Song of Solomon and the Last Words of David/2 Samuel 23

As mentioned in my reviews of the earlier Works, I find that Luther works too hard to "excuse" Abraham. Sadly, this does extend to the other Patriarchs (and Matriarchs). I find that he is argues far too strenuously in regards the actions of Rebecca and Jacob. It all most comes across as "the ends justifies the means" because these people are ultimately doing God's Will. Now I know Luther does not intend this - as he argues even more strenuously that his readers do not imitate them - that these events a "once off".

I also gather from his discussions, that Luther is reacting against pretty extreme views against the Patriarchs.

I just think he misses some great opportunities to highlight how even the Patriarchs are "not without sin", and that in spite of their shortcomings, God prevails - it saddens me even more because this is what Luther teaches elsewhere.

So whilst I found many passages difficult in this Work, Luther still has his rhetorical flair and whilst his anger at Papal excesses often bring a smile to my face, there are also the profound insights such as:

"Only let us not despair, but let us remain in faith. Then let the devil go his way and do what he cannot stop doing. We are in a spiritual calling. We have the Word, Baptism, and absolution. We are certain that God is with us and for us. I would rather be in hell with God present than in heaven with God absent. “For even though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death,” says David, “I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me” (cf. Ps. 23:4). And “if I descend into hell, Thou art there” (cf. Ps. 139:8). If I have Thy Word, I do not care about the fire of hell. On the other hand, I would not like to be even in heaven if Thou wert not with me. For where God is, there the kingdom of God is. Where the Word is, there Paradise and all things are."

Anyway on to the next Volume :)

I must admit after the epic 8 volumes on Genesis, I did feel a little let down by this single volume on Deuteronomy ;-)

It must be noted, of course, that the volumes are not chronological, ie Luther wrote the Genesis pages near the end of his life, whereas this volume comes from some 20 or so years earlier - only a few years after his 95 theses. So here we see a younger Luther, and I believe can be argued (as could for all of us), a less developed theology and even more noticeable, a less developed writing style.

For the first several chapters, much more detail is given for particular verses - whereas after that we tend to have just a commentary on that particular chapter.

What really surprised me after the first 8 volumes, was how frequently Allegory is used (and I would argue commended) in the volume - Luther obviously had changed his view about this later in his life. I must admit I struggle a bit with the Allegorical interpretations of the chapters...

Anyway still an enjoyable read - just not as good as Genesis :)

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was originally a German monk, priest, and professor of theology. This volume covers the period from 1517 (when his Ninety-Five Theses attacked the doctrine of indulgences, as practiced by Johann Tetzel in particular), to his conflicts with the Roman Catholic curia; it ends before his excommunication by Pope Leo X in 1521. (See Luther's Works, Volume 32: Career of the Reformer II for the next volume.)

In the Disputation Against Scholastic Theology, he asserts that Aristotle is to theology as darkness is to light. (Pg. 12) [Later, he states that the ideas of Plato are better than Aristotle's; pg. 42) He concludes the Disputation by stating that he has said nothing that is not in agreement with the Catholic church and the teachers of the church. (Pg. 16)

In his famous Ninety-Five Theses, he rejects Tetzel's claim that as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory, asserting "when money clinks into the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased." (Pg. 28) In his Explanations of the 95 Theses, he states that "I desire to say or maintain absolutely nothing except... what is in the Holy Scriptures and can be maintained from them; and then what is in and from the writings of the church fathers and is accepted by the Roman church..." (Pg. 83) Later, he says that it is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters. (Pg. 208)

In the Heidelberg Disputation, he puts forward the thesis that outside of grace, the will of man is not free; the will is necessarily in bondage and captive even if it is free of all compulsion. (Pg. 58) In the Augsburg proceedings, he clarifies his position that no one can be justified except by faith: "a man must believe with firm faith that he is justified and in no way doubt that he will obtain grace. For if he doubts and is uncertain, he is not justified but rejects grace." (Pg. 270)

Perhaps surprisingly, he refers to Leo X as "a very good pope... whose integrity and learning are a delight to all upright persons... He is worthy of having become pope in better times..." (Pg. 155)

Luther's works are definitely worth reading in their original form (rather than in the dribs and drabs one usually gets selectively quoted), for anyone interested in Protestant theology or the history of the Reformation.

