Martin
Luther’s
Church
Postil 1544
Summer
Postil
Sermons from Easter till
Pentecost Tuesday
Easter Sunday;
1
Corinthians 5:6-8
EXHORTATION TO WALK
AS CHRISTIANS
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a
little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven,
that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover
is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven,
neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread
of sincerity and truth.
1. When God was about to lead the Israelites out of Egypt,
he commanded, shortly before their departure, that they should eat the Passover
the night they started; and as a perpetual memorial of their redemption, they
were annually, on the recurrence of the season, to celebrate the feast of
Easter for seven days. A specially urgent feature of the command was that on
the first evening of the feast they must put out of their houses all leaven and
leavened bread, and during the seven days eat none but the unleavened bread, or
cakes. Hence the evangelists speak of the feast as the Feast (or Days) of
Unleavened Bread. Mk. 14, 1; Lk. 22, 1.
2. Paul, in this lesson, explains the figure in brief but
beautiful and expressive words. He is prompted to introduce the subject by the
fact that in the preceding verses of this chapter he has been reproving the
Corinthians for their disposition to boast of the Gospel and of Christ while
abusing such liberty unto unchastity and other sins. He admonishes them that,
possessing the Gospel and having become Christians, they ought, as becomes
Christians, to live according to the Gospel, avoiding everything not consistent
with the faith and with Christian character - everything not befitting them as
new creatures.
3. So the apostle uses the figure of the Paschal lamb and
unleavened bread requisite at the Jews' Feast of the Passover, in his effort to
point the Corinthians to the true character and
purpose of the New Testament made with us in the kingdom of Christ. He explains
what is the true Paschal Lamb and what the unleavened
bread, and how to observe the real Passover, wherein all must be new and
spiritual. In the joy and wealth of his mind he presents this analogy to remind
them that they are Christians and to consider what that means. His meaning is:
Being Christians and God's true people, and called
upon to observe a Passover, you must go about it in the right way, putting away
from you all remaining leaven until it shall have been purged out utterly. What
Paul means by ”leaven” is told later in his phrase ”neither with the leaven of
malice and wickedness”; he means whatever is evil and wicked. Everything
foreign to Christianity in both doctrine, or faith, and life, is ”leaven.” From
all this Paul would have Christians purge themselves with the same thoroughness
with which the leaven was to be put away from their Easter according to the law.
And, holding to the figure, he would have us observe our Passover in the use of
the sweet bread, which, in distinction from the leaven, signifies sincerity and
truth, or a nature and life completely new.
4. The text, then, is but an admonition to upright Christian
works, directed to those who have heard the Gospel and learned to know Christ.
This is what Paul figuratively calls partaking of the true
unleavened bread - or wafers or cakes. We Germans have borrowed our word
”cakes' from the phraseology of the Jewish Church, abbreviating ”oblaten,”
wafers, into ”fladen,” or cakes. How else should we gentiles get the idea of
cakes on Easter, when at our Passover we, by faith, eat the Paschal Lamb,
Christ? We are admonished to partake of the true
unleavened bread that life and conduct may accord with faith in Christ, whom we
have learned to know. Paul's admonition begins:
”Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”
5. This by way of introducing the succeeding admonitions.
Leaven is a common figure with the apostle, one he uses frequently, almost
proverbially; employing it, too, in his epistle to the Galatians (ch 5, 9).
Christ, also, gives us a Scripture parable of the leaven. Mt 13, 33. It is the
nature of leaven that a small quantity mixed with a lump of dough will pervade
and fill the whole lump until its own acid nature has been inparted to it. This
Paul makes a figure of spiritual things as regards both doctrine and life.
6. In Galatians 5, 9 he makes it more
especially typify false doctrine. For it is just as true
that the introduction of an error in an article of faith will soon work injury
to the whole and result in the loss of Christ. Thus it was with the Galatians.
The one thing insisted upon by the false apostles was circumcision, though they
fully intended to preach the Gospel of Christ. Such innovation will pursue its
course with destructive sweep until even the uncontaminated part becomes
worthless; the once pure mass is wholly corrupted. The apostle writes to the
Galatians (ch 5, 2): ”Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive
circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.” Again (verse 4), ”Ye are severed
from Christ - ye are fallen away from grace.” But in this text he has reference
more particularly to an erroneous idea concerning life
and conduct. In this instance it is likewise true
that, once the flesh be allowed any license, and liberty be abused, and that
under the name of the Gospel, there is introduced a leaven which will speedily
corrupt faith and conscience, and continue its work until Christ and the Gospel
are lost. Such would have been the fate of the Corinthians had not Paul saved
them from it by this epistle admonishing and urging them to purge out the
leaven of license; for they had begun to practice great wantonness, and had
given rise to sects and factions which tended to
subvert the one Gospel and the one faith.
7. This is, then, wise counsel and serious admonition, that
faithful guard be maintained against the infusion or introduction into doctrine
of what is false, whether it pertains to works or faith. The Word of God, faith
and conscience are very delicate things. The old proverb says: ”Non patitur
jocum fama, fides, oculus;” - Good reputation, faith and the eye - these three
will bear no jest. Just as good wine or precious medicines are corrupted by a
single drop of poison or other impurity, and the purer they are, the more readily defiled and poisoned; so, also, God's Word and
his cause will bear absolutely no alloy. God's truth must be perfectly pure and
clear, or else, it is corrupt and unprofitable. And the worst feature of the
matter is, the sway and intrenchment of evil is so strong that it cannot be
removed; just as leaven, however small the quantity, added to the lump of
dough, soon penetrates and sours the whole lump, while it is impossible to
arrest its influence or once more to sweeten the
dough.
8. The proposal of certain wise minds to mediate, and effect
a compromise, between us and our opponents of the Papacy, is wrong and useless.
They would permit preaching of the Gospel but at the same time retain the
Papistical abuses, advocating that these errors be not all censured and
rejected, because of the weak; and that for the sake of peace and unity we
should somehow moderate and restrict our demands, each party being ready to
yield to the other and patiently bear with it. While in such case no perfect
purity can be claimed to exist, the situation can be made
endurable if discretion is used and trouble is taken to explain. Nay, not so!
For, as you hear, Paul would not mix even a small quantity of leaven with the
pure lump, and God self has urgently forbidden it. The slight alloy would
thoroughly penetrate and corrupt the whole. Where human additions are made to the Gospel doctrine in but a single point, the
injury is done; truth is obscured and souls are led astray. Therefore, such
mixture, such patchwork, in doctrine is not to be tolerated. As Christ teaches
(Mt 9, 16), we must not put new cloth upon an old garment.
9. Nor may we in our works and in our daily life tolerate
the yielding to the wantonness of the flesh and at the same boast the Gospel of
Christ, as did the Corinthians, who stirred up among themselves divisions and
disorder, even to the extent of one marrying his stepmother. In such matters as
these, Paul says, a little leaven leavens and ruins the whole lump - the entire
Christian life. These two things are not consistent with each other: to hold to
the Christian faith and to live after the wantonness of the flesh, in sins and
vices condemned by the conscience. Paul elsewhere warns (I Cor 6, 9-10): ”Be
not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
Again (Gal 5, 19-21): ”The works of the flesh are manifest .
. . of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practice
such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
10. Warrant is given here likewise for censuring and
restraining the rash individuals who assert that men should not be terrified by
the Law, nor surrendered to Satan. No! it is our duty to teach men to purge out
the old leaven; we must tell them they are not Christians, but devoid of the faith, when they yield to the
wantonness of the flesh and wilfully persevere in sin against the warning of
conscience. We should teach that such sins are so much the more
vicious and damnable when practiced under the name of the Gospel, under cover
of Christian liberty; for that is despising and blaspheming the name of Christ
and the Gospel: and therefore such conduct must be positively renounced and
purged out, as irreconcilable with faith and a good conscience.
”Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened.”
11. If we are to be a new, sweet lump, Paul says, we must
purge out the old leaven. For, as stated, a nature renewed by faith and
Christianity will not admit of our living as we did when devoid of faith and in
sin, under the influence of an evil conscience. We cannot consistently be ”a
new lump” and partake of the Passover, and at the same time permit the old
leaven to remain: for if the latter be not purged out, the whole lump will be
leavened and corrupted; our previous sinful nature will again have supremacy
and overthrow the faith, the holiness upon which we have entered and a good
conscience.
12. Paul does not here speak of leaven in general; he commands
to purge out the ”old leaven,” implying there may be good leaven. Doubtless he
is influenced by respect for the words of the Lord Christ where (Mt 13, 33) he
likens the kingdom of heaven also to leaven. In this latter case leaven cannot
be bad in quality; rather, the object in mixing it with the lump is to produce
good, new bread. Reference is to the Word of God, or the preaching of the
Gospel, whereby we are incorporated into the kingdom of Christ, or the
Christian Church. Though the Gospel appears to be mean, is despicable and
objectionable to the world, yet such is its power that wherever introduced it
spreads, finding disciples in whom it works; it transforms them, giving to them
its own properties, even as leaven imparts its powers to the dough and causes
it to rise. But Paul refers here to old, inactive and
worthless leaven. He means teachings, views, or manner of life resulting from
the Old Adam, from flesh and blood, and destructive of the pure, new doctrine,
or a nature renewed by Christianity. Later on he terms it the ”leaven of malice
and wickedness,” and in the verse under consideration bids the Corinthians be a
new, pure lump.
13. Note the apostle's peculiar words. He enjoins purging
out the old leaven, assigning as reason the fact: Ye are a new and unleavened
lump. By a new unleavened lump he means that faith which clings to Christ and
believes in the forgiveness of sin through him; for he immediately speaks of
our Passover: Christ, sacrificed for us. By this faith the Corinthians are now
purified from the old leaven, the leaven of sin and an evil conscience, and
have entered upon the new life; yet they are commanded to purge out the old
leaven.
14. Now, how shall we explain the fact that he bids them
purge out the old leaven that they may be a new lump, when at the same time he
admits them to be unleavened and a new lump? How can these Corinthians be as true, unleavened wafers, or sweet dough, when they have yet
to purge out the old leaven? This is an instance of the Pauline and apostolic
way of speaking concerning Christians and the kingdom of Christ; it shows us
what the condition really is. It is a discipline wherein a new, Christian life
is entered upon through faith in Christ the true
Passover; hence, Easter is celebrated with sweet, unleavened bread. But at the
same time something of the old life remains, which must be swept out, or purged
away. However, this latter is not imputed, because faith and Christ are there,
constantly toiling and striving to thoroughly purge out whatever uncleanness
remains.
15. Through faith we have Christ and his purity perfectly
conferred upon ourselves, and we are thus regarded pure; yet in our own
personal nature we are not immediately made wholly
pure, without sin or weakness. Much of the old leaven still remains, but it
will be forgiven, not be imputed to us, if only we continue in faith and are
occupied with purging out that remaining impurity. This is Christ's thought
when he says to his disciples (Jn 15, 3), ”Already ye are clean because of the
word which I have spoken unto you,” and in the same connection he declares that
the branches in him must be purged that they may bring forth more
fruit. And to Peter - and to others he says (Jn 13, 10), ”He that is bathed
needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean,
but not all.” These passages, as is also stated elsewhere, teach that a
Christian by faith lays hold upon the purity of Christ, for which reason he is
also regarded pure and begins to make progress in purity; for faith brings the
Holy Spirit, who works in man, enabling him to withstand and to subdue sin.
16. They are to be censured according to whose
representations and views a Christian Church is to be advocated which should be
in all respects without infirmity and defect, and who teach that, when
perfection is not in evidence, there is no such thing as the Church of Christ
nor as true Christians. Many erring spirits,
especially strong pretenders to wisdom, and precocious, self-made saints,
immediately become impatient at sight of any weakness in Christians who profess
the Gospel faith; for their own dreams are of a Church without any
imperfections, a thing impossible in this earthly life, even they themselves
not being perfect.
17. Such, we must know, is the nature of Christ's office and
dominion in his Church that though he really does instantaneously, through
faith, confer upon us his purity, and by the Spirit transforms our hearts, yet
the work of transformation and purification is not at once completed. Daily Christ
works in us and purges us, to the end that we grow in purity daily. This work
he carries on in us through the agency of the Word, admonishing, reproving,
correcting and strengthening; as in the case of the Corinthians through the
instrumentality of Paul. Christ also uses crosses and afflictions in effecting
this end. He did not come to toil, to suffer and to die
because he expected to find pure and holy people. Purity and holiness for us he
has acquired in his own person to perfection, inasmuch as he was without sin
and perfectly pure from the moment he became man, and this purity and holiness
he communicates to us in their flawless perfection in so far our faith clings
to him. But to attain personal purity of such perfection requires a daily
effort on the part of Christ, until the time shall have come that he has
wrought in us a flawless perfection like his own. So he has given us his Word
and his Spirit to aid us in purging out the remaining old leaven, and in
holding to our newly-begun purity instead of lapsing from it. We must retain
the faith, the Spirit and Christ; and this, as before said, we cannot do if we give place to the old carnal disposition instead of
resisting it.
18. Note, one thing the text teaches: Even the saints have
weakness, uncleanness and sin yet to be purged out, but it is not imputed unto
them because they are in Christ and occupied in purging out the old leaven.
19. Another thing, it teaches what constitutes the
difference between the saints and the unholy, for both are sinful; it tells the
nature of sins despite the presence of which saints and believers are holy,
retaining grace and the Holy Spirit, and also what sins are inconsistent with
faith and grace.
20. The sins remaining in saints after conversion are
various evil inclinations, lusts and desires natural to man and contrary to the
Law of God. The saints, as well as others, are conscious of these sins, but
with this difference: they do not permit themselves to be overcome thereby so
as to obey the sins, allowing them free course; they do not yield to, but
resist, such sins, and, as Paul expresses it here, incessantly purge themselves
therefrom. The sins of the saints, according to him, are the very ones which
they purge out. Those who obey their lusts, however, do not do this, but give rein to the flesh, and sin against the protest of their
own consciences. They who resist their sinful lusts retain faith and a good
conscience, a thing impossible with those who fail to resist sin and thus
violate their conscience and overthrow their faith. If you persist in that
which is evil regardless of the voice of conscience, you cannot say, nor
believe, that you have God's favor. So then, the Christian necessarily must not
yield to sinful lusts.
21. The Holy Spirit is given for the very purpose of
opposing sin and preventing its reign. Paul says (Gal 5, 17): ”For the flesh
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh
. . . that ye may not do the things that ye would.”
And again (Rom 8, 13): ”If by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body,
ye shall live.” Also (Rom 6, 12): ”Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:'
”For our passover also hath been sacrificed, even Christ.”
[”For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”]
22. Here Paul assigns his reason for the statement just made - ”Ye are unleavened.” They are a new, unleavened or
sweet lump, not because of any merit on their part, not because of their own
holiness or worthiness, but because they have faith in Christ as the Passover
sacrificed for them. This sacrifice makes them pure and holy before God. They
are no more the old leaven they were when out of Christ. By this sacrifice they
are reconciled with God and purified from sin.
23. Likewise for us God institutes a new ordinance, a new
festival. The old has given place to something wholly new. A different and
better Passover sacrifice succeeds that of the Jews. The Jews had annually to
partake of their offered sacrifice, but they were not thereby made holy nor pure from sin. Theirs was a sign or earnest of
the true Passover to come, the Passover promised by
God, in the shed blood of which we are washed from sin and wholly healed - a
Passover the partaking whereof we must enjoy by faith. We have now one perpetual
and eternal Easter festival, wherein faith is nourished, satisfied and
gladdened; in other words, we receive remission of sins and comfort and
strength through this our Passover, Christ.
24. The meaning of the phrase ”sacrificed for us” has been explained
in the sermon on the Passion of Christ. Two thoughts are there presented:
First, necessity of considering the greatness and terror of the wrath of God
against sin in that it could be appeased and a ransom effected in no other way
than through the one sacrifice of the Son of God. Only his death and the
shedding of his blood could make satisfaction. And we must consider also that
we by our sinfulness had incurred that wrath of God and therefore were
responsible for the offering of the Son of God upon the cross and the shedding
of his blood. Well may we be terrified because of our sins, for God's wrath
cannot be trivial when we are told no sacrifice save alone the Son of God can
brave such wrath and avail for sin. Do you imagine yourself able to endure that
wrath of God, or to withstand it if you will not consider this and accept it?
25. The second thought presented in the sermon mentioned is,
the necessity of recognizing the inexpressible love and grace of God toward us.
Only so can the terrified heart of man regain comfort. It must be made aware why God spared not his own Son but offered him a
sacrifice upon the cross, delivered him to death; namely, that his wrath might
be lifted from us once more. What greater love and blessing could be shown? The
sacrifice of Christ is presented to us to give us sure
comfort against the terrors of sin. For we may perceive and be confident that
we shall not be lost because of our sins when God makes such a sacrifice the
precious pledge to us of his favor and promised salvation. Therefore, though
your sins are great and deserve the awful wrath of God, yet the sacrifice
represented by the death of the Son of God is infinitely greater. And in this
sacrifice God grants you a sure token of his grace and the forgiveness of your
sins. But that forgiveness must be apprehended by the faith which holds fast
the declaration, ”Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” By this promise
must faith be comforted and strengthened.
”Wherefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
26. Having, then, a Paschal Lamb and a true Easter, let us
rightly value them. Let us observe the festival with the gladness it ought to
inspire. Let us no longer eat the old leaven, but true
wafers and paschal cakes. Where the Paschal Lamb is, there must be the
unleavened bread. The former is Christ sacrificed for us. To this sacrifice we
can add nothing; we can only receive and enjoy it by faith, recognizing it as a
gift to us. However, possessing the Paschal Lamb, it is incumbent upon us to
partake also of the sweet festal bread; in other words, while embracing the
faith of the Passover, we are to maintain the true
doctrine of the Gospel, illustrating it by the godly example of our own lives.
We should live an eternal Easter life, as it were, to carry out Paul's analogy,
a life wherein we, as justified, sanctified and purified people, continue in
peace and the joy of the Holy Spirit, so long as we remain on earth.
27. In this verse, as in the preceding one, Paul contrasts
the leaven and the unleavened bread. He makes leaven a general term for
everything which proceeds from flesh and blood and an unrenewed sinful nature,
but classifies it under two heads - the leaven of malice and the leaven of
wickedness. By ”malice” we understand the various open vices and sins which
represent manifest wrong to God and our neighbor. ”Wickedness” stands for those
numerous evil tricks, those nimble, subtle, venomous artifices practiced upon
Christian doctrine and the Word of God with intent to corrupt and pervert them,
to mislead hearts from the true meaning thereof. Paul
warns (2 Cor 11, 3): ”But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled
Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and
the purity that is toward Christ.” Under ”wickedness” comes also such evils as
hypocrisy and other false, deceptive dealing practiced in the name of God by
way of adorning and covering the sin, false teaching and deceptive action
passed off as right, proper and Christian. Such wickedness Christ terms ”the
leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mk 8, 15. This sort of
leaven, particularly, we have in the world to an unspeakable extent in this last
and worst of times.
28. To the leaven of malice and of wickedness, Paul opposes
the leaven of sincerity and truth. To be sincere is to live and act in an
upright Christian way, prompted by a faithful, godly heart, a heart kindly
disposed to all and meditating wrong and injury to none; and to deal as you
would be dealt with. To be true is to refrain from
false and crafty dealing, from deceit and roguery, and to teach and live in
probity and righteousness according to the pure Word of God. Truth and sincerity
must prevail and be in evidence with Christians, who have entered upon a
relation and life altogether new; they should celebrate the new Easter festival
by bringing faith and doctrine and life into accord with it.
Sermon for Easter Sunday;
MARK 16:1-8.
This sermon appeared under the title: “A beautiful Easter
sermon delivered in the presence of the Elector of Saxony. Dr. Martin Luther,
Wittenberg, 1538.
Contents:
The resurrection of Christ.
MARK 16:1-8
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene,
and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they
might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the
week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said
among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the
sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for
it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were
affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of
Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place
where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he
goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. And
they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were
amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
I. THE STORY OF
CHRIST’S RESURRECTION
1. This Gospel lesson is part of the general account and the
first announcement of the resurrection of Christ, which was made
by the angel to the women who went early to the tomb to anoint the dead body of
the Lord, before Christ showed himself to them and talked with them; inasmuch
as he wanted to reveal his resurrection through the Word, even before they
should see him and experience the power of his resurrection.
2. And as we said there are two ways of considering Christ’s
passion and death and the other doctrines of Christ, so there are also two
things concerning the Lord’s resurrection that we ought to know and understand.
First, the history which relates the events as they occurred, together with the
different circumstances and how he revealed himself alive in various
manifestations; so that we might have a sure record and testimony of everything
as a foundation and support of our faith, inasmuch as this article of faith on
the resurrection is the chief one upon which our salvation is finally based,
and without which all others would be useless and altogether fruitless. Now,
what a person ought to know about the historical events, namely in what order
these two events, the appearance of the angel — which is reported in part in
this Gospel — and the manifestation of the Lord occurred, that should be
discussed in connection with the full account, compiled and arranged in order
from all the Evangelists; therefore, we will treat the part mentioned in this
Gospel in connection with that account.
II. THE BENEFIT AND
COMFORT OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION
3. The second point, that is more
important and necessary, and on account of which the narrative has been
recorded and is preached, is the power, benefit and comfort of the joyous
resurrection of the Lord; and the use we are to make of the same faith.
Concerning this Paul and all the apostles and the entire Scriptures teach and
preach gloriously and richly; but most gloriously of all did Christ the Lord
himself preach, when he manifested himself first of all to the women.
Therefore, in order that we too may hear and gather something useful from it,
let us consider the words Christ spoke unto Mary Magdalene, as recorded in the
Gospel according to John
“Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father; but go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.”
4. This is the first sermon our Lord delivered after his
resurrection and, without doubt, also the most comforting; although in words
very brief, but exceedingly kind and tender, and spoken first of all to his
beloved Mary Magdalene, and through her also to his disciples after their deep
woe, grief and sorrow, caused by his departure and death, that he might comfort
and gladden them by his resurrection. And since this Mary is far more deeply and tenderly concerned about the Lord than the
others, and is first at the grave to anoint the body of Christ with costly
spices; and especially because, when she fails to find him, she is frightened
and bewildered, deeply troubled and in tears, supposing him to have been taken
away; therefore, he permits her to enjoy this evidence of his love, in that he
appears first of all to her, comforting her in her fears, and preaching this
beautiful sermon, which we will now consider.
5. In the first place, when Jesus manifests himself to her
not far from the tomb, before he speaks to her, she mistakes him for the
gardener; but when he calls her by name and says “Mary,” she immediately
recognizes the voice, and at once turns with that name upon her lips by which
she as well as the other disciples had been accustomed to address him in their
language, namely “Rabboni,” that is: O dear Master, or dear Lord, for they
would say Master, whereas we generally say, My Lord, and immediately, as she
was accustomed to do, she falls at his feet to touch him. But he restrains her
and says: “Touch me not,” as though he meant to say: I know indeed that thou
lovest me, but thou canst not yet rightly look upon nor touch me, as thou
shouldest look upon and touch me. For her joy is no higher or greater than the
mere bodily, fleshly pleasure of having her Lord alive again as she had him
before; clinging thus only to the fact of his return, and thinking that he will
again be with them as he had been before, to eat and drink with them, to preach
and do miracles; intending therefore, by her service and by touching his feet,
to show him that love she had shown him before, when she anointed him both in
life and in death.
6. He does not permit himself to be touched in this manner
now, however, because he wants her to stand still and listen, and learn what as
yet she knows not; namely, that he refuses to be touched and anointed or to be
served and waited upon, as she had done heretofore; but he says ‘ I will tell
thee something different and new’ I am not risen in order to walk and remain
with you bodily and temporally, but that I may ascend to my Father; hence I do
not need or desire such service and attention, nor will it do to look upon me
as you look upon Lazarus and others, still living in the body. For it is not
here that I intend to dwell and abide; but I would have you believe that I go
to the Father, where I will rule and reign with him eternally, and whither I
will also bring you out of your death and sorrow. There you shall have me
visibly and tangibly with you indeed, and you shall rejoice forever in eternal
communion with me and the Father. Therefore, he wishes to say: Refrain
henceforth from all such bodily service and reverence, and go rather and become
a messenger, and proclaim what I tell thee unto my dear brethren, that I will
no more be and abide here in bodily form, but that I
have left this mortal state to enter upon a different existence, where ye may
no more handle and touch me, but shall know and possess me only in faith.
7. Here he uses language entirely new, when he says: “Go and
tell my brethren,” taken from Psalm
8. And, indeed, this is said in a manner that is lovely and
sweet beyond all measure, so that whoever desires to believe, has reason enough
to believe, all his life and as long as the world endures, that these things
are true indeed; even as the dear apostles themselves
had found in them encouragement enough, and more than enough, to believe. For
the comfort is too great and the joy too glorious, and the heart of man too
small and narrow to have attained it.
9. The Apostles crouched behind barred doors, not only
discouraged and cowed, as sheep that are scattered without a shepherd, but also
troubled in conscience. Peter had denied and renounced his Lord with an oath,
and cursed himself; and the others had all fled and proved themselves to be
disloyal. That was indeed a fall so deep and terrible that they might well
think they would never be forgiven for denying the Son of God, and so
shamefully forsaking their dear Lord and faithful Savior. How could it have ever
entered their hearts that Christ would send such an affectionate greeting and
such a kind good-morning to them who had been so disloyal and denied him, and
would not only forgive everything, but also call them
his dear brethren? Or who can believe and grasp it today? I myself would like
to believe it at times, but I cannot get it into my
heart so completely that I dare rely upon it wholly, and dare count it to be
really true. Yea, if we only could, we would be in heavenly bliss already in
this life, and would fear neither death, nor the devil, nor the world, but our
hearts would constantly bound for joy, and sing to God an eternal Te Deum
Laudamus, i.e. We praise thee, O God.
10. But alas, this is not the case upon earth; our miserable
beggar’s bag, this old hide of ours, is too cramped. Therefore, the Holy Spirit
must come to our rescue, not only to preach the Word to us, but also to enlarge
and impel us from within, yea, even to employ the devil, the world and all
kinds of afflictions and persecutions to this end. Just as a pig’s bladder must
be rubbed with salt and thoroughly worked to distend it, so this old hide of
ours must be well salted and plagued until we call for help and cry aloud, and
so stretch and expand ourselves, both through internal and through external
suffering, that we may finally succeed and attain this heart and cheer, joy and
consolation, from Christ’s resurrection.
11. For, let us consider for a moment what manner of words these
are, which Christ here uses; and let us not pass lightly over them, as has been
done heretofore, and is still done in all popedom, where we have read, heard
and sung them until we are weary; and nevertheless we have passed over them, as
a cow walks by a sanctuary; so that it is a sin and a shame to have heard and
known such words, and still to let them lie, cold and dead, outside of the
heart, as if they were spoken and written altogether for naught; and that even
Christians themselves, though they do not despise them as others do but use
them daily, neither appreciate them as highly nor believe them as firmly as
they would like to do.
12. For consider, I say, what these words contain and offer:
Go my dear sister, for thus he would undoubtedly address these women, since he
appeared unto them first, and tell the denying and disloyal disciples that they
are called, and shall be, my dear brethren. Isaiah not this, in a word,
including and placing us with Christ into the complete tenure and inheritance of
heaven and of everything Christ has? Rich and blessed indeed must be the
brethren and sisters who can boast of this Brother, not hanging now upon the
cross, nor lying in the grave under the power of death, but a mighty Lord over
sin, death, hell and the devil.
13. But how have these poor, frightened and discouraged
disciples come to such honor and grace, and wherein have they deserved such
brotherhood? Was it by Peter’s shameful denial of Christ, and by the disloyalty
of all the others to him? And how have I and others deserved it to apply this
also to ourselves? I, who have read the idolatrous mass for fifteen years
blaspheming God and helping daily to crucify Christ afresh? Fine merit this,
forsooth, riding to hell in the devil’s service and looking to other
brotherhoods, — those of the devil and his clique, bearing the names of dead
saints, St. Anthony, St. Francis, St. Sebastian, St. Christopher, St. George,
St. Ann, St. Barbara, concerning some of whom it is not known whether they were
saintly, yea, whether they ever lived at all. Fie! what a sin and shame for us,
who are called Christians, to have had this brotherhood of Christ the Lord, so
graciously offered us, and then to despise and reject it, and fall into such
deep blindness as to have ourselves inscribed in the rascally brotherhood of
the shameful monks and of the whole herd of the pope, and to preach about and
praise this as though it were a precious thing indeed! But that is what the
world deserves. Why did we not appreciate the Word of God that was written,
painted, played, sung and rung before our eyes and ears? And even now, that the
Word of God itself points this out, and rebukes us, we cease not to blaspheme
and to persecute; whereas we ought to thank and praise God for having so
graciously delivered us, without, and contrary to, any merit of our own from
such blindness and blasphemy, and for having vouchsafed unto us grace to
recognize it.
14. Now let him who can believe it. For whether we believe
it or not, it is the truth none the less. This brotherhood is founded among us,
and is not such a brotherhood as our loose Kaland, and the brotherhood of the
monks, but it is that of Christ, wherein God is our Father and his own Son our
brother, and where such inheritance is bestowed upon us as assures not merely a
hundred thousand dollars, one or more kingdoms, but in
which we are redeemed from the fellowship of the devil, from sin and death, and
obtain the inheritance and possession of eternal life and eternal
righteousness; and though we were once in sin, worthy of death and eternal
damnation, and are so even now, we should know that this brotherhood is
greater, mightier, stronger and superior to. the devil, sin and all things. We
are not fallen so deeply’, and things are not so bad and ruined that this
brotherhood cannot arrange and fully restore everything again, inasmuch as it
is eternal, infinite and inexhaustible.
15. For who is he that has instituted this brotherhood? The
only Son of God and almighty Lord of all creatures, so that on his own account
he did not need to endure suffering or death. But I have done all this, he
tells us, for your sake, as your dear Brother, who could not bear to see, that
you, eternally separated from God by the devil, sin and death, should so
miserably perish; hence I stepped into your place and took your misery upon
myself, gave my body and life for you that you might be delivered; and I have
risen again to proclaim and impart this deliverance and victory to you, and
receive you into my brotherhood, that you might possess and enjoy with me all
that I have and hold.
16. Thus you see, it is not enough for Christ that the
historical fact has occurred, and that as far as he is concerned everything is
accomplished; he infuses it into us and creates a brotherhood from it, so that
it may become the common possession and inheritance of us all; he does not
place it in praedicamento absoluto, but relationis, namely, he has done this,
not for himself personally nor for his own sake, but as our Brother and alone
for our good. And he does not want to be considered and known otherwise than as
being ours with all these blessings, and that we, on the other hand, are his;
and that we are therefore so closely united that we could not be more intimately related, having a common Father, enjoying an
equal, common and undivided estate, and authorized to use all his power, honor
and estate, to boast of it, and to comfort ourselves with it, as though it were
our own.
17. Who can fully, comprehend this? and what heart can
sufficiently believe that the Lord is so completely ours? For, indeed, it is a
thing too great and unspeakable, that we poor, miserable children of Adam, born
and grown old in sin, are to be the real brethren of supreme Majesty,
joint-heirs and joint-rulers in eternal life; as St. Paul so gloriously
declares, Romans
18. Hence, let him who can learn rightly to begin to pray
the Lord’s Prayer; and to know what it signifies for me to call God my Father,
and for me most truly and fully to regard and consider myself his dear child
and the brother of Christ the Lord, who has shared with me everything that he
has and placed me in possession of his eternal treasures. Here examine and ask
your own heart, whether without doubt and wavering you can thus say from the
bottom of your heart: “Our Father;” whether you are firmly grounded upon and
can be assured before God: I consider myself thy dear child, and thee my dear
Father, not because I have merited it, or could ever merit it, but because my
dear Lord wants to be my Brother, and of his own accord has proclaimed it and
invited me to regard him as my Brother, and has said that he would also regard
me as such. Only begin this, I say, and see how you will succeed in the task;
and you will soon discover what an unbelieving knave is hidden in your bosom,
and that your heart is too dull to believe it. O, I am such a poor sinner,
nature exclaims, how dare I exalt myself so highly, seat myself in heaven and
boast that Christ is mine,
and I am his brother! For this greatness and glory is so exceedingly high,
beyond all human sense, heart and thought, that we cannot comprehend it; even
as Paul himself also confesses in Philippians
19. But, what shall we do? We must indeed say, and it is true, that we are poor sinners, and with St. Peter, we have
denied our Lord (I especially above others). But what shall we do about it? It
is enough and more than enough that which I did
against him in falling away from him and making myself a knave. Should I, in
addition, make him a liar and a knave, and deny this comforting proclamation, and
blaspheme? God forbid!
20. Yea, says the devil, through my flesh thou art not
worthy of this. Alas, it is true; but if I would not
believe and accept it, I would have to, make my Lord a liar, and declare that
it is not true when he tells me that he is my Brother. God forbid that I should
do this, for that would be rejecting my God and all my salvation and eternal
blessedness, and to trample it under foot.
21. This, therefore, will I say: I know very well that I am
an unworthy being, worthy to be the brother of the devil, not of Christ and his
saints; but now Christ has said that I, for whom he died and rose again, as
well as for St. Peter, who like myself was a sinner, am his brother; and he
earnestly would have me to believe him, without doubt and wavering, and would
not have me consider that I am unworthy and full of sin, because he himself
will not so consider nor remember it, as indeed he well might do, having
abundant cause to repay his followers and visit upon them what they committed
against him. But it is all forgotten and blotted out of his heart; yea, he has
slain, covered and buried it; and he knows nothing to say of them now but that
which is kind and good, and he greets them and addresses them affectionately as
his faithful, dearest friends and pious children, as though they had not done
any wrong, nor grieved him, but had done only good to him; so that their hearts
may not be uneasy or worried with the thought that he would remember it and
charge it against or visit it upon them. Since then he does not want it
remembered, but wants it slain and buried, why ,should
not I leave it at that, and thank, praise and love my dear Lord with my whole
heart, for being so gracious and merciful? Even though I am laden with sin, why
should I go on and brand as a falsehood this gracious Word, which I hear
himself speak; and willfully reject the proffered brotherhood? If I do not
believe it, I will not receive its benefits; but that neither renders it false
nor proves that anything is lacking in Christ.
22. If anyone now desires to load himself down with new
sins, and does not want forgotten what he has forgotten, let him then so sin
that it never will be forgotten, and he never can be helped; as we read in the
Epistle to the Hebrews, Hebrews 4:4-6, and Hebrews
23. Therefore, though your own unworthiness rebukes you,
when you engage in prayer, and though you think: Alas, my sins are too many,
and I am afraid that I cannot be Christ’s brother, strike out about you and
defend yourself as best you can, that such thoughts may find no room in your
mind. For here you are in great danger of committing the sin against the Holy
Ghost. With all confidence and boldness reply to such thoughts of the devil: I
know very well what I am, and you need not tell nor teach me, for it is not
your business to judge this case; therefore, away, thou lying spirit! I will
not and must not listen to thee. Here is my Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only Son,
who died for me and rose again from the dead; he tells me that all my sins are
forgotten, and that he will be my Brother, and that I likewise am to be his
brother; and it is his will that I should believe this from my heart without
wavering.
24. A knave and a villain, yea, a brother of the wretched
devil himself must he be who would not accept this. Though I be not worthy of
it, yet am I in great need of it; and even if that were not so, God at least is
worthy that I should honor him and judge him to be the true
God. But should I not believe, I would, in addition to all other sins, in this
worst possible way heap dishonor upon him in violation of the first commandment,
in making him a liar and a vain God. What greater wickedness and blasphemy has
any man ever heard or proclaimed? Much rather do thus: When you feel that it is
too hard for you to believe, fall down upon your knees and complain to God of
your inability; and say with the apostles: “O, Lord, increase our faith.” Luke
25. See, in this way you will yourself experience what a
great conflict it requires to believe God’s Word and to pray the Lord’s Prayer
aright; not as though this Word in itself were not sure, steadfast and strong enough,
but that we are so weak, yea, so much like wretched, unstable mercury that we
cannot hold fast that which is well worthy of being held with hands and hearts
of steel and adamant.
26. Formerly, when we were led astray and cheated with lies
and false worship, we could hold fast and comfort ourselves with firm, though
false, faith in all the saints and the brotherhoods of the monks; and joyfully
said: Help, dear lord St. George, or St. Anthony, and St. Francis, and let me
enjoy the benefit of thy intercessions! There was no doubting or opposition
then; this occupation was agreeable to us, and we had fists and strength of
iron to believe. But here where Christ, the Truth itself, offers us his
fellowship, even invites and urges us in the most affectionate manner, saying:
Beloved, receive me as your Brother, he cannot succeed in leading us to believe
and accept it. So mightily do the flesh and the devil resist and oppose it.
27. Therefore, I say, it is best for each one, when he goes
into his closet and begins to pray, to make an effort to understand what he is
saying, and properly to weigh two words, “Our Father.” For example: My friend,
what are you praying? How does your heart respond? Do you truly regard God as
your Father, and yourself as his dear child? No, indeed, says the heart, I do
not know; how can I presume to ascribe a thing so great and glorious to myself?
Then why do you not refrain from prayer, when with your lips you call God your
Father, while your heart gives the lie to yourself and to him as he has
revealed himself in his Word? Rather, confess your weakness and say: I indeed
call thee my Father, and ought to call thee so, according to thy Word and
command; but I am afraid that my heart is lying like a knave. And the worst of
it is, not that I myself alone am lying; but that I accuse thee also of
falsehood. Help me, dear Lord and Father, that I may not make thee a liar; for
I can not become a liar myself without first having made
thee one.
28. Therefore, though I realize and experience, alas, that I
cannot say “Our Father” with my whole heart, as indeed no man on earth fully
can, else we would already be in heavenly blessedness, yet will I make an
attempt and begin, as a little child begins to nurse at its mother’s breast. If
I cannot believe it fully, yet will not I count it a falsehood, nor say, nay.
Though I cannot play the game as is proper, I will beware lest I play in
opposition as the monks and the despairing hearts do, who fail to regard Christ
as their Brother, but as an enemy and a taskmaster; for that would be turning
him into the very devil. But I would daily spell at the letters, until I am
able to repeat “Our Father” and this Sermon of Christ as well or as poorly as I
may. God grant that though I stammer and stutter or lisp, I may to some degree
at least accomplish it.
29. For, as already stated, this is the sin of all sins,
that when God is gracious and wants all our sins forgiven, man by his unbelief
rejects God’s truth and grace, and casts it away from him, and will not let the
death and resurrection of Christ the Lord avail. For, indeed, I cannot say that
this brotherhood, which brings us forgiveness of sins and every blessing, is my
work and doings, or that of any man, or that anybody labored or sought for it.
For this resurrection occurred and was accomplished before any man knew aught
about it; and that it is proclaimed and preached to us is likewise not done
through the word of man but by that of God; wherefore it cannot fail or lie.
Since then it is solely the truth and work of God, it behooves us, under
penalty of God’s extreme wrath and displeasure, to accept it as coming from
God, and to hold it fast by faith, so that we may not fall into the sin that is
unpardonable.
30. For whatever other sins there are, contrary to God’s
command and Law, which consist of all that we are to do and that God demands of
us, these are all covered by forgiveness, since we are never entirely free from
them during our whole life; and if God were to reckon with us according to our
life and conduct, we could never be saved. But he who will not believe the Word
of Christ nor accept his work, sins a hundred thousand times more;
for he strives against grace, and robs himself of forgiveness. For it is grace
that saith: The law shall not hurt nor condemn thee, although thou hast sinned
against it exceedingly, but these sins shall all be forgiven and taken away by
Christ; since that is why he (lied for thee and rose again,
and now presents all this to thee, through this proclamation of his brotherhood.
Now if you will not believe nor accept this, but stubbornly set your head
against it, and say: I want no grace, what will then help you? Or what will you
seek further, to obtain forgiveness and be saved? Yea, I will be a Carthusian
friar, go barefooted to Rome and buy an indulgence, etc. Very well, go ahead as
you will, not in God’s, but in the wretched devil’s name; for by this you have
denied not only grace, but also the law, and are fallen from God completely,
inasmuch as you seek such works and holiness as are not commanded by God, yea,
are even forbidden.
31. Should not God be angry and punish us for daily
babbling, singing and reading the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed without
understanding, faith and heart, and for thinking nothing not only of Christ,
but also of God’s Law; boasting instead and bringing before God only our own
efforts and false spirituality, over and above and opposed to his grace and
command, expecting thereby to reconcile him and earn heaven from him? This is
what we deserve for despising God’s Word and this glorious, comforting
proclamation of Christ; to. be shamefully blinded and cheated by the devil, and
punished and plagued by the pope; as though God thereby said: Very well, if you
will not have my Son as your Brother, and me for your dear Father, then take
the pope with his monks, who point you away from the Gospel, the Creed and the
Ten Commandments, to their shabby, stinking cowls and the devil’s brotherhood.
32. For since they did not want Christ to be and remain our
Brother without our merit and worthiness, and to bring us God’s grace and
forgiveness of sin; what is this but really and actually denying faith in God
and his Son, as St. Paul says, Titus
33. But now, inasmuch as they cling to their monkery, and
seek God’s grace by their own merits, desiring thereby to get rid of and atone
for their sins, they bear witness against themselves that they do not believe
what they say with their lips: I believe in Jesus Christ who died for me and
rose again, etc.; but they believe, on the contrary, in the cowl and cord of
the barefooted monks, in St. Ann, St. Anthony, and in the devil (pardon me), in
his rump. Because it is impossible for one who knows Christ in this brotherhood
to be engaged in such follies as are taught and observed no.t only without
faith and contrary to it, but also contrary to the commandments, and which are
real diabolical sins, the sins of all sins.
34. Therefore, in opposition to all this, a Christian ought
to acquire the custom of praying the Lord’s Prayer, firmly crossing himself and
saying in thought: Keep me, dear Lord, from the sin against the Holy Ghost,
that I may no.t fall from faith and thy Word, and may not become a Turk, a Jew
or a monk and a papal saint, who believe and live contrary to this brotherhood;
but that I may hold fast to a little fringe of the garment of this brotherhood.
Let it be sufficient that we have believed and lived contrary to it so long;
now it is time to pray God to make this faith sure and steadfast in us. For if
we have this faith, then are we healed and delivered from sin, death and hell,
and are able to try all other spirits, to discern and reject all error,
deception, and false faith, and to pronounce the sentence: He who dons the cowl
and shaves his head in order to become holy, or joins the brotherhood of monks,
is a mad, senseless fool, yea, a blind, miserable, unhappy and despairing
creature; he who tortures himself with much fasting and castigation, like the
Carthusian friars or Turkish saints, is already separated from God and Christ
and condemned to hell. For all this is nothing but blasphemy and contradiction
of the blessed heavenly brotherhood of Christ. They may indeed pray and read a
great deal about it, as Isaiah 29:13 says: “This people draweth nigh to me with
their lips,” cometh before my face in the churches: with singing and ringing,
“but their hearts are far from me.” What pleasure, think you, can he have in
such saints, who outwardly act as though they were real children of God,
reading and singing the Gospel, employing the most beautiful words and
celebrating a glorious Easter festival in processions, with banners and
candles, and yet, do not try to understand or believe it, but rather oppose it
by their doctrine and life?
35. For if they understood and believed it, they would not
cling to their mockery and vanities, but would forthwith trample their cowls
and cords under foot, and say: Fie upon this shameful brotherhood! To the
wretched devil with it, for opposing the brotherhood taught me by the Creed and
the Lord’s Prayer! For it is not worthy of notice or attention. Thus Paul in
Philippians 3:5, pronounces judgment upon his own holy life in Judaism: I was,
says he, a pious, blameless man, not only in my own vain estimation, but
according to the law of Moses; but when I learned to know Christ, I counted all
my righteousness under the law loss, yea, not only loss, but I counted it
refuse and filth. I indeed thought I was a great saint, that I had kept the law
strictly and with all diligence, and counted this my highest treasure and
greatest gain; but when I heard of this brotherhood and inheritance of the Lord
Jesus Christ, O how my pride and the boast of my own righteousness left me so
completely that I now shudder at it, and do not even want to think of it.
36. See, he extols the righteousness this brotherhood brings
us in such a way that he belittles and thoroughly despises the life and the
holiness of all men even when it is at its best according to the law of God,
which law must indeed be kept, and than which there is verily nothing more praiseworthy and better on earth. And yet, because it
still is our own effort and life, it cannot and shall not have the honor and
glory of making us God’s children, and of acquiring the forgiveness of sins and
eternal life; but this is effected when you hear the word of Christ, saying:
Good-morning, my dear brother; in me thy sin and death are overcome, for all I
have done, I have done for thee, etc.
37. This is the ground of St. Paul’s defiance of sin and
death: “O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” 1
Corinthians
38. This indeed is glorious and great boldness, possible,
however, for such faith alone as that of St. Paul; yet which, as he himself
laments, was not as strong as he desired it to be; still, he certainly had it,
and was able to maintain it against the wrath and power of the devil. That we
are not able to do likewise and are still so fearful and terrified at death and
hell, is an evidence that we still have too little faith. Therefore we have the
more reason to impel us to call upon God and pray and
also to ask the supplications of our brethren to that end, and daily to work
the Word into our hearts, until we too, in some degree, obtain this assurance.
39. Let our adversaries laugh us to scorn and derisively say
that we know how to teach nothing but faith, and let them cry that we must rise far higher and do far more. But if we only had faith
enough, we would soon attend to everything else. For the chief and most
necessary thing, of which they know nothing, is, how to get rid of the terror
of sin, death and hell, and how to acquire a peaceful conscience before God, so
that we may be able truly and heartily to pray “Our Father.” Where this has not
been found everything else is in vain, though we should torture ourselves to
death with our works. But since everybody comes short in this respect, we need
not be ashamed of learning and being concerned about these things daily, as we
are about our daily bread, and in addition we should ask God to give us power and strength. Amen.
Sermon for Easter Monday;
Acts
10:34-43
THE BLESSINGS OF
CHRIST'S RESURRECTION
Acts 10:34-43
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a
truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he
that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word
which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ:
(he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout
all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went
about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was
with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of
the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised
up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto
witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him
after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and
to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and
dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that
through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
1. This sermon Peter preached to Cornelius, the Cesarean
centurion, a gentile but a believer, and to the centurion's assembled friends,
Peter having been summoned by Cornelius and having responded to the call in
obedience to a revelation and to the Holy Spirit's command, as related in the
preceding verses of the chapter. It is an excellent sermon and bears strong
testimony to Christ's resurrection. As should ever be the case with the sermons
of apostles and preachers of the Gospel, it is not only a historical record of
Christ's life, death and resurrection, but portrays the power and blessing
thereof. The entire sermon being easily understood without explanation - for it
is itself an exposition of the article on Christ's resurrection - we will go
over it but briefly.
2. First, Peter begins with the inception of the preaching
of the Gospel of Christ, suggesting how it was promised in the Scriptures,
being declared by the prophets, that Christ should come with a new doctrine,
confirming it by miracles; also that he must suffer and die
and rise from the dead, establishing thus a new kingdom; and how the promise
was fulfilled. For confirmation of his words Peter appeals to his hearers,
reminding them of their own knowledge that such was the promise of the
Scriptures, and that the message has gone forth, not being uttered secretly, in
a corner, but being proclaimed throughout all Judea; and how John the Baptist
had shortly before testified he was sent as Christ's herald to prepare his way
by directing and leading the people to Christ, etc.
THE GOSPEL A DOCTRINE OP PEACE.
3. Then Peter explains this new Gospel message as the
doctrine of peace, the peace proclamation commanded of God; in other words, salvation
and every good thing. The apostle portrays it as a comforting message, a Gospel
of joy and grace, a message not accusing, threatening and terrifying with a
vision of God's wrath for our sin, as did Moses with his doctrine of the Law.
Peter offers to the hitherto terrified, God's favor, remission of sins and
eternal life. Similarly, of old did the prophets prophesy of this Gospel,
calling it the message of peace. Peter's language is borrowed from them. For
instance, Zechariah prophesies (ch 9, 10), ”He shall speak peace unto the
nations.” And Isaiah (ch 52, 7), ”How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet
of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace!” Paul offers the same
thought (Eph 2, 17), ”And he came and preached peace to you that were far off,
and peace to them that were nigh.” A delightful message is this in which God
recalls his wrath and, as Paul says (2 Cor 5,18-20), reconciles us unto
himself, having commanded the Gospel to be preached to the world for that very
purpose, and the office of preaching to be called the ministry of
reconciliation; and God admonishes us to be reconciled unto himself, to be his
friends, that we may from him receive grace and every good thing.
4. Second: Peter declares what the Gospel message records
concerning Christ: what he has wrought and the nature of his office - how he
preached and worked miracles in the service, and for the relief, of all men;
what thanks and reward his own people accorded him, in that they nailed him to
the cross and put him to death; that nevertheless Christ was not destroyed by
the power of the world nor overcome by death, but even retained his freedom,
showing himself after death and letting his voice be heard; and that he is now
exalted Lord and judge over all.
THE ARTICLE OF FAITH ON THE RESURRECTION.
5. Here are comprised in a few words the entire history of
the Gospel, and the articles of the Christian faith; but particularly does
Peter deal with the article of the resurrection, the fact that Christ has, in
his own person, completely overcome death and reigns eternal King and Lord of
life. In proof of the truth of this article, the apostle adduces the fact of
Christ's manifesting himself alive to his disciples, eating and drinking with
them and appointing them special witnesses to these things as men to whom the
doctrine had been proven, had been established by actual sight of the miracles.
