2. Religion in general.
The derivation of the Latin word religio from a root word (etymology) is known to be disputed to this day. The linguistically competent Latinists themselves, whether heathens or Christians, represent different derivations.12) We can leave the etymological question undecided without damage to the matter, namely without suffering a loss of our religious knowledge, because the meaning of a word is determined in the last instance not by etymology, but by the use of language (usus loquendi).13)
11) Exposition of the Last Words of David, 2 Sam. 23:3. St. L. III, 1890. E. A. 37, 12.
12) The heathen Cicero wants to derive religio from relegere or religere in the sense of diligently or carefully pursue (diligenter retractare). De Nat. Deorum 2, 28: Qui omnia, quae ad cultum deorum pertinerent, diligenter retractarent et tamquam relegerent, sunt dicti religiosi ex relegendo, ut elegantes ex eligendo, tamquam a diligendo diligentes, ex intelligendo intelligentes. The Christian Lactantius, in explicit contrast to Cicero, advocates the derivation of religare in the sense of: to bind to God, to commit to Him. Inst. Div. 4, 28: Hac conditione gignimur, ut generanti nos deo iusta et debita obsequia praebeamus, hunc solum noverimus, hunc sequamur. Hoc vinculo pietatis obstricti deo et religati sumus, unde ipsa religio nomen accepit, non, ut Cicero interpretatus est, a religendo. Augustine vacillates between religere and religare, as can be seen from a comparison of De Civ. Dei 10, 4 and De Vera Relig. c. 55. Most older Lutheran theologians prefer the derivation from religare: Quenstedt, Systema, 1715, I, 28; Hollaz, Examen Proleg. II, qu. 2. Detailed enumeration of the various derivations in Calov, Isag. I, 275 sqq, quoted in Baier-Walther 1, 14. More recent theologians and philologists divide into the derivations already mentioned and add others about which one can read in the larger encyclopedias. Very detailed in Voigt, Fundamentaldogmatik, pp. 1-30.
13) H. Ebeling, Wörterbuch zum N. T., III, Einl., cites as a recognized axiom: "Etymology usually throws some light on the word to be explained, but rarely covers the common linguistic meaning of the same." Ebeling himself adds, "The basic meaning can seldom be established completely unobjectionably and indisputably, and the historical development of meanings and language usage is independent of etymology and basic meaning. Luther also remarks on this point (Opp. exeg. Lat. VIII, 69): Aliud
7 ><w:t xml:space="preserve"> The nature and concept of theology. [English ed. 8-9]
But also the use of language does not help us to achieve the general concept of religion so eagerly sought in our time, which is to bring Christianity and the non-Christian religions under a common genus. Admittedly, the use of the word "religion" is common to heathens and Christians. Naturally, however, the heathens bind pagan, the Christians Christian concepts with the word, and these concepts immediately turn out to be completely opposite on closer examination.
Because the heathen do not know the gospel of Christ,14) but still have a knowledge of God's law,15), all religious thoughts of the heathen are in the area of the law. They understand religion to be the human effort to make the deity gracious to them through their own actions or works (worship, sacrifices, moral endeavors, asceticism, etc.), that is, they understand religion to be a religion of the law. With regard to this definition of the pagan religions, there is quite general agreement in ancient and modern times.16) Christians, on the other hand, understand by religion the very opposite, namely, faith in the gospel, that is, faith in the divine message that God is
est grammatice (Luther also includes the etymological consideration of a word), aliud Latine loqui. Ideo non tam sermonis grammatici et regulati quam phrasium (language use) habenda est ratio. … In Latin lingua multa vocabula usu in alienam a grammaticis regulis significationem degenerarunt.
14) 1 Cor. 2:6-10: έπι καρδίαν άνϑρώπον ονκ άνέβη. [“neither have entered into the heart of man”]
15) Rom. 1:32: τό δικαίωμα τον ϑεοϋ επιγνόντες; Rom. 2:15: ενδείκννται τδ εργον τον νόμον γραπτόν εν ταΐς καρδίαις αντών.
16) Karl Stange, Moderne Probleme, 1910, p. 183 f.: "The pagan religion has its peculiarity in this, that it knows only human events for the reconciliation of God." "The normal way of pagan religion is always that man seeks to overcome the consciousness of sin by endeavoring to make amends for his sin." Luthardt (Glaubenslehre, 1898, p. 467): "This is the characteristic of paganism, that here all the relationship of God and man is regarded in terms of performance, i.e., according to the point of view of labor activity." So correctly also Ihmels, Aus der Kirche, p. 52. Likewise the Lutheran Confession, Apology (M. 134, 144 [Trigl., 197, 144 🔗]): Opera incurrunt hominibus in oculos. Haec naturaliter miratur humana ratio, et quia tantum opera cernit, fidem non intelligit neque considerat, ideo somniat, haec opera mereri remissionem peccatorum et iustificare. Haec opinio legis haeret naturaliter in animis hominum, neque excuti potest, nisi quum divinitus docemur.
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already reconciled to all men through Christ's vicarious satisfaction (satisfactio vicaria). "Knowing" (είδότες) — says Paul in the name of all Christians — "that man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, we also believe in Jesus Christ, that we may be justified by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh is justified."17) Even if there are religious parties within external Christianity who still allow the reconciliation of man with God to come about wholly or in part through human activity, they thereby fall back on the pagan concept of religion and stand outside Christianity with regard to their religion. "Ye have lost Christ, who would be justified by the law, and are fallen from grace."18)