CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY
John Theodore Mueller - A Tribute RICHARD R. CAEMM:ERER
Faith Triumphant- Echoes from the Epistle to the Hebrew .. PAUL M. BRETSCHER
Luther's Sola Scriptura LEWIS W. SPITZ
The Conquest of Canaan According to Joshua and Judges WALTER R. ROEHRS
Homiletic~
Theological Observer
Book Review
Tnde, for Volume XXX)
OL. XXXI Dcce1nber 1960 No. 12 Luther's Sola Scriptura By LEWIS W. SPITZ, SR. F. IFTY gulden (about $470) to make from the Bible read and sometimes took I Martin a doctor of theology was his turn in reading a chapter at table. doubtless one of Elector Frederick's wisest Upon entering the cloister in 1505 he re investments - much wiser than the gen ceived his own Latin Bible, a copy bound erous amount he spent for his prodigious in red leather, which he eagerly read from collection of sacred relics. The payment day to day. When he was transferred to of this fee guaranteed his Electoral Grace Wittenberg in 1508, he was obliged to a tremendous benefit to his beloved Uni leave his copy in the cloister in Erfun, but versity of Wittenberg. To obtain this sum found other copies in Wittenberg, which of money for the promotion of his brilliant as an Augustinian he was obliged to use friar, Vicar John Staupitz had to assure daily. Thus he was prepared for his task the Elector that Luther would fill the chair as a Baccalattreus BiblicltsJ which he as of lectura in Biblia of the theological sumed in 1509.1 But all of this was merely faculty for the remainder of his life. Fred preliminary; his life's task as an expositor erick had every reason to congratulate him of Scripture began with his promotion to self on his investment as he beheld the the chair of lectura in Biblia. enrollment at the university increase with It would have been strange indeed if students coming to Wittenberg from far the Occamist emphasis on the authority of and near in order to hear the lectures of Scripture had left no mark on Luther at the new doctor. Tired of the dry husks of the University of Erfurt. But Luther be scholasticism, they turned eagerly to feast came more submissive to Biblical authority on the Bread of Life served by Luther in than Occam, who subordinated the au his lectures on the Bible. For Luther his thority of Scripture to that of the church. promotion later proved to be a source of Luther rejected such ecclesiastical restric comfort. By accepting the doctorate he tions. His study of church history con had pledged himself to remain faithful to vinced him that councils and popes had the Scriptures under all circumstances. No erred. Replying to the Dialogue Concern human authority could move him to relent. ing the Powers of the Pope, prepared by Luther's road from a dual authority, Silvester Prierias in 1518, Luther insisted Scripture and tradition, to the sole au that only the Holy Scriptures were with thority of Scripture was a long one. out error. Cajetan at Augsburg and Eck Already at the age of 14 he purchased a at Leipzig compelled him to take his stand postil, probably containing 500 Biblical firmly on the Bible. There he stood before pericopes. At the same time, or shortly Emperor and Diet. He could not do other after entering the University of Erfurt, he wise. His heroic words still thrill the saw a complete Latin Bible. In the hearts of God's people: "Unless I am con- "Georgenburse" at Erfurt, a hospice for 1 M. Reu, Luther and the Scriptures (Colum- students, in 1501, he daily heard a chapter bus: The Wartburg Press, 1944), pp. 7, So 740 LUTHER'S SOLA SCRIPTURA 741 vinced by the testimonies of the Holy canon.4 According to Harnack, Luther was Scriptures or evirlpnr rp~
repeating the phrase 'according to the rather than to that of Scripture.H This Scriptures' in this manner. . . . There you distinction is stated clearly by Luther in hear St. Paul adducing Scripture as his these words: "Let the Holy Spirit Himself strongest witness and pointing out that read this Book to His own if He desires there is nothing stable to support our doc to be understood. For it does not write trine and faith except the material or about men or about making a living, as all written Word, put down in letters and the other books do, but about the fact that preached verbally by him and others; for God's Son was obedient to His Father for it is clearly stated here: 'Scripture, us and fulfilled His wilL Whoever does Scripture' " 8 not need this wisdom should let this Book Luther's sola Scriptura implies the lie; it does not benefit him anyway. It divine authority, efficacy, perfection or teaches another and eternal life, of which sufficiency, and perspicuity of Holy Scrip reason knows nothing and is able to com ture, but above all Christ as the center prehend nothing." 