Martin Luther's Preface to the Romans
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Martin Luther’s Preface to The Epistle to the Romans New Creation Publications Inc. Martin Luther’s Preface to The Epistle to the Romans This English translation is taken from the edition produced by Lutheran Publishing House, Adelaide, 1966. Foreword This edition first published 1995 Martin Luther died nearly 450 years ago but his writing by New Creation Publications Inc., Australia still speaks to us. He was awakened to the grace of God in Jesus Christ, and the effects of his renewal quickly spread Reprinted 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003 through Germany. His testimony to justification through faith alone continues to spread around the world. In his longing for freedom of conscience, Luther was advised to read the Scriptures for himself. He did this, and lectured on it also. During A.D. 1515 he lectured on Romans, and, in the next two years, on Galatians. Somewhere in this time the passage, ‘The just shall live by National Library of Australia card number and faith’ brought personal assurance to him that he was ISBN 0 86408 188 X accepted by God—through faith alone. He wrote: ‘I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise’. By 1521 he was before an ecclesiastical court in Worms, to give an account of his beliefs. It was here that he made his now famous statement: ‘Here I stand! I cannot do otherwise’. An edict was pronounced against him, and, for ‘safe keeping’, he was spirited away by friends to Wartburg Castle where he stayed—disguised as a knight and under an assumed name—for nine months. During this time he translated the entire New Testament from Greek to German. He also wrote brief summaries, or prefaces, to each book—similar to the Vulgate Bible. This ‘Luther Bible’, and its Prefaces, were phrased in the Wholly set and printed at language of the common people. NEW CREATION PUBLICATIONS INC. Coromandel East, South Australia v Martin Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans The Preface which he wrote for Romans is longer than the others. It contains a summary of the whole letter and an Martin Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans outline of its doctrine. Its main terms are defined and related to each other. More particularly, it conveys the joy and power of the gospel so evident in Paul’s Letter to the Preface Romans. Luther said about Romans: ‘The more thoroughly 1. This epistle is in truth the chief part of the New it is treated, the more precious it becomes, and the better it Testament and the purest Gospel. It would be quite proper tastes’. for a Christian, not only to know it by heart word for word, This small document has had a wide and deep influence but also to study it daily, for it is the soul’s daily bread. It through its history. The best known incident concerns John can never be read or meditated too much and too well. The Wesley, who, in 1738, found his heart ‘strangely warmed’ as more thoroughly it is treated, the more precious it becomes, he listened to this Preface being read. He was converted, and the better it tastes. and again, the world felt the power of God’s forgiveness. 2. Accordingly, I, too, shall offer my service and with the ability God has granted me prepare an introduction to it by May this booklet encourage many to read Paul’s letter and, this preface in order that it may be better understood by particularly, to know the truth of God’s grace. everybody. For heretofore it has been miserably darkened by glosses and all sorts of twaddle, while in itself it is a Grant Thorpe shining light, quite sufficient to illumine the whole July, 1995 Scriptures. Part I. Explanation of Terms Used in This Epistle 3. In the first place, we must acquaint ourselves with matters of language and understand what Paul means by these words: law, sin, grace, faith, righteousness, flesh, Spirit, and similar terms; otherwise we shall derive no benefit from reading this epistle. vi 1 Martin Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans Martin Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans life. You know how to teach everybody; you behold the mote (a) Law that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the beam 4. As regards the term ‘law’ in this epistle, you must not that is in your own eye. Matt. 7:3. understand it after the fashion of men, as denoting a doctrine that shows us what works we must, and what The Law Demands Willing Obedience works we must not, do. That is the meaning of human laws, 6. For although you keep the Law outwardly by your with which we comply when we do the works commanded, works, from fear of punishment or love of reward, still you though our heart may have no share in them. God frames do everything without a free desire and love of the Law, His verdict in accordance with the condition of our inmost with loathing and under restraint. You would rather do heart. His law, accordingly, makes demands upon our otherwise if there were no Law. It follows, then, that in your inmost heart, and is not satisfied with mere works, but inmost heart you are an enemy of the Law. Your teaching brands as hypocrisy and lies all works in which our inmost others not to steal—what does it amount to when at heart heart has no share. For this reason all men are called liars, you are a thief yourself, and would gladly be one publicly if Psalm 116:11, because no one of them keeps, nor can keep, you dared? In the long run even the manifest work (against the Law of God from his inmost heart; everyone discovers in the Law) is not omitted by these hypocrites. Thus you are himself aversion to what is good and a desire for what is teaching others, but not yourself; nor do you know what you evil. Now, where there is no unconstrained desire for what are teaching. You have never yet correctly understood the is good, the inmost heart is not attached to the Law of God. Law. In fact, in addition to this the Law increases sin, as he In such a case there is surely also sin and merited wrath of says, chap. 5:20, because man’s enmity against the Law God, although to a superficial observer there may appear becomes greater in proportion as the Law makes demands many good works and an upright life. upon him, none of which he can fulfil. 5. Hence Paul concludes, chapter 2:12, 13, that the Jews are all sinners, and says that only the doers of the Law are The Law Is Spiritual justified in the sight of God. He means to say that no one is 7. Therefore he says, chap. 7:14: ‘The Law is spiritual.’ a doer of the Law by works. This is the way he speaks to What does that mean? If the Law were an affair for the them, v. 22: ‘Thou sayest a man should not commit body its demands could be met by works. But since it is adultery, and thou committest adultery;’ likewise v. 1: spiritual, no one can satisfy its demands except by doing all ‘Wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thyself; for that he does from the inmost heart. But such a heart is thou that judgest doest the same things.’ As though he were bestowed by no one except the Spirit to say: In public you are leading a good life in the works of the Law, and you are passing judgement on those who are not leading such a 2 3 Martin Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans Martin Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans of God; He makes men to agree with the Law, causing them were no Law and no punishment. Such a delight of to conceive a love of the Law from the heart and henceforth unconstrained love, however, is instilled in the heart by the to do all, not from fear or constraint, but from a willing Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says, chap. 5:5. But, as he says in heart. In that way the Law is spiritual: it wants to be loved his introductory remarks, the Spirit is not given except in, and fulfilled from a spiritual heart and requires such a with, and by faith in Jesus Christ. Hence there is no faith spirit. If He is not in the heart, there abide in the heart sin, except by the Word of God, or the Gospel, which proclaims loathing, and enmity against the Law, which in itself is Christ, namely, that He is the Son of God and man, that He good, just, and holy. died and rose again for our sakes, as he states, chap. 3:25; 8. You must become used, then, to this mode of speech, 4:25; 10:9. viz., that ‘doing the things contained in the Law’ is quite 10. That is the reason why faith alone justifies and fulfils another thing than ‘fulfilling the Law.’ The things contained the Law, for it fetches the Spirit from Christ’s merit. The in the Law are all those things which man does, or is able to Spirit, however, creates a willing and unconstrained heart, do, in relation to the Law of his free will and by his natural such as the Law requires; and then good works spring powers.