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Postil

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Apostilorpostill(Latin:postilla;German:Postille) was originally a term forBiblecommentaries. It is derived from theLatinpost illa verba textus( "after these words from Scripture" ),[1]referring to biblical readings. The word first occurs in the chronicle (with reference to examples of 1228 and 1238) ofNicolas Trivetus,but later it came to mean onlyhomileticexposition, and thus became synonymous with thehomilyin distinction from the thematic sermon. Finally, after the middle of the fourteenth century, it was applied to an annual cycle of homilies.[2]

Early Lutheran postils

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From the time ofMartin Luther,who published the first part of his postil under the titleEnarrationes epistolarum et evangeliorum quas postillas vocant(Wittenberg, 1521), every annual cycle of sermons on the lessons, whether consisting of homilies or formal sermons, is termed apostil.A few of the most famousLutheranpostils are those of M. Luther (Kirchenpostille,Wittenberg, 1527;Hauspostille,1542, 1549),P. Melanchthon(Evangelien-Postille,Germ., Nuremberg, 1549; Lat., Hanover, 1594),M. Chemnitz(Evangelien-Postille,Magdeburg, 1594),L. Osiander(Bauern-Postille,Tübingen, 1597), andJ. Arndt(Evangelien-Postille,Leipzig, 1616).[2]

Catholic postils

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By 1530 postils were commonly used in Catholic preaching, at least in Germany.[3]The two (in Latin) byThomas Stapletonproved popular.[4]Frymire has tabulated the development from 1520 (Catholic and Lutheran).[5]

Later postils

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The termpostilfell into disuse during the period ofPietismand theEnlightenment,but was revived byClaus Harms(Winter-Postille,Kiel, 1812;Sommer-Postille,1815). It has again become common throughW. Löhe(Evangelien-Postille,Frommel 1848;Epistel-Postille,1858), and M. Stuttgart (Herzpostille,Bremen, 1882, 1890;Hauspostille,1887–88;Pilgerpostille,1890).[2]

Reformed Churches,which disregard a regular series of lessons, have no postils; in theRoman Catholic Churchthe term has been kept, especially throughLeonard Goffiné(Hand-Postill oder christ-catholische Unterrichtungen von allen Sonn- and Feyr-Tagen des gantzen Jahrs(Mainz, 1690; popular, illustrated ed., reissued twenty-one times by H. Herder, Freiburg-im-Breisgau, 1875–1908; Eng. transl., T. Noethen, New York, n.d.).[2]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Adams, Gwenfair Walters; George, Timothy; Manetsch, Scott M. (2019).Romans 1-8.Downers Grove.ISBN978-0-8308-7299-2.OCLC1085625647.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^abcdSchaff, Philip."Postil inNew Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge".Christian Classics Ethereal Library.Retrieved31 December2021.
  3. ^Frymire 2010,p. 253.
  4. ^Frymire 2010,p. 419.
  5. ^Frymire 2010,p. 454.

References

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Attribution