12 More specifically, of it alL For Luther there is no sola Scrip the reader should find the Cross of Christ tura without solus Christus. Werner Elert in the Bible.13 shows that for Luther the divine properties Luther's emphasis on Christ and the of Scripture are based on the fact that for Cross explains his comparative evaluation him the Bible is Christocentric.9 of the various books of the Bible. A book Luther's appeal to the sole authority of of the Bible is precious to him to the Scripture at the Diet of Worms demon degree that it exalts Christ Crucified. This strates how far he had advanced from the is another way of saying that he evaluates a book in the light of sola fide and sola medieval position of Scripture and tra gratia. Accordingly James troubled him dition.10 Even his ratione evidente does most, but he would not burden the con not conflict with his complete reliance on science of others with his private opinion the authority of Scripture, for Luther is of this book. In placing Hebrews, James, here referring to the usus rationis minis Jude, and Revelation at the end of the terialis. In his "Open Letter to the Chris New Testament canon as books which tian Nobility," doubtless one of the were not quite on the same level with the writings he was asked to retract, he had other books, he was not manifesting a mentioned various grievances that were more liberal attitude towards the Bible but matters of the secular domain and there simply resorting to the church's practice fore belonged to the realm of reason of distinguishing between the homolo goumena and the antilegomena. But even 8 W 36,500. there he was rather conservative, for 9 M01'phologie des Luthertums (Miinchen: C. H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Second 2 Peter and 2 and 3 John he included in Ed., 1952), I, 167. the number of protocanonical books. 10 For a scholarly presentation of this posi tion see George H. Tavard, Holy Writ or Holy 11 See n. 2, supra. Church (New York: Harper and Brothers, c. 12 W 48,43. 1959). In his chapter on Luther Father Tavard 13 W 1, 52. See also Theodosius Harnack, unfortunately departs from his scholarly objec Luthers Theologie (Erlangen: Verlag von Theo tivity. dar Blaesing, 1862), I, 55 ff. LUTHER'S SOLA SCRIPTURA 743
In Luther's mind there was no doubt toward Scripture. Some of these refer to regarding the efficacy of the Word. He the extent of the canon, others to passages declared: "Where the heart is idle and the in canonical books. Typical quotations Word does not ring out, the devil breaks from Luther's writings which are said to in and has done damage before we are reveal Luther's critical attitude toward aware of it. On the other hand, such is Scripture, like the following, do not prove the power of the Word if it is seriously what Seeberg and others try to prove with contemplated, heard, and used that it is them. Luther is quoted as saying: The never without fruit. It always awakens books of the Kings are more trustworthy new understa..'lding, pleasure, and devotion than the Chronicles; the prophets often and purifies the heart and thoughts. For erred when they prophesied of worldly these are not inert or dead but active and events; 16 the later prophets built hay, living words." 14 straw, wood, and not silver, gold, and In view of Luther's sola Scriptura one precious stones; the allegorical explanation may ask the question: Did Luther believe of the name Hagar, in Gal.4:25, is too in the verbal or plenary inspiration of the weak to prove the pointP Bible? Adolf Harnack believed that he Taken out of the total context of Lu did; others disagree. Karl F. A. Kahnis ther's profound respect for the authority believed he had discovered in the course and integrity of Scripture, these remarks of the Reformation a movement from could be interpreted, as these writers have liberty to authority. Luther, he held, stood done, in a manner reflecting a modern, for liberty. Kahnis' understanding of that liberal attitude toward Scripture. How liberty rules out a plenary inspiration of ever, in view of Luther's respect for Scrip the Bible. Kahnis named some instances ture as the authoritative Word of God, which, he thought, confirmed his opinion, who cannot err, it is more generous and but offered no adequate collection to sup in accord with charity here to apply to port it. He believed that the "'more Luther his explanation of the Eighth Com liberal" attitude of the Reformers still mandment, that we defend our neighbor, influenced the second and third genera speak well of him, and put the best con tions after them. Chemnitz, Selnecker, struction on everything. If that is done, and Gerhard, he thought, were still some the passages quoted to prove Luther's more what reserved with regard to the doctrine liberal attitude, to quote Luther, are toO of inspiration.15 weak to prove the point. Reinhold Seeberg gathered a larger col Luther's opinion concerning the respec lection of remarks by Luther which sup tive value of Kings and Chronicles should posedly indicate a more liberal attitude be quoted in full. He said: "The writer of Chronicles noted only the summary and 14 W 30 1, 146. chief stories and events. Whatever is less 15 System det' Lutherischen Dogmatik (Leip important and immaterial he passed by. zig: Diirffiing und Franke, 1868), III, 142 fI. For a careful study of the position of the 17th 16 Reinhold Seeberg, Text-Book of the His century Lutheran dogmaticians see Robert Preus, tory of Doctrines (Grand Rapids: Baker Book The Inspiration of Scripture (Mankato: Lu House, 1952), II, 300£. theran Synod Book Company, 1955). 17 Kahnis, op. cit., p. 143. 744 LUTHER'S SOLA SCRIPTURA
