However, as the Church is still hidden, so is the spiritual life of the Christian, and as the Church is travelling from its persecuted state towards the heavenly glory, so is the Christian.430 Therefore, the Christian is not purely spirit (although insofar he is a Christian his primary identity is with the spirit), but the infusion of faith constitutes a starting point in his existence of the struggle between the spirit and the flesh.431 The flesh that was at
426 WA 56, 441, 13 – 442, 26; WA 2, 548, 20-29. Luther does not think, however, that this process takes place only at the birth of faith and in the first imparting of righteousness. As the human being also remains a sinner at the same time when he is made righteous, the life of the Christian constitutes an ongoing process in which he is always in non-being (non esse), always in becoming (fieri) and always in being (esse). On the analysis of the Aristotelian concept of movement behind Luther’s text, see Dieter 2001, 335-343. On the idea of the transformation of the Christian into new being see also Peura 1994, 144-150.
427 WA 56, 117 gloss 6: “GLOSSA:6) [25]Hucusque docuit nouum hominem fieri et nouam natiuitatem
[26]descripsit, que dat nouum esse, Iohann. 3. Nunc vero Noue natiuitatis [27]opera docet, Que frustra presumit nondum nouus homo factus. Prius [28]est enim esse quam operari, prius autem pati quam esse. Ergo fieri, esse, [29]operari se sequuntur.”
428 See chapters 2.3.2 and 2.3.3.3. See also WA 2, 614, 28-36.
429 WA 55, I, 214 gloss 5; WA 55, II, 452, 102 – 453, 129; 654, 297 – 655, 316; WA 56, 229, 7 – 230, 8; AWA 2, 107, 9-13; 108, 1-5; 202, 21 – 203, 2; WA 5, 506, 26 – 507, 15.
430 See chapters 2.3.3.3 and 3.4.
431 WA 57, a19, 1-10: “[2, 19] Ego enim1 et quilibet in Christum [2] credens per legem: sc. spiritus, fidei legi operum et littere mortuus sum [3] sicut debitor mortuus nihil debet exactori suo, ita nec iustus legi
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peace is now roused to conflict against the flesh. There are two aspects to this conflict, which we will consider next.
The first aspect of the conflict concerns concupiscence. Luther describes it in the
Dictata as follows:
Therefore I however, he says, have been humbled exceedingly, i.e., have been afflicted because of the word of the Cross, because it is a scandal and foolishness to the proud. ‘Humiliated’ is namely commonly used in this way, as previously: ‘I have been altogether humiliated, O Lord’. Truly this happens even in a moral way, so that a person afflicts himself deeply, when the conscience declares faith to him. Or certainly, when the spirit begins to live from faith and mind those things which are God’s, soon the flesh rises and will persecute as the Pharaoh persecuted the Israelites and the Synagogue the Apostles of Christ. At that point it will begin to desire (concupiscere) against the spirit and the spirit against it. Then the spirit says this with the Apostle: ‘Wretched man that I am, who will liberate me from the death of this body? I namely see another law in my members, opposing the law of my mind and capturing me in the law of sin’ etc. This is [the same as] when the Psalmist says: ‘I however have been humbled exceedingly’, namely by the law of the members, because by faith the law of the mind was awakened. ‘I have believed’, as if he would say: ‘I take delight in the law of God according to my internal man.’ But also the flesh, which formerly slept when it alone ruled over the spirit, stays awake in guard against its enemy.432
Luther states the same thing in multiple places: when grace awakens the spirit and creates the man anew, a battle begins between the spirit and the flesh. The word separates the spirit from the corporeal, animal and evil affects, so purifying the heart. If the life of a carnal person was peaceful when the spirit slept, and the infusion of grace was at first an anguishing experience because the word afflicted the flesh and the flesh did not understand it, now there exist simultaneously internal peace in the spirit and external conflict in the flesh. Grace even awakens the entire world and the Devil to begin waging a war against the Christian. Externally, the Christian may thus appear most wretched, while internally he is secure and at peace. Luther does admit, however, that sometimes both the
ut deo [4] uiuam: sc. in spiritu et novo homine, et sic Deo debitor sim ideo vivo [5] Deo, quia Christo confixus sum cruci. sc. secundum veterem hominem, [6] qui vivebat legi [2, 20] Viuo autem sc. secundum
novum hominem iam [7] non ego: quia ego sum vetus homo viuit uero in me Christus. qui vivit [8] soli Deo, ad Ro. 7.: ‘Quod autem vivit, vivit Deo’ Quod2 ·3 autem nunc [9] uiuo sc. in tempore huius mortis in carne: licet non secundum carnem [10] in fide uiuo q. d. vita carnis non est mea vita propria”
On this conflict see also Vind 2010, 28-33 and chapter 3.4.3.
