1. Luther's lectures on the prophet Amos,
according to the Altenburg manuscript.*)
Held i" December 1524 and in January 1525. Printed in Dietrich's edition 1536, later Altenburg manuscript 1884.
Newly translated from the Latin.
[Preface on the Prophet Amos.]
Because we are flesh and blood, because we constantly carry and have our most harmful enemies with us, and Satan does not let up in the meantime, we need much instruction and God's word, so that we are not seduced by the flesh and overcome by Satan, which can happen very easily, and dampen the spirit. Therefore the apostle so diligently exhorted that we should let the word of God dwell among us abundantly in all wisdom 2c., Col. 3, 16. For as the body must perish if it is not given bread and nourishment by which it is sustained, so it is also the case for the soul if it is not given the right food, the word of God. For man does not live on bread alone, but on the word of God, Deut. 8:3. 1)
What the Prophet Aims to Do.
The prophet Amos was a contemporary of Hosea, 2) which the titles indicate. Both whis-
1) This section is missing in the Latin Wittenberg and in all German editions.
2) D. i: and of Isaiah,
3) said against the kingdom of Ephraim and foretold the same future calamities. For God the Lord observes that whenever a great change of things is imminent, whenever a particular calamity threatens, He sends His prophets or ministers of the word to proclaim His word, predicting the future calamity, so that through the preached word they may convert some, even if only a few, hearts and bring them to repentance. Without a doubt, since the Word of God shines so clearly to us, we too must expect a great change in things; by the way, how it will be or when it will take place, the Lord knows. Therefore, at the time when the miserable desolation of Israel was imminent, he sent the prophet Amos, and he also sent other excellent prophets to preach his word and to remind Israel of the future desolation and mourning, so that they would not all perish completely, but 4) by means of
3) D.: He prophesies
4) D. continues: at least some would be called to repentance and learn how they should comfort themselves in the future misfortune. But as the greater part always despised the word, as 2c.
*) We see ourselves compelled to reproduce also this prophet according to the Altenburg manuscript, as has already been done with the first relation of the prophet Joel; the first note to this (Col. 1414 in this volume) gives the necessary information. Therefore, it only remains for us to indicate the location of our writing. According to the Altenburg manuscript, it is first printed in the Erlangen edition, 6X6L. opp., tom. XXV, p. 377 and in the Weimar one, vol. XIII, p. 158. In Veit Dietrich's edition, which appeared at Strasbourg in 1536 (see above Col. 1415), it is reproduced in the Latin Wittenberg edition (1552), torn. IV, lol. 519 and in the Jena one (1603), tom. Ill, lol. 494 d. This was translated into German in 1555 by 14. Paul Kröl and included in the Wittenberg edition (1556), vol. VIII, p. 411 d, and from it passed m the Altenburg, vol. VI, p. IM); in the Leipzig, vol. VIII, p. 267 and into the old edition of Walch, vol. VI, 2434. We now give a new translation according to the Weimar edition and add, as we did with Joel, the more important deviations of Dietrich in notes. For the sake of brevity, we denote them in the following by D., and an addition by f.
The word of God, which was abundantly offered, would call them to repentance. But as the word has always been despised, just as it is despised today, so also at that time the word did not take place among them; they did not respect the word and the preachers of the word. Few had the Word at heart, and with these, as few as they were, God gave salvation through His Word. The rest of the multitude is rightly 1) rejected by GOD because they despised, mocked and blasphemed the Word, because they dishonored, mocked, treated shamefully, finally even killed the prophets who were sent to proclaim salvation. 2) This is the appearance, image and form of the Word of God. Therefore, there is no reason for us to hope for anything better.
It is therefore the summa and the purpose of the prophecy of Amos: he punishes and warns Israel that they may go into themselves and repent of their ungodliness, so that it will happen that they can beware of the impending calamity from God's judgment. But his preaching has been despised beyond all measure. For besides that the word and the preachers of the word of the world and the wisdom of the flesh are very repugnant, Amos also prophesied at such a time when the kingdom of Israel was in the highest bloom and everything went out happily (when Hosea also prophesied). For he prophesied under Jeroboam, a famous and valiant, though godless king, who had distinguished himself by many victories and restored the borders of Israel from Hemath to the sea, which is in the plain, as it is written in the second book of Kings, Cap. 14, 25. Therefore, he is called a king by this prosperity.
1) with right" is missing from D.
2) D. †: "and had to suffer the punishments of their contempt and security". After that he continues: This has always been the fate of the Word and the way of the world, therefore there is no reason that we should nowadays 2c.
For they think that they have no need of God, and in their delusion they continue to act ungodly until God's judgment seizes them and they perish. For in vain is the word proclaimed to them, as we see in this prophet. Therefore, Amos prophesied at a very unfortunate and yet very opportune time. 3) From all this, we are to learn to take advantage of the goodness and mercy of God in adversity, but to fear in good times.
3) Instead of the following in this passage, D. has: "Although this has long since been fulfilled, and seems to be of no concern to us, we should nevertheless be mindful, since the same God still exists who was at that time and did not tolerate the ungodliness of His people, that we also have to suffer the same punishments, who wallow in the same sins and despise the gospel and the holy teachings in an extraordinary way. For so Paul says [1 Cor. 10, 11]: "All these things happened to them as an example", and it should serve us as a testimony", so that we first of all recognize our sins and improve our lives, and after that we also receive the divine mercy, that God may have mercy on us and preserve for us the gifts that he has given: the word and the knowledge of God. Furthermore, this prophet has almost nothing to do with anything but threats and the preaching of the horrors of the future judgment. Hence he seems to have his name, for Amos means a burden, since he is, as it were, a hard, burdensome preacher 2c. But he was not of the rank of prophets, but a shepherd, and wandered from the tribe of Judah to the kingdom of Israel, and preached there as a stranger. That is why it is said that he was killed by the priest Amaziah, whom he punishes in the seventh chapter, v. 17, with a girdle. But at the end of the last chapter he adds a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ, so that he closes his book with the preaching of Christ. Twice his testimony is used in the New Testament, namely by Stephanus, Apost. 7,*) 42, and by Jacobus, Apost. 15, 16. The latter uses it against the Jews and proves that they never obeyed the law of God; the latter against the law itself, which should not be imposed on Christians.
In the Latin editions: Xvtor. 8,