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Instruction in Christian Love [1523]
Book by Bucer, Martin
72 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Martin Bucer
68 books11 followersMartin Bucer was a Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican doctrines and practices. Bucer was originally a member of the Dominican Order, but after meeting and being influenced by Martin Luther in 1518 he arranged for his monastic vows to be annulled. He then began to work for the Reformation, with the support of Franz von Sickingen.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 20, 2018
Bucer is high on exhortation and low on practice at times, but his exhortations with truly inspire you to live for and love others as you live for and love Christ.
April 19, 2022
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S INSTRUCTION IN CHRISTIAN LOVE ABOUT?
This was written in response to some requests to expand on Bucer's "sketchy lectures," on the topic. In this brief book, he considers two ideas:
There are two chapters in the work, the exhortation, and application.
The Exhortation to not live for yourself, but for your neighbor takes the bulk of the work. Bucer begins by showing this obligation comes from the way humans were created and that the obligation continues—particularly for the believer. He then goes on to decry men seeking their own advantage, how that fuels injustice, wrapping up by saying the Christian not only shouldn't seek their own advantage but should give up what is rightly due to them in order to promote the well-being of others.
The second chapter focuses on how the believer can carry out their duties—it was helpful and convincing. Almost everything he says here isn't exclusive to this call to self-abnegation, but can be applied to most/all Christian duties. Which makes it more valuable, really.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT INSTRUCTION IN CHRISTIAN LOVE?
It's a short work, so there's not much to say. The second chapter is useful and can even be easily applied to the modern reader (sometimes 16th Century works are harder to relate to in their application).
But the treasure of this book is in the convicting and inspiring first chapter. I really had to be impressed with some of Bucer's arguments and interpretation.
I came across a mention/description of this book in Meador's What Are Christians For?, and I probably should've waited longer between the two—I couldn't appreciate this work for Bucer's genius as Meador's words were still echoing in my ears. If I came to it fresher, I think I'd be more impressed.
But oh, well, it's still a good work—and an easy read (outside of the conviction) that was well worth the time, and in years to come will be a very profitable re-read for me.
---
WHAT'S INSTRUCTION IN CHRISTIAN LOVE ABOUT?
This was written in response to some requests to expand on Bucer's "sketchy lectures," on the topic. In this brief book, he considers two ideas:
...according to the Scripture I exhort every one of you not to live for himself, but for his neighbor. I shall later show how to attain this ideal, for it can be realized in this world and life...
There are two chapters in the work, the exhortation, and application.
The Exhortation to not live for yourself, but for your neighbor takes the bulk of the work. Bucer begins by showing this obligation comes from the way humans were created and that the obligation continues—particularly for the believer. He then goes on to decry men seeking their own advantage, how that fuels injustice, wrapping up by saying the Christian not only shouldn't seek their own advantage but should give up what is rightly due to them in order to promote the well-being of others.
The second chapter focuses on how the believer can carry out their duties—it was helpful and convincing. Almost everything he says here isn't exclusive to this call to self-abnegation, but can be applied to most/all Christian duties. Which makes it more valuable, really.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT INSTRUCTION IN CHRISTIAN LOVE?
It's a short work, so there's not much to say. The second chapter is useful and can even be easily applied to the modern reader (sometimes 16th Century works are harder to relate to in their application).
But the treasure of this book is in the convicting and inspiring first chapter. I really had to be impressed with some of Bucer's arguments and interpretation.
I came across a mention/description of this book in Meador's What Are Christians For?, and I probably should've waited longer between the two—I couldn't appreciate this work for Bucer's genius as Meador's words were still echoing in my ears. If I came to it fresher, I think I'd be more impressed.
But oh, well, it's still a good work—and an easy read (outside of the conviction) that was well worth the time, and in years to come will be a very profitable re-read for me.
July 24, 2023
This was the reformer Martin Bucer's first publication. It's a short, but marvelous, statement of the key Christian truths that God made us to serve Him AND serve others. Through faith in Christ, we are restored to that original purpose, and so Bucer presents a brief outline of a theological economics and public theology (although those terms didn't exist then). These themes continued to mark Bucer's ministry, and are a much needed reminder to the church today.
November 7, 2024
Bucer's basic argument revolves around and is summed up in this. "Namely, each creature, together with its endowments and gifts from God, should serve all others in view of the good of all creatures, to the end that everywhere this praise to God may resound" ( p. 22).
January 3, 2025
This is a fantastic book for anyone that wants to read the Reformers. I would recommend it for anyone who hasn’t read much of their work before. Bucer does a great job of tackling topics in a concise manner that highlights the challenges and hopes of his time.
January 1, 2019
Fantastic.
We Reformed folk today have lost so much our Reformed father’s built.
We Reformed folk today have lost so much our Reformed father’s built.
March 28, 2023
Excellent little book that draws out far reaching implications and applications for the nature of our faith and love.
November 26, 2024
This short treatise on love is not a bad book, but it lacks a main through line. Bucer says a lot of true things just not in a connected way which builds upon a center point. 6/10
June 12, 2022
In reading *What Are Christians For?* (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...), author Jake Meador refers to 16th century Reformer Martin Bucer a few times and especially this booklet, *Instruction in Christian Love*. The booklet has two parts: 1) Everyone should live not for himself but for others and 2)how this can happen.
To put it that way may suggest there's nothing really novel about this book. But what's so helpful is how Bucer so cogently and concisely makes the argument and masterfully weaves Scripture to support his thesis. It's something of a "mic drop" booklet. If only we could grasp the criticality of this lesson, when everything in us seems to scream that we should put ourselves first.
Bucer then turns to how such living can increasingly happen. Essentially, he argues, this happens by marinating in Christ's love for us so that this becomes more and more our identity. "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34
"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Phil. 2:1-4
To put it that way may suggest there's nothing really novel about this book. But what's so helpful is how Bucer so cogently and concisely makes the argument and masterfully weaves Scripture to support his thesis. It's something of a "mic drop" booklet. If only we could grasp the criticality of this lesson, when everything in us seems to scream that we should put ourselves first.
Bucer then turns to how such living can increasingly happen. Essentially, he argues, this happens by marinating in Christ's love for us so that this becomes more and more our identity. "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34
"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Phil. 2:1-4
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July 26, 2020Brief but powerful. Great biblically-saturated treatment of service and sacrifice as central to the Christian life and the harmony of the world in general. Some helpful discussion of the role of the civil magistrate as well.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews