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| Different from UOJ? No. |
These are the same three "Luther taught UOJ" proof texts I see over and over. Aren't there any others? If UOJ is such a vital teaching, why did Luther and the Book of Concord only write about it in a few places?
Your first UOJ quote, from Luther's Galatians Commentary, is sandwiched in the middle of Luther's treatment (pages 276-291)of a single verse: Galatians 3:13.
Here are some more quotes from that section:
“To the extent that Christ rules by His grace in the hearts of the faithful, there is no sin or death or curse. But where Christ is not known, there these things remain. And so all who do not believe lack this blessing and this victory. ‘For this,’ as John says, ‘is our victory, faith.’ (1 John 5:4)” (LW 26:282)
“Therefore we are justified by faith alone, because faith alone grasps this victory of Christ. To the extent that you believe this, to that extent you have it.” (LW 26:284)
“Now that Christ reigns, there is in fact no more sin, death, or curse—this we confess every day in the Apostles’ Creed when we say: ‘I believe in the holy church.’ This is plainly nothing else than if we were to say: ‘I believe that there is no sin and no death in the church. For believers in Christ are not sinners and are not sentenced to death but are altogether holy and righteous, lords over sin and death who live eternally.’ But it is faith alone that discerns this, because we say: ‘I believe in this holy church.’” (LW 26:285)
“Therefore wherever there is faith in Christ, there sin has in fact been abolished, put to death, and buried. But where there is no faith in Christ, there sin remains. And although there are still remnants of sin in the saints because they do not believe perfectly, nevertheless these remnants are dead; for on account of faith in Christ they are not imputed.” (LW 26:286)
Looking at the surrounding verses in the Galatians commentary, it was interesting to read this paragraph in reference to Galatians 3:12, immediately prior to his words on Galatians 3:13:
“But we who are justified by faith, as the patriarchs, prophets, and all the saints were, do not rely on works of the Law so far as justification is concerned. To the extent that we are in the flesh and still have remnants of sin in us, we are under the Law (though not under the curse, because for the sake of Christ, in whom we believe, this is [not] imputed to us). … But if the Law is not fulfilled in the saints, but many things happen contrary to the Law …—if this is so, how much more this is true of a man who is not justified, who is opposed to God, and who with all his heart neglects, despises, and hates the Word and the work of God! You see, then, that Paul is speaking here about those who want to fulfill the Law and to be justified without having received faith, not, as Jerome thinks, about the patriarchs and the saints, who had already been justified by faith.” (LW 26:275-276)
(continued in next post)
Your first UOJ quote, from Luther's Galatians Commentary, is sandwiched in the middle of Luther's treatment (pages 276-291)of a single verse: Galatians 3:13.
Here are some more quotes from that section:
“To the extent that Christ rules by His grace in the hearts of the faithful, there is no sin or death or curse. But where Christ is not known, there these things remain. And so all who do not believe lack this blessing and this victory. ‘For this,’ as John says, ‘is our victory, faith.’ (1 John 5:4)” (LW 26:282)
“Therefore we are justified by faith alone, because faith alone grasps this victory of Christ. To the extent that you believe this, to that extent you have it.” (LW 26:284)
“Now that Christ reigns, there is in fact no more sin, death, or curse—this we confess every day in the Apostles’ Creed when we say: ‘I believe in the holy church.’ This is plainly nothing else than if we were to say: ‘I believe that there is no sin and no death in the church. For believers in Christ are not sinners and are not sentenced to death but are altogether holy and righteous, lords over sin and death who live eternally.’ But it is faith alone that discerns this, because we say: ‘I believe in this holy church.’” (LW 26:285)
“Therefore wherever there is faith in Christ, there sin has in fact been abolished, put to death, and buried. But where there is no faith in Christ, there sin remains. And although there are still remnants of sin in the saints because they do not believe perfectly, nevertheless these remnants are dead; for on account of faith in Christ they are not imputed.” (LW 26:286)
Looking at the surrounding verses in the Galatians commentary, it was interesting to read this paragraph in reference to Galatians 3:12, immediately prior to his words on Galatians 3:13:
“But we who are justified by faith, as the patriarchs, prophets, and all the saints were, do not rely on works of the Law so far as justification is concerned. To the extent that we are in the flesh and still have remnants of sin in us, we are under the Law (though not under the curse, because for the sake of Christ, in whom we believe, this is [not] imputed to us). … But if the Law is not fulfilled in the saints, but many things happen contrary to the Law …—if this is so, how much more this is true of a man who is not justified, who is opposed to God, and who with all his heart neglects, despises, and hates the Word and the work of God! You see, then, that Paul is speaking here about those who want to fulfill the Law and to be justified without having received faith, not, as Jerome thinks, about the patriarchs and the saints, who had already been justified by faith.” (LW 26:275-276)
(continued in next post)
May 3, 2012 12:57 PM
(continued from previous post)
And oh, how Luther extols faith in Galatians 3:6! (LW 26:226-236) Over and over he emphasizes that faith justifies and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us who believe.
