It is amazing how a single preposition created such an avalanche of denominations…beyond Luther…
How does Luther’s addition then not mean either St. Peter warned about
personal interpretation in Scripture…his second letter…
I don’t think that Augustine’s “Spirit/Letter” distinction is the same as the Law/Gospel distinction at all, though the one certainly helped inspire the other. Augustine believed that justification really made a person righteous. That radically changes how you perceive the role of God’s commands. The commands in themselves, apart from the Spirit, simply kill. But when enlivened by the Spirit, they do not. That seems quite different from the Lutheran position to me. Luther’s early teachings could certainly be interpreted in this light–that’s how Martin Bucer, for instance, interpreted what he hear Luther say at Heidelberg. But this Augustinian teaching about the necessity of the Spirit to make God’s commands live is not the same thing as the developed, confessional Lutheran teaching about Law and Gospel–in fact, as I see it the two are incompatible.
That is why if Protestants can return to Peter, the world would see a great rising of Christianity, its restoration, and witness to the world. Divided we fall. Forgiveness is so needed. We need to become one again.
We Catholic just don’t like that word “alone” . its just so lonely.Lutherans believe that we are justified by grace alone through faith alone. And that faith must be an active faith that produces good works, IOW, a faith that works through love.
Jon
Hi Scott,We Catholic just don’t like that word “alone” . its just so lonely.
See for a Catholic we would say " We are justified by God’s grace through our faith. And that faith must be an active faith that produces good works."
It all about that one little word “alone”
Even thought I understand and agree with what is said I still cringe when I hear fatih alone and grace alone.
Amen.Hi Scott,
I completely understand your cringing. The use of the term sola is often misunderstood and even by some misportrayed.
And the same can be said for Lutherans regarding the phrase, “faith and works”. It sounds to us so much like we are putting our works, necessary as they may be, on a level with the faith that comes as a gift because, and simply because of grace.
On the other hand, when a good Catholic such as yourself offers the following: *" We are justified by God’s grace through our faith. And that faith must be an active faith that produces good works," * we can agree and say Amen.
Jon
No, instead he removed them from any indexing or TOC that might exist, moved them to the back of the book, typically with no chapter / verse markings and an introduction which in at least the case of SS. James would lead on to believe the book was written by Satan him self.A couple other clarifying points, to add to the others offered here.
First, Luther’s German Bible did not remove the deuterocanonicals, nor any other books. Reformation churches generally did not remove any of these, either, as you will find with the original 1611 Authorized (King James) Version. German Bibles in the US also had the deuterocanonicals until the early 20th century, when the influence of more radical aspects of the Reformation pushed them from the modern re-printings of the KJV, also coinciding with most American Lutherans accepting English in their worship services (rather than their languages of ethnicity, such as Norwegian, Sweedish, German, etc.)
Secondly, Luther’s translation of Romans is rock solid. As any translator will tell you, one must communicate the ideas and intents of the original language into the translated language. St. Paul clearly intends to juxtapose justification by faith against justification by works of the law, so Luther’s translation is valid in this context (and follows various ancient Church Fathers in their understandings and exegesis, too.) Some translators continue in this tradition, and others don’t… but I’m not aware of anyone who uses a German Luther Bible these days on a regular basis. The standard Bible translation for liturgy and lectionary in the LCMS is the English Standard Version, well regarded by many Christian bodies for its accuracy and precision. However, confessional Lutheran pastors are trained to work primarily from the original texts, so we are not bound by particular translations.
Peace be with you.
I’m not familiar with the Galatians reference, but allein certainly appeared in Romans and still does actually in German protestant bibles.Hi
I just checked again if I didn’t tell you nonsense regarding the word alone in the modernized German Luther Bible and found out the following:
In none of these three verses Romans 3:20; Romans 4:5; and Galatians 2:16.
the word “alone” (which would be “allein” in German) appears?!
I’ve checked in my modernized language Bible as well as the 1545 Version.
