Monday, October 30, 2006
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
A TEACHING TOOL
For Martin Luther, education was very important. During the years of the Reformation, Luther focused a great deal of his time and attention on educating people in the Word of God. In addition to his monumental translation of the Bible into the German language, he also wrote the Large and Small Catechisms, which were intended for the Biblical instruction of families by the father and members by their pastor.
His eagerness to teach the people from the Bible and in their own language also motivated him to compose hymns for congregational singing. In all, Luther composed over thirty hymns, twenty of which are found in "The Lutheran Hymnal". Luther's hymns were written to instruct from the word of God.
Luther's hymns cover the whole scope of Christian doctrine -- the Trinity (TLH 251); the deity and work of Christ (85); the work of the Holy Spirit (224); Law and Gospel (287); Prayer (458); Confession of Sins and Forgiveness (329); the Lord's Supper (313); Evangelism (500); Christ's Resurrection (195); and Justification by Faith (387) to name a few. Luther used these hymns to instruct the common people in the teachings of Holy Scripture. For Luther, hymns were a teaching tool -- another way to help people grow by the Word in the grace and the knowledge of what great things God had done for them through Jesus the Savior!
Lord Jesus Christ, Thy power make known,
For Thou art Lord of lords alone;
Defend Thy Christendom that we
May evermore sing praise to Thee.
(TLH 261:2)
