January 15, 1528 (Part 6)

Professor Martin Luther lectures on 1 Timothy 1:7b-9b. Today’s Quotation is taken from the conclusion of this lecture and of Luther’s exegesis of 1 Tim. 1:9b, “the law is not laid down for the just, but for the lawless and disobedient.” Luther will continue lecturing on 1 Tim. 1:9-12 on Jan. 20.

Quotation:

[continued from the previous post] This is how the Law works: it teaches that works must be done, that one should serve one’s brother, and that one should recognize his own sin. Aren’t these good things? To be humble in self-knowledge, to do good to one’s neighbor — these are excellent. But you want to add: this is to be right [just] before God. Those who do not use the Law lawfully, that is, as one should use the Law, should not exalt the Law higher than it is or can be. You are using it, not according to legitimate function, but as if it were grace and the Holy Spirit. This use of the Law is one which is “for the just person.” You false prophets teach erroneously that the Law is laid down for the just person, etc., which is contrary to both the nature of the Law and righteousness. But the Law is laid down for the lawless. That gives the Law its true function, both spiritual and civil, so that the wicked person may be restrained and brought to a knowledge of himself. Those are its two functions. By its civil function, it restrains gross sinners, those who rush in before they reveal everything as free. This the Law must do with its own punishment. Many people are greedy and yet live with a holy and beautiful appearance. Paul, in Romans 1, assails the Gentiles for their gross and palpable [manifest] sins. In chapter 2, he assails the most decent-appearing Jews, who beneath their hypocrisy encouraged the worst sins, so that these holy sinners are put to shame, [1] etc.. Rom. 2. There we have the true use, and you should not assign more to the Law, [2] than to constrain and humble the proud “saints,” so that they may be brought back to understanding, etc. And where this happens, there is no further use of the law. Why, then, do you preach that one is to be justified by it? A just man ought not to have the Law except to ward off and reveal sin. But it does not remove sin. But in manifest sinners, it restrains; in case of secret sinners, it reveals. In the case of the righteous person, it cannot restrain, because there is nothing to restrain; it cannot reveal, because he has not concealed any sin. It is the good use of the Law to restrain sin and to reveal it; but it is an abuse [of the Law] to say that it takes away sin.

Notes

[1] zu schanden gemacht.

[2] mher [sic] soltn dem gsetz nicht geben.