Theological Origins of Modernity

118 chapter four
means by which God gives us faith, and the means by which he brings us
to change our way of life: “And just as he initially gives us faith through the
Word, so later on He exercises, increases, strengthens, and perfects it in us
by that Word. Th erefore the supreme worship of God that a man can offer,
the Sabbath of Sabbaths, is to practice true godliness, to hear and read
the Word.” 73 “He means a Word that you believe when you hear it, so that
the Word is not only the sound of my voice but is something that is heard
by you, penetrates into your heart, and is believed by you. Th en it is truly
hearing with faith, through which you receive the Holy Spirit; and aft er He
has been received, you will also mortify your fl esh.” 74
Preaching was the vital core of Luther’s theology and practice, and it
had a central place in his daily life. Th ere were, for example, sermons every
day in Wittenberg. Luther could fi nd no justifi cation for a special religious
day in Scripture and concluded that the Sabbath was a Jewish and not a
Christian notion. He believed that a preacher could persuade others of the
truth of faith or, to speak more correctly, that a preacher imbued with the
Holy Spirit could fi ll his listeners with the word of God, which in turn
could work a transformation in their hearts. Th is understanding of the
impact of Scripture and the importance of preaching clearly owes a great
deal to the rhetorical tradition of humanism. In and through Scripture
God speaks directly and personally to every man. Scripture therefore is
the greatest act of rhetoric and God is the greatest rhetorician. Th rough the
word he is able to move those to faith whom he wants to move. Grace thus
is infused not directly and internally but by and through the word.
All this notwithstanding, Luther knew that Scripture must always
be interpreted by readers and by preachers. If it were perfectly clear and
straightforward, it could never be used as a tool in the hands of those who
work in the service of the devil. But it certainly is, as Luther repeatedly
insists. Understanding Scripture correctly is thus essential. How then does
Luther believe we can know which interpretations are correct? How are we
to distinguish God’s word from satanic deceptions? Luther struggles with
these questions and deploys a variety of answers. He at times declares that
Scripture is so clear that there is no need for mediators. Th is view is commensurate
with his notion of the priesthood of all believers. But Luther’s
settled opinion seems to be fi nally that while all men can be priests not all
can be ministers of the word. In the fi rst instance, Scripture is only clear
to the believer: understanding “is reserved to faith, for an ungodly man
has no idea what the words mean.” 75 Scriptural interpretation for Luther
is a mystical experience, not ecstatic but a warm communion with God
in the act of interpreting the sacred text. 76 Not only must the interpreter