Lesson 3 | Vocab
Freshness and Power
How did Martin Luther first understand that God’s righteousness was not something a sinner had to try to placate by good deeds, but a gift he gave to those who believed? Dr. Robert Plummer explains:
In his book Clash of Visions, Robert Yarborough explores the actual handwritten notes of Martin Luther on the text of Romans. In doing so, it becomes clear that Luther did not get his ideas on righteousness by listening to a podcast or looking up the word in Gregg Allison’s Historical Theology. His understanding of God’s gift of righteousness in Christ to wicked sinners exploded out of Romans and the Psalms as he studied the biblical texts in the original languages.
—Robert Plummer, “Why Learn Greek and Hebrew?”
So Luther’s belief about the importance of the original languages arose from personal experience. And what was his belief? It was that ...
Although the Faith and the Gospel may be proclaimed by preachers without the knowledge of languages, the preaching will be feeble and ineffective. But where the languages are studied, the proclamation will be fresh and powerful, the Scriptures will be searched, and the Faith will be constantly rediscovered through ever new words and deeds.
—Martin Luther, ibid.
Your pursuit of greater facility with biblical Hebrew will bear fruit both in more accurate understanding of God’s Word and in better obedience to his Word. And if you teach or preach in your church, your ministry will gain in freshness and power. Don’t give up!