6. Third: Peter states the item of chief importance in the
article, the blessing resulting to us. He explains first why Christ suffered
all these things, and how the Gospel was to be published and received; Christ's
motive in it all was not his advantage but our good. Before we could know the
truth and be blessed, it was necessary that the message be preached. God
commanded the apostles, Peter says, to preach the Gospel in all the world that
all men might know it; and thus the blessing is brought to men through the
public office of the ministry.
7. Fourth: Our obligation concerning the message brought to
us, and what it works in ourselves, is indicated in these concluding words of
Peter's sermon:
”To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.”
8. This verse constitutes the principal theme of the sermon.
It is one of the greatest in the writings of the apostles. It contains the
vital element of the Gospel message, teaching how we may appropriate its
blessing, how obtain what it offers, namely, by faith; faith lays hold of what
is offered us in the Gospel. The message is preached that we may receive and
retain it. Through the Word the blessing is pronounced our own - it is offered
to, or given, us; but by faith we receive it, make it our own, permit it to
work in us.
9. This power and work in us is called by Peter ”remission
of sins.” This is the blessing, the possession, conferred through the preaching
of the doctrine of Christ, or the articles of faith, particularly the articles
of the resurrection. The meaning of the new message of comfort, the new
declaration of peace, is that Christ, through his resurrection, has in himself
conquered our sin and death, has turned away the wrath of God and procured
grace and salvation; that he has commanded forgiveness to be preached unto us,
desiring us to believe he gives it and confidently to receive it through faith.
10. Faith must be of such character as to apprehend and hold
fast the truth Peter declares in this verse. It must say ”in his name.” That
is, must ascribe to Christ alone the entire agency, merit and power responsible
for remission of sins; must believe we have forgiveness, not through our own
worthiness, but for Christ's sake alone; must believe that by virtue of
Christ's resurrection we obtain remission of sins, every namable element not
from Christ being completely excluded, and the honor given to him alone. What
does the work, the ability, of all mankind amount to when it comes to
accomplishing or meriting a thing of such magnitude as remission of sins and
redemption from death and eternal wrath? How will it compare with the death and
shed blood of the Son of God, with the power of his resurrection? How will it
divide honors with him in having merit to secure remission of sin and
redemption from death? The efficacy of Christ's death and blood alone God would
have preached in all the world and accepted by mankind. Therein he rejects the
boasting of the Jews and of all aspirers to holiness through their own works,
teaching them they cannot obtain his favor through the Law, or by their own
efforts. In Christ's name alone is remission of sins received, and that through
faith.
11. Salvation through Christ, according to Peter, was before
that time proclaimed in the Scriptures, being declared by all the prophets.
This is truly strong testimony adduced by the apostle; the Jewish people
certainly ought to believe their own prophets unless they wilfully are hardened
and lost. Much more should we gentiles have faith in Christ's atonement, being
obliged to confess that not in any wise have we done aught that such grace should
be offered and given to us. We certainly ought to be honest enough to honor
Christ to the extent of believing the apostles, in fact the Scriptures entire.
We ought to be ashamed to doubt or question the fact of forgiveness of sins and
justification before God through Christ alone, to which all Scripture
testifies. If we are honest with ourselves, we must confess it the truth, or
secure forgiveness of sins or be justified before God by our own works.
12. Now we have heard what is the substance, the chief
doctrine, of the Scriptures, the teaching to which all portions lead; namely,
to teach and confirm the article of faith: we have remission of sins for
Christ's sake, through faith. We have heard that such was the faith of the
fathers, the prophets and all saints, from the beginning of the world, and
later was the doctrine preached by Christ himself, and also the doctrine of the
apostles, who were commanded to publish it to the world. To this day the same
doctrine prevaiIs, and it will until the end be unanimously accepted by the
whole Christian Church, with the exception of our present opponents. The
Christian Church has ever, as a unit, believed, confessed and contended for
this article, the article maintaining that only in the name of the Lord Christ is
remission of sin obtained; and in this faith its members have been justified
before God and saved. Thus by such testimony is the foundation of our doctrine
laid sufficiently firm; that article was with power contended for, defended and
established long before our time.
13. He who inquires, who would know exactly, what the
Christian Church ever holds and teaches, especially concerning the
all-important article of justification before God, or the forgiveness of sins,
over which there has always been contention, has it here plainly and exactly in
this text. Here is the unwavering testimony of the entire Church from the
beginning. It is not necessary, then, to dispute about the doctrine any more. No one can name any just reason, or have any excuse,
for doubts on the subject; or reasonably wait for further determinations of
investigating councils. In this text we see that the reliability of the article
of faith has long ago been proven, even in ancient time, by the Church of the
primitive fathers, of the prophets and the apostles. A solid foundation is
established, one all men are bound to believe and maintain at the risk of their
eternal salvation, whatever councils may establish, or the world advance and
determine, to the contrary. Indeed, the sentence has been declared to us; we
are commanded to shun every other doctrine that may be believed, taught or
ordained. Paul says (Gal 1, 8): ”But though we, or an angel from heaven, should
preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be
anathema.”
14. You see now against what the Papacy with all its
adherents blusters and rages, and how they are to be regarded who refuse to
hear and to tolerate the article Peter here advances and confirms by the testimony
of all the prophets and of the Scriptures entire; who cease not to persecute
godly and innocent ones for their acceptance of this article of faith, under
the pretense of being themselves the Church and of magnifying its name to the
utmost while opposing us, though at the same time their doctrine, faith and
deeds openly testify against them, proclaiming their belief and teaching to be
contrary to the testimony of all the prophets and of the entire Church. By no
means can they be the Church who so rashly contradict Peter and the Scriptures,
who even trample under foot, in his Word, Christ himself, the Head. Rather,
they must be wicked devils, a miserable rabble, the worst enemies of the
Christian Church; more wicked and pernicious than heathen or Turks.
15. Lastly: Peter, by way of proving conclusively to the
world that this one Lord, as he names him, Jesus of Nazareth, is the true Messiah promised of old in the Scriptures, says: ”To
him bear all the prophets witness.” The prophets plainly speak of such a
person, one to be born of David's flesh and blood, in the city of Bethlehem,
who should suffer, die and rise again, accomplishing
just what this Jesus has accomplished and even proven by miraculous signs.
Therefore, truly the Jews and the non-Christians have no reason to doubt
concerning Christ, no reason to await the coming of another.
16. Further, Peter, citing the testimony of the prophets,
indicates the nature of Christ's kingdom as not external power; not temporal
dominion like that of earthly lords, kings, and emperors; not dominion over
countries or control of people, property and temporal concerns; but a
spiritual, eternal kingdom, a kingdom in the hearts of men, an authority over,
and power opposed to, sin, everlasting death and hell, a power able to redeem
us from those things and bestow upon us salvation. Salvation is ours, Peter
teaches, through the preaching of the Gospel, and is received by faith. Faith
is the obedience every man must render unto the Lord. By faith he makes himself
subject to Christ and partaker of his grace and blessings. Paul also (Rom 1, 5)
uses the term ”unto obedience of faith.”
Sermon for Easter Monday;
Luke
24:13-35
I. THREE THOUGHTS
TAUGHT BY THIS GOSPEL
Luke 24:13-35
And, behold, two of them went that same day to
a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to
pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near,
and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one
to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was
Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and
hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he
said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of
Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the
people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned
to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which
should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since
these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And
when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a
vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were
with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but
him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things,
and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he
expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And
they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made
as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide
with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to
tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took
bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened,
and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to
another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way,
and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and
returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that
were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in
breaking of bread.
1. This Gospel brings out and enforces especially three
thoughts on the article of faith concerning Christ's resurrection. First, that
this narrative transpired and was written along with others as a sure witness and
proof of our faith in this article of our Creed. First, in that we see these
two disciples leave the company of the others, full of unbelief in the
resurrection. They commune together about the things that transpired as if they
despair of Christ, and he is now dead and forever buried in their hearts, who
does nothing more and is unable to do anything. This
appears from their own confession where they say: ”We hoped that it was he who
should redeem Israel. Yea, and besides this, it is now the third day since he
is dead.” And though they had heard from the women that these had seen a vision
of angels who told them that Christ had risen and was alive, yet they urged
that he had not been seen or found by anyone. In the second place - and this is
the most important fact - we here see Christ not only showing himself alive to
the unbelieving disciples, so that they might become assured of his
resurrection and return at once to announce it to the others, and to hear the
same truth from them, the testimony on both sides agreeing and being thereby
established; but also that Christ, before they knew him, proved fully and
clearly from the Scriptures that it behooved Christ both to die
and to rise again from the dead. For this reason he upbraided them for their
unbelief because they ought to have known the Scriptures concerning Christ,
since he himself had taught them that his sufferings were foretold in the
Scriptures.
2. The second thought this Gospel presents is an example of
the power and fruit of the resurrection as manifested in these two disciples
while they are talking of him and listening to his preaching. This also is
nothing less than a portion of the proof of his resurrection. For Christ here
proves by word and deed that he is not dead, as they believed before, but works
in them and exercises his power through the Word, even before they know him,
and makes believers of them who have another mind, reason, heart, and will.
This they also recognize and confess, saying: ”Was not our heart burning within
us while he spake to us, etc?” After this manner he still works in the whole
Christian church; though unseen, he yet carries on his work and shows his
dominion in that, as the living Lord, he enlightens them through his Word,
comforts and strengthens them, defends them with his power and keeps them
against the wrath of the devil and the world.
3. As a third truth, we are here shown in what manner Christ
reveals his resurrection, and how it may be be known and apprehended, namely,
above all first through the Word and faith, rather than through bodily vision
or sensation. Therefore he is unknown to them at first when he comes to them
and walks with them, though he is with them in very truth, the selfsame Christ
whom they had so often seen and heard and known full well. Yet now they do not
know him at all, because they know that he had died and had been buried the
third day before; and hence can think of him only as a dead man. So strange and
unknowable had he become to them that they would not have known him, had he stayed
with them ever so long, until he announced to them his resurrection and
preached about it. The text says: ”Their eyes were holden, that they should not
know him.” It was not he who had been changed, nor was it his will to remain
unknown to them, but their hearts and thoughts had become estranged and far
removed from his. In the same way neither Magdalene nor the other disciples
recognized him until they had heard the Word of his resurrection.
4. His purpose is to show and teach us that the power of his
resurrection and dominion will be exercised here on earth, and manifest itself
in this life only through the Word, and through faith which holds fast to
Christ, though it does not see him, and thus conquers sin and death in him,
lays hold of righteousness and life, etc. This is a brief summary of the story
contained in this Gospel, in so far as it pertains to the article of faith on
the resurrection in general; of which we lately heard more.
5. But the special purpose of this Gospel is to show us how
weak in faith the disciples were, and how Christ in his kingdom manifests
himself to such persons of weak faith, and how he deals with them. For we see
from the whole story of Christ's resurrection, as recorded in the Gospels, how
the Apostles, and all the other disciples after them, were so weak in their
faith in this doctrine, even to the time of his ascension, that he had to
upbraid them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed
not them that had seen him after he was risen, Mk 16, 14. They manifested this
weakness, though he had often told them from the Scriptures that he must be
crucified and rise again on the third day, etc.
6. From this we learn, in the first place, that even in
those who have become true Christians, weakness and frailties
remain, especially in the deeper matters of doctrine and faith, they being
unable to understand them or to grasp them as firmly and strongly as they
ought. For faith is not so light or easy a matter as ignorant and inexperienced
people fancy, and as our coarse blockheads, the popish dunces, pretend, who
believe that faith is no more than to have heard the
history and to know it. Having heard or read just once what the Gospel tells of
Christ, these people fancy that they have fully understood and believed it, and
henceforth need no longer to learn and believe it.
7. That this is naught but an idle, vain fancy, is proved by
their own confession that this knowledge of the Bible story rests in their
hearts as a cold, lifeless thing, a mere empty husk, lacking all life-giving
power, of no use or help to them, neither giving strength nor making them
better; whereas this great, exalted miracle of Christ's resurrection was
peformed and is to be preached, learned, and known, to the end that it may be
fruitful in us, quicken and kindle our hearts, and work in us new thoughts, new
knowledge, new forces, life, joy, comfort and strength. If this does not take
place, the story has been heard in vain, and is dead within you, being of nor more value to you than to Turks and heathen who have never
heard it, or have not believed it to be true. You dare not boast of faith,
though froth on your tongue, or a sound in your ears, or a dream in your memory
give witness that you have heard the story, of which
your heart has neither experienced nor tasted aught. The papists show plainly,
in all their doctrine and life, that they do not from their hearts believe and
hold fast to this article of faith, because they seek the power and effect
which ought to come from the resurrection of Christ in themselves and outside
of Christ, teaching that it must be sought and obtained through their own works
and merits, while they condemn, blaspheme, and persecute the saving doctrine
that tells us to turn from these foolish lies to Christ and to the power of his
resurrection.
8. Christians, however, and true
believers know by sad experience in others as well as in themselves how weak
they are, and they deplore the fact that they are unable to grasp this
doctrine, or to hold it fast in their hearts with as strong a faith as they
ought. Their entire life is spent in combating this weakness, as even Paul says
in Phil 3, 12, that he had not grasped it, nor was already made
perfect, but that he was pressing on, if so be that he might lay hold of it,
and obtain a knowledge of the power of Christ's resurrection, etc.
9. For though this doctrine is most delightful and
comforting in itself, full of joy and blessedness, and ought to find its way
gently and easily into the heart, yet it is hindered by two great obstacles
which make it difficult to believe. In the first place, this work of God is
much too exalted and too great in itself for us ever to understand thoroughly
in this life, even if our faith were perfectly strong and without weakness; for
not until we are in the life beyond will we ever truly see and feel its full
force and power. In the second place, our own flesh and blood, and the hearts
of all men, are by nature much too weak and too fearful to believe God's Word;
and must be filled with fear and terror when they contrast the greatness of
this work with themselves and their own unworthiness.
10. God cannot overlook the first cause and obstacle nor
have patience with it; for this work must and shall remain as great as it is,
and it dare not be belittled; yea, it must be the power to which all creatures,
men, angels, the devil, and hell, must yield and be subjected, because it is
necessary for our salvation. For if this were not so, we would continue in sin,
death and the eternal wrath of God. The other obstacle, namely, that we are too
weak to grasp this great work and power by our faith, God may overlook and have
patience with; as we here see Christ doing with his disciples, who had
certainly heard he had risen, and yet were full of such great and heavy doubts
that they almost despaired of Christ entirely saying, ”We hoped that it was he
who should redeem Israel.”
11. Behold, how earnestly he looks after these two of weak
faith, and cares for them, doing everything to lift them out of their weakness,
and to strengthen their faith. Because he sees and knows that in great sorrow
and sadness they had departed from the other Apostles and do not know what to
think or hope, he is determined not to leave them in such doubt and temptation.
In order to help them out of it, he becomes their companion on the way, leaving
behind all the other Apostles, though they too were assembled in great sorrow
and very weak faith. But because these two are in great danger of total
unbelief, he at once comes to them, as if he had nothing else to do now that he
was risen; he speaks to them in the friendliest way, and reasons with them from
the Scriptures, gives them occasion to retain him and to ask him to abide with
them, to eat and to drink in their company, until their faith is quickened once
more, and they are relieved of all doubts. Their faith
grows so strong that they recognize him as the same Christ who had been with
them before in life, and whom they had seen crucified three days ago, but had
been unable to recognize on the way by reason of doubt and the weakness of
their faith.
12. It is, therefore, his purpose to teach us by this
narrative, given for our instruction and consolation, how his work is to be
done in the Christian church after his resurrection, namely, that he will not
reject nor cast out those who are weak in their faith, yea, not even those who
are held in error or ignorance, or who are otherwise weak, fearful, and
despairing. They are rather the very persons in whom he will exercise and
manifest the power of his resurrection, not only by inviting them to come to
him, but also by coming to them, and treating them in the gentlest and kindest
way, talking with them, teaching and instructing them, yea, even eating with
them, until at length they grow strong and secure in their faith; while their
hearts, so sad and sorrowful for a time, are again filled with joy. Thus we
also should know and have this comforting assurance that he is our Lord who is
able to bear with our infirmities and to overlook them; that he will not reject
and condemn those unable to believe and live at once as they should, if only
they do not in their hearts despise and deny Christ and his Word, but delight
in him and love him, and truly desire to become strong and perfect in faith and
life.
13. Looking at these disciples, weak and unreasonable as
they are, one sees that their hearts nevertheless were in a state that they
felt kindly toward Christ, delighted both to speak of him and to hear him
spoken of, and had no greater desire than that what they had heard concerning
his resurrection might be true. But the thing was much
too great for them to believe, so that they were as yet quite unable to accept
it as true - just as it is also too high and too great
for us. This our dear Lord knows and sees full well, and so he is better able
to have patience with us, is satisfied and pleased if only we listen to him as
his pupils and are willing to be taught and directed by him.
14. Furthermore, he thereby wishes to teach us how to
conduct ourselves in his kingdom, particularly towards those who are weak and
infirm in faith. We also ought not hastily to reject and condemn those whom we
see erring or stumbling; but also have patience with them, even as Christ had
with us and still must have every day. For though in his own person by virtue
of his resurrection he is in divine might and power Lord of heaven and earth,
yet he rules his Church in a way to exercise and manifest the power of his
resurrection in his poor, weak band by serving them with this power and might
for their consolation and growth.
15. In harmony with this example, though we be strong we
ought not to take pleasure in ourselves nor boast, but rather let our gifts and
powers serve the weak, striving to uphold and reform them by instruction,
consolation, encouragement, friendly admonition and reproof, etc., just as one
must act kindly and considerately toward weak, frail children and invalids,
nursing, lifting and carrying them until they are grown and can stand on their
own feet.
16. This is one of the chief points of knowledge to be
gained from the Gospel, in regard to the kingdom of Christ, how it is arranged
and governed, namely that it is a government under which Christians, who have
begun to believe and are holy, are nevertheless beset with frailty, ignorance,
and other sinful infirmities. He bears and overlooks these shortcomings, but
with the expectation that improvement shall ensue. Hence we must not dream of a
church on earth in which there is neither frailty nor error in faith, as the
papists boast that their church and church councils cannot err, etc. For here
we are told that not only these two disciples, but all the other apostles erred
in the leading and most necessary article of faith, abiding in their unbelief
until Christ himself drew them out by means of many and various sermons and
revelations. During the three days after Christ's crucifixion, faith in his
resurrection had completely died in all hearts; indeed, that light was kept
burning nowhere except with Mary, his mother, who preserved within her heart
all that she had heard from him and others, and was comforted and sustained
thereby in her great grief over the sufferings and death of her son.
17. For faith in Christ must always continue and be
preserved somewhere in the Church; there must always be some who have the truth
and confess it, though their number be small, and the most fall into error, as
they did here. If there are not more, there must be a
Mary to keep the faith. He permits it to happen that many great saints err and
stumble, in order that we may not trust in men, though they be many, great, and
holy. We must be led to rely upon the Word that is sure and cannot deceive, as
here these two men, and all the others afterward, were directed to the
Scriptures.
18. Aside from this, let us not overlook the example
contained in this Gospel which urges and admonishes us to speak and hear of
Christ gladly, and to study the Scriptures and God's Word, though it may not
always be understood and affect us as it ought. The Gospel also shows us the
power, blessing and effect of the Word, if approached with a sincere heart.
19. For, in the first place, although these two disciples
were still filled with unbelief, yet he will not and cannot be separated from
them, because they went their way communing sorrowfully with one another about
Christ, and questioning together almost without result. He at once drew near
and went with them and soon touched their hearts and minds. He began a
beautiful, masterly sermon, such as they had never heard before, concerning the
very article of faith which caused them trouble and doubt. Then, in the second
place, they immediately feel its power; their hearts are no longer heavy, slow,
and cold to believe as before, but are moved and kindled, and enlightened and
receive a new understanding, so that now they begin to know the Scriptures
aright, and what they had never understood before, becomes clear and manifest
to their souls. Finally the mask and cover are taken away from their hearts and
eyes, so that they no longer look upon him as a guest and a stranger, but truly
know him and feel that he is no longer far from them, but at their side, and
works certainty in their faith. Henceforth they no longer need bodily, visible
revelations, but go forth at once to preach to others, and to strengthen and
aid them against doubt and unbelief.
20. Therefore we should follow their example, and gladly
hear the Word of God, without growing weary. For this is not only a needful
practice for the strong and for the weak, for the wise and for the unwise, by
which a knowledge of everything we need unto salvation is given - such study can
never exhaust it - but it is also the punishment through which God wishes to
work within our hearts, to give faith and the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says in
Rom 10, 17: ”Belief cometh by hearing the Word of God.” If man studies
earnestly, even though the heart be cold and unwilling at first, if he only
continues in the work, it will not be in vain, and the effect will be produced
that the unwise and erring will be brought in and made
better, the weak will be strengthened, and at last the heart will be kindled
and enlightened, so that Christ is better understood and known from the
Scriptures.
21. And even though there were no other benefit to be
derived from this study, we ought to be urged to it by the fact that it pleases
God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and renders him a service. We know that he will
surely not be far from us when we do so, as he himself has promised, Mt 18, 20:
”Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst
of them.” If he is with us, the angels certainly are near also and take
pleasure in our work, while the devil is driven away and has to retreat as he
left Christ when he conquered him with the Word of God. Mt 4, 11.
22. There is a legend, telling us that an old patriarch
living in the desert received peculiar visions and revelations from God. When
he happened to be among young people, listening to their conversation, he saw
that whenever they spoke of the Scriptures and things divine, beautiful young
men consorted with them and joyfully smiled upon them; but on the other hand,
whenever their conversation became wanton and silly, the same young men turned
away displeased and sad, and dirty black hogs came and wollowed at their feet
etc.
II. THE SERMON THE RISEN CHRIST PREACHED TO HIS DISCIPLES.
23. Let this be enough concerning the chief points of the
story of this Gospel. There remains one other important part, the sermon Christ
preached to the disciples from the Scriptures, in which he briefly showed them
that it behooved Christ to suffer and thus to enter into his glory etc. Of
this, sermon the Evangelist speaks as follows:
”And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
24. Without doubt this was a very beautiful and a model
sermon. Now it is true we all would gladly know just
the passages the Lord quoted referring to himself, by which he thereby
enlightened, strengthened and convinced these disciples, since Moses contains
so little, or nothing, as it would seem, of a plain statement on that of which
Christ here speaks, that it behooved him to suffer, and to rise on the third
day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
etc. For the Jews, who have had Moses so long and read him diligently enough
even until the present day, have never yet discovered this rare truth in Moses.
25. But the Evangelist answers this and analyzes this
argument by stating their heart burned within them while he opened to them the
Scriptures, and in the Gospel following says Christ opened their mind to
understand the Scriptures. Here is the point: Moses certainly writes concerning
Christ and Christ is found in the books of Moses; but it is necessary not only
to read, but also to understand what is said. Hence Paul says in 2 Cor 3,14-15
that the veil of Moses remains before the face of the Jews when they read the
Old Testament, which only Christ alone can take away. And to his apostles
Christ says, in Mt 13, 11: ”Unto you is given to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven; the others, however, though they see and hear, yet they do not
understand.”
26. Therefore the Bible is a book that must not only be read
and preached, but it also requires the true
interpreter, that is, the revelation of the Holy Spirit; as we learn from our
own experience now-a-days that it is of no avail to prove most clearly from
Scripture the articles of the true doctrine to our opponents and to point out
their errors. Not a single article of faith has ever been preached that was not
more than once attacked and denied by heretics, though
they read the same Scriptures that we have.
27. But this revelation also requires pupils of the right
kind, who are willing to learn and to be instructed, like these pious and
simple-minded disciples, not wise and puffed up minds and self-made masters who
reach beyond the very heavens with their knowledge. For this is a doctrine that
makes our wisdom foolishness and blinds our own reason, before it can be
believed and understood; for it is not born of man's wisdom, like other
sciences and arts on earth, which have sprung from reason and can be grasped by
means of reason. Hence it is impossible to attain to it by reason, and if you
undertake to measure and reckon how far it agrees with reason, you will not
succeed. All heresies from the beginning have had their origin here, and both
Jews and Gentiles, and the Turks at present, grow foolishly violent in regard
to our doctrine because it does not agree with reason and human wisdom. Only
the pious, simple-minded people can grasp and understand it, who are true to this rule, and say: ”God hath said it, therefore
will I believe it;” as Christ himself declares in Mt 11, 25 and thanks the
Father with a joyful heart that he hides these things from the wise and
understanding and reveals them unto babes.
28. There is no way out of it, wise people and proud reason
cannot be taught these wonderful things, concerning Christ, that true man is God's Son from eternity, and yet he died and
rose again, that in his human nature he has become Lord of heaven and earth,
that he rules all creatures with divine power though no one sees him, and that
we are saved by his merits alone, if we believe in him etc. Therefore God must
needs establish the order that no one shall understand unless he is willing to
be a fool, become a child, and believe in the simplicity of the heart.
29. Behold, what kind of people did he employ to be his
first messengers, to proclaim and to witness his grandest work, the
resurrection? Poor, ignorant women came to the sepulchre after useless expense
and trouble in purchasing costly ointment and without considering that the tomb
was covered with a heavy stone, yea, even sealed and guarded by soldiers. Yet
these foolish persons are the first to whom Christ reveals his resurrection,
and calls to be its preachers and witnesses. So also does he give
these disciples a knowledge of the Scriptures which all the learned scribes did
not possess, so that now they view Moses with different eyes and are forced to
say: Behold, how often have I read and heard this before, but never understood
it.
30. God would seem to say by this act: Very well, I see
plainly that it is of no avail though everything be spoken and written in the
very clearest manner; for in truth, all articles of faith are set forth clearly
and tersely enough in the Scriptures. Take only the article on God and the
creation, which certainly is told and given in the very plainest way; yet see
the rabble of heretics it has made, Manichaeans,
Valentinians, Marcionites, etc. Again, what did it avail that Christ himself,
among his own people, confirmed his doctrine clearly and publicly by great
miracles? Nothing more than that they began to twist both his words and his
deeds, and called them the words and deeds of the devil and Beelzebub. Hence
God must continue and say: Since they will not have and receive this Word as I
give it to them, it shall remain hidden and unknown to them. I shall indeed
have it written and preached in clear language; but reveal it to some few,
simple-minded people who seek my Word. To the others it shall be mere darkness
which may be felt, as among the Egyptians (though it shines and is preached
most clearly), yea, it shall be naught but an offense and poison, against which
they must stumble and fall in their blasphemies and contradictions, until they
break to pieces.
31. Thus the Jews have had and have read Moses unto this
day; yet all of them know nothing of what he speaks concerning Christ, yea, not
even in minor articles of faith, just as their forefathers knew nothing of it,
save some few who believed, as the prophets and the apostles after them, who
elaborated their whole books from a single Bible passage. This enabled them to
preach what everyone was compelled to acknowledge as true.
32. How did Christ stop the mouth of the Sadducees (who did
not believe the resurrection of the dead and accepted no other Scripture but
Moses), and convince them of the resurrection of the dead? He took the
commonest saying in their religion, which all Jews knew and quoted every day,
when God says, ”I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob etc.” With these words he revealed Moses and drew the following
conclusion: If you believe God to be God of those that are dead, how can he be
God of those who have altogether ceased to be? Therefore, if he is the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as he himself declares, these men must be alive,
though they have died as far as this life is concerned, and lie in their
graves; for he cannot be God of that which does not exist. Hence Abraham, who
now lies under the earth, and all the saints, must be alive before God, though
they are dead before you; for this is, and will be, his name forever that he is
the God of Abraham and of all who believe as he had promised him and all
believers, saying: ”I shall be thy God” etc.
33. Now who would have thought that these short, simple
words are so full of meaning and furnish such an excellent, rich sermon, yea,
that a big book might be written upon them? Though they know the books of Moses
well enough, they yet declared that not a word concerning the resurrection of
the dead was to be found in them. This was also the reason why they accepted
Moses alone and rejected the prophets who nevertheless based all their
preaching of the important articles of the faith in Christ upon Moses.
34. But let us look more closely at
Christ's sermon and consider one of the passages from Moses which he quoted.
Genesis 3, 15 is the first word which promises grace, and was given to Adam and
Eve, when he spoke to the serpent, ”I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head, and thou
shall bruise his heel.” These words are read by Jews, Turks and heathens, and
by human reason, but they all find them to be only hard pebbles, yea, dead and
useless words, from which they cannot take anything even by their best efforts.
But as soon as revelation comes to our aid, we understand them to mean: Through
sin the serpent, that is the devil, has brought upon Adam and Eve sin and the
eternal wrath of God. But in order to help them out of this dreadful fall and
misery, into which they were led by Satan, God in his unfathomable mercy has
found within himself this remedy that by the woman's seed, that is, by the
natural offspring of a woman, that very head of the serpent, that is, sin,
death, and everlasting wrath, shall be crushed and robbed of his power, so that
he may no longer be lord of death, nor be able to keep man either in sin, or in
God's wrath and condemnation.
35. From this an entire New Testament springs forth, all the
discourses of St. Paul and the apostles, who do not tell a great deal of the
life and miracles of Christ, but, where it is possible, use such a passage as a
flower, so to say, with which to cover a great meadow, doing so by the aid of
revelation and the Holy Ghost who knows how to grind and press the words
thoroughly, so that they give forth the juice and
power they possess. For these words show, in the first place, that this seed
must be a natural child, born of a woman, but without sin; for the Scriptures
testify that whatever is born into this world of man and woman, is born in sin
and is under the wrath of God, as David says, Ps. 51, 5, ”Behold, I was brought
forth in iniquity” etc. For this flesh and blood is completely permeated and
corrupted with evil lusts and disobedience against God, and as this substance
is corrupted in father and mother, it must remain so in the child; hence no man
can be born from man and woman without a sinful nature. God, therefore, hath
ordained to take a woman alone for the conception and birth of Christ, the
promised seed without a man, she becomes the little child's mother, by the Holy
Ghost, who causes this conception and birth in her, in order that he may be a
natural man, having our flesh and blood, but without sin and power of Satan,
whose head he was to bruise.
36. In the second place, if he was to be lord over sin and
death, to subdue the devil and pluck us out of his hand, he had to have divine,
almighty power. For though a man were altogether pure and without blemish of
body or soul, as Adam was first created, yet were it not in his power and
strength to take away this eternal misery and corruption, and to obtain and give in their stead unchangeable blessings and eternal life.
Thus it follows that his power must be greater than that of all creatures, even
all angels. Such power is found nowhere except in God himself, the Lord of all
creation.
37. From this follows further that if he is born of a woman
he is also mortal and must die in the body as others.
And since he became man for our sake, and was sent by God to deliver us from
sin and death, he had to take our place, to become a sacrifice for us, to bear
and atone for that wrath and curse under which we had fallen and lay. But it was
not possible for him to remain in death; since he was an eternal being he could
not be held by it, as St. Peter says in Acts 2, 31, and in like passages; but
even his body ere it had seen corruption and decay. must needs pass through
death unscathed and by his resurrection and eternal life begin to rule in
everlasting power and eternal glory, in order to bring his own out of sin and
death, and the power of Satan unto everlasting righteousness and life.
38. Note that this is but a simple passage, which Christ
surely did not overlook but interpreted from his own wealth of knowledge, as
being the first and chief passage, from which later on all the others flow.
Here we see that these are words, or miracles, rather, which reason can never
grasp or fathom. They can only be understood when the Holy Ghost accompanies
them, and preaches and reveals them unto those who believe with singleness of
heart and abide in them. Then they begin to taste the sweet savor, and receive
spiritual nourishment, so that they must say: This will do it, this will
enlighten the heart and set it aflame.
39. Thus the prophets viewed the saying of Moses and drew
therefrom their glorious prophecies concerning Christ, as Isaiah (7, 14) bases
his prophecy of Christ's birth upon this passage with the plain statement,
”Behold, a virgin shall receive and bear a son” etc., also the whole 53 chapter
concerning his suffering and resurrection, how that he would offer himself as a
sacrifice for our sins etc. All these words Christ doubtless quoted in his
sermon.
40. The apostles likewise, being ignorant fishermen, learned
to know the Scriptures, not in the schools of the great scribes, but through
the revelation by which Christ led them into the Scriptures. Thus they were
enabled to understand and to write on the basis of a single passage a book or a
sermon the world cannot understand. And if I had the same Spirit Isaiah or Paul
had, I could take this passage and develop from it a New Testament, if that
were not already written.
41. How did St. Peter know, or where is written in Moses
that which he says in 1 Pet 1:10-11: ”Concerning which salvation the prophets
sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come
unto you, searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which
was in them did point unto?” Who told him that the Spirit of Christ existed and
prophesied of Christ, before there were prophets and, above all, before Christ
and the Holy Ghost were present? Are these the words of a fisherman, or of a
learned, wise scribe? Nay, it is the revelation of the Holy Spirit who had also
revealed it to the prophets before. Again, where is written in Moses what the
Epistle to the Hebrews says in 1, 3-4, that Christ sat down on the right hand
of the Majesty on high, to be Lord over all, having become much better and
higher than the angels? etc. He certainly took it from the Old Testament, but
he found it not by his own reason, but by revelation, hence he argues: thus: If
Christ is a Son of God and Lord of the angels, he must certainly be more and of a better nature than the angels. Now every angel
is more powerful than all the world and combined human
nature; yet if this true child of a virgin is to be Lord, not alone of the evil
spirits, but also of the good and holy angels, he must be of one power and
essence with God. This nobody will say or believe, except by revelation.
Therefore I would agree to take Moses, the Psalms, Isaiah, together with the
Spirit whom these men had, and make a New Testament every whit as good as that
which the apostles wrote; but because we have not the same wealth and power of
the Spirit, we must be taught by them and drink from the fountain which they
gave us.
42. Let this be enough concerning a single portion or a
single passage of the sermon Christ spoke to these disciples, and wherewith he
well and fully earned, yea, paid for the entertainment they furnished him at
the inn. But to set forth all the other words of Moses and the prophets which
they spoke of Christ, and which he explained, would be by far too great a task
for one sermon; for it would in itself amount to a book as large as the Bible.
But without doubt they were the same passages the apostles quoted afterwards as
they heard them from his own mouth on this occasion, and learned to understand
them better on the following day of Pentecost. A goodly number of these
passages were quoted by them in their sermons, in the Acts of the Apostles, and
in the Epistles; and they are recommended for close study to every Christian,
as he reads and ponders the Holy Scriptures. Then the Holy Ghost will be
present with his power to give the right
understanding, as we have heard, since he is the true interpreter, if only we
treat them seriously and in the simplicity of the heart. The fruit thereof will
be that we shall find Christ therein and learn to know him aright. This will
quicken and kindle the heart, and fill it with comfort and joy.
Sermon for Easter Tuesday;
Acts
13:26-39
THE WORD AND THE
RESURRECTION
Acts 13:26-39
Men and brethren, children of the stock of
Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this
salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because
they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every
sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found
no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And
when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the
tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: And he was
seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who
are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how
that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God
hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus
again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day
have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead,
now no more to return to corruption, he said on this
wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in
another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For
David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on
sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God
raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and
brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could
not be justified by the law of Moses.
1. This sermon was preached by Paul in the synagogue at
Antioch of Pisidia, where were gathered with the Jews some Greek converts. Wherever
in a city Jews were to be found, there also were their synagogues in which they
taught and preached; and many gentiles, coming to hear, were converted to God
through the preaching of his Word. Undoubtedly it was by God's wonderful
direction that the Jews were dispersed throughout the world among the gentiles,
after the first destruction of Jerusalem by the Assyrians. Inasmuch as this
dispersion resulted in the spread of the Word, they were instrumental in
securing salvation for the gentiles and in preparing the way for the world-wide
preaching of the Gospel by the apostles. For wherever the apostles went they
found Jewish synagogues and the opportunity to preach to a regular
congregation, through whom their Gospel might be widely disseminated because of
the many gentiles also in attendance. Had not these gentiles been already
accustomed to the Jewish synagogues, they would not have listened to the
apostles, nor even permitted them publicly to preach, strangers that they were.
2. Thus it is Paul comes into the synagogue on the Sabbath,
a time when the congregation was wont to assemble and read the Scriptures. He
and Barnabas being guests from the country of the Jews, Paul is besought to give an exhortation, or sermon, to the people, whereupon he
rises and delivers a fine, lengthy discourse concerning Christ: how in the
Scriptures he had been promised unto the fathers and to David the king, had
been born of the seed of David and had received the public testimony of John
the Baptist; how Christ was sacrificed by the Jews (Peter gives the same
account in the preceding epistle lesson); how he rose from the dead and for
some time showed himself alive; how he then commanded his apostles to publish
to the world the new doctrine that God's promise to the Jews had been
fulfilled; and how, by his resurrection, he brought to them the promised
blessing, namely, the remission of sins unattainable through the Law of Moses
and all their ordinances, but dispensed and imparted alone to faith in the
Christ proclaimed.
3. As stated later in the text, there were, beside the Jews,
many gentiles present at the preaching of this sermon, and at its conclusion
they besought Paul to speak to them again between sabbaths. Accordingly, when
he came to the synagogue the next sabbath, he found almost the whole city
assembled. But to return to the first sermon: Paul says, ”Brethren, children of
the stock of Abraham” - or, native Jews - ”and those among you that fear God” -
who are gentiles. Now, though this could not but be a discourse objectionable
and highly offensive to the Jews, Paul opens with tender and nicely chosen
words meant to conciliate and to secure their respectful attention. He highly
honors them by addressing them as the people chosen by God in preference to all
the gentiles; as children of the holy fathers who had a special claim to the
promise of God. But, again, he vitiates his pleasing impression when he
proclaims to the Jews naught else but the crucified and risen Christ, and
concludes with the statement that with nothing but Moses' Law and ordinances
they ranked no higher in the sight of God than the gentiles.
THE WORD OF SALVATION.
4. Paul's discourse is in perfect harmony with Peter's
sermon. Peter speaks of God having sent unto the Jews heralds proclaiming peace;
and Paul here says, ”To you [us] is the word of this salvation sent.”
Notwithstanding the joy and comfort wherewith these words are fraught, they
could not please the Jews. The Jews disdained the idea - in fact, it was
intolerable to them to hear it expressed - that after their long expectation of
a Messiah to be lord and king of the world, they should receive a mere message,
and at that a message rendering of no significance at all that Law and
government for which they had expected, through that Messiah, exaltation and
world-wide acceptance. Indeed, such an issue could only mean to them having
entertained a vain hope.
5. Paul makes his teaching yet more
offensive by not referring to the Gospel simply as the word of peace, as Peter
does, but by giving it the greater and grander title, ”the word of salvation”;
in other words, a doctrine calculated to heal and save. No grander name could
be found for the Gospel; for a message of salvation is an expression of God's
grace, forgiveness of sins, abiding peace and life eternal. Moreover, these
blessings were not to be bestowed upon the Jews alone; they were to be equally
shared with the gentiles, who had no knowledge of God, of the Law, or of divine
worship. The gentiles were thus to be made the equals
of the Jews, leaving the latter without preference or special merit before God,
and without advantage and lordship over the former in the world.
6. Thus early in his discourse Paul grows blunt and severe,
kneading Jews and gentiles into one lump. Indeed, he plainly tells the Jews
that the Law of Moses did not secure to them the favor of God in the past and
would be equally profitless in the future; that through the Gospel message, and
only so, they, and all gentiles as well, were to be delivered from sin, death and
the power of the devil, and to become God's people, with power over all. Yet he
presents no other tangible token of the great boon he calls salvation and
blessedness than his preaching alone. Now, one may say: ”The word I hear, and
Paul I see, a poor human being; but this salvation - grace, life and peace - I behold not.
On the contrary, I daily see and experience sin, terror, adversity, suffering
and death, until it seems as if in all humanity none are so utterly forsaken by
God as the Christians, who hear this message.”
7. But this is precisely the precious doctrine to be learned
if we are to be God's children and sensible of his kingdom within us, a
doctrine beyond the knowledge and experience of the Jews with their Law and of
the gentiles with their wisdom drawn from reason - this it is: our salvation
stands in the word Paul here declares of Christ, a word which, in name and
reality, is a word of salvation and peace; for salvation and peace are the
blessings which it offers and imparts.
8. God has sent this word, Paul says. Its origin and
conception is not with man. It is not the edict of the Roman emperor, nor the
command of the high-priest at Jerusalem. It is the Word of the God of heaven.
In it he speaks. He will have the message preached by poor human beings as a
power unto happiness and salvation, both in name and reality. Such the Law
never was. Paul says (Rom 1, 16): ”I am not ashamed of the Gospel: for it is
the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” And God himself
has bound up with it our salvation when he manifests himself in the voice heard
from heaven at Jordan, saying of Christ, ”This is my beloved Son” - who is to
be heard.
9. God desires Christ's Word to be heard. Otherwise
expressed, his command is: ”Here ye have the Word of peace and salvation. Not
elsewhere may you seek and find these blessings. Cling to this Word if you
desire peace, happiness and salvation. Let befall what may, crosses,
afflictions, discord, death - whether you be beheaded, or fall victim to pest or
stroke, or in whatever manner God may call you home - in it all, look only upon
me, whose Word promises that you shall not die, what
seems death being but a sweet sleep, aye, the entrance into life eternal.
Christ says (Jn 8, 51): ”Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my Word,
he shall never see death.” Note, it is the keeping of the Word on which Christ
lays stress. ”Keeping” is holding fast to the promise, feeling and all senses
to the contrary, doubting not the truth of the message heard. For he who
promises is not man; it is the Lord of heaven and earth and all that in them
is, who has to this moment controlled and preserved the same. One hundred years
ago, what were you and I and all men now living but absolutely nothing? How and
from what was creation effected when there was nothing to start with? ”He spake
and it was done” - that was created which before had not existence - declares
Psalm 33, 9, quoting from Genesis 1; ”he commanded, and it stood fast.”
10. Being the Word of God, the Gospel is an entirely
different thing from man's word, no matter though it be spoken by a mere man or
even a donkey. Therefore, let there be, now or henceforth, discord, terror of
sin; the menace of death and hell, of the grave and corruption: come upon you
what may - only press to your heart this Word that Christ has sent you a
message of salvation - of redemption, of triumph over all things; and that he
commands you to believe it. Then you will perceive that he, as your God and
Creator, will not deceive you. What are death, the devil and all creatures as a
match for Christ?
11. The glory of Christ's message, then, here called by Paul
”the word of salvation,” is much greater and higher than would have been the
promise of all the kingdoms, all the riches and splendors of the world, yes, of
both heaven and earth. For what could they benefit if one possessed not the
Word of salvation and eternal life? With all these, when assailed by sins, or
by the distress and danger of death, one must still say, ”Away with all the
blessings and joys of the world, so that I may hear and have altogether the message ,of salvation sent by Christ.” You must hold fast to
it and know that it alone gives eternal peace and joy; that it must receive
your faith in spite of all apparent contradiction; that you must not be
governed by your reason or your feelings, but must regard that as divine,
unchangeable and eternal truth which God has spoken and commands to be
proclaimed. Such is Paul's exhortation addressed primarily to the Jews to accept
this message as sent by God and as being the bearer of wondrous blessings.
12. Next, he proceeds to remove their chief stumblingblock,
the thing of greatest offense to them. He warns them against the course adopted
by them of Jerusalem, who had the Word of salvation from Christ himself, who
read it in the prophets every day, who should have had no trouble perceiving
that the prophets testified to Christ and that there was complete harmony
between their teaching and that of Christ and the apostles, yet would not
understand. Because Christ came not in the manner they desired, they condemned
the very One whom they read of in the Scriptures as appearing with this Word of
salvation, the time of whose coming had been pointed out, leaving them to know
it had long since arrived and they had no reason to wait for another. They
understood not the Scriptures because their minds were completely hardened and
dominated by the fixed idea that Christ should reign as a temporal king. So
thoroughly was the whole Jewish nation impressed with this belief that the very
apostles had no other conception of Christ's kingdom, even after his
resurrection. As John says (ch. 12, 16), they did not
understand the Scriptures until Christ ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit
came. So long as there hangs before one's eyes this curtain - the carnal fancy
of a temporal kingdom for Christ, an earthly government for his Church - the
Scriptures cannot be understood. As Paul says of the Jews (2 Cor 3, 14), the
veil remaineth in the reading of the Scriptures. But this lack of understanding
is inexcusable. That is gross and wilful blindness which will not receive the
instruction and direction imparted by the apostles. The Jews continue to rave against the Gospel; they will hear nothing of the Christ,
though even after crucifying him they receive the offer of repentance and
remission of sins at the hands of the apostles.
13. That Paul should make bold to tell the most prominent
men and rulers of the whole Jewish nation - the heads of God's people, pillars
of the Church, as we would say that not only the common rabble, but likewise
they themselves did not know and understand the Scriptures committed to them;
aye, that, not content with such ignorance and error, they had themselves
become the individuals of whom they read, the murderers and crucifiers of the
Son of God, their Saviour - this was a matter of grave offense indeed!
Offensive indeed was it to have this accusation brought against them, a people
among whom God had ordained his worship, his temple and priesthood, and for
whom he had instituted a peculiar government, giving the high-priest power to
say, Do so or you will be put to death. Deut 17, 12. And of them were the
glorious and great council of the seventy-two elders originally ordained through
Moses (Ex 18, 25-26), the council called the Sanhedrin. They ruled the entire
people and certainly knew right and wrong according to their law. Was there not
reason here to tear Paul to pieces with red-hot pinchers as a seditious
character, a public blasphemer, speaking not only against the Jewish government
but against the honor of God himself; daring to accuse all the princes of the
nation of being in error, of knowing nothing of the Scriptures, even of being
murderers of the Son of God? The Pope and his crowd lack the credentials of
such glory and endorsement by God. They have merely reared a system of
self-devised doctrine and idolatry, which they still defend. Hence, whatever
censure and condemnation we heap upon the Pope and his crowd is small in comparison
to the thrust Paul dealt the Jewish leaders.
14. Note, Paul does not stand back for anything. He teaches
men utterly to disregard the hue and cry of the offended Jews that they were
the high-priests, teachers, rulers in a government ordained by God and
commanding the obedience of the people; that teaching disobedience to them was
equivalent to teaching disobedience to parents and to civil government, yes, to
God himself - something in the nature of the case not to be tolerated. Yet Paul
fearlessly does so teach, as an apostle of God and in fulfilment of God's
command. How much more would Paul oppose our popish deceivers who, without the
authority of God's Word, boast themselves heads of the Church and of the people
of God, at the same time neither teaching nor understanding the Scriptures, but
offering their own drivel as God's commands!
15. But what cause has Paul at heart that he dares so boldly
condemn the judgment of these exalted officials? It is this, according to his own
statement: There is One called Jesus Christ, of whom the prophets, in fact the
entire Scriptures, speak. Him the Jews refuse to know. He is higher and greater
than the high-priests and the rulers, greater than the temple or the whole city
of Jerusalem. And the Jews know his coming means their passing, and their
obedience to him as Lord and Supreme Ruler. Therefore, they are inexcusable in
their rejection of Christ. Of no avail is their evasion, ”God has given us the
dominion and the supreme power, and has commanded obedience to us in equal
degree with obedience to parents.”
16. The fact that an individual is a lord or a prince, a
father or a mother, a child or a subject, administers authority or obeys it,
will not excuse him from being baptized and believing in Christ. For Christ is
sole and supreme Lord over all kings, princes and governors. True, we should be
obedient to parents and to civil authority, but not to the extent of disobeying
the Lord, him who has created and subjected to himself emperors and magistrates
equally with the lowliest of men. But the gentlemen and lords at Jerusalem,
like those of our day, were unwilling to permit obedience to any but
themselves. From such conditions arises the present dispute about
ecclesiastical authority. To go counter to it in obeying God's command - this
the ecclesiasts unjustly call disobedience and sedition. But such must be our
course if we are to be loyal to our Lord and theirs, whom they deny.
17. In the matter of salvation, Caiaphas or Pope, Caesar or king,
avails naught; none avails but Jesus Christ. ”Him,” says Paul, ”the rulers of
Jerusalem, the Holy City, have killed. Though ye were ordained by God and given
authority, God no longer regards you, because ye reject Christ. Ye have become
great blockheads, blind leaders, understanding not at all the Scriptures. Yet
ye should and would teach others, just as Moses and the prophets have pointed
to this Christ promised to you and to all the world for salvation and solace.
Persisting in your blindness, ye have brought him to the cross, though finding
in him no cause for condemnation. Surely, he did you no injury; he deprived you
of naught, neither money, goods, honor nor power, but has brought you all good
- even salvation - if ye will but receive him. But ye made
yourselves the very ones who fulfilled the Scriptures ye daily read - those who
put Christ to death and brought to pass the fact that he rose from the dead
(though without thanks to you or to Satan) and became a Lord commanding the
obedience of all creatures.
”We shall no longer regard what ye, or all the world, have
to say of our preaching Christ; it is all the same to us whether you rage or smile. For we boast the Lord, the Son of God, made
Lord over all the fathers through his resurrection. It is his will that we
preach of him, and that all men believe. Since ye refuse him, your God-given
privilege ceases, which, however, was granted only until the advent of the
Messiah. We must withdraw from you, renouncing your authority and priesthood,
and Jerusalem itself. We tell you plainly that we cannot and will not obey you
in opposition to the will of the Lord.”
