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84 Language: Latin Critical edition: WA Br 3:101–102 (Nr. 629) english Translation: Smith/Jacobs, 2:185–1871 Text #8 Letter to the Baptized Jew, Bernard (1523) The Bernard of this letter is the former Rabbi Jacob Gipher of Göppingen, who was baptized prior to the summer of 1519 and whose son was baptized in 1523, with Luther present. Bernard, married to Andreas Bodenstein von Carlstadt’s maid, occasionally served as both Luther’s messenger and as Hebrew instructor at the University of Wittenberg. Having trouble making ends meet, Bernard incurred considerable debts, which compelled him to leaveWittenberg in 1531, during which time Luther and Melachthon took an active role in caring for his children.2 The letter to Bernard is written from the same perspective as That Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew, and Luther indicates that he has sent a copy of that treatise to Bernard along with the letter. Here he reiterates the same critique of Roman Catholic failure in the conversion and catechizing of Jews,while expressing optimism that the new recovery of the gospel will lead to a significant increase in genuine Jewish conversions ,because now Jews have the opportunity to learn about Christianity and see it as it is really supposed to be. Bernard, the former rabbi, represents for Luther what a true Jewish convert looks like. For this reason Luther, feeling special responsibility, showed considerable compassion toward the man. One area in which Luther distinguishes himself positively with respect to Jewish conversion is that he regards genuine and honest Jewish converts as fully Christian and not second-class citizens. The latter had clearly been the norm in european Christianity where Jewish converts typically encountered ridicule and suspicion from Christians as well as from Jewish communities. For Luther, a Jew who truly and with proper intention converts is a Christian, plain and simple, and ought to be recognized as such by all other Christians. Given how central the sacrament of baptism is for Luther and his teaching of justification—cherishing baptism as the rite that unites believers with the triune God through a new birth with Christ in their being, while remaining sinners in this life—the issue of the validity of baptism needs to be revisited in the case of Letter to the Baptized Jew, Bernard 85 Jewish conversions. does the sacrament effect saving faith by the mere act properly performed—even by force—or is the rite futile without a faith that receives the benefits promised and effected by God through theWord and water? Luther’s answer is complex, but on one thing he is certain: baptism alone, especially if it is forced or nominal, brings no good. Proper and examined faith is needed. An illustrative example of Luther’s deliberation on the validity of and preconditions for baptism of a converting Jew comes from his letter of 1530 to Heinrich Gnesius.3 Advising about the baptism of a young Jewish girl, Luther emphasizes the importance of the examined faith and intention of the baptized.4 As for the rite itself, Luther is quite flexible in envisioning the “how” as long as the “why” is correct. He imagines different ways of using towels,linens,and drapes to ensure sufficient coverage for the girl’s nudity in the water, out of respect for her and her family’s possible sensibilities regarding nudity and Christian practices. Luther wants to accommodate and have a chance to educate. disturbed by rumors of Jews recently found guilty of deceitfully receiving Christian baptism with an intent to ridicule Christian faith,5 Luther underscores the urgency of making sure the girl does not pretend her faith and thus receive baptism for her own damnation.On the condition of the girl’s faith being found sincere, Luther wishes her grace and perseverance, sending her greetings in Christ’s name from himself personally and with his loving service. Apart from his occasionally frustrated and skeptical quips about the futility of baptisms performed on false premises,Luther consistently underscores the real effectiveness of the sacrament to transform one’s life.When addressing the issue of baptism pastorally, Luther seems to appreciate the human difficulty any Jewish convert would face as being suspect in the eyes of both their old Jewish and new Christian communities. Luther thus makes an important theological case to support the “real” Jewish convert as a real Christian. How many such persons he might encounter in his lifetime is a different matter. {To Bernard, the baptized Jew...

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