Many Things Not Recorded in Scripture Table Talk No. 319 October, 1532
Moses wrote nothing about the creation of angels, first, because he wrote only about the creation
of visible things, and, second, because he didn’t want to give occasion for speculation. Our Lord God
did well to leave many things unwritten. Besides, we would have belittled what we now have and would have
sought after the things that are higher. page 44.
Luther’s Works vol. 54—Table Talk. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1967
In Luther’s time, it was widely accepted that Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament
(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). He notes that while there was a great deal of information
given in the story of creation, there were also a lot details that weren’t included (such as the creation
of angels)—and this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Then as now, there are people who think the Bible is somehow deficient because it doesn’t necessarily
address every issue and item they think it should, whether it’s about creation or some other subject.
Luther doesn’t find this problematic at all. In fact he sees it as evidence of God’s care for us. In
Holy Scripture, God doesn’t necessarily provide us with what we want but with what we need (a theme
Luther highlighted in an other item on God and prayer). Being fallen and sinful humans we can easily get
distracted from crucial matters by less essential or even insignificant details. Thus while something like
the creation of angels certainly may be a matter of interest for some, it isn’t essential for our salvation,
and so was left out.
Once more Luther calls attention to God’s care for us. We may not get all our questions answered, but
God will provide the necessary answers for our salvation.