18. Mark you, in order to make the Jews Christians, Paul had
to preach that Christ was already come; that he was no longer to be looked for.
He was obliged to bring home to them what they had done to Christ, they the
rulers and chief of those bearing the name of God's people and entrusted with
the Law and the order of divine worship - he was forced to do so that they
might perceive their sin and quit their boast of having the true
Law and worship, having nothing whatever wherein to glory before God. For,
though possessing the Law of Moses and having heard often enough the Word of
God, they would not recognize and receive the Messiah sent by God in accordance
with his promise, but condemned him and became his murderers. In view of this
fact, what does their boast about being Abraham's children, God's people,
possessors of the prophets, and the Law and the priesthood, amount to? These
privileges only magnify their sins, only make their guilt the more grievous,
before God. Not as blind, ignorant heathen, but as a people who have, and
should know, the Word of God, they wilfully put to death God's Son. Thus we
have the first part of Paul's sermon.
THE RESURRECTION AND FAITH.
19. The second part deals with the resurrection of Christ
and its power through faith. This is the goal Paul has in view when he tells
them that they have slain the Christ, thus effecting their condemnation by God
and forfeiting whatever glory they possessed as Jews, gaining shame and wrath
before God in its stead. To be still delivered from such condemnation, and to
obtain justification and salvation, as he expresses himself toward the end, it
is necessary to hear and believe the word concerning the selfsame Christ.
Moreover, inasmuch as they with their leaders have refused to receive and
recognize this Messiah when he preached and wrought miracles in person; now,
that he is invisible and absent in the body, they are called upon to receive
him whom they themselves have crucified unto death, and to believe that he is
risen from the dead as Lord over all, according to the testimony of the
apostles. The dreams of the past they are now utterly to forsake, and their
expectations of a Messiah still to come and elevate them with their Law and
manner of worship to fame, riches and position, and to spread abroad their
Moses and their priesthood in all the earth. They must now thank God for being
placed on the same footing with the gentiles, in that they may come with them
to the Word of salvation for the purpose of obtaining God's favor, remission of
sins and life eternal.
OLD TESTAMENT TESTIMONY.
20. Paul supports his discourse on the resurrection of
Christ with many strong Scripture texts. There is no doubt that he dwelt on
these at length and preached quite a sermon, which, however, has not been
recorded here in full, but only in part. The apostle's purpose was to point us
to the Old Testament Scriptures, that we might there make diligent study for
ourselves of how forcibly the prophets have spoken concerning Christ, his works
and his kingdom.
21. The first text Paul cites is from the Second Psalm,
which treats throughout of the Messiah and his reign, as even the Jews at the
time when wisdom still prevailed had to admit. Christ's own words are: ”I will
tell of the decree: Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I
begotten thee.” Paul says he is here quoting from the First Psalm, though in
all editions, old and new, this psalm comes second in order. But the apostle
does not have reference to the technical arrangement of the psalms in a book,
but to the order of his quotations. The thought is: ”First, I will prove it
from the psalm,” or, ”First, as written in the psalm.” just as the preacher of
today says, ”I observe, first,” or, ”It is written, first, in the psalm,”
whether the psalm be the first, second, twentieth or thirtieth, he not having
reference to the order of the psalm but to the order in which he cites it.
22. But how does Paul make this text prove the resurrection
of Christ? It is truly a strong statement, and no doubt the apostle fully
explained it, amplifying it beautifully and well. The psalm refers to that
Messiah, or King, who shall reign in the Jewish nation, among the people; for
the writer says plainly, ”I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion,” or
Jerusalem. The King, then, must be true man like other
men. Indeed, the psalmist adds that the kings and rulers of earth shall rage and persecute him, which could not be unless he reigned
upon earth.
23. But this verse also makes the King true
God, for here God calls him his own Son, begotten of himself in his divine,
eternal essence and majesty. He is, then, not an adopted Son, but the true Son of God by birth. Being man, however, just like
others, he must, in accord with his human nature, die; indeed, he must suffer
crucifixion and death at the hands of the lords of the world. But, again, if he
be also the begotten Son of God and therefore true
God, he cannot, even according to his human nature, remain in death; he must
come forth from it, must triumph over it, becoming Lord of life and death
forever. Here is an indivisible Being, at the same time a Son of the virgin of
the house of David and of God. Such cannot remain in death. If he enter death,
it must be to overcome and conquer it, yes, to slay it, to destroy it; and to
bring to pass that in him as Lord shall reign naught but life, life for all who
receive him. This subject is elsewhere more fully
expounded.
24. But the succeeding text cited on the resurrection - from
Isaiah 55, 3 - reads yet more strangely: ”I will give
you the holy and sure blessings of David,” which in the Hebrew is: ”I will make
an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” The prophet
has reference to the promise made to David in Second
Samuel 7, concerning Christ. In the preceding verses of the chapter, Isaiah
most tenderly entreats and invites the whole world to receive the promises of
salvation, for thereby shall the poor, the wretched and the afflicted obtain
the great treasures of joy and salvation. And immediately following the verse
quoted, he speaks of the Messiah, the promised seed of David, as given to the
Levites for a ”witness”in other words, a preacher sent by God - and for ”a
leader and commander to the peoples.” The thought is of a King and Ruler
differing from Moses and his priests and exponents of the Law; a ruler
differing from every other lord, ruler and king, from David and all worldly
rulers whatever, subjecting everything to himself. Not that this Leader should
set up a new temporal government, or extend Jewish authority among the
gentiles, but that both Jews and gentiles should receive him and believe in
him, obtaining the fulfilment of that promise he here terms a covenant of the
sure mercies of David. This covenant, God says, he enters into and keeps, a
divine, sure covenant: through Christ shall be given whatever blessings God's
mercy shall bestow, with remission or blotting out of sins, redemption from death
and life eternal. 25. Now, if the Christ of this covenant is true
man and, as the promise to David is, of David's flesh and blood; and if he is
to bring eternal mercy, he must likewise be God, such gift being in the
province and power of God alone. This being true, he cannot remain in death,
although he may suffer death by reason of his human nature; he must of his own
power rise from the dead. Only so can he raise others
and give them everlasting life; only so can he truly
be called eternal King of grace, righteousness and life, according to the sure
promise of God.
26. Therefore, wherever the Scriptures speak of Christ's
eternal kingdom, and of everlasting grace, they point out this article of the
resurrection of Christ. No doubt, the apostle in explanation of the text from
the Second Psalm quoted other Old Testament passages; for instance, Psalm 110,
1: ”Jehovah saith unto my lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine
enemies thy footstool”; also verse 4: ”Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent:
Thou art a priest for ever.” In these passages God has promised to give us Christ, him who was to sit at his right hand - that
is, have the omnipotent, divine power possible only to an eternal Lord and King
- and at the same time to have his kingdom on earth, at Zion - or Jerusalem;
and who was, moreover, to be a priest forever, being taken from among men and
like unto them, even in his ability to die, yet at the same time continuing a
priest forever, thereby forestalling the necessity of remaining in death and
grave.
27. The third passage cited by Paul is taken from the
Sixteenth Psalm, which is in reality one of the Messianic psalms. This is the
psalm Peter in his first sermon on the day of Pentecost more
fully explains, drawing from it the irresistible conclusion, so apparent in his
own words, that Christ indeed has died; not, however, to become victim to decay
in the tomb, but, proof against mortal destruction and hurt, to arise on the
third day.
Easter Tuesday, or Third Easter Day
Luke 24:36-47
The Manifestation of Christ After His Resurrection, and the
Sermon He Preached to His Disciples
I. Christ's Manifestation after His Resurrection
Luke 24:36-47
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in
the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were
terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said
unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in
your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle
me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when
he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet
believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took
it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I
spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled,
which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms,
concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand
the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third
day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
I. Christ's Manifestation after His
Resurrection
1. I think beloved, you have heard enough in these days on the
resurrection of Christ, what it works, why it came to pass, and what fruit it
bears. But since the Lord has commanded those who preach the Gospel to be
steadfast and diligent in this proclamation, we must dwell upon it ever more and more. Our Gospel shows, first, who hear of the
Lord's resurrection profitably and fruitfully, namely they are here assembled
in fear and dread behind closed doors. To them it ought also to be preached
most of all, although it must be preached to all nations, as the Lord says at
the end of the Gospel of Matthew. Therefore, let us learn first of all what
kind of persons hear the Gospel aright.
2. The disciples are gathered there together in seclusion.
They are afraid of the Jews are, indeed, in danger of their lives; they are fearful
and fainthearted and afraid of sin and death. Had they been strong and
courageous, they would not thus have crept into a corner; even as afterward
they were made so courageous, when the Holy Spirit
came and strengthened and comforted them, that they stepped forth and preached
publicly without fear. This is written for us, that we might learn that the
Gospel of Christ's resurrection comforts only the fainthearted. And who are
these? They are the poor, conscience-stricken ones, whose sins lie heavily upon
them, who feel their faint heart, are loth to die, and
are well-nigh startled by the sound of a rustling leaf. To these contrite,
poor, and needy souls, the Gospel offers comfort, to them it is a sweet savor.
3. This is also learned from the nature of the Gospel, for
the Gospel is a message and a testimony, which declares how the Lord Jesus
Christ rose from the dead, that he might remove sin, death and all evil from
all who believe on him. If I recognize him as such a Savior, I have heard the
Gospel aright, and he has in truth revealed himself to me. If now the Gospel
teaches naught but that Christ has overcome sin and death by his resurrection,
then we must indeed confess that it can be of service to none save those who
feel sin and death. For they who do not feel their sin, and are not dismayed,
nor see their infirmities, profit not a whit by it, nor do they delight in it.
And though they hear the Gospel, it has no effect upon them, except that they
learn the words, and speak of what they heard. They do not treasure them in
their hearts, and receive neither comfort nor joy from them.
4. Hence it were well, if the Gospel could be preached only
where such fainthearted and conscience-stricken ones are found. But this can
not be, and for this reason it bears so little fruit. For this they reproach us
and say that we wish to preach many new things, and yet no one is better
because of our doctrine. The fault is not in the Gospel, but in the hearers.
They hear it, indeed, but they do not feel their own affliction and misery, nor
have they ever tried to feel it, they simply go on, secure and reprobate, like
dumb brutes. Hence none need marvel if the Gospel does not everywhere bring
forth fruit. For beside the good hearers, of whom we have spoken, there are
many others that have no regard for it at all, have neither a conscience nor a
heart for it, and think neither of death nor of the salvation of their souls.
These must be driven by force, like asses and dumb brutes, and for this purpose
the civil sword is established. Again there are some who do not despise the
Gospel, but fully understand it, yet do not amend their lives, nor strive to
walk in it. They carry away only the words and prate
much about them, but neither deeds nor fruit follow. The third class, however,
are they that taste it and use it aright so that it bears fruit in them.
5. This is then the conclusion of the matter, the Gospel is
a testimony of the resurrection of Christ, which serves to comfort and refresh
the poor, sorrowing, and terrified consciences. There is need that we have
clearly apprehended this truth when we come to die,
and also that we may provide for it in every other need. If you think: Behold,
now death is approaching and staring me in the face; would that I had someone
to comfort me, that I might not despair, then know that for this purpose the
Gospel is good, here it belongs, here its use is blessed and salutary. As soon
as a man knows and understands this, and believes the Gospel, his heart finds
peace and says: If Christ, my Lord, has overcome my sin, and trodden it under
foot by his resurrection, wherefore should I fear, and of what should I be
afraid? Why should not my heart rejoice and be of good cheer? But such comfort,
peace and joy of heart, are felt by none save the small company which was
before greatly dismayed and full of sorrow, and felt its infirmities. Hence
also the rude and impenitent understand neither this nor any other Gospel, for
he that has not tasted the bitter cannot relish the sweet, and he that has not
seen adversity does not understand happiness. For as in the world that man who
neither cares nor attempts to do any thing, and endures nothing, is good for
nothing; so in a more eminent degree in spiritual things it is not possible
that anyone should understand the Gospel except he who has such a dismayed and
terrified heart.
6. From this you should learn that it is no marvel, that
many who hear the Gospel do not receive it nor live according to it. Everywhere
there are many who reject and persecute it, but we must let them go and grow
accustomed to their work. Where the Gospel is preached, such people will surely
be found; and it if were otherwise, it would not be right, for there must be
many kinds of hearers. Again, many will be found, who do not persecute it and
yet do not receive it, for they bear no fruit and continue to live as before.
Be not worried because of this for even though a man preach and continue in the
Gospel for many years, he must still lament and say: Aye, no one will come, and
all continue in their former state. Therefore you must let that grieve nor
terrify you.
7. For note what took place at Jerusalem, where the Gospel
was first heard, and where there were so many people that it is said, there were
in the city at the feast of the Passover eleven hundred thousand men. How many
of these were converted? When St. Peter stood up and preached, they made a mockery of it and considered the apostles drunken
fools. When they had urged the Gospel a long time, they gathered together three
thousand men and women. But what were they among so many? Yea, no one could
discern that the Gospel had accomplished anything, for all things continued in
the same state as before. No change was seen, and scarcely anyone knew that
there were Christians there. And so it will be at all times.
8. Hence the Gospel must not be measured by the multitude
that hear, but by the small company that receive it. They, indeed, appear as
nothing, they are despised and persecuted, and yet God secretly works in them.
9. Besides this there is another thing that hinders the free
movement of the Gospel, namely the infirmities of the believers. This we see in
many examples. Thus although Peter was filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
yet he fell and stumbled, he and all that were with him, when he walked not
according to the Gospel nor according as he had taught, so that Paul had to
reprove him openly, Gal. 2,14. There clung to him many great and holy men, and
all stumbled with him. Again, we read that Mark journeyed with Paul, but
afterward fell away and withdrew from him; and in Acts 15,37 we read again that
Paul and Barnabas strove together, and there arose a sharp contention between
them. And, before this, we read in the Gospels how often the apostles erred in
weighty matters though they were the best of Christians.
10. These infirmities of Christians and believers darken the
Gospel most of all, so that men who deem themselves wise and learned stumble
and are offended in them. Few there are who can well reconcile these tings so
as to take no offense and hence say: Yes, these desire to be good Christians,
and are still so wayward, envious, filled with hate and wrath, that one thinks
the Gospel has been preached in vain. This really signifies to be offended in
the weak and sick Christ.
11. It was also thus with the disciples. At first, when
Christ wrought great and excellent works, and gained great honors, and began
the work only to fulfill it, they remained steadfast, though many great and noble
saints and learned men were offended, because he would not join them. The
common man on the contrary was instructed, and the people clung to him, because
they saw that with great power he wrought such excellent works; and also walked
as that none could reproach him, but all must needs say: Truly this is a great
and holy prophet! But when his suffering began, they all turned back and
forsook him, and not one of his disciples continued with him. Why was this?
Because they considered him not the strong, but the weak Christ. He now was in
the hands of the Jews, did no more works and miracles
just as if he had lost all his power and was forsaken of God. Then perished
completely his power and his great name. Before, they counted him a prophet,
the like of whom had never appeared; now he is rated as a murderer and a
condemned man. Who could now see that this was Christ, the Son of God? Here all
reason must fall, yea, all the great and holy saints; for they thought: If he
were the Christ, there would needs appear the fruits whereby we might know that
it is he, but now we see in him only weakness and sin and death.
12. Therefore it is the highest wisdom on earth, though it
is known by very few men, how to bear with the weak Christ. For if I see a
pious, holy man leading a beautiful godly life, who will thank me for praising
him and saying: There is Christ, and there is righteousness? For although
bishops and great dunces be offended in such a one, the common people will be
instructed. But if he be feeble and falter, straightway everyone will be
offended and say: Alas! I had imagined him to be a good Christian, but I see
that he falls short of it. However, if they look about them, they will find
none without like infirmities, yea, they will perceive it in themselves. Still
they think that the Gospel has come to naught. Thus might they think, if God
were not able, in his wisdom, to hide it, even as he put a covering over Christ
when he drew over him death and weakness, and Christ was under it, though no
man could see it. Hence he told his disciples in advance, Mt. 26,31: ”All, all
you, shall be offended in me, and shall no more think
nor believe that I am the Christ.” Hence if we judge the Gospel, as I have
said, according to the infirmity and weakness of Christians, as they stumble at
times, a very great obstacle is presented at which offense is taken and the
Gospel is thought to be without power.
13. Therefore he that would know Christ aright must not give heed to the covering. And though you see another
stumble, do not despair, nor think all hope is lost; but rather think: God,
perchance, will have this one bear the weak Christ, even as another bears the
strong; for both must be and abide on earth, though the greater part appear
weak and are such especially in our day. But if you pierce
through such weakness, you will find that Christ lies hidden in that weak
person, he will come forth and show himself.
14. That is what Paul means when he says to the Corinthians,
in his First Epistle 2,2: ”I determined not to know anything among you, save
Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” What kind of glory is this that impels him to
write that he knows nothing, save Christ crucified? It is a thing, that neither
reason nor human wisdom can understand nor yet they who have studied and learned
the Gospel; for this wisdom is mighty, hidden and mysterious, and seems of no
value, because he was crucified and emptied himself of all power and divine
strength, and hung upon the cross like a wretched, forsaken man, and it seemed
as if God would not help him. Of him alone I speak and preach, says St. Paul.
For the Christ, that sits on high, does wonders, comes and breaks through with
power, that all may see who he is, and may quickly come to know him. But to
know the weak Christ, that is hanging upon the cross and lying in death, one
needs great wisdom; for they who know him not, must needs stumble and be
offended.
15. Yea, some are also found who really know the Gospel, but
are offended at their own manner of life. They have a desire to walk in godliness,
but they feel they make no progress. They begin to despair and think that with
them all is lost because they do not feel the strength which they ought to
have, also earnestly desire Christ to become strong in them and manifest
himself in mighty deeds. But Jehovah, our God, hereby designs to humble us,
that we may see what feeble creatures we are, what wretched, lost and condemned
men, if Christ had not come and helped us. Behold, that is the great wisdom we
have, and at which all the world is offended.
16. But thereby we have no furlough, to continue for all
time in weakness, for we do not preach that any should be weak, but that we
should know the weakness of Christians and bear with it. Christ did not hang
upon the cross, that he might appear as a murderer and evildoer, but that we
might learn thereby how deeply strength lies hidden under weakness, and might
learn to know God's strength in weakness. Thus our weakness is not to be
praised, as though we should abide in it, but rather must we learn not to think
that those who are weak are not Christians,
nor yet to despair when we feel our own weakness. Therefore it behooves us to
know our own weaknesses and ever to seek to wax stronger, for Christ must not
suffer always, nor remain in the grave, but must come forth again and live.
17. Hence, let none say that this is the true
course and condition. It is only a beginning, in which we must grow day by day,
giving heed only that we turn not away and despair when we are so weak, as though
all were lost. Rather must we continue to exercise ourselves till we wax
stronger and stronger, and endure and bear the weakness, until God helps and
takes it away. Hence, even though you see your neighbor so weak that he
stumbles, think not that he is beyond hope. God will not have one judge another
and be pleased with himself, inasmuch as we are all sinners, but that one bear
the infirmity of the other (Rom. 14 and Gal. 6). And if you will not do that,
he will let you fall and cast you down, and raise the other up. He desires to
have us help one another and bear each other's weaknesses.
18. I have thus spoken of our infirmity in order that you
may have a good understanding of it, for such knowledge is very necessary,
especially at this time. Oh, if our bishops, pastors, and prelates had had this
wisdom, for they needed it the most, how much better would conditions be in
Christendom! They would then be able to bear with the weak consciences, and
would know how to minister to them. But now it has come to this, that they look
only to the strong Christians, and can never bear with the weak; but deal only
harshly with them and proceed with force. In times past, when conditions were
yet good, the bishops were sorely wanting in this, for, though they were great
and holy men, they yet constrained and oppressed the consciences too much. Such
things do not take place among Christians, for it is Christ's will to be weak
and sickly yet for a while, and to have both flesh and bones together, as he
says here in the Gospel: ”Handle me and see , for a
spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye behold me having.” He would have both,
not bones only, nor flesh only. Thus we read in Gen. 2,23, that when God
created Eve, Adam said: ” This is now bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh.” He says not flesh only or bones only; speaks of
having both himself, for he too must needs have both. So it is also with Christ
and with us, and hence he says here: I have both flesh and bones, you will find
in me not only bones, nor yet only flesh; you will find that I am both strong
and sick.
19. Thus also my Christians must be so mingled together,
that some are strong and some weak. They that are strong, walk uprightly, are
hale and hearty, and must bear the others; they are the bones. The others are
the weak that cleave unto the strong. they are also the greater number, as in a
body there will always be found more flesh than bones.
Hence Jesus was crucified and died, and likewise was quickened again and
glorified, that he might not be a spirit, as the disciples here deem him to be
and were filled with fear of him, thinking that because he is not only bone and the strong Christ, it is not he, but a ghost.
20. This wisdom was diligently urged by the apostles and by
Christ himself, and, beside this, I know of no book in which it is urged. Only
this one book, the New Testament, urges it constantly, and everywhere strives
to set before the people the weak and the strong Christ. Thus says St. Paul to
the Romans 15,1-3: ”Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the
weak and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us please his neighbor for
that which is good, unto edifying. For Christ also pleased not himself.” Hence
we must do the same, and this is the wisdom we are to learn here.
21. To this school belong all that are pictured here in this
Gospel, whom Christ finds terrified and frightened. The others, who do not
belong here, are easily identified, for they reject and despise the Gospel. In
like manner everyone can know himself, whether he truly takes pleasure in the
Gospel. And if you see in another's behavior evidence of an earnest desire to
be made holy, you should not despise him.
22. This Gospel therefore shows the following: First, that
the Lord stands among the disciples and is now strong, having overcome sin,
death, and the devil; but they do not stand as yet, but sit there, and he comes
and stands in the midst of them. Where does he stand at the present time? In
the midst of the weak and fainthearted company, that sit in fear and weakness,
while he is strong and mighty, though it is not yet apparent to the world. But
even though the world does not see it, God sees it. Second, he shows them his
hands and his feet, and comforts them, saying: ”Why are ye troubled? and wherefore do questionings arise in your hearts? See my
hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit has not
flesh and bones,” etc.
23. This is nothing but a sermon that teaches us not to be
offended in the weak Christ. He does not rebuke the disciples harshly, does not
say: Away with you; I do not want you. You should be strong and courageous, but
here you sit and are dismayed and terrified! He does not do these things; but
lovingly comforts them, that he might make them strong and fearless, and not
only this, but also cheerful and of good courage. Therefore we ought not to
cast away the weak, but so deal with them that, from day to day, we may bring
them to a condition that they may become strong and of good cheer. This does
not signify that it is well, if they are weak, and that they should continue
weak; for Christ does not stand among them for that purpose, but that they
might grow in faith and be made fearless.
24. Here we may also speak, as the text gives occasion, of
ghosts or walking spirits, for we see here that the Jews and the apostles
themselves held that spirits roam about and are seen by night and at other
times. Thus Mt. 14,25f, when the disciples sailed in a ship by night, and saw
Jesus walking on the sea, they were frightened, as before a ghost, and cried
out in fear. And here we learn that Jesus does not deny it but confirms it by
his answer that spirits do appear, for he says: ”A spirit has not flesh and
bones,” etc.
25. But the Scriptures do not say, nor give
any example, that such are the souls of dead persons walking among the people
and seeking help, as we, in our blindness and deluded by the devil, have
heretofore believed. Hence the pope has, also, invented purgatory and
established his shameful annual market of masses. We may well see in this false
doctrine and abomination as a fruit, that the foundation on which it is built,
namely the doctrine of the migration of souls, comes from the father of lies,
the devil, who has deluded the people in the name of the dead.
26. We have good reason not to believe such apparitions of
roaming erring spirits that profess to be souls. First, because the Scriptures
nowhere say that the souls of the deceased, that have not yet risen, should
wander about among the people; whereas everything else we need to know, is
clearly revealed in the Scriptures. Not one word concerning this is given for
our instruction, nor is it possible that we should grasp and understand the
state of the spirits that have departed from the body, before the resurrection
and the day of judgment; for they are sundered and separated altogether from
the world and from this generation. Moreover, it is clearly forbidden in the
Scriptures to consult the dead or to believe them who do. Deut. 18,11; Is.
28,19. And Lk. 16,31 proves that God will neither let one rise
from the dead nor preach, because we have Moses and the Scriptures.
27. Know therefore that all ghosts and visions, which cause
themselves to be seen and heard, especially with din and noise, are not men's
souls, but evidently devils that amuse themselves thus either to deceive the
people with false claims and lies, or unnecessarily frighten and trouble them.
Hence with a specter that makes a pretense in the name of a soul a Christian
should not deal otherwise than as with the very devil himself. He should be
well girded with God's Word and faith, that he may not be deceived nor
frightened, but abide in the doctrine that he has learned and confessed from
the Gospel of Christ, and cheerfully despise the devil with his noise. Nor does
he tarry long where he feels a soul trusts in Christ and despises him. This I
say that we may be wise and not suffer ourselves to be misled by such deception
and lies, as in the past he deceived and mocked even excellent men, like St. Gregory,
under the name of being a soul.
28. Now what does it signify that he shows the disciples his
hands and his feet? He would thereby say: Come, and learn to know me. Now I am
strong, but you are weak, as I also was. Therefore see to it now that you become
strong also.
II. The Sermon Christ Preached to His Disciples
29. The above is one chief part of this Gospel; the other
follows at the end of the Gospel, where the Lord concludes by saying: ”Thus it
is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise
again from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name unto all the nations.”
30. Here you see that the Gospel is the preaching of
repentance and remission of sins. And it should not be preached in a corner,
but before all men, whether it be received, or not, for it is to spread even
farther that it may be heard and bear fruit. Hence we are not to be offended
though but few receive it, nor say it has been given in vain. We should,
rather, be content with it, that Christ has given command to preach it in all
the world, that he who will may receive it. But we must note here in
particular, that he says:
31. First, let us consider two thoughts. By repentance he
means a change for the better; not as we have called it repentance, when one
scourges and castigates himself and does penance to atone for his sin, or when the priest imposes
this or that upon any one for penance. Scripture does not speak of it in this
sense. Repentance rather- signifies here a change and reformation of the whole
life; so that when one knows that he is a sinner, and feels the iniquity of his
life, he, desists from it and enters upon a better course of life, in word and
deed, and that he does it from his heart.
32. What then is repentance in his name? Hereby he singles
out the repentance that is not made in his name, and hence the text compels us
to consider two kinds of repentance. First, a repentance not in his name is,
when I come with my own works and undertake to blot out sin with them; as we
all have hitherto been taught and have tried to do. This is not repentance in
God's name, but in the devil's name. For this is striving to propitiate God by
our own works and by our own strength, a thing God cannot allow.
33. But on the other hand, to repent in his name is done
thus: in those who believe in Christ God through the same faith works a change
for the better, not for a moment, nor for an hour, but for their whole life.
For a Christian is not instantaneously or suddenly cleansed perfectly, but the
reformation and change continue as long as he live. Though we use the utmost
diligence, we will always find something to sweep or clean. For even though all
wickedness be overcome, we have not yet overcome the fear of death, for few have
come so far as to desire death with a spirit of rejoicing; hence, we must grow
better day by day. this is what Paul means, when he says in 2 Cor. 4,16:
”Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.”
For we hear the Gospel every day, and Christ shows us his hands and his feet
every day that our minds may be still more
enlightened, and we be made more and more godly.
34. For this reason Christ would say, let no one strive to
amend his life by his own works and in his own name; for of themselves no one
is an enemy of sin, no one will come to repentance and think of amending his
life. Nothing will be accomplished except in my name. That name alone has power
to do it, and brings with it willing-ness and desire to be changed. But if the
works and doctrines of men be taught, I will go and say to myself: O, that I
might not need to pray, nor make confession, nor go to the Lord's Supper! What
will your repentance profit you, if you fail to do it gladly or willingly, but
are constrained by the commandment or by fear of shame, otherwise you would
rather not do it? But what is the reason? Because it is a repentance in the
devil's name, in your own name or in the pope's name. Hence you go on and do
worse things, and wish there were no confession and sacrament, so that you
might not be constrained to attend them. This is repentance in our own name and
proceeds from our own strength.
35. But when I begin to believe in Christ, lay hold of the
Gospel, and doubt not that he has taken away my sin and blotted it out, and
comforts me with his resurrection; my heart is filled with such gladness that I
myself take hold willingly, not through persuasion, nor of necessity, I gladly
do what I ought and say: Because my Lord has done this for me, I will also do
his will in this, that I may amend my ways and repent out of love to him and to
his glory. In this way a true reformation begins that proceeds from the
innermost heart, and that is brought forth by the joy that flows from faith,
when I apprehend the greatness of the love Christ has bestowed upon me.
36. Secondly, we should preach also forgiveness of sins in
his name. This signifies nothing else than that the Gospel should be preached,
which declares unto all the world that in Christ the sins of all the world are
swallowed up, and that he suffered death to put away sin from us, and arose to
devour it, and blot it out. All this he did, that whoever believeth, should
have the comfort and assurance that it is reckoned unto, him even as if he
himself had done it; that his work is mine and thine and all men's; yea that he
gives himself to us with all his gifts to be our own personal property. Hence,
as he is without sin and never dies by virtue of his resurrection even so I
also am if I believe in him; and I will therefore strive to become more and more godly, till there be no more sin in me. This
continues as long as we live, until the day of judgment. As he is, without sin,
he sets before us an example, that we might be fashioned like unto him, though
while we live here, we shall be fully like the image.
37. St. Paul speaks of this in writing to the Corinthians:
”We all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are
transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” 2 Cor. 3, I8. Christ,
even as he is risen, is the image, and is set before us that we might know that
he rose from the dead to overcome our sin. This image stands before us and is
set before our eyes by the Gospel, and is so mirrored in our hearts that we
grasp it by faith, if we hold it to be true and daily exercise ourselves in it.
Thus the glory is imparted by him to us, and it comes to pass that we become
ever more glorious, and grow into the same image that
he is. Hence he also says that we are not at once made
perfect and strong, but must grow from day to day till we become like him. Many
similar passages are here and there in the Scriptures.
38. This then is preaching the forgiveness of sins in his
name, that we do not point only to confession, or to a certain hour; for we
must act in view of the fact that it deals not with our works but with the
whole person. Even when we begin to believe, our sin and infirmity are always
present so that there is nothing pure in us and we are indeed worthy of
condemnation. But now forgiveness is so great and powerful, that God not only
forgives the former sins you have committed; but looks through his fingers and
forgives the sins you will yet commit, He will not condemn us for our daily
infirmities, but forgives all, in view of our faith in him, if we only strive
to press onward and get rid of sin.
39. Here you may see what a difference there is between this
and that which has heretofore been preached, of buying letters of indulgence,
and of confessions, by which it was thought sin could be blotted out. So far as
this was pressed and such confidence was there put in it, that men were
persuaded if any one should die upon it, he would
straightway mount to heaven. They did not know that we have still more sin and will not be rid of it, as long as we live. They
supposed that all is well if only we have been to confession. Hence this is a
forgiveness in the name of the devil. But see that you understand it correctly:
By absolution you are absolved and declared free from sin, that is, you are put
into that state, where there is forgiveness of sin at never ends. And not only
is there forgiveness of past sins, but of those also you now have, if you
believe that God overlooks and forgives your sins; and although you stumble
still, yet he will neither reject nor condemn you, if you continue in faith.
This teaching is heard indeed in all the world, but few there be that
understand it.
40. Thus you have heard what the Gospel is, and what
repentance and forgiveness of sins are, whereby we enter into another, a new
state, out of the old. But take heed, lest you trust in this and become
sluggish, thinking that when you sin there is no danger, and thus boldly
persist in sin. This would be sinning in spite of God's mercy and would tempt
God. But if desire to be delivered from sin, it is well with you, and all is
forgiven. So much then on the second part of this Gospel, and with it we shall
for the present content ourselves.
Easter Tuesday, or Third Easter Day
Second sermon, Luke 24:36-47.
Contents:
A consoling example and picture of Christ, and the sermon
Christ preached to his disciples.
I. A COMFORTING
EXAMPLE AND PICTURE OF CHRIST
1. In the first part of this Gospel we have for our
consolation another example showing how Christ manifests himself and how he is
wont to act toward his beloved disciples. They have scarcely begun to speak of
him, when he himself comes and stands in their midst and greets them with these
kind and cheerful words: “Pax vobis!” (Peace be unto you!) The disciples,
however, are frightened at this and suppose they behold a spirit. But he
suffers them not to be thus frightened, rebukes them for allowing such thoughts
to enter their hearts, and shows them his hands and feet; that they may see
that he is not a spirit, nor another Christ than he has been in the past, but
is of their own flesh and bones and of the selfsame nature as they. This he
does that they may not be afraid of him, but may rejoice in him and be
comforted, and look to him for good things.
2. For this example of his conduct is to serve as an object
lesson as it were, instilling comfort into all terrified hearts; especially
against that spectre called a false Christ. For the devil also has the habit of
coming to people, both in public and in private, either through false doctrine
or through secret inward working, and he even pretends to be Christ himself. He
begins with a pleasant greeting, with a smiling “good morning;” but ere long he
smites the heart with sorrow and dread, that it knows not what has become of
Christ.
3. For his delight is to deceive us under the name and guise
of Christ; and he is ever desirous of aping God and of imitating him in all
that he sees him do. Now, when God reveals himself he employs the following
manner: First, in deed, he terrifies those who have not been terrified as yet.
Besides, hearts that are naturally timid always stand in dread of his words and
works by reason of their timid nature. But those who are terrified already, he
comforts again and speaks kindly to them. The devil imitates this and likewise
comes with the name and works of Christ; but both his comfort and his terrors
are counterfeit. For he reverses the two, terrifying and dismaying those who
stand in need of comfort, and comforting and strengthening those who should be
afraid and stand in fear of God’s wrath. To shield ourselves against this
deception, we should learn from this Gospel to distinguish correctly between
the doctrines and ideas that come to our notice, both such as terrify and such
as comfort, that we may know which of them are of God and which of the devil.
4. For, in the first place, that lying spirit, already in
Paradise, began this sweet deception when he approached Eve with his courteous,
kind, and honeyed words: Why, there is no danger. You need not stand in fear
and dread of eating of one single tree. Do you suppose that God has really
forbidden you this one fruit, that he begrudges you the eating of this one
tree? Indeed, he knows, if you eat thereof, you will become much wiser and will
be as God. This was, indeed, very encouraging and a pleasing sermon, but it
left an abominable stench behind, and by it the whole human race was led into
the evil, which we all to this day deplore. For this reason it has become a
common saying among men who have striven to be devout and sought to discern the
spirits, that the devil always comes with winning and cheering words at first,
but leaves terror and a troubled conscience in his wake, while the Good Spirit
does the contrary.
5. And it is true, this is one of
the wanton tricks he practices. He creeps in unawares, like a serpent, and
first makes himself attractive, in the manner indicated, and insinuates himself
into favor; but before one is aware of it he strikes with his tail and leaves a
poisoned wound. For this reason one should not be too credulous when a preacher
comes softly like an angel of God, recommends himself very highly, and swears
that his sole aim is to save souls, and says: “Pax vobis!” For those are the
very fellows the devil employs to honey people’s mouths. Through them he gains
an entrance to preach and to teach, in order that he may afterward inflict his
injuries, and that though he accomplish nothing more
for the present, he may, at least, confound the people’s consciences and
finally lead them into misery and despair.
6. This same thing he does by means of thoughts which he
causes to arise within the heart, by which he tempts people and even entices
them to gross sins. Here, too, he invariably begins with the word “Peace!” that
he may first cause the people to lose sight of the fear of God; making light of
grave matters, and always preaching and proclaiming: “Pax et securitas!” There
is no cause for worry! But much more does he do this
with those great and serious sins pertaining to the faith and the glory of God,
in which he moves people to idolatry and to a trust in their own works and
holiness. Here he at first pretends to be holy and pious and impart the very
sweetest of thoughts: Oh, there is no cause for alarm, God is not angry with
you. Even as the prophets say of such. Jeremiah
7. Behold, this is one of his ways, by which he misleads
many foolish, secure, and careless minds; he leads them to imagine that they
are resting in God’s lap and playing with dolls, with him. And they become so intoxicated
with these imaginations and this sweet poison of the devil, so proud, hardened,
and obstinate, that they simply will not listen nor give
heed to anybody. However, some God-fearing people have noticed this and have
warned others against the devil’s wiles, declaring how he enters in so softly
and pretends he is bringing divine comfort, but at last leaves a stench behind
betraying that he has been about. But this is comparatively easy and a matter
for younger disciples. Every Christian should certainly possess enough wisdom
to be on his guard against such pleasant poison. For he who insists on learning
by experience to guard against the devil’s wiles, pays dearly for his learning
and then he doesn’t fully understand the devil’s trickery.
8. His second way of doing is this: He frightens people,
even in trifling matters, by means of jugglery, for example, and by
apparitions. He has been very busy in the past with tappings which were
supposed to be the work of departed souls. In this way he harasses and
terrifies timid and fearful hearts and thus passes on, leaving no comfort
behind. Much worse, however, is it, when he comes into the heart and there
begins to argue and reason, quoting even such passages as Christ himself
uttered, thereby causing the heart to become so awe-stricken that it has no
other thought than that it hears the voice of God and Christ. And when thoughts
of this kind prevail the heart must at last despair, for where else shall it
hope to find comfort when it feels that God himself, who should be its comfort,
is terrifying it and aiming his arrows at it; as Job complains in 6, 4: “For
the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof my spirit drinketh
up: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.” Though it is not
God that does this but the devil, who takes pleasure in thus piercing hearts
with his arrows (as also he did to St. Paul,2 Cor 12),
yet Satan had gained such a hold on Job’s heart that the poor man could say and
think nothing but this: It is God that doeth these things.
9. This, then, is a much greater and more
dangerous deception of Satan’s, when he comes without any kindly greeting,
bidding us neither “Good morning” nor “Peace” but frightens and terrifies the
heart – and all in the voice and guise of God. So that man, overpowered and
stricken down hereby is unable to raise himself up and think: It is the devil.
For since his heart imagines and feels as if it were God, against whom no man
can prevail, heaven and earth seem to him as a narrow cell, the hand of every
creature is against him and everything he sees and hears affrights him.
10. As contrasted with this shameless lying Satan, Christ
has here portrayed and pictured himself as he really is. For although it is true that he, too, sometimes comes with terrors, sometimes
with comfort, still it is his sole and final purpose to give life and comfort
and make glad the heart. And yet the heart of man is so void of understanding
in both cases that it does not recognize him (the devil at the same time
assisting in the delusion with his suggestions), and does not think that it is
Christ, or straightway makes of him a false Christ, even as the Apostles here
take him for a spirit or spectre; and they have neither heart nor mind to
believe it is Christ, in spite of the fact that they see Christ’s form and
features. It is, therefore, the part of great art and understanding to tear the
false Christ out of one’s heart and to learn to picture him truly, because as
has been said, one must bear in mind that the devil pictures to us a false
Christ, yea clothes himself in Christ’s form.
11. So then, this Gospel shows what the true
Christ and his Word are, namely, in the first place, that he says, “Peace be
unto you,” which is a portion of the comfort that he brings; and, in the second
place, that he reproves the people and will not suffer them to form false and
fretful ideas of himself and says: “Why are ye troubled? and
wherefore do questionings arise in your hearts?” No wealth of money or
goods could ever pay for this text, because a troubled heart may learn from it
and conclude: Even though the devil quote all the passages in the Bible in
order to terrify the heart, yet if he continue too long and fail to bring
comfort afterward, then it is surely the devil, even if you see the form of
Christ as plainly as when he hung upon the cross or as he sits at the right
hand of the Father. For it may, indeed, happen, that Christ comes and terrifies
you at first; though it is by no means his fault, but the fault of your nature,
that you ‘do not rightly know him. But he that assails you with terrors and
ceases not until he leads you into despair, is the devil himself.
12. Therefore you must clearly distinguish between the
terrors of Christ and those of the devil. For even though Christ begin by
terrifying, yet he is certain to bring comfort with him and does not will that
you remain in terror. The devil, however, cannot cease from his terrifying
although at first he comforts and acts pleasantly. This a Christian must know:
he must learn to discern Christ from the devil. Especially in great
afflictions, when he feels anxiety and dread, he must bear in mind that there
will not be terrors only and continually, but that they will’ cease and that
comfort will follow.
13. But, you say, it is Christ and his Word after all, for
he, too, preaches about God’s wrath on account of sin, as he says, Luke 13:5:
“Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” etc. I answer: Indeed, with
this he is pleased and it must come to pass that you become terrified on
account of your sins (in case you have not yet experienced this terror). Yea,
by reason of your timid nature he must let it come to pass that you be
terrified even at him, as these disciples were. But it is not his intention to
have you remain in terror; on the contrary, he wills that you cease from it.
Yes, he even reproves you for it, and says that you are doing him an injustice
by such thoughts, imputing such things to him. In short, he does not desire
that you should be frightened at him, but that you should take comfort and
joyful assurance, thus driving away your terror.
14. Now, if these thoughts which terrify you arise from his
words and works, let him thus begin with you, but then simply send him away to
those who are still secure, hardhearted, and obdurate, for whom his terrors are
intended. Upon them he must cry out his woes and them he must threaten with the
eternal fire of hell. For they are people who in no wise fear God; on the
contrary, when one wishes to put them in awe with the name and Word of God,
they throw up their horns, toss their heads at God, and grow harder than steel
or flint. But you, when you feel that you have become terrified (God grant it,
whether the true Christ does it, or not), just
remember to make an end of it and cease your fears. For if it be. Christ
indeed, it is not his will that you continue thus; but if it be not he, still
less should you do so.
15. Therefore mark and keep in mind this text and its
example: Christ does not will that his own be terrified, and it does not please
him to find you appalled at the sight of him. On the contrary, it is his will
that you learn to know him as one who, when he finds you troubled and alarmed,
rejoices to come to you, and that you too should rejoice over him and dismiss
your thoughts of fear. And do not fail to learn that this is his way of
speaking: “Why are ye troubled, and why permit ye such thoughts to arise in
your hearts?” Ye picture me as a spectre and as one that cometh only to terrify
you, and lo! I am come to comfort you and to make you glad.
16. For these reasons, when such oppressive
thoughts concerning Christ come to you, be wise and understand that they
assuredly come not from Christ but from the devil; and that even though you be
terrified at him, a little sudden terror shall do you no harm. For it is in
accord with our nature that it never prompts us to anything good, especially
when the heart is naturally timid and fretful. Never mind your thoughts and
notions. Take heed to hear Christ’s words, who takes no pleasure in seeing you
terrified in his name, but desires that you rejoice in him and receive him as
one who would comfort your poor, sinful and troubled heart. Let the others be
terrified, those headstrong, impenitent sinners, the pope, the tyrants, and all
of Christ’s enemies and blasphemers. These people need a sledge hammer that
will shatter boulders, rocks and mountains.
17. Therefore, if there be a Christ who terrifies, he is and
desires to be such only to these obstinate heads; although they themselves do
not believe this, but proudly disregard it until their last hour has come, and
the time when he without any mercy whatever must trample them under his feet.
But he does not desire to be such to his beloved disciples and believers, who
are too backward and timid as it is, insomuch that they become alarmed even in
the presence of their beloved Savior. For it is by no means his intention, as
St. Matthew says in
18. Hence, if you feel terrified and faint-hearted, let your
heart herein take comfort, so that Christ may find room in you; for he does not
by any means find in you a proud, impenitent heart, unwilling to humble itself;
otherwise you would have good cause and need to fear him as one who is set to
be a judge over the wicked and the scorners. But he comes to you in order to
bring and offer you grace and peace, even as you desire and pray. I say again,
take care in this matter, lest you cast from you this friendly greeting and
your own salvation, and lest you make a Satan of this dear Savior, or rather,
lest you, instead of hearkening to Christ, hearken to the devil, who is a liar
and a murderer and takes delight in vexing weak and troubled hearts. And he
never desists from so doing; and if he finds himself unable to cause enough
terror with one verse he comes with ten or a hundred, and continues to oppress
until the heart is completely overwhelmed and drowned in sorrow.
19. Now, you as a Christian can conclude with certainty that
such thoughts are not and cannot be of Christ. Yea, even if it were possible
that it were Christ himself, nevertheless you here have his Word and true testimony, which you should believe more than all
apparitions. And surely this is to be preferred to all private visions of
Christ or of an angel from heaven, for these can err and deceive and are naught
but speechless images. But here you have his living voice and Word, publicly
speaking before all his disciples and reproving them for such thoughts, that we
may know he is displeased with them.
20. Besides he shows the very same thing by his outward
signs and works: the words with which he reproves their thoughts do not suffice
him, he also shows them his hands and feet that they may feel and see it is he
himself. As though he thus would say: Why will ye still have doubts concerning
me and in your thoughts make a spectre of me? Ye surely have never yet handled
a devil or a spirit, nor seen one having flesh and blood as I have, although
they at times assume such form and deceive the senses.
21. Thus he gives them, in addition to his Word, a sure and
potent sign and comforts them by his actions, that they may fear him not in the
least. He shows them what he has done for them. For this is in truth a lovely,
comforting, and cheerful picture, the sight of this dear Savior’s hands and
feet, pierced for my sake, and together with which also my sins are nailed to the
cross. This he shows me as a token and testimony that he has suffered, has been
crucified, and has died for me, and is by no means disposed to be angry with me
and cast me into hell.
22. For this is really seeing his hands and feet, if I,
through his Word and faith, perceive that what he has done was done for my
good, my salvation and comfort. Here I see no executioner, surely no death nor
hell, but only sweet, delightful grace toward all poor, sorrowing souls, at
which grace I cannot be affrighted or terrified; excepting only in this that
his work is entirely too great for the heart sufficiently to grasp and
understand. Thus he would, both by word and deed, free us from fear even though
at first we be terrified at the sight of him.
23. On the other hand the devil, although at first he
comforts us, at last he also shows his hands and feet; these are the horrible,
abominable claws of the wrath of God and of eternal death. So finally he comes
with naught but terrors, murder, and slaughter, which are his works from the
beginning, He knows how to portray to the soul all the terrible scenes,
examples, and histories of all the abominable sins, murders, and terrible
punishments that have ever taken place, and the number and prominence of the
people whom he has ever misled, blinded, and cast into perdition.
24. Now, where Christ is thus rightly understood, there, in
consequence, true joy begins, and in such measure, like the Evangelist says, as
to make the disciples marvel in their faith for very joy, and as to hamper them
still. This again is a peculiar text and a strange saying. At first their faith
was hampered by fear and dreadful thoughts; now their joy hampers their faith,
a joy which even is far greater than at first their terror was. The disciples
are now so full of joy at the reproof of the Lord and the sight of his hands
and feet that they are still unable to believe.
25. This, too, is one of the Christian’s afflictions, as we
have said before, that grace is entirely too great and glorious a thing when we
look upon our littleness and unworthiness in comparison with Christ, and that
the comfort is so exceedingly abundant that our hearts are far too small to
receive it. For who could have the boldness to conceive in his heart the truth
that Christ proves himself to be so kind a Savior to me, a poor, sinful man,
that he gives me at once all that he has done? Must not the heart presently
start with alarm at its own boldness and say: Do you really think it is true that the great and majestic God, the Maker of heaven
and earth, has so regarded my misery and so mercifully looked upon me, deeply
and manifoldly as I have sinned against him, having deserved and brought upon
myself wrath, death, and hell a thousand times? How can such grace and such a
treasure be grasped by the human heart, or in fact by any creature
?
26. To sum up all, faith in man’s heart is assailed on both
sides and upon both occasions, in terror and melancholy and also in joy. Either
the lack or the abundance is too great, and the consolations too few or too
many. At first, while the disciples were yearning for something great, all the
blessings of God were too small and too insignificant to comfort their hearts,
when Christ was still hidden from them; but now that he is come and shows himself
to them, this is far too much for their hearts, and for very wonderment they
cannot believe he is risen from the dead and is standing before them alive.
27. Finally he shows himself even still more
friendly: he sits down with them at the table, eats with them of broiled fish
and honeycomb, and preaches to them a beautiful sermon, to establish them in
the faith, that they may nevermore fear nor doubt, but may now grow strong in
the faith: and thus all their melancholy passes away.
28. Therefore let us learn from this to understand Christ’s
character and manner, to-wit, that when he comes and manifests himself he
thereupon takes leave and bids us adieu, leaving naught but comfort and joy;
for at the last he must come with comfort, otherwise it is not Christ. But when
constant fear and dread remain in the heart, you may freely conclude that it is
not Christ, though it may seem so to the heart, but the accursed devil.
Therefore pay no heed to such thoughts, but cling fast to the words he speaks
to you, “See my hands and my feet,” etc. In this way your heart will again be made glad, and afterward the fruit will follow, that you
will understand the Scriptures aright, and his Word will taste pleasant to you,
being naught but honey and the sweetest consolation.
II. SERMON CHRIST
PREACHED TO HIS DISCIPLES AFTER HIS RESURRECTION
29. The second and chief part of this Gospel is that in
which Christ, after he expounded the Scripture to them and opened their minds,
says in conclusion:
“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations.”
30. Here you see how the Lord again directs and leads his
disciples into the Scriptures, there to strengthen and confirm their faith. So
that, though he was revealing and showing himself to them in visible form, yet
in the future, when they no longer beheld him, he desired them to cling to the
Word and by the testimony of the Scripture make sure both their own and the
faith of others. For, after all, the power and the comfort of the resurrection
are not understood nor received except through faith in the Word, as we have
heard: although the disciples see him, still they do not recognize him, but are
rather terrified at the sight of him until he speaks to them and opens their
minds by means of the Scriptures.