This volume continues to cover Luther's examination of particular Psalms - and this time included are Psalms 68, 82, 90, 101, 110, 111 and 112. These were all quite enjoyable and inspiring reads, though I would rate the comments on Psalm 110 and 112 to be best of an excellent bunch :) In fact I would argue that Luther's coverage of Psalm 110 alone makes this volume a worthwhile read. As noted in the introduction: "It originated in a series of eight sermons preached on the following dates in 1535: May 8, May 10, May 29, May 30, June 5, June 9, June 12, and June 13." - so we have a more mature Luther, and I found myself being swept away with the majesty of Christ and the wonder of the Trinity as Luther expounded this Psalm.

An excellent read and highly recommended.

This collection of the writings of Martin Luther (1483-1546) does not actually contain any sermons that Luther preached (for a selection of 43 of those, see Luther's Works, Volume 51: Sermons I); instead, this volume contains his "Church Postil" (i.e., "marginal notes," or commentary) written in 1521-1522, which was material he intended to be used by other preachers. Interestingly, they all concern specific festivals (particularly Christmas).

He suggests that "there is no more gruesome plague, misery, or misfortune on earth than a preacher who does not preach God's word... they are ravening wolves in sheep's clothing." (Pg. 25) He states that those who preach human doctrine make a human being into a light, and put themselves in the place of the true light, as the pope and his followers have done. "For this reason he is also the 'Anti-Christ'; he is against this true light." (Pg. 69)

He argues that just as no Christian is born except by the Scriptures, "so too no one can become a heretic except by the Scriptures. For if Christ is a sign of rejection over which men stumble... should we therefore reject him or set up another Christ alongside him?" (Pg. 176)

He wishes that "all books might simply be abolished and nothing but the pure, simple Scripture or Bible remain throughout the world, especially among Christians. There is more than enough in it about all manner of knowledge and doctrine which is useful and necessary for a person to know." (Pg. 206-207)

Though less lively in some respects than Luther's actual sermons, these "unpreached" sermons contain much material that will interest students of Luther and his theology.

As I continue my enjoyable task of going through Luther's Works, I have now finished Volume 4. I still think the first two Volumes were the better ones in his coverage of Genesis so far. In this Volume he covers Genesis 20 through 25 - so we finish our look at Abraham, cover Isaac and are introduced to Jacob and Esau.

I must admit that I am still struggling a bit with how hard Luther seems at time to justify the actions of the patriarchs. I do understand that in many ways that are his heroes. But I think he sees a far too idealised "church" back in the day - and for someone who understands the struggle we as Christians have with our sinful natures, I find this a bit surprising.

As did most in his time, he takes the Genealogies as having no gaps, so he involves Shem and the other patriarchs into the stories - so Rebecca goes and discusses her barrenness with Shem. In some ways this is a bit like the historical fictions of today, so that Luther does make the world of Genesis much more three dimensional. However I do keep coming back to the fact that the Bible doesn't say anything about Shem after the post-flood account, etc...

All this said, I still find I can get "taken away" with his rhetoric - Luther has such passion for the Scripture that it is still infectious even after almost 500 years :)

Martin Luther (1483-1546) had broken from the Roman church by 1526, when he wrote his best-known work, The Bondage of the Will, which is reprinted in this volume. (The preceding volumes in this "Career of the Reformer" series are Luther's Works, Volume 31: Career of the Reformer I and Luther's Works, Volume 32: Career of the Reformer II; the next book is Luther's Works, Volume 34: Career of the Reformer IV.) The 'Bondage' was written in response to Erasmus' De Libero Arbitrio, a criticism of Luther which had been published in 1525.

Luther begins by describing himself to Erasmus as an "uncultivated fellow" who has always moved in uncultivated circles. (Pg. 15) He states as the central issue: whether the will does anything or nothing in matters pertaining to eternal salvation. (Pg. 35) He asserts that the will of God is immutable and infallible, and "it governs our mutable will." (Pg. 39)

He argues that when a man has no doubt that everything depends on the will of God, "then he completely despairs of himself and chooses nothing for himself, but waits for God to work; then he has come close to grace, and can be saved." (Pg. 62) Later, he adds that in relation to matters pertaining to salvation or damnation, a man has no free choice, but is a captive, subject and slave either of the will of God or the will of Satan. (Pg. 70)

He summarizes that "Scripture in its entirety stands opposed to (free choice)." (Pg. 138) In Paul's writings, free choice is "refuted in almost every word." (Pg. 273) He asserts that God's foreknowledge and omnipotence are "diametrically opposed to our free choice," because either God can be mistaken in foreknowing and also err in action, or "we must act and be acted upon in accordance with his foreknowledge and activity." (Pg. 189)

He also asserted that he was "quite certain that the kingdom of the pope, with all his followers, is going to collapse." (Pg. 53)

There are many editions available of Luther's 'Bondage,' but this is an excellent, scholarly edition.

