Luther's Lectures on Genesis

Series · 6 books · 1752-1969

By Martin Luther, Dr Martin Luther, Jaroslav Jan Pelikan

Books in series

Lectures on Genesis

Chapters 1-5

1752

Luther-s Works: The American Edition, published by Concordia and Fortress Press between 1955 and 1986, comprises fifty-five volumes. These are a selection representing only about a third of Luther-s works in the Latin and German of the standard Weimar Edition, not including the German Bible. The Reformer-s lectures on the First Book of Moses must be numbered among the great works in the field of exegetical writing. Unlike many scholars who have undertaken to expound Genesis, Luther is not afraid to adhere strictly to the letter of what Moses wrote. He does not indulge in wild allegories. He does not tear words or sentences out of their context. He knows that Genesis is the Word of God. Therefore he approaches the book with awe and reverence. His is a genuinely Christian commentary. This volume discusses Genesis 1-5, including the Creation, the Fall, the First Brothers, and the line of Adam.

Lectures on Genesis

1960

Luther-s Works: The American Edition, published by Concordia and Fortress Press between 1955 and 1986, comprises fifty-five volumes. These are a selection representing only about a third of Luther-s works in the Latin and German of the standard Weimar Edition, not including the German Bible. Luther-s Lectures on Genesis is a great classic in the filed of theological literature. These dicourses are clear, vigorous, pertinent, and comprehensive. They reveal vast learning as well as extraordinary ability to expound Scripture in a manner that is intelligible to everyone. Regarding style and method, Luther himself states that in his youth he was -enchanted- by allegories. Consequently, he sometimes resorts to allegorical interpretations when he expounds the Book of Genesis, though always in a manner that is -comformable to the faith.- Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 6-14 deal with the Flood, with Noah and his descendants, with the Tower of Babel, and with Abram and Lot up to the time of Abram-s vision and the promise of the Seed.

Lectures on Genesis

Chapters 15-20

1961

Thoroughly researched and faithfully translated, the Luther's Works series consists of Martin Luther's Bible commentaries, sermons, prefaces, postils, disputations, letters, theology, and polemics, translated and published in English for the first time. Luther's Works, Volume 3 (Lectures on Genesis Chapters 15-20) discusses Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, Lot, and others.

Lectures on Genesis

Chapters 21-25

1964

Luther-s The American Edition, published by Concordia and Fortress Press between 1955 and 1986, comprises fifty-five volumes. These are a selection representing only about a third of Luther-s works in the Latin and German of the standard Weimar Edition, not including the German Bible. In this volume, Luther ends his biography of Abraham (begun in Volume 2) and begins his focus on the later patriarchal narratives. Written, it is believed, during an outbreak of the plague in 1539, this section of the Genesis lectures (Genesis 21-25) includes Luther-s moving study of the Abraham and Isaac story in which he compares Isaac-s obedience to that of Christ.

Lectures on Genesis

Chapters 31-37

1969

Thoroughly researched and faithfully translated, the Luther's Works series consists of Martin Luther's Bible commentaries, sermons, prefaces, postils, disputations, letters, theology, and polemics, translated and published in English for the first time. In Luther's Works, Volume 6 (Lectures on Genesis Chapters 31-37), the subject is the mature child of God in the school of adversity.

Lectures on Genesis

Chapters 38-44

1964

A monumental resource, now available electronically The 55-volume set of Luther’s Works, a monumental translation project published jointly by Fortress Press and Concordia Publishing House in 1957, is singular in its value to church historians, Luther scholars, and Christians. The message of Martin Luther’s faith has never spoken more clearly and more comprehensively than here, and now that the entire set is available on CD-ROM, his message will never speak more freely. This truly exquisite offering will put the entire Luther corpus at the command of a few keystrokes and provide the reader with a Luther resource unrivaled in accessibility and convenience. Luther’s Works on CD-ROM is indispensable for studies of Luther and invaluable for preachers. The first thirty volumes contain Luther’s expositions of various biblical books, while remaining volumes include his Reformation writings and occasional pieces. The final volume of the set contains an index of quotations, proper names, and topics, and a list of corrections and changes. The CD-ROM will also contain a glossary of many of the technical terms that recur in Luther’s works and links to every biblical reference.

Authors

Martin Luther

Author · 85 books

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German monk, theologian, university professor and church reformer whose ideas inspired the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of Western civilization. Luther's theology challenged the authority of the papacy by holding that the Bible is the only infallible source of religious authority and that all baptized Christians under Jesus are a spiritual priesthood. According to Luther, salvation was a free gift of God, received only by true repentance and faith in Jesus as the Messiah, a faith given by God and unmediated by the church. Luther's confrontation with Charles V at the Diet of Worms over freedom of conscience in 1521 and his refusal to submit to the authority of the Emperor resulted in his being declared an outlaw of the state as he had been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. Because of the perceived unity of the medieval Church with the secular rulers of western Europe, the widespread acceptance of Luther's doctrines and popular vindication of his thinking on individual liberties were both phenomenal and unprecedented. His translation of the Bible into the vernacular, making it more accessible to ordinary people, had a tremendous political impact on the church and on German culture. It furthered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation of the English King James Bible. His hymns inspired the development of congregational singing within Christianity. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage within Protestantism. Much scholarly debate has concentrated on Luther's writings about the Jews. His statements that Jews' homes should be destroyed, their synagogues burned, money confiscated and liberty curtailed were revived and used in propaganda by the Nazis in 1933–45. As a result of this and his revolutionary theological views, his legacy remains controversial.