432 WA 55, II, 882, 55-69: “Ideo Ego autem inquit humiliatus sum [56] nimis, i. e. afflictus propter verbum crucis, quia scandalum est superbis et [57] stultitia. Sic enim communiter ‘humiliatus’ accipitur, Vt infra: ‘humiliatus [58] sum vsquequaque, Domine’. Verum moraliter quoque id fit, vt homo [59] seipsum affligat nimis, Vbi conscientia sibi dictat fidem. Vel certe, Vbi incipit [60] spiritus ex fide viuere et sapere que Dei sunt, mox caro insurgit, et persequitur [61] sicut Pharao Israelitas Et Synagoga Apostolos Christi. Tunc enim [62] incipit ipsa concupiscere aduersus spiritum et spiritus aduersus eam. Tunc [63] spiritus dicit illud cum Apostolo Ro. 7.: ‘Infelix homo ego, quis me liberabit [64] de morte corporis huius? Video enim aliam legem in membris meis repugnantem [65] legi mentis mee et captiuantem me in legem peccati’ etc. Hoc est, [66] quod iste dicit: ‘Ego autem humiliatus sum nimis’, scil. a lege membrorum, [67] quia per fidem lex mentis euigilauit. Credidi enim, hoc est vt ille ait: [68] ‘Condelector enim legi Dei secundum interiorem hominem’. Sed tunc hostis [69] simul euigilat caro, que dormiuit, quando sola regnabat super spiritum.”
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internal peace and the external conflict remain hidden, but that they nevertheless exist.433
Therefore, for Luther the experience of a Christian is – save for some specific occurrences434 – dual and divided. The spirit receives the word with pleasure, is at peace with God and seeks to fullfill God’s law of love through the external members. But the flesh receives the word only with “the greatest aversion”; it is at war with the spirit and seeks to regain control of the person. It and resists the actualization of the imperatives of the spirit in the corporeal members. Most of Luther’s texts in which the influence of the word on the person is treated aptly illustrate this duality. For an example, Luther writes in the Operationes about why the word is called an iron sceptre:
You can see that this verse is completely allegorical, and not without reason, because it signifies an allegory taking place in life and by the thing itself. For since the Word of Christ is the Word of prosperity and peace, the Word of life and grace, and since it works not in the flesh, but in the spirit, it must suppress and drive out the prosperity, peace, life, and grace of the flesh. When it does this, it appears to the flesh harder and crueler than iron itself. For whenever a carnal man is touched in a wholesome way by the Word of God, one thing is felt, but another actually happens, accordingly with ‘the Lord kills and brings to life, sets down to Hell and brings back […] humbles and exalts.’ This allergorical action of God is beautifully depicted by Is. 28: ‘So that he would perform his proper work, his work is alien from him, so that his work would be accomplished, his work is foreign from him’, as to say: Although He is the God of life and salvation and this is His proper work, yet, in order to accomplish this, He kills and destroys, which are works alien to him, so that he could arrive at his proper work. He namely kills our will so that he would establish his own in us, mortifies the flesh and its desires, to bring into life the spirit and its desires.
This is what is said before without allegory: ‘I will preach the precept of the Lord’. For the spirit accepts the Word of the Lord as a most pleasant command. And so it happens, that the Mount Zion becomes holy in the Kingdom, and the Nations will fall into its inheritance and the ends of the Earth into its possession. But the flesh endures the commandment or Word of God with the greatest aversion; nor does it recognize it, since it is completely contrary to it in every way.435
433 WA 57, a54, 27 – a55, 13; WA 57, b161, 9-14; WA 2, 456, 29 – 457, 19.
434 Luther seems to be open to the possibility that in special instances the soul might be lifted to heaven so that it does not feel the restraints of the flesh. See WA 6, 121, 23 – 122, 6. See also WA 56, 258, 8-15. Vind 2010, 33-36 is therefore wrong in interpreting the extraordinary experiences as the joy experienced after tribulation. Luther seems to seems to have an even more extraordinary experience of heavenly rapture in mind.
