By Schubert Ogden
Luther on the Luther on the "Touchstone" Wiki Markup
Commenting on Psalm 110:2: "The Lord will send the scepter of thy kingdom out of Zion," Luther says:
Panel | ||||||
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. . . |
...
this |
...
scepter |
...
is |
...
nothing |
...
else |
...
than |
...
the |
...
office |
...
of |
...
the |
...
public |
...
ministry, |
...
which |
...
the |
...
Lord |
...
Christ |
...
began |
...
Himself |
...
and |
...
later |
...
on |
...
commanded |
...
to |
...
be |
...
extended |
...
by |
...
His |
...
messengers, |
...
the |
...
apostles |
...
and |
...
their |
...
successors, |
...
and |
...
to |
...
be |
...
continued |
...
until |
...
the |
...
Last |
...
Day. |
...
In |
...
this |
...
consists |
...
His |
...
entire |
...
kingdom |
...
and |
...
government |
...
as |
...
far |
...
as |
...
it |
...
can |
...
be |
...
seen |
...
or |
...
grasped |
...
outwardly, |
...
for |
...
here |
...
He |
...
indicates |
...
and |
...
mentions |
...
nothing |
...
else |
...
by |
...
which |
...
this |
...
King |
...
will |
...
rule |
...
except |
...
this |
...
scepter. |
...
There |
...
will |
...
be |
...
no |
...
other |
...
external |
...
sign |
...
or |
...
mark |
...
by |
...
which |
...
His |
...
kingdom |
...
can |
...
be |
...
recognized. |
...
For |
...
. |
...
. |
...
. |
...
this |
...
King |
...
is |
...
not |
...
going |
...
to |
...
rule |
...
with |
...
the |
...
sword |
...
or |
...
physical |
...
power |
...
and |
...
might, |
...
as |
...
do |
...
the |
...
secular |
...
kings |
...
and |
...
lords |
...
in |
...
their |
...
governments. . . . |
...
Nevertheless, |
...
He |
...
must |
...
also |
...
have |
...
a |
...
power |
...
by |
...
which |
...
He |
...
can |
...
rule |
...
and |
...
promote |
...
and |
...
maintain |
...
His |
...
kingdom. |
...
This |
...
will |
...
be |
...
done |
...
only |
...
through |
...
the |
...
oral |
...
Word |
...
or |
...
the |
...
office |
...
of |
...
the |
...
ministry, |
...
sounding |
...
forth |
...
among |
...
the |
...
people |
...
about |
...
this |
...
King |
...
and |
...
thus |
...
entering |
...
their |
...
hearts |
...
so |
...
that |
...
He |
...
may |
...
be |
...
known |
...
and |
...
accepted. . . . |
...
Note |
...
well |
...
that |
...
the |
...
psalmist |
...
says |
...
this |
...
scepter |
...
is |
...
to |
...
be |
...
sent |
...
forth |
...
'from |
...
Zion.' |
...
This |
...
is |
...
as |
...
useful |
...
a |
...
text |
...
as |
...
can |
...
be |
...
found |
...
against |
...
all |
...
the |
...
schismatics |
...
and |
...
erring |
...
spirits |
...
of |
...
the |
...
devil, |
...
to |
...
show |
...
that |
...
God |
...
ordained |
...
a |
...
special |
...
and |
...
certain |
...
locality |
...
on |
...
earth |
...
where |
...
this |
...
preaching |
...
of |
...
the |
...
Gospel |
...
is |
...
to |
...
begin. |
...
Thereby |
...
He |
...
binds |
...
the |
...
ears |
...
and |
...
hearts |
...
of |
...
all |
...
men |
...
so |
...
that |
...
they |
...
know |
...
which |
...
is |
...
the |
...
true |
...
doctrine |
...
of |
...
God's |
...
Word, |
...
and |
...
do |
...
not |
...
gape |
...
at |
...
this |
...
or |
...
that |
...
or |
...
flutter |
...
about |
...
confusedly. . . . |
...
Now, |
...
it |
...
is |
...
a |
...
fact |
...
that |
...
no |
...
other |
...
teaching |
...
was |
...
published |
...
in |
...
Zion |
...
than |
...
the |
...
one |
...
we |
...
have |
...
and |
...
preach |
...
according |
...
to |
...
the |
...
four |
...
evangelists, |
...
the |
...
same |
...
one |
...
that |
...
was |
...
preached |
...
by |
...
the |
...
holy |
...
apostles. |
...
Hence |
...
this |
...
is |
...
the |
...
touchstone |
...
by |
...
which |
...
all |
...
doctrine |
...
is |
...
to |
...
be |
...
judged. |
...
One |
...
must |
...
take |
...
care |
...
and |
...
see |
...
whether |
...
it |
...
is |
...
the |
...
same |
...
doctrine |
...
that |
...
was |
...
published |
...
in |
...
