We continue our series, ‘Luther, Lockdown, Law, & Gospel’ as we feature select passages from Martin Luther concerning the distinction between The Law and The Gospel. For the next several weeks, we will consider what Luther highlighted in his 1535 Commentary on the book of Galatians. Hope these passages provide some relief during this time of pandemic, quarantine, and unprecedented uncertainty.
To paraphrase this sentence: “These false apostles do not merely trouble you, they abolish Christ’s Gospel. They act as if they were the only true Gospel-preachers. For all that they muddle Law and Gospel. As a result they pervert the Gospel. Either Christ must live and the Law perish, or the Law remains and Christ must perish; Christ and the Law cannot dwell side by side in the conscience. It is either grace or law. To muddle the two is to eliminate the Gospel of Christ entirely.”
It seems a small matter to mingle the Law and Gospel, faith and works, but it creates more mischief than man’s brain can conceive. To mix Law and Gospel not only clouds the knowledge of grace, it cuts out Christ altogether.”
Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians
Law, Grace, & Daily Living 