31. Furthermore he wished to teach them by these testimonies
of Scripture how his kingdom on earth is to continue and wherein it is to consist;
namely, that it is not to be a new government or kingdom, concerned with
earthly and temporal things, but a spiritual and divine power, whereby he would
everywhere rule invisibly within the hearts of men through the Word and
ministry and would cause them to pass from sin, God’s wrath, and eternal death
into grace and eternal life in heaven: for which purpose, in truth, he also
suffered and rose again from the dead.
32. All this he shows and indicates in these few words, and
in them includes the sum and substance of the entire Gospel and the chief parts
of Christian doctrine, which we should at all times preach and practice in the
church: namely, repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Therefore we must say
something on these themes also.
33. Concerning repentance the whole papal church has until
now known nothing else to teach than that it consists of three parts, which
they call contrition, confession, and satisfaction (compensation). And yet in
regard to none of these could they rightly instruct the people. Now, the Latin
word “satisfactio,” meaning “compensation,” we have, to please them, allowed to
stand, hoping that by moderation on our part we might be able to lead them to
the true doctrine; but with the understanding that
this means not our compensation, as we in reality can render none, but Christ’s
satisfaction, in that he by his blood and death has paid for our sins and
reconciled God. Since, however, we have heretofore so many times experienced
and still plainly see that nothing whatever can be gained from them by
moderation, and that they steadily continue the more
violently to oppose the true doctrine, we will and must cleanly strip and
sunder ourselves from them, and refuse in any way to recognize the fictitious
names which they use in their schools and with which they now only strive to
establish their old errors and falsehoods. For this reason also this word
“satisfaction” shall hereafter in our church and our theology be null and dead,
and referred to the judiciary and the schools of law, where it properly belongs
and whence the papists borrowed it. Let these use this word and by it teach
people who have stolen, robbed, or who are in possession of goods gotten by
unrighteousness, how they are to make compensation and restitution.
34. The word “contrition” (Latin “contritio”) is, to be
sure, taken from the Scriptures, which speak of a “cor contritum,” that is, a
broken, troubled, and miserable heart, Psalm 51:17; but neither has this word
been rightly understood and explained by the monks. For they have called
contrition the act, extorted from one’s own thoughts and free will, of sitting
in a corner, hanging one’s head, and with bitter meditation contemplating the
sins one has committed; from which process, however, no real sorrow or displeasure
on account of their sins followed, but they have rather tickled themselves with
such thoughts and strengthened their sinful lust. And no matter how long they
talked of it, still they could not decide how great one’s contrition should be
in order to be adequate to the sin. Wherefore they were compelled to console
and help themselves out by this piece of patchwork, that he who could not
attain to truly perfect contrition should, at least, have what they called
“attritio,” a sort of half-contrition, and be, at least, somewhat sorry for his
sins.
35. Then they made of confession an unbearable torment and
anxiety; for they thought that it was everyone’s duty at least once a year to
enumerate all of one’s sins, mentioning all the details, including also those
sins one might have forgotten and might later recall. And yet they gave men’s
consciences no real instruction concerning the comfort of absolution, but
directed the people to trust in their own works, and informed them that when
they had become sufficiently contrite to make a clean confession of sin (which
was, according to their own teaching, impossible), and also render satisfaction
for the same, then their sins would be forgiven. Here not a word was said of
Christ or of faith, so that unenlightened and afflicted souls who earnestly
desired to be free from sin and sought comfort were kept in eternal suspense on
this doubtful foundation.
36. And – this was the worst feature of the matter – they
did not rightly teach what constitutes sin; they knew nothing more of it than what lawyers call sin or offenses, and what
comes within the sphere of the courts and of peace statutes. Their knowledge
did not enable them to speak of original sin or of the inward impurity of the
heart. For they even claimed that human nature and the powers of man’s free
will were so perfect that a man might in his own strength manage to fulfill
God’s law and thereby earn God’s grace, and be so free from sin that he would
not have need of any repentance. However, that they might nevertheless have
something to make confession of, they were compelled to invent sin where there
was none, just as on the other hand they invented good works of their own. And
these sins they considered the greatest and most grievous of all, as for instance,
when a layman chanced to touch a consecrated chalice or if a priest stammered
while reading the canon in the mass, and other foolishness of that sort.
37. Such nonsensical, visionary doctrine of the papacy
concerning repentance one must therefore not lose sight of, first in order to
be able to convince them of their error and blindness, since they are at
present in every way whitewashing themselves and disporting themselves as
though they had never taught anything wrong. Secondly, in order that by contrasting
the two one may better understand the true Christian
doctrine. Therefore we will speak according to Scripture on what the real
Christian repentance and forgiveness of sins are which Christ here commands man
to proclaim in his name.
38. In the first place, these thoughts of our own invention,
which the monks call “contritio” and “attritio” (whole and half contrition),
are in all the Scriptures never called true
contrition; but you are contrite when your heart becomes seriously alarmed at
God’s wrath and judgment, not only on account of outward, gross sins, but on
account of the real and unyielding hardness you see and feel within, the
presence in your flesh and blood of nothing but unbelief, contempt and
disobedience to God, and as St. Paul says in Romans 8:7, “enmity against God,”
your flesh and blood being excited with all manner of evil lust and desire and
the like, whereby you have brought upon yourself God’s wrath and have deserved
to be cast out eternally from his presence and to burn in hell fire.
Contrition, according to the Scriptures, is not partial, pertaining merely to
certain acts you have committed openly against the ten commandments, and
leaving undisturbed the dream and delusion of the hypocritical monkish
repentance which for its own convenience invents a distinction in its works and
after all discovers some good in itself; but it extends over your whole person
with all its life and being, yes, over your whole nature, and shows you that
you are an object of God’s wrath and condemned to hell. Otherwise the word
“contrition” would still be too judicial, as in earthly matters one speaks of
sin and sorrow as of a work one has done and afterwards thinks differently, and
wishes he had not done it.
39. This contrition and earnest fear is not the product of
man’s own resolutions or thoughts, as the monks fancy. It must be wrought in a
man by God’s Word, which reveals God’s wrath and smites the heart so that it
begins to tremble and despair and knows not what to do with itself. For human
reason cannot of itself perceive and understand that everything which lies in
the power and ability of man is an object of God’s wrath and, at the bar of his
judgment, already condemned to hell.
40. Therefore this thing must be preached and proclaimed as
Christ here says, if one is to direct and lead people to true
repentance: they must be led to know their sins and God’s wrath, and thus first
suffer themselves to be cast by the Word beneath God’s wrath and condemnation;
in order that on the other hand by the preaching of the other truth, of the
forgiveness of sins, they may be helped to gain true consolation, divine grace,
and their salvation. Otherwise a man would never attain to a knowledge of his
misery and distress and to a yearning for grace. Still less would he ever learn
how he may pass from God’s wrath and damnation into grace and the forgiveness
of sins.
41. And this preaching of repentance, says he, shall go
forth unto all nations. Surely, a sweeping accusation, one that embraces the
whole world, both Jews and Gentiles, and whomsoever they wish. Without a single
exception, he concludes all – as he finds them and whatever their rank and
pretensions – apart from Christ under the wrath of God and says: Ye are all
condemned together, with all that ye do and are, be ye what ye may, be ye ever
so many, ever so great, ever so high and holy.
42. Yea, he terrifies and condemns those most of all who
parade their own holiness and never once imagine that they are sinners and need
repentance. Among the Jews the holiest Pharisees were such (of whom also Paul
before his conversion was one), who lived and walked zealously according to the
law; among the heathen certain cultured, highly intelligent, wise, and
respectable people; among ourselves, those who may have been pious monks,
Carthusians, or hermits, who sincerely undertook to be pious in God’s sight and
so lived that they were not conscious of having committed any sin unto death,
and in addition to this in the severest manner chastised their bodies with
fasting, vigils, sleeping on hard couches, some even with bloody flagellations
and the like; so that they themselves and everybody else thought that in view
of such works and such a life they surely had no need of contrition and
repentance. Yes, they thought therewith, as with the best and most meritorious
work, to pay for whatever sins they had previously done, and honestly to earn
heaven from God by such a holy life, paying for it dearly enough. Against just
such people as these this preaching of repentance should be carried on most
zealously, and as with a thunderbolt it should hurl to the ground and cast into
hell and perdition all who are secure and presumptuous and do not yet perceive
their misery and God’s wrath.
43. Even as St. John the Baptist, who prepared the way
before Christ, publicly began such preaching; he courageously and spiritedly
attacks the entire Jewish nation with this battle-ax and assails the holy
Pharisees and Sadducees harder than all the others, saying: “Ye offspring of
vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Matthew 3:7. For they
need repentance most of all and in God’s sight they also merit a greater
measure of wrath than other and more open sinners
(whom at least their own consciences reprove), because they lie in blindness
and indulge the fancy that they have no sin, while in reality before God they
are full of filth and abomination and do sin against God’s law in the worst
possible way, in that they lack the fear of God and make light of his wrath,
and are haughty and proud and full of presumption by reason of their own good
works and their own holiness, practicing idolatry with their self-chosen
service of God, in addition to the fact that their hearts are full of
uncleanness and inward disobedience to God’s commandments, though outwardly
they keep themselves from evil works; even as we ourselves in times past while
pretending to be the most pious, did provoke God to the uttermost with the
horrible idolatry of the mass, the worship of the saints, and our own monkish righteousness,
wherewith we thought we were earning heaven to the disparagement of Christ’s
death and resurrection and to the lamentable delusion of ourselves and others.
44. For this reason St. John also continues his preaching of
repentance and in verse 8 says to such people, “Bring forth therefore fruit
worthy of repentance,” etc.; that is, take my advice and do not become secure
and proud from the start, but perceive your sin and God’s wrath upon you,
humble yourselves before him, and implore his mercy. If ye do this not,
judgment is already passed upon you, yea, the ax is already laid to the tree to
destroy it, both trunk and root, as one that beareth no good fruit and is good
for nothing but to be cast into the fire and reduced to ashes, notwithstanding
it is so tall and sturdy and has beautiful leaves: you, namely, priding
yourselves upon being Abraham’s children and the like.
45. This same preaching was later continued by the apostles.
St. Peter, for instance, on the day of Pentecost and thereafter pointed out to
the Jews what pious children they were and how they had earned God’s favor by
denying his dear Son, nailing him to the cross and slaying him. And St. Paul
says in Acts 17:30-31: “But now he (God) commandeth men that they should all
everywhere repent, inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge
the world in righteousness,” etc.: that is, it is his will that all people,
everywhere upon the earth, should know themselves, tremble at God’s wrath, and
understand that he will judge and condemn them unless they repent and obey this
preaching.
46. So Christ also says in John 16:8 that the Holy Ghost
will convict the world in respect of sin, etc. (by such preaching of repentance).
For, as said above, such repentance reason cannot teach, much less accomplish,
by its own strength; but, as Christ here says, it must be preached as a
revelation, surpassing the understanding and wisdom of reason. As St. Paul also
in Romans
47. It is no wonder then, that, when the world hears this
preaching unto repentance, whereby it is reproved, the lesser portion accepts
it, while the greater masses, especially the knowing and righteous ones,
despise it, toss their heads in defiance and say: Ho, how can that be true? Shall I suffer myself to be upbraided as a sinner and
as an accursed man by people who come along with a new and unknown doctrine?
Why, what have I done? I have surely kept myself with all earnestness from sin
and have striven to do good. Shall all this be accounted nothing? Has all the
world before our time been engrossed in errors? Have the lives and doings of
all men been vain? How is it possible that God should take such a risk with the
whole world and say they are all lost and condemned? Ha! The devil has
commanded you so to preach. Thus they defend and confirm themselves in their,
impenitence and by blasphemy and persecution of God’s Word heap his wrath upon
themselves all the more.
48. But in spite of this such judgment and preaching ever
continues and forces its way farther, as Christ here commands them simply to
preach among all nations, to tell everybody, wherever they go, to repent, and
to say that no one can escape God’s wrath or be saved who does not accept this
preaching. That to this end he rose from the dead, that he might found this
kingdom, in order that this might be preached to them who should and would be
saved and might be accepted and believed by them, though it anger the world,
the devil, or hell.
49. Notice, we have considered the first part of this
sermon, true repentance, which convicts not only a mass of evil-doers whom all
the world and the lawyers call transgressors (they, to be sure, also deserve
severe punishment), but attacks the very people who in the sight of the world
are the most pious and righteous, (yet are without knowledge of their sin and
of Christ), and condemns them. It makes of repentance, not a work of ours,
brought about by our own thinking, and partial, pertaining to only a portion of
our deeds and making it necessary for a man to search and consider a long time
as to how, when, where, and how often he has sinned (although it is true that one single sin may give rise to this, as when
David was reproved on account of adultery and murder). But repentance is a
thing extending over the whole of your life and casting you all of a sudden, as
by a thunderbolt from the skies, wholly and entirely under God’s wrath, telling
you that you are a child of hell, and terrifying your heart so that the world
becomes too small for you.
50. Therefore you must make this distinction: You may refer
the repentance which may be called our own work, namely our own sorrow,
confession, and satisfaction, to the schools of lawyers, or to children’s
schools, where it may serve for discipline and outward training; but you must
keep it clearly apart from the true spiritual
repentance wrought by God’s Word wherever and whenever this Word smites the
heart making it tremble and quake at God’s zealous and terrible wrath, and
filling it so with dread that it knows not whither to flee.
51. Such contrition and repentance the Bible illustrates by
means of numerous examples: as that of St. Paul when he was about to be
converted, Acts 9:4, where Christ himself preaches repentance to him from
heaven saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” etc. And presently action
and power accompany the words, so that he suddenly falls to the earth trembling
and says in verse 6, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” This is true contrition, not the product of his own mind; for he
goes his way holding a strong conviction and assurance of his own holiness
according to the law, conscious of no sin whereby he might have deserved God’s
wrath. But suddenly Christ shows him what he is, namely, a persecutor and
murderer of Christ and of his church, a thing which hitherto he had not
perceived, rather regarding his actions as manifestations of splendid virtue
and of a godly zeal. Now, however, he is seized with such terror on their
account as plainly indicates that with all his righteousness according to the
law. he is condemned before God; and he is only too glad to hear from Christ
the gracious assurance that he may obtain mercy and the forgiveness of his
sins. In like manner we are told in Acts 2 how Peter stood up on the day of
Pentecost and thereafter and hurled this thunderbolt at the whole Jewish nation
that they were betrayers and murderers of their promised Christ, the Son of
God; as the text says in verse 37: “Now when they heard this they were pricked
in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren,
what shall we do?”
52. Behold, here too there is true
repentance, which suddenly seizes the heart and fills it with mortal dread,
because it feels God’s wrath and condemnation weighing upon it, and begins to
realize its real fault, of which it has heretofore known nothing, and is
constrained to say, Ah, now what shall I do? Here is naught save only sin and
wrath, a thing which hitherto, alas, I have neither known nor surmised. As St.
Paul also says of the power of the Word which confronts men with God’s wrath,
Romans 7:9, “And I was alive apart from the law once,” that is, presumptuous
and secure, knowing of no sin nor of God’s wrath. But when the commandment came
and smote my heart then sin revived, so that I began to feel God’s wrath and,
thus, died; that is, I fell into fear, anxiety and despair, which I could not
endure and in which I must have perished and fallen a prey to eternal death had
I not again found help.
53. Now, when this has been duly preached, the other message
must follow which Christ here commands us to preach, to wit, the forgiveness of
sins. For it is not sufficient to speak only of sin and God’s wrath and terrify
the people. It is necessary, indeed, to begin one’s preaching thus, so that the
people may know and feel their sins and may also have a desire for grace, but
this must not be our whole message, otherwise there would be no Christ and no
salvation but only death and hell. Thus Judas, Christ’s betrayer, made a strong
enough beginning in the first part of his repentance, remorse and knowledge of his sin; yea, he was too strong on
this point, because no consolation followed; so that he was unable to bear it
and hurled himself forthwith into destruction and eternal death; as also did
King Saul and many others. But this cannot be considered preaching aright or
fully concerning repentance, as Christ would have this doctrine preached. For
to this extent the devil himself is willing to serve as a preacher, though he
has no call to preach, just as he is ever willing to use the name and Word of
God, albeit but to deceive and work mischief. For he perverts both doctrines,
comforting where comfort is not in place, or engaging solely in terrifying the
people and leading them into despair. But Christ’s intention is not that
repentance shall be so preached as to leave the conscience in its
terror-stricken state but that those who have been brought to a knowledge of
their sins and are contrite in heart shall again be comforted and lifted up.
For this reason he straightway adds the other part and commands us to preach
not only repentance but also the forgiveness of sins. This, then, as he also
says, is preaching in his name.
54. Therefore, when your conscience has become terrified by
the preaching of repentance, whether it be through the spoken word or otherwise
within your heart, you must remember that you are also to hear and grasp the
other part Christ commanded to be preached to you, to wit: that, although you
have merited eternal wrath and are deserving of hell-fire, yet God in his
boundless goodness and mercy does not desire to leave you and see you perish in
perdition, but he desires to forgive your sins, so
that his wrath and your condemnation may be removed from you.
55. This is the comforting message of the Gospel, which a
man cannot, of himself, understand as he of himself understands the preaching
of the law (which was at the beginning implanted in his nature) when his heart
is thereby smitten; but it is a special revelation and Christ’s own peculiar
voice. For human nature and reason cannot rise above
the judgment of the law, which concludes and says: He that is a sinner is
condemned of God. Wherefore all men would have to remain forever objects of
wrath and condemnation if another and a new teaching had not been given from
heaven. This teaching, in which God offers his grace and mercy to those who
feel their sins and God’s wrath, God’s own Son himself must institute and
command to be spread abroad in the world.
56. But in order that it may be apprehended and faithfully
believed, this preaching must be done, as he here says, in his name; that is,
not only in pursuance of his command, but also with the proclamation that sins
are to be forgiven on his account and by reason of his merits. Hence we must
acknowledge neither I nor any other man, with the exception of Christ, have
accomplished or merited this, nor could have merited it in eternity. For how
should I be able to merit it when I and all my life and whatever I may be able
to do, is, according to the first part of this sermon, condemned before God?
57. But now, if God’s wrath is to be taken away from me and
I am to obtain grace and forgiveness, some one must merit this; for God cannot
be a friend of sin nor gracious to it, nor can he remit the punishment and
wrath, unless payment and satisfaction be made. Now,
no one, not even an angel of heaven, could make restitution for the infinite
and irreparable injury and appease the eternal wrath of God which we had merited
by our sins; except that eternal person, the Son of God himself, and he could
do it only by taking our place, assuming our sins, and answering for them as
though he himself were guilty of them. This our dear Lord and only Savior and
Mediator before God, Jesus Christ, did for us by his blood and death, in which
he became a sacrifice for us; and with his purity, innocence, and
righteousness, which was divine and eternal, he outweighed all sin and wrath he
was compelled to bear on our account; yea, he entirely engulfed and swallowed
it up, and his merit is so great that God is now satisfied and says, If he
wills thereby to save, then there shall be a salvation. As Christ also says of
his Father’s will, John
58. This now he has not only actually fulfilled, but he has
done and accomplished it for the very purpose of having it preached and proclaimed
to us; otherwise we would know nothing of it, nor would we be able to attain to
it. Therefore it is absolutely unmerited on our part and is given to us
entirely free and out of pure grace, and just for the reason that we may be
assured of such grace and have no cause for doubt in regard to it; for indeed,
we must remain forever in doubt if we were required to look for merit of our
own and to seek worthiness inhering in us, till our attainments were such that
God would consider them and be gracious to us on their account. But now Christ
commands that forgiveness of sins be preached in his name, so that I may know
that they are undoubtedly remitted unto me on account of that which he has
merited, and this he reveals and communicates to me through the Word.
59. And moreover I and everyone else for his own personal
good may take comfort in this, and besides no one has any cause to be troubled
and worried as to whether he dare appropriate this great mercy unto himself, for
it is natural for man’s heart to doubt and to argue thus with itself: Yes, I
can easily believe that God has elected certain great men thereto, as, for
instance, St. Peter, Paul, and others, but who knows whether I too am one of
those to whom he is willing to grant grace? Perhaps I have not been ordained
thereto – therefore Christ wills and herewith commands that this doctrine be
spread not in a corner nor to certain individuals only, yea, not even solely to
the Jews, or to a few other nations at most, but throughout the whole wide
world, or, as he says, to all nations; yes, as he says in Mark
60. Hence this preaching also calls for faith; that is, I am
to conclude from it with certainty and without a doubt that for the sake of the
Lord Jesus Christ forgiveness of sins is granted me from the terrible wrath of
God and from eternal death, and that it is God’s will that I believe this
preaching, not despising the proffered grace of Christ, not casting it aside,
not making the Word of God a lie. For, since he commands that this Word be
preached in all the world, he therewith and at the same time demands of
everyone that he receive this preaching and hold and confess it to be the invariable,
divine truth, that we assuredly receive these things for the sake of the Lord
Jesus Christ; and, no matter how unworthy I feel myself to be, this must not
hinder nor deter me from having this faith, if only my heart be so disposed
that I feel sincerely displeased with my sins and heartily desire to get rid of
them. For, as such forgiveness is not offered and preached to me on account of
my worthiness, for I have clearly contributed nothing, neither labored to the
end that Christ should merit forgiveness for me and have it proclaimed to me as
he did and does; so, on the other hand, I am not to suffer any nor be deprived
of forgiveness so long as I really desire it.
61. Finally, that our comfort may abound the more, Christ
here makes the following arrangement respecting this preaching of repentance
and of the forgiveness of sins: It shall not be merely temporary and momentary,
as it were, but shall be in continual operation, never ceasing in Christendom
so long as Christ’s kingdom endures. For he wants us to have therein a lasting,
eternal treasure and everlasting grace, which effectually worketh alway; so
that we must not consider the forgiveness as being restricted to that one
moment when the absolution was pronounced, nor as extending over previous and
past sins only, as though thenceforward our works must render us perfectly
clean and sinless.
62. For it is not possible in this present life on earth
that we should so live as to be entirely free from sin and infirmity – not
though we received grace and the Holy Spirit – owing to our sinful, depraved
flesh and blood, which never ceases, this side of the grave, to bring forth
evil lusts and desires, no, not in the saints; though they, on receiving grace,
abstain from, and guard against, sin and resist their evil lusts, even as
repentance requires; wherefore they too are still in daily need of forgiveness,
even as they daily exercise themselves in repentance, by reason of these
selfsame abiding infirmities and weaknesses; knowing, as they do, that their
lives and works are yet sinful and merit God’s wrath (to which they would also
expose them) were it not for the fact that these things are forgiven for
Christ’s sake.
63. Therefore Christ has herewith instituted a kingdom on
earth to be called an eternal kingdom of grace and always to be governed by the
forgiveness of sins; and so powerfully it is to protect those who believe that,
although sin still lurks in their flesh and blood and is so deeply rooted that
it cannot, in this life, be entirely eradicated, still it shall not bring
injury upon them, but be remitted and not imputed to them, provided, however,
that we abide in the faith and daily make endeavors to stamp out the remaining
evil lust, until it has been exterminated, and utterly destroyed by death, and
has rotted away in the grave and fallen a prey to the worms, that man may arise
unto eternal life perfectly renewed and cleansed.
64. Yea, even though a man who is under grace and is
sanctified fall away again from repentance and faith and thus lose his
forgiveness, nevertheless this kingdom of grace stands firm and unmovable, so
that one may at any time be reinstated in it, if one again belong to it by
repentance and conversion: in like manner as the sun rises daily in the
heavens, and not only banishes the past night but proceeds without interruption
to shine throughout the day, even though it be
darkened and covered with thick clouds, yes, even though someone close his
doors and windows against its light, still it remains the selfsame sun and, breaking
all barriers down, it again and again presents itself to view.
65. Behold, this is the true
doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christian repentance, laid hold of and
conceived in these two parts, to wit, contrition, or a sincere alarm on account
of sin, and faith in forgiveness for Christ’s sake. The entire papal church has
hitherto taught nothing of this; and especially have they nowhere shown any
knowledge of the faith in Christ which should be the chief part of this
preaching: they have only directed people to their own works, and pronounced
the absolution with this proviso that we have been duly contrite and properly made confession. And thus Christ has been so entirely
forgotten and ignored, and the preaching he here commands has been so utterly
perverted and beclouded, that there has been no repentance and absolution in
his name but in our own names and for the sake of our works of contrition,
confession, and satisfaction. This I call suppressing by force the faith and
knowledge of Christ, yea, exterminating it, and taking from troubled
consciences their comfort, leading them alone to perish in doubt, if they are
not to be certain of the forgiveness of sin until they have sufficiently
tortured, and made martyrs of themselves by their
self-invented and involuntary contrition and confession.
66. And so the pope and all his band have by this one thing,
that they have thus perverted and corrupted the doctrine of Christian
repentance and forgiveness of sin, well enough deserved, and they daily still more deserve (since besides they refuse to repent of all
this error and deception, which they themselves are forced to acknowledge, but
rather blaspheme and storm against the plain truth) that they be cursed by all
Christians into the abyss of hell, as Paul to the Galatians curses all those
who teach another Gospel, etc. Galatians 1:9.
67. Here we should also say a word on the confession which
we retain and which we commend as a beneficial, salutary thing. For although,
properly speaking, it is not a part of repentance, and is not necessary and
enjoined, still it serves us well in receiving absolution, which is nothing
else than simply the preaching and announcement of the forgiveness of sins,
which Christ here commands men both to preach and to hear. Since, however, it
is necessary to retain such preaching in the church, the absolution should also
be retained; for the only difference between the two is this: in the preaching
of the Gospel the Word is publicly preached in a general way, to all who are present;
and in absolution this same Word is spoken especially and privately to one or more who so desire it. This is in accord with Christ’s
institution, that such preaching of the forgiveness of sins should be carried
on at all times and in all places, not only in a general way before a whole
company but also before individual persons, wherever there are people who stand
in need of it: as he says in the Gospel for the following Sunday, “Whose soever
sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them.”
68. Therefore we do not teach confession like the pope’s
theologians, that one must recite his sins, than which, according to the
papists, there is no other way to confess, or that thereby one receives
forgiveness and becomes worthy of absolution, as they say, On account of thy
contrition and confession I declare thee free from thy sins. But we teach that
one should use confession in order to hear the comfort of the Gospel and thus
to awaken and to strengthen his faith in the forgiveness of sins, which is the
main thing in repentance. So that “to confess” means not, as it does among the
papists, to recount a long list of sins, but to desire absolution, which is in
itself confession enough; that is, to acknowledge your guilt and confess that
you are a sinner. And no more shall it be demanded or
required that you mention by name all or several, many or few, of your sins,
unless of yourself you have a desire to mention something which especially
burdens your conscience and wherein you need instruction and advice or particular
comfort, as is often necessary with young and inexperienced people, and also
with others.
69. Therefore we commend and retain confession not on its
own account but for the sake of absolution. And in confession this feature is
the golden treasure, that there you hear proclaimed to you the words Christ
commanded to be preached in his name to you and to all the world, so that even
if you should not hear it in the confessional, still you otherwise hear the
Gospel daily, which is nothing else than the word of absolution. For to preach
the forgiveness of sins means nothing else than to absolve or to declare free
from sin, which also takes place in baptism and in the Lord’s Supper, which
were also instituted for the purpose of showing to us this forgiveness of sins
and assuring us of it. Thus to be baptized or to receive the communion is also
an absolution, where forgiveness is, in Christ’s name and at his command,
promised and communicated to each one in particular. This forgiveness you
should hear wherever and whenever you are in need of it, and should receive and
believe it as though you heard it from Christ himself. For, because it is not
our absolution but Christ’s command and word, therefore it is just as good and
valid as though it were heard proceeding from his own mouth.
70. Thus you see that everything that is taught concerning
Christian repentance according to Scripture is wholly contained in the two
parts called contrition, or alarm at God’s wrath on account of our sins, and
its antidote, faith that our sins are forgiven us for Christ’s sake. For it has
not been commanded that more than these two tidings be
preached, to wit: the Law, which charges us with our sin and shows us the
judgment of God; and the Gospel, which directs us to Christ and proclaims God’s
grace and mercy in him. And, to sum up all, repentance in its entirety is just
that which the Scripture describes in other words in Psalm 147:11 and
elsewhere, “Jehovah taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope
in his lovingkindness.” For there these two parts are also stated: the fear of
God, which proceeds from a knowledge of our sins; and reliance upon his grace,
as exhibited in the promises concerning Christ, etc.
71. What the papists say concerning “satisfaction,” however,
is, as said above, by no means to be tolerated; for that which in former times
was called satisfaction and whereof one may still read in the writings of the
ancient teachers, was nothing else than an outward and public punishment of
those who were guilty of manifest vices, which they were compelled to bear
before men, just as a thief or a murderer in the world’s courts pays for his
crime on the gallows or the wheel. Of this the Scripture nowhere teaches
anything, nor does this contribute anything toward the forgiveness of sin, but
may, as I have said, among other temporal things, be referred to the lawyers.
But their claim that God punishes sins with temporal punishments and plagues,
sometimes even when they have been forgiven, is true;
but that is no satisfaction or redemption from sin, nor is it a merit on
account of which sin is forgiven, but a chastisement which God inflicts to urge
us to repentance.
72. And even if one wished to retain the word “satisfaction”
and explained it as meaning that Christ made
satisfaction for our sins, it is nevertheless too weak and says too little
concerning the grace of Christ and does not do honor enough to his sufferings,
to which one should give higher honor, confessing that he not only has made
satisfaction for sin but has also redeemed us from the power of death, the
devil, and hell, and established an everlasting kingdom of grace and of daily
forgiveness of the sin that remains in us; and thus is become for us, as St.
Paul says in Corinthians
Easter Wednesday;
Colossians
3:1-7
EXHORTATION TO TRULY GOOD WORKS.
Colossians 3:1-7
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and
your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your
members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which
things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the
which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
1. We have been hearing of the glorious message of Christ's
resurrection, how that resurrection took place and how we must believe, for our
own blessing, comfort and salvation. Now, that we may be sincerely thankful to
God for this inestimable blessing, and that our attitude toward the doctrine of
the resurrection may be one to truly honor and glorify it, we must hear also,
and practice, the apostles' teaching of its essential fruits, and must manifest
them in our lives. Therefore, we will select Paul's admonition to the
Colossians (ch. 3), which has to do with this topic
particularly. Observe here, Paul exhorts Christians to be incited by the resurrection
of Christ unto works truly good and becoming; the text declares unto us the
supreme blessing and happiness the resurrection brings within our reach -
remission of sins and salvation from eternal death. Lest, however, our wanton,
indolent nature deceive itself by imagining the work is instantaneously wrought
in ourselves, and that simply to receive the message is to exhaust the
blessing, Paul always adds the injunction to examine our hearts to ascertain
whether we rightly apprehend the resurrection truth.
HOW WE ARE RISEN WITH CHRIST.
2. By no means are we simply to assent to the words of the
doctrine. Christ does not design that we be able merely to accept and speak
intelligently of it, but that its influence be manifest in our lives. How is a
dead man profited, however much life may be preached to him, if that preaching
does not make him live? Or of what use is it to preach righteousness to a
sinner if he remain in sin? or to an erring, factious individual if he forsake
not his error and his darkness? Even so, it is not only useless but
detrimental, even pernicious in effect, to listen to the glorious, comforting
and saving doctrine of the resurrection if the heart has no experience of its
truth; if it means naught but a sound in the ears, a transitory word upon the
tongue, with no more effect upon the hearer than as if
he had never heard. According to Paul in the text, this nobly-wrought and
precious resurrection of Christ essentially must be, not an idle tale of fancy,
futile as a dead hewn-stone or painted-paper image, but a powerful energy
working in us a resurrection through faith - an experience he calls being risen
with Christ; in other words, it is dying unto sin, being snatched from the
power of death and hell and having life and happiness in Christ. In the second
chapter (verse 12), the apostle puts it plainly, ”buried with him in baptism,
wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who
raised him from the dead.”
3. If, Paul says, ye have apprehended by faith the
resurrection of Christ and have received its power and consolation, and so are
risen with him, that resurrection will surely be manifest in you; you will feel
its power, will be conscious of its working within. The doctrine will be
something more than words; it will be truth and life. For them who do not thus
apprehend the resurrection, Christ is not yet risen, although his rising is
none the less a fact; for there is not within them the power represented by the
words ”being risen with Christ,” the power which renders them truly dead and
truly risen men. So Paul's intent is to make us aware that before we can become
Christians, this power must operate within us; otherwise, though we may boast
and fancy ourselves believing Christians, it will not be true.
The test is, are we risen in Christ - is his resurrection effective in us? Is
it merely a doctrine of words, or one of life and operating power?
4. Now, what is the process of the life and death mentioned?
How can we be dead and at the same time risen? If we are Christians we must
have suffered death; yet the very fact that we are Christians implies that we
live. How is this paradox to be explained? Indeed, certain false teachers of
the apostles' time understood and explained the words in a narrow sense making
them mean that the resurrection of the dead is a thing of the past according to
Paul's words in Second Timothy 1, 10, and that there is no future resurrection
from temporal death. The believer in Christ, they said, is already risen to
life; in all Christians the resurrection is accomplished in this earthly life.
They sought to prove their position by Paul's own words, thus assailing the
article of the resurrection.
5. But we will ignore these teachers as being condemned by Paul,
and interpret the words as he meant them, his remarks both preceding and
following making it clear and unquestionable that he refers to the spiritual
resurrection. This fact is certain: If we are, at the last day, to rise bodily, in our flesh and blood, to eternal life, we
must have had a previous spiritual resurrection here on earth. Paul's words in
Romans 8, 11 are: ”But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that
dwelleth in you.” In other words: God having quickened, justified and saved you
spiritually, he will not forget the body, the building or tabernacle of the
living spirit; the spirit being in this life risen from sin and death, the
tabernacle, or the corruptible flesh-and-blood garment, must also be raised; it
must emerge from the dust of earth, since it is the dwelling-place of the saved
and risen spirit, that the two may be reunited unto life eternal.
6. The apostle, then, is not in this text referring to the
future resurrection of the body, but to the spiritual rising which entails the
former. He regards as one fact the resurrection of the Lord Christ, who brought
his body again from the grave and entered into life eternal, and the
resurrection of ourselves, who, by virtue of his rising, shall likewise be
raised: first, the soul, from a trivial and guilty life shall rise into a true, divine and happy existence; and second,
from this sinful and mortal body shall rise out of the grave an immortal,
glorious one. So Paul terms believing Christians both ”dead” and ”alive.” They
are spiritually dead in this life and also spiritually alive. Nevertheless,
this sinful temporal life must yet come to an end in physical death, for the
destruction of the sin and death inherent therein, that body and spirit may
live forever. Therefore he says:
”If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.”
7. In other words: Seek and strive after what is above - the
things divine, heavenly and eternal; not the terrestrial, perishable, worldly.
Make manifest the fact that you are now spiritually raised and by the same
power will later be raised bodily.
8. But does this mean that we, as Christians, are no more to eat and drink, to till the ground, to attend to
domestic or public duties, or to engage in any kind of labor? Are we to live
utterly idle, practically dead? Is that what you mean, Paul, when you say we
are not to seek the things of earth, though all these are essentially incident
to life? What can you say to the fact that Christ the Lord is, himself, with us
on earth? for he said before his ascension to heaven (Mt 28, 20): ”Lo, I am
with you always, even unto the end of the world”; and also the baptism which he
commands, the sacrament and the office of Gospel ministry whereby he governs
his Church here - these are things of earth.
9. Paul, however, explains in the succeeding verse what he
means by ”things that are upon the earth” and ”things that are above.” He is
not telling us to despise earthly objects. He does not refer to God's created
things, all which are good, as God himself considered them; nor has he
reference to the Christian who, in his earthly life, must deal with the things
of creation. He has in mind the individual without knowledge of God; who knows
no more, and aims no further, than reason teaches,
that reason received from parents at physical birth; who is an unbeliever,
ignorant of God and the future life and caring not for them; who follows only
natural understanding and human desire and seeks merely personal benefit,
honor, pride and pleasure. The apostle calls that a worldly life where the Word
of God is lacking, or at least is disregarded, and where the devil has rule,
impelling to all vices. Paul would say: Ye must be dead to a worldly life of
this sort, a life striven after by the heathen, who disregard God's Word and
suffer the devil to have his way with them. Ye must prove the resurrection of
Christ in you to be something more than vain words. Ye
must show there is a living power manifest in you because ye are risen, a power
which makes you lead a different life, one in obedience to the Word and will of
God, and called the divine, heavenly life. Where this change does not take
place, it is a sign ye are not yet Christians but are deceiving yourselves with
vain fancies.
10. Under the phrase ”things that are upon the earth” -
worldly things - Paul includes not only gross, outward vices, sins censurable
in the eyes of the world, but also greater immoralities; everything, in fact,
not in accordance with the pure Word of God, faith and true
Christian character.
SPIRITUAL AND CARNAL WORLDLINESS.
11. In order to a better understanding of the text, we shall
adopt Paul's customary classification of life as spiritual and carnal. Life on
earth is characterized as of the spirit, or spiritual; and of the flesh, or
carnal. But the spiritual life may be worldly. The worldly spiritual life is represented
by the vices of false and self-devised doctrine wherein the soul lives without
the Word of God, in unbelief and in contempt of God; or, still worse, abuses
the Word of God and the name of Christ in false doctrine, making them a cover
and ornament for wicked fraud, using them falsely under a show of truth, under
pretense of Christian love. This is worldly conduct of the spiritual kind. It
is always the worst, ever the most injurious, since it is not only personal
sin, but deceives others into like transgression. Paul refers, in the epistle
lesson for Easter, to this evil as the ”old leaven” and the ”leaven of
wickedness.” And in Second Corinthians 7, 1, he makes the same classification
of spiritual and carnal sin, saying, ”Let us cleanse ourselves from all
defilement of flesh and spirit.” By defilement of the spirit he means those
secret, subtle vices wherewith man pollutes and corrupts his inner life in the
sight of God; his sins not being manifest to the world, but deceiving human
reason and wisdom.
12. If we would be Christians we must, first of all, be dead
to conduct of this sort. We must not receive nor tolerate the worldly doctrine
and corrupt inventions originating with ourselves, whether in the nature of
reason, philosophy or law, theories ignoring the Word of God or else falsely
passing under its name. For such are wholly of the world; under their influence
man has no regard to God's will and seeks not his kingdom and eternal life.
They are meant merely to further the individual's own honor, pride, renown,
wisdom, holiness or something else. Though boast is made
of the Gospel and of faith in Christ, yet it is not serious, and the individual
continues without power and without fruit.
13. If we are risen with Christ through faith, we must set
our affections upon things not earthly, corruptible, perishable, but upon
things above - the heavenly, divine, eternal; in other words, upon doctrine
right, pure and true, and whatever is pleasing to God, that his honor and
Christ's kingdom may be preserved. Thus shall we guard ourselves against abuse
of God's name, against false worship and false trust and that presumption of
self- holiness which pollutes and defrauds the spirit.
14. Under carnal worldliness Paul includes the gross vices,
enumerating in particular here, fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, and so
on, things which reason knows to be wicked and condemns as such. The spiritual
sins take reason captive and deceive it, leaving it powerless to guard against
them. They are termed spiritual sins not simply because of their
spirit-polluting character, for all vices pollute the spirit, the carnal vices
among them; but because they are too subtle for flesh and blood to discern. The
sins of the flesh, however, are called carnal, or body-polluting, because
committed by the body, in its members. Now, as we are to be dead unto spiritual
sins, so are we to be dead unto carnal sins, or at least to make continual
progress toward that end, striving ever to turn away from all such earthly
things and to look toward the heavenly and divine. He who continues to seek
carnal things and to be occupied with them, has not as yet with Christ died
unto the world. Not having died, he is not risen; the resurrection of Christ
effects nothing in him. Christ is dead unto him and he unto Christ.
15. Paul's admonition is particularly necessary at the
present time. We see a large and constantly-increasing number who, despite
their boast of the Gospel and their certain knowledge of the polluting and
condemning power of spiritual and carnal sins, continue in their evil course,
forgetful of God's wrath, or endeavoring to trust in false security. Indeed, it
is a very common thing for men to do just as they please and yet pretend
innocence and seek to avoid censure. Some would represent themselves guileless
as lambs and blameless; no act of theirs may be regarded evil or even wrong.
They pretend great virtue and Christian love. Yet they carry on their
insidious, malicious frauds, imposing falsehoods upon men. They ingeniously contrive
to make their conduct appear good, imagining that to pass as faultless before
men and to escape public censure means to deceive God also. But they will learn
how God looks upon the matter. Paul tells us (Gal 6, 7) God will not, like men,
be mocked. To conceal and palliate will not avail. Nothing will answer but
dying to vice and then striving after what is virtuous, divine and becoming the
Christian character.
16. Paul enumerates some gross and unpardonable vices -
fornication, or unchastity, and covetousness. He speaks also of these in
Ephesians 5, 3-5 and in First Thessalonians 4, 3-7, as we have heard in the
epistle lessons for the second and third Sundays in Lent. He enjoins Christians
to guard against these sins, to be utterly dead to them. For they are sensual,
acknowledged such even among the gentiles; while we strive after the perfect
purity becoming souls who belong to Christ and in heaven. It is incumbent upon
the Christian to preserve his body modest, and holy or chaste; to refrain from
polluting himself by fornication and other unchastity, after the manner of the
world.
17. Similarly does the apostle forbid covetousness, to which
he gives the infamous name of idolatry in the effort to make it more hideous in the Christian's eyes, to induce him to shun
it as an abominable vice intensely hated of God. It is a vice calculated to
turn a man wholly from faith and from divine worship, until he regards not, nor
seeks after, God and his Word and heavenly treasures, but follows only after
the treasures of earth and seeks a god that will give
him enough of earthly good.
18. Much might be said on this topic were we to consider it
relative to all orders and trades in succession. For plainly the world,
particularly in our day, is completely submerged in the vice of covetousness.
It is impossible to enumerate the subtle arts it can invent, and the good and
beautiful things it knows how to pass off whereunder it masks itself as a thing
not to be considered sinful, but rather extremely virtuous and indicative of
uprightness. And so idolatry ever does. While before God it is the worst
abomination, before the world its appearance and reputation are superior. So
far from being recognized as sin,
it is considered supreme holiness and divine worship. The very worship of
Mammon wears an imposing mask. It must not be called covetousness or dishonest
striving after property, but must be known as upright, legitimate endeavor to
obtain a livelihood, a seeking to acquire property honestly. It ingeniously
clothes itself with the Word of God, saying God commands man to seek his bread
by labor, by his own exertions, and that every man is bound to provide for his
own household. No civil government, no, nor a preacher even, can censure
covetousness under that guise unless it be betrayed in gross robbing and
stealing.
19. Let every man know that his covetousness will be laid to
the charge of his own conscience, that he will have to answer for it, for God
will not be deceived. It is evident the vice is gaining ground. With its false
appearance and ostentation, and its world-wide prevalence, it is commonly
accepted as legal. Without censure or restraint, men are engrossed in coveting
and accumulating to the utmost. Those having position and power think they have
the right to acquire by violence as much as they can, daily making assessments
and imposts, and new oppressions and impositions upon the poor. And the common
rabble seek gain by raising prices, by extortion, fraud, and so on. Yet all
desire not to be charged with wrong-doing; they would not they should be called
unchristian on account of their conduct. Indeed, such excess of covetousness
obtains that the public robbing and stealing, and the faithlessness and fraud,
of the meanest hirelings, servants and maids everywhere can no longer be
restrained.
20. But who would care to recount the full extent of this
vice in all dealings and interests of the world between man and man? Enough has
been said to induce every one who aims to be a Christian to examine his own
heart and, if he find himself guilty of such vice, to refrain; if not, to know
how to guard against it. Every individual can readily perceive for himself what
is consistent with Christian character in this respect, what can be allowed
with a good conscience; for he has Christ's rule of dealing as we would be
dealt with, which insures equality and justice. Where unfairness exists,
covetousness must obtain to some extent.
21. If you will not desist from the vice of covetousness, then
know you are not a Christian, not a believer, but, as Paul calls you, a base,
detestable idolater, having no part in God's kingdom; for you are living wholly
to the world and without intent to rise with Christ.
You will receive no blessing from the joy-inspiring and gracious revelation
that Christ died and rose for sinners. You cannot say, ”Therefore he died for
me, I trust.” Truly, Christ died for you, but if you continue in your
wickedness, using this revelation as a cloak for your mean covetousness, do not
- such is the declaration of the text - by any means apply that comforting
promise to yourself. Although Christ indeed died and rose for all, yet unto you
he is not risen; you have not apprehended his resurrection by faith. You have
seen the smoke but have not felt the fire; you have heard the words but have
received nothing of their power.
THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.
22. If you would be able honestly to boast of this
revelation as unto you, if you would have the comfort of knowing that Christ,
through his death and resurrection, has blessed you, you must not continue in
your old sinful life, but put on a new character. For Christ died and rose for
the very purpose of effecting your eventual death with him and your
participation in his resurrection: in other words, he died that you might be made a new man, beginning even now, a man like unto himself
in heaven, a man having no covetous desire or ambition for advantage over a
neighbor, a man satisfied with what God grants him as the result of his labor,
and kind and beneficent to the needy.
23. In his desire to arouse Christians to the necessity of
guarding against such vices as he mentions, Paul strengthens his admonition, in
conclusion, by grave threats and visions of divine wrath, saying, ”for which
things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience”; that is,
upon the unbelieving world, which regards not the Word of God, does not fear or
believe in it nor strive to obey it, and yet is unwilling to be charged with
idolatry and other unchristian principles, desiring rather to be considered
righteous and God's own people. In the last quoted clause Paul also implies
that worldly conduct, the life of worldly lusts such as covetousness and other
vices, is inconsistent and impossible with faith, and that the power of
Christ's resurrection cannot reach it. For this reason he terms them ”sons of
disobedience,” who have not faith and who, by their unchristian conduct, bring
God's wrath upon themselves and are cast out from the kingdom of God. God seriously
passes sentence against such conduct, declaring he will reveal his wrath
against it in bodily punishment in this world and eternal punishment in the
world hereafter. Elsewhere Paul says practically the same thing (Eph 5, 6):
”For because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of
disobedience.” See also Rom 1, 18.
24. Such is the admonition of Paul unto all who would be
called Christians. He reminds them whereunto the Gospel of Christ calls them
and what his resurrection should work in them - death to all life and doctrine not in
harmony with God's Word and God's will - and that if they believe in the risen
and living Christ, they, as risen with him, should seek after the same heavenly
life where he sits at the right hand of God, a life where is no sin nor worldly
error, but eternal life and imperishable treasures to be possessed and enjoyed
with Christ forever.
25. But the revelation of Christ's resurrection can be
apprehended by nothing but faith. The things Paul here tells us of life and
glory for Christians in the risen Christ are not apparent to the world; in
fact, Christians themselves do not perceive them by external sense. Notice, he
says, ”Ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” The world does not
understand the Christian life and has no word of praise for it; it is hostile
to the faith and cannot tolerate the fact that you believe in Christ and refuse
to join hands with it in love for worldly lusts. A hidden life indeed is the
Christian's; not only hidden to the world, but, so far as external perception
goes, to the Christian himself. Nevertheless, it is a life sure and in safe
keeping, and in the hereafter its glory shall be manifest to all the world. For
Paul says:
”When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory.”
26. Here is comfort for Christians in this earthly life
where, though they receive the doctrine of Christ and apprehend him by faith,
their resurrection seems to the world and to their own perceptions untrue;
where they must contend with sin and infirmities and moreover are subject to
much affliction and adversity; and where consequently they are extremely
sensible of death and terror when they would experience joy and life. In this
verse Paul comforts them, showing them where to seek and surely apprehend their
life.
27. Be of good cheer, he would say, for ye are dead to the
worldly life. This life ye must renounce, but in so doing ye make a precious
exchange. Dying unto the world is a blessed experience, for which ye will
obtain a life far more glorious. Ye are now, through
Christ's death, redeemed from sin and from death eternal and are made imperishable. Upon you is conferred everlasting glory.
But this risen life ye cannot yet perceive in yourselves; ye have it in Christ,
through faith. Christ is spoken of as ”our life.” Though the life is still
unrevealed to you, it is certain, insured to you beyond the power of any to
deprive you of it. By faith in Christ's life, then, are ye to be preserved and
to obtain victory over the terrors and torments of sin, death and the devil,
until that life shall be revealed in you and made
manifest to men. In Christ ye surely possess eternal life. Nothing is lacking
to a perfect realization except that the veil whereby it is hidden so long as
we are in mortal flesh and blood, is yet to be removed. Then will eternal life
be revealed. Then all worldly, terrestrial things, all sin and death, will be
abolished. In every Christian shall be manifest only glory. Christians, then,
believing in Christ, and knowing him risen, should comfort themselves with the
expectation of living with him in eternal glory; the inevitable condition is
that they have first, in the world, died with him.
