AnOpenLetteronTranslating1AnOpenLetteronTranslatingByDr.MartinLuther,1483-1546Translatedfrom:"SendbriefvonDolmetschen"in_Dr.MartinLuthersWerke_,(Weimar:HermannBoehlausNachfolger,1909),Band30,TeilII,pp.632-646byGaryMann,Ph.D.AssistantProfessorofReligion/TheologyAugustanaCollegeRockIsland,IllinoisAnOpenLetteronTranslating2PrefaceWenceslasLinktoallbelieversinChrist:ThewiseSolomonsaysinProverbs11:"Thepeoplewhowithholdgraincursehim.Butthereisablessingonthosewhosellit."Thisversespeakstrulyconcerningallthatcanservethecommongoodorthewell-beingofChristendom.Thisisthereasonthemasterinthegospelreprimandstheunfaithfulservantlikealazyscoundrelforhavinghiddenandburiedhismoneyintheground.SothatthiscurseoftheLordandtheentireChurchmightbeavoided,Imustpublishthisletterwhichcameintomypossessionthroughagoodfriend.Icouldnotwithholdit,astherehasbeenmuchdiscussionaboutthetranslatingoftheOldandNewTestaments.Ithasbeenchargedbythedespisersoftruththatthetexthasbeenmodifiedandevenfalsifiedinmanyplaces,whichhasshockedandstartledmanysimpleChristians,evenamongtheeducatedwhodonotknowanyHebreworGreek.Itisdevoutlyhopedthatwiththispublicationtheslanderofthegodlesswillbestoppedandthescruplesofthedevoutremoved,atleastinpart.Itmayevengiverisetomorewritingonsuchmattersandquestionssuchasthese.SoIaskallfriendsoftheTruthtoseriouslytakethisworktoheartandfaithfullypraytoGodforaproperunderstandingofthedivineScripturestowardstheimprovementandincreaseofourcommonChristendom.Amen.NurembergSept.15,1530.TotheHonorableandWorthyN.,myfavoritelordandfriend.GraceandpeaceinChrist,honorable,worthyanddearLordandfriend.Ireceivedyourwritingwiththetwoquestionsorqueriesrequestingmyresponse.Inthefirstplace,youaskwhyI,inthe3rdchapterofRomans,translatedthewordsofSt.Paul:"Arbitramurhominemiustificariexfideabsqueoperibus"as"Weholdthatthehumanwillbejustifiedwithouttheworksofthelawbutonlybyfaith."YoualsotellmethatthePapistsarecausingagreatfussbecauseSt.Paul'stextdoesnotcontainthewordsola(alone),andthatmychangingofthewordsofGodisnottobetolerated.Secondly,youaskifthedepartedsaintsintercedeforus.Regardingthefirstquestion,youcangivethepapiststhisanswerfromme-ifyousoAnOpenLetteronTranslating3desire.Onthefirsthand,ifI,Dr.Luther,hadthoughtthatallthePapiststogetherwerecapableoftranslatingevenonepassageofScripturecorrectlyandwell,IwouldhavegatheredupenoughhumilitytoaskfortheiraidandassistanceintranslatingtheNewTestamentintoGerman.However,Isparedthemandmyselfthetrouble,asIknewandstillseewithmyowneyesthatnotoneofthemknowshowtospeakortranslateGerman.Itisobvious,however,thattheyarelearningtospeakandwriteGermanfrommytranslations.Thus,theyarestealingmylanguagefromme-alanguagetheyhadlittleknowledgeofbeforethis.However,theydonotthankmeforthisbutinsteaduseitagainstme.YetIreadilygrantthemthisasitticklesmetoknowthatIhavetaughtmyungratefulstudents,evenmyenemies,tospeak.Secondly,youmightsaythatIhaveconscientiouslytranslatedtheNewTestamentintoGermantothebestofmyability,andthatIhavenotforcedanyonetoreadit.RatherIhaveleftitopen,onlydoingthetranslationasaservicetothosewhocouldnotdoitaswell.Nooneisforbiddentodoitbetter.Ifsomeonedoesnotwishtoreadit,hecanletitlie,forIdonotaskanyonetoreaditorpraiseanyonewhodoes!ItismyTestamentandmytranslation-anditshallremainmine.IfIhavemadeerrorswithinit(althoughIamnotawareofanyandwouldmostcertainlybeunwillingtointentionallymistransl...
