Luther

[cupotea]

Can anybody tell me where it was that Luther said that the book of James was less relevant than the books by Paul? Did he write it in a book?

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Here is one reference that I found on this subject:

Scanning some of those in one of my primary Luther sources (Works of Martin Luther, Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1932, copyrighted by the United Lutheran Church in America, vol. 6. pp. 363 ff., tr. C.M. Jacobs), I see that Luther rejects the apostolicity of Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation, although he does say they are "fine" books. Yet of James, Luther states that it is "flatly against St. Paul and all the rest of Scripture."

See also this link: http://alpha.furman.edu/~smatthew/canon/luther.htm

I would caution that these internet references should be compared with the actual texts by someone perhaps who has access to the books cited.

 

[cupotea]

thanks

 

[ARStager]

I can give you Luther's quote from the intro to James in my Concordia Self-Study Bible:

"Though this epistle of St. James was rejected by the ancients, I praise it and consider it a good book, because it sets up no doctrines of men but vigorously promulgates the law of God" LW 35:395

"In a word, he wanted to guard against those who relied on faith without works, but was unequal to the task. He tries to accomplish by harping on the law what the apostles accomplished by stimulating people to love. Therefore I cannot include him among the chief books, though I would not thereby prevent anyone from including or extolling him as he pleases, for there are otherwise many good sayings in him" LW 35:397

 

[Puritan Sailor]

If I remember right, Luther's struggle with James was in his early years. He had no problem including it with the rest of the Canon when he translated the German Bible later on. I wouldn't make too much of an issue about it.

 

[ARStager]

Luther took the gospel to be the standard for judging canonicity, and, you're right, struggled to see the apostolic witness of the gospel in James. I have also heard that he didn't fuss with its canonicity later.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

From some additional reading on this subject that I have done, it appears to me that Luther's views on James were complex and not fully resolved even towards the end of his life.

See this article for a pretty good in-depth analysis: http://www.ntrmin.org/Luther and the canon 2.htm