Luther's Works, Volume 26 (Lectures on Galatians Chapters 1-4)

You will find few clearer presentations of Luther's "salvation by grace through faith" than this commentary on the Apostle Paul's epistle to the churches in Galatia. This, in my opinion, is one of the greatest things written by Martin Luther -- scholar, pastor and reformer of the faith. First given as Lectures in 1535, Luther's exploration of Galatians rings as true and powerful today, 470 years later. Faith (trust in God's promise) is for Paul and Luther, the way in which we receive God's righteousness ("passive righteousness" which is a gift, according to Luther, as opposed to "active righteousness" which we strive to achieve, but never accomplish. pg. 4). The struggle to trust in God's promise alone is as fresh today as it was in Luther's day, or even Paul's day, for that matter. In our rational, scientific, and material age, trusting in the "free lunch" of the gospel seems suspect. To rational people, it seems too easy. But for Luther, this was precisely the point, "By my reason I cannot understand or declare for certain that I am accepted into grace for the sake of Christ, but I hear this announced through the Gospel and take hold of it by faith." (pg. 239) Luther does not always read well in our modern era. He is a bit verbose and can ramble a bit (although in these lectures I feel he is much more to the point than in other of his writings). Be that as it may, it is well worth the read. You will find gems on these pages that are worth the little digging it takes to find them. This is a Christian classic, which I highly recommend.

This is, in my estimation, the greatest non-canonical book ever written. Luther expounds Paul's epistle to the Galatians with an insight, power and depth of emotion which is sorely lacking in modern commentaries. He is not concerned with the various potential interpretations of "problematic passages" that fill the pages of other commentaries. From the very first page Luther cuts to the heart of the epistle-the doctrine of justification-in the way that only he can. His bold words and plain-sense interpretations result in a work filled with much of the same force and passion that characterized the epistle itself. The grace of God and the love of Jesus Christ cling to every word like the scent of a precious perfume. I cannot recommend this work highly enough. This is the very essence of the gospel as understood by the one who "rediscovered" the doctrines of faith and grace as he teaches us from the words of the one to whom God first revealed those doctrines. If you are looking for an up-to-date critical commentary or a greek-focused exegetical work then you will not find it here, but if you would hear a plain declaration of the power and wisdom of God then you will not find a better treatise apart from the Bible. This volume contains Luther's full commentary on the first four chapters of the epistle (most single-volume works are abridged). Chapters five and six, unfortunately, are found in a seperate volume and the bulk of that volume is taken up with an earlier commentary on the same epistle which, honestly, is barely worth the paper it's printed on. At best it can show you how radically different the twice-born, Spirit-led exegete is from the once-born, reason-led scholar.