28. Paul does not forget to recognize the earthly
environment of Christians and saints, for he says: ”Put to death therefore your
members which are upon the earth.” Though acknowledging Christians dead with
Christ unto worldly things and possessing life in Christ, he yet tells them to
mortify their members on earth, and enumerates the sins of fornication,
covetousness, etc. This is truly a strange idea, that it should be necessary
for men who have died and risen with Christ and hence have been made really holy, to mortify worldly inclinations in their
bodily members. The apostle refers to this subject in Romans 7: 5, 8, 23, and
elsewhere, frequently explaining how, in the saints, there continue to remain
various lusts of original sin, which constantly rise in
the effort to break out, even gross external vices. These have to be resisted.
They are strong enough utterly to enslave a man, to subject him to the deepest
guilt, as Paul complains (Rom 7, 23); and they will surely do it unless the
individual, by faith and the aid of the Holy Spirit, oppose and conquer them.
29. Therefore, saints must, by a vigorous and unceasing
warfare, subdue their sinful lusts if they would not lose God's grace and their
faith. Paul says in Romans 8, 13: ”If ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the
body, ye shall live.” In order, then, to retain the Spirit and the incipient
divine life, the Christian must contend against himself. This cannot be
accomplished by the monastic hypocrisies wherewith some expect to resist sin.
For the pollution of sin is not merely something adhering to the clothing, or
to the skin externally, and easily washed off. It is not something to be
discharged from the body by fasting and castigation. No, it penetrates the
flesh and blood and is diffused rough the whole man. Positive mortification is
necessary or it will destroy one. And this is how to mortify sin: It must be
perceived with serious displeasure and repented of; and through faith Christ's
forgiveness must be sought and found. Thus shall sinful inclinations be
resisted, defeated and restrained from triumphing over you. More has been said
on this topic elsewhere.
SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
1 JOHN 5:4-12
1 JOHN 5:4-12
For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh
the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our
faith. And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that
Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus
Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it
is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there
are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the
three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is
greater: for the witness of God is this, that he hath borne witness concerning
his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in him: he that
believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he
hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning his Son. And
the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God
hath not the life.
VICTORIOUS
FAITH
1. This epistle selection was primarily arranged for this
particular Sunday because it treats of baptism and of the new birth of the
believing Christian. It was in former time customary in the Church to baptize
immediately after Easter those who had accepted the Christian faith and had
been instructed in its precepts. This day is also called “Dominicam in albis,”
and by us Germans “Weiszer Sonntag” (White Sunday), because the candidates for
baptism were clad in white linen as indicative of their cleansing and new
birth; just as today children to be baptized are arrayed in a white
christening-robe.
THE
NEW BIRTH
2. While this lesson does not treat of the resurrection of
Christ, it has reference to its fruits: faith, the very essence of
Christianity, here expressed as being born of God; and the evidence of the Holy
Spirit, received through baptism, which assures us we are children of God and
have, through Christ, eternal life and all blessings.
3. Though John’s language is, as usual, plain and simple,
yet, in the ears of men generally, it is unusual and unintelligible. The world
estimates it as similar to the prattle of children or fools. What, according to
the world’s construction, is implied by the statement, “Whatsoever is begotten
[born] of God overcometh the world?” Overcoming the world, the unconverted
would understand to mean bringing into subjection to oneself every earthly
thing and assuming the position of sovereign of the world. Yet more absurd in
the ears of this class is the saying that we must be born of God. “Did one ever
hear of such a thing,” they might exclaim, “as children born of God? It would
be less ridiculous to say we must be born of stones, after the idea of the
heathen poets.” To the world there is no birth but physical birth. Hence such
doctrine as our lesson sets forth will ever be strange, unintelligible,
incomprehensible, to all but Christians. But the latter speak with new tongues,
as Christ in the last chapter of Mark (verse 17) says they shall, for they are
taught and enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
4. Clearly, then, when the Scriptures speak of being born of
God, it is not in a human sense; the reference is not to the conditions of our
temporal lives, but to those exalted ones of a future existence. To say we must
be born of God is equivalent to saying that if man is to be redeemed from sin
and eternal death, to enter into the kingdom of God and into happiness, his
physical birth will not suffice; all which nature, reason, free-will and human
endeavor may afford is inadequate. Physical birth, it is true,
answers for everything in the way of temporal possession and achievement,
everything great, powerful, noble, rich, wise, learned; in short, every exalted
and desirable thing of earth. But all such possession and achievement serves
only the physical existence; it is swept away by death, to which event it is
ever subject. Hence becomes necessary a new and different birth, a birth more significant than that of the natural man even in the
case of emperors, kings, or the wisest and most influential of earth. For as
Isaiah says (ch. 40:6): “All flesh is grass, and all
the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the
flower fadeth.” The demand is for a divine birth, a birth in which parentage is
wholly of God; a birth signifying the operation of God’s divine power in man, a
power achieving something beyond the attainment of his natural capacities and
effecting in him new understanding and a new heart.
5. The process is this: When the individual hears the Gospel
message of Christ – a message revealed and proclaimed not by the wisdom and
will of man, but through the Holy Spirit – and sincerely believes it, he is
justly recognized as conceived and born of God. John in his gospel (ch. 1:12) says: “As many as received him, to them gave he
the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
And in the first verse of the chapter including our text, he tells us:
“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God.” Through that
faith, for the sake of his Son, God accepts us as his children, pleasing to him
and heirs of eternal life; and the Holy Spirit will be sent into our hearts, as
is explained later.
6. This doctrine condemns those arrogant teachers who
presumptuously expect to be justified before God by their own merits and works.
They imagine that their wisdom, learning, good judgment, intelligence, fair
reputation and morality entitle them, because of the good they are thus enabled
to do, to the favor of God and to reception up into heaven. But the Scriptures
clearly teach the very reverse, that all these things are nothing in the eyes
of God. It is sheer human effort; it is not being born of God. However wise and
powerful you might be, if even the noblest, most beautiful, fruit human nature
can produce, your could not see the kingdom of God unless you became a wholly
different person, unless you were born anew, according to Christ’s words in
John 3:3. And this is something impossible to your natural powers. You
certainly cannot make yourself of other parentage than you are. God must begin
the work in you, communicating his seed – his Word – by virtue of which the
Holy Spirit operates in you, enabling you, by faith, to cling to the promise,
as said before.
7. Now, he who is thus born of God, John declares, overcomes
the world. Verily, this is a significant and forcible assertion the Holy Spirit
makes; it represents a tremendous power, a great work. The child of God must,
indeed, attempt and accomplish great things. The birth effected through the
Word and faith makes men true sovereigns, above all earthly rulers; it gives
them power even to overcome the world, something impossible to any Roman or
Turkish potentate. They effect not their victory by physical force or temporal
power, but by the spiritual birth, through faith. As John says immediately
after the clause we are discussing, “This is the victory that hath overcome the
world, even our faith.” Here is his own explanation of what he means by being
born of God.
THE
TWO KINGDOMS
8. Now, in order to understand the nature of the spiritual
victory and how it is effected, we must know just what John means by the term
“world.” The reference is not to dominion over territory, to property or money.
He implies the existence of two kingdoms. In one, the kingdom of God, the
heavenly kingdom of Christ, is included, first, the angels in heaven, who are
the chief lords, the inner circle of counselors; second, the entire Christian
Church on earth, under one head, Christ the Lord and King. In the other
kingdom, the hellish kingdom, the devil is prince, and his mighty counselors
and servants are the angels who with him fell from heaven; it also includes the
world, those on earth who teach, believe and live contrary to Christ, who
represent the heathen, the Jews, the Turks and false Christians. By the heavenly kingdom of God we must
understand, not only spiritual life and godly people, but the lord and regent
of that kingdom – Christ with his angels, and his saints both living and dead.
Thus, too, the kingdom of the world represents not only the earthly life with
its worldly interests, but particularly its lord and regent – the devil and his
angels, and all unchristian, godless, wicked people on earth. So, when John
says, “Whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world,” he means by “world”
the devil and his whole earthly dominion.
9. Now, the workings of these two kingdoms are plainly
evident, though the leaders – Christ the Lord, and the devil – are not visible
to mortal eyes. Christ rules direct and effectually, in his own power, through
the Word and through the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, maintaining
them in the faith and in the knowledge of his Word, and protecting from the
devil’s wrath and subtlety; further, he rules through his angels, who guard his
followers; again, he rules through his people themselves, who exercise
authority one over another in loving service, each teaching, instructing,
comforting and admonishing a noble little band of godly, obedient, patient,
chaste, kind, tractable, benevolent souls. The nature of the devil’s kingdom,
the manner of life the world leads, is easily apparent. This kingdom is simply
a huge booth filled with faithless, shameless, wicked individuals, impelled by
their god to every sort of disobedience, ingratitude and contempt of God and
his Word; to idolatry, false doctrine, persecution of Christians and the
practice of all wantonness, mischief, wickedness and vice.
10. These two kingdoms are opposed. They continually contend
for the crown; they war with each other for supremacy. Christians are brought
into the conflict to hold the field against God’s enemy, whose rule of the
world is one of falsehood and murder; they must contend with the enemy’s
servants, his horde of factious spirits and basely wicked individuals, in an
effort to restrain evil and promote good. Christians
must be equipped for the fray; they must know how to meet and successfully
resist the enemy, how to carry the field unto victory, and hold it.
FAITH
THE VICTOR
11. Therefore, when John says, “Whatsoever is begotten of
God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world,
even our faith,” his purpose is to admonish Christians that believers must
manifest the power and working of faith in life and deed. In fact, his chief
aim in writing this text was to reprove false Christians who are pleased to
hear the doctrine that we are saved through Christ alone, our works and merits
not earning our salvation; and who imagine the hearing of this doctrine
constitutes them Christians and that there is no necessity for any effort or
contention on their part. They forget that they must, through faith, become new
persons fitted to overcome the world and the devil.
12. Victory over the devil is the sign of the true Christian. Thereby we may know men are born of God, may
distinguish them from the false children who enjoy but the semblance of God’s
Word and never experience its power. Such are mere “mondkinder” (moon-children)
– still-born, destitute of real divine life, or divine power. It cannot be said
we have been born of God when we continue in our old dead and worldly course,
and as before lie and live in sin at the devil’s pleasure. No, as children of
God we must resist the devil and his entire kingdom. If, then, instead of
overcoming the world you allow it to overcome you, then, boast as you may of
faith and Christ, your own conduct testifies that you are not a child of God.
To illustrate, beginning with some of the lower and grosser sins: If you boast
of being a child of God, but still live in fornication, adultery, and such
vices, the devil has already overcome you and wrested you from the kingdom of
God. If you are miserly, injuring your neighbor by usury, by overcharging, by
false wares and fraudulent business, you have permitted the world and your own
flesh to overcome you for a penny. If you entertain envy and hatred toward your
neighbor, you are at once thereby a captive servant of the devil. The same
principle holds in the case of sins more subtle and
refined, where the malicious knavery of the devil must be resisted. For
instance, the devil deceives with misleading doctrines, impelling men to
idolatry, false faith, presumption, despair, blasphemy, and so on. Now, if you
yield to him, suffering yourself to be seduced, what will it profit you to
boast of the Gospel faith? for you have not properly grasped God’s Word, you
have not rightly recognized God in Christ, but continue in error, in false
fancies, captivated and deceived by the devil.
13. It requires something more than mere human wisdom and
skill, more than human power, to withstand and overcome an enemy so formidable
as the devil. As said before, the Christian must be fortified with the
knowledge of how to guard against his wiles and deceptions and how to withstand
him. Hence a Christian is called a person who is born of God. He must be
different from an intelligent heathen and a skillful worldling to rightly
understand God’s Word and apprehend Christ through faith, and must use such
knowledge as weapons of offense and defense in the conflict. Thus will he be
able to withstand the devil and the world and to gain the victory. God’s Word
and faith are the power which will bring him through; he cannot be overcome so
long as he adheres to them. In this connection are John’s words immediately
preceding our text: “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments;
and his commandments are not grievous.” Then he goes on, “For whatsoever is
begotten of God overcometh the world,” etc. Such is the power represented by
genuine new birth, that therein the devil, the world and all evil are overcome.
Just as, in physical birth, a normal child fully born into the world may
overcome a slight offensive disease, while an abnormal or still-born child
perishes of its own weakness.
14. For example, if I have faith and am born of God, I will
not pollute myself with unchastity and fornication, I will not bring disgrace
upon another’s spouse or child. The new birth will indeed teach me not to
reject shamefully the treasure I have in Christ, not to lose it willingly, and
not to drive from me the indwelling Holy Spirit. Faith, if it truly dwells in
me, will not permit me to do ought in violation of my conscience and of the
Word and the will of God. Should I be tempted by avarice to deceive and defraud
my neighbor, or to close my hand when I should give
him aid, if I am a Christian and born anew my faith will protest and turn me from
such action. Can I injure my neighbor or permit him to suffer want when I might
contribute to his relief, if I am aware that Christ has given his body and shed
his blood for me? How can there enter into the heart of the Christian who
believes he has received ineffable and eternal treasures through the Son of
God, the inclination to permit his neighbor to suffer a trivial want when he
can easily extend relief? Much less would it be possible for the Christian to
injure or to do injustice to his neighbor for the sake of shamefully gaining
some small advantage. Rather he would reflect: “If I am, through Christ, a
child of God and an heir of heaven, the sum of this world’s goods is far too
insignificant to induce me, for the sake of a penny, to deceive or defraud
anyone.” Then, too, if the devil tempt you by his tyrannical, factious spirits,
or even by your own thoughts, to forsake your pure doctrine for his deceptions,
you as a Christian are to resist the temptation, remembering the blessings you
have through faith received from Christ in the Gospel; you have been liberated
from darkness, blindness and error; have learned rightly to know God; and have
obtained the sure consolation of grace and salvation, being aware upon what you
must depend in life and death. Why, then, yield to the devil, allowing yourself
to be robbed of salvation and eternal life? Why not much rather let go every
earthly thing than to deny the Word of God or to permit this blessed
consolation to be perverted, falsified and wrested from you?
15. So, then, John says, “This is the victory that hath
overcome the world, even our faith.” It is, indeed, saying very much for the
Christian faith to attribute to it such power over the devil and the world – a
power transcending all human ability. It requires an agency greater and higher
than human strength to triumph over the devil, especially in the perplexing
conflicts of conscience, when he vexes and tortures the heart with terror of
God’s wrath in the attempt to drive us to despair. At such times all our works
must immediately sink out of sight, leaving no help or victory except the faith
that clings to the word of Christ the Lord, believing that, for the sake of his
beloved Son, God will be merciful and will not condemn us for our sins and
unworthiness if we believe in him. Such faith as this stands fast and gains the
victory; neither the devil nor the gates of hell can prevail against it.
16. The same is true in all
temptations. Before we can resist and overcome, we must have faith to believe
that through Christ we have remission of sins and the favor of God; that God
gives us help and strength to enable us to stand in the conflict and
successfully resist the devil, the world, the flesh and death; that we obtain
the victory by the divine power of the Holy Spirit, lacking whose help we all
would be far too weak to win. Without faith, we are under the power of the
devil and sin, being subject to them by natural birth. We can be liberated in
no other way than through faith in Christ.
17. That John has reference to faith in Christ is plainly
evident from his query, “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that
believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” The apostle’s purpose therein is to
make plain just what the true Scriptural faith is and
what it implies. For there are other beliefs which the world calls faith. The
Jews, the Turks, the Papists, claim they also believe in God who created heaven
and earth. That such belief is not the true faith,
however, is proved by the fact of its ineffectiveness. It does not contend and
overcome, and it permits the believer to remain as he is, in his natural birth
and under the power of the devil and sin. But the faith which believes Jesus is
the Son of God is the true, triumphant sort. It is an
invincible power wrought in the hearts of Christians by the Holy Spirit. It is
a sure knowledge, that does not gaze and vacillate hither and thither according
to its own thoughts. It apprehends God in Christ the Son sent from heaven,
through whom God reveals his will and his love and transfers us from sin to
grace, from death to a new and eternal life; a refuge and trust that relies not
upon its own merit or worthiness, but upon Christ the Son of God, and in his
might and power battles against the world and the devil. Therefore, the
Christian faith is not the cold, ineffective, empty, lifeless conception which
Papists and others imagine it to be; no, it is a living, active power, ever
followed by victories and other appropriate fruits. Where such fruits are
lacking, faith and the new birth are not there.
THE
SOURCE OF FAITH
18. Thus we have the first part of our sermon on the new
birth and faith. For the second part, John shows whence and by what means comes
the faith productive of victory; he says: “This is he that came by water and
blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with
the blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the
truth. For there are three who bear witness [in earth], the Spirit, and the
water, and the blood,” etc.
19. John speaks of Christ’s kingdom, and of the office the
Holy Spirit bears outwardly and visibly in the Christian Church, represented in
the ministerial office and the sacraments. He says: “There are three who bear
witness [in earth].” John, as usual, employs the word “witness” in connection
with the thought of preaching; it is a word he frequently uses. For instance,
in the beginning of his gospel, where he speaks of John the Baptist, he says (ch. 1:7): “The same came for a witness, that he might bear
witness of the light.” So, in his use of the phrase “witness” or “bearing
witness,” we are to understand simply the public preaching of God’s Word.
Again, Christ says ( John 16:9-14), that the Holy
Spirit shall bear witness of him; that is, he shall publicly fill the
ministerial office. This is God’s own witness to his Son. And here John tells
us we have the victory over the devil and the world, through faith, for the
sake of Christ the Son of God.
20. This witness Christ himself ordains shall ever go forth,
and remain, in the Church. To this end Christ sent the Holy Spirit; to this end
Christ himself called and gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles and their
successors, ministers, preachers and teachers, as Paul tells us
( Ephesians 4:11-13), who are to exercise the Word, that the Word may
resound always and everywhere in the world, reaching to children’s children,
and on down to future generations. Were the witness not in the Church, the
pulpit – in fact, the entire outward administration of the Church – would be
useless, for every man could read the Scriptures for himself. But for the sake
of the uninstructed masses and the constantly rising young who, as yet in
ignorance of the Word, need admonition – for the sake of these, the Spirit must
bear public witness or administer the preaching office that they, too, may
learn to know the grace of God manifest and given to us through Christ, and
that God’s wondrous works may be publicly recognized and extolled by us in
opposition to the devil and the world.
21. Wherever such witness is borne, there certainly will be
some fruit. The witness never fails of effect. Some surely will be reached;
some will accept and believe it. Since it is the witness of the Holy Spirit,
and the apostle says here, the Spirit beareth witness, he will be effective,
producing in us that to which John refers when he says we are children of God,
and have the victory and eternal life. So the Word – the Gospel message
accompanied by the witness of the Spirit – and faith are vitally related. In
the last analysis they are inseparable. Without faith, preaching will be
fruitless; and faith has origin in the Word alone. Therefore, we should gladly
hear and handle the Word. Where it is, there is also
the Holy Spirit; and where the Spirit is, there must be at least some
believers. Even if you have already heard the Word and obtained faith, it will
always continue to strengthen you as you hear it. One knows not at what hour
God may touch and illumine his or another’s heart. It may be in a time when we
least look for it, or in the individual of whom we have least expectation. For
the Spirit, as Christ says, breathes where he will, and touches hearts when and
where he knows them to be receptive.
22. It is relative to the power and energy wrought by the
Holy Spirit that John speaks, indicating the source and means of the power of
this witness, when he says of Christ, “This is he that came by water and blood,”
etc. In this sentence is included all we possess in the kingdom of Christ, and
here is extolled the efficacy of our beloved baptism and the blood or
sufferings of Christ. Here John unites all the elements in one bundle, so to
speak, making a triune witness. They bear joint witness to our faith and
confirm it – these three: the water, the blood and the Spirit.
BAPTISM
BY WATER AND BLOOD
23. Christ comes, first, “by water”; that is, by holy
baptism. He employs baptism as an outward sign of his work in the new birth of
man and in man’s sanctification. This water by which Christ comes cannot be a
mere, empty sign; for he comes not merely to cleanse or bathe the body with
water, but to purify the whole man from all pollution and blemishes inherent in
him from Adam. Christ has instituted a cleansing wholly unlike the Mosaic
ablutions under the Old Testament dispensation. Moses came with various laws
relating to washings and purifications, but they were only cleansings of the
body or of the flesh and had daily to be repeated. Now, since these ceremonials
contributed nothing to man’s purification in God’s sight – a thing to be
effected by nothing short of a new birth – Christ came with a new order of
cleansing, namely, baptism, which is not a mere external ablution from physical
impurities, but a washing effective in man’s purification from the inward
pollution of his old sinful birth and from an evil conscience, and bringing
remission of sin and a good conscience toward God, as Peter says. 1 Peter
24. Christ first instituted baptism through John the
Baptist. To distinguish it from the Mosaic baptism, the old Jewish rite of
washings, Christ styles it “a baptism unto repentance and the remission of
sins.” He designs that therein man shall perceive his inner impurities and know
them to be, in God’s sight, beyond the power of outward Mosaic ablutions to
reach; shall know also that purification of the conscience and remission of
sins must be sought and obtained through the power of Christ the Lord, who
instituted baptism.
25. Secondly, that this cleansing of sin may be effected in
us through baptism, something more than mere water
must be present. Mere water could effect no more than
do ordinary washings, and no more than Jewish and Turkish baptisms and washings
effect. There must be a power and force accompanying the water effective to
work inward purification, the purification of the soul. Therefore, John says,
Christ came, not by water alone, but also by blood; not the blood of bulls, or of
calves, or of goats, those Old Testament sacrifices, but his own blood, as Paul
declares. Hebrews
26. Hence there is now in baptism this efficacy of the blood
of Christ. That is the true caustic soap which not
only removes the uncleanness of the outer man, but penetrates to the inner
nature, consuming its impurities and cleansing them away, that the heart may
become pure in God’s sight. Thus, the blood of Christ is so effectively mingled
with the baptismal water that we must not regard it as mere water, but water
beautifully dyed with the precious crimson blood o£ our clear Savior, Christ.
Baptism, then, cannot rightly be regarded a physical cleansing, like the Mosaic
ablutions, or like the cleansing the bathhouse affords; it is a healing
baptism, a baptism or washing with blood, instituted by none but Christ, the
Son of God, and that through his own death.
27. In the record of Christ’s passion, careful note is made of the fact that blood and water flowed immediately
from the spear-thrust in Christ’s side as he hung upon the cross; it is pointed
out as a special miracle. The design there is to teach that Christ’s shed blood
is not without significance, but stands for a washing or bath whose efficacy is
present in the baptism with water; and that from the slain body of Christ
issues an unceasing stream of water and blood, flowing on down through the
entire Christian Church, wherein we must all be cleansed from our sins. What
makes baptism so precious, so holy and essential is the mingling and union of
the water with the blood of Christ; to be baptized into Christ with water is
really to be washed and cleansed with the blood of Christ.
THE
SPIRIT
28. To these two John adds a third witness, “the Spirit.”
The Spirit bears witness with the water and the blood; in fact, through these
other two he operates. It is the Holy Spirit himself; not as he is invisible up
in heaven in his divine essence, but the Spirit who publicly manifests himself
through his external office and permits himself to be heard through his Word.
As John here asserts, the Spirit bears witness on earth with both the water and
the blood.
29. Neither Moses nor any other teacher in his doctrines of
personal effort and external purifications, his washings and his sprinklings of
the blood of sheep anal goats – no such teacher brings and gives the Spirit.
With them is no Spirit, no divine power, no regeneration of man. Any
unbelieving, spiritless, wicked knave can exercise human effort and practice
physical cleansing. But Christ alone brings with him the power and presence of
the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies us through the blood and water issuing from the
divine side. The Spirit makes us partakers of its cleansing influence through
the external office of preaching and through the sacraments, which are called
the office and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Through these the Spirit works in the
Christian Church just as he did at first, among the apostles on the Day of
Pentecost, and will continue to do in the whole world, unto the last day.
Without his ministration we would never obtain, nor know anything about, the
saving power of Christ’s blood in baptism.
30. Such is the kingdom Christ unceasingly develops through
the Christian Church. In him we have eternal purification when to the water is
added the Spirit, who through the Word enkindles the heart and purifies it, not
with the cleansing qualities of the water alone, but with the healing efficacy
of the blood of Christ, whereby sins are exterminated and God’s wrath appeased.
Although the work of our redemption was wrought once for all in Christ’s blood
shed upon the cross and is sufficient to cancel the sins of the entire world,
yet Christ so instituted it that the same efficacy should remain forever, and
be daily distributed and offered to us through the Holy Spirit.
31. This work of the Holy Spirit is neither received nor
perceived except through faith in this witness, the preached word of Christ –
when with the heart man grasps it and confidently believes it is fulfilled in
himself as the Word declares. Thus is the heart really cleansed, the individual
born anew, through the Holy Spirit present in the sacred cleansing of water and
of the blood of Christ. Peter ( 1 Peter 1:2) speaks of
the sanctification of Christians as the “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ”
upon us by the Holy Spirit through the public preaching of the Gospel. This
sprinkling radically differs from the Jewish sprinkling of water, or of the
ashes of a red heifer, or of the blood of a dead lamb or goat, round about the
altar and upon the applicants for purification. In the sanctification of
Christians, the true consecrated water and the
sprinkled blood of Christ are combined; that is, the message concerning the
shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is “sprinkled,” so to speak, upon the soul,
and wherever that Word touches the soul it is effective. The blood in this case
is not the ineffective, lifeless blood of a slain animal, but the potent,
living blood of the Son of God. Under its application the soul cannot remain
impure. Christ’s blood purifies and heals from sin and death; it strikes at
their very foundation, and entirely releases us from their power and grants us
eternal life for soul and body.
32. Note, this text is a grand sermon on the witness
Christians have here on earth, which the apostle in concluding explains and
extols in beautiful and comforting words. He calls it a witness that God
himself bears to his Son and that serves to assure us of being the children of
God and possessors of eternal life. For he says: “And the witness is this, that
God gave unto us eternal life,” etc. This is indeed an excellent witness, which
God himself witnesses and declares to you, and the Holy Spirit brings and
reveals to you. God cannot lie nor deceive, he is the eternal, unchangeable
truth, as already mentioned. If you believe this witness, you certainly have
received and possess it, as John again says: “He that believeth on the Son of
God hath the witness in him.”
FAITH
TO BE IMPLICIT
33. The true, saving doctrine of the Christian faith is this:
There must be witness and confidence of heart so absolute as to leave no room
for doubt that, through Christ, we are God’s children and have remission of
sins and eternal life. By way of showing us how God earnestly enjoins such
faith upon us and forbids us to have any doubts on the subject, John says, “He
that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because
he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning his Son.”
34. This passage annihilates the pernicious, damnable,
diabolical doctrine of the Papists, who shamelessly claim it is right to doubt
and that a Christian should doubt his title to grace. This doctrine is
equivalent to teaching the propriety of disbelieving the testimony of God. It
is charging God with falsehood, dishonoring and blaspheming the Lord Christ,
openly affronting the Holy Spirit, knowingly plunging people into unpardonable
sins and blasphemies and consequently sending them to the devil without hope or
comfort of salvation.
35. Such is the beautiful fruit of papistical doctrine; such
is papistical holiness. This is what they who would be the Christian Church
recommend to us. They would have us, with them, openly and fearlessly charge
God with falsehood, trample his Word under foot and worship the devil in his stead.
Further, they require us to praise and honor them and render them thanks,
rejoicing to be offered their stipulated terms of friendship. At the same time
they have not in a single instance repented of their abominable idolatry or
acknowledged their error; rather they plume themselves on having in their
purity taught no wrong. If we will not accede to their demands, we must be
persecuted, put to death, exterminated everywhere in the world with fire and
sword. But the devil and death may accede in our stead. Let the godly Christian
desire and pray that God may hurl such accursed doctrine into the abyss of hell
and punish as they deserve the impenitent blasphemers since they will not
cease. And let all the people say, Amen, amen.
36. Note particularly the consolation of Paul’s concluding
words. Here he embraces in one clear word the whole substance of the Gospel
when he says: “He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of
God hath not the life.” How could he speak plainer and more
forcibly? What is the need of further inquiry and investigation or discussion
of this theme? Do you wish to have assurance of eternal life? According to this
verse, you have it truly if you possess Christ the Sort of God; and you have
Christ when you believe this witness and preaching as John says, and you should
confidently rely upon it in life and in death as the divine, eternal truth. But
if you believe not, you have not life; and all effort and suffering on your
part, yes, combined with the effort and suffering of the whole world, will
profit you nothing. You have not the Son of God if you do not believe God’s
witness of him but charge God with falsehood.
SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.
JOHN 20:19-31.
The following two sermons were preached by Luther in 1540 in
Dessau and were printed with the two sermons delivered at the baptism of the
young prince Bernhard of Anhalt.
Contents:
The fruit of Christ’s resurrection and the authority and
office of the keys Christ exercised.
JOHN 20,19-31.
Then the same day at evening, being the first
day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled
for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace
be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his
side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to
them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye
the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and
whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve,
called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples
therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I
shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print
of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after
eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came
Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto
you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and
reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but
believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus
saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly
did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
I. THE FRUIT OF
CHRIST’S RESURRECTION
1. The first part of this Gospel lesson is the same
narrative we heard in the Gospel for Tuesday after Easter. The incident
occurred on the evening of Easter, called by the Evangelists the first Sabbath,
when Christ appeared for the first time to his frightened disciples, as they
all with the exception of Thomas were assembled, and comforted and strengthened
them in the faith of his resurrection. Thus we hear again what the power and
benefit of Christ’s resurrection are, namely, that Christ, when he comes with
such a sermon, brings peace and joy; and these are the true
fruits of faith as they are mentioned among the other fruits of the Spirit by
St. Paul in Galatians
2. For when he comes he finds his disciples still sitting in
fear and terror both from without because of the Jews and from within because
of their consciences, and yet very weak and .slow of
heart to believe, although they had heard from the women and some of the
disciples that he had risen from the dead. But while this saddened their hearts
and they were talking with one another about it, behold, Christ appears and
hails them with the friendly greeting after the Hebrew custom, “Peace be unto
you!” which means in our language, to wish one everything good. For we call
that peace where all goes well, the heart is contented, and prosperity reigns.
This is the joyful message Christ always brings with him, as he repeats it the
second and third time in this narrative.
3. But this Peace of Christ is very secret and hidden from
the eyes and the senses, for it is not of the nature that the world pictures
and seeks, or as flesh and blood understand. For Christians can for the sake of
Christ never expect any peace or any good from his enemies, the devil and the
world. They must daily suffer misfortune and contention, for they are alarmed
and afflicted and harassed by the devil with the terrors of sin and its
punishment, by the world with its persecution and tyranny, and by the flesh
with its own weakness, impatience, etc. Hence this is not a visible or tangible
peace, consisting of bodily feeling, but an inner and spiritual peace,
consisting in faith, which grasps and holds fast to nothing but what it hears
in our text, namely, these gracious Words of Christ, which he speaks to all
frightened and troubled souls: “Pax tibi; Peace be unto thee. Fear not” etc.
And such a Christian, therefore, is contented and satisfied with having Christ
as his friend and with having a gracious God who desires his constant welfare,
even though, materially speaking, he has no peace in the world, but constant
strife and contention. This is the peace of which St. Paul speaks in
Philippians 4:7: “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall
guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus,” and of which Christ says
in John
4. For the devil will not allow a Christian to have peace;
therefore Christ must bestow it in a manner different from that in which the
world has and gives, in that he quiets the heart and removes from within fear
and terror, although without there remain contention and misfortune. And this
we see in the example of these disciples of Christ, who are in great fear on
account of the Jews; they are behind barred doors, not daring to go forth, and
are in constant dread of death. Although they have peace without and are
annoyed by no one, nevertheless their hearts are all aflutter, and they have
neither rest nor peace. While they are thus in fear and terror, the Lord
enters; he quiets their hearts and brings them peace, not by removing the
danger, but by quieting their hearts. For the wickedness of the Jews is neither
removed nor changed thereby, for they are as full of hatred and rage as before, and without there is no change whatever, but
within the disciples are changed, they have become courageous and bold, and the
hatred of the Jews is for them now of but little concern.
5. This is the true peace, which is
able to calm the heart, not in time of good fortune, but in the midst of
misfortune, when without there is nothing but contention. For here is the
difference between worldly and spiritual peace. Worldly peace consists in removing
the external evils which cause the contention, as for example, when enemies
besiege a city, there is war, but when they are gone, peace returns. Thus also,
when poverty and sickness are pressing thee, thou art not contented, but when
they are removed, and thou art rid of the misfortune externally, thou art again
at peace and rest. But he who endures this is not changed; he remains just as
discouraged when these things exist as when they do not, the only difference
being that he is feeling it and that it oppresses him when it is present.
6. But with the Christian or spiritual peace we find just
the opposite conditions, namely, that the evils without remain, such as foes,
sickness, poverty, sin, the devil, and death. They are ever present and are
surrounding us; nevertheless there is internal peace, strength and comfort in
the heart, so that the heart does not concern itself about misfortune, yea, is
even more courageous and joyful in the presence than
in the absence of misfortune. It can therefore indeed be called a peace, which
passeth all understanding. For reason understands and seeks no other peace but
that which comes from without through possessions which the world can give, but which knows not how to quiet and comfort the heart
in times of need, when all else fails. But when Christ comes, he does not
change the outward unpleasant conditions, but strengthens the person, and makes
out of a timid, a fearless heart, out of a trembling, a bold heart; and out of
a disquieted, a peaceful, quiet conscience, so that the person is courageous,
bold, and joyful in the midst of those things in which otherwise all the world
is terrified; that is, in death, terror of sin, and all distress, in which the
world with its comfort and possessions can render no help. This, then, is a
true and constant peace, which remains forever and is invincible as long as the
heart clings to Christ.
7. Hence, this peace is nothing else than that the heart is
certain that it has a merciful God and the forgiveness of sins, for without this
it can neither stand in the time of need and danger, nor be satisfied by any
earthly fortune.
8. But this takes place and is accomplished only when Christ
shows us his hands and his side; that is, when he shows us through the Word how
he was crucified for us and shed his blood and died, in order that he might pay
the debt of our sins and reconcile and avert the wrath of God. This is the sure
token that comforts the frightened conscience and heart and gives assurance of
divine grace and forgiveness of sin. These he shows, so that they may never
doubt, but be sure that it is he himself, who is not angry with them, but is
their dear Savior; for this peace is not so easily grasped by them nor by any
troubled consciences, as long as they are terrified and in the conflict.
Therefore he comes and strengthens them both with the Word and with visible
signs.
9. This he still does constantly after his resurrection, not
visibly but through the voice of the ministry, which we are to believe, even
though we do not see him, as he also says at the close of this Gospel, through
which he also shows how he shed his blood for us; for it is indeed sufficient
that he showed this once to his disciples, to strengthen their and our faith
and to show that he is truly risen and is the same Christ who for our sakes was
nailed to the cross and pierced.
10. Therefore, the second thing which follows the friendly
greeting of Christ, or the offering of peace, and the showing of his hands and
side, if it is received by faith, is called joy, as the text says: “The
disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord.” For it is indeed the
greatest joy the heart of man can experience, again to see and recognize
Christ, who had been dead to him before, and with whom all comfort and joy had
fled; and when he can now again have the joyful comfort in him, and know that
he has in him a dear Savior, and through him has found grace and comfort with
God against all the terror of sin and death, and against the power of the world
and of hell. This is what St. Paul means in Romans 5:1: “Being therefore
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand” etc.
11. Of this we sing also at this season in the old Easter
hymn on the resurrection of the Lord: “Christ is risen from all his pangs,” for
we are not only told of the story of his resurrection, but it is also brought
close to us, and we are told to rejoice in it as our treasure and salvation,
through which we have peace and every good gift from God. For how could we
rejoice in him, if we had nothing of him nor appropriated as our own possession
that which he has done for us. Therefore he also wishes to teach us that Christ
is our comfort, and this comfort we should surely obtain and desire no other on
which we can depend in every time of need. For through his resurrection he has
conquered all and bestows upon us as our own all that he has done and suffered.
12. But from the fact that Christ comes to the disciples
through the door that is closed, we are to learn that after his resurrection
and in his kingdom here upon earth he is no longer bound by bodily, visible,
tangible and worldly things, as time, place, space and the like, but that he is
to be recognized and believed in as one who through his power can reign
everywhere, who can be present with us at all places and at all times, when and
wherever necessary, and who will help us without being taken captive and
hindered by the world and its power.
13. In the second place, he also shows that wherever he
comes with his government and rule, through the office of the Word, he does not
come with a great noise, with storm and commotion, but very orderly; not changing
nor breaking anything in the outward affairs of human life and government. He
simply permits these things to remain in their condition and office as he finds
them, and governs Christendom in a way that orderly government is neither
abolished nor weakened upon the earth. Thus he does not derange and displace
anything in man, neither his senses nor his reason; but he illuminates and
changes for the better his heart and reason.
14. The devil, on the contrary, disorganizes and ruins
everything through his factious and disturbing spirits, his ratling and
boisterous servants, in the external and worldly government and life as well as
internally in the hearts of men, whom he really makes insane and blind by his
evil spirits, as we now have experienced with his insurrectional prophets,
fanatics, and Anabaptists.
15. This the first part of this Gospel treats of how Christ
comforts and gladdens his dear disciples through his resurrection, and
resurrects them, together with himself, from the heavy death and sorrow of
their hearts, in that Christ was now lost and eternally dead to them. And as
they now have this benefit and fruit, and in order that this power and comfort
of the resurrection be made known to others, he
continues and gives the command to spread the same in the world through their
office, as we read:
“Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you; as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and saith unto them. Receive ye the Holy Spirit: whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
II. THE GOVERNMENT
AND OFFICE OF THE KEYS CHRIST INSTITUTED
16. The Lord shows with these words what he accomplished
through his resurrection, namely, that he established a government, which shall
have nothing to do with money and gold, or anything that pertains to the
temporal life, or how we are to acquire and keep them. For such a government
already existed, being established from the beginning of the world, and being made subject to the reason of man through the Word of God,
as he says in Genesis
17. But in addition to this there is another government,
which is above the conscience and is concerned with things that relate to God.
This government is of two kinds: One was founded by Moses, and the other the
Lord established here, when he said: “As the Father hath sent me, even so send
I you,” etc. The government of Moses is to serve to the end that it may teach
us what sin is and what sin is not, and it belongs to those who neither know
nor feel sin, as at present the Antinomians who say the law need not be preached.
It is fruitless to teach much of grace among these people, for if the law is
not preached, we cannot know sin, as St. Paul says: “Without the law sin is
dead,” which means where no law is, there is no transgression; for sin, no
matter how great it may be, and the wrath of God, are known only through the
law. Therefore, when the law is not preached, the people become perfect
heathen, and think they do right, although they sin grossly against the
commandment of God.
18. Worldly authority indeed may punish and restrain open
sin; but it does this too little, though it take to its aid all the books of
the jurists, in order to illustrate or teach what sin is before God. Therefore
the law is given that people may learn from it what is
sin. Where sin continues unknown we cannot understand,
much less desire, forgiveness and grace. Yea, even grace itself is then of no
avail, for grace should fight and conquer in us against the law and sin, that we despair not. Just
as a good physician must be experienced in his profession, first to know the
nature of the disease, for otherwise, if he wishes to help the patient without
knowing the cause of the sickness, he might give him
dangerous poison instead of helpful medicine. Thus sin must first be known and
experienced before we can preach grace. But the law is needed to gain such a
knowledge, and it is necessary to instruct the people in the catechism, and
diligently to teach them the ten commandments. For, as I have already said,
human reason with all its wisdom and all the skill of the jurist, is unable to
gain this knowledge. And although there is implanted into it a little of this
knowledge, yet this is too insignificant; therefore God established the
preaching of the law of Moses, which he had first received from the patriarchs.
19. Such preaching Christ himself instituted, when he
commanded his disciples, as we have heard in the last Gospel lesson, first to
preach repentance in his name; and John 16:8 says: “The Holy Spirit will
convict the world in respect of sin” etc., for although it really belongs to
the government of Moses to expose sin, nevertheless, that Christ may come to
his government and work the beginning must be made by
preaching the law where there is no consciousness of sin; for where that is not
done, sin cannot be forgiven.
20. The other government or kingdom is that founded on the
resurrection of Christ, for thereby he desired to establish a new kingdom which
has to do with sin that has been awakened by the law, and with death and hell.
This does not teach us anything about marriage, the household, the rule of a
city and country, how to preserve the worldly peace, how to build and plant
etc., but its aim is to show us where we may abide when this temporal,
perishable kingdom and existence have passed away, when we must leave behind
possessions, honor, home, farm, world and all that is upon the earth, together
with this life, as we expect every moment. Now to this end has been established
the kingdom of Christ, who is enthroned therefore as an eternal King, that he
is Lord over sin and righteousness, over death and life. His kingdom has to do
with, and to rule over, these things. This is what the Lord means when he says:
“Receive ye the Holy Spirit: whose soever sins ye forgive,
they are forgiven unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are
retained.” Here you can see that his object is to deliver the people from sin,
or to permit them to remain in sin, and show that they are condemned.
21. Certainly, we cannot say that he has thereby founded a worldly
kingdom, as the pope boasts of his power of the keys, that he has the power to
loosen and to bind even that which is not sin, yea, even that which Christ neither binds nor loosens,
thereby making of it a worldly power. But Christ shows clearly enough here what
his keys are, namely, they are not to make laws and abolish them again, as the
pope is doing, but to remit or retain sin. He wishes to say: For this purpose
shall my kingdom exist: First, that people may become conscious that they are
sinners. This I have commanded Moses to teach, not for the purpose, however, of
binding them, for they are indeed already bound; neither for the purpose of
creating sin nor having anything to do with created sin, as the pope through
his commandments and with his power of the keys is doing, creating sin where
there is no sin: but for the purpose of dealing with those transgressions which
naturally are sins against the commandments of God, as for example, despising
God and unbelief, blaspheming his name, despising his Word, disobedience etc.,
which are indeed not sin by virtue of the commandments of the pope, but sins in
truth, which are ingrained into the flesh and blood of man, which cannot be
absolved nor removed through the loosing key of the pope as he uses it, but
remain in man until he is in his grave.
22. It is the purpose of the kingdom of Christ that we may
know now how we may be freed from sin. It is, therefore, called not a temporal
or earthly kingdom, but the kingdom of heaven; for it shall just commence when
this temporal kingdom ceases through death, in order that the people may know
how they shall then reach heaven. This kingdom, he says, shall begin and
continue thus:
“As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”
23. With these words he takes away from his disciples first
their carnal mind, which they still possessed after his resurrection, that he
would, like a temporal King and Lord, rule and reign with external and carnal
power. Therefore he says: You have now seen what kind of an office I have
filled upon the earth, for which I was sent by my Father, that I should
establish a spiritual kingdom against that of the devil, sin and death, and
thereby to bring them that believe on me to eternal life. This I have now done,
and finished it as far as my person is concerned, and have not taken upon
myself anything of a worldly character and rule. Yea, I have also been put to
death by the world because of this my office and service, and am separated from
it, but now through my resurrection I have entered into that glory where I
shall reign forever over all creatures at the right hand of my Father.
Therefore I send you also forth in like manner to be my messengers, not to
engage in temporal affairs, but to conduct the same office as I have hitherto
filled, namely: to preach the Word you have heard and received from me, an
office through which people are delivered from sin and death, who experience
sin and death, and wish to be delivered from them.
24. By means of this office the apostles and their
successors are exalted also as lords unto the end of the world, and there is
given to them such great authority and power as Christ, the Son of God, himself
possessed, in comparison with which the power and dominion of all the world is
nothing (although before the world it neither resembles nor is called
dominion). And yet this office shall not and cannot extend further than over
that alone which before God is called sin; so that wherever sin begins and
works their government or rule shall also begin and work, and everything that
lives and is called human upon the earth, shall be in subjection to their rule,
whether it be emperor or king, great or small, no one is excluded. Therefore he
says: “Whose soever sins ye remit.” This “whose soever” means nothing else than
that all are included, Jews, Gentiles, great and small, wise and ignorant, holy
or unholy; that no one shall enter heaven and come to eternal life, except he
receive it from you, that is, through the office which you have received.
25. For they all are also subject to and concluded under sin
through these words, by which he shows that upon earth they shall find nothing
but sin, and he pronounces the judgment, that all mankind to whom the apostles
and their successors shall be sent are sinners and condemned before God in
their person and life, and that one of two things must take place: either their
sins are forgiven, if they confess and desire forgiveness, or they must remain
eternally bound in sin unto death and condemnation.
26. Now in order to exercise and accomplish the end of this
authority and government, special power is required that is not human but
divine. Therefore he does not give them swords and
weapons, neither does he equip them with armor and worldly power, but he
breathes on them and says: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” namely, they are to
know that such an office and work cannot be carried on in their own strength,
but in his power through the Holy Spirit, who operates through their office and
word; and it shall thus be the office of the Holy Spirit, who is given for this
purpose by Christ, that although the message seems but weak, and nothing more
than a weak breath out of the mouth of man, yet such power shall be exercised
through it, that sin, God’s wrath, death, and hell must yield to it.
27. For this we can also easily give
an answer, if anyone should ask and critically question how can man forgive
sins, since this belongs to God alone? For it is indeed true
that it is not in the power nor ability of man, nor of his merit and
worthiness, to forgive sins, even though he were as holy as all the apostles
together and all the angels in heaven. Therefore we condemn the pope himself
with his monks, who promise the people forgiveness of sins by virtue of their own
merit, works and holiness, and give them absolution,
and thus shamefully deceive the poor people, who long for true and sure
comfort.
28. But here we must make a true
difference, which the papists and their rabble neither know nor can give,
namely, between that which man is able to do by his own power and worthiness,
and that which is commanded to be done in the name of Christ, and which he
accomplishes through his power. It avails nothing, to be sure, when a
barefooted trickster comes along and undertakes to give
absolution and forgiveness to a poor conscience by virtue of his own sorrow and
repentance, and the merits of the saints and his order, as indeed their
indulgences read (of which they can be convicted through the letters of their
brotherhood which they have sold to the people): “The merits of the sufferings
of Christ and of Mary, the blessed Virgin, and all the saints; the merits of
this severe and grievous order, the humility of thy repentance and sorrow of
heart, and all good works that thou hast done or shalt do, shall serve thee to
the forgiveness of thy sins and eternal life,” etc. This is indeed nothing else
than fearful blasphemy of Christ, and the perversion of the right absolution,
for even though they remember his sufferings, yet they are not sincere in it,
for they do not consider it efficacious enough for the forgiveness of sins, but
must add the merits of Mary and of the saints, and especially of their own
order and monkish doings and put them on an equality with Christ’s sufferings.
This they do without any command from Christ; yea, against his Word and
command. This is not from the Holy Spirit, but from their own spirit, the
devil, who is the father and founder of this false doctrine.
29. But for the absolution to be right and efficacious, it
must spring from the command of Christ, which is as follows: I declare thee
free from all thy sins, not in my own name, nor in the name of any saint, nor
for the sake of any human merit, but in the name of Christ and by the authority
of his command, who has commissioned me to say to you that all your sins are
forgiven, hence, not I but he himself by his own mouth forgives thee thy sins,
and thou art under obligation to receive this and believe it firmly, not as the
word of man, but as if thou hadst heard it from the lips of the Lord Christ
himself.
30. Therefore, although this power to forgive
sins belongs to God only, we should nevertheless know that he exercises and
imparts this power through this external office, to which Christ has called his
apostles, and commands them to proclaim in his name forgiveness of sins to all
who desire it. Sins, are forgiven, therefore, not by human will and power, but
by the command of Christ, for this purpose he then also sends the Holy Spirit,
namely, in order to forgive sins.
31. God also does this for our welfare, so that we need not
look up to heaven in vain, when we receive it not, and be compelled to say as
St. Paul does, when he quotes Moses: “Who shall ascend unto heaven?” etc. But
he does this that we may have the assurance of it, he has placed the
forgiveness of sins in the public office and the Word, in order that we may
continually have it with us, upon our lips and in our hearts. There we shall
find absolution and forgiveness, and we know that where we hear this message
proclaimed to us by the command of Christ we are bound to believe it as if it
were announced to us by Christ himself.
32. Behold, such is the authority given through this office
of the apostles to the church which extends farther and higher than all the
authority upon earth, that without it no one, and it matters not how great and
mighty he may be, shall come nor can come to God, nor have the comfort of
conscience, nor be free from God’s wrath and eternal death. For although all emperors
and kings were to concentrate their might and power, their money and
possessions, they could deliver neither themselves nor any human being from the
least sin, for if the heart of man is intimidated, what matters it whether he
be a mighty king or emperor? What did it help the great and mighty king
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon when he became insane, so that he was rejected by his
people and had to lie with the irrational beasts of the field and eat grass,
and nothing could help him except that the prophet Daniel had to absolve him
from his sins?
33. But who can express what an unspeakable, mighty and
blessed comfort it is that a human being can with one word open heaven and lock
hell to a fellow mortal? For in this kingdom of Grace Christ has founded through
his resurrection, we do indeed nothing else than open our mouth and say, I
forgive thee thy sins, not on my account, nor by my power, but in the place of,
and in the name of, Jesus Christ, for he does not say: ye shall forgive sins on your own account, but: “I send you, as my
Father hath sent me.” I myself do not do this of my own choice or counsel, but
I am sent by the Father. This same commandment I give to you unto the end of
the world, that both ye and all the world shall know that such forgiveness or
retaining of sin is not done by human power or might, but by the command of him
who is sending you.
