Do you want to sing, shout and leap for joy in
the gospel of Jesus Christ? That’s how Martin Luther told readers of
his revised edition of the Bible in 1545 they ought to feel when they
sat down to read it: “It is good news, a great shout resounding through
all the world,” shared by prophets and apostles and all who seek within
its pages the consolation, strength and victory offered in it by God.
Luther was, in many ways, his own
best example of this joy in the biblical text. His passion to
communicate its saving message infused and enlivened the whole of his
commentary, his preaching and his theological writing.
The whole
of Luther’s stormy public career, in fact, can be directly connected to
his deep study, analysis, proclamation and translation of the biblical
text. Modern Lutherans share this legacy. Our tradition of Bible study
and reading—from the humblest kitchen table to the most scholarly
library—has been powerfully shaped by Luther’s conviction that it is in
the text of the Bible that God’s saving message to humankind has been
most faithfully, effectively and enduringly communicated.
The rest of this article is only available to subscribers.
© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
