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Luther on Fathers

© Dr. Martin Luther, Th.D., Reformer, sinner and child of God

For Father's Day, I thought I'd share what Luther had to say about Fatherhood. This is from his exegesis on John's Prologue to his Gospel, speaking of Christ's birth. John speaks of Jesus being born "not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God." Thus Luther's dissertation on Fatherhood:

Nevertheless, one should not forget that the three types of fatherhood enumerated - by blood, by adoption, and by honor - are creations of God; they are pleasing to Him and confirmed by Him. And it is the will of God that children look up to, love, and esteem their fathers by blood, by adoption or law, or by honor; for God ordained that there should be differences in rank and position in the world. To honor our pastors, preachers, or preceptors, and to regard them as fathers even though there are no ties of blood, meets God's full approval. The same applies to our reverence or obedience toward the government, or to the honor shown pious and God-fearing people by using the appellation "father." Thus the servants of the Syrian Naaman called him "lord" and "father" as a mark of respect (2 Kings 5:3, 13). In emulating their example we fulfill the will and counsel of an inspired man. Therefore this marks a good and useful, proper and godly work, a work entirely in accord with God's will and command. But in spite of all this it neither enables nor entitles us to call ourselves children of God. Such a demonstration of honor and obedience is, to be sure, a fine and precious virtue in the eyes of the world; but it is valueless before God if we think we shall be saved on the strength of it. For the purpose of salvation all this is dead and invalid; the requirements are far higher.

To repeat, these three categories of birth are good, useful, honorable, and God-pleasing, especially the birth of blood; for this was ordained and blessed by God for the purpose of begetting children in marriage. God also takes delight in the other two types: the second, according to which those without offspring adopt others as their own and make them heirs; the third, in which homage is paid parents, pastors, preceptors, rulers in conformity with God's will and command. To pay these honor is also conducive to the observance of all law and order and is the essence of all true virtue and good practice. But all things have been impaired and corrupted by original sin. They have no value before God. Indeed, they are absolutely useless as a way to salvation.

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