# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1949 08 30_S294
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294

the very useful "Menge Bible." But at the devotions and discussions at Bad Boll it was, besides the original language, Luther's translation of the Bible that was generally used.

It therefore seemed very right to us when we read in the "Ev.-Luth. Kirchenblatt" of our brethren in Brazil the following judgment of Goethe on Luther's translation of the Bible:

"That this excellent man [Luther] handed down to us in our mother tongue, as though cast in one piece, a work composed in the most varied styles [the Bible], with its poetic, historical, commanding, and teaching tone, has done more for religion than if he had tried to imitate the peculiarities of the original in detail. In vain have people since then labored with the Book of Job, the Psalms, and other songs to make them more enjoyable for us in their poetic form. For the multitude, upon whom an effect is to be produced, a plain translation always remains the best. Those critical translations which vie with the original really serve only for the entertainment of the learned among themselves" (underscored by us).

Goethe was no Christian, as we shall set forth further directly. But Goethe often perceived very finely what is reasonably right and admissible. We often ask ourselves whether the many modern English translations of the Bible do not rather tend to the harm of Christian people than to their benefit. Do they not also really serve only for the entertainment of the learned among themselves?
J. T. M.

Goethe Neither a Man of Faith nor a Lutheran Poet. In a Lutheran exchange paper we read under the heading "Goethe — a Man of Faith" the further descriptive heading "August 28 Is the 200th Birthday of the Lutheran Poet." In the article there then occur other paragraph headings: "Christ Walks in Goethe's Works," "His Faith in Divine Grace," "A Pupil of the Pauline Doctrine," etc.

Now, one may indeed admire Goethe greatly. He belongs, after all, to the great men who have made a lasting impression on the world. Goethe came especially close to us when in Wetzlar, Hesse, the old Goethean "Lotte town," where we stayed for six days, we let ourselves be reminded of Goethe by so many things.

There still stands the old "Lotte House," where Lotte Buff lived, with whom Goethe at that time fell in love. There also still stands the old "Jerusalem" House, where Goethe's colleague shot himself when his love for a married woman was not returned. Goethe then glorified this filth in his sadly extravagant work "Werthers Leiden," but thereby led many to commit suicide.

In the "Jerusalem" House thousands of things preserved there still remind the visitor of Goethe today. But with all the great things Goethe created, he was no Christian and also left the world nothing really Christian.

At Bad Boll an able Goethe scholar now explained to us how it came about that Goethe was no Christian. He was, to be sure, at first under the good influence of his pious mother, of whom he thought highly. Later he came under the influence of the Brethren (the Moravian Brethren), whom he held in high honor. But it was the Biblical doctrine of original sin that spoiled Christianity for him. The proud Goethe did not want to be a poor sinner and to be saved by grace alone through faith in Christ!
J. T. M.

Goethe and Schweitzer. While we were at Bad Boll, the famous medical missionary from Lambaréné, Africa, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, visited our country in order to gather funds for his important mission work in Africa.

For Dr. Schweitzer we personally have the greatest respect. He is a distinguished Goethe scholar, a distinguished Bach scholar, historically considered a great theologian, a great philosopher, a great medical missionary, and a very compassionate, deeply feeling man. But Dr. Schweitzer is no Christian in the Biblical sense of the word.

All the more were we astonished when we read the following about Schweitzer in an exchange paper: "Albert Schweitzer: one of the great saints of God"; and: "Dr. Schweitzer is certainly a saint of God in the flesh, a noble hero of faith, a Christian devoted to God."

All this the writer inferred from the fact that Schweitzer once gave up his position in Europe and more than thirty years ago went to Africa to work there as a medical missionary. But the writer does not mention that Schweitzer as a theologian does not acknowledge Christ as the Bible presents Him, that he does not believe in Christ as the Savior of the world, who by His work of atonement has redeemed us poor sinners. And because Schweitzer does not believe that, he is also no Christian in the sense of Scripture.

The paper The Christian Century now describes Schweitzer under the heading "Goethe and Schweitzer." Without really intending it, the writer nevertheless shows that, as Goethe once did not want to be saved as a poor sinner by grace alone through faith in Christ, so today Albert Schweitzer also does not want it.
J. T. M.

A Correction. While we were staying at the pastoral conference of our brethren of the Free Church in Gemünden (Westerwald), Westerburg District, Pfarrer Dr. Martin of Marburg, Hesse, Church Superintendent of the Independent Ev.-Luth. Church in Baden, Hesse, and Lower Saxony, asked us to publish the following correction in the "Lutheraner," which we hereby do, and that gladly.

"In No. 10 of the current volume of this periodical ['Lutheraner'] there was a short report on a merger of free churches in Germany which contained an error.

"It said there: 'As is known to our readers, the "Lutheran Free Church in Germany" consists of the former Free Church and the earlier Breslau Free Church.'

"In reality there are at present three Lutheran free churches in Germany, namely, the earlier 'Breslau Free Church,' the former 'Saxon Free Church,' and the 'Independent Ev.-Luth. Church in Baden, Hesse, and Lower Saxony.'

"These three Lutheran free churches, of which the first two named have already entered into a closer relation, are striving as far as possible to present a unity and to be active in common works. To these three free churches referred the statement of the Baden-Hesse-Lower Saxony church government mentioned in the short report on the merger of free churches, in which the wish was expressed that the various names might be only provisional