Luther's Works, Vol. 17: Lectures on Isaiah Chapters 40-66 (Luther's Works

Luther's Works #17

by Martin Luther

In discoursing on the second half of Isaiah, Luther seems especially concerned about students preparing for the ministry. His central theme, from chapter 40, "The Word of our God will stand forever," reappears again and again in his commentary, like a bell tolling its purpose. Luther probably felt the need to repeat this message first of all for his own comfort. He admits: "If I had known that the world was so puzzlingly evil, I would never have begun the task of preaching and writing." Concerning Isaiah's message he says, "These are words of consolation. Just hold tight, even if you are oppressed and persecuted and your thoughts and conscience trouble you." As his faith strengthens and solidifies, so Luther encourages his students to hold fast to the same by taking up the work of Christ and warning: "Beware that you do not neglect the Word. It indeed stands firm, but it moves and will be given to others…. Therefore let us prayerfully keep busy with the Word." This volume contains lectures on Isaiah, chapters 40 through 66.

Genres: Religion, Reference

445 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1971

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]

This volume continues and concludes Luther's coverage of the Book of Isaiah. Probably not really surprising that Luther does quite a good job covering this Prophet. The two volumes should still be included in current studies in Isaiah. Whereas much in Luther's coverage of Genesis is a bit dated (but very worthwhile read nonetheless), I think Luther still is quite relevant (at least most of the time) in his comments on this book.

As noted with the previous volume, I think this book would work well as a Devotional coverage of Isaiah.