I am confused!
Why then always this talking about the “alone”, if it’s not true anyway?!
One question: Can you by chance speak or understand German?I’m not familiar with the Galatians reference, but allein certainly appeared in Romans and still does actually in German protestant bibles.
Romans 3:28:One question: Can you by chance speak or understand German?
I have Luther’s Bible (revised 1986) laying right now beside me and I can’t find “allein” (=alone) or “nur” (which means “only”) in the two Verses out of the Letter to the Romans!
Click please here that’s the original wording of Luther, only in modernized punctuation and spelling.
So, after comparing the revised Luther Bible and the original 1545 Version, there is not much change to be seen. And I can’t find “alone” or “only” in these two verses.
However, the Elberfelder Bible, which is mostly used by Evangelicals (Reborns) DOES use the word “nur” (=only) in Gal 2:16. But also not in the Letter to the Romans.
That’s really strange altogether…
literlalySo halten wyrs nu, sad der mensch gerechtfertiget werde, on zu thun der werck des gesetzs, alleyn durch den glawben
So we now hold it, that man is justified, without doing the works of the law, alone through faith".
There has been some attempt to argue that Luthers usage of alleyn does not mean “alone” in this instance. However Luther him self refutes this argumentation in a letter he sent to Wenceslaus Link, in which explains that he most definetly did add the word alone to this passage in order to make it more “powerful and clear”.
I originally get this from Luther’s own statements concerning his teaching and its results, but everything including Luthers letter are backed up and confirmed by Lutheran apologists and objective historical sources.
In short, Luther most certainly did knowingly add alone to this passage because he felt it made for a better German translation.
Hi Scott,
I completely understand your cringing. The use of the term sola is often misunderstood and even by some misportrayed.
And the same can be said for Lutherans regarding the phrase, “faith and works”. It sounds to us so much like we are putting our works, necessary as they may be, on a level with the faith that comes as a gift because, and simply because of grace.
On the other hand, when a good Catholic such as yourself offers the following: *" We are justified by God’s grace through our faith. And that faith must be an active faith that produces good works," * we can agree and say Amen.
Jon
Dear Brother are we not blessed to have the aquaintance of brother Jon.Indeed. Thanks, Jon.
the verse in question is Romans 4 :16 that alone is added in the GermanOne question: Can you by chance speak or understand German?
I have Luther’s Bible (revised 1986) laying right now beside me and I can’t find “allein” (=alone) or “nur” (which means “only”) in the two Verses out of the Letter to the Romans!
Click please here that’s the original wording of Luther, only in modernized punctuation and spelling.
So, after comparing the revised Luther Bible and the original 1545 Version, there is not much change to be seen. And I can’t find “alone” or “only” in these two verses.
However, the Elberfelder Bible, which is mostly used by Evangelicals (Reborns) DOES use the word “nur” (=only) in Gal 2:16. But also not in the Letter to the Romans.
That’s really strange altogether…
Okay, it’s getting weirder and weirder here.the verse in question is Romans 4 :16 that alone is added in the German
And here the unrevised Luther Bible from 1545:16 Deshalb muss die Gerechtigkeit durch den Glauben kommen, damit sie aus Gnaden sei und die Verheißung festbleibe für alle Nachkommen, nicht allein für die, die unter dem Gesetz sind, sondern auch für die, die wie Abraham aus dem Glauben leben. Der ist unser aller Vater
Here the Douay Rheims:
- Derhalben muß die Gerechtigkeit durch den Glauben kommen, auf daß sie sei aus Gnaden, und die Verheißung fest bleibe allem Samen, nicht dem alleine, der unter dem Gesetz ist, sondern auch dem, der des Glaubens Abrahams ist, welcher ist unser aller Vater,
and in contrast the “evangelical” KJV:[16] Therefore is it of faith, that according to grace the promise might be firm to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
So and which alone is now in question? I can’t find it!16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,