Luther's Works, Vol. 19: Lectures on the Minor Prophets II

Luther's Works #19

by Martin Luther, C. Froelich (Translator), Hilton C. Oswald (Editor)

Luther’s 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. Among the minor prophets, Jonah and Habakkuk were obviously of special significance for Martin Luther. The special treatment accorded these two is matched only in the case of one other of the minor prophets— Zechariah (Vol.20). In addition to the usual Latin lectures, Luther added popular versions in the manner of a German commentary, carefully written out expressly for printed publication. It is clear why Luther gave these prophets the chance to speak to a wider Jonah and Habakkuk have a message for all of humankind. Of Jonah, Luther says, "[Jonah] teaches us not to despair of the fruit of the Gospel, no matter how badly it appears to be devoid of fruit and prophet. … I am tempted to say that no apostle or prophet, not even Christ Himself, performed and accomplished with a single sermon the great things Jonah did." As for Habakkuk-- unfortunately confined to the dark since the time of the apostles—Luther reveals that he actually holds a central place in Paul's theology with the "The righteous shall live by his faith." Luther here uncovers the jewels embedded in the traditions of these prophets, now contained in this volume for all to witness.

Genres: Religion, Reference

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 1974

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 has a notable difference to the previous 18, as we have two sets of Luther's comments for each book - one from the Lectures he gave in Latin in 1525, and the other from the works in German prepared for publication in 1526 - though don't be put off by this, it is all in English :)

I thoroughly enjoyed the coverage of these two minor prophets, and Luther does show clearly where the Gospel shines through in these books. Curiously the comments based on the Latin Lectures (which come first) are briefer and probably more exegetical, whereas his comments in the German Text are more like sermons. I thought given only a year apart that there would be a large amount of duplication, but was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps this gives some good insight as to how our understanding of Scripture grows, as we ourselves grow - even if it is only a year.

Strangely the coverage of the 3rd Chapter of Habakkuk (German Text) was very brief compared with the first two - which like with Jonah, were more in depth then the Latin Text equivalent.

This is a highly recommended book - even if you just want to read what Luther has to say about Habakkuk 2:4 - plus you get to see his thoughts on this significant verse twice!