435 AWA 2, 97, 12 - 98, 8: “Vides autem et hunc versum esse totum allegoricum, non sine vausa, siquiden significant quondam allegoriam, quae geritur re ipse et vita. Cum enim verbum Christi sit verbum salutis et pacis, verbum vitae et gratiae, atque haec non in carne, sed in spiritu operetur, necesse est, ut salutem, pacem, vitam, gratiam carnis opprimat et expellat. Quod cum facit, apparet carni ferro ipso durius et inclementius. Aliud enim sentitur et aliud fit, quoties homo carnalis verbo dei salubriter tangitur, nempe illud 1Reg 2<,6s>: ’Dominus mortificat et vivificat, deducit ad inferos et reducit […], humiliat et exaltat’. Hanc allegoricam operationem dei pulchre Is 28<,21> depingit dicens: ’Ut faciat opus suum, alienum opus est eius, ut operetur opus suum, peregrinum est opus eius ab eo’, quasi dicat: Cum sit deus vitae et salutis, et haec opera eius propria, tamen, ut operetur, occidit et perdit, quae sunt opera ei aliena, quo perveniat ad opus suum proprium. Occidit enim voluntatem nostram, ut statuat in nobis suam; mortificat carnem et concupiscentias eius, ut vivificet spiritum et concupiscentias eius. Hoc est, quod supra <v 7> sine allegoria dixit: ’Praedicans praeceptum domini.’ Spiritus enim accipit verbum dei ut praeceptum iucundissimum. Tunc enim fit, ut mons Zion sanctus <v 6> in regnum, et gentes in hereditatem, et termini terrae in
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What is clearly observable in the quote is the dual and divergent effect of the word on the spirit and the flesh. The human being, having been created anew, shares both spirit and the flesh. Therefore the effect of the word, which previously was only distressing for the flesh, is now at the same time pleasurable for the spirit. As the proper work of grace is carried out under the alien work, now the word simultaneously effects two mutually opposite things: crucifying the flesh and pleasing the spirit. Therefore, the Word of God is simultaneously a word of the cross and salvation, the Law of Christ and the Gospel, judgement and sermon, word of discipline and goodness, word of destruction and edification.436 The reason for his is that the Word in its proper nature as spirit (distinct
from the sensual figures and the letter), spoken in the spirit of the hearer, is so concise and abridged that it does not touch the flesh and the external man, but only the internal man. In this sense, the word (with regard) to its true content, is very much like a Platonic idea. It is immaterial and invisible, conferring spiritual and invisible goods that have to be received internally in the spirit. Therefore, the Word, like a blade, cuts and separates the person from the sensual objects of love and all created things. As it quiets the internal man, at the same time it brings the external man into anguish and darkness. Thus the Word perfects and weakens, fullfills and makes empty at the same time.437 It turns the person away from external things and towards the internal things, kindling in him the love of the spiritual and eternal and contempt for the temporal, and so directs the person to the right way, making him straight (rectus) like the unbendable rod it is.438
The second aspect of the conflict is cognitive. The divine reality conferred by the Word now becomes present and accessible to the new person (internal man; the spirit) but it remains unknown and incomprehensible for the old person (external man; the flesh). Luther illustrates this aspect of the New Creation by speaking of the cloud in which God is hidden. At the beginning of the infusion of faith, the cloud meant the hiddenness of God under the external letter and the water of the baptism. In the infusion of faith, using the external word and signs of grace as his vehicle, Christ enters the human heart. When Christ enters, the external cloud becomes internal, covering the presence of Christ in the spirit, as the human being has become the Tabernacle of the Lord.439 That Christ is present
posessionem <v 8> cedant. At caro fert praeceptum seu verbum dei indignissime nec agnoscit ipsum, cum sit ei penitus et omnibus modis contrarium.”
