Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, vol.25: Lectures on Romans (Saint Louis: Concordia, 1972). $31.35.

Reviewed by Rev. Michael Brown

Reading Martin Luther’s lectures on Paul’s epistle to the Romans is an amazing experience. Not only does one get to read this primary source straight from the dawn of the Protestant Reformation, but with each passing chapter one witnesses the power of the Word of God transforming a man in his understanding of the gospel.

These lectures took place at the University of Wittenberg from spring 1515 until fall 1516. The book is divided into two main parts. The first part is Luther’s glosses of the Latin text. This runs for 132 pages. The second part is the scholia, that is, the commentary on the actual text. This runs for nearly 400 pages.

It should be understood that these lectures are given by a medieval scholar who was, at the time, still very much medieval in his thinking. Luther’s Protestantism was not yet fully developed. Let the reader understand! One does not want to make the mistake of assuming these lectures represent the mature Luther who was a champion of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. That comes later. At the time Luther gave these lectures, however, his Protestant theology was still baking in the oven, so to speak. When comparing these lectures to his later lectures on Galatians, one can readily see how Luther’s theology developed over time, particularly with regard to his understanding of faith as the sole instrument in justification.

Nevertheless, Luther’s lectures on Romans are a fascinating and educational read for any pastor or serious student of historical theology. They provide the reader with a firsthand witness of Protestant theology being worked out. Luther’s law/gospel paradigm becomes more clear as one continues to read through his comments on the text. He continually interacts with the medieval theologians (some working knowledge of them is certainly helpful to the reader), but relies heavily on Augustine, especially with regard to his understanding of original sin. Most noteworthy is Luther’s strong affirmation of imputed righteousness. It is here where he begins to formulate his famous maxim, simul iustus et peccator, “simultaneously righteous and sinful.” He also begins to reform his medieval understanding of “old law” and “new law.” Says Luther:

“The real difference between the old and the new law is this, that the old law says to those who are proud in their own righteousness: ‘You must have Christ and his Spirit’; the new law says to those who humbly admit their spiritual poverty and seek Christ: ‘Behold, here is Christ and his Spirit.’ Therefore, they who interpret the term ‘Gospel’ as something else than ‘the good news’ do not understand the Gospel, as those people do who have turned the Gospel into a law rather grace and have made Christ a new Moses for us.”

Break-through statements like these are found throughout the scholia.

For anyone interested in the history of the Protestant understanding of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, these lectures are a must-read. Taken in their context, they can be very helpful to pastors preaching through Romans or teaching their congregation and/or catechumens about the Protestant Reformation and the development of Luther’s understanding of the gospel.