Translated from Latin.
There are three pieces in this passage that do not allow it to be thought that forgiveness of sins is obtained by love or by works.
The first is the word of Christ to the woman [v. 50]: "Your faith has helped you. He does not say: Your love has helped you.
2 But it is ridiculous to distort the word of Christ in this way through human iniquity: Faith, which has gained its right shape through love, has helped you;
3. as if Christ, if he had wanted to, could not have added love, saying: your faith and love have helped you.
4 Yes, he is silent about love when he speaks to the woman and praises faith alone.
(5) Just as, on the contrary, he is deliberately silent about faith when he speaks to the Pharisee and praises love alone.
(6) For this reason, one should hold fast and insist against the devil and all his inspirations, namely, that the woman is helped by faith alone, before love.
7 The second is the other word of Christ [v. 47], "Whose little is forgiven, the same loveth little."
8 With this word, he indicates that the forgiveness of sins is before love, and that this [love] follows the forgiveness of sins as a gratitude for the gift received.
9 For he does not say here, "Little is forgiven him who loves little," but on the contrary, "He loves little to whom little is forgiven.
(10) This clearly proves that forgiveness is free and without merit, but love is a fruit or confession of the forgiveness given.
(11) Therefore, this other word of Christ must be held fast and insisted upon against the insolent falsifiers of this passage.
The third is the parable itself and the whole thing that Christ is talking about here. With this parable and thing, the sayings of this passage must agree (not argue).
13 The parable clearly says in this place that a usurer gives the debt for free to two debtors who could not pay.
14 And since the debt is given, Christ asks which of the two loves the most; whether it be he to whom much is given, or he to whom little is given.
15 The Pharisee judges rightly here, and Christ approves, namely, that he loves more to whom more is given.
(16) All this proves conclusively that the forgiveness of sins precedes love, and that love follows forgiveness.
(17) For the debtors do not love the usurer as long as they are indebted to him, nor do they obtain remission through love.
18 Much less do they love when payment is demanded and they have nothing, and must fear that they will be condemned.
19 But then they begin to love when they are safely released after their guilt is forgiven.
20 Therefore we also are justified by the grace of him who forgives, because we cannot pay the debt.
*) This disputation appeared in 1835 at Wittenberg in a single edition in Latin (Walch, Vorrede zum 7. Bande, p. 18, Anm- y>). In Panzer, [iw. tvp-, Dow. IX, p. 99, another single edition of 1536 is mentioned. It is found in Latin in the Wittenberg edition (1550), Dow. I, toi. 393; in the Jena (1579), Dow. I, toi. 509d; in the Erlanger, opp. var. ar.], vol. IV, p. 398, also in the Wittenberg Thesensammlungen of 1538 and 1558. Jn German language only in Walch. The old translation has been revised by us.
21 For if we, as debtors, could obtain forgiveness of sins by merit, we would indeed have something with which to pay.
22. but the text clearly says [v. 42], "Since they did not have to pay, he gave it to both of them."
23 But the gift is not a merit of the receiving debtor, but a grace of the merciful and giving usurer.
24 Paul also distinguishes the gift or imputation from the reward that is given out of duty.
25 This gift is not taken by love, which is not yet there, but by faith, which loves and gives thanks afterwards.
(26) Therefore, in this place, as has been said, these three pieces do not allow it to be considered that love or merit obtains forgiveness of sins.
27. there is [still this] left, that the word of Christ, "She is forgiven [many sins], because she loved," should not dispute against these three pieces;
28. But such a mind is to be sought which agrees with these three things, lest we make Christ such a one as contends against himself.
(29) Neither shall one, after the manner of the contentious, do a single word against the whole text.
30 For this does not mean to humbly seek the truth, but to arrogantly defend the error once it has been made.
31 But there is no better understanding than that which is taken from Christ's words and works.
32 For it is certain that he speaks differently to the woman, differently to the Pharisee, praising faith there and love here.
Therefore, there can be no contradiction in the words, since this can only take place in one and the same thing and if the same way is there (ad idem et secundum idem), as also nature teaches.
34 The Pharisee now holds fast to the public opinion or reputation, according to which the woman, with regard to the righteousness of the law, was considered a sinner in the city.
35 Meanwhile, he does not know what Christ had secretly wrought through faith, by which the woman clung to him inwardly.
(36) Yes, as a blind man, he does not even see that, how much love the same proves outwardly according to the law.
Therefore Christ condemns the Pharisee's judgment, wanting to free the woman from the public call by a public absolution, and passes the judgment that the same is also publicly righteous.
38. for she is not a sinner, but believes in Christ and practices better works of love than even the Pharisee.
39 This is when he turns to the Pharisee, as a public person, or one who was puffed up because of the public reputation of the woman, and says publicly, "I tell you, she is forgiven of many sins" 2c.
40 Then he lists the best deeds of the woman, with which she also fulfilled the law, while he, the so holy judge of the sinner, did nothing of the sort.
41) But when he turns to the woman, he speaks especially to her, praising her special faith and saying, "Your faith" 2c.
42 As if to say: You condemn a public sinner, although she has not only far surpassed you in the righteousness of faith, which you do not see, but has also surpassed you in the righteousness of the law or of love, which you strive for but do not attain.
(43) Therefore, because she publicly testifies to her faith and shows love through righteous fruits of repentance, she should also be publicly absolved before you and be considered righteous.
44 In this, Christ is completely against the Pharisee, so that he condemns his public judgment of the sinner by the public righteousness of the same sinner.
45 Therefore he enumerates to him not the faith but the works of the sinner, and reproves that nothing of the kind is done by the Pharisee.
46 Therefore the word of Christ to the Pharisee is rightly understood of public forgiveness. "I tell you," he says; that is, I show it to you publicly.
47. that means: I want them to also be at
be considered righteous and holy to you, having done more in the law than you do and understand.
48. but by turning to the woman as to a private person, he comforts her own (private) conscience by saying: "Your faith" 2c.
(49) It was intolerable to the Jews that a man should arrogate to himself the power to forgive sin, as is evident from the ninth chapter of Matthew, v. 3.
50 Therefore, in order that Christ might show that he is the Lord of all things, he absolved the sinner who had been found guilty by the public judgment of men.
51 And this he does with knowledge and will, because he shows them the woman who was condemned by public reputation, and yet publicly justifies her because of her public love or confession.
In the same way, sinners are publicly absolved in the church, where they demonstrate righteous fruits of repentance.
(53) For those cannot be publicly absolved from sins who publicly persist in sins and do not show that they have turned back.
54. but it is the public absolution
a matter of great importance, and it strengthens and comforts the faith immensely.
55. for it is nothing other than a testimony of many, or of the Church, which is pleasing to God, given to us and approved by God:
(56) Just as consolations, when they come from more than one person, are all the more effective with fearful and troubled consciences;
(57) Just as good works establish our calling and election, because they are a testimony of true faith.
(58) The inward forgiveness is in vain through the mercy of God, who cleanses the hearts inwardly through faith.
(59) But those who stubbornly insist on this word, "Many sins are forgiven her because she loved," and do not want to hear these three things, they are to be avoided as people of distorted senses.
(60) For with this one word of Christ, which they have taken hold of with their minds, they will not make false the three pieces and the whole text,
61 Then, if they are to respond to these three pieces, they will go to great lengths, and yet labor in vain.