Luther's Works, Volume 22

Luther's Works #22

by Martin Luther, Martin H. Bertram (Editor)

Luther s Works: The American Edition, published by Concordia and Fortress Press between 1955 and 1986, comprises fifty-five volumes. These are a selection representing only about a third of Luther s works in the Latin and German of the standard Weimar Edition, not including the German Bible. The fifty-three sermons contained in this volume show that Luther was one of the most eloquent preachers since the days of Christ. The Reformer warns his hearers against perversions of Scripture. He speaks boldly and bluntly against sins rampant in his day and sins that will afflict mankind until the end of time. He wields the sword of the Spirit without fear and with telling effectiveness. His mastery of language is evident on every page. These sermons are models in every respect. When reading them in the translation my Martin H. Bertram, one can share the admiration and the edification that must have been felt by the men, women, and children who sat in the pews of the church in Wittenberg and listened intently while the mighty Luther addressed them.

Genres: Reference

558 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German monk, theologian, university professor and church reformer whose ideas inspired the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of Western civilization.

Luther's theology challenged the authority of the papacy by holding that the Bible is the only infallible source of religious authority and that all baptized Christians under Jesus are a spiritual priesthood. According to Luther, salvation was a free gift of God, received only by true repentance and faith in Jesus as the Messiah, a faith given by God and unmediated by the church.

Luther's confrontation with Charles V at the Diet of Worms over freedom of conscience in 1521 and his refusal to submit to the authority of the Emperor resulted in his being declared an outlaw of the state as he had been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. Because of the perceived unity of the medieval Church with the secular rulers of western Europe, the widespread acceptance of Luther's doctrines and popular vindication of his thinking on individual liberties were both phenomenal and unprecedented.

His translation of the Bible into the vernacular, making it more accessible to ordinary people, had a tremendous political impact on the church and on German culture. It furthered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation of the English King James Bible. His hymns inspired the development of congregational singing within Christianity. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage within Protestantism.

Much scholarly debate has concentrated on Luther's writings about the Jews. His statements that Jews' homes should be destroyed, their synagogues burned, money confiscated and liberty curtailed were revived and used in propaganda by the Nazis in 1933–45. As a result of this and his revolutionary theological views, his legacy remains controversial.

Reviews

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luther's sermons covering the first four chapters of the Gospel of John have been joined to form a commentary on these chapters. This is different from when his lectures are taken for the basis of a commentary, as his pastoral heart tends to take him more afield. The first three chapters are covered with some depth (except for the Wedding at Cana), whereas Chapter 4 is just a few sermons covering the chapter.

Here we find Luther doing some very in depth, but accessible, coverage of the Incarnation - how Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God, and what that means. Throughout his Sermons on Chapter 1 and Chapter 3, he keeps coming back to this topic - tying the rest of the Gospels as well as Paul and the other NT writers. This is a marvellous book to read for Luther's understanding of the Incarnation.

Luther does a fair bit of coverage of the Trinity in this book as well - which should be expected if one was doing an in-depth coverage of the Incarnation. Plus the Atonement is covered quite well - as one would expect given coverage of John 3.

However, I am quite impressed (and humbled) when I stand back and see that all this material was covered in Sermons to his 16th Century Congregations.

I look forward to the next volume, which covers sermons from John 6 through 8.

[Charles Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his 1526 book on the German mass, Luther encouraged pastors to preach through the Gospel of John every Saturday in perpetuity. When Wittenberg's pastor, Johannes Bugrnhagen, was summoned to Denmark in 1537, Luther filled the pulpit. Heeding his own counsel, Luther preacher fifty-three expository sermons between 1537 and 1540 through the first four chapters of John. Here one catches a glimpse of Luther the pastor and preacher. Though known more for his lectures and sermons on Romans, Galatians, and the Psalms, these sermons shine and burn, signaling Christ as the only true Son of God, who became man, and opened heaven by his death and resurrection. Luther's preaching is evangelical: new birth is required that comes only by the Spirit's work through the preached word - a word in which the preacher is but the mere instrument, and Christ, him who speaks from heaven through his ministers on earth. These sermons are clear, crisp, and meaty: they illuminate the mind and set the affections aflame with a love for God. Not just recommended, but required reading.

[Connor Longaphie · Rating 1 out of 5]

somebody needs to say it so i'll say it. Not even Luther should get a pass to preach or write as though literally everything is about the pope, the monks, or the medievals. Preach the text. Exposit the text. Apply it in a useful way for the comfort of conscience, the absolution of soul, and for practical use in daily life. A little polemics here and there, a dash of apologetics, great, I'm not mad. But after 22 volumes of anti-Roman rants from Luther that are titled "Commentary on___" and "Sermons on ___" ... come on guys.