Holy Spirit and scripture by Luther

This article is devoted to critical consideration of Luther’s understanding of the the Holy Spirit and His actions. The action of the Spirit is God’s Word. After analysis of Luther’s use of the concept of “God’s Word,” three forms of the Word are identified: a) recorded; b) sounded; and (c) sacramental. The article focuses on Luther’s admission of the Word as the Holy Scripture, as a communicative Divine act addressed to man. Scripture, as God’s Word, has the corresponding characteristics: it will live, give rise to faith, is eternal, unchanging, unlivable, determined. An important characteristic of the action of the Spirit is that the Spirit does not act on man directly, but always through external, visible signs. Based on the example of the controversy with Erasmus of Rotterdam, Luther’s substantiation of the basic characteristics of Scripture (self-sufficiency, clarity, self-interpretation, superrationality) are demonstrated. Luther understands the sounding form of the Word as the living presence of the Spirit at the time of its pronunciation, which leads him to assert the preaching ministry as central to the activities of the Church.