34. This is not said alone to the ministers or the servants
of the church, but also to every Christian. Here each may serve another in the
hour of death, or wherever there is need, and give him
absolution. If you now hear from me the words, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,”
then you hear that God wants to be gracious to you, deliver you from sin and
death, and make you righteous and blessed.
35. Yea, you say, thou hast indeed given me absolution, but
who knows whether it is certain and true with God that
my sins are forgiven? Answer: If I have done this and said this as a man, then
thou mayest well say: I do not know whether thy absolution is effective and
efficacious or not, but that thou mayest be sure concerning this, thou must be
instructed in the Word of God, that thou canst say, I have been absolved
neither by the minister nor by any other man; for thus the minister has not
taught me to believe: but God has spoken and done it through him; of this I am
sure, for my Lord Christ has commanded and said: As my Father hath sent me, so
also send I you. Here he indeed puts those to whom he gives the command on an
equality with himself, because they are sent by him to accomplish that for
which he is sent by God, namely, to remit and retain sins. There it rests and
that does it, otherwise, without such a command, absolution would amount to
nothing.
36. If thou, therefore, art sad and worried on account of
thy sins, and art afraid of death, with which God eternally punishes sin, and
thou hearest of thy minister, — -or if thou canst not have access to him, — -of
a Christian neighbor comforting thee with these or similar words: Dear brother
or sister, I see that thou art timid and in despair, and fearest the wrath and
judgment of God on account of thy sins, of which thou art conscious, and on
whose account thou art terrified — listen to me and let me announce to you, Be
of good comfort and cheer, for Christ thy Lord and Savior, who came into the
world for the sake of sinners in order to save them, has given the command
through the public office to his called servants, and wherever necessary, to
every one in particular, that one is to comfort another for Christ’s sake, and
in his name acquit him of his sins. I say, when thou therefore hearest this
comfort, then receive it with joy and thanksgiving, as if thou didst hear it
from Christ himself; then thy heart shall indeed be at peace, established and
comforted, and thou canst then joyfully say: I have heard a man speak to me and
comfort me; for the sake of himself I did not believe a single word, but I
believe my Lord Christ, who has established this kingdom of Grace and
forgiveness of sins, and has given this commandment and authority unto men to
remit and retain sins in his name.
37. Therefore every Christian when the devil attacks him and
suggests that he is a great sinner, and he must be lost and condemned etc., should
not long contend with him or remain alone, but go or call to him his minister,
or any other good friend, lay his difficulty before him, and seek counsel and
comfort from him, and remain firm in that which Christ here declares: “Whose
soever sins ye remit etc.,” and as he says in another place: “Where two or more are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them,” and whatever this person says to him in the name of Christ from
the Scriptures, let him believe it, for according to his faith it shall be done
unto him. For two or more come together in the name of
Christ when they converse with one another, not on temporal things, how money
and riches may be acquired or gained; but on what would be of service for the
salvation and happiness of their souls; as for instance, when thou art in the
confessional or anywhere else art making known thy weaknesses and temptations,
and he to whom thou art disclosing it sees that Moses through the law has thee
in a dilemma; that thy sin is oppressing thee; that death is alarming and
frightening thee, and thou groanest and complainest concerning thine own life,
so that even words like these are apt to fall: Oh, that I had never been born,
or, Oh, that God would prolong my life, I would amend my life, etc.
38. If then thy pastor of anyone else begins to comfort
thee, not in a worldly way nor for the sake of money, but because he sees thou
art in anxiety and fear of sin and death, and says to thee, Let everything go
that is upon earth — -money, goods, everything that pertains to man, and pay
now attention to this; thy heart is indeed in great pangs and asks: Can I be
freed from my suffering, misery, and evil conscience? How can I escape Moses
with his fearful threats? I say, listen to him when he speaks to thee in this
manner: I say to thee in the name of the Lord Christ, who died for thy sins,
that thou art to permit thyself to be comforted, to believe and be sure that
thy sins are forgiven, and that death cannot harm thee.
39. Yea, my dear brother, you say, how wilt thou prove that
this is true? Answer: Christ our Lord said to his
disciples and to entire Christendom: I command and bid you, that ye shall forgive and retain sin. Whatever ye do then in this, ye do
not of yourselves; but because ye are doing it at my command and bidding,
therefore I do it myself. Therefore thy minister or pastor as the one who cares
for thy soul (Seelsorger), or any Christian in such a case is called for and
sent to comfort thee. And because he is seeking only the salvation of thy soul,
thou art, therefore, bound to believe him as though Christ were standing there
himself and would lay his hand upon thee and speak the absolution.
40. Behold, this is the way we deal with sins, retaining or
forgiving them. Besides this there is no counsel nor help for them; as the pope
pretends to do with his false doctrine, points the people to their own works or
sufficiency, tells them to go into cloisters, to Rome, to the saints, torture
themselves, build churches, heavily endow cloisters, hold mass, etc. This is
indeed not the right way. Thou canst indeed employ thy going, money, and works
in a better manner. Here the matter is entirely different, as has already been
said. For when Moses comes with his fearful threats, that is, when he through
the law reveals to thee thy sins and shows how great and many they are, and
brings thee into great fear and despair, when thou art no more
in the great, wicked, and hardened multitude, but with the little flock, which
realizes and feels, its misery and despair, and would therefore indeed be
frightened even at the rustling of a leaf, then this is the only help: I, I
have founded, says Christ, the kingdom of Grace. It shall consume and destroy
sin and death, and bring to light righteousness and life.
41. Therefore do not say: Where shall I find this? Shall I
go to Rome or Jerusalem for it? Not in this way; yea, even if thou couldest
ascend to heaven, and if possible on a golden ladder, thou couldst accomplish
nothing; but it must come thus: give heed to his Word and command when he says:
“I send you,” etc., as if he wanted to say: I must first come to you to
announce to you the will of my Father through the Gospel; institute the holy
sacraments: and absolution. You should not come to me in a different way. But
since I cannot be bodily at all places in the whole world, and shall not be
visibly present with you always, I will do as my Father hath done. He took a
small corner of the earth, namely, the land of Judea, to which he sent me, that
I should be a preacher there; I traveled through Galilee and Judea; so much I
could accomplish personally; I preached the Gospel to the comfort of the poor
sinners among the Jewish people, healed the sick and raised the dead etc. This,
you will notice, was the work entrusted to him. For this purpose he was sent by
the Father. There he was found, not in the courts of kings among the
debauchers, not with Annas, Caiaphas, and other holy, rich, and learned people;
but among the blind, lame, lepers, the deaf, the dead, and the tempted, the
poor and afflicted sheep. To this he brings help for soul and body. He brings
to them the most costly treasure, which no one has, much less can give, unless he receives it from him, namely, righteousness
and salvation. And thus, he says, ye shall also do at all places wherever ye
go, and to this purpose I send you, that ye shall run as my messengers through
the entire world. And besides you and after you I will ordain others who shall
run and preach, as I sent you, even unto the end of the world, and I will
continue to be with you that ye may know that it is not you who are
accomplishing this, but I through you.
42. From this command we also have the power to comfort the
sorrowful consciences and to absolve from sin, and we know that, wherever we exercise
this office, not we but Christ himself is doing it. Therefore every Christian,
in this case as well as when he hears the Word preached in the pulpit, should
hear the same, not as the word of man, but as the Word of God himself; then he
can indeed be sure and need not doubt a moment that he has the forgiveness of
sins, for Christ has established through his resurrection that whenever a
called servant of the Church, or someone else in the time of need, absolves his
neighbor who is distressed and desires comfort, it shall count as much as if
Christ had done it himself, because it was done at his command and in his name.
43. Therefore, when two deal thus with each other they are
gathered together in the name of Christ, for, as we have said before, none is
seeking the money or goods of the other, as the servants of the pope are doing,
who speak to the sick and say: My dear man, the time is at hand when thou must die. Where shall thy possessions go? Think of thy poor soul
and give a portion to us and we will pray to God for
thee, and do much with it afterwards etc.; instead he ought to speak to the
sick and say: This is no time to be occupied with your money and property, let
others care for that. I see very well thy heart is despondent and terrified; thou
art wrestling with doubts and canst not help thyself nor deliver thyself; but
Christ has established upon the earth a comforting and blessed kingdom, when he
says: “As my Father hath sent me, so send I you.” He has consecrated us all to
be priests, in order that one may proclaim to the other forgiveness of sins.
Therefore I come to thee in the name of this our blessed Lord Christ, and tell
thee not to be so despondent and terrified as though there were no comfort,
help, and counsel any more to be had. Dost thou not
hear what Christ says, that he came for the sake of the sinners, not the
righteous, to save them? Therefore be at peace, receive these glad tidings with
joy and thank him for them most heartily, that he permits me to announce to
thee without any trouble and expense on thy part; yea, he even gives command to
the effect that thy sins are remitted. Therefore I absolve and make thee free
from all thy sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. To this thou shalt reply joyfully: I thank thee, merciful God, thou
heavenly Father, that thou hast forgiven me my sins through thy dear Son
Christ; and do not doubt that thou art surely absolved by God the Father
himself.
44. From this you can see that this paragraph concerning the
office of the keys does not at all confirm the tyranny of the pope, but it is
there for the purpose, not that thou makest me, or I thee, rich, nor that I be
thy Lord and thou my subject, as the pope, the arch-rogue and denier of God,
indeed is making out of it worldly pomp and power; but that I can come to thee,
when thy conscience is worried, to help and counsel thee in thy last hour, or
at other times, and say: Power, money, honor and goods, everything must be set
aside; we have now only to speak of the kingdom of Christ — only through this
and through nothing else must thou be helped from sin and death. 45. This
signifies indeed not an external and worldly dominion or power but a service,
for I am seeking nothing from thee, I want to serve thee and bring thee a great
and precious treasure, but not gold and silver; because thy heart desires to be
comforted and to have a merciful God in heaven I come to thee and bring thee
this joyful message, not of my own will or choice, but at the command and
commission of Christ, who says: “Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.” Also, “Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth,
shall be loosed in heaven,” or as he says in this connection, “Whose soever
sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them.”
46. Cannot this be called a service and the gratuitous
bringing of an unspeakable, heavenly, eternal treasure, which neither thou nor
the world can purchase with all its possessions and riches? For what are all
the treasures of the world and all the crowns of kings, gold, silver, precious
stones, and whatever the world counts great in comparison to this treasure
called the forgiveness of sins, through which thou art made
free from the power of the devil, of death and of hell, and art assured that
God in heaven will now be gracious unto thee, and gracious in a way that thou
shalt be his child and heir, and the brother and joint-heir of Christ, for the
sake of Christ? Therefore it is impossible to sell such a precious treasure for
money, or to purchase it with money, as our Judas Iscariot, the pope, has done.
This treasure must be given and received gratuitously or thou art not helped by
it, for the gift of God cannot be purchased with money. Acts
47. But this I say not to the end that people shall give nothing to the servants of the Church, who teach God’s
Word in its truth and purity, as, alas, they are eager to do, and many are
ready to begrudge their minister every bite, and, if they could they would rob
the possessions of the Church and ministers, and prove by their actions that
they would gladly starve out their minsters and get rid of them. But what a
wild state and calamity would follow, would be soon experienced, if the
government did not intervene. Nay, this is by no means my meaning. Your pastors
should be properly supported, for if they have nothing to eat, drink and wear,
and for their other needs, they cannot very long fill their office, for they
would have to think on how to support themselves in other ways. Thus the Gospel
would not continue long, and it is this that the devil is seeking through these
people.
48. But that we are under obligations properly to support
our pastors is also stated by Christ himself, when he says in Luke 10:7: “The
laborer is worthy of his hire.” As St. Paul says in Galatians 6:6: “But let him
that is taught in the Word, communicate unto him that teacheth, in all good
things,” adding in verse 7 a sharp word, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked,”
and in 1 Timothy
49. And in order that the doctrine of the Gospel may remain
pure in our pulpits in the future, and that our posterity may retain and hear
these doctrines, we are not only bound properly to support those who serve the
Church, but we must also with all diligence see to it that our schools are
supplied with competent teachers, who should also be properly supported, so
that the people may be trained to become not only common ministers, who are
simply prepared to instruct the Christian congregation in the Word, but learned
men, who will be capable of contending against the rabble and factious spirits.
To this end it is the duty of every one to contribute willingly and cheerfully,
not alone the princes and lords, but also the citizens and peasants.
50. From what has been said each one can see for himself
what a great and precious treasure it is to hear the Gospel or the absolution
in its true meaning from the preacher or pastor. If he
comes to thee in the time of sickness and comforts thee, then thou canst be
assured that Christ the Lord himself visits and comforts thee. For no one could
possibly come to thee in this capacity without divine commandment, and he would
know neither how to help nor to counsel; but since thou hearest that he himself
has commanded it, thou canst be fully assured and say joyfully: Here Christ
himself comes to me in my confessor, for he does not speak his own word, but
the Word of God, to do which he is sent, and the command to do it he has.
51. Here thou hast then sure support against the terror and
despair of conscience. Thou dost not need to float and bob in uncertainty, as
the doctrine of the pope would teach us, which never absolves anyone from sin
unless he has been sorry enough and confessed enough until he is clean. There
was not the least thought about faith and the power of the keys as instituted
by Christ, for such doctrines and knowledge was so completely unknown that I myself,
a Doctor of Divinity, who should indeed have known better, did not hold and
teach differently than that my sins were forgiven, if my penitence and
confession were sufficient. But if our sins are not forgiven, before we
outweigh them with our sorrow, penitence and good works, we can never hope to
receive forgiveness. For I can never come to the conclusion that my sorrow and
repentance have been sufficient; hence, no man, be he called pope or anything
else, is able for that reason to absolve or acquit me.
52. In this manner the conscience has been lamentably misled
from the Word of Faith and the commandment of God to their uncertain sorrow and
repentance, through the falsehoods of the pope. This has brought a large income,
and from it have been built many churches, cloisters, chapels, altars, that are
richly endowed. Yes, there are still extant bulls and letters of the pope that
refer to this, and confirm these things, through which he has deceived the
world woefully, so that it is impossible to estimate much less to describe the
damage and the sorrow that have arisen therefrom. For this reason we are
faithfully and constantly admonishing, and let him who can help so that we may
maintain schools, ministers and pulpits that such or worse error may not
increase among us, as the devil indeed desires.
53. This is the true doctrine
concerning the kingdom of Christ and the office of the Keys, and if we act
accordingly, then we will remain Christians, and are prepared for everything in
our relation to God and man. We will also heartily thank God that he has
delivered us from the constraint and tyranny of the pope, who made out of the power of the Keys a mere show and worldly
dominion, although they were established and ordained by Christ to help the
whole world obtain a treasure that cannot be bought with money.
54. Let us therefore be truly grateful to our dear Lord and
Savior, who through his resurrection founded this Kingdom of Grace, which is
established for the purpose that we should constantly find therein for all our
needs and anxiety sure help and comfort. And we need not go very far for this
precious treasure, nor do we need to secure it at any great expense, for he has
given command and full power to his apostles and their successors, and in case
of need to every Christian, even unto the end of the world, that they should
comfort and strengthen the weak and discouraged souls, and should remit unto
them their sins in his name etc.
First Sunday after Easter;
John 20:19-31
Thomas Delivered from His Unbelief
1. John the Evangelist further writes that Thomas was not
present when the Lord appeared the first time to his assembled disciples on
Easter evening. Now that the Lord comes just at the time St. Thomas is the
first time absent does not take place without a reason; for Christ could have
easily chosen an hour when Thomas could have been found in company with the
other apostles. But it took place for our instruction and consolation that the
Lord's resurrection might receive more and stronger
evidence and documentary testimony. Now, on Easter he appeared to the assembled
eleven; one week later, that is today, he appeared to them again and at the
same time also to Thomas for whose sake alone this appearance or revelation
took place which is more beautiful and glorious than
that of eight days before.
I. THE UNBELIEF OF THOMAS.
2. Here we see what a poor thing the human heart is when it begins
to grow faint, that we cannot strengthen and comfort it again. Both the other
disciples and Thomas did not only hear during the time they were with the Lord
that he taught the people with great authority, and later also saw how he
confirmed his doctrine by the great miracles performed on the blind, the lame,
the lepers, the dumb etc., whom he cured; but also that he raised three persons
from the dead, especially Lazarus who had been four days in his grave. And, as
it appears, St. Thomas was the most fearless and courageous of all the
disciples, in that he said when Christ wished to go again into Judea to Lazarus
who was dead: ”Let us also go, that we may die with
him,” Jn 11, 16. Such fine characters were the disciples of Christ and
especially St. Thomas, who it appears had a more manly heart than the others,
and besides had recently witnessed how Christ raised Lazarus who had been in
the grave four days, and ate and drank with him; yet he could not believe that
the Lord himself arose from the dead and was alive.
3. Moreover, we see in the apostles that we are truly
nothing when Christ withdraws his hand and we are left to ourselves. The women,
Mary Magdalene and the others, announced it, and now the disciples themselves
proclaim that they had seen the risen Lord. Yet St. Thomas is stubborn and will
not believe it; yea, and he will not be satisfied even if he see him, unless it
be that he sees the print of the nails in his hands and puts his fingers into
the print of the nails and his hand into his side. And the beloved disciple
will thus himself also be lost and condemned, in that he will not believe. For
there can be neither forgiveness of sins nor salvation if one believes not,
since therein lies all the virtue and power of faith and eternal life, as St.
Paul says: ”And if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain,
your faith is also vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also that are
fallen asleep in Christ have perished,” etc. I Cor 15, 14-18. To perdition will
St. Thomas also go, he will not be saved but wills to be lost, because he will
not believe that Christ is risen. And he would have perished and been condemned
in his unbelief had not Christ rescued him from it by this revelation.
4. So the Holy Spirit illustrates and teaches now in this
example that without faith we are simply blind and completely hardened, as we
see everywhere in the holy Scriptures that the human heart is the hardest thing
in the world, harder than steel and adamant. And on the other hand, if it be
bashful, despondent and soft, there is no water nor oil so soft as the human
heart.
5. You find many examples and narratives illustrating this
in the Scripture. Pharaoh, before whom Moses performed so many terrible signs
and wonders that he could not reply to them, yea, he had to admit that it was
God's finger and therefore also confessed he had sinned against God and his
people etc.: yet his heart became harder and more
obdurate continually until the Lord drowned him with all his army in the sea.
Likewise also the Jews; the more powerfully Christ proved both by word and deed
that he was the one who was promised by their fathers that he should be a
blessing to them and to the whole world, the more
vehemently and bitterly they raged against him and their hatred, blasphemy and
persecution knew no measure nor end until they condemned their Lord and God to
the most ignominious death and crucified him between two malefactors, nothing
could prevent it although Pilate the judge himself declared against them that
he was innocent, creation acted differently than usual and thereby testified
that its Lord and Creator hung there on the cross etc.; likewise the thief
freely confessed publicly, although Christ truly hung there and died, yet he
was a king who had an eternal heavenly kingdom; and the heathen centurion
publicly cried: ”Truly this was the Son of God”' etc. Mt .27,54.
This all, I say, helped nothing to bring about this conversion.
6. This is the way the godless, condemned world does: the more grace and kindness God shows it, the more unthankful
and wicked it becomes. Now it is meet and right for us all to thank God from
our hearts that he has revealed his holy Word so pure and clear before the day
of judgment, from which we learn what inexpressible treasures he has given us
in Christ, namely, that we are saved by him from sin and death, and shall now
be righteous and blessed, etc. What is the attitude of the world to this? As
its custom is, it does not know how to abuse, blaspheme and condemn this Word
of grace and life enough, and wherever possible to persecute and destroy those
who confess it, and although the world hears that God will severely punish such
sin with hell-fire and eternal condemnation, it thinks little about it, goes
ahead securely and obdurately, as if it were nothing, and enjoys its sport as
we clearly see now in the pope and his following. And yet it is such horrible
and dreadful wrath that all creatures are terrified by it. Therefore it is
certainly true that no stone, steel, adamant, yea,
nothing on earth is as hard as the impenitent heart of man.
7. On the other hand, if the heart loses courage and is
terrified it is softer than water and oil, so that, as Scripture says, it is
frightened at a rustling leaf. And when such a person is alone in a room and
hears a little cracking of a rafter or a beam, he thinks thunder and lightning
are striking him and he is in such anxiety and fear (as I have often seen),
that no one can comfort or strengthen him, and all the preachers and all
consoling proverbs are too few to calm him. So there is no moderation with the
human heart; it is either entirely too hard like wood and stone, that it
inquires about neither God nor Satan, or, on the other hand, is entirely too
timid, fickle and despondent.
8. Thus the apostles are here too scared and terrorstricken
by the scandal they saw in tbeir Lord being so ignominiously mocked, spit upon,
scourged, pierced and finally crucified, so that they no longer bad a heart in
their bodies, who before while they had Christ among them were so bold and
courageous, that James and John ventured to bid fire to come down from heaven
and consume the Samaritans who would not receive Christ, Lk 9, 54. They also
knew how gloriously to boast that the devils were in the name of Jesus subject
unto them; and Thomas admonished the others and said: ”Let us go that we may die with him;” and Peter, more impetuous than the others,
smites with the sword among the crowd when they wished to seize and take Christ
captive. But now they lie prostrate in great fear and terror, locked up, and
will let no one come to them. For this reason they were also terrified at the
Lord when he comes and greets them, and they still think (which is indeed a
sign that they are completely overcome by fear and despair) they see a spirit
or a ghost. So soon they had forgotten all the miracles, signs and words they
had seen and heard from him, that the Lord had enough to do during the forty
days after his resurrection before he separated from them, in his appearances
and revelations in various ways, now to the women, then to the disciples, both
individually and collectively, besides eating and drinking with them; all, for
the purpose that they might be assured that he is risen. Yet it is so hard for
this truth to enter their hearts.
9. Likewise, when after forty days he spoke with them out of
the Scriptures about the kingdom of God, which should now commence and be a
kingdom in which should be proclaimed in his name repentance and the
forgiveness of sins among all nations, they raise the cry and ask him when he
was about to ascend from them in a cloud, and say: ”Lord, dost thou at this
time restore the kingdom to Israel?” they have entirely different thoughts of
the kingdom of Christ than those he had been teaching them. Here you see how
exceedingly difficult it is for bashful and despondent hearts to be comforted
and strengthened, even after being rightly instructed, so that they know what
kind of a king Christ is and what he has accomplished by his death and
resurrection.
10. Thus both the obduracy and the bashfulness of the human
heart are indescribable. When out of danger it is hard and obdurate beyond
measure, so that it cares nothing for the wrath or the threatening of God.
Although it hears for a long time that God will punish sin with eternal death
and condemnation, yet it goes ahead and is drowned in pride, avarice, etc. On
the other hand, when the heart begins to fear it becomes so despondent that it
cannot be again reclaimed. It is indeed a great pity that we are such wicked people.
If we are not in want we continue to live on in sin without the least fear or
shame, yea, to grow stiff like a dead corpse; what is spoken to us is as if
spoken to a rock. On the contrary, if there is a change in us that we feel our
sins, we are terrified by death, God's wrath and judgment; we on the other hand
grow stiff at the great anxiety and sorrow, so that no one can strengthen us;
yea, we are even terrified before that which should comfort us, like the
disciples were before Christ, who came to them for the very purpose that they
might be comforted and made happy. Although he does
not at once set them right he has to doctor them during the forty days, as I
said. He takes and uses all kinds of comfort and medicine and still he can
hardly strengthen them again, until he gives them the right strong drink,
namely, the Holy Spirit, of which they drank and were comforted in the right
way so that they are no more as before, bashful and
terrified.
II. THOMAS SAVED FROM HIS UNBELIEF.
11. Finally, we have in St. Thomas an illustration of the
power of Christ's resurrection. We just heard how firm and even stiff-necked he
was in unbelief, that although the other disciples unitedly testified that they
had seen the risen Lord, yet he simply will not believe it. He appears to have
been a fine and brave character who had thoroughly concluded that he would not
so soon believe the others. For he had seen that the Lord only three days
before was put to death on the cross and the nails driven through his hands and
feet and the spear pierced his side. This picture was so indelibly and deeply
impressed upon him that he simply could not in the least believe what the
others told him, that Christ was risen. Therefore he promptly and defiantly
says: ”Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my
finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not
believe.” He thus utters a hyperbole, an exaggerated statement, that he will
not believe his eyes alone, but will feel and grope about Christ's body with
his hands. As if he would say: No one shall persuade me to believe, but I will
stand so firmly upon no, that I will not believe even if I see him, as you say
you saw him. But should I believe it, then he must come so near to me, that, if
it were possible, I may touch his soul and put my hands into his eyes.
12. That is to be steeped very firmly and deeply in
unbelief. And it is wonderful what he means by it that he at once proposes a
thing absurd, to put his hand and finger into the openings of his wounds. For
he had always been so smart as to think: Since Christ was again alive, had
conquered death and was rid of all the bruises from the scourging and the crown
of thorns, he would surely have healed and removed also the five wounds.
13. Now, this has happened for our example and consolation,
that the great apostle also had to fail and stumble, in which we see how Christ
shows and conducts himself toward his weak disciples, that he can tolerate also
such who are still as hard and stubborn as St. Thomas is here, and that he will
not on that account condemn and disown them, if only in other respects they
sincerely wish to continue to be his disciples, and not maliciously blaspheme
him and become his enemies; and by this he teaches us that we should become
neither offended nor despondent because of that; but in harmony with this his
example gently go on with them, serve their weakness, with our strength until
they become established and grow strong.
14. But it serves more to the end,
as I began to say, that the resurrection of the Lord is not only clearly shown
and proved by this unbelieving and stubborn Thomas, who persevered for eight
days in his unbelief, and he lay there grown almost stiff; but also that the
power of the resurrection becomes known, and is of benefit to us; as appears in
Thomas who thereby was brought from unbelief to faith, from doubt to certain
knowledge and to a beautiful and glorious confession.
15. Now it happens, says the Evangelist, first on the eighth
day after his resurrection, when Thomas had established himself in his unbelief
in the face of the testimony of all the others, and by this time he is dead and
no one hopes he will show himself in a special manner to Thomas. Just then
Christ comes and shows him the same scars and wounds, as fresh as he had shown
them to the other disciples eight days before, and tells him to reach hither
his finger and hand and place them into the prints of the nails and into his
side. Christ yields to Thomas so much that he not only sees as others did, but
be also seizes him and feels, as he had said: ”Except I shall see in his
hands,” etc., and he says in addition: ”Be not faithless, but believing.”
16. Here you see Christ is not satisfied to stop with the
narrative; but he is concerned only that Thomas becomes believing and is
resurrected from his stubborn unbelief and sin. This follows in a powerful way in that St. Thomas soon
begins and says to Christ: ”My Lord and my God!” There is at once a different
man, not the old Thomas Didymus (which means in English a twin, not a doubter,
as has been wrongly interpreted from this text), as just before, when he was so
cold and stiff and dead in his unbelief, that he would not believe unless he
puts his finger into his wounds; but he commenced suddenly to deliver a
glorious confession and sermon about Christ, the equal of which no apostle to
that time had yet preached, namely, that the person, the risen one, is true God and man. For they are admirable words he utters:
”My Lord and my God!” He is not drunken, he is not jesting nor mocking; he does
not mean a false God; therefore he certainly does not tell a lie. Besides he is
not here chastised by Christ, but his faith is confirmed, and it must be the
truth and sincere.
17. It is now the power of the resurrection of Christ that
St. Thomas, who was so deep and obdurate in unbelief, even more
than any other disciple, was so suddenly changed, becomes an entirely different
man, who publicly and freely confesses that he not only believes that Christ is
risen but is also enlightened by the power of Christ's resurrection so that he
firmly believes and confesses that he, his Lord, is true God and man, through
whom, as he is now resurrected from unbelief, the fountain of all sin; so he
will also arise from the dead at the judgment day and live forever with him in
indescribable glory and blessedness. And not only he, but all who believe thus,
as Christ himself further says to him: ”Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou
hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
18. Finally, that Thomas puts his finger into the wounds. I
will not argue whether Christ always after his resurrection retained the wounds
and prints of the nails; yet I argue they did not appear hideous, as otherwise
they might, but fresh and comforting. And whether they were still fresh, open
and red as artists paint them, I will leave for others to decide. Otherwise it
is a fine idea to picture them before the ordinary person so that he has a
memorial and a picture that will remind and admonish him of the sufferings and
wounds of Christ. It is possible that he retained the same signs or marks which
will likely enlighten much more beautifully and
gloriously at the day of judgment his whole body and he will show them before
the whole world, as the Scriptures say: ”They shall look unto me whom they have
pierced,” Zech 12, 10. This I would commend to every devotional exercise for
consideration.
19. The leading thought, however, for us to learn and retain
from this Gospel is, that we believe that Christ's resurrection is sure and
that it works in us so that we be resurrected both from sin and death; as St.
Paul richly and consolingly speaks of it, and Christ himself here, when he
says: ”Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed,” and St.
John concluding this Gospel teaches and admonishes about the use and benefit of
the resurrection: ”These are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and believing ye may have life in his name.”
20. This is indeed a powerful and clear passage, which
highly praises faith and gives the testimony that we certainly have eternal
life through the same; and that this faith is not an empty, dead thought on the
history about Christ, but that which concludes and is sure that he is the
Christ, that is, the promised King and Saviour, God's Son, through whom we all
are delivered from sin and eternal death; for which purpose he also died and
rose again; and that we alone for his sake acquire eternal life, in a way that
is called in his name, not in Moses' nor in our nor any other man's name, that
is, not because of the law, nor of our worthiness and doings, but alone on
account of Christ's merits, as Peter says in Acts 4, 12: ”There is none other
name among men, wherein we must be saved,” etc.
Second Sunday after Easter;
1 Peter 2:20-25
PATIENCE UNDER TRIBULATION.
1 Peter 2:20-25
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for
your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer
for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto
were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his
mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he
threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his
own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to
sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye
were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop
of your souls.
1. This epistle lesson is a beautiful selection from apostolic
teaching. Doubtless it was intentionally arranged for this Sunday; for Peter's
concluding words, ”For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned
unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls,” accord with the gospel selection
about the Good Shepherd. Yet it might also properly serve in part for the text
of a sermon on the passion of Christ; for the sufferings of Christ are here
presented as an example unto us. In the preceding part of the chapter, Peter
taught the Christians how, having obtained faith, they are to exhibit its
fruits - good works in the various stations of life. Particularly does he
admonish them to manifest the fruit of patience under crosses and afflictions.
2. When the individual accepts Christ and begins to profess
his faith in word and life, invariably - it cannot be otherwise - the world,
that eternal enemy of Christ and faithfully- obedient servant of the devil,
will be dissatisfied. The world regards it contemptible, disgraceful, to live
any life but one pleasing to itself, to do and speak aught but as it desires.
Its rage is excited toward the Christian and it proceeds to persecute, to
torture, even to murder him when possible. We often hear the wiseacre scoffers
say that Christ could have enjoyed peace had he desired to. The same may be
said of Christians; they could have peace and pleasure if they would but take
advice and conform to the world.
3. What are we to do? It is a fact that to maintain and obey
the truth is to stir up wrath and hatred. Even the heathen assert as much. But
the fault lies not with the advocate of truth but with its rejecters. Is the
truth not to be preached at all? Must we be silent and permit all mankind to go
direct to hell? Who could or would heap upon himself the guilt of such
negligence? The godly Christian, who looks for eternal life after the present
one and who aims to help others to attain unto the same happy goal, assuredly
must act the part he professes, must assert his belief and show the world how
it travels the broad road to hell and eternal death. And to do so is to
antagonize the world and incur the displeasure of the devil.
4. Now, since there is no escaping the fact that he who
would confess Christ and make the world better must, in return for his service
and benefactions, heap upon himself the enmity of the devil and his adherents,
as Peter says - since this is the case, we must remember that it is incumbent
upon us to have patience when the world manifests its bitterest, most hateful
enmity toward our doctrine and toward our very lives, when it reviles and
slanders and persecutes us to the utmost for our principles. Peter here
admonishes and persuades Christians unto patience under these circumstances,
and at the same time seeks to comfort them with tender and impressive words.
5. First, Peter reminds the believers of their calling - of
their reason and purpose in embracing Christianity. He says, in effect:
”Remember, belief in Christ necessitates confession of him, and the entire
Christian Church is numbered in the holy, divine calling that stands for the
praise of God and the promotion of his kingdom.” An essential feature of this
calling is the suffering of evil in return for good. It seems inevitable that
Christians be condemned in the eyes of the world and incur its highest
displeasures; that they be destined to take up the gauntlet against the devil
and the world. It is said (Ps 44, 22): ”For thy sake are we killed all the day
long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter,” or for the sacrifice.
Sacrificial sheep were kept in an enclosure, not permitted to go to pasture
with the others. They were not kept for breeding, but to be daily, one after
another, slaughtered.
6. Paul would say: ”What will you do, beloved Christians?
Will you live in the world and not encounter any persecution because of your
good deeds? Will you rage at the wickedness of the world, and in your rage become wicked yourself and commit evil? Understand, you
are called to suffer persecutions; they are a consequence of your baptism, your
Christianity. For these you renounced the devil and professed Christ. You are
baptized unto the suffering of every sort of misfortune, unto the enduring of
the world and the devil.” You cannot escape the smoke when compelled to live in
the inn where the devil is host and the whole house is filled with it. Again,
if you would have fire, you must have smoke as a consequence; if you would be a
Christian and a child of God, you must endure the resultant evils that befall
you.
7. In short, the Christian, because he is a Christian, is
subjected to the holy and precious cross. He must suffer at the hands of men
and of the devil, who plague and provoke him; outwardly with misery,
persecution, poverty and illness, or inwardly - in heart - with their poisonous
darts. The cross is the Christian's sign and watchword in his holy, precious,
noble and happy calling unto eternal life. To such a calling must we render
full dues and regard as good whatever it brings. And why should we complain? Do
not even wicked knaves and opposers of Christians often suffer at the hands of
one another what they are not pleased to endure? And every man must frequently
suffer injuries and misfortunes relative to body, property, wife and children.
8. Then, if you would be a Christian and live justly in your
calling, be not so terribly alarmed, so filled with hostile rage,
so extremely impatient, at the torments of the world and the devil. If you are
unwilling to suffer and to be reviled and slandered, if you prefer honor and
ease, then deny Christ and embrace the delights of the world and the devil. You
will not, even then, be wholly free from suffering and sorrow, though it will
be your prerogative not to suffer as a Christian and for the sake of Christ. At
the same time, you will discover that even though you enjoy only pleasure on
earth, it will be but for a brief time and ultimately you will find the bitter
end of the pleasure sought.
CHRIST OUR PATTERN
9. In the second place, by way of rendering more impressive his admonition, Peter holds up the example
of our real Master, our Leader and Lord, Christ, who endured persecutions
similar to ours, and himself suffered more than any. The apostle refers to him
in a truly scriptural way - as of a twin or dual character. He presents him not
as an example of a saint in the ordinary sense, but as the real Shepherd and
Bishop of our souls, who suffered for us, making sacrifice for our sins in his
own body on the cross. In this capacity, he is our treasure, comfort and
salvation.
10. The apostle beautifully and strikingly points out the
sublime perfections of our Pattern, in his suffering, by way of gently urging
us to patience. He presents the chief points of Christ's endurance, examples of
real patience; all our sufferings, when compared with those of Christ, are cast
into the shade. ”The passion of Christ,” Peter would say, ”the suffering of the
Lord, is a surpassing, a preeminent and sublimely glorious thing, transcending
every other instance of suffering; first, because it was for an example to us;
second, because he suffered to save us; third, because he suffered innocently
in all respects, never having cornmitted any sin.” In these three points we
must leave to him alone the distinction, humbling ourselves before them; even
had we suffered death in its every form, we must cry that all our suffering is
nothing in comparison with his. Even if we could attain to the sublimest, the
supreme, the most glorious degree of suffering, it would be but walking in his
footprints, following his example; it would be but to fall far short of his
suffering. He would stand preeminent - the Master. He would maintain
immeasurable superiority and we would still be left to follow as best we could.
The extent of his agony, the intensity and bitterness of his sufferings, no one
on earth can comprehend. And if it be beyond our comprehension, how much more is it beyond our power to imitate or experience. We may
thank God we have it before us for an example to behold and follow. True, we
fall far short of perfect following, but we may approach it in proportion to
our sufferings, faith and patience; for one may exceed another in these things.
Christ is an example, Peter says, for all saints; not for a certain few.
Contrasted with Christ, all saints must with downcast eyes confess: ”Intense, bitter,
grievous as our sufferings truly are, when the sufferings of Christ our Lord
are mentioned we will willingly keep silent; for no human example of suffering
will compare with that of Christ.”
11. Now, this one fact, that one so exalted as Christ himself,
the only and eternal Son of God, has trod the path of suffering before us,
enduring unlimited distress, agony transcending the power of humanity to
experience - this alone should be enough to admonish and urge anyone to
patiently endure affliction. Why, then, should we disciples, we who are so
insignificant and inexperienced in comparison with our Master - why should we
be at all troubled at any suffering for his sake? especially when all he asks
of us is to follow him, to learn of him and to remain his disciples. Here, mark
you, is the example set before the entire Christian Church, the pattern she is
to follow to the extent of at least walking in Christ's steps, at the same
time, however, remembering that her most intense sufferings are naught in comparison
to a single drop of his shed blood, as we shall hear later.
12. Again, this example assumes its ineffable and inimitable
character from the fact that Christ suffered not for himself, nor yet merely as
an example, but in our stead. This act, to say the least, transcends all human
ability. No saint can boast of equaling this example, can say he suffered for
another as Christ suffered for our sins. No, here all boasting is summarily
disposed of. In respect to atonement, Christ left us no example, for none can
imitate him in that. He stands alone there. He alone was called to suffer for
all men; for those individuals now called and holy, and for the still uncalled
and sinners.
13. The atonement is the chief, the most exalted, article of
the Christian doctrine. Faith alone apprehends it as the highest good, the
greatest blessing, of our salvation, and recognizes that we cannot, by our
works or our sufferings, do or merit anything in atoning for sin. The manner in
which this subject is scripturally presented prohibits us from adding to it
anything of human origin. But so the accursed popedom has done in the teachings
of its pillars and supporters the monks, who regard the sufferings of Christ as
merely an example to us. They pervert and render immaterial the fact that he
suffered for us; they place the entire responsibility upon ourselves, as if we,
by our own works or our suffering are to make satisfaction for our sins, to
appease God's wrath and to merit grace. This is a doctrine not found in the
Word of God, but is of their own trivial, self-selected, self-devised and false
human teachings.
14. They have carried their untruthful, worthless inventions
to the extent of claiming for the saints not only sufficient acquired merit for
their own salvation, but a large accumulated surplus available for others,
which they have bequeathed to the Pope, thus furnishing him with an abundant
treasury. The Pope, through indulgences, is to distribute this excess, these
superfluous merits, as he feels disposed, at the same time dipping out for
himself and his shorn fat swine the riches of the world; indeed, the
ecclesiasts distribute their own merits and works. This is the refined monastic
chastity, poverty and rigid obedience of the orders - nothing but shameless
falsehood and scandalous vice, practiced under that covering, both privately
and publicly, with the exception of a few who were sincere in their desire to
be monks, of whom I was one. These falsehoods the orders readily sold to the
laity on deathbeds, and under other circumstances. Indeed, wretched mortals who
had incurred a death penalty and were about to be publicly executed, they
referred not to Christ for comfort, but counseled patience in their own
welldeserved suffering and death; as if God would accept their pain as
atonement for their sins if only they suffered patiently. Purchasing of merit
was the ecclesiasts' chief doctrine, their strongest point. They fearlessly
proclaimed it in public, and through its influence erected numerous churches
and cloisters and satiated the avarice and cupidity of the Pope. And I too,
alas, was one of these knaves until God delivered me. And now, God be praised,
I am execrated and condemned by the hellish seat of the Roman dragon with its
scales because I assailed this papal doctrine and would not justify it.
15. Oh, the shameful abomination, that in the temple of God
and in the Christian Church must be taught and received things which make
wholly insignificant the sufferings and death of Christ! Gracious God! what can
be said for human merit - for superfluity of human merit - when not one saint
on earth has, with all his pains, suffered enough to cancel his own
obligations; much less to be entitled to the honor of making his sufferings
avail anything before God's judgment-seat, by way of remuneration or
satisfaction for the mortal sins of others in the face of divine wrath? Note,
Peter says Christ left us an example that we should follow his steps; which is
but concluding that no saint ever wrought or suffered enough to warrant the
claim: ”I have accomplished the measure-reached the limit; Christ is no more an example and pattern for me.” No; the saint ought to
be ashamed to boast of his sufferings in comparison to those of Christ, and
ought to rejoice in the privilege of being partaker of the divine pain, of
sharing it so far as he can, and thus be found in the footsteps of Christ.
16. The theme of Christ's passion, then, must far outrank
every other. His sufferings are like pure and precious gold, compared to which
ours are as nothing. No one but Christ has suffered for the sins of another. No
man has ever paid the price of his own sins, great or small. Even if man's
suffering could avail aught for sin, the individual could not go beyond
expiating his own sins. But Christ had no need at all to suffer for himself;
for, as follows in the text, he had committed no sin. He suffered to leave us
an example, but yet also to bring to man the great blessing of being able to
say, ”My sins and the sins of the whole world were atoned for upon the cross,
blotted out, through Christ's death.” Peter, Mary, John the Baptist, and every
soul born of woman must include himself or herself in this statement, ”Christ
also suffered for you.”
17. In the third place, Christ stands preeminent, above all
others, in the affirmation of Peter, quoted from Isaiah 53,9: ”Who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth.”
18. You may draw your own conclusions as to the eminence of
such a one; for certainly there is to be found no other human being who has not
at some time sinned in word or deed. ”If any man stumbleth not in word, the
same is a perfect man,” says James 3, 2. But where is this perfect man, and
what is his name? It is this Christ, he alone of all, James should have added.
For Peter excludes all other individuals, in one class, saying, ”Ye were going
astray like sheep.” And later on (ch. 3, 18) he tells
us plainly, ”Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the
unrighteous.” This statement leaves no man innocent of sin, either in word or
deed; and in word and deed is included man's whole life. Speech and action are
associated in various Scripture references; as in Psalm 34, 13-14: ”Keep thy
tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do
good.” But in speech is the greatest liability to error. In teaching,
counseling, admonishing, consoling and censuring, and in confessing the truth,
no one indeed will be found so perfect in his utterances as never to commit a blunder.
19. But Christ is the one perfect example in this respect.
It is impossible for saints to attain to his faultlessness. Surely no man -
unless he desires to be a liar and a true disciple of the devil instead of a
child of God and a faithful Christian - will be presumptuous enough to put
himself on an equality with Christ, will dare boast himself without sin in word
and act. Christ alone has suffered, the righteous for the unrighteous; that
prerogative can honorably and truthfully be ascribed only to Christ the Lord,
and is his perpetually. No man is just and innocent in word and act. All must
confess their sufferings, of whatever nature, to be the result of their own
sins, and well deserved chastisement. For the fact of having escaped the
eternal wrath, condemnation and punishment of God, they must thank this just
one alone, he who, being himself blameless, voluntarily suffered to make
satisfaction for the unrighteous, and appeased God's wrath. The sufferings of
all saints, then, must be rated far below those of Christ the Lord. The saints
must clothe and adorn themselves with his innocence, and with the entire
Christian Church pray, ”Forgive us our trespasses”; and they must confess the
article, ”I believe in the forgiveness of sins.”
20. Now, let us sum up the three arguments Peter uses in
admonishing Christians to patience in suffering. First: He says, ”Hereunto were
ye called.” Though you do have to suffer much and severely, you have ever
before you the example of Christ, to the limit of whose sufferings you can
never attain. You dare not boast even if you have suffered everything.
Moreover, you are under obligation to suffer for God's sake. Second: Christ did
not suffer for his own sake, nor of necessity; he suffered for your sake, and
all from good will toward you. Third: He was wholly innocent - free from sin;
internally - in heart - and externally - in word and deed. For where evil
dwells in the heart, it cannot long remain concealed. It must manifest itself
in words, at least. Christ says (Mt 12, 34), ”Out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh.”
21. Why, then, should you complain of your suffering or
refuse to suffer what your sins really deserve? Indeed, you deserve much more
than you receive - even eternal suffering. But God forgives you and remits the
eternal punishment for the sake of Christ the Lord, desiring that you patiently
endure the lesser suffering for the utter mortification of the sins inherent in
your flesh and blood. To make such lot the less grievous to you, Christ has gone
before and left you an example of perfect patience under the most intense
suffering, an example equaled nowhere in the world. The Supreme Majesty, God's
own Son, suffered in the most ignominious manner the extremity of torture, pain
and anguish in body and soul, something intolerable to mere human nature; and
that innocently, and for us condemned sinners - suffering for the sins of
strangers.
”Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not.”
22. To further emphasize and make effectual in us the
example of Christ's patience, Peter proceeds to analyze it, to show it in its true colors, to mention the details and make plain how it
differs from any other example of suffering. He has told us before that Christ
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Why, then, did the Jews
persecute and crucify him - put him to death? Inquire into his entire life
history and you will find that no one could justly impeach, nor could convict,
him for any sin. He himself appealed to his enemies to prove aught of sin in
him. No one could show an injury he had ever done to anyone, or a wrong he had
ever taught or practiced. On the contrary, he had gone about to bring to the
Jewish nation the grace and salvation of God. He had revealed God's Word,
opened the eyes of the blind, healed the sick, cast out devils, fed great
multitudes when hungry and lacking food. In short, in all his life, there was
nothing in word or act but truth, goodness, beneficence and a disposition to
aid. In return for the good he wrought, he was compelled to receive the
ungrateful reward of man's hatred and condemnation. His enemies were moved
solely by obdurate, diabolical hatred, and could not cease their persecutions
until they brought him to the cross, where he was disgracefully hung up nude
between two murderers, being lifted up as unworthy to touch the earth and to
live among men.
23. Christ was under no obligation to endure disgrace and
ill-treatment. He might have refrained from his benevolent ministrations when
he saw the futility of his efforts with the Jews. But he did not so; even in
his sufferings upon the cross he charitably prayed for his enemies. He had
authority, he had power enough, and he would have been justified in the action,
had he revenged himself on his furious enemies, invoked evil upon them, and
execrated them as they deserved to be execrated; for they had treated him with
gross injustice before all the world, as even the testimony of his betrayer and
his judge and all creatures admitted, and had bitterly reviled him when he hung
upon the cross. But he did none of these things. He bore with ineffable
meekness and patience all the ill-treatment his enemies could heap upon him.
Even in his extremity of anguish, he benevolently interceded for them to his
Heavenly Father, to which act the prophet Isaiah (ch.
53) offers a tribute of high praise.
24. Notice, we have here in all respects a perfect and
inimitable example of patience - patience of the most exalted kind. In
this example we may behold as in a glass what we have yet to learn of calm
endurance, and thus be impelled to imitate that example in some small measure
at least.
25. Not without reason does Peter applaud the fact that when
Christ was reviled he reviled not again, and when he suffered he threatened
not. Though to endure undeserved violence and injustice is hard enough, that
which more than aught else naturally renders suffering
grievous and makes men impatient is to experience the monstrous unfairness of
receiving the mean and vexatious reward of ingratitude from individuals who
have enjoyed one's favors and greatest benefactions. Base ingratitude is
extremely painful for human nature to endure. It makes the heart flutter and the
blood boil with a spirit of revenge. When no alternative presents, an outburst
of reviling, execration and threatening follows. Flesh and blood has not the
power of restraint to enable it to remain calm when evil is returned for favors
and benevolence, and to say, ”God be thanked.”
26. Mark the example of Christ, however, and there learn to
censure yourself. Beloved, how can you complain when you see how infinitely
greater was the grief and how much more painful the
anxiety endured by your beloved Lord and faithful Saviour, the Son of God
himself, who yet bore all patiently and submissively and, more than that,
prayed for those instrumental in causing that agony? Who with a single drop of
Christian blood in his heart would not blush with shame to be guilty of
murmuring at his sufferings when, before God, he is so sinful and is deserving
of much more affliction? Wicked, unprofitable and
condemned servant must he be who does not follow his Lord's example of
endurance but presumes to think himself better and nobler than Christ; who with
inimical spirit murmurs, complaining of great injustice, when he really
deserves affliction, and when he suffers infinitely less than did his dear,
righteous, innocent Lord. Beloved, if Christ so suffered in return for the great
blessing he conferred, be not too indolent to imitate him in some degree by
suffering without anger and reproaches. Less reason have you to be angry and
reproachful from the fact that you, too, were one whose sins brought Christ to
the cross.
27. But you may say: ”What? Did not Christ revile when (Mt
23) he called the scribes and pharisees hypocrites, murderers, serpents, a
generation of vipers, and even more severely rebuked
them?” I reply: Oh yes, we would gladly follow Christ's example here; we could
cheerfully revile and accuse. It is much easier than being patient. We would
need no Master to help us in this. But note what Peter says: When Christ was
about to suffer death, having fulfilled the obligation of his ministry - having
proclaimed the truth, rebuked falsehood and been brought to the cross therefore
- and being about to conclude his mission by suffering, he reviled not; as a
sheep for the slaughter, he permitted himself to be executed and opened not his
mouth against his calumniators and murderers. See Isaiah 53, 7.