My journey through Luther's works continued. Many of my colleagues as well as in books I have read, have highly praised Luther's look at the Psalms - so maybe I ventured into this volume with too much expectation? The next is also on Psalms, so maybe some of my views might change in several weeks once I've completed that.

Anyway, I think it should be emphasised that though this is the 10th Volume, it is also some of Luther's earliest work, So one should not expected his theology to be as developed as in later works - and given that - it is valuable to see that at this early stage Luther is so focused on the Cross and the Church.

This is in no way like a modern commentary - rather it is more a collection of notes and thoughts on various Psalms. Whilst they are listed in numerical order (this volume covering 1 through 75) it is not exhaustive - with quite a few Psalms omitted. Likewise the coverage is not uniform. Some Psalms have a handful of paragraphs, others quited detailed analysis - and this is not to do with the length of the Psalm.

I still struggle with the allegorical approach to Scripture, and whilst Luther does try and ensure that all allegories are tied to New Testament Theology, he was definitely more allegorical in his earlier writings. There seems to be very little interest in the Psalms original setting - rather the Psalms are seen as being more prophetic than worship / lament / praise etc. From what I can tell this is not uncommon in the early 16th Century.

Sadly what is also not uncommon in that time period, is how often negative sentiments in the Psalms are seen as being addressed to the Jew (though sometimes to the Turk and others). I feel that later in life, Luther would have used these passages to focus on the sin in our lives. But I did find this uncomfortable at times to say the least.

There are also heaps of gems - and the concluding notes on studying scripture are excellent, for example: "That is to say, Scripture is not in our power nor in the ability of our mind. Therefore in its study we must in no way rely on our understanding, but we must become humble and pray that He may bring that understanding to us, since it is not given except to those who are bowed down and humble."

So I continue to enjoy my travels through Luther's Works - and whilst this volume hasn't been as enjoyable as previous ones, it was still quite worthwhile :)

This is, in my estimation, the greatest non-canonical book ever written.

Luther expounds Paul's epistle to the Galatians with an insight, power and depth of emotion which is sorely lacking in modern commentaries. He is not concerned with the various potential interpretations of "problematic passages" that fill the pages of other commentaries. From the very first page Luther cuts to the heart of the epistle-the doctrine of justification-in the way that only he can. His bold words and plain-sense interpretations result in a work filled with much of the same force and passion that characterized the epistle itself. The grace of God and the love of Jesus Christ cling to every word like the scent of a precious perfume. I cannot recommend this work highly enough.

This is the very essence of the gospel as understood by the one who "rediscovered" the doctrines of faith and grace as he teaches us from the words of the one to whom God first revealed those doctrines. If you are looking for an up-to-date critical commentary or a greek-focused exegetical work then you will not find it here, but if you would hear a plain declaration of the power and wisdom of God then you will not find a better treatise apart from the Bible.

This volume contains Luther's full commentary on the fifth and sixth chapters of the epistle (most single-volume works are abridged). Chapter one through four are available in another volume. Unfortunately, these last two chapters of the epistle are only one-third of the text of the volume. The remainder is taken up with an earlier commentary on the same epistle which, honestly, is barely worth the paper it's printed on. At best it can show you how radically different the twice-born, Spirit-led exegete is from the once-born, reason-led scholar.

This is, in my estimation, the greatest non-canonical book ever written.

Luther expounds Paul's epistle to the Galatians with an insight, power and depth of emotion which is sorely lacking in modern commentaries. He is not concerned with the various potential interpretations of "problematic passages" that fill the pages of other commentaries. From the very first page Luther cuts to the heart of the epistle-the doctrine of justification-in the way that only he can. His bold words and plain-sense interpretations result in a work filled with much of the same force and passion that characterized the epistle itself. The grace of God and the love of Jesus Christ cling to every word like the scent of a precious perfume. I cannot recommend this work highly enough.

