NW owns an old family Martin Luther bible passed down to her from her great grandfather’s family in Leipzig. The frontispiece reads: Martin Luther’s Kirchen-Postille, published by Stottmeier, Braunschweig, Germany, in deep brown grand leather, embossed with a fine gold cover. Pages reserved for births and death list the 19th century family history on her grandfather’s side. The ‘Familien Register’ in the bible shows a lovely etching of a bearded Father God with attendant female angels holding babies. I read in this section that NW’s great grandparents had 17 children (yes, her great grandfather married twice), of which 14 survived.
The bible bears no publication date, and the earliest recorded birth is her great grandfather Gustaf’s in 1856. So NW wonders about the age and value of this bible. Of course, it’s invaluable to her.
I found the publication date: 1890
Someone related to NW must have penned in family names of those born before the family acquired the bible.
I find Luther’s Kirchen-Postille in den Familien, as this is titled, a particularly interesting version of the Bible. A version known as Luther’s Hauspostille bible, a fascinating record of Luther as the Christian head of a large German family in the 16th century. The bible bears the titled Hauspostille for a reason. ‘Haus’ meaning house, and ‘postil,’ Latin, meaning “delivered UPON the Word.” Thus we see Luther’s own ‘take’ on the Word in this unique bible.
Luther gave sermons in his own house in Wittenberg every Sunday night to his friends. Also to his family, consisting of his wife Katharine von Bora, an ex-nun he helped escape from her nunnery, and their six children. The paternal head of the household, he saw it his duty to lead them in Christian instruction based on the liturgical year. Two scribes copied down his sermons from 1521-1525.
The Importance of Luther’s House Sermons
Why did Luther’s house sermons become important in the writings of his Church sermons? Luther gave MANY house sermons, but only served as the second in command of St Mary’s and didn’t preach regularly.
NW’s bible contains the Luther family treasures, so to speak, which became NW’s OWN family’s treasure. Interestingly the treasure of the records of her ancestry also point to a patriarchal culture.
The format of this bible offers first, the Gospel, and then Luther’s lesson. The importance is that he delivered the lessons as a father delivers it to his OWN flock. But he didn’t present these sermons off the cuff or casual. Luther spent hours on outlines for his household lessons.
Two scribes actually present to hear Luther’s words in the early 1500’s recorded them with quill pens, the tradition of the time. From the date of these sermons (1530) till the date of NW’s bible’s publication (1890), 360 years passed. NW’s bible lists her great grandfather Gustaf, the first name in the family register, as head of his household. German patriarchy was, and continued, as a strong tradition. Does NW say her grandfather continued that tradition?
Martin Luther Bible Scribes
Historians consider Luther, the Great Reformer, important. But Georg Roerer, scribe, and Veit Dietrich, his assistant recorded the thoughtful words, and even some of Luther’s techniques for prayer-writing. The text gives the WORD, then the interpretation, then a prayer, recorded by these two 16th century loyal men.
Roerer noted that Luther’s prayers followed certain guidelines, as Luther voiced his opinions on salvation through both faith and good works. This compilation became Roerer’s text on Luther’s prayers, General Guidelines for Leading Worshippers in Prayer at the Conclusion of the Sermon.
Luther, arguably one of the most important figures in the history of religion, dethroned the hegemony of the Catholic Church, and ignited the Protestant Reformation. His words recorded at home sermons gives a homely and accessible ‘feel‘ to the man. Luther was a natural commander, domineering, and protective of his own freedom of thought.
This bible, originally a costly purchase, must have appealed to NW’s great grandfather. Today you can purchased this bible, if you search hard enough, from a bookseller in Germany for around $100.