Without Question

For each of my five classes, I get to write a research paper which serves as my final exam. For Readings in Luther, I chose to write about Brother Martin's prefaces to the New Testament and the Psalms and how they relate to the Christian devotional life.
Luther wrote many biblical prefaces, because people in the 16th century were being able to read the Bible in their own language for the first time, and Luther wanted to make sure they knew how to read it. For example, he wanted to make sure when they read the Psalms, they saw that the entire book is not about us, but about Jesus for us.
Today, we have no problem accessing Bibles in our language that we can easily read. There is a plethora of resources out there designed to help us interpret the Scriptures. But which ones can we trust? Which ones will lead us to the truth of God's Word and which ones will lead us astray? This is why solid biblical prefaces are useful to the devotional lives of Christians even today.
By exploring Martin Luther's prefaces to the New Testament and Psalms, we learn what a strong, Christ-centered devotional life may look like. First, it is not isolated, but immersed in the lives of other Christians, being guided by pastoral care. Similarly, it begins with faith, which is created by the Word of Christ. This is without question where the devotional life begins and ends. Next, there is no set formula (or law) for how much a Christian should read from the Bible every day, since this differs depending on the person and the passage, along with being contradictory to the fact that Scripture is a gift, not a chore. It is focused on God's promises rather than self-improvement. It focuses specifically on the portions of Scripture that proclaim the words of Jesus and how he conquered sin, death, and hell.
Next, it includes our response, in which we put the Psalms on our lips, learning from them as we use them to express our praise, sorrow, or thanksgiving to God. It does not include moral stories of the saints, but is rich with the words of the Psalter, making them the focus of the Christian's responsive devotional life.
With my first paper turned in, I have four to go. I'm currently working on my English Reformation paper, about which I will be blogging shortly. Until then, I encourage you to peruse the Psalms, or maybe even Luther's personal favorite books of John and Romans. His high esteem for these books is surely justified.