Who understands Luther today? ... Pieper's answer

In the 1930 issue of Concordia Theological Monthly, volume 1, page 391, is an article by Franz Pieper about those who can understand Luther. After giving a quote by Erasmus about Luther, Pieper goes on to summarize:

Luther is understood only by those who believe by God's grace, as Luther believed, namely that with all that he by nature is, thinks, wills and does, lies under the condemnation of the divine Law and then to believe through the action of the Holy Spirit God's Gospel that says to him all his sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ's vicarious satisfaction or in other words, he is justified. Even if Christians do not experience all this in the high degree that Luther did, they must still go through the same spiritual school as far as the essential parts. They must lose the fiducia sui, the reliance on their own righteousness before God, and overcome the horror of conscience by the reliance on the righteousness acquired by Christ.  And the experience of the effect of the law and the gospel on the heart and conscience runs through the whole Christian life.

Today's lack of understanding of Luther therefore is a testimony to the unbelief of the "modern" world.  Almost all general editors, editors, assistant editors and translators of the English translation of Luther's Works - American Edition published by Concordia Publishing House (CPH), Muhlenberg Press, and Fortress Press lack true understanding of Martin Luther.  General Editor Jaroslav Pelikan for Concordia Publishing House chose to even leave the Lutheran Church.  Beware, beware of those who call themselves Lutheran teachers "but inwardly they are ravening wolves", Matt. 7:15.

But all true Christians understand Luther – some more, some less – for their faith is the same as his.

Back To Luther! 

 and those who brought him to our day: C.F.W. Walther and Franz Pieper!