In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Chapter 19 LUTHER'S DISPUTE WITH THE ANTINOMIANS THE QUESTION OF REPENTANCE IN REFORMATION THEOLOGY Another important dispute, which led Luther more precisely to develop his view and in part also to modify it, had to do with establishing a basis for repentance as well as with the entire range of law and gospel doctrine. Fundamentally at issue was the Reformation view of justification and to that extent the heart of Luther's theol­ ogy. At the same time the various contestants were united in rejecting the Roman "works-righteousness." Chiefly in dispute, however, was the question whether the preaching of repentance, an undoubted task of the church, belongs theologically to the exposition of die law or must follow the preaching of the gospel. There was the further question in what sense and to what extent the preaching of the law is the church's abiding task. This controversy indicates the multilayered character of die Reformation movement in its earliest stages. Only in die course of the years did diis feature clearly emerge. In the early years of his dispute widi Rome, Luther responded to questions touching die basis for repentance that did not appear altogedier unambiguous. His inner conflicts (Anfechtungen) had been ignited by die divine command and thus by die law, die deadly seriousness of which he set fordi theologically and personally. Theologically speaking, it would appear diat repentance belongs to die sphere of the legal. On the other hand, diere was the danger diat if assigned solely to that sphere, it would become an occasion for hopelessness. For such a view one could likewise appeal to Ludier. In his inner conflicts he had painfully experienced his own insuffi­ ciency in view of die divine command. In his letter of dedication to Spalatin prefaced 178 LUTHER'S DISPUTE WITH THE ANTINOMIANS 179 to his Explanations of the Ninety-Jive Theses (1518), Luther thanked die head of his order for emphasizing diat "true repentance" begins "widi die love of righteousness and of God." This word stuck in him like "die sharp arrow of a warrior" (Ps. 120:4). While previously diere was no bitterer word in all die Bible dian die word "repen­ tance," now no odier was more sweet and pleasant.' These two approaches on die topic of repentance, taken at die onset of Ludier's dispute widi Rome and intimately connected, were variously adopted widiin die circle of Ludier's adherents in die years following. Melanchdion, Ludier's closest friend and coworker, stressed diat die law first had to expose sin in order for the gospel to mediate grace.2 He dius construed die order of salvation in successive stages consisting of die law, die gospel, and die necessary renewal by die Holy Spirit,3 while Ludier saw die person widiin die dialectic of judgment and grace or law and gospel. On die odier hand, Johann Agricola (ca. 1499-1566), since 1515/1516 a pupil and friend of Ludier and for some years among his closest inti­ mates, emphasized diat repentance is a fruit of the gospel since die law cannot lead to faidi. An argument diat Agricola continually made in diis context read diat Christ in fact fulfilled die law, for which reason it had been abolished as a way of salvation. Furdier, according to Paul, die law by itself works wradi; it cannot lead to die gospel.4 Material differences were exaggerated by personal animus, poisoning die atmosphere between Melanchdion and Agricola. After a prelude of initial differences in 1524,5 a controversy arose in 1527 on die occasion of die Articles ofVisitation audiored by Melanchdion (Articuli, de quibus egerunt per visitatores in regione Saxoniae).6 Melanchdion had stated diat die preaching of faidi cannot be understood widiout a prior call to repentance. The law must dius first be preached in order diat one repent. Only dien can die gospel be preached. For die rest, die law is necessary for daily sanctification. Agricola opposed die arti­ cles by challenging die chronological and material status of repentance prior to die gospel. He appealed to Ludier's statement of 1518, diat repentance must begin widi die love of righteousness.7 From Ludier, Agricola also adopted die view diat die law is die Jews' Sachsenspiegel (Saxon code of law) and no longer applies to die Christian.8 Agricola was first to appeal to Ludier s early statements by which to oppose 1 HH 1,525,4-23 (May 30, 1518). 2 Melanchthon, Loci communes (1521), in Melanchthon and...

Share