436 WA 55, I, 904-908; 906-907 glosses 7, 9, 10; WA 55, II, 733, 60-68; 848, 214-224; 898, 201-216; 904, 383-388; 926, 1039 – 927, 1051; 936, 1284-1292; 960, 1968 – 961, 1994; WA 56, 170, 7-25; WA 57, b109, 2-23; AWA 2, 97, 12 - 98, 8; 101, 1-8.
437 WA 55, I 220 gloss 9; WA 56, 406, 16 – 407, 1; 409, 13 – 410, 19. See also WA 55, II, 253, 370 – 254, 393.
438 WA 55, II, 654, 282 – 655, 323; 875, 43-58; AWA 2, 100, 16 – 102, 10. On this direction, see chapter 3.3.2.2.
439 WA 5, 506, 26 – 507, 15: “[26] Sed ad montem Sinai quoque veniamus, de quo scriptum est, quod [27] descendente domino mons operiri coepit caligine, et ipse in vertice et medio [28] montis recte dicitur posuisse tenebras latibulum suum, quo eadem fides est [29] significata, per quam habitat in medio Ecclesiae suae in cordibus nostris, [30] ubi non videtur. Heae autem tenebrae, dum extra nos sunt, litera occidens [31] est terribilis prudentiae carnis, quae vehementer exhorret occidi et tamen [32] occidi oportet, sicut lex occidendam docet, ut cum Mose ascendat ad verticem [33] montis, ingresso in caliginem ad dominum. Neque enim ad dominum [34] intra caliginem venitur, nisi mortificata per legem prudentia carnis [35] ‘In circuitu suo tabernaculum’, scilicet posuit, idem est per repetitionem, [36] quanquam in hebraeo non sit praepositio ‘in’, sed ‘sic circuitum suum tabernaculum [37] suum’, hoc est: sicut posuit, ut tenebrae essent latibulum suum, ita [38] posuit, ut et circuitus suus esset tabernaculum suum. Quod mihi videtur [39] in eum sensum dici, quod fides seu Ecclesia fide sanctificata sit illud, in [40] quo deus moratur. Nam ideo ponit
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in the internal cloud signifies that the presence of Christ is not understood by the old man. Faith forms a cloud in the intellect (here used in the wider sense of both the lower and higher intellect), covering and hiding the superior part (i.e., spirit and internal man, the proper intellect) from the inferior part (soul and reason, the lower intellect). Thus for the old man the presence of Christ in faith is mere darkness, and causes him cognitive anguish.440 Only the new, internal man and the intellect of faith can grasp this presence. Luther describes this dual nature of the cognition of the Christian as follows:
Cloud and darkness is around Christ, and he himself is in the middle of the cloud that is in the soul and in the middle of the darkness that is in the flesh. For the new man by faith receives the cloud, that is, a gloomy light, and by this the old man receives the darkness and is obscured in a beneficial way. Because when the spirit is illuminated, the flesh is blinded, the latter by justice and the former by righteousness. And so is the throne of Christ restored.441
So, as we can see, through the infusion of faith the human person has been restored as the Throne of Christ. Christ, however, dwells in the person in a way analogous to the presence of God in the Temple and in the desert of Sinai. For the flesh, his dwelling place is in darkness, but for the spirit, a gloomy light proceeds out as it did from the pillar of
tabernaculum suum non nisi id, quo [1] circuitur, idest clauditur et absconditur, sicut sancto sanctorum circumibatur [2] et claudebatur et in monte Sinai nube et caligine circumibatur. Et valet [3] adversus personarum respectum, quod dicit tabernaculum suum esse id, quo [4] circuitur. Quicquid illud tandem sit, nec nomen nec personam habet. Quicunque [5] [Gal. 3, 28.] enim eum circundant eique adherent, sive gentes sive Iudaei, fiunt [6] eius tabernaculum, non est enim distinctio. Verum aspera (ut dixi) haec [7] carni ingressurae sunt, suavia spiritui ingresso. Non enim homo nisi per [8] tenebras fidei, fides non nisi per mortificationem carnis ingreditur. Unde [9] tenebrae istae, donec sunt exteriores, mors et infernus sunt, ubi fuerint factae [10] interiores, vita et salus sunt. Litera enim opponit caliginem et crucem, sed [11] spiritus fidei perrumpit et ingressus caliginem invenit dominum. Ideo qui [12] [2. Mos. 20, 19.] fugit et horret caliginem sicut populus Israel excusans se, ne fieret eis verbum [13] legis, non pervenit ad dominum. Nisi enim legem audieris, quae te [14] humiliet et crucifigat, dominum intus cum Mose loquentem non audies, sed [15] [2. Mos. 19, 20.] nec Moses intrat nisi vocante domino, sicut habent verba Exodi.”
