On February 18, Concordia Publishing House released a new edition of the Magdeburg Confession, translated by the Rev. Dr. Christian Preus, with a historical introduction and commentary by Dr. Ryan MacPherson. Preus serves as chairman of the board of regents for Luther Classical College, where MacPherson serves as academic dean. The Magdeburg Confession of 1550 presents a confessional Lutheran justification for political resistance by lesser magistrates when higher magistrates persist in tyrannical actions.

In contrast to the more radical politics of Calvinist and Anabaptist reformers, the Lutheran Magdeburg Confession articulates clear distinctions among the vocations of civil magistrates, pastors, and fathers of households. The city of Magdeburg stood virtually alone in 1550, when other towns had already fallen to the imperial-papal troops that were commanded by Charles V to eradicate Lutheranism. The resolve of Magdeburg’s pastors to avoid theological compromise, along with their desire to respect legitimate civil authority, prompted them to formulate a clear confession that identified how to live out Peter’s words “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29) amidst tyranny.

As Preus explains, “The Magdeburg Confession is as relevant today as it was when it was written in 1550, teaching that we Christians as citizens are loyal first and foremost to our one Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, for whose sake we obey the laws of the land, so long as we can in doing so worship Christ according to His Word.”

Preus’s is not the first English translation, but it is the first scholarly English edition, complete with footnotes that clarify the underlying Latin and German terminology and that highlight the connections between the Magdeburg Confession and earlier Lutheran writings. “The previous translation was a noble effort to get the text out in English, but a new edition was needed to give a clear and accurate translation and to put the Magdeburg Confession in its Lutheran and historical context,” says Preus.

MacPherson’s historical introduction explains the intriguing connections between local magistrates, imperial ambitions, and the Papacy in the years following Luther’s death. The Magdeburg Confession arose out of a conflict not only between Lutherans and Roman Catholics, but also within the Lutheran church as theologians puzzled over where to draw the line against tyranny. MacPherson’s commentary furthermore illustrates how the Magdeburg Confession resonated with core tenets of the Lutheran faith including the two kingdoms, the three estates, the means of grace, and the doctrine of vocation. Indeed, the Magdeburg Confession is a quintessentially Lutheran document, with a far-reaching legacy that shaped the American Revolution and other instances in which citizens had to discover their proper political and ecclesiastical responsibilities amid tyranny.

Preus rejoices that the Magdeburg Confession, which for centuries was known only to scholars who could read Latin or German, now will be more widely available. “I’m so happy this work will now be available to laymen, scholars, pastors, and libraries!”

First-year students at Luther Classical College will re-discover the teachings of Magdeburg in classes such as Law 100: Principles of Civil Government and Theology 181: Christian Culture. “We are blessed to have an institution ready to herald the truth of God’s Word concerning the proper relationship between church and state and the applications for today,” says President Harold Ristau, “and blessed to have scholars like Pastor Preus and Dr. MacPherson, who can lead us back to the original source documents as crafted by our Lutheran fathers.”