ST. CATHARINES CONCORDIA - Brock University

Thomas M. Winger: AUGSBURG CONFESSION TV & V 37
third of May 1530, and by 31 May the Nurnberg delegates wcrc able to producc a
nearly complete copy of the Latin text, which they sent home to Niimberg on 3 June.
On 10 June this text was translated into German for their city council, and this
translation is available today, identified in BKS as " ~ a " . ~ ~
Becausc of the rejection OF the Srhwahuch Artklcs, it is not surprising that Na
differs significantly from them.2g Schwabach I-IV arc rearranged in Na 1-111 so that
the soteriological articles follow directly on Christology, rather than on original sin.
Thereupon follows an interesting twist on the order oT Schwaharh V-VII. "Version
Na places statements about the Holy Spirit immediately after the christological article
and considers them as presupposilio~is Sor the bestowal of salvation through Word and
~acrament."~~ The a~.ticlcs procced in this ordcr:
Fourthly, that the Holy Spirit is given through the means of thc
Word and the Sacrament, as Paul says: "Faith comes Trom hearing"
[Rom. 10:17]. Here arc rcjccted thc habaptists and the like, who
despise the Word and Sacraments, and think that the Holy Spirit
is obtaincd through human preparation.
Fifthly, that we may not obtain forgiveness of sin and justification
before God through our own work or satisfaction, but rather we
receive frccly, sheerly for nothing, as we believe that sin is
forgiven us through Clxist and we are taken into grace. For this
reason Christ came into the world, that all who believe on Him
should not perish. Jn 3. Through such faith in the Gospel or
promise of grace we receive the Holy Spirit, as Paul says in Gal.
3, that we receive the promise of the Spirit through I'aith.
Sixthly, that this faith brings good works with it, or that of
necessity nlust do good works, for the reason that God desires to
have thcm, although one does not thereby merit forgiveness of sins
and righteousness before God, but they are given to us frccly, as
we believe that the Father receives us into grace for Clrrist's sake
and we are justificd, just as thc ancient teachers say, such as
Ambrosius, the Epistle to the Corinthians: "This is resolved by
God, that whoever believes in Christ, is saved without works and
freely receives the forgiveness of sins through faith."
By numbering the asticles strictly and rearranging their order, Na loses the neat
28 See Maurer 13-14. Na is prinkcl d~licle by article with Lhe 4C iliBICS, and as 'The Oldest Form of the Augshurg
Confession, May 31, 1530" in Reu "166-"303.
29 Subsequent revisions drew more heavily upon the Schwabrzch Articicv as the evangelicals fuund the amusphere
m m congcninl than expected. Thus the final form of AC shows a return to the Sclzwabuch A~.ticles. See below.
30 Manrer 72. 1 Ic sccs thls as a rcturn to thc Trinitarian format of Lulher's 1528 Confession, thus placing greater
emphasis on Pneurnatology.