January 20, 1528 (Part 1)

In Wittenberg, Professor Martin Luther lectures on 1 Timothy 1:9-12. He has a small audience, because, due to an outbreak of plague in Wittenberg, most of the University’s faculty and students have been evacuated to Jena since mid-August. Today’s Quotation is taken from the beginning of this lecture.

Quotation:

[continued from post of July 23] We have discussed these two points: The law is good, and it was not laid down for the just. And I also said that these two points should be understood as proper to knowledge of Christians. [1] The wicked do not understand that the law is not for the just person, etc. On the contrary, Rom. 13[:10] proclaims that love is the chief point [2] of the Law. Then he says: “the law is good.” [Rom. 7:16] The two functions of the law are to reveal sinners and to restrain them. But the third function, the office of taking away sins and justifying is reserved for this: the Lamb of God, not the Law, takes away sins. It is Christ who takes away sin and justifies. Therefore, the office of the Law and of Christ must be distinguished, as the function of the Law is to show good and evil, because it indicates what should be done and reveals sin, which must not be done. Therefore, the Law is good, because it not only shows evil but also the good, which one must do. However the Law does not kill Og and King Sihon. [Num. 21:33] It merely reveals good and evil; but Joshua [does the rest]. 

“For the just.” To what extent is it just, since the Law is not laid down for justification? These two things are in conflict: to lay down the Law for the righteous person and for him to be righteous himself, since the Law reveals the sinner or the good person, so as to cause an inquiry into sin. Augustine says: “It is not that two plus three ought to be five but, but two plus three is five. Thus, it is not that the righteous man ought to become righteous, but he is righteous.” Therefore, when this word “ought” is taken away, the Law is also taken away. The righteous person has what the Law demands; therefore, the Law is not laid down for him. “The Law is good, if anyone is uses it lawfully,” [1 Tim 1:8] that is, if he knows that the Law is not laid down for him. And this is to know Christ, “the lamb who takes away.” [John 1:29] Whoever, therefore, understands Christ in this way, also understands this: every person is justified through Christ; therefore, he cannot be subject to the law, because he has righteousness before God and men. From this very reasoning and way of speaking, we must understand the subject of the following saying. Paul speaks against the false prophets who wanted to justify people by works and the Law. “You,” he says, “ought not to impose the Law on them. That’s why Peter asked ‘Why do you tempt God, etc.?’ [Acts 15:10] You want to burden them with the Law, as if they were justified by it, although they already are justified.” Without knowing Christ it is impossible to understand this idea. Therefore, all papists are stuck in their works; they always have the idea: the Law is necessary. If any of us had written this passage [of Timothy], he would have been a heretic a hundred times over. The law of love and the ceremonial precepts were given to us for the sake of love. In fact, the Christian is the servant of all, subject to every law, etc. We are subject to all laws, but we voluntarily submit in brotherly love to all laws of all men. But we do not, as they do, lay them down to justify us. We distinguish the Christian life in faith and love. Faith is queen over all laws. The Christian wants to be justified by grace alone, thus free from all laws. But the pseudo-apostles want to impose the law on the conscience: “If you do this, you will be holy.” But Paul, on the contrary, says that faith must reign there. On the other hand, the Christian is subject to every law, he bears the Law and the burdens of the Law according to the old man. He seeks, as his servitude, the good of his neighbor. This is where Romans 13 and John 3 come in. … [to be continued in the next post]

Notes

[1] I.e., “characteristic for recognizing Christians” [LW] 

[2] Cardo. LW: “critical point.”