28. It is necessary, then, to make a distinction here.
Reviling - or pronouncing execrations and threats - is of two kinds. In one
case it is official and pronounced of God; in the other, without authority and
comes from man. It was one of the duties of Christ's office on earth, and one
now incumbent upon those called to bear that office after him, to assert the
truth and censure the evil. Such a course is essential to the honor of God and
the salvation of souls; for if the truth were to be ignored, who would come to
God? Official chastisement is a work of divine, Christian love. It is a
parental duty imposed of God. God has implanted in the parent nature intense
love for the child; at the same time, if parents are godly and have proper
affection for their children they will not connive at, or let pass unpunished,
the disobedience of the latter. They must chastise, both with reproof and with
keen rods. These are official strokes - love stripes-enjoined of God, and their
infliction is our duty. They are not injurious, but beneficial. Solomon says
(Prov 13, 24): ”He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him
chasteneth him betimes.” And Jesus the son of Sirach says in Ecclesiasticus:
”He that loveth his son causeth him oft to feel the rod, that he may have joy
of him in the end.”
29. So everyone may, and should, reprove when official duty
or his neighbor's case requires; it serves to reform the subject. To quote
Solomon again (Prov 27, 6): ”Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the
kisses of an enemy are profuse [deceitful].” Reproofs and stripes prompted by
love and a faithful heart are beneficial. On the other hand, an enemy may use
fair and flattering words when he has enmity and deceit at heart, preferring to
let you go on to ruin rather than by gentle reproof to warn of danger and
rescue you from destruction. The faithful, conscientious physician must often,
of necessity and with great pain to the patient, amputate a limb in order to
save the body. Paul, too, commands pious bishops to be urgent in season, out of
season; to reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering. 2 Tim 4, 2; Tit 2,
15. By our silence to commend or to encourage to evil the wrong-doer would not
be to manifest one's love to the offender, but rather to give
him over wholly to death and the devil.
30. It was this love and sincerity of heart which prompted
Christ in his office to censure and rebuke, for which he merited only wrath and
hatred; as we say, he sought his stripes. But the duty of his office required
such action on his part. His motive was to turn the transgressors from their
blindness and malice, and to rescue them from perdition; and he could not be
deterred by the consequent persecution, cross and death which awaited. But
having fulfilled his official duties, and the hour of his suffering having
arrived, he suffered patiently, permitting his enemies to heap upon him all
possible evil in return for his manifested love and blessings. Instead of
angrily reviling and execrating while, suspended from the cross, he endured the
most shameful calumnies, he, with strong cries and with tears, prayed, ”Father,
forgive them.” It was, indeed, a heart of unfathomable love that, in the midst
of extreme suffering, had compassion on its persecutors and blessed them in
greater measure than parent can bless child or one individual bless another.
31. Observe, then, the distinction between official and
unofficial censure and rebuke; the former is prompted by love, and the latter
by wrath and hatred. The world, however, is artful and cunning enough when it
hears this distinction, to pervert and confuse the two, exercising its own
revenge under the name of official zeal and reproof. For instance, if a
preacher is disposed to act the knave, he can easily give
vent to his personal anger and vengeance in his pulpit utterances, censuring
and rebuking as he pleases, and then claim it is all in obedience to the demand
of office and for the good of the people. Again, a judge, a mayor, or other
prominent official, desiring revengefully to satisfy a personal grudge, can more successfully accomplish his object under the title of
the office he bears and the obligations imposed upon him for the punishment of
the wicked than in any other way. This practice now frequently obtains since
the world has learned to use the Gospel to conceal its malice and knavery, to
adorn it with the name of a divinely appointed office. It ever uses the name
and Word of God to cloak its infamy. But who is vigilant enough to elude such
knavery and to make the children of the devil honest? Let him who would be a
Christian, then, take heed how he shall answer such accusation. Assuredly God
will not allow himself to be deceived. He will, in due time, relieve the
innocent victim of injustice, and his punishment will seek out the wicked.
Peter says, further: ”But committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”
32. Who revealed to Peter the nature of Christ's thoughts
upon the cross? The apostle has just been saying that Christ reviled not nor
thought of revenge, but rather manifested love and good-will toward his
virulent enemies. How could Christ approve such malice? Truly he could not
endorse it. Nor could he commend his enemies for crucifying him and putting him
to death upon the cross without cause. No such conclusion may be drawn. The
devil and his adherents must not construe the passage to mean license to heap
all manner of torture and distress upon Christ and his saints as upon those who
must not only patiently bear these things, unmoved by revengeful desires, but
must render gratitude to their persecutors as if their acts were praiseworthy.
No; this can by no means be permitted. Could I be said to suffer innocently if
I am obliged to confess I am well treated? Several times in this epistle Peter
admonishes Christians not to suffer as evil-doers, thieves, murderers. But if I
suffer innocently and am unjustly treated, I am not to justify the
ill-treatment and strengthen the enemy in his sins; for, so doing, I would
approve his conduct and assume the guilt attributed. That principle would be
pleasing to the Pope and the devil and to tyrants; they would willingly have it
obtain. They are not wholly satisfied even to murder the innocent; they would
prefer to be justified in their action - to have us confess to wrong-doing. But
that is something no Christian heart will do; it may be left to the devil.
33. But the Papists will say: ”However, it is written, You
must suffer and not revile; you must thank God for persecution and pray for
your enemies.” That is true; but it is one thing to
suffer patiently, the while wishing your enemies well and praying for them, and
quite a different thing to justify them in their conduct. I must cease not to
confess the truth and maintain my innocence, both in heart and with my lips.
But if men will not accept my word, my heart must tell me I have suffered
injustice. Rather should I endure ten deaths, could my enemies inflict them,
than to condemn myself in violation of conscience. So, when Peter made this little statement about Christ not reviling nor
threatening, which was true, he did not mean that Christ justified his
persecutors in their treatment of him. But what are we to do? If we do not
justify our enemies when they make us suffer, they will do even worse things to
us; for they desire the name and the credit, in the eyes of the world, of
having done right by us. Yes, as Christ has somewhere said, they would have it
thought they do God great service by murdering us. Now, who is to judge and
decide the question?
34. Peter declares that Christ committed the matter to him
who judges righteously. How should he do otherwise, knowing that his
persecutors treated him unjustly and yet maintained the contrary? There was for
him no judge on earth. He was compelled to commit the matter to that righteous
judge, his Heavenly Father. Well he knew that such sins and blasphemies could
not go unpunished. No, the sentence was already passed, the sword sharpened,
the angels given orders, for the overthrow of Jerusalem. Previous to his sufferings,
on his way to Jerusalem, as Christ beheld the city, he announced its coming
doom and wept over it. Therefore, he prays for his enemies, saying: ”Dear
Father, I must commit the matter to thee, since they refuse to hear or to see
the wrong they do. Well I know they are rushing into thy wrath and thy terrible
punishment, but I pray thee to forgive them what they
do to me.” And so they would have been forgiven had they afterward repented at
the apostles' preaching, and had they not further sinned in persecuting God's
Word and thus brought upon their unrepentant selves ultimate punishment.
CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE IN SUFFERING.
35. Observe, as Christ did, so should we conduct ourselves
in our sufferings; not approving or assenting to whatever may be heaped upon
us, but yet not seeking revenge. We are to commit the matter to God, who will
judge aright. We cannot maintain our rights before the world; therefore we must
commit our cause to God, who judges righteously and who will not allow
calumniation of his Word and persecution of believers to pass unpunished. We
must, however, pray for our persecutors, that they may be converted and escape
future wrath and punishment; and so we do. If it is possible for some of the
bishops and other Gospel- persecuting tyrants to be converted, we will heartily
pray and desire that their conversion may come to pass. But if it be
impossible, as now, alas, is to be feared, since, after having been much
admonished and often prayed for and having enjoyed the best advantages, they wittingly
rage against the known truth - if so, then we must
commit them to God's judgment. What more can we do? I am persuaded that the
intolerable persecution and calumniating of the Gospel prevalent today cannot
be permitted to pass with impunity. It must ultimately meet the coming judgment
upon the Papacy and Germany. Of this there can be no doubt. But it is ours to
continue preaching, praying, admonishing and beseeching, in the hope of
effecting repentance. Then, if our enemies still refuse to turn from their evil
ways, if they perish in their impenitence, what can we do but say: ”Dear God,
we commit the matter to thee. Thou wilt punish them; thou canst, indeed, most
terribly.”
36. Such, mark you, is the example of Christ, presented to
the entire Christian Church - set up as a pattern for her. Hence it is the duty
of the Church, as Peter elsewhere tells us, to arm herself with the same mind
which was Christ's, to suffer as Christ did and to think: If Christ, my Lord
and Leader, has suffered for me with so great meekness and patience, how much more reason have I to submit to suffering! And what can it
harm me to suffer when I know it is God's will? Not because the suffering in
itself is so perfecting and precious, but for the sake of the dear Saviour who suffered
for me. I know, too, that my persecutors thus commit most abominable sins
against God and incur his wrath and punishment. Why, then, should I be
impatient or desire revenge? I am already too highly honored of God in the fact
that my sufferings meet his approbation and that he will perfectly avenge me of
mine enemies. What can it advantage me for them to bum eternally in hell? I
will rather pray and use my utmost efforts for their conversion. If I fail and
they are determined to persist in their course, I must bring the matter home to
God - must commit it to him.
”Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness.”
37. Peter's is the true preaching concerning
the passion of Christ. He teaches not only the merit in Christ's sufferings,
but introduces both themes - its efficacy and example. Such is Paul's custom,
also. In this verse Peter presents Christ's sufferings in the light of a
sacrifice for sin. They constitute a work acceptable to God as satisfaction for
the sins of the whole world and effective to reconcile him to men. So great is
God's wrath toward sin that none but that eternal one, the Son of God, could
avert it. He had himself to be the sacrifice, to allow his body to be nailed to
the cross. The cross was the altar whereupon the sacrifice was consumed -
wholly burned - in the fire of his unfathomable love. He had to be his own high
priest in this sacrifice: for no earthly mortal, all being sinners and unclean,
could offer to God the sacrifice of his beloved and wholly sinless Son; the
boasting of the priests of Antichrist in regard to their masses, to the
contrary notwithstanding. Now, by the single sacrifice of God's Son, our sins
are remitted and we obtain grace and forgiveness; and this fact can be grasped
in no other way than through faith.
38. Peter mentions the ultimate object of the divine
sacrifice made for us, what it accomplished in us, the
fruit Christ's passion shall yield; for he would not have the Christian Church
overlook that point, or neglect to preach it. Christ, he tells us, took upon
himself our sins, suffering the penalty. Therefore, Christ alone is entitled to
be called a sacrifice for all our sins. It was not designed, however, that
after the sacrifice we should remain as before; on the contrary, the purpose
was ultimately to work in us freedom from sins, to have us live no longer unto
sin but unto righteousness. Now, if in Christ our sins are sacrificed, they are
put to death, blotted out; for to sacrifice means to slay, to kill. Under the
Old Testament dispensation, all sacrifices had to be presented to God slain.
Now, if our sins are put to death, it is not meant that we are to live in them.
39. Therefore, the saving doctrine of remission of sins and
of Christ's grace cannot be so construed as to admit of our continuing in the
old life and following our own desires. According to Paul (Rom 6, 1-8),
enjoying grace and remission of sins does not give
license to live in sin. How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer
therein? The very fact that we may be reckoned dead unto sins means they may no
longer live and reign in us. In Christ's holy body were they throttled and
slain expressly that they might also be slain in us.
40. Be careful, then, what you believe and how you live,
that the efficacy of Christ's sufferings may be manifestly fulfilled in you.
If, through faith, you have rightly apprehended his sacrifice, its virtue will
be indicated in the subduing and mortifying of your sins, even as they are
already slain and dead through his death on the cross. But if you continue to
live in sins, you cannot say they are dead in you. You but deceive yourself,
and your own evidence is false when you boast of Christ in whom all sins are
put to death, if sin remains vigorous in you. We naturally conclude it is
inconsistent for sin to be dead in us and yet alive; for us to be free from sin
and yet captive or fast therein. This fact has already been sufficiently
pointed out.
41. It is ours, Peter says, not only to believe that Christ
has, through the sacrifice of his own body, put to death sin and liberated us
therefrom - a thing the combined sacrifices of all mortal bodies could never
have effected - but, sin being put to death by him, to endeavor to become ever more and more free from sin's sway in our bodies, and to
live henceforth unto righteousness, until we shall be completely and finally
released from sin through death. Therefore, if before you believed on Christ
you were an adulterer, a miser, a coveter, a maligner, you ought now to regard
all these sins as dead, throttled through Christ; the benefit is yours through
faith in his sacrifice, and your sins should henceforth cease to reign in you.
If you have not so received the sacrifice, you cannot boast of Christ and
faith. Though Christ has died for you, though your sins have been put upon him
and reckoned dead, still you are not rid of those sins if you do not desire to
be, if you do not, through faith, apprehend Christ and his blessing, nor in
your life and conduct follow his example.
42. Now you will say: ”But you teach that we are all
sinners, that there is not even a saint on earth without sin. And surely we
must confess the article, 'I believe in the remission of sins,'
and must pray, 'Forgive us our debts.”' I reply, most assuredly you never will
attain sinless perfection here on earth; if such were the case you would have
no further need for faith and Christ. At the same time, it is not designed that
you should continue as you were before obtaining remission of sins through
faith. I speak of known sins wittingly persisted in, in spite of the rebuke and
condemnation of conscience. These should be dead in you; in other words, they
are not to rule you, but you are to rule them, to resist them, to undertake
their mortification. And if occasionally you fail, if you stumble, you should
immediately rise again, embrace forgiveness and renew
your endeavor to mortify your sins.
”By whose stripes ye were healed.”
43. It seems as if Peter could not sufficiently exalt and
make impressive Christ's sufferings. He brings in nearly the entire Fifty-third
chapter of Isaiah in the attempt. Note how, in regard to the efficacy of works,
he always significantly introduces the two themes at the same time - how he
carefully distinguishes between performing human works in obedience to Christ's
example, and receiving by faith the merit of Christ's work. First, we have,
”Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree .
. . by whose stripes ye were healed.” This is the
vital part in our salvation. Christ alone could fully accomplish the work. This
doctrine must be taught in its purity and simplicity, and must so be believed,
in opposition to the devil and his factions. Only so can we maintain the honor
and the office of Christ wherein is anchored our salvation. But the second part
of the doctrine must not be overlooked. There are false Christians who accept
only the first part and make no effort to reform themselves; but, being
liberated from our sins and in a state of salvation, we may not again defile
ourselves therewith. Where these two principals of the Christian doctrine are
not maintained in their proper relation, injury must result to the truth in two
respects: they who are occupied solely with their own works corrupt the true doctrine of faith; they who neglect to follow the
example of Christ retard the efficacy and fruit of that faith.
”For ye were going astray like sheep.”
44. Here Peter bluntly and clearly points out the fact I have
stated, that liberation from sin and death was effected not by our works and
merits, but by Christ's wounds and death alone. Forgiveness cost you nothing,
Peter teaches; no blood, no wounds. You were powerless in this direction. You
were but miserable, erring, lost sheep, separated from God, condemned to hell
and unable to council or help yourselves. In just such condition are all they
who are out of Christ. As Isaiah the prophet says more
plainly in the chapter from which these words are taken (verse 6): ”All we like
sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” That is,
whatever our lives, whatever our intent, we but turned farther away from God.
As it is written (Ps 14, 3): ”They are all gone aside; they are together become
filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
45. That men are prone to go astray like sheep is clearly
exhibited in their conduct; history proves it. It has ever been the case that
when mankind was divided into various idolatries or false services of God, into
superstitions numerous and varied, even when God's people thought to have
attained the perfection of holiness - then one ran here and another there, ever
seeking and seeking to come upon the road to heaven but getting farther and
farther from it. It was exactly the case of the sheep straying from the flock
and lost to the shepherd: the farther it runs and the more
it follows the voice of strangers, the farther astray it goes. It continues to
wander and to flee until it finally perishes, unless it hears again the voice
of the shepherd. Let no one, then, dare boast of having himself found the right
way to heaven, of having merited God's grace and the remission of sins by his
own manner of life. All men must confess the truth of Scripture testimony that
we were but erring sheep, fleeing ever farther from our Shepherd and Saviour,
until he turned us back to himself.
”But are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
46. You have now heard the voice of your Shepherd, who has
brought you back to himself, from your erring and idolatrous ways. It was not
your own effort that effected your return; it was accomplished at the cost of
your Shepherd's wounds and shed blood. Be careful, then, Peter would say, to
live not like erring and lost sheep; but, being converted - turned back -
follow your beloved Saviour. In him you have a godly Shepherd who faithfully
pastures and cares for you; and also a loyal Bishop who ever watches over and
guards you, not permitting you to stray.
47. Immeasurably gracious, and comforting are these words.
But the meaning of the word ”bishop” has been miserably obscured and perverted
by our idolatrous priests and episcopal frauds. Likewise have they perverted
and corrupted the terms ”ecclesiasts,” ”Church,” ”divine service,” ”priest,”
etc., by their antichristian rule. Only those have right to the name
”ecclesiast” who have been redeemed from their sins through Christ's wounds,
and who live holy lives. But the Papists have taken the name away from true Christians and applied it to the Pope's besmeared, and
shavenheaded ones. Again, when we hear the word ”bishop” we think only of
great, pointed caps and of silver staves. As if it were sufficient to place in
the Church such masks, such carved and hewn idols! For they are nothing better;
in fact, they do more harm. According to the
Scriptures, a true bishop is an overseer, a guardian, a watchman. He is like
unto the householder, the warder of the city, or any judicial officer or regent
who exercises constant oversight of state or municipal affairs. Formerly there
were bishops in each parish, deriving their name from the fact that their
office required oversight of the Church and the guarding against the devil,
against false doctrines and all manner of offenses. Paul, too (Acts 20, 28),
reminds the bishops of their office, saying: ”Take heed unto yourselves, and to
all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you
bishops (overseers].” And overseers should bishops still be, as in fact all
godly preachers and carers for souls are. But in all Popedom the office now is
but a mere name, to the sin and shame of the entire Christian Church.
48. Now, Christ our Lord is that faithful Guardian, that true Bishop, who above all others is entitled to the name
(with him office and name are identical), and who bears it with due honor, to
our eternal happiness. For, standing at the right hand of God and showing his
wounds, he unceasingly intercedes for us before the Father; and moreover, on
earth he rules, sustains, nourishes and protects, through his Word, his
sacraments and the efficacy of the Holy Spirit, the little flock that believe
in him. Were he not present with and watching over us here, the devil would
long ago have overthrown and destroyed us, and also the Word of God and the
name of Christ. And such is the case when God in wrath turns away his eyes from
the world to punish its ingratitude. Then immediately everything falls into the
devil's power. Therefore, pure doctrine, faith, confession and the use of the
sacraments are dependent for their perpetuity solely upon the vigilant
guardianship of our beloved Shepherd and Bishop.
49. Comforting, indeed, is it to have in Christ a priest so
faithful and righteous; though, alas, the worthy name of ”priest” also has been
subjected to shame and contempt because of the Pope's disgraceful, shaven,
shallow-headed occupants of the office. Comforting, indeed, it is to be the
happy lambs who have a welcome refuge in the Shepherd and find in him joy and
comfort in every time of need, assured that his perfect faithfulness cares for
and protects us from the devil and the gates of hell. Relative to this subject,
the entire Twenty-third Psalm is a beautiful and joyous song, of which the
refrain is, ”The Lord is my Shepherd.”
Second Sunday after Easter;
John 10:11-16
John 10:11-16
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the
shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the
sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The
hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am
the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father
knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and
they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
1. Today's Gospel has been appointed, I think, for this
Sunday because Christ announces in it that he will lay down his life for his
sheep, that is, suffer and die; and yet he also shows,
at the same time, that he will rise again, in that he says: ”Other sheep I
have; them also I must bring” etc. For if he is to be and remain a shepherd of
his sheep, he must not remain in death, as he himself afterward explains and
interprets, in plain words: ”I have power to lay my life down, and I have power
to take it again.”
I. HOW AND WHY THE JEWS WERE OFFENDED AT THIS SERMON.
2. The Jews indeed heard this parable and sermon of Christ,
but did not understand it at all, as the context declares. It sounded
altogether too strange in their ears that he alone should be the true shepherd, and yet he was in the act of laying down his
life for his sheep. What kind of a shepherd, think they, was this to be, who
would die and give his life for the sheep? Can that be
called guarding and keeping the sheep?
3. In like manner it was an intolerable doctrine to them
that he said he had other sheep which were not of this fold, that is, did not
belong to the nation which alone was called God's people. These also he would
bring, and of these, although they were not of this fold, there should be one
flock, under one shepherd, regardless of what became of their fold and their
shepherding. They understood very well what he meant by shepherd and sheep (for
it was a form of speech familiar and current among them, especially from the
Scriptures), namely, that he claimed to be a man who would teach and govern the
people. But because, as they consider it, he puts forth his claim so
unreasonably, wishing to be the shepherd alone and yet saying that he will lay
down his life for the sheep and that he has still other sheep which he will
gather and make one flock - nothwithstanding that they, the Jews, refuse to be
his sheep - they are offended in him and say that he is mad and that the devil
speaks through him. They, nevertheless, understood this much, that his meaning
was that their shepherding - that is, their entire government which they had
from Moses, the Law, the priesthood, circumcision, the service of God, all
appointed for them by God himself - should become void and henceforth count for
nothing, and that he would institute something entirely new, in which he would
be all in all and rule supreme and would gather a new flock of both Jews and
gentiles, just as he should find those who would cling to him recognizing no
one else, whether Judaism and its government, glory and existence should abide,
stand or fall.
4. He makes matters still worse by saying, ”I am the good
shepherd,” whereby he draws the people entirely to himself. He means to say,
Dismiss the teachers and rulers you have, and take me for your shepherd. The very
best of them, those who teach and profess Moses and the Law, he calls
hirelings, who are to be forsaken and not listened to; without considering that
other multitude, the thieves and murderers, that is, those who teach against
God's Word and are public persecutors. Hereby he well deserves that they should
execute him without sentence and grate, as a public-accursed blasphemer against
God, God's Law and God's people.
5. Without doubt, the great lords, high priests, Pharisees,
scribes and all that belonged to their spiritual government, defiantly boasted
and bragged against all this: We sit in the true
office and priestly estate, ordained not by Moses, but by God himself through
Moses. How dare you, rebellious scoundrel, open your mouth before all the people
and boast against God's ordinance and commandment, that you are the shepherd
and you alone? You are not even of priestly lineage, of those to whom God,
through Moses, committed this charge and whom he commanded the people to hear.
And when did God, publicly before all the people, speak to you as he spake to
Moses? Who are you, or where do you come from, that you dare, of your own
authority, to utter such things and to apply to yourself alone all that has
been said and commanded concerning the office of shepherd, thereby exalting
yourself above and against Moses, the Law of God, the priesthood and all
authority? Is not this both rebellious usurpation of the government and the
crown by the whole people, and also blasphemy and sin against the divine Majesty?
6. To say, ”I am the good shepherd,” what else is it but to
say: To me alone they must hearken, the whole flock of sheep. That is, the
entire nation belongs to me alone. I alone am its shepherd, and the only good
shepherd, who saves the sheep. You, however, are but hirelings, that care not
for the sheep, seeking only your own in them and letting them perish in time of
danger. In one word, this is to make the people revolt from them and to tell
the people that they have no good shepherd or preacher who is faithfully-minded
towards them or is able to save them and to whom they ought to give ear. ”For my sheep,” says he, ”hear not the voice of a
stranger.” But he tells them, if they cling to him, they shall be saved.
7. Moreover, he not only says that he alone is the shepherd
of these sheep, but that he also has another flock and people, who are not
under the government of Moses but are altogether outside of this fold. These,
also, are to cling to him, and all shall be alike to him, gentiles as Jews, and
Jews as gentiles. This is now the most offensive thing of all, that he makes
nothing of God's people and puts them, with their Law, priesthood and
everything else, on a level with the gentiles, and the gentiles on a level with
them, so that neither is better, of more importance or
has more than the other. In short, it is equivalent to saying that all Moses
instituted and ordained in the priesthood, temple and service of God is to come
to an end and to pass away; that now there is a new priesthood and government,
and a new shepherd has arisen, whose alone the flock is to be and who is to do
all. This surely is knocking the bottom out of the barrel and taking the head
off from all Judaism, depriving it of all its glory. Hereby he simply bids them
to yield up their shepherdhood, to hear him alone and to suffer him to be all
in all.
8. This was to them necessarily an odious, blasphemous
injunction. For in their minds nothing was more
certain than this: We have been appointed by God, through Moses, to the
priesthood, to the office of teaching and ruling the whole nation. Now,
whatever God has commanded and ordained must stand and not be changed by any
creature. Therefore, our priesthood and Moses' government must continue
forever. And if the gentiles are to be added and to become God's people, this
must not and cannot take place through this carpenter of Nazareth (as they
regarded and called Jesus), but through Moses, in that they suffer themselves
to be circumcised and accept his Law, and visit the temple at Jerusalem. Even
the apostles at that time still believed that this must remain, above all
things, as the ordinance and commandment of God, given and instituted from
heaven. In opposition to this, Jesus of Nazareth dares to arise and publicly
declare the contrary. If you would come to God and be saved, you must, after
all, surrender Moses, the Law, the temple and the priesthood. All these will in
nowise help you. You must come hither to me, whether you be Jew, gentile,
priest, layman or what you will, even if you should be Moses himself. So the
Jews were offended at this discourse, and are offended at it to this day. This
stumbling-block of opposition to Moses and their Law so lies in their way that
they cannot get over it.
II. HOW THIS SERMON SERVES TO OVERTHROW THE FALSE TEACHINGS
OF THE PAPISTS CONCERNING THE CHURCH.
9. In like manner it is also not less offensive to our
opponents, the pope and his following, so to preach. For this Gospel makes it
necessary to preach against their government, which has been called the only
government of the Christian church in the world, and which, it is claimed,
possesses constituted authority and all that belongs to the church, namely,
baptism, the sacrament, the keys etc., by inheritance from the apostles and by
the prescription of so many years. Wherefore, like the Jews, they claim to be
the people of God and the church alone. It is intolerable to them, when, in
spite of all their pretensions, it is urged against them that they are not the
church and that God cares nothing about their boasting, their government and
all that. And it is likewise intolerable to them when we separate ourselves
from them and renounce obedience to them and also teach others so to do;
because, in the name of the church, of Christ and of faith, they have quite
obscured the shepherd Christ, and in the name of the church and Christian
government have filled the church with their own idle talk, and are not as good
as hirelings, but are wolves and murderers. They, themselves, now prove this by
their public persecution and execution of Christians on account of this
doctrine and confession concerning Christ, that he is the only shepherd,
through whom we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life, who alone laid down
his life for us.
10. And I declare that if the case of the pope were as good
as that of the Jews, who without contradiction had the Scriptures and God's
Word in their favor, no man could get along with his adherents. For the Jews
had the great advantage that their government was instituted by God's command
through Moses, and moreover was confirmed by miraculous signs and was so strict
in its provisions that whoever would not hear Moses was to be stoned and
excluded from God's people. Such glorying and testimony, that their government
of the church was commanded and confirmed by God, our opponents, God be
praised, cannot produce. Nevertheless, they do as the Jews did. Let any one
preach concerning Christ and the Gospel whatever he will, they at once cry out
against it: The church must be obeyed, the fathers be heard, the canons and
decrees of the councils be kept. How else, say they, shall it be known what and
where Christians or the church are? There must surely be some organization
proceeding in proper order, such as the fathers and councils nicely arranged,
and as has existed for so long a time, namely, that the church has a common
head, the pope, and a regular government of bishops, and, under these, the
ordinary priesthood, and, over all, a general council, whose decision,
conclusion and judgment must be followed in all things. And if any one does not
observe this order and institution, or opposes it and gives occasion to
division, he must be of the devil, a perfidious, rebellious, accursed heretic.
11. In opposition to this, we must open our mouths and, in
accord with this teaching of Christ, tell everybody, even as he commanded us to
preach these things to all creatures: Dear friend, you may indeed observe,
glorify and exalt such a human institution; but that does not make you a
Christian. This is not yet the true shepherd and
master, whose name is Christ. You must be led another way to know and bear him
aright, else all this will not help you in the least to your salvation. For
being a Christian is something different from the pope's government, and also
something different from and higher than what the fathers have taught or the
councils have decreed. Even though they did well, as Moses also did well and
truly somewhat better - for example, the Jews circumcised, they sacrificed, and
they observed their divine service - and even though among us a fine order of
offices and ranks be maintained, and external discipline and a beautiful
service of God, together with fasting, praying, singing etc. - all this is not yet what is meant by
Christ's Word: ”I am the good shepherd.”
12. For this shepherd and his office must be carefully
distinguished (wherefore he also teaches this) from all other preachers,
teachers and everything else that claims to have the rule over souls. Let all
these do as well as they can, still none of them is a good shepherd. For Moses,
forsooth, did not do badly; he instituted a fine order of a spiritual and
temporal government, both in external discipline and in the service of God.
Nevertheless, his Jews are here compelled to hear that it can in no way help
them before God, and that now, after it has endured and been maintained for so
long a time, another is to come, who will glory exceedingly and boast: You have
not yet the true shepherd that you ought to have. I
alone am he, whose voice you must hear if you would be saved. And I have still
other sheep, people who neither know nor observe anything at all of Moses and
your entire government. Nevertheless, all shall be one flock. How so? Both
shall learn to know me as their true shepherd and
shall hear my voice. Therefore, I allow to preach whoever will preach, and let
it pass; but the shepherd who can heal the injury, none will find until he
comes hither and clings to me.
13. Therefore, we are also to conclude from this that there
is nothing in the loud pretensions of those of the present day who would like
to maintain the papacy with its counterfeit bishops, and who sputter much about
the church government which they affect, where they sit together in established
inherited power, as the heirs of the sees of the first bishops, ordained by the
apostles etc.; by which the whole government of the church is to be bound to
them, so that without them there can be no church. They alone are to have power
to ordain, consecrate and confirm bishops. They would persuade us to hear them
alone in whatever they jointly decide, and of necessity receive from them all
that pertains to the church, its office and government, the sacraments, the
office of preaching, priestly orders etc. They would have us believe that they
are no true bishops or priests, nor can they
administer the sacraments, who have not received unction and chrism from them.
Therefore, they also clamor and fume about us, saying that we are disobedient
and rebellious and have set ourselves against the constituted power of the
church and have seceded from them etc.
14. In opposition to this, Christ teaches us in this Gospel
to look to him alone as the true shepherd, who only is
the founder, lord and head of the church, and says his sheep hear his voice,
and not a stranger's. Hereby he indicates that these are the true church,
without regard to their being under the pope and his bishops, or even under
Moses. For he and his kingdom and church are bound neither to Moses' Law nor to
Judaism, although they were instituted by God, much less to the government of
pope and bishops, established by themselves. Neither has he taken or received
anything from them, but he is the Lord of Moses and of all creatures, to whom
all men should be subject.
15. Therefore, when the Jews in the name of Moses, or our
opponents in the name of the church and its power, undertake to draw people
away from Christ, that is, from his Word and the pure teaching of the Gospel,
he opposes them and says: ”My sheep hear my voice; and a stranger will they not
follow, for they know not the voice of strangers.” Here he gives us not only
the right and power, but even a distinct command not to hear nor to be allied
with them.
16. Since now we see and apprehend that the whole papal party
not only keep, believe and teach nothing concerning Christ, but are public
persecutors of the Gospel, that is, wolves and murderers of Christ's sheep and
church, and that they conduct and exercise a real anti-Christian government, we
should and must, by Christ's command, break away from their imagined power and
possessions, from which they already are deposed by Christ himself. We are
commanded to have nothing to do with them, but are to avoid and flee from them
as the devil's church, as St. Paul also utters this sentence (Gal 1, 8):
”Though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach any other gospel, let him be
anathema.” This is certainly a strong enough deposition from all power in the
church, and a command to respect the deposition and condemnation of God.
III. WHAT IS THE SUMMARY OF THIS SERMOM
17. This then is the main thought and sum of this Gospel,
that Christ alone is the good shepherd. It teaches us the power and fruit of
the preaching of the Gospel and its ministry and distinguishes it from the
office of Moses and the preaching of the Law. Christ names only two who keep
and feed the sheep, the true shepherd and the
hireling. For the wolf is but a murderer, who works only injury and havoc; to
resist him shepherds are necessary. But if the shepherd and the hireling are
compared, it becomes manifest that Christ alone is the shepherd, who lays down
his life for the sheep. Neither Moses nor any other preacher of the Law does
this.
18. For this reason, he justly calls himself alone the good,
that is, the comforting and helpful, shepherd. For, although Moses, the
prophets and all other preachers of the Law preach and teach, they are not able
to lay down their lives for the sheep and to save them. They all had to die for themselves, and were not able thereby to save either
themselves or others. But Christ says: It is I alone who lay down my life for
the sheep. Only death brings salvation to the sheep. And because I am such a
one, I found this new doctrine and a new flock and people.
19. In this way he refers the true
shepherd's office, that is, the authority to help consciences and souls, to his
own person alone, as the only one who has effected and completed the work of
our redemption, given his body and life for his sheep, and instituted and
perpetuated the office through which he gathers, governs and preserves them.
This office, therefore, comprises the whole preaching of the Gospel, wherever,
whenever and by whomsoever it is done. These preachers are also named, after
Christ shepherds; not for themselves, for that honor belongs to Christ alone,
but because they are in the office which is Christ's and which he exercises
through them.
IV. HOW CHRIST EXPLAINS IN THIS SERMON HIS PERSON AND OFFICE
BY A REVERSE PICTURE.
20. This then is the first section, treating of Christ's
person and the office which he exercises in his church. Afterwards, when he
speaks of his sheep, he elucidates it further. But first he pictures the
hireling in contrast and says:
”He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them; he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”
21. He names three kinds of persons or three offices which
have to do with the sheep: The true shepherd, which,
as has been said, he is himself; the hireling, including all besides him who
preach the Law and teach how we ought to live and do good, but do not point to
Christ, like the scribes and Pharisees among the Jews of old; and finally the
wolf, who wishes to be among the sheep and to rule over them but only works
injury and ruin. The wolf is the devil, who also has his messengers and
preachers. However, they have not the Word of God, neither the ten commandments
nor the Gospel, but they mislead souls by false doctrine and heresies, which
St. Paul, I Tim 4, 1-2, calls ”doctrines of devils, speaking lies in
hypocrisy.” Such are now the pope's anti-christian doctrines, the Koran of the
Turks, and doctrines of other sects. These three kinds of teachers have always
been in the world from the beginning. We should keep the first, reform the
second, and shun the third. None do this, however, except the true sheep, that is, the little flock which knows Christ.
22. He also manifests here the condition of the sheep, and
why he alone must be known and believed as the true
shepherd. The condition of the sheep is such that, if the shepherd is absent,
they are in the certain danger and distress of being seized, torn and killed by
the wolf, for by their own strength they can neither guard nor defend
themselves against him. A sheep is naturally a poor, weak, defenseless animal
above all others and is quite dependent upon the protection, care and help of
someone. The true shepherd must devote himself to the sheep, ever be with them,
watch over them, rescue and defend them, whenever it is necessary, so that they
may not perish. A stranger or a paid hireling, whose own the sheep are not,
says Christ, will not do that; although for a time he leads and feeds them, he
will not hold out to the end. When the wolf comes, he flees in order to save
himself, and meanwhile lets the poor sheep face the danger and perish.
23. So, also, it is with consciences in a spiritual way. If
Christ himself, by his shepherd's office, does not guard, lead and guide, all
other preaching is vain, even if in other respects it is good and right. It
cannot serve in distress, when the devil opens the jaws of hell by the terrors
of sin and everlasting death. When this comes to pass, the poor sheep stands
there alone and forsaken, dependent upon itself and its own efforts, according
to the doctrine of the Law and of works, with nobody to help or assist, from
whom to obtain comfort or find salvation.
24. No better example of this can be adduced than what we,
ourselves, experienced under the papacy in times past. The sweetest preaching
possible was given, which, among others, I gave diligence to teach both myself
and the people. We were told: You ought to keep the ten commandments, love God
with your whole heart and your neighbor as yourself. This teaching was not
wrong, for the Law should be taught. But in order to impress this on the
people, they added: Man can well do this, for he has the natural light of
reason, given by God, by which he understands what he ought to do and what
leave undone. Moreover, he has a will, by which he can resolve and begin to do
this. And if with all diligence he exercises himself in such works and does
what is in his power, God will regard and accept this, and undoubtedly bestow
grace upon him.
25. To this comforting assurance they added many good
counsels. For they, themselves, felt that what they taught concerning the
decalogue was not sufficient. The purpose of their counsels was to escape from
death and to obtain salvation. They prescribed extraordinary, severe orders and
modes of life, mortification of the body, fasting, watching, pilgrimages etc.
All this they considered good and valuable, and performed it with the good
intention that it was to be acceptable to God and to be received as a
fulfilment of his commandments. But when all this had been tried, and when
finally the devil came, in the hour of death or in other grievous trials, then
all such teaching and works were found wanting, and poor consciences were
miserably led into the devil's sweatbox, in which they worried and tormented
themselves with thoughts of despair, with words and groanings, crying: Oh, Lord
God, if I could live longer, I would do penance for all my sins! etc.
26. Such was the use and fruit of the hireling-doctrine,
which referred poor souls to their own doing and suffering, while nothing was
said of Christ and of faith. This kind of teaching can only comfort and sustain
so long as the devil is not present; for he is not concerned about our works,
satisfactions and life. Where he does not find Christ, he has won the game. He
advances, tears and devours souls without restraint or hindrance, according to
his pleasure. Indeed, these teachers and masters are powerless to help
themselves. They are frightened and scattered as well as the sheep, so that
they know not where to abide and finally, unless they learn of other help, they
become the prey of the enemy. An example of this is the case of a hermit who
once came to a sick man on his deathbed and endeavored to comfort him so that
he might die peaceably. He exhorted him, as is the
custom of such comforters, work-saints and monks, to die
willingly, and to suffer patiently; this would secure for him forgiveness of
all sins, with God. He was willing to pledge his soul for it. Gracious God!
Here lies a poor sheep in its dying moments; it accepts what it cannot avoid,
and on the strength of such comfort dies. But what happens? Soon after the
death of this poor wretch the old hermit's last hour comes and fills him with
such anxiety and terror that he becomes despondent of the very comfort which he
gave to others. No attempt at consolation will avail him, and he finally sinks
into despair.
27. This is what must come to pass when only our own words
are preached, or even only the ten commandments are taught, nothwithstanding
the preaching of these things is necessary, especially for the rude multitude.
But where there is no Christ, it only serves to confuse and scatter the poor
sheep and to drive them into terror and despair, so that they must perish,
unless they are restored again by the true shepherd.
28. When human nature and reason hear the preaching of the Law,
even in the case of those who teach the Law in the very best manner without
however knowing Christ, they foolishly err and imagine, when they have heard
this doctrine, that they can easily fulfil it. For they say they have both the
understanding and the will to do it. They think no further than that it is
accomplished with their self-devised thoughts and outward works. Accordingly
they proceed, and imagine that they must do whatever is told and held up to
them in the way of good works, as commanded by God. They seek thereby to atone
for sin and to blot it out, whereas God by no means demands that we do good
works to this end, or that sin can be blotted out by works. Hence, they go on
in this erroneous delusion and gather and accumulate all the works they can
think or hear of, which God certainly has not commanded. They are simply caught
by this conclusion: Good works are to be done; this is a good work, therefore I
am under obligation to do it. In this manner they proceed and are ever doing,
but never arrive at fulfilment. Hence, they are not able to resist the wolf.
The more they do, the less they are satisfied and the more
they find to do. And as soon as the devil comes and pretends: Behold, this is a
good work, which you have done - they cannot get around it and must allow
themselves to be carried away.
29. Yea, though they had done all that man can do,
nevertheless, if the wolf appears before their eyes with his gaping jaws of
hell, they realize that it will not stand before God's wrath and judgment. With
a single breath the devil blows it all away and says: You have done much, it is
true; but when have you fulfilled God's commandment,
to love him with the whole heart above all things, to have no evil thought,
desire or lust in the heart, to speak no idle, vain words? Then both the
doctrine which the hireling gave you, and all your works and deeds which cost
you so much labor and toil, drop and fall. You have no comfort or refuge
against the devil, for he always has the advantage of driving you back on your
own conscience and the testimony of your own efforts, as the hireling
instructed you, who taught you only what to do, but imparted no strength to do
it, and so left you in the lurch. In short, you are overcome by yourself and
are convicted by the sentence: The good must be done.
30. In this way the devil introduced the mire and filth of
all human doctrines into the church through the pope, and there was no one to
resist him, for all proceeded on the principle that what is good must be done.
Therefore, whatever they called good and a service of God, had to be done. And
even now they have not ceased to spew venom upon us, contending that our
doctrine of faith and love is a bad doctrine; that we know nothing better to
preach than the childish lesson of the ten commandments; that we must rise much
higher and do much more, and teach not only what is contained in the
Scriptures, but also hear what the church and the councils say etc.
31. Hence, everything that any shabby, impudent mendicant
monk dared to hold forth was violently confirmed and swept in like a deluge.
Indeed, we simpletons, doctors of the Holy Scriptures as we were, could not
prevent the pernicious barefoot (Carmelite) sect from persuading the people
that if a dead man was buried in their monk's cowl, he would be saved and the
devil could not get him, or else he would have taken him before. For we were
all dazzled and taken captive by the sentence: We must do good works, and
whoever does them is saved.
32. Verily, even to this day we could not stand before the
papacy or overthrow its least error if we had not more
than this doctrine of our works and deeds. Even as the pious martyr, John Hus,
was cried down and condemned by the devil in the diabolical council at
Constance, when he rebuked the pope and his followers on account of the wicked,
shameless life by which they often violated their own canonical laws. For this
was their defense against him, that although the life was not right, the
doctrine, that these things were to be kept and done, was right. Hence, the
papacy has hitherto resisted overthrow so long as its doctrine has been
considered true and remained unchallenged.
33. Therefore, these two, the hireling and the wolf, are
always together. The devil likes such teachers, for, in the absence of the true shepherd, they serve him in enabling him to rend and
kill the sheep without trouble, when and as he wills. And there is no defence
save Christ and his doctrine and protection. As the only true
shepherd, he does not allow the sheep to struggle with the wolf (for if it once
comes to that, they are already in his jaws), but flings himself against the
latter and gathers us around himself, and so protects us that the devil is
compelled to flee. This takes place when from the Scriptures it is taught that
no human work or endeavor, however good it may appear, even if done in
accordance with the ten commandments, and no possible teaching, will avail to
free from sin or stand before the wrath of God and the terrors of death and
hell etc. This alone avails, that Christ laid down his life for you and took it
again, and thereby overcame the devil and death and made
them subject to himself, in order that by his power and strength you might be
saved.
34. But where the voice of this shepherd remains, the sheep
can guard themselves against both hireling and wolf, and say: You, indeed, say
truly that I ought to keep the ten commandments; but you do not tell me where I
am to take refuge, seeing I have not fulfilled them. Here I will rather hear my
dear shepherd, who died for me, and died not without reason nor in vain, but
for this very purpose that I, who was such a poor lost sheep without a shepherd
and in the power of the wolf, might be rescued. So, also, when the devil shows
his teeth in your heart and threatens to kill and devour you, and tells you
that you ought to have done or left undone this or that which you have not done
or left undone, and that therefore you belong to him, you can take refuge with
Christ as a sheep that knows its shepherd; and you can tell the devil to attack
him who died and rose for you, and to try what he can win from him.
35. Still more can you repulse
others who are not as good as hirelings, but are the wolf's servants. They come
and preach, as geese gabble, about our own fancied works. Say to them: I will
hear and know nothing of these, for I have a much greater thing to do in
learning the ten commandments. I am not able to keep them. Why should I worry
myself with such useless works, which only harm and hinder me from properly considering
the ten commandments? It indeed happened that the world was so filled with
commandments and doctrines of men that no bishop and no doctor knew or taught
the ten commandments properly.
36. For this reason we have reproved and attacked the
papacy, not on the ground of their wicked and shameful life, which they
themselves also acknowledge, but we say to them that, even if they led holy
angelic lives, which they never have done and never will do, and if they kept
not only their own law, but also the law of Moses, both of which are
impossible, we nevertheless should regard them not only as hirelings, but also
as wolves, because they teach only what destroys the souls. For nothing can
feed or give life to the soul, which is not the
doctrine of Christ. Although the hireling does not himself slay and destroy, he
does not restrain the wolf. Therefore, because you neither point out nor teach
this shepherd, you shall not and ought not to be heard, but you shall be
shunned as a wolf.
37. With this argument the papacy and all that leads away
from this doctrine are overthrown. Otherwise it is impossible, as has been
said, to correct the least error which is given out under the pretence of a
holy life. And no doctrine is so foolish or disgraceful but that it finds
hearers and disciples, as is proven by the experience of the church with so
many heresies and divisions. The heathen were reasonable and highly intelligent
people, yet we read of them that they worshiped not only cats and storks, but
also cabbages and onions, and even a member of the human body. All this comes
from the name and delusion that such things are good works and render a service
to God. The preacher of such works comes with the reputation and pretence of a
shepherd who desires to counsel and direct souls on the way to God.
38. Alas! we have hitherto not been able to correct or
prevent the shameful lies and fables of the monks concerning the rosary of
Mary. This consisted of fifty Ave Marias and five Pater-Nosters addressed to
Mary the Virgin. The popes granted many indulgences to it, and the preaching
friars (Dominicans) scribbled great books full of fanciful and disgusting lies
concerning the power and wonderful efficacy of this prayer, which they
themselves invented. Besides there was the frippery of innumerable similar lies
invented by others, like the barefooted friars' (Carmelite) crown and psalter
of Mary, concerning which they themselves are now silent and ashamed. Indeed,
at the present day nobody in the papacy could refute or resist the faith of the
Turks or of the Jews, for they of the papacy have not the true master nor the
true solid doctrine of this shepherd. Therefore, the devil has power and
authority over them, even by the decalogue. He always has the advantage of
convicting you by your own conscience of not having kept the commandments; so
much the more if you have spent your life in works
based on human teaching.
39. If, however, you know this shepherd, you can defend
yourself against devil and death, and say: Alas! I have not kept God's
commandments, but I creep under the wings of this good hen, my Lord Jesus
Christ, and believe that he is my shepherd, bishop and mediator with God, who
covers me with his innocence and bestows his righteousness upon me. What I have
not kept he has kept, and the sin I have done, he has atoned for with his blood
etc; for he died and rose, not for himself but for me. Even as he says here,
that he lays down his life, not for himself, but for his sheep; that is, as St.
Peter says (I Pet 3, 18): ”Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous
for the unrighteous.” Thus you are secure and the devil and hell must leave you
in peace. The devil certainly will not be able to do harm to Christ, who has
overcome him, and who, if you only believe in him as his sheep, will, as a
faithful shepherd, not forsake you, but will stand by you, protect and preserve
you.
40. If now under this shepherd you are secure against the
wolf, it is right that the hireling should also come as a good teacher, showing
how you ought to live according to God's commandments and to do good works, and
go before you where now you can walk yourself (as far as lies outside of the
conflict of the conscience with sin and death), provided, however, that you are
first in the protection and pasture of this shepherd and do not stray away from
him.
41. Behold, these are the three forms of preaching which
always exist in the world: First, that of the great multitude, who set forth
not God's Word, but human doctrine. These are the wolves, such as the pope with
his decretals, the Turk with his Koran, the Jews with their Talmud, and other
sects against the pure teaching of the Scriptures. Second, the hirelings, who
preach only the decalogue. They are few, and without the Gospel cannot long
remain pure. Third, those who sincerely and truly point and lead to Christ.
These are the fewest of all, but they will necessarily be found somewhere until
the last day, as we say in the creed: ”I believe in the holy Christian church
etc.”
42. These are, and are called, true shepherds, because they
preach not themselves, but Christ, and hence are the mouth of Christ, as he
himself says in Mt 10, 20: ”It is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your
Father that speaketh in you;” and again in Lk 21,15: ”I
will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able
to withstand or gainsay,” that is, it shall not be your mouth, but I will
prepare your mouth that it shall be full of wisdom given by me, and shall speak
by me. For this is the clap of thunder by which everything that is not of this
doctrine and quality is laid low so that it serves and avails nothing for the
life to come. It may in other respects be good to keep people under restraint
or to bring them to a knowledge of their faults. For what is it that a man,
pope or Turk can do in the face of eternal death and hell!
43. Hereby the pope's government and all doctrines of men
are stormed and overthrown. However, we do not antagonize them because they do
not keep their own commandments and doctrine; for against this they always have
the defense that, although their life is censurable, their doctrine is good and
right. Hence they maintain their government by force, arguing from the words of
Christ in Mt 23, 2-3: ”The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: all things
therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after
their works; for they say, and do not” etc. Therefore, before we had the
Gospel, we were able to accomplish nothing against them. But now that we know
Christ, we are able to condemn their doctrine together with all their works.
44. Here now you have the distinction which Christ draws
between his preaching and government and that of all others who desire to rule
consciences and hearts without or independent of him. With so many words about
the hireling he pictures the danger, nay more, the
injury and destruction, which must follow if he is not heard and known as the
only shepherd, namely, that the wolf cannot be warded off, however numerous the
hirelings. For with their doctrine they cannot help or give
counsel how to escape from sin and death, nor can they resist the devil: and
the poor sheep must soon be eternally lost and destroyed, unless it comes to
this shepherd. Therefore, he again repeats what he said at the beginning, in
order to impress it upon us, that we must hold fast to his protection and
pasture, that is, to his Word and ministry, and says:
”I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
V. HOW CHRIST SETS FORTH HIS OFFICE AND GOVERNMENT IN THE
MOST CHARMING
MANNER.