Zion |
...
through |
...
the |
...
apostles. |
...
For |
...
instance, |
...
we |
...
can |
...
and |
...
should |
...
cheerfully |
...
condemn the |
...
doctrine |
...
of |
...
Mohammed |
...
and |
...
his |
...
Turks, |
...
or |
...
of |
...
the |
...
pope |
...
and |
...
his |
...
monks, |
...
because |
...
it |
...
was |
...
not |
...
published |
...
in |
...
Zion |
...
or |
...
derived |
...
from |
...
the |
...
Gospel |
...
but |
...
from |
...
their |
...
Alcoran |
...
or |
...
decretal, |
...
or |
...
out |
...
of |
...
their |
...
own |
...
heads |
...
and |
...
dreams. |
...
The |
...
same |
...
thing |
...
applies |
...
to |
...
our |
...
Jews, |
...
who |
...
reject |
...
the |
...
preaching |
...
of |
...
this |
...
Christ |
...
and |
...
His |
...
apostles |
...
and |
...
seek |
...
and |
...
hope |
...
for |
...
another |
...
Messiah. |
...
On |
...
this |
...
basis |
...
we |
...
also |
...
reject |
...
the |
...
self-made |
...
spirituality |
...
[eigen |
...
Geisterey |
...
] |
...
of |
...
all |
...
other |
...
sects |
...
who |
...
seek |
...
a |
...
special |
...
enlightenment |
...
and |
...
a |
...
secret |
...
revelation |
...
from |
...
heaven, |
...
and |
...
lay |
...
claim |
...
to |
...
something |
...
apart |
...
from |
...
the |
...
commonly |
...
preached |
...
Word |
...
of |
...
the |
...
Gospel. |
...
Clearly |
...
the |
...
apostles |
...
themselves |
...
presented |
...
nothing |
...
else |
...
to |
...
the |
...
people |
...
than |
...
this |
...
public |
...
preaching, |
...
concerning |
...
which |
...
they |
...
had |
...
a |
...
common |
...
command, |
...
plainly |
...
given |
...
from |
...
heaven, |
...
that |
...
they |
...
should |
...
preach |
...
in |
...
all |
...
the |
...
world |
...
until |
...
the |
...
end |
...
(Mt |
...
28:19; |
...
Mk |
...
16:15). |
...
For |
...
this |
...
reason |
...
they |
...
have |
...
been |
...
called |
...
'apostles,' |
...
to |
...
which |
...
the |
...
word |
...
in |
...
the |
...
text, |
...
'send |
...
out |
...
,' has |
...
a |
...
relation, |
...
meaning |
...
ambassadors |
...
(2 |
...
Cor |
...
5:20). |
...
In |
...
really |
...
old |
...
German |
...
they |
...
are |
...
'messengers |
...
[Boten |
...
]'; |
...
this |
...
is |
...
why |
...
they |
...
have |
...
also |
...
been |
...
called |
...
'the |
...
twelve |
...
messengers |
...
[ |
...
Zwelfboten],' |
...
because |
...
they |
...
are |
...
people |
...
who |
...
did |
...
not |
...
themselves |
...
invent |
...
this |
...
preaching |
...
but |
...
manifestly |
...
received |
...
it |
...
by |
...
the |
...
command |
...
of |
...
the |
...
Holy |
...
Spirit |
...
and |
...
were |
...
sent |
...
to |
...
preach |
...
it |
...
in |
...
the |
...
world. |
...
Therefore |
...
we |
...
must |
...
also |
...
remain |
...
at |
...
this |
...
place |
...
and |
...
neither |
...
hear |
...
nor |
...
accept |
...
any |
...
other |
...
preaching; |
...
for |
...
this |
...
alone |
...
. . . |
...
is |
...
the |
...
true |
...
doctrine, |
...
bestowing |
...
upon |
...
men |
...
a |
...
right |
...
and |
...
certain |
...
understanding, |
...
comfort |
...
of |
...
heart, |
...
and |
...
salvation. |
...
You |
...
can |
...
see, |
...
therefore, |
...
how |
...
the |
...
dominion |
...
of |
...
this |
...
King |
...
works. |
...
In |
...
his |
...
invisible |
...
essence |
...
He |
...
sits |
...
at |
...
the |
...
right |
...
hand |
...
of |
...
God; |
...
but |
...
He |
...
rules |
...
visibly |
...
on |
...
earth |
...
and |
...
works |
...
through |
...
external |
...
visible |
...
signs, |
...
of |
...
which |
...
the |
...
preaching |
...
of |
...
the |
...
Gospel |
...
and |
...
the |
...
