Luther’s Works, Volume 28
Overview
This tri-sectioned volume offers three short commentaries on Pauline Epistles that were written with a particular purpose and called for by a specific need. The commentary on 1 Corinthians 7 must have been a study item for Luther himself, for in it he gives himself the opportunity to come to grips with the whole matter of celibacy versus marriage. The second item is an extended series of sermons on 1 Cor. 15, the great chapter on the resurrection. These sermons were delivered by Luther in a time of great physical weakness, and there can be little doubt that the consciousness of personal weakness contributed much toward the desire to study and proclaim the message of 1 Cor. 15 in depth. To this we add Luther’s lectures on 1 Timothy, one of those shorter series of lectures undertaken when most of the University of Wittenberg had moved to Jena to escape the plague. Yet the subject here is not sickness or death, but the office of a bishop, or pastor, and how to administer it in faithfulness to the Gospel.
Top Highlights
“Thus we see that adultery is the greatest thievery and robbery on earth, for it gives away the living body, which is not ours, and takes another living body, which is also not ours.” (Volume 28, Page 13)
“Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.’ For with the word ‘Firstfruits’ he implies that Christ is not the only one to arise but that others will follow later. You must not regard this Man as one who arose for Himself alone. We would be but poorly comforted if His resurrection had no sequel. Then we would derive no more benefit from this than if He had never become man.” (Volume 28, Page 109)
“Therefore you need not accept or give up any particular estate in order to be saved.” (Volume 28, Page 39)
“For bishop means ‘watchman,’ ‘visitor,’ that is, one who goes to visit, who visits to see people. He looks around to see what is being taught and how people live. He watches with open eyes that no false doctrine breaks in or that there be no person who does not listen, who holds his teaching in contempt, etc.” (Volume 28, Pages 282–283)
“For we are not baptized and called, and we do not hear the Gospel, to discover how to become rich, how to acquire and retain goods and honor. That the jurists must teach and deal with. Nor are we to do this to find out how we are going to obtain meat and drink. It is the duty of our parents to procure that. Nor how to govern and to protect country and people. That devolves on lords and princes. No, we hear the Gospel that we may direct our hearts to another life and existence, which is not yet present and yet will surely appear.” (Volume 28, Pages 107–108)
- Title: Luther’s Works, Volume 28
- Authors: Martin Luther, Jaroslav Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, Helmut T. Lehmann
- Series: Luther’s Works
- Publisher: Concordia Publishing House
- Print Publication Date: 1973
- Logos Release Date: 2001
- Era: era:reformation
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Bible. N.T. 1 Corinthians › Commentaries; Bible. N.T. 1 Timothy › Commentaries; Bible › Criticism, interpretation, etc.--History; Lutheran Church; Theology › Early works to 1800
- Resource ID: LLS:42.110.128
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-03-06T18:09:53Z