i was wondering if someone could help me with this - i know things like this have been rehashed ad nauseum here, but i need some clarification on something....
someone on facebook is posting quotes from Martin Luther, and basically trashing him - can someone please tell me what he meant by these quotes, and if they are taken out of context or not? rev is gone for the afternoon or i would ask him....any help is appreciated!! (she said she is getting these from "The Complete Works of Martin Luther")
MARIN LUTHER ... Works 20.84 on WOMEN
Even though they grow weary and wear themselves out with child-bearing, it does not matter; let them go on bearing children TILL THEY DIE, that is what they are there for. Works 20.84
The word and works of God is quite clear, that women were made either to be wives or PROSTITUTES. Works 12.94
For the second quote,
see this link. For the first quote:
This quote
is fairly popular on-line, often being published in books as well (see
here and
here). The exact way the quote is cited above can be found
in this book. "Works 20:84" is a reference to Dr. Martin Luther's sämmtliche Werke (The Erlangen edition of Luther's Works). The quote can also be found in
WA 10 (2):301.
The quote can be found in English. It's from a treatise on marriage entitled
The Estate of Marriage (1522), located in LW 45:45. The same treatise is also located in
the Philadelphia edition of Luther's Works. If you search my blog, I've probably discussed this sermon more than once (
for instance, here).
Context
[FONT="Courier New", Courier, monospace]Many think they can evade marriage by having their fling [auss bubenn] for a time, and then becoming righteous. My dear fellow, if one in a thousand succeeds in this, that would be doing very well. He who intends to lead a chaste life had better begin early, and attain it not with but without fornication, either by the grace of God or through marriage. We see only too well how they make out every day. It might well be called plunging into immorality rather than growing to maturity. It is the devil who has brought this about, and coined such damnable sayings as, One has to play the fool at least once; or, He who does it not in his youth does it in his old age; or, A young saint, an old devil. Such are the sentiments of the poet Terence and other pagans. This is heathenish; they speak like heathens, yea, like devils.[/FONT]
[FONT="Courier New", Courier, monospace]It is certainly a fact that he who refuses to marry must fall into immorality. How could it be otherwise, since God has created man and woman to produce seed and to multiply? Why should one not forestall immorality by means of marriage? For if special grace does not exempt a person, his nature must and will compel him to produce seed and to multiply. If this does not occur within marriage, how else can it occur except in fornication or secret sins? But, they say, suppose I am neither married nor immoral, and force myself to remain continent? Do you not hear that restraint is impossible without the special grace? For Gods word does not admit of restraint; neither does it lie when it says, Be fruitful and multiply [Gen. 1:28]. You can neither escape nor restrain yourself from being fruitful and multiplying; it is Gods ordinance and takes its course.[/FONT]
[FONT="Courier New", Courier, monospace]Physicians are not amiss when they say: If this natural function is forcibly restrained it necessarily strikes into the flesh and blood and becomes a poison, whence the body becomes unhealthy, enervated, sweaty, and foul-smelling. That which should have issued in fruitfulness and propagation has to be absorbed within the body itself. Unless there is terrific hunger or immense labor or the supreme grace, the body cannot take it; it necessarily becomes unhealthy and sickly. Hence, we see how weak and sickly barren women are. Those who are fruitful, however, are healthier, cleanlier, and happier.
And even if they bear themselves wearyor ultimately bear themselves outthat does not hurt. Let them bear themselves out. This is the purpose for which they exist. It is better to have a brief life with good health than a long life in ill health.[/FONT]
[FONT="Courier New", Courier, monospace]But the greatest good in married life, that which makes all suffering and labor worth while, is that God grants offspring and commands that they be brought up to worship and serve him. In all the world this is the noblest and most precious work, because to God there can be nothing dearer than the salvation of souls. Now since we are all duty bound to suffer death, if need be, that we might bring a single soul to God, you can see how rich the estate of marriage is in good works. God has entrusted to its bosom souls begotten of its own body, on whom it can lavish all manner of Christian works. Most certainly father and mother are apostles, bishops, and priests to their children, for it is they who make them acquainted with the gospel. In short, there is no greater or nobler authority on earth than that of parents over their children, for this authority is both spiritual and temporal. Whoever teaches the gospel to another is truly his apostle and bishop. Mitre and staff and great estates indeed produce idols, but teaching the gospel produces apostles and bishops. See therefore how good and great is Gods work and ordinance![LW 45:44-45][/FONT]
Regards,
James Swan
