1. Since it is to be so ordered in Christianity that God's Word is always preached and practiced, and is daily kept alive (because all power lies in it alone, and souls cannot live without it), so that among Christians the holy Scriptures, namely both the Old and New Testaments, may become known and current to everyone, so that we may be equipped, hardened, and strengthened in faith by God's Word, to stand against all kinds of temptation and misfortune: I will therefore also take a book before me from the Old Testament, and interpret and explain the same, as much as God will give grace, as we have done so far in the New Testament, so that every Christian may see how the Scriptures everywhere agree, and how all the examples and histories, indeed, the whole of the Scriptures through and through, are directed to make Christ known, of which we have always preached, and still preach.
(2) For although it is true that we have enough to teach faith from only one saying from the Scriptures and God's Word, God has shown us special grace and abundantly showered us with many examples and sayings, so that we may clearly see how faith alone matters, and strengthen our faith through so many sayings, and be certain with ourselves that we will not waver. Therefore, as we have hitherto seen how all the Gospels teach and do no more than one thing in all places, so let us also see the same in the Old Testament, without the Old Testament having anything more about it, that it also instructs the people according to the outward rule, for those who are not Christians; how to keep and govern the same.
shall be in external change, regiment and order.
Let us begin with the first book of Moses, in which it is primarily described where all creatures came from, especially man with sin, death, and godliness, which all the world strives for and writes about, and yet has never attained.
Before we proceed to this, it is necessary to know that the Word of God is acted upon in two ways. First, by those who do not believe righteously, and grasp it externally with the letter alone, according to reason and human understanding, making a thought of it, as the words read. The other by those whom the Holy Spirit teaches, who do not grasp it with outward thoughts, but to whom God gives a right mind and experience in the heart.
(5) The first crowd never really understands it, although many great talkers come out of it, who boast that they have read it and understand it, and think that they can do it better than all the others. Therefore the Jews also forbade (as Jerome writes) that no one should read this book until he was well practiced and had come to his thirty years. Likewise they have also withdrawn some more books not to be read by young people. But now I do not think that such things are set and ordered by gross hypocrites, but consider that they have been done by high people. For it is well written, in the first chapter, that no reason can understand it.
For this is undoubtedly the highest article of faith in which we speak: I
*) Wittenberg and Erlangen: in.
**This preface and the interpretation of the first chapter (up to § 19 incl.) appeared already in 1524 in several single prints (the Weimar edition lists four of them) under the title: Ein Sermon und Eingang in das erste Buch Mosis, das ist, in das Buch der Schöpfung, darin gründlich angezeigt wird der Artikel des Glaubens, so wir sprechen: Ich glaube in GOtt Vater allmächtigen, Schöpfer Himmel und Erdreichs. Martin Luther. This passage, which essentially corresponds to the text given here, is printed in the Weimar edition, vol. XII, p. 438. Below the line, this edition from the Zwickau Rathsschulbibliothek brings a postscript by Stephan Roth in Latin, which (although it is the longer of his two recensions) probably does not include the fifth part of the German text. The redaction of this section given in our edition is indisputably significantly better than the one given in the Weimar edition.
believe in God the Father, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. And whoever believes this righteously is already helped, and is brought back to the place where Adam fell. But few are they who come so far that they completely believe that he is the God who creates and makes all things. For such a man must have died to all things, to good and evil, to death and life, to hell and heaven, and must confess from the heart that he is unable to do anything by his own efforts.
This is the reason why the dear fathers did not let everyone read and act on this chapter. Therefore, we do not want to act it harshly, but, as much as God will give grace, we want to interpret it simply and see that we get to the heart of it, that is, as Moses meant it, even though we do not know how it all happened.
(8) For many people have written so much about it, and given so many different understandings, that I do not know whether they have the right understanding. First, some have said that all things God created were perfect in a moment. And take this from this saying Deut. 32, 4: 1) Dei perfecta sunt opera, that is, God's works are perfect and whole." And from this, Sir. 18, 1.: Qui vivit in aeternum, creavit omnia simul, "He who lives forever created all things with one another." And many great men, such as Augustine and Hilarius, are of this opinion, that in a moment all things stood as we see them now, the heavens with sun, moon, and stars, the earth full of fruit and living animals, that is, that beginning and end stood at the same time. But we do not want to understand it that way.
(9) For I have often said that whoever wants to study the Scriptures should always see to it that he remains on the simple words, as he always can, and should never depart from them, unless some article of faith compels him to understand them differently than the words say. For we must be sure that no more simple speech has come on earth than that which God has spoken.
1) Both sayings are quoted according to the Vulgate.
(10) Therefore, when Moses writes that in six days God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, let it remain that there were six days, and do not find a gloss on how six days were one day. But if thou canst not understand how it hath been six days, give glory to the Holy Ghost, that he is more learned than thou. For thou shalt thus deal with the Scriptures, that thou mayest think as God himself speaketh. But because God speaks, it is not for you to direct his word where you want to go, unless necessity forces you to understand a text differently than the words say, namely, if faith does not suffer such understanding as the words give.