For this reason the Books of Kings are more Luther certainly did not accept a me credible than the Chronicles." 18 Nothing chanical inspiration theory; he recognized is said here about errors in either. Regard fully the human elements in Scripture. ing the "hay, straw, wood" statement But he insists that the Holy Spirit speaks writers have not been sure of their inter when Isaiah and Paul speak.23 He says: pretation of Luther. Following Walther, "In this article of the [Nicene} Creed Reu refers these remarks not to later which treats of the Holy Ghost we say: prophets but to non prophetic commenta 'Who spake by the Prophets.' Thus we tors. Thimme is quite certain that Wal ascribe the entire Holy Scripture to the ther is wrong.19 Julius Koestlin, Thimme Holy Spirit." 24 In view of these and regrets, changed his opinion from the countless similar statements, one must liberal view in his first edition of Luther's agree with Dr. Thea. Engelder, who says Theology to the opposite view in the in his Scripture Cannot Be Broken: "It is second edition.2o Regarding Seeberg's re one of the mysteries of the ages how theo mark that Luther attributed errors to the logians who claim to be conversant with prophets when they prophesied of worldly Luther's writinc~ can give credence to the events, Luther should again be quoted. myth that Luther did not teach Verbal, Commenting on Gen. 44 Luther said: Plenary Inspiration." 25 "There is a common proverb among theo The sufficiency of the Bible, according logians which says, 'Spiritus Sanctus non to Luther, implies its perspicuity. He says: semper tangit corda prophetarum,' 'The "No clearer book has been written on earth illuminations of the prophets were not than the Holy Scripture. It compares with continuous or perpetuaL'" 21 Here one other books as the sun with other lights. may think of Nathan, who on his own en . . . It is a horrible shame and crime couraged David to build a temple, but in against Holy Scripture and all Christen the following night was instructed by God dom to say that Holy Scripture is dark and to tell David not to build one (2 Sam. 7: not so clear that everybody may under 1-17), or of Elisha, who did not know that stand it in order to teach and prove his the son of the Shunammite had died, because faith. . . . If faith only hears Scripture, the Lord hid it from him (2 Kings 4:27). it is clear and plain enough to enable it to As to the argumentative value of allegory, say without the comments of all fathers would anyone today disagree with Luther, and teachers: That is right. I, too, believe who held that allegory in acie minus it." 26 Luther does not deny that there are valet? 22 dark passages in Scripture, but he says they contain nothing but precisely that which is 18 W-T I, 364. found at other places in clear, open pas 19 Op. cit., pp. 59 if. sages. Whoever cannot understand the 20 Ibid., 60. Actually, Luther distinguishes between ordinary students of Scripture and 23 W 48, 102. prophets who were inspired by the Holy Ghost. 24 W 54, 35. W 54, 3. 25 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 21 W 44,575. c. 1944), p. 290. 22 W 43, 12. 26 W 8, 236. LUTHER'S SOLA SCRIPTURA 745 dark passages, he advises, should stay with anomy he added brief allegories almost tl.:..: c1f":1r ;;~:'S, 27 :;:';:':k of faith indeed for every chapter. This he did, he said, makes the whole Bible a dark book. "To not because he attached great importance read Holy Writ without faith in Christ," to them, but he wanted to forestall the he says, "is to walk in darkness." 28 silly attempts at allegorical interpretation Luther has been credited with giving that some makeP the people the open Bible. He gave them In conclusion we turn again to Luther's the Bible in their own language in a style emphasis on salus Chfistus. Only in the very much improved over that of previous light of that emphasis can his sola Scrip editions in the vernacular. But more im tura be fully understood. Luther says: "For portant is the fact that he proved Glapion, the sake of I.Iessiah and God's Son Holy the father confessor of Charles V, wrong, Scripture was written, and for His sake who said that the Bible was like a waxen everything that happened took place," 32 nose. Nicholas Lyra's quadriga sensuttm He sums up the message of the Bible in Scripturae: these words: "The entire Bible does noth Littera gesta dace!; quid credas allegoria; ing else than give a person to understand lAMalis, quid agas; qZiO tendas, anagogia} what he was, what he now is, what be indeed gave Scripture a waxen appearance. hooves him, and what his works are. It Luther at one time thought highly of Lyra. informs him that he is completely undone. It has been said: Si Lyra non lyrasset, Secondly, it tells what God is, what per Lutherus non saltasset, That is doubtless tains to Him, and what His works are, and an overstatement. Be that as it may, Lu especially the mercy in Christ. It leads us ther got away from the quadriga, and held to understand Him, and through His in 29 that sensus literatis unus est. Allegories carnation it conducts us from earth to merely adorn, says Luther, but prove heaven, to the Godhead. May God the nothing.30 In his commentary on Deuter- heavenly Father grant all of us His grace and mercy to this end, through Christ, our 27 W 8,237, 239. dear Lord and Savior. Amen. Amen. 28 W 44,790. Amen." 33 There is no better way to con 29 David Liifgren, Die Theologie der Schop fung bei Luther (Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & clude a study of Luther's sola Scriptura. Ruprecht, 1960), pp. 220 ft. St. Louis, Mo. 30 In his lectures on Genesis, 1535-45, he said: Postremo quaerendae erant hoc loco alle goriae. Sed ego iis non perinde delector, ae in W XIV, 500. For an interpretation of Origenes aut Hieronymus. Non curo eas, nisi Luther's use of allegory see Hans Wernle: Alle quatenus amant historicam sententiam, quae ex gorie und Erlebnis bei Luther (Bern: Francke Verlag, 1960). simplici historia eolligitur, Atqtte ibi sun! veluti flares interspersi, sed nihil probant: id quod de 82 W 54, 247. figura Augustinus dixit. W 43, 490. 33 W 48, 272.