The Relationship of Christ and Faith in Luther’s Great Galatians Commentary (1531/1535), Section 2:16-21

Luther’s language. is not always .easily understandable in his description of how Christ and faith are related so that faith in Christ justifies with the exclusion of works. Luther refers to the present Christ and says, Therefore faith justifies because it takes hold of and possesses this treasure, the present Christ.” Luther says also that Christ is the form of faith, and that Christ and the believer are as one person.” How is this language to be understood? In contrast to some authors who isolated these phrase. and interpret them in a way which goes against their own context, the purpose here is to study the entire section as a whole, and to interpret these phrases according to their own context