440 WA 55, II, 803, 110-113: “Et hoc est, quod iste versus dicit, Quod ‘Celum extendis [111] sicut pellem’, scil. super veterem hominem, vt eum pellem faciat. Et ‘tegit [112] aquis superiora eius’. Hee sunt Euangelice scripture , que hominem Interiorem [113] tegunt tegumento fidei et abscondito enygmatis.”
WA 55, II, 804, 138 – 805, 153: “[138] Spiritus enim Est Superius, Caro autem inferius hominis [139] in hac vita. Et sic homo prout rationalis vel secundum animam est [140] ‘firmamentum inter aquas et aquas’ i. e. inter sapientiam carnis et [141] spiritus. Si autem sese vertit ad sapientiam spiritus, iam superiora eius [142] teguntur aquis, quia ⌈[non] inferiora, sed su[peri]ora eius tegit [143] [a]quis⌉. [144] Qui ponis nubem
ascensum tuum, Qui ambulas super pennas [145] ventorum.⌈⌈Lit⌊eraliter:⌉⌉ Ad literam de Christo factum est, vt patet [146] Act. 1. Secundo Quia aquas tectrices dixerat, Ex quo sequitur, Quod in [147] tegumento et velamento istarum aquarum simus, Ac sic sine dubio in [148] Nube et fidei vmbraculo. In hac autem ascendit Christus et nos ascendere [149] facit. ⌈⌈Trop⌊ologice:⌉⌉ Hec enim est Scala Iacob, Sed non nisi in somno et [150] visione perceptibilis. Quis enim sciat fidem esse Schalam et nubem ascensus, [151] nisi qui mundo dormit et visione spirituali vigilat? Igitur Tegi aquis [152] (i. e. captiuari intellectum verbis Euangelii) hocipsum est nubem accipere [153] in intellectu. Et he c nubes ponitur fixe pro fundamento.”
441 WA 55, II, 754, 14-19: “Nubes et caligo sit in circuitu Christi, Et ipse in [15] medio nubis, que est in anima, Et caliginis, que est in carne . Nam Nouus [16] homo per fidem accepit nubem, i. e. enygmaticam lucem, Et per hoc vetus [17] homo accepit caliginem et obscuratus est salubriter. Quia dum spiritus [18] illustratur, caro excecatur; hoc per Iudicium et illud per Iustitiam. Et sic [19] est sedes Christi correcta.”
The descent of Christ in Incarnation, assumption of risen humanity, humbling the proud and at the sacrament of the altar all follow the same logic. See WA 55, II, 139, 3 – 140, 19.
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cloud.442 Therefore even if the senses and the carnal nature do not reach God’s presence,
the spirit experiences the incomprehensible presence and the help of God. Christ present in faith in the midst of darkness thus becomes a powerful proof (argumentum) of present but not visible things, augmenting the cognitive capacities of the Christian. Luther explains:
That in the Holy of Holies there was no light, signified God to be present in the Church by the faith of Christ in their hearts, which does not comprehend and is not comprehended, does not see and is not seen, but still sees all things. It is a powerful proof of present, but not visible things. Likewise the Ark of the Covenant was present in the Holy of Holies, but was not visible, because the Tabernacle surrounded it – in the midst of which in the Holy of Holies he sat – as is said in Ps. 46: ‘God is present in the midst of the congregation’, so that they cannot be shaken, as also similar prophecies derive from this figure. God does not rule among us superficially, with tongue and words, but in might, and they do not remain unshaken who believe with tongue and words, but ‘those who believe in the heart, are justified’, in the midst of whom God is present. They are the strong, who receive help from