Sacraments |
...
are |
...
the |
...
chief |
...
ones, |
...
and |
...
through |
...
public |
...
confession |
...
and |
...
the |
...
fruits |
...
of |
...
faith |
...
in |
...
the |
...
Gospel. |
...
These |
...
are |
...
the |
...
true |
...
marks |
...
whereby |
...
one |
...
can |
...
really |
...
recognize |
...
the |
...
kingdom |
...
of |
...
the |
...
Lord |
...
Christ |
...
and |
...
the |
...
Christian |
...
Church: |
...
namely, |
...
wherever |
...
this |
...
scepter |
...
is, |
...
that |
...
is, |
...
the |
...
office |
...
of |
...
the |
...
preaching |
...
of |
...
the |
...
Gospel, |
...
borne |
...
by |
...
the |
...
apostles |
...
into |
...
the |
...
world |
...
and |
...
received |
...
from |
...
them |
...
by |
...
us. |
...
Where |
...
it |
...
is |
...
present |
...
and |
...
maintained, |
...
there |
...
the |
...
Christian |
...
Church |
...
and |
...
the |
...
kingdom |
...
of |
...
Christ |
...
surely |
...
exist, |
...
no |
...
matter |
...
how |
...
small |
...
or |
...
negligible |
...
the |
...
number |
...
of |
...
the |
...
flock. |
...
On |
...
the |
...
other |
...
hand, |
...
those |
...
who |
...
do |
...
not |
...
maintain |
...
and |
...
foster |
...
this |
...
but |
...
even |
...
persecute |
...
it, |
...
as |
...
the |
...
papal |
...
mob |
...
does, |
...
should |
...
not |
...
be |
...
considered |
...
a |
...
part |
...
of |
...
the |
...
Christian |
...
Church; |
...
nor |
...
should |
...
they |
...
be |
...
heard, |
...
even |
...
though |
...
they |
...
arrogate |
...
this |
...
name |
...
and |
...
title |
...
to |
...
themselves |
...
and |
...
defiantly |
...
and |
...
gloriously |
...
boast |
...
that |
...
they |
...
have |
...
inherited |
...
the |
...
apostolic |
...
sees. |
...
They |
...
do |
...
not |
...
speak |
...
for |
...
the |
...
apostles, |
...
nor |
...
do |
...
they |
...
preach |
...
their |
...
message. |
...
Therefore |
...
this |
...
kind |
...
of |
...
boasting |
...
and |
...
claiming |
...
is |
...
improper |
...
for |
...
them, |
...
nor |
...
will |
...
it |
...
help |
...
them. |
...
Rather, |
...
it |
...
will |
...
damn |
...
them |
...
all |
...
the |
...
more |
...
severely |
...
for |
...
having |
...
usurped |
...
the |
...
place |
...
and |
...
office |
...
of |
...
the |
...
apostles. |
...
Zion, |
...
or |
...
Jerusalem, |
...
is |
...
the |
...
place |
...
chosen |
...
by |
...
God |
...
for |
...
this |
...
purpose, |
...
from |
...
which |
...
this |
...
scepter |
...
and |
...
kingdom |
...
of |
...
Christ |
...
should |
...
proceed. . . . |
...
[T |
...
]he |
...
same |
...
true |
...
Word, |
...
or |
...
Gospel, |
...
which |
...
went |
...
out |
...
of |
...
Zion, |
...
remains |
...
until |
...
the |
...
Last |
...
Day. |
...
God |
...
certainly |
...
maintains |
...
His |
...
church, |
...
which |
...
He |
...
planted |
...
by |
...
His |
...
apostles |
...
and |
...
of |
...
which |
...
we |
...
are |
...
the |
...
heirs. |
...
Meanwhile |
...
He |
...
rejects |
...
and |
...
damns |
...
the |
...
pope |
...
and |
...
his |
...
adherents |
...
even |
...
though |
...
they |
...
possess |
...
the |
...
throne |
...
itself" |
...
(LW |
...
13: |
...
265 |
...
f., |
...
270, |
...
271 |
...
ff.). |
This passage is interesting to me for all kinds of reasons. But I find it most interesting because of what it says about "the touchstone." Here, at any rate, Luther clearly identifies "the touchstone by which all doctrine is to be judged, not with Christ, or with "what pushes Christ," but with "the doctrine that was published in Zion through the apostles," the test being whether it is "the same doctrine," "the same \ [teaching\] that was preached by the holy apostles." And to remove any doubt about what he means by "apostles," he speaks of God's ordaining "a special and certain locality on earth where this preaching of the Gospel is to begin." "Zion, or Jerusalem," he says, "is the place chosen by God for this purpose, from which this scepter and kingdom of Christ should proceed." In other words, by "apostles" Luther undoubtedly means precisely the first, or beginning, witnesses, through whom God "planted" his church.
13 February 2002