus, has surpassed himself in this exposition.” (See Luther's Works by Walch, XIV, 871) 

Timotheus Kirchner, the main author of the Apology of the Formula of Concord, writes: 

“The book may well be called the ‘Consummatum est’ Lutheri (Luther's ‘It is finished’). All theologians must go to school for this book and no one will study it too much; of this I am sure and certain. In this book the man of God has so clearly and abundantly dealt with almost the noblest and greatest articles of our faith that nothing like it, with the exception of the Holy Bible, has come into the world, nor, of course, will it.” (Ibid. p. 872)

Furthermore, David Chyträus, one of the co-authors of the Formula of Concord, writes: 

“As for the majesty of heavenly wisdom and of the very most important things, as well as the power to move the hearts of the readers and to kindle them to godly and spiritual movements, yet other writers' writings must give way to this writing of Luther's, as much as the other stars are surpassed by the morning star, or rather by the light and brilliance of the sun.” (p. 876)

Daniel Cramer finally goes so far as to write in 1630: “Whoever does not read this book does not deserve the name of a theologian.” (Ibid.) —

May God help that the new edition of this precious book will find many eager readers and many open hearts among the so-called laymen as well as among the preachers; then this will be one of the most effective means that finally also in this most distant West the true church of the Reformation will present itself in ever more beautiful bloom.  W. [Walther]

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In the next sub-series promoting the St. Louis Edition, in Part 5a, we present a later 1907 essay by Prof. Franz Pieper on the writings of Dr. Martin Luther.