January 15, 1528 (Part 2)

Professor Martin Luther lectures on 1 Timothy 1:7b-9a. Luther had begun these lectures on Jan 13 and will continue lecturing on this book three days in most weeks until Mar. 31. Today’s Quotation is taken from the second part of Luther’s exegesis of 1 Tim. 1:8, “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully.”

Quotation:

[continued from the previous post] I say this: we have a battle with the heretics about the use of Scripture. We say that they have abused the Scriptures and that we have the right meaning. The Sacramentarians here distinguish between the law and the use of the law. For the Christian, the law is most holy, because it is divine wisdom, and, therefore, the best and most sacred thing. The fact is that both the wicked and the pious have the law. Both of them have the best thing. But they disagree on its use. The former misuse a sacred thing in the worst way. We teach them to use it properly. Meat and fish are things, works created by God. The only fight is over their misuse. They were not created for this, that we might be justified by them, but that by them we might continue to live. Their proper use? To receive them to enjoy with thanksgiving. Thus also a good wife or an honest husband is very a fine creation. The pope does not deny this. The pope forbids wickedness. On the other hand, he says it is sin if a priest marries, and he places righteousness in celibacy. We say: God gave us these things [wives and husbands], that we may use these creations of his and give thanks. Thus gold and silver are fine things, but everyone seizes them for his own use. The same thing happens with Scripture. The Enthusiasts [Schwermeri] use the Word. The Papists have the very Gospel itself, but they do not use it. Neither do the Enthusiasts. “We know”. [1 Tim. 1:8] There is no debate here as to whether the law is good or bad. Therefore, they argue that we are condemning their doctrine, and the law  as well, with the judgment: “It is not a good thing.” But they are not using it well.

“If anyone.” That’s where the trouble is: in practice. This point should be noted well. In my first book [1] I dealt carefully with the topic of use and the actual achievement, but the Enthusiasts were unmoved by it. His work was accomplished, but Christ added his command: “preach.” As far as I am concerned, if you separate the act of his passion from the preaching of it, then it becomes a useless hidden treasure. Everything is good, if it is put to good use. Therefore he institutes as means the Word, preaching, Baptism, faith, the sacraments, and reading, so that he might by every means bring things into use. If this is a matter of the mind, it concludes: “Christ is at the right hand of the Father; he is not dead.” Here they confuse the use [function] with the act. So did the Jews. [to be continued in the next post]

Note

[1] Luther is referring to Part I of Wider die himmlischen Propheten, von den Bildern und Sakrament (Against the Heavenly Prophets in the Matter of Images and Sacraments) (1525).