本文集共收录三十一个篇章，分成六个部分。各部分收录了四至六篇路德的重要作品。第一部分(五篇)主题为神学基本问题，路德严格依据《圣经》内容对此前的诸多阐述提出了自己的批判性解读，特别质疑了当时占据统治地位的经院神学。第二部分(五篇)主题为《圣经》教义，收录了路德作为神学教授对《圣经》教义诸典籍的部分讲授内容，以及路德作为重要的《圣经》德语译者所作的几则前言。第三部分(四篇)主题为基督之公义，阐释了上帝之爱，这种爱与罪过之间、与通过信仰而获得赎罪之间的关联。第四部分(五篇)主题为圣礼，路德批判了基督教传统上繁冗的仪式，但肯定了圣洗礼和圣餐礼两种重要圣礼。路德详细论述了圣洗礼和圣餐礼在传播福音方面的重要意义，这是路德对基督教信仰正面的、建设性的阐释。第五部分(六篇)主题为教会改革，针对备受民众欢迎、但受到罗马教宗冷酷镇压的路德宗教改革运动中涌现的大量问题和挑战，这部分收录的文献正是路德对这类问题作出的部分回应。第六部分(六篇)主题为基督徒的生活，围绕人与神的关系，体现了路德对人在此岸世界即现实生活中应该如何生活，同时牢记上帝在规训和福音方面教诲的看法。

马丁·路德，德国神学家，改教家，西方思想史上最重要的思想家之一，与奥古斯丁、阿奎那、加尔文齐名。最主要的著作有《基督徒的自由》《意志的捆绑》《加拉太书注释》《桌边谈话》等。

导读
Introduction: Luther's Challenge to Theology Today
PART I The Task of Theology
1. Disputation Against Scholastic Theology
2. The Ninety-Five Theses
3. Heidelberg Disputation
4. Confession Concerning Christ's Supper—Part III
5. Preface to the Wittenberg Edition of Luther's German Writings
PART II The Power of the Word of God
6. “Concerning the Letter and the Spirit” from Answer to the Hyperchristian, Hyperspiritual, and Hyperlearned Book by Goat Emser in Leipzig (1521)
7. A Brief Instruction on What to Look for and Expect in the Gospels
8. Preface to the New Testament
9. Preface to the Old Testament
10. How Christians Should Regard Moses
PART III The Righteousness of God in Christ
11. Two Kinds of Righteousness
12. A Meditation on Christ's Passion
13. The Bondage of the Will—Introduction, Part VI, and Conclusion
14. Sermon on the Afternoon of Christmas Day
PART IV The Promise of the Sacraments
15. The Blessed Sacrament of the Holy and True Body and Blood of Christ, and the Brotherhoods
16. The Babylonian Captivity of the Church—Part I
17. The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ—Against the Fanatics
18. Concerning Rebaptism
19. Confession Concerning Christ's Supper—from Part I
PART V The Reform of the Church
20. Eight Sermons at Wittenberg
21. Concerning the Order of Public Worship
22. An Order of Mass and Communion for the Church at Wittenberg
23. The Small Catechism
24. The Smalcald Articles
25. On the Councils and the Church—Part III
PART VI Living and Dying as a Christian
26. The Freedom of a Christian
27. A Sermon on the Estate of Marriage
28. A Sermon on Preparing to Die
29. Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed
30. To the Councilmen of all Cities in Germany That They Establish and Maintain Christian Schools
31. Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague
术语汇编与简释