011 If then it be said, God's works are perfect, it must follow that he did not spend so long in the creation, that is, six whole days. Answer: Yes, they are perfect; but as we see that we human beings are not made soon, but that the child lies in the womb for nine months, and does not become perfect until it is tall and male, even though He could make it perfect in a moment, just as He does with other things, so we must also say that God did not do such perfect works. Therefore, understand it this way: When God has arranged and completed it, His works are perfect; but because He still has the work before Him and is doing it, it is not perfect. Now it is before our eyes that he is always making and creating. Therefore, just as when a man makes an image, it is not yet finished while he is still working on it: so also God's work is not perfect until it is made. For so it is in the whole world, that God has determined from the beginning to create so many people, and yet creates daily, even though he could make all people at once. Therefore, this saying does not conclude that they want to prove it.
12 Likewise their opinion also does not follow from this saying: "God has created all things with one another" 2c. For he only wants to say this: There is one who lives forever, who has made all things, all that there is in one heap; and no one else. Therefore
It is just that which Moses says and tells here, how God began to create the world, and made six days over it, and did just as he still does when he creates a man in his mother's womb. And even though he hastened here more and more, it still happened with leisure, and finely one thing after another was done, until it all became perfect. Therefore one should remain with the words here, because faith does not force one to understand it differently. But if there were a saying of the Scriptures, which clearly compels, that all things were made at once and at one moment, then we would have to understand this text also differently. That is a piece that we wanted to say to the preface.
The other is, as we have said [§ 4], that each one should grasp these words with the spirit and take so much from them that God does, creates and works all things in heaven and earth, as the text also wills. Whoever understands this will soon realize that he cannot stir a vein or have a thought, God must work it; that his life is not in his own hand, but only in God's hand. For if I believe that he made the whole world out of nothing, but that everything was made solely out of his words and commandments, then I must confess that I am also a piece of the world and of his creation. From this it must follow that it is not in my power to move a hand, but that God alone does and works everything in me. That is where it wants to go, and that is where it must be directed, so that reason is right.
(14) When you feel this, you will be frightened, for nature cannot suffer it. But it is comforting to those who stand in faith, for there is nothing that can strengthen and comfort them, except that they know how they stand in God's hand, so that he works even the smallest thoughts in them. Whoever has such faith can fear nothing and rely on nothing, neither in heaven nor on earth, neither in life nor in death, neither in sin nor in piety, but only on God. Therefore, even if the whole world stood against me and attacked me, so that I was in their hands, I know that they can do nothing, except as far as God wills. And if
If the enemies are as many as the sands of the sea, they are God's creatures, so they cannot have a thought without his will and care; let alone that they can harm me, if he wills. But if he will, good for me,' for I know that it is his gracious will and fatherly love.
Therefore such a believing man stands in such joy and security that he does not let himself be frightened by any creature, is master of all things, fears no thing that may be at his disposal, but only God, who is in heaven. Again, if he were a great lord in the world, and were set over all kingdoms, that all pleasure and joy on earth should be given to him, he would take nothing for himself; nor would he ask anything if all these things were taken from him again. For he does not put his trust in any creature, but in God alone.
(16) But where faith is not, since man judges according to his reason and conceit, and this reason is also revealed, there is also hell itself, and man cannot have greater torment. For as he stands there in faith without fear, and is master of all things, and gives himself into God's hand alone, so it is here again; if he does not believe, and yet sees that all creatures stand in God's power, there is no creature that does not frighten him, that he must be afraid of all. For since God is against him, all things must also be against him.
(17) Thus it is, as Moses wrote [Deut. 26:36], that even a rustling leaf falling from a tree terrifies the wicked. The heart cannot be so full of courage that it can stand against such a small rustling leaf: what should it do when death comes? Wherever he goes or sees, God is against him, and thinks to strike him before the head. Therefore, these words are nothing but a thunderclap and lightning. Therefore Moses says: "God will give you a despondent heart, and you will pine away for sorrow, and you will never be sure of your life. In the morning you will say, 'Who knows if I will see the
1) Weimarsche: must.
In the evening you will say, "Oh, how I wish I could live in the morning!
So here in Moses, on both sides, is hell and heaven. Those who grasp it with faith learn to trust God and give themselves completely to Him, and become so stouthearted, 1) that they do not fear anything, for they know that God is with them. But those who grasp it with reason, without faith, and feel that their conscience tells them that God is hostile to them, they can have neither peace nor joy. The other group, or those who do not grasp nor feel such reason, can do no more than say, "God created the heavens and the earth; come to them," for they have no peace of mind.
1) In the editions: hearted.
but not to the heart, but only keep the words on the tongue.
(19) These are the two things which we have to say for the preface, namely, first, that the words may be kept in the simple, bad mind; and secondly, that the words and the substance may be rightly grasped, and felt in the heart. Those who cannot do this are forbidden to read, so that they do not attack it, for they do it without fruit. By this our works, merits, free will and reason have already come to powder, because no creature can do the least work by itself. Now let us turn to the text and see how Moses describes the creation one after the other.