LUTHER ON PREACHING
Martin Luther
April 1, 1983
Never known as a shrinking violet, Martin Luther had many strong things to say on the task of the preacher. Following are excerpts from Table Talk of Martin Luther, a collection of his sayings edited by Thomas Kepler and published by Baker Book House, 1979. Used by permission. * * * "To me a long sermon is an abomination, for the desire of the audience to listen is destroyed, and the preacher only defeats himself. On this account I took Dr. Bugenhagen severely to task, for although he preaches long sermons with spontaneity and pleasure, nevertheless it is a mistake." * * * "A preacher should have the following qualifications: 1. Ability to teach. 2. A good mind. 3. Eloquence. 4. A good voice. 5. A good memory. 6. Power to leave off. 7. Diligence. 8. Whole-souled devotion to his calling. 9. Willingness to be bothered by everyone. 10. Patience to bear all things. In ministers nothing is seen more easily or more quickly than their faults. A preacher may have a hundred virtues, yet they may all be obscured by a single defect, the world is now so bad. Dr. Jonas has all the attributes of a good preacher, but people cannot forgive the good man for hawking and spitting so often." * * * "Who knows their subject can speak easily, for art follows comprehension of the subject. I can never compose a sermon by the rules of rhetoric." * * * "Christ had an extremely simple way of talking, and still he was eloquence itself. The prophets, to be sure, are not very rhetorical, but they are much more difficult. Therefore simple speech is the best and truest eloquence." * * * When Katie said she could understand her minister Polner's preaching better than Bugenhagen's because the latter wandered too far from his text, Luther remarked: "Bugenhagen says ...
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