This is the very essence of the gospel as understood by the one who "rediscovered" the doctrines of faith and grace as he teaches us from the words of the one to whom God first revealed those doctrines. If you are looking for an up-to-date critical commentary or a greek-focused exegetical work then you will not find it here, but if you would hear a plain declaration of the power and wisdom of God then you will not find a better treatise apart from the Bible.

This volume contains Luther's full commentary on the fifth and sixth chapters of the epistle (most single-volume works are abridged). Chapter one through four are available in another volume. Unfortunately, these last two chapters of the epistle are only one-third of the text of the volume. The remainder is taken up with an earlier commentary on the same epistle which, honestly, is barely worth the paper it's printed on. At best it can show you how radically different the twice-born, Spirit-led exegete is from the once-born, reason-led scholar.

You will find few clearer presentations of Luther's "salvation by grace through faith" than this commentary on the Apostle Paul's epistle to the churches in Galatia. This, in my opinion, is one of the greatest things written by Martin Luther -- scholar, pastor and reformer of the faith. First given as Lectures in 1535, Luther's exploration of Galatians rings as true and powerful today, 470 years later. Faith (trust in God's promise) is for Paul and Luther, the way in which we receive God's righteousness ("passive righteousness" which is a gift, according to Luther, as opposed to "active righteousness" which we strive to achieve, but never accomplish. pg. 4).

The struggle to trust in God's promise alone is as fresh today as it was in Luther's day, or even Paul's day, for that matter. In our rational, scientific, and material age, trusting in the "free lunch" of the gospel seems suspect. To rational people, it seems too easy. But for Luther, this was precisely the point, "By my reason I cannot understand or declare for certain that I am accepted into grace for the sake of Christ, but I hear this announced through the Gospel and take hold of it by faith." (pg. 239)

Luther does not always read well in our modern era. He is a bit verbose and can ramble a bit (although in these lectures I feel he is much more to the point than in other of his writings). Be that as it may, it is well worth the read. You will find gems on these pages that are worth the little digging it takes to find them. This is a Christian classic, which I highly recommend.

I continue to be intrigued by Luther's investigation into Genesis. I do recommend that Volume 1 (ie his coverage of Genesis 1-5) be read prior to this, as it lays much of the foundation and helps you to understand the arguments presented.

I am not convinced by the argument that Melchizedek is really Shem - as I feel that Luther does elevate the pre-Abraham Patriarchs a bit too much - but at the same time I can understand where he is coming from.

I also need to give more thought to Luther's argument that when God talks in Genesis (except in the Garden), then he is talking through one of the Patriarchs.

Anyway, a "Commentary" written almost 500 years ago that gives me much to think about is very worthwhile!

This volume continues and concludes Luther's coverage of the Book of Isaiah. Probably not really surprising that Luther does quite a good job covering this Prophet. The two volumes should still be included in current studies in Isaiah. Whereas much in Luther's coverage of Genesis is a bit dated (but very worthwhile read nonetheless), I think Luther still is quite relevant (at least most of the time) in his comments on this book.

As noted with the previous volume, I think this book would work well as a Devotional coverage of Isaiah.

The second installment of Luther's lectures on Genesis continues the story from Noah to Abraham. These lectures are lucid and insightful if a little repetitive. Luther reads Genesis as a true history and often is using his imagination to fill in gaps for his students. Noah and Abraham are presented as preachers who were despised by their neighbors but beloved by God for their adherence to the true faith. Luther's exegetical method is to read the Biblical stories as guides and view the characters as examples. Luther imaginitively reads his own personal experience very deeply in the Biblical texts. But despite this, and Luther's propensity to make claims which can be disturbing, Luther remains an indispensible teacher of how to distinguish what is useful from what is frivolous in the Bible. His reading of Scripture should inspire the modern Christian to treat the Bible as the living, breathing, word of God.

This volume of the Martin Luther series is perhaps one of the most valuable due to its content, which is laid out in chronological order from 1517 to 1520. The merit of this to the careful reader is that the development of Luther's "new" evangelical theology, from its early stages in his "Disputation Against Scholastic Theology" to its most mature and inspirational in "The Freedom of a Christian," is evident from its infancy to maturity. In addition to these two works are included Luther's 95 theses, his "Explanations of the 95 Theses," the "Heidelberg Disputation," along with a few other lesser works. This volume, however, captures the heart of the great Reformer and thereby offers a small peek inside his mind. Minimal notes and introductions are included, though what is here is valuable. Each included work has its own introduction which includes a short bibliography. Unfortunately, this is a reprint from 1957 and the bibliography is therefore sorely out of date. On the plus side, the introductions link the writings together well, giving enough of a raison d'être to make the historical situation pertinent to the non-specialist. No theology is done in a vacuum.

