Luther’s Biblical Hermeneutics as Ethics

Abstract

This article examines a thread that runs through Martin Luther’s biblical and catechetical writings: his appropriation of a Messianic logic in light of a creedal interpretation of the whole of Scripture. Situating my case in relation to recent philosophical scholarship on the apostle Paul, I contend that this biblical hermeneutic may well be Luther’s signal ethical contribution for our age. Drawing on the solae (sola gratia, sola fide, sola scriptura, and solus Christus) and relating them to three themes central to his biblical hermeneutics—the Word of God, Scripture, and the Creeds—I discuss how he develops (1) a Messianic ethics that intrinsically links faith and love in relation to (2) the biblical motifs of command and promise and (3) the Christological themes of cross and incarnation. I conclude by discussing the relevance of Luther’s biblical hermeneutics for a post-secular age.