# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1847 11 04_S38
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

represent in letters the thoughts one has conceived. Just as words and letters are the means by which the writer conveys his thoughts or his meaning to the reader, so too the words and letters used by a writer are, in turn, the means which an interpreter must use in order to learn the thoughts or the meaning of the writer, and to be able to present or interpret them. Whoever therefore says he is interpreting a text, and in doing so departs from the letter or the words, acts just as foolishly as one who wishes to give an interpretation of the contents of a book in which there are no words and no letters at all, but only blank, unwritten pages. Whoever wishes rightly to bear the name "interpreter," and to do what that name expresses, must not read a meaning into his text, but must instead draw out the meaning that lies in the words of that text — that is, he must prove that this or that meaning lies in the words used. Whoever, in interpreting a text, is guided not by its words but by his own preconceived opinions, whoever follows not the expressions of the author but his own impressions — in short, whoever departs from the words — does not explain the text but abandons and alters it, and wishes to improve it. Whoever thus confesses that in his interpretation he has departed, or has had to depart, from the words or from the letter, has thereby also confessed that he has brought to light not the meaning of the writer, but his own meaning and his own thoughts, and has passed these off as the meaning of the writer.

It is of course true that there are human writings in which the authors, often for lack of knowledge of the language or from unclarity of thought, use words that express something quite different from what they meant to express by them, as one sees examples of in abundance every day. But this has nothing to do with the matter here, because such human writings are not capable of interpretation at all; for if an interpreter cannot appeal to the words of his text, he can never say with unanswerable certainty whether this or that is the true meaning of the writer. This objection, however, leads us directly to a second reason why one may not depart from the letter or from the words in the interpretation of the Bible, and this is because the Bible is God's Word — that is, because it is a book which God himself has written, which was, namely, given by the Holy Spirit to the holy men of God. Whoever therefore says that in interpreting Holy Scripture he must here and there depart from the letter or from the words thereby quite plainly denies that Holy Scripture was given word for word (1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16), denies that God spoke through the prophets and apostles (Heb. 1:1; Luke 10:16),

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denies that in Scripture the Holy Spirit himself speaks (Heb. 2:7; cf. Ps. 95:7; Mark 13:11). Or should God not understand how he must speak rightly? Should it be left to human acumen to decide how God ought properly to have spoken, in order to express his meaning in fitting words? Should man have to correct God? — Far be it! Whoever says that speaks blasphemously, and whoever proceeds in his interpretation of Scripture as though he could correct God acts blasphemously.

But just as the divine origin of Holy Scripture forbids departing from the letter or from its words, so too does its purpose. It is to be a lamp to our feet and a light on our path (Ps. 119:105); through it we are to have a sure prophetic word (2 Peter 1:19); it is to serve us as an infallible, final, highest, and only judge of truth and error (Isa. 8:20): but were it permitted to depart from the words of Holy Scripture, then all certainty in matters of faith would cease; then Scripture would be a wax nose which every interpreter could shape as he pleased; then no article of the Christian faith could be proved from Scripture, while on the other hand any heresy, however senseless, could be represented as scriptural, and none could be refuted from Scripture; then Holy Scripture would not be a light but a will-o'-the-wisp; then it would not be an unbreakable staff and rod, but a wavering reed, given over to every wind of human doctrine; then man would have in Holy Scripture no firm anchor for his timid and doubting soul, and no firm ground on which he could build and found his believing and hoping, in defiance of all temptation in distress and death. Then it would therefore have been entirely in vain that God gave us his Word. For of what use to us is Holy Scripture, if we cannot rely on every word of it? If we cannot rely on even a single word of Scripture, then we can rely on none.

Away, then, with such blasphemous thoughts! Let millions who regard Scripture as the work of simple tax collectors and fishermen think that they can depart from the words of Scripture without danger; we, who have recognized Scripture as the Word of the Most High, will, by God's grace, never let this light of his become a will-o'-the-wisp, never let this firm word of his become a reed staff, but, while we rely on nothing else in the whole world, the Word, and every word, shall remain our anchor, our rock, our invincible fortress; for "all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass; the grass withers, and the flower falls away; but the word of the Lord endures forever" (1 Peter 1:24-25). "Let it be, then, that God is true and every man a liar; as it is written: That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged." (Rom. 3:4.)

A fourth reason why one may never depart from the letter or from the words in Holy Scripture is that we are so earnestly warned against this in God's Word itself. Already in the first book of Holy Scripture, God says: "You shall not add to what I command you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." (Deut. 4:2.) Further, God says to Joshua: "Do not turn from it, either to the right hand or to the left, that you may act wisely in all that you shall do." (Josh. 1:7.) Further, Christ says: "Truly I say to you: until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter, nor one stroke, shall pass from the Law until all is fulfilled. Whoever, then, relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:18-19.) Further, St. Paul says: "If anyone teaches otherwise, and does not agree with the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine that accords with godliness, he is puffed up" etc. (1 Tim. 6:3-4.) Here we must once more recall the final warning of God, already cited by us a short time ago, with which the whole Bible meaningfully closes: "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share from the book of life, and from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Rev. 22:18-19.)

Who, after such declarations from God himself, will dare to depart from even one word, even one stroke, even one letter of the Bible — even the smallest? May we perhaps believe that God threatens so terribly those who depart even from a single word, indeed a single letter, of his revelation, and yet has himself written his Word in such a way that one would have to depart from it? Or may we believe that God's threats are but a jest to him? No — not the first, for God is eternal wisdom and eternal love; and not the second, for he is unchangeable truth and inviolable righteousness. Woe, therefore, to all those who knowingly depart even from a single word of the written revelation of the great God! Whoever alters and falsifies important human manuscripts, documents, and the like is already punished by men as a dishonorable, worthless scoundrel — what, then, must he expect who alters and falsifies God's own handwriting, which he has issued to all men concerning salvation and damnation? To him applies the apostolic curse, pronounced in the name