# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juli 1859_S210
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

210                                    On Bible-Sermons.

to expound the Gospel for the Sunday on whose morning a Festival Gospel
has been preached, likewise in Advent and Passion season, as well as
also after Easter, when you preach on 1 Corinthians 15.

As regards the choice of the biblical books, I have found the following
principles to hold good. With one sermon weekly, alternate between an
Epistle and certain Psalms; with two sermons, appoint for the one, on
the second or third Sunday, always the Old Testament, and for the
weekday sermon the New, for according to Dr. Luther's counsel the
latter should be read twice, while the former is read once. Proceed
from the easier to the more difficult books, from the shorter to the
longer, and alternate in the New Testament between the historical and
the doctrinal books.

How averse Dr. Luther was to those who chose difficult books and
occupied themselves merely with all sorts of spiritual interpretations,
he says in the preface to his exposition of Zechariah: "So now, too,
every new fellow wants to be a master of interpretation. This one takes
up Daniel, that one the Apocalypse, and so on — either whatever is most
difficult, or whatever has the most allegories in it; there they want
to display their art. But they pay no attention whatever to how useful
they may be to the poor common man, but only to how artful and splendid
their teaching can be, and are, God be praised, now all highly learned
doctors who need nothing from us. And even if they interpret at great
length and in great number, still they have nothing certain on which
one might build. I do not know how much use such washer-women are to
the poor people, more than those who in earlier times preached from
Aristotle and the canon law. Of that sort, too, are some enthusiasts
nowadays, who boast great art and spirit concerning the old histories
of the Bible. Out must come the tabernacle of Moses and the priestly
garments, etc."

Now a few more hints regarding individual books.

The sermons on the Old Testament should by all means begin with the
first Book of Moses; I have done this in three different places and
have never yet regretted it. I always let an introductory sermon
precede it, for example on Josh. 5:46–47, for which I made use, next to
Dr. Luther's own special preface, in particular his instruction on how
Christians should conduct themselves with regard to Moses. Then one
proceeds with the second Book of Moses up to chapter 20. From there on,
choose only the chapters that contain actual history, passing over all
the others that deal with laws — for which we have the model of V.
Dietrich in his Summaries and of Brenz in his Commentaries. Accordingly,
one preaches from the second Book of Moses only on chapters 32–34. From
the third Book of Moses only chapter 9:1–7. From the fourth Book of
Moses, 10:29–36 (compare 9:15–23), and so forth. The fifth Book of
Moses, however, one should expound entire, for which one finds twofold
preparatory work in Dr. Luther's writings. In this way one preaches
what is most important, namely the history, first, and does not run the
risk of losing it amid all sorts of interpretations of the various laws,
etc., to