Warren Malach's Review of Volume I - The Sermons of Martin Luther

Norma A. Boeckler is a prolific artist with a number of her own books. She had artwork for each volume before it was done. How? She looked the sermons up online and planned the art for each sermon. 

Although I already mentioned above Dr. Jackson's additional volume GEMS MINED FROM THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER, it was only when I examined the individual volumes of the SERMONS that I learned that the GEMS MINED from each individual volume of the SERMONS are offered as an Introduction to each volume, an "appetizer" of what will be found in the SERMONS as well as an overview of the theology of Dr. Luther himself. Dr. Jackson introduces the GEMS with this challenging statement about Luther: "Luther is discussed too much, studied too little." This statement is an indictment of the state of Luther scholarship within the Christian Church, but especially within the Lutheran Church itself. The summary statements for the individual GEMS in this volume demonstrate how Dr. Luther challenges the orthodoxy of those claiming to be "Lutherans" regarding the fundamental doctrines of the Lutheran Church, e.g. "Not All Are Justified"--"Faithless Teachers"--"Where Do We Find Christ?--In the Scriptures." In "The Reason for the Church Postils," Dr. Jackson tells us the history of the Church Postils and how Dr. Luther himself regarded THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER as "the best of all his books."

GJ - As she read and edited the volumes, Virginia Roberts kept saying, "I found a gem!" and then "Another gem!" My wife and I did this years ago for volumes 1-4 and put them in Megatron, the Database. They were the heavy artillery - dropped on the foes of the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace. I said, "We have to feature the Gems in the front," and then "Let's also do a separate volume, full color."

Volume I of THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER contains the Sermons for the first part of the Church Year, from the First Sunday in Advent through the Festival of the Epiphany.  It includes the Sermons for the festivals of Christmas, Second Christmas Day, Third Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day, the Day of St. John the Evangelist, and New Year's Day.  Helpful outlines are provided for each Sermon to guide the reader in his study.


I must mention the physical appearance of this large, softbound volume, with its fine illustrations by Norma A. Boeckler, especially the cover illustration of Luther writing the Sermons.  Once again, I must mention how comfortable the volume is to hold and read, with its ease of holding open and its large print.  The volumes in the set of THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER are designed for regular individual and family use, and not simply to be put on a library shelf in a pastor's office or church library.


What did Luther teach?  Rather, what does the Bible teach, as Dr. Luther explains?  Study THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER and you will not be misled by those claiming to be "Lutherans" but who do not teach what Luther taught from the Bible about such fundamental Christians doctrines as the Inspiration of Scripture and Justification by Faith Alone!  
--Warren Malach

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GJ - One reader has already suggested publishing More Gems later.

Warren Malach - On Luther's Sermons, the Gems, and the Goldmine

A Lutheran pastor for forty-five years, the Rev. Dr. Gregory L. Jackson (STM Yale, PhD Notre Dame ) spent a year revising the Lenker translation of the CHURCH POSTILS of Dr. Martin Luther, written in the 1520s.  These sermons on the historic Epistle and Gospel Lessons for the Church Year fill eight large softbound volumes whose typesetting makes them as easy to read as the volumes are to hold open.  In addition, the volumes are profusely illustrated by renowned Christian artist Norma A Boeckler.  In re-introducing these volumes to the public, Dr. Jackson has performed a great service to the Christian Church by responding to the sectarianism and apostasy of our day with the pure Word of God as taught by Dr. Martin Luther to the members of his congregation.

In addition to THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER, as part of his long study of Dr. Martin Luther's writings Dr. Jackson has also compiled the additional volumes

• GEMS MINED FROM THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER and 
• THE LOST DUTCHMAN'S GOLDMINE: LUTHER'S BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF THE WORD.  

 The color version of Gems is the one sent to everyone.
This black and white version was planned at the last minute as a good way to introducepeople to Luther's Sermons without selling the rose farm. This is often included free in orders.

GEMS is the fruit of Dr. Jackson's editorial work on THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER in which Dr. Jackson distills for the reader the contents of the eight individual volumes in quotations drawn from the sermons, for which Dr. Jackson has supplied titles which are included in the table of contents for easy topical reference.  The quotations drawn from the sermons are generally more extensive than those found in E. Plass' WHAT LUTHER SAYS, which traditionally was searched by students of Luther for useful quotations from Dr. Luther's vast writings, and therefore GEMS is a more comprehensive compendium of extracts from Dr. Luther's writings as a theologian who was also a pastor.

In THE LOST DUTCHMAN'S GOLDMINE Dr. Jackson presents Dr. Luther's doctrine of the Word of God as drawn directly from Luther's own writings, the Lutheran Confessions, and the writings of orthodox Lutheran teachers.  In an age in which the inspiration and authority of God's Word are under constant attack and false doctrine is rampant, Dr. Jackson in his Luther editorial work as well as in his own writings and online blog  (http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com) seeks to follow the mandate of Jude 3 to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" and presented by Dr. Luther in these Sermons, especially the glorious doctrine of Justification by Faith.

These volumes are only the latest publications of Martin Chemnitz Press (martinchemnitzpress.blogspot.com) which also publishes the theological writings of Dr. Jackson covering a wide variety of subjects both of Christian doctrine and of practice.  You are warmly encouraged to search for these books online, and follow Dr. Jackson's Amazon author's page (https://www.amazon.com/Pastor-Gregory-L.-Jackson/e/B00MDC6S4U?ref_=pe_1724030_132998060). 
--Warren Malach

 All the covers and interior illustrations came from our
artist-in-residence, Norma A. Boeckler.