For many Christians, the name Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560) is at best dimly recognized, or at worst, entirely unknown. A German Reformer who lived during the early 16th century, Melanchthon has been given such titles as the “forgotten Reformer” (reflecting his relative historical obscurity) and the “quiet Reformer” (a comparative reference to the man he is most frequently linked to, Martin Luther). While in Lutheran circles Melanchthon’s name may be more familiar, outside those circles Melanchthon’s name comes nowhere near the level of familiarity associated with Reformation stalwarts such as Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli.
Melanchthon’s relative obscurity in modern Christian thought is unfortunate. As will be explained here, while temperamentally Melanchthon was certainly more subdued than Luther, this does not warrant the minimization of the significant role he played in the Reformation, or his effect on the advance of the gospel since then.
This article briefly explores Melanchthon as a Renaissance-influenced scholar, as a Reformation-era theologian, and vis-à-vis his more well-recognized counterpart, Luther. As will be shown, far from playing a “second fiddle” role to Luther, Melanchthon was first rate in his giftedness and his contributions toward the advancement of the gospel in Germany and beyond.
Melanchthon the Scholar
From the earliest years of his upbringing in southwest Germany, Melanchthon showed himself to be hungry for and excellent in his pursuit of several different academic fields. Melanchthon rocketed through multiple academic ranks as a very young man.
He began his studies at the University of Heidelberg on October 14, 1509, at the age of twelve. He earned his master’s degree in January 1514, at the age of sixteen, and while still a teenager, he was delivering lectures and addresses while publishing on several different subjects. In fact, by the time he was 21, Melanchthon had already published 30 books! A product of the humanist, Renaissance-era thought of his day, Melanchthon wrote and lectured on many different subjects, including the Bible, theology, logic, ethics, history, politics, grammar, dialectics, and philosophy. His giftedness was not lost on other brilliant academic minds of his day, including Erasmus, who said of the young Melanchthon: “Great God! What expectations the young Philip Melanchthon arouses! He is only a boy, yet he has already achieved eminence in both Greek and Latin! What ability he displays in argument! How pure and elegant his words! What rare learning! How many books he has read! What tenderness and refinement in his extraordinary genius!”[1]
While Melanchthon could and likely would have experienced success in whichever academic field or institution he chose, in God’s perfect timing and providence, he ended up at the newly-formed University of Wittenberg, where he served as a professor of Greek, and where he first met and befriended Martin Luther, who was serving as the University’s professor of theology. It was in Wittenberg that Melanchthon went on to develop a stellar reputation as a premier scholar and instructor in Greek. In fact, one biographer notes that “he did more than anyone (even Erasmus) to spread the knowledge of the Greek language in German schools and universities.”[2] Melanchthon’s academic and scholarly pursuits were not limited to Greek, however. Rather, he would show over the course of the rest of his life a dedication to scholarship in several different fields of the humanities, the sciences, and theology.
Melanchthon the Theologian
Melanchthon was not merely the product, however, of the Renaissance-era humanism that pervaded his world and his pursuit of various academic interests. He also was an instrumental Reformer and theologian in his own right. While today he is most revered and prized by those in the Lutheran tradition, the reality is that Melanchthon’s theological insights and works fanned much further out into Christendom in general. Three of Melanchthon’s key theological contributions are discussed here.
First, Melanchthon wrote the Loci communes (1521), which was a comprehensive and systematic treatment of Lutheran theology, written through the lens of the Book of Romans. Similar to John Calvin, who would later write his Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536) while still in his twenties, Melanchthon wrote his theological tome at a very early stage of his life. Luther gave high praise to Melanchthon’s work, which was the first systematic theology of the Reformation, and some have surmised that it was the thoroughness and excellence of Melanchthon’s writing in the Loci communes which explains why Luther himself never wrote a systematic theology.
Second, Melanchthon was prolific in lecturing on and writing commentaries on books of the Bible. He lectured and wrote commentaries on the following books: Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, John, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Revelation. In addition to his biblical commentaries, Melanchthon wrote widely on Philo, the church fathers, and patristic theology, all while playing a key role in translating the Scriptures into German. Melanchthon’s theological output was practically unrivaled in his day.
