Discourse on Free Will by Luther Martin Erasmus Desiderius

Author:Luther, Martin, Erasmus, Desiderius
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2013-12-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Luther’s Proofs against the Free Will

We want to examine1 now how valid are Martin Luther’s [arguments] with which he wishes to topple the freedom of the will from its throne.

42) Weakness of human nature

He quotes a passage from Genesis: “My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is flesh” (Genesis 6,3). Scripture understands by “flesh” here not simply a godless passion, as Paul sometimes uses it when commanding the mortification of the flesh,2 but rather the weakness of our nature inclined towards sin, as Paul again implies when he calls the Corinthians carnal, as little children in Christ, with no capacity yet for solid doctrines.3

Moreover Jerome remarks in his Hebraic Questions4 that the Hebrew differs from our Latin text, namely, “my spirit will not judge these men in eternity, because they are [merely] flesh.” These words betray God’s gentleness rather than severity. “Flesh” refers to man, by nature weak and inclined to evil. In turn God’s wrath is called “spirit.” Accordingly, God affirms he does not want to retain man for eternal punishment, but rather out of mercy [he wants] to punish him already here [on earth]. This utterance refers not to all mankind, but only to the men of those days, terribly corrupted by abominable vices. It states explicitly “these men.” God did not just refer to all men of those days, because Noah, for example, was praised as a just man agreeable to God.

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