The first two works included are the most difficult to read as they are not laid out in paragraph form, but in numbered sentences, because they were intended for debate. It takes a little more effort to read through these writings, but if the reader will, she will be greatly rewarded when she comes upon his later, less academically stylized writings. One can see the seeds of Luther's great doctrines of "Justification by Faith," "Scripture Alone," "Faith Alone," and "Grace Alone" present in the earlier works. Luther was still working them out in the 95 Theses stage of life, but there was no doubt in his mind what the consequences of his discovery were, both for the individual and for the Catholic church. It is fascinating to read "The Freedom of a Christian" and read the utter joy with which Luther presents the truth. It is true that he had a sarcastic side as evidenced by the letter to Pope Leo X, which was supposed to be conciliatory, yet it does not quite come across that way.

The translation work is done by several people but it is not noticeable. The editors made an effort to remain faithful in clarity, even if literal wording had to be sacrificed in some places. The text also includes footnotes, but they are kept down to the barest minimum, only where there may be an important historical or Scriptural reference which might be missed by the contemporary reader. The advantage of this is that the reader is not bombarded by little footnote numbers interrupting their reading and slowing them down. These works by Martin Luther deserve to be read by anyone calling himself Protestant, because they are the backbone which support the frame. Whether they admit it or not, know it or not, appreciate it or not, Luther did most of the hard work in his career. The hardest years of which are included in this book.

If one thinks they know Luther because they are familiar with the Lutheran church, then they need to read this book. Speaking on subjects one might speak of today, you can see the praticality of this great reformer. When standing against all odds, he spoke truth, when it was not at all popular to speak the truth. This is a must read for anyone desiring to know Luther, or even understand how controversial a person Luther really was.

Martin Luther never ceases to amaze and inspire me with his brilliance and insights. This edition is so poorly edited, however, that there are mispellings throughout and some sentences have not been corrected for grammar. Since this work is in the public domain, you would think that the publishing house would have spent the minimal expense to edit it. It makes great reading but no thanks to the publisher.

This is mainly Martin Luther's work "The Bondage of the Will" Even if you do not agree with Martin Luthers take on the nature of the human will it is insightful and In my opinion asks a really good question what is the nature and the extent of the will in matters of Salvation. Martin Luther is mainly in this work rebutting Erasmus' diatribe "On the Freedom of the Will" Where Erasmus seems to indicate that humanity must do works first and then grace follows. It is an interesting read no matter what side of the isle one may fall on.

This volume contains all Luther's prefaces to the books of the Bible and therefore is a great reference to have. These entries are readable and reader-friendly to even the beginning student of the Bible.

Downloading program from CD to my PC hard-disk went smoothly. But when I tried to copy part of text to the clipboard, it went smoothly for the first time but if I did it second time with other selected text the program gave no response - I had to exit and then reran and repeated the process again. Also when I searched for particular word or phrase it displayed the results without showing correct page number and it bypassed footnotes. In short the search engine is not too user friendly.

Martin Luther, a brilliant, multi-lingual theologian and scholar, never lost his bond with the common man. That reality is evident in Tabletalk, in his sermons, and in his Small Catechism. Luther and his wife, Katie, lived in a large house that provided an ideal setting for the frequent gatherings of Luther's peers and those who simply wanted to hear more from their spiritual leader.

It's a nice, easy to navigate collection of Luther's Works. I like the ability to find things by heading or by volume and page numbers. The only down side is that the search function isn't very refined.

From one of the greatest thinkers of all time. We owe so much to this man, that we ought to at least consider what this document tries to teach us. This of course does NOT reflect this group entirely, for there are GOOD people in ALL groups. However, we must study this book and draw from it the warnings that GOD has given us through Marin Luther. A GREAT read even if you are not religious.

If you can get past the fact that the Protestants are just as delusional as the Catholics, it is interesting reading and a nice slice of history. But you have to be a history buff to enjoy this type of work.

A Wow! read. There is no theological book like Table Talk. You get to sit around Luther's table and listen in on conversations about anything and everything. Some of its very funny. We read it at Charnock Institute of the Bible.