Third, Melanchthon was the primary architect of the Augsburg Confession, which became one of the most important documents of the Reformation. In it, Melanchthon articulated certain key normative principles of the faith that all Christians (not just Lutherans) must believe, including the nature of God, sin, Christ, justification by faith, obedience, the church, and preaching. This important document also refuted various theological abuses committed by the Roman Catholic Church, such as the Mass, confession, the priesthood, and the sacraments. Thanks in large part to Melanchthon, several key components of Protestant doctrine were encapsulated in the Augsburg Confession.
Melanchthon the Associate
In many ways, the association that started between Luther and Melanchthon during the latter’s earliest days at the University of Wittenberg is what has defined Melanchthon, historically, ever since. For those who remember his name at all, Melanchthon is often remembered as being in Luther’s shadow, as his sidekick and second-in-command.
There is no doubt that God providentially partnered Luther and Melanchthon together for a purpose. The two men clearly had distinct gifts. As one historian has put it: “The one with courage and conviction called forth great councils for the consideration of pointed issues; the other, with great scholarship and moderation wrote the primary symbol of Protestantism. Neither one could have accomplished what he did without the other.”[3] The two men complemented each other nicely.
There also were unquestionably differing personality traits between the two men. Luther himself highlighted these differences, saying: “I am rough, boisterous, and stormy, born to fight hosts of devils and monsters. My job is to remove stumps and stones, cut away thistles and thorns, clear away wild forests. Then along comes Master Philip, gently and softly, sowing and watering with joy, according to the gifts which God has abundantly granted him.”[4] However, these differences in demeanor should not be misinterpreted to mean that Melanchthon was a mute wallflower or pushover. “It is true that he left the heavy cannon fire to Luther, but his quill could nonetheless be deadly as a blade, cutting and slicing elegantly with word, sentences and arguments. He nearly always gave as good as he got.”[5] Melanchthon could hold his own apologetically and polemically.
Moreover, Melanchthon was not a man who merely parroted whatever Luther said. He was too precise in his own thinking to do so. For instance, Luther was renowned for making broad, visionary statements such as his famed phrase simul justus et peccator (“righteous and at the same time a sinner”). But even though his theology lined up with what Luther was attempting to articulate in that paradox, there are no known instances where Melanchthon explicitly quoted Luther’s formulation. This is likely because, unlike Luther, Melanchthon preferred to be more subtle and nuanced in his expressions of sound doctrine. As a result, Luther and Melanchthon ended up employing their own terminology to express their frequently-aligned theological views.
Over the course of their lengthy association and friendship, theological differences eventually arose between Luther and Melanchthon on certain topics, including the Lord’s Supper and double predestination. But even in such differences, Melanchthon consistently and respectfully viewed Luther as his mentor, and always thought of himself as Luther’s disciple. He never sought to rebel against Luther, but instead sought to help him mature in his theological convictions. Melanchthon thus proved himself to be exemplary not only as a scholar and theologian in his own right, but also as an associate and friend to Martin Luther as the latter played his God-ordained role in the Reformation.
Conclusion
Philip Melanchthon’s life, gifts, writings, and relationships provide a worthy example for modern-day ministers who find themselves “in the shadows” of the ministry of another. One present-day referent is the associate (or assistant or executive) pastor, who typically is linked to the ministry and the vision of the lead pastor with whom he serves, and yet who has his own gifts, his own theological convictions, his own manners of expression and communication, and his own connections and friendships with other co-laborers for the gospel. For such men, the life and ministry of Philip Melanchthon – a man who recognized his role, a man who thrived in his role, and a man who God used powerfully in the progress of the Reformation – is a worthy example to consider and follow.
[1] Nicholas R. Needham, 2000 Years of Christ’s Power, Part Three: Renaissance and Reformation (London: Grace Publications Trust, 2016), 73.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Charles Leander Hill, The Loci Communes of Philip Melanchthon (Boston: Meador Publishing Company, 1944), 15.
[4] Needham, 2000 Years of Christ’s Power, 73.
[5] Timothy J. Wengert and M. Patrick Graham, eds., Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560) and the Commentary (Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997), 20-21.