“For, as I have said, these two things make Christian righteousness perfect: The first is faith in the heart, which is a divinely granted gift and which formally believes in Christ; the second is that God reckons this imperfect faith as perfect righteousness for the sake of Christ, His Son, who suffered for the sins of the world and in whom I begin to believe. On account of this faith in Christ God does not see the sin that still remains in me. For so long as I go on living in the flesh, there is certainly sin in me. But meanwhile Christ protects me under the shadow of his wings and spreads over me the wide heaven of the forgiveness of sins, under which I live in safety. This prevents God from seeing the sins that still cling to my flesh. My flesh distrusts God, is angry with Him, does not rejoice in Him, etc. But God overlooks these sins, and in His sight they are as though they were not sins. This is accomplished by imputation on account of the faith by which I begin to take hold of Christ; and on His account God reckons imperfect righteousness as perfect righteousness and sin as not sin, even though it really is sin.” (LW 26:231-232)
“No, here we are in a divine theology, where we hear the Gospel that Christ died for us and that when we believe this we are reckoned as righteous, even though sins, and great ones at that, still remain in us.” (LW 26:234)
That one might be the best of the bunch; it does not read, “Where we hear the Gospel that Christ FORGAVE OUR SINS and that when we believe this….” No; the Gospel is that Christ DIED FOR US. By believing this, we have the forgiveness of sins and are justified.
But here’s one more.
“From this it is clear how faith justifies without works and how the imputation of righteousness is necessary nevertheless. Sins remain in us, and God hates them very much. Because of them it is necessary for us to have the imputation of righteousness, which comes to us on account of Christ, who is given to us and grasped by our faith. …Therefore Paul complains in Rom. 7:23 about the sin that still remains in the saints, and yet he says later on (Rom. 8:1) that ‘there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ Who will reconcile those utterly conflicting statements, that the sin in us is not sin, that he who is damnable will not be damned, that he who is rejected will not be rejected, that he who is worthy of wrath and eternal death will not receive these punishments? Only the Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5). As Paul says, ‘there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’” (LW 26:235-236)
And oh, how Luther extols faith in Galatians 3:6! (LW 26:226-236) Over and over he emphasizes that faith justifies and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us who believe.
“For, as I have said, these two things make Christian righteousness perfect: The first is faith in the heart, which is a divinely granted gift and which formally believes in Christ; the second is that God reckons this imperfect faith as perfect righteousness for the sake of Christ, His Son, who suffered for the sins of the world and in whom I begin to believe. On account of this faith in Christ God does not see the sin that still remains in me. For so long as I go on living in the flesh, there is certainly sin in me. But meanwhile Christ protects me under the shadow of his wings and spreads over me the wide heaven of the forgiveness of sins, under which I live in safety. This prevents God from seeing the sins that still cling to my flesh. My flesh distrusts God, is angry with Him, does not rejoice in Him, etc. But God overlooks these sins, and in His sight they are as though they were not sins. This is accomplished by imputation on account of the faith by which I begin to take hold of Christ; and on His account God reckons imperfect righteousness as perfect righteousness and sin as not sin, even though it really is sin.” (LW 26:231-232)
“No, here we are in a divine theology, where we hear the Gospel that Christ died for us and that when we believe this we are reckoned as righteous, even though sins, and great ones at that, still remain in us.” (LW 26:234)
That one might be the best of the bunch; it does not read, “Where we hear the Gospel that Christ FORGAVE OUR SINS and that when we believe this….” No; the Gospel is that Christ DIED FOR US. By believing this, we have the forgiveness of sins and are justified.
But here’s one more.
“From this it is clear how faith justifies without works and how the imputation of righteousness is necessary nevertheless. Sins remain in us, and God hates them very much. Because of them it is necessary for us to have the imputation of righteousness, which comes to us on account of Christ, who is given to us and grasped by our faith. …Therefore Paul complains in Rom. 7:23 about the sin that still remains in the saints, and yet he says later on (Rom. 8:1) that ‘there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ Who will reconcile those utterly conflicting statements, that the sin in us is not sin, that he who is damnable will not be damned, that he who is rejected will not be rejected, that he who is worthy of wrath and eternal death will not receive these punishments? Only the Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5). As Paul says, ‘there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’” (LW 26:235-236)
