Most people remember Luther for his bravery when he defied the Catholic Church and launched the great Reformation. But to the Germans he did an equally awesome thing, he translated the New Testament into German. We read of this interesting story in Edward J. Young’s essay on, “Some Reflections upon Inspiration.” According to Young,
“And what about Luther; did he obscure Jesus Christ? When, after his vigorous stand at Worms, he was kidnapped and shut up in an old castle, what means did he employ to preach Jesus Christ as the absolute authority? If the modern theologians are correct, Luther did a very foolish thing. Thank God, however, that Luther did such a foolish thing. Luther translated the New Testament into the German language so that the people might hear the very words which Jesus Christ spoke. Luther knew nothing of this modern distinction between the Word of God and the words of the Bible. Luther, honest soul that he was, thought that the best way to get Christ to the people was to give them the Bible in their own language.”1
What a noble undertaking. Luther apparently understood the importance of getting the word of God out to as many people as possible. This motivation reminded me of another contemporary of Luther, the great German inventor, Johannes Gutenberg; who invented the movable-type printing press. His bold motivation can be seen from the following two quotes by Gutenberg, himself:
“God suffers in the multitude of souls whom His word cannot reach. Religious truth is imprisoned in a small number of manuscript books, which confine instead of spread the public treasure. Let us break the seal which seals up holy things and give wings to Truth in order that she may win every soul that comes into the world by her word no longer written at great expense by hands easily palsied, but multiplied like the wind by an untiring machine.”2
He also shared:
“Yes, it is a press, certainly, but a press from which shall flow in inexhaustible streams, the most abundant and most marvelous liquor that has ever flowed to relieve the thirst of men! Through it, God will spread His Word. A spring of truth shall flow from it: like a new star it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a light heretofore unknown to shine amongst men.”3
I for one am so glad for these two, German’s – would we all be so foolish and bold!
1 John MacArthur, ed., The Scripture Cannot Be Broken: Twentieth Century Writings on the Doctrine of Inerrancy, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), Page 189 – 190
2 Alphonse De Lamartine, Memories of Celebrated Characters, Vol. 2, 2nd ed. (London: Richard Bentley, 1854), 323.
3 Alphonse De Lamartine, Memories of Celebrated Characters, Vol. 2, 2nd ed. (London: Richard Bentley, 1854), 334.