45. Many, alas! too many, are called shepherds and undertake
this government, which consists in feeding and leading souls; but I alone, says
he again, am called and truly am the good shepherd. This means in plain words:
All others besides me are not good, but are unmerciful, cruel shepherds,
because they leave the sheep in the jaws of the wolf. But me you must learn to
know as your dear, faithful, good, kind, sweet and comforting shepherd, towards
whom your heart must be filled with laughter in the assurance that by him you
are redeemed from every burden, fear, trouble and danger, and that he will not
and cannot let you perish. I prove this, says he, by laying down my life for
the sheep. Therefore, joyfully abide with me and let none other rule in your
consciences. Listen only to me, who speak and by deeds prove this comforting
word, that I will not drive, trouble or burden you like Moses and others, but
will most lovingly lead and guide, protect and help you.
46. In this manner he ever insists on this one doctrine as
the chief point of our salvation, that there is no deliverance or help apart
from this shepherd, Christ, apprehended in the faith that he alone rescues us
by his death from the power of death and the devil. Therefore, this is the most
necessary doctrine to be taught in the church. The devil is hostile to it and
cannot endure that we remain with this good shepherd and in the pure sense and
significance of his teaching. Therefore, he is always raging against it through
his agents, with cunning and deceit, with persecution and blasphemy, with a
view of tearing people away from it, just as he also opposed this teaching
through the Jews. But we on the other hand, as his pious sheep, must listen to
the shepherd's voice and know that, when all things fail and the counsel and
help of all men come to naught, we are safe and are preserved by faith in this
shepherd, who laid down his life for us. He also concludes concerning his
sheep, that is, the whole church, that he knows them and they know him:
”I know mine own, and mine own know me.”
47. This is, indeed, strange language, and naturally was singular
and ridiculous to the Jews, just as when he had said that he alone was the
shepherd. Without doubt they scornfully curled their lips at it and said: You
talk much about your shepherd's office and your sheep. Man, where have you your
sheep and where are they to be found? We have a nation and a flock, who adhere
to the temple and the service instituted by God, and keep the Law of Moses. By
this they are organized into a fold; so that they can be known and named. But
where are yours? How are they known? What are they like? Give them a name and
sign. No, says he, you shall not know them in the way that you conceive. Your
sheep have their marks, by which they are known and distinguished: they are
circumcised, they come to the temple at Jerusalem etc. But my sheep have
another mark, not made or painted with colors and red
ochre, so as to be visible on the forehead or on the wool. The pope, also,
imitating the Jews, makes and marks such a church and Christians that everybody
may know them by their outward conduct and life. No, it will not do, he means
to say, to indicate them with the mark and seal which you put upon them or
Moses puts upon them; but they are so marked and distinguished that nobody
knows them except me alone.
48. Although Christians also have external marks, given by
Christ, to-wit, baptism, the sacrament and the preaching of the Gospel, these
may fail when we have to judge any individual minutely. For many a one has been
baptized, hears the Gospel, and goes to the sacrament with others, and yet is a
rogue and no Christian. But the distinguishing mark is this alone, that the
faith that looks upon Christ as the shepherd dwells within the heart. But who
knows this? You cannot see it in me, nor I in you; for nobody can look into the
heart of another. So, then, it remains true that
nobody knows or is able to describe these sheep and this flock, except this
shepherd, Christ, alone. Again, my sheep alone know me, says he, and so know me
that they do not allow themselves to be turned or torn from me, but abide in
the faith, confession and doctrine that I am the shepherd and give my life for them against the devil, the world, death
and hell.
49. Now, here again he overturns Judaism with its law and
priesthood, and still more our papacy with all that
belongs to it, and deprives them of the power of ruling and of judging his
flock. He simply will not have himself and his church ruled by them, and
therefore rejects and condemns all such judgment as they, according to Moses or
any other external order and government, wish to pronounce in regard to who are
Christians or not Christians and God's people. On the contrary, he tells them
that they neither shall nor can know his sheep, yet he will have and preserve
his church, although they know and receive neither shepherd nor sheep, but
reject and condemn both, as cut off from the people of God.
50. Moreover, he gives us the criterion by which we are to
distinguish the true church or people of God from that
which has the name and reputation but in truth is not the church. He teaches us
that the church neither is nor ought to be a society which must be organized
with an external government and order, like the Jewish people under the Law of
Moses. Nor does it exist, nor is it governed and preserved, by outward human power;
much less is it bound to a regular succession or government of bishops or their
successors, as the papacy claims. It is a spiritual assembly, which hears this
shepherd and believes in him, and is governed by him through the Holy Spirit.
It is outwardly recognized by this alone, that it has his Word, that is, the
preaching of the Gospel, and his sacraments. Inwardly it is known to him alone,
as in turn it also knows him by faith and clings to him when it hears his Word,
regardless of the fact that it may neither maintain nor even know anything of
that outward Jewish or papistical government and order, and may be scattered
here and there in the world without any organized external government; as in
fact it was in the time of Christ and the apostles, who, apart from and in
opposition to the regular power of the whole priesthood, believed in Christ and
confessed him.
51. Therefore, if you wish really to know what a Christian
is or why a man is called a Christian, and to give a
true definition of the same you must not look to the Law of Moses, the
government of the pope, nor the life and sanctity of any man, however holy. But
you must look alone to this Word of Christ, where he says: ”My sheep know me,
and my sheep hear my voice.” Then you will say: A Christian is not one who
leads a strict, severe, earnest Carthusian or hermit life; for Jews and Turks
can also do that, some of whom do live even more
strictly. In short, nothing that is in us or can be done by us, makes a
Christian. What then? This alone, that one knows this man, and regards him and
trusts him as he wishes to be considered, namely, as the good shepherd, who
lays down his life for the sheep and knows them.
52. This knowledge is nothing else than faith, which arises
from the ministry of the Word. The Word consists not of our own thoughts nor
does it come from men; but it was brought from heaven and was revealed by
Christ himself, as he said to Peter in Mt 16, 17: ”Flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee” etc. These two must always come together and agree: his
Word and our faith. For if he were not to reveal himself by his Word nor let
his voice be heard, we would know nothing of the shepherd. I say, in this way
and in no other does a man become a Christian, when he hears this voice alone,
and knows no other shepherd and allows no other to be fashioned for him,
whatever his fame and lustre, but grasps this image alone in his heart. And all
the sheep of Christ without distinction have this one color and form, whereby
they are to be identified, and are like each other in this, that they believe
on this shepherd and confess his Word, although externally they differ in many
respects, and are scattered here and there in the world without order and are
spread abroad among different peoples.
53. Hence we derive this comfort, that if anyone knows
Christ in this way, he is certainly one of his sheep, and is already known by
him and elected to be a sheep. He ought and needs not to seek and to look
further how he may become a sheep, nor to worry and torment himself with the
vain thought of whether or no he is elected and how he may become certain of
salvation. But he ought joyfully to comfort himself and be secure in this, that
if he hears the voice of Christ, he has in him a dear shepherd who knows him,
that is, cares for him as his sheep, provides for him, protects and saves him,
so that he need have no fear of the devil, hell and death. This knowledge of
his sheep and its power he further explains with comforting words and says: ”My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of
my hand.” And for still greater comfort he adds:
”Even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father.”
54. It is a glorious, comforting knowledge with which the
Father knows his dear Son in inexpressible, unfathomable, eternal love, as he
publicly testified by the voice from heaven and said: ”This is my beloved Son,”
Mt 3,17. So that for his sake he took pity and had mercy on the human race,
when it had fallen into eternal wrath and condemnation and was in danger of
being eternally lost; as St. Paul says in Eph 1, 6: ”Which (grace) he freely
bestowed on us in the Beloved” etc. In the same manner Christ also knows us
with a like inexpressible love, as from the beginning he loved the human race,
and therefore most deeply humbled himself beneath all men and even beneath sin
and death, and endured the wrath of God for us, that God might not permit the
devil to keep us in his bonds and in everlasting condemnation.
55. Since now, the Father knows Christ in this way, and
Christ in the same manner also knows us, his sheep, the knowledge which comes
to us from the Father through Christ and that whereby we should know the
Father's heart toward us through Christ, become one and the same. That is to
say, as he loves Christ his Son, so he cherishes toward us, who know Christ as
sheep know their shepherd, true paternal love, in order that we may know that
it is not his will that we should be lost or condemned if only we believe in
his Son whom he has given for us. For he cannot hate his Son; and he sent him
from heaven that through his blood and death he might deliver us from sin.
56. This is truly a high and glorious consolation. But it is
also a very spiritual, that is, hidden and secret, knowledge in our eyes and
thoughts, to believe that both Christ and the Father know us in this way. For
to all human eyes it is deeply buried under manifold scorn, weakness and
hostile opinions of the world and of our flesh and blood. In the world they
take offense at this kingdom of Christ and his church, because it does not
accord with their wisdom and is not organized and regulated as in their opinion
it should be regulated if it is to be God's government and work. Indeed,
because its course is contrary to reason, sense and thought, the world regards
the doctrine as pure folly and delusion, and condemns and persecutes all who
adhere to it and are unwilling to follow the world's own opinion. Not only is
Christ hidden from the world, but a still harder thing is it that in such
trials Christ conceals himself even from his church, and acts as if he had
forgotten, aye, had entirely forsaken and rejected it, since he permits it to
be oppressed under the cross and subjected to all the cruelty of the world,
while its enemies boast, glory and rejoice over it, as we shall hear in the
next Gospel. Moreover, Christians must suffer themselves to be especially
tormented by the devil inwardly, in their hearts, with the terrors of their sin
and God's wrath, and so must endure every misfortune and the tortures of hell;
not to mention what they are otherwise compelled to feel and see in themselves
and among their own brethren in the way of weaknesses and faults in both faith
and life, and whatever scandal the devil can cause.
57. Under these circumstances, who knows the sheep, or
regards them as such, seeing they are so deeply buried and overwhelmed with
suffering, shame, disgrace, death, scandal etc., that they are concealed even
from each other? Certainly nobody but Christ alone. He tells them, and comforts
them by it, that notwithstanding all that excites the displeasure of the world
and our own flesh and blood, he nevertheless knows his sheep, and neither forgets
nor forsakes them, although so it seems.
58. And in order to impress this more
deeply upon us, he adds a comparison and says: ”Even as the Father knoweth me.”
This is truly also a deep, hidden knowledge, that God the Father knew his only
begotten and beloved Son, when like the child of the poorest beggar he had to
lie in the manger, not only unknown by his entire people, but cast out and
rejected; or when he hung in the air most disgracefully and ignominiously,
naked and bare, between two murderers, as the most wicked blasphemer of God,
and a rebel, cursed by God and all the world, so that he was compelled to cry
out to him in great agony: ”My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Mt 27,
46. Nevertheless, he says here: My Father knoweth me, precisely in this
suffering, disgrace and offensive form, as his only Son, sent by him to be the
sacrifice and to offer up my soul for the salvation and redemption of the
sheep. Likewise I know him, and am aware that he has not forgotten and forsaken
me, but that he will lead me through and out of disgrace, the cross and death
to eternal honor, life and glory. In the same way my sheep shall also learn to
know me in their misery, shame, suffering and death, as their dear, faithful
Saviour, who has suffered in like manner and given his life for them. They
shall trust me with assurance that in their distresses they are not forsaken or
forgotten by me, as reason and the world imagine; but that in all this I will
wonderfully preserve them and thereby bring them to eternal victory and glory.
59. Behold, this is the true
knowledge of Christ, with which he knows us and we are known by him. High and
glorious wisdom! But for the reason and thought of the world it is far too
deeply buried and hidden. It is comprehended by faith alone, which must here
undergo a great conflict in order to keep this knowledge and to increase in it,
lest by the great occasion for stumbling which appears here it be drawn away
from Christ; as he himself admonishes in Mt 11, 6: ”Blessed is he, whosoever
shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.”
60. Here we are also to learn, as I have often said, that we
must not judge of the kingdom of Christ and his church by the outward
appearance and with the judgment of reason and human wisdom. For here you are
told that this knowledge of the sheep belongs to Christ alone, and that it is
as much hidden to reason under the greatest offense as he himself was when
hanging on the cross.
61. Therefore, the presumption of the mad, proud,
sanctimonious and unreasonable wiseacres is to be rebuked, who with their
arrogant judgment are already to secure and condemn Christians who possess the
teaching of the Gospel and faith in purity, when they detect in these any
weakness or fault. In their minds they picture a church which has only perfect,
heavenly saints, without any fault, defect or offense - a manifestly impossible
thing in this life. For even if the devil be not always busy sowing his seed in
the true church through his sects and false saints,
there are many Christians who are still weak in faith and show many infirmities
in life; yea, even the greatest saints, who are pure in faith and
irreproachable in life, find and feel in themselves many a weakness and
remaining sinful inclination, and find cause enough for grief and conflict in
overcoming this offense in themselves.
62. Particularly they who fill the office of the church as
preachers and pastors, are to learn here how they ought to conduct themselves
toward the weak and erring, so that they may learn to know them as Christ knows
us. That is to say, they ought not to be harsh and rude towards them, forcing
and scolding them, or condemning them if everything is not always just right;
but they ought to deal gently and tenderly with them and bear their weaknesses
until they grow stronger. Wherefore, the prophet Ezekiel also rebukes the
priests and those to whom God committed the office of shepherd, because they
ruled over the sheep harshly and rigorously, and did not nurture the weak, nor
heal the sick, nor bind up the wounded, nor restore the erring, nor seek the
lost, and says (Ezk 34, 15-16): ”I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I
will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away,
and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was
sick” etc. Hereby he shows that God also has in his flock the weak, the
wounded, the erring, aye, even the lost. Still he recognizes these as his
sheep, and will not have them rejected, but nurtured, bound up, healed and
restored. And because they, wishing to rule strictly and rigorously, according
to the government of Moses and by enforcement of the Law, failed to do this, he
gives the promise of the kingdom of Christ, in which he will himself rule and
feed his sheep, by the Gospel, through the true
shepherd, Christ:
”And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.”
63. Concerning these words we said in the beginning that
with them Christ bids farewell to the Jews with their synagogue, the people and
priesthood, who adhere to Moses, and declares that, although they do not
receive him and regard him as their shepherd, which he was ordained of God to
be, even by the testimony of Moses, he would still find sheep, both among them
and, because they are not willing, among others who are not called God's people
nor know aught of Moses, that is, the gentiles. As he had also announced before
through the prophets (Hos 2, 23): ”I will say to them that were not my people,
Thou art my people.” And ”I will move them to jealousy with those that are not
a people.” Deut 32, 21. These, says he, will I bring, not to hear Moses and
you, but to hear my voice and so through my Word to become my sheep, even
though they do not come hither nor receive circumcision and the government of
Moses, nor even have me visibly and bodily present with them. In this way all
shall be, in one word, faith and Spirit, one flock under Christ, the only
shepherd, and shall be subject to nobody else. This work began at his
ascension, and will be in course of fulfilment daily until the end of time.
Third Sunday after Easter;
1 Peter 2:11-20
OUR CHRISTIAN DUTIES.
1 Peter 2:11-20
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your
conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as
evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in
the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the
Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto
them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise
of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may
put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your
liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all
men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. Servants, be subject to
your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the
froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure
grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for
your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer
for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
I. This epistle selection, too, is an admonition to good
works, or the fruits of faith. It touches upon nearly every condition of life,
teaching how each individual should live and conduct himself. But first, Peter
admonishes Christians in general that in their intercourse with gentiles, or
the unbelieving world, they give no real occasion for
censure or reproach concerning their conduct. The admonition seems to hinge
upon the fact that Christians, as the apostle reminds them in the first and
second chapters, have been called to a lively, a never-dying, hope of an
imperishable inheritance in heaven, and of eternal joy and salvation; that they
are now redeemed, having obtained remission of sins through the precious blood
of Christ; and again, that they are become a holy nation and royal priesthood,
to show forth and magnify the grace of God, they who in time past were not
God's people and had not obtained grace. ”But now,” Peter would say, ”you have
obtained grace through the divine calling of Christ, through the suffering of
your Lord. Live, then, as a holy people of God and citizens of heaven.”
2. We have already heard that in the Christian life are two
essential principles, two principles upon which Christian teachers may lay
emphasis. First, faith in the fact that through Christ's blood we are released
from sin and have forgiveness; second, being forgiven, our natures are to be
changed and we are to walk in newness of life. In baptism, when we first
believe, we obtain not only remission of sins whereby we are of grace made children of God, but also the power to purge out, to
mortify, the remaining sins. Our transgressions are not forgiven, Paul says
(Rom 6, 1), with the privilege of continuing in them, as the insolent rejecters
of grace imagine. It is this way: Our sins being blotted out through the blood
of Christ, we need not to make remuneration or render satisfaction for them; we
are children of grace and enjoy forgiveness. Nevertheless, inherent sin is not
entirely purged out, or mortified.
REMISSION AND MORTIFICATION DEFINED.
3. There is difference between remission of sins and
mortification of them. The distinction should be made clear for the sake of
combating those who confound and pervert the two principles by their false
doctrines. In regard to remission, the Pope and many others have taught that
forgiveness of sins is obtained through the foolishness of men's own
self-elected works, the satisfactions of their own devising. This error has
ever prevailed in the world. Cain was the first to make it, and it will
continue to the end. And where this error is refuted, false teachers are found
who, on the other hand, accept and boast of the doctrine of grace without
enjoying its happy results. They proceed as if mere forgiveness were enough,
and without further effect than averting punishment; as if it leaves us where
we were before, not ameliorating in any wise our moral condition; and as if no more is to be known about Christ and the Gospel. Therefore,
they who claim to be Christians must learn that, having obtained forgiveness
without merit on their part, they should henceforth give
no place to sins, but rather resist their former evil lusts and avoid and flee
from the fruits and works thereof. Such is the substance of this lesson.
4. But note from the apostle's words how his view has
changed since the time when, as a fisherman of Bethsaida, he went about with
the Lord previous to the Lord's death and resurrection. At that time Peter and
the other apostles, in fact the entire Jewish nation, had no other conception
of Christ's kingdom - or the kingdom of God - than as an earthly one wherein they
should know only happiness, figuring as wealthy farmers, citizens, noblemen,
counts and lords. The sum of the world's goods should be theirs, and all the
gentiles their vassals. They were to be thenceforth undisturbed by enemies,
wars, famine or misfortune, and to enjoy the extremity of peace, leisure and
happiness under their supreme King, the Messiah. Such were their hopes, even
their expectations. With these pleasing fancies were their minds filled. And
just so today are the Jews full and drunken with their visionary dreams.
THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
5. Observe here, however, Peter teaches that the lot of the
sharer in Christ's kingdom is quite the reverse of what he once imagined. ”0
beloved Christians,” he would say, ”who are called and baptized into the royal
and priestly kingdom of Christ, I have now to tell you things quite different
from the ideas and dreams you and I used to entertain. We are, it is true, citizens, counts and lords in the kingdom where Christ
reigns supreme over all earthly kings and lords, and where is only eternal
riches, peace and happiness in every form; but the life of that kingdom is
unlike that of earthly kings and dominions. You are not, be it known, lords and
noblemen in a worldly sense; neither is Christ a king as the world regards
kingliness, and the kingdom of the world is not in harmony with his. Know,
then, you must regard yourselves strangers and pilgrims in the kingdom of the
world. ”Therefore, I admonish you that, having now become Christians - brothers
in the eternal heavenly kingdom - your manner of life should be such as becomes
them who are no longer of a worldly kingdom. Regard this earthly life only as
the traveler or pilgrim regards the country wherein he journeys, the inn where
he procures a night's lodging. He does not expect to remain in the city, to be
mayor or even a citizen. He finds there his food, but his thoughts are cast
beyond its gates, to the place where home is. So, Peter says, must you look
upon your earthly course. You did not become Christians with the prospect of
reigning here on earth, as the Jews fancy they shall reign and be established.
The dwelling-place, the citizenship and the authority of Christians are to be
found in another direction, not in this world. Therefore, think of yourselves
as pilgrims on earth, directing your attention toward other possessions and
another country, wherein you shall be lords forever, and where no discord nor
misfortune such as you must endure in this earthly harbor shall ever enter.”
CHRISTIAN USE OF THIS LIFE.
6. But how is indifference to this life to be accomplished?
Peter goes on to say: ”Be subject to every ordinance of man .
. . whether to the king . . . or unto governors”;
again, ”Servants, be in subjection to your masters . .
. also to the froward.” How is it consistent with
royal citizenship in a celestial country to be a pilgrim on earth? How can we
live here with wives and children, houses and lands, and being citizens under a
temporal government, and yet not be at home? There is a distinction here which,
as before said, was at first difficult for the beloved apostles themselves to
understand. But to Christians, especially those of today, it should be clear.
Christ and the apostles do not, in this teaching, design the rejection of
external government and human authority - what Peter here terms ordinances of
men. No, they permit these to remain as they are; moreover, they enjoin us to
submit to and make use of them.
7. This is the difference to be kept in mind: We are to
conduct ourselves in our earthly stations and occupations as not regarding this
life our true kingdom and best good. And we are not to
think the life beyond holds nothing more nor better
than what we possess here, as do the Jews and the Turks. Although they believe
in the resurrection of the dead, they carnally imagine the future life will be
like the present except for its perfect peace and happiness, its freedom from
misfortune, persecution and all ills. It is the prerogative of the Pope and his
holy epicures to believe nothing in any respect. Every Christian, be he lord or
servant, prince or subject, should conduct himself as befits his station, using
in trust whatever God has given him - dominion and subjects, house and home,
wife and children, money and property, meat and drink. He is to regard himself
solely as a guest of earth, as one eating his morsel of bread or taking his
lunch in an inn; he must conduct himself in this earthly harbor as a pious
guest. Thus may he actually be a king reigning with fidelity, or a lord
faithful to his office, and at the same time declare: ”I count nothing on this
life. I do not expect to remain here. This is but a strange country to me.
True, I am seated in the uppermost place at table in this inn; but the occupant
of the lowest seat has just as much as I, here or yonder. For we are alike
guests. But he who assigned my duty, whose command I execute, gave me orders to
conduct myself piously and honorably in this inn, as becomes a guest.”
8. So should Christians in all stations of life - lords and
ladies, servants and maids - conduct themselves as guests of earth. Let them,
in that capacity, eat and drink, make use of clothing and shoes, houses and
lands, as long as God wills, yet be prepared to take up their journey when these
things pass, and to move on out of life as the guest moves on out of the house
or the city which is not his home. Let them conduct themselves as does the
guest, with civility toward those with whom they come in contact, not
infringing on the rights of any. For a visitor may not unrestrainedly follow
his own pleasure and inclinations in the house of a stranger. The saying is:
”If you would be a guest, you must behave civilly; otherwise you may promptly
be shown the door or the dungeon.”
9. Christians should be aware of their citizenship in a
better country, that they may rightly adapt themselves to this world. Let them
not occupy the present life as if in tending to remain in it; nor as do the
monks, who flee responsibility, avoiding civil office and trying to run out of
the world. For Peter says rather that we are not to escape our fellows and live
each for himself, but to remain in our several conditions in life, united with
other mortals as God has bound us, and serving one another. At the same time,
we are to regard this life as a journey through a country where we have no
citizenship - where we are not at home; to think of ourselves as travelers or
pilgrims occupying for a night the same inn, eating and drinking there and then
leaving the place.
10. Let not the occupants of the humbler stations - servants
and subjects - grumble: ”Why should I vex myself with unpleasant household
tasks, with farm work or heavy labor? This life is not my home anyway, and I
may as well have it better. Therefore, I will abandon my station and enjoy
myself; the monks and priests have, in their stations, withdrawn themselves
from the world and yet drunk deeply, satisfying fleshly lusts.” No, this is not
the right way. If you are unwilling to put up with your lot, as the guest in a
tavern and among strangers must do, you also may not eat and drink. Similarly,
they who are favored with loftier positions in life may not, upon this
authority, abandon themselves to the idea of living in the sheer idleness and
lustful pleasure their more favored station permits,
as if they were to be here always. Let them reason thus: ”This life, it is true, is transitory - a voyage, a pilgrimage, leading to our
actual fatherland. But since it is God's will that everyone should serve his
fellows here in his respective station, in the office committed to him, we will
do whatever is enjoined upon us. We will serve our subjects, our neighbors, our
wives and children so long as we can; we would not relax our service even if we
knew we had to depart this very hour and leave all earthly things. For, God be
praised, had we to die now we would know where we
belong, where our home is. While we are here, however, on the way, it is ours
to fulfill the obligations of our earthly citizenship. Therefore, we will live
with our fellows in obedience to the law of our abidingplace, even unto the
hour wherein we must cross the threshold outward, that we may depart in honor,
leaving no occasion for complaint.
11. Thus, mark you, should every Christian conduct himself
here on earth, according to Peter. In the first place, he should know where is
his real home, his fatherland. We learn this through faith in Christ, whereby
we become children of God, heirs of eternal life, citizens of heaven.
Accordingly, we sing: ”Now we pray thee, Holy Spirit, for true faith,” etc.,
when we depart home from this wretchedness. This sentiment accords beautifully
with the text here where Peter calls us ”sojourners and pilgrims” - wayfarers
in earthly wretchedness, desiring home and casting our thoughts beyond the
gates of our sojourning-place. Second, though we must suffer this wretched
condition in a foreign land, we are under obligation to render every honor to
the host and to respect the inn, making the best of whatever may befall us.
12. The prophet Jeremiah found it necessary to give admonition of this sort to his wretched Jewish
countrymen in Babylon who longed unspeakably to be home again and almost
despaired because of having so long to suffer misery among strangers when many
of their brethren were at home. Other prophets had encouraged them with the
promise of soon being returned. Consequently many of them ceased to till the
land and neglected to provide for a livelihood. To these Jeremiah writes (ch. 29, 10): ”Ye must have patience, for ye are not so
soon to return - not till seventy years be accomplished.” Meanwhile, though in
wretchedness and captivity, they were to do as he bids in verses 5-7: ”Build ye
houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. Take
ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and
daughters: and multiply ye there, and be not diminished. And seek the peace of
the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto
Jehovah for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” That there in
their misery they should build houses and make themselves citizens of Babylon,
should marry and rear children - yes, give their children in marriage - as if
they were to remain there permanently - this injunction of the prophet was
altogether disagreeable and annoying to them. And still more
offensive was the command to pray for the city and kingdom wherein they were
captives. Much rather would they have prayed for liberation; for, influenced by
the other prophets, they hoped to return home the following year.
13. Now, how was it with them? The godly, faithful ones had
reason to hope and trust in release and a return to their own kingdom. Surely
there was no pleasure, no joy, for them in their present miserable condition,
as in Psalm 137 they testify and complain by the rivers of Babylon. There they
cried and wept and had not an hour of enjoyment when they thought of home. The
long seventy years their hearts continually stood at the gate ready to depart,
so that they had no inclination whatever to build houses, to cultivate farms,
to make gardens, to take wives and rear children. Nevertheless, the prophet
bids them meet all the requirements of citizens of that country; and more than that, to pray for their hosts in the same spirit
in which they would pray for their neighbors and fellow-citizens, asking God
for peace and prosperity upon the city.
CHRISTIANS SUBJECTS OF TWO KINGDOMS.
14. So, too, Christians are subjects of two kingdoms - they
have experience of two kinds of life. Here on earth where the world has its
home and its heavenly kingdom, we surely are not citizens. According to Paul
(Phil 3, 20), ”our conversation” - our citizenship - ”is with Christ in
heaven”; that is, in yonder life, the life we await. As the Jews hoped to be
released from Babylon, we hope to be released from this present life and to go
where we shall be lordly citizens forever. But being obliged to continue in
this wretched state - our Babylon - so long as God wills, we should do as the
Jews were commanded to do - mingle with other mortals, eat and drink, make
homes, till the soil, fill civil offices and show good will toward our fellows,
even praying for them, until the hour arrives for us to depart unto our home.
15. He who is guided by these facts, who comprehends the
distinction between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of the world, will
know how to resist successfully all classes of fanatics. For these latter paint
this life in a terrible aspect. They want to run out of the world entirely, and
are unwilling to associate with anyone; or they proceed to disturb civil
regulations and to overthrow all order; or again, as with the Pope, they
interfere in secular rule, desiring temporal authority, wholly under the name
and color of Christianity. Having as Christians forgiveness of sins, and being
now people of God, children of his kingdom, citizens no longer of Babylon but
of heaven, let us know that during the period of our sojourn here among
strangers, it is ours to live righteously, honorably and chastely, to further
civil and domestic peace and to lend counsel and aid to benefit even the wicked
and ungrateful, meanwhile constantly striving after our inheritance and keeping
in mind the kingdom whither we are bound.
16. In short, a Christian must be one who, as Paul says (I
Cor 7, 29-31), uses this world as not abusing it, who buys and possesses as
though he possessed not, who has wife and children as though he had them not
and who builds as though not building. How is it possible to reconcile these
seeming inconsistencies? By making the Christian faith distinct from the faith
of the Jews and Turks - yes, of the Papists even: by accepting the fact that
the Christian's attitude toward this earthly life is the attitude of the guest;
that in such capacity is he to build, to buy, to have dealings and hold
intercourse with his fellows, to join them in all temporal affairs - a guest
who respects his host's wishes, the laws of the realm and of the city and the
customs of the inn, but at the same time the Christian refrains from attesting
his satisfaction with this life as if he intended to remain here and hoped for
nothing better. Thus will the Christian pass through every temporal event in
the right way - having every possession as though not having it, using and yet
not cleaving to it; not so occupied with the temporal as to lose the eternal,
but leaving behind - forgetting - the former while striving after the latter as
the goal set before him.
17. Therefore, they who presume to run out of the world by
going into the desert or the wilderness; who, unwilling to occupy the inn but
finding it indispensable nevertheless, must become their own hosts - these are
great and unreasonable fools. Surely they must eat and drink and have clothing
and shelter. With these things they cannot dispense, even if they can withdraw
from all society. Nor is their action forsaking and fleeing the world, as they
imagine it to be. Whatever your station and condition, whatever your occupation
in life, of necessity you must be somewhere on earth while mortal life is
yours. Nor has God separated you from men; he has placed you in society. Each
individual is created and born for the sake of other individuals. But observe,
wherever you are and whatever your station, you are, I say, to flee the world.
HOW TO ESCAPE THE WORLD.
18. But how are we to flee the world? Not by donning caps
and creeping into a corner or going into the wilderness. You cannot so escape the
devil and sin. Satan will as
easily find you in the wilderness in a gray cap as he will in the market in a
red coat. It is the heart which must flee, and that by keeping itself
”unspotted from the world,” as James 1, 27 says. In other words, you must not
cling to temporal things, but be guided by the doctrine of faith in Christ, and
await the eternal, heavenly inheritance; and in that faith and that hope are
you to execute the trust and work committed to you here, declaring the while:
”That which I do here is not the chief good, the thing of real value, for which
I live; though such is the case with the world, the Jews, the Turks and the
Papists. I hold this temporal life as a tavern, valuing it no more than the guest values the inn where he enjoys food and
lodging, while heart and mind turn ever to his own home.” What tolerance would
there be for one foolish enough to declare: ”I will not eat nor drink here. I
will behave peculiarly, smashing windows and turning things upside down, for
this is not my abiding-place”? For the very purpose of advancing himself on his
journey, the traveler should make use of the inn, accepting whatever is
offered.
19. Likewise should Christians use the world, constantly
casting their thoughts beyond this life, notwithstanding they have here house
and home, wife and children. These are for the present life only, yet the
Christian owes them due consideration, the while he asserts: ”Today we are
here, tomorrow elsewhere. Now we avail ourselves of this inn, the next day of
another. We do not expect to remain here.” Relative to this subject, Peter in
his beautiful Pentecostal sermon says concerning David, who nevertheless was a
holy king, that he did not ascend into the heavens, but, having fulfilled the
will of God, fell asleep. Peter, so far from being willing to disparage David's
office and rule, to criticise him therein for wrong-doing, rather magnifies it
in glowing terms. David was a king, and cast not aside his crown; no, he
retained his royal glory. He held his office as a God-intrusted one, in the
execution whereof he served God. Similarly should the righteous ruler do - in
fact, all men in their respective offices and stations. Let them remember they
are not placed where they are to choose their own pleasure, but solely for the
service of God. Such is their duty so long as they are here - transients, like
the stranger at the inn with other guests, who conducts himself with respect to
the needs and the pleasure of his fellows, doing as they do, and in case of
danger and necessity uniting with them in the effort to help and protect.
20. King David did not regard his kingdom and his
God-bestowed blessings as his real glory, but as his office, his opportunities
for service in this earthly pilgrimage. In it all he remains a guest, expecting
to leave this tarrying - place for a certain abode. Hence he says (Ps 39, 12):
”I am a stranger with thee, a sojourner, as all my fathers were.” How is that?
Has a king of David's glorious rank occasion to speak thus? Is he a guest who
occupies a royal throne, who is lord of landed estate and of more
than twelve hundred thousand people according to his own calculation? This is
David's meaning: In his kingdom he serves God as a transient here on earth, and
set apart by God for that purpose; but at the same time as a citizen of God's
kingdom in another life, another existence, which he regards more glorious than
earthly glory, and as affording something better than a temporal crown.
REASONS TO ABSTAIN FROM CARNAL LUST.
21. Such is Peter's teaching. He admonishes Christians to
Christ-like lives and works in view of the fact that they are called to great
glory, having become through Christ a royal priesthood, a people of God and
citizens of heaven. He would have them occupy this temporal world as guests,
striving after another and eternal kingdom; that is, to abstain from all carnal
lusts and maintain a blameless walk, a life of good works. The apostle assigns
two reasons for such self-denial: First, that we may not, through carnal,
lustful habits, lose the spiritual and eternal; second, that God's name and the
glory we have in Christ may not be slandered among our heathen adversaries, but
rather, because of our good works, honored. These are the chief reasons for
doing good works. They ought most forcibly to urge us to the performance of our
duties.
22. Peter admonishes, first, to ”abstain from fleshly lusts,
which war against the soul.” He implies that if we do not resist carnal
inclinations, but rather follow them, we shall lose our priceless eternal
inheritance. To be a stranger on earth, striving after another and better life,
is inconsistent with living in fleshly lusts as if one's sole intent was to
remain in the world forever. If you would have the things of one life, Peter
says, you must forsake the things of the other. If you forget your fatherland
and lie drunken with this carnal life, as does the heathen world in living in
unbelief and without hope of eternal life, you will never reach yonder
existence; for so you reject it. It is necessary to strive if we are to
withstand the lusts of the flesh; for these, Peter says, war against the soul -
against faith and the good conscience in man. If lust triumphs, our hold on the
Spirit and on faith is lost. Now, if you would not be defeated, you must valiantly
contend against carnal inclinations, being careful to overcome them and to
maintain your spiritual, eternal good. In this instance, our own welfare
demands the conquest.
23. In the second place, God's honor calls for it. God's
honor here on earth is affected by our manner of life. We are to avoid giving
occasion for our enemies to open their mouths in calumniation of God's name and
his Word. Rather must we magnify the name of God by our confession and general
conduct, and thus win others, who shall with us confess and honor him. Christ
commands (Mt 5, 16): ”Even so let your light shine
before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is
in heaven.”
24. Peter proceeds to enumerate certain good works
appropriate to Christians in all stations of life, particularly those
Christians under authority, or in a state of servitude - men-servants and
maid-servants. In the apostle's day, Christians had to submit to heathen
authority - to serve unbelieving masters. Peter admonishes Christians to
glorify God by their conduct, patiently bearing the violence and injustice
offered, and forbearing to return evil; as we heard in the epistle lesson for
the preceding Sunday which follows today's text. But to take up all the good
works Peter enumerates here would require too much time at present.
Third Sunday after Easter;
John 16:16-23
This sermon was preached in 1542 and published in the same
year in two pamphlet editions, under the title: ”A sermon for Jubilate Sunday, preached
before the Elector of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse, by Dr. Martin Luther,
Wittenberg, 1542.”
I. CHRIST'S PASSION
AND RESURRECTION
John 16:16-23
A little while, and ye shall not see me: and
again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then
said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto
us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye
shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is
this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he
saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto
them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye
shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily,
verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall
rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A
woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon
as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more
the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore
have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your
joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
1. This Gospel contains, and likewise pictures for us, the
high and excellent work God accomplished when Christ, his only Son, died and
rose again from the dead for us. Much has been said on this theme and there is
much more to say. As for myself, I find that the more I study it, the less I master it. But since it is God's
will that we think of him, praise his work and grace, and thank him for the
same, it is proper that we speak and hear all we can about them.
2. The Lord addresses his disciples here in dark and veiled
words, which they do not understand; chiefly, no doubt, because he wishes thus
to admonish them and thoroughly impress these words, so seldom heard, upon
them, that they may not forget. A deeper impression is made
upon one by words that are seldom used than by the forms of speech in general
use.
3. The result was that the disciples even repeated the words
twice and asked one another what they must mean. Christ likewise repeated them,
and no less than four times. Still they remained dark and unintelligible words
to them until later he revealed their meaning, when he rose from the dead and
bestowed upon the disciples the Holy Spirit. Then they clearly understood his
words. So we now understand them, to the extent that we hear and read them; but
that they should be understood to their depth, that will not be in this life.
But as I said, the longer and the more one learns from
them, the less one can, and the more one must, learn.
4. For the Word of God is a different government, and the
Holy Scriptures a different book, from the discourses and writings of man. St.
Gregory spoke truly when he uttered the fine proverb: The Scriptures are a
river in which a large elephant must swim and across which a little lamb can
wade on foot. For the Scriptures speak clearly and plainly enough to the common
people, but to the wise and very learned they are unattainable. As St. Paul
confesses concerning himself in Phil 3, 15.
5. And St. Peter says in I Pet 1, 12 that such things were
announced and written in the Scriptures that even the angels have their
satisfaction and enough to occupy them, in the great work that Christ, God's Son,
became man, suffered death on the cross, but rose again and sits now at the
right hand of the Father, Lord over all, even according to his human nature,
and governs and preserves his church against Satan's wrath and all the power of
the world. We have, it is true, the words treating of
this, but the angels see and understand it and therein have their eternal joy.
And as they in eternity cannot behold it enough, much less can we understand
it, for it is a work that is eternal, inexpressible, unmeasurable and
inexhaustible.
6. This is said de cognitione objectiva; that is, as one
sees it at a glance, as the angels view it, and as we will see it in the life
beyond. But in this life we must have a different understanding of it, a
practical knowledge (cognitio practica), that we may learn to confess what the
power of this work is and what it can do. This is done by faith, which must
cease in the next life, where we also shall know it by a full vision of it.
II. THE COMFORT CHRIST MINISTERS TO HIS DISCIPLES IN THEIR
SORROW, AND THE JOY OF THE WORLD.
A. The Sorrow Of The Disciples And The joy Of The World.
7. We must learn here now what it is that the Lord says: ”A
little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little while and ye shall see
me,” etc. This passage is fraught with as much meaning as that other: ”Ye shall
weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice,” etc. ”But your sorrow shall be
turned into joy.” A rare saying: A little while not see and be sorrowful, and
yet a little while again see and be joyful.
8. According to the letter and history, it is indeed easy to
understand what these words mean, especially in our day. In the confession of
our faith even the children say: ”I believe in Jesus Christ,” etc; ”was
crucified, dead and buried; the third day he rose again from the dead.” These
are the two ”little whiles,” of which Christ here speaks. But since there is
deception where we also seek, and taste it, and we should try to bring it into
life or experience, the words have a wonderful depth of meaning - that we
should lose Christ, whom we believe to be God's Son, who died and rose for us,
etc; that he should die in us, as the apostles
experienced until the third day. A terrible crucifixion and death begin when
Christ dies in us and we also in him. As he here says: Ye shall not see me, for
I am to depart from you. That is, I die, hence ye also will die,
in that ye will not see me; and thus I will be dead to you and you will be dead
to me. This is a special, deep and severe sorrow.
9. As there are many kinds of joy, so there are many kinds
of sorrow. As, for example, when one is robbed of his money and property, or is
reviled and disgraced when innocent, or loses father and mother, child and dear
friends, etc; likewise, when Satan afflicts and martyrs one's soul with sad
thoughts, as Satan so easily can, though one knows not why or whence. But the
really great sorrow above all sorrow is for the heart to lose Christ, so that
he is no longer in view and there is no hope of further comfort from him. There
are few who are so sorely tried. Surely not all even of his disciples
experienced this. Perhaps not St. Thomas, St. Andrew, St. Bartholomew, and
others, who were such good, common and plain people. But the other tender
hearts, St. Peter, St. John, St. Philip and others, to whom these words
applied, as they all had heard that they would lose Christ and never see him
again.
10. Christ here also addresses, more than others, persons
who truly believe and experience that Christ died and afterwards rose again;
and it is to them a little while, in a common, small and childish sense, and
only a bodily sorrow. But the disciples had to keenly feel and experience what
it is to lose Christ out of view, not only to have him taken away bodily, but
also spiritually, leaving them in a twofold misery and sorrow. For they had had
not only the joy of his bodily presence, in that he was so long with them,
cared for them, ate and drank with them, and passed through loving, sweet
customs and fellowship, but he had associated so affectionately with them and
had borne their weaknesses, yea, companioned with them more
intimately and lovingly than a father does with his children. He often gave
them remarkable liberties and even animated them by innocent trivialities.
Therefore, they were pained to lose such a companionable Lord,
11. But the chief cause of their sorrow lay in the fact that
they had set their hearts on his becoming a mighty lord and king and founding a
government by which he would make them, along with himself, lords. They thought
he would never suffer them to die. Such was hitherto
their hearts' joy and confidence in this Saviour.
12. Now, however, they lose both utterly and at one time,
not only the friendly companionship of the Lord, but also this beautiful,
glorious confidence, and they suddenly fall into the abyss of hell and eternal
sorrow, Their Lord is most shamefully put to death, and they must now expect
every moment, because of him, to be seized in like manner. They must now sing
this song of mourning: Alas, how our confidence is now totally lost! We hoped
to become great lords through this man and possess every joy we desired. Now he
lies in the grave and we are fallen into the hands of Caiaphas and Judas, and
there are no more miserable and unhappy people on the
earth than we.
13. Notice, this is the true sorrow
and heart agony, of which Christ here is really speaking, into which God does
not lead everyone, nor anyone so readily; for here he offers comfort against
it, as he shows in this Gospel. Other bodily suffering and need may be
considered sorrow, as, when one suffers persecution, imprisonment and misery
for Christ's sake, and loses his property, honor and even his life. But the
greatest of all sorrows is to lose Christ. Then all comfort is gone and all joy
is at an end and neither heaven nor sun and moon, neither angel nor any other
creature, can help you; nay not even God himself. For besides this Saviour,
Christ, there is none in heaven nor on earth. Now, when he has departed, all
salvation and comfort are gone, and Satan has gained an opportunity to plague
and terrify the troubled soul. This he desires to do in the name and person of
God, as he can then play the part of a lord.
14. On the other hand, the highest of all joy is that which
the heart has in Christ, our Saviour. That is, indeed, also called joy, when
one rejoices over the possession of great fortune, money and property, power,
honor, etc.; but all this is but the joy of a child or of a maniac. There is
also the infamous joy of Satan which even rejoices over the injury and
misfortune of others, of which Christ here also says: The world will rejoice,
and laugh in its sleeve over your crying and weeping when they put me to death
and cause you every misfortune. There are also many like these in worldly
affairs, who can never be happy unless they have brought misfortune to their
neighbor or have seen him meet it. They are like the poisonous reptile, the
Salamander, which (as the fable runs) is so cold that
it can live in fire or can exist out of fire. So these people live and grow fat
on the misfortunes of other people. The nice, envious person who is sad when
another prospers, and would gladly have one eye less if thereby his neighbor
had none, is the product of Satan.
15. But all this is still nothing compared with the joy the
world, ruled by Satan, has in opposing Christ and his followers. It rejoices
the most over the great misfortune of his followers in that Christ is
crucified, all the apostles are banished, the church is completely destroyed,
God's Word is silenced and his name totally blotted out. This is spiritual joy
just as truly as the severe sorrow is spiritual. However, it is not from the
Holy Spirit, but from those who belong, body and soul, to Satan, and still are
called the wisest, the most learned and the holiest persons upon the earth.
They are like the high priests, Pharisees and scribes, who have no peace and
know no joy so long as they hear the name of Christ mentioned and know that his
Word is preached, or see one of his disciples still alive. As they say, in the
Wisdom of Solomon
16. Observe, Christ here gives such joy to the world, and on
the other hand severe sorrow to his disciples in that they must see, hear and
suffer this. It must penetrate through their hearts, through their bodies and
lives. And he truly pictures the world here to be as terrible and horrible as a
child of Satan that has no greater joy than to see Christ defeated and his
followers shamefully condemned and lost.
17. We see almost this condition now in our clever noblemen,
the pope, the bishops and their rabble; how they maliciously rejoice and shout
when they discover it goes a little ill with us, and how anxious they are that
it under no circumstances remains concealed. It must be trumpeted forth until
it reaches the abyss of hell. Dear God, what have we done to them? They still
have their property and money, power and luxury, while we have hardly our daily
bread. It is not enough that they are superior to us in everything they crave,
while we are in other ways harassed and afflicted but they must besides be such
bitter enemies to us that they do not wish us God's grace but would have us
burned in the lowest fires of perdition!
18. It is always a horrible sight, and the true fruit of the infernal spirit, that people cannot
rejoice so highly over the good nor over worldly or human joy. Yea, no gold nor
silver they love so intensely, no stringed instrument sounds so sweet to them,
no drink tastes so good as to yield them the joy they feel when they see the
fall and grief of pious Christians. They are so inflamed by hatred and a desire
of revenge that they enjoy no really happy moment until they are able to sing:
Praise be to God, the villains are at last out of the way! We have now rooted
the Gospel out of the country. They have no rest and taste no joy before they
have brought this about. Heretofore they have sought and partly accomplished
this by many prompt intrigues, tricks and ill offices, and God allowed some to
have for a short time a little joy, which individuals contrived and arranged.
But they by no means tooled their anger in this way, as they had desired to do.
B. The Comfort Christ Ministers To His Disciples.
19. Hence, Christ wishes to say here: You have now heard
both what kind of joy the world will have, and what kind of sorrow will be
yours. Therefore, learn it and cleave to it when you meet and experience it, so
that you may have patience and lay hold of true
comfort in the midst of such suffering. I must try you thus and let you taste
what it means to lose me and for me to die in your
hearts, in order that you may learn to understand this mystery and secret; for
you will otherwise not study me. It will be too great for you to serve your
time of apprenticeship in this exalted work, that God's Son returns to the
Father, that is, that he dies and rises again for you, to bring you to heaven.
And if I do not allow you to be tried for a time, you will remain too imprudent
and finally be incapable of doing right.
20. Therefore, he says, you must adapt and resign yourself
to this, so as to experience what this ”little while” means, and yet not
despair and be wrecked therein. And therefore I tell you before, that it must
be so. You have to pass through such sorrow inwardly and outwardly, that is,
both in body and soul; but when it takes place and the hour comes that you have
nothing to comfort you, and you have lost both me and God, then hold fast still
to my Word that I now speak to you. It is only a matter of a little while. Now,
if you can learn this saying, and retain these small words, ”a little while,”
and ”again a little while,” there will be no trouble.
21. True, the first ”little while” that you now see me and
still have me with you, until I depart from you - that you can suffer and pass
through. But the other ”little while,” until you shall see me again - that will
be an especially long and hard time for you. For it is the hour of true sorrow, when I will be to you dead, with all the joy,
comfort and assurance you had from me, and you yourselves will be totally lost.
However, my dear little children, only think of these words and forget not
entirely what I now say to you. It shall not be so forever. A little while I
shall be lost and not be seen. This you must now learn by experience. But only
retain this much, that I called it ”a little while,” and in my eyes it is only
a little, short hour, although in your hearts and feelings it is not a little
but a long while; yea, an eternally long while and a long eternal while.
According to your feelings you will not be able to think differently, for when
I am taken from you, you have lost all, since I am the eternal good and the
eternal consolation. When that is gone, there is no longer a little while,
nothing but the eternal; namely, eternal sorrow and death.
22. Notice, Christ preaches here for the comfort of his
disciples and of all Christians when tempted thus by God, whether it takes
place inwardly or outwardly, bodily or spiritually, especially in the highest
form, which is called losing Christ out of the heart; that they may learn this
passage, and retain this drop of the lavender water, by which to refresh and
strengthen their hearts. Christ, my Lord, has surely said it shall be only a
little while. Although I now lose him and know of no joy whatever, but lie
prostrate and languish in pure sorrow, yet I will use that drop and cling to
the cordial that he shall not continue to be lost to me. He says that it shall be
only a little, short season, although it appears to me indeed to be great,
long, and eternal. He will come again, as he here and in John 14, 18 says: ”I
will not leave you orphans; I come unto you,” etc. And thus we shall possess in
him eternal comfort and joy instead of this little season of sorrow.
23. On the other hand, Christ says further that you must
endure it that the world rejoices over your suffering and sorrow, for which it
has no reason except that of pure satanic jealousy, by which it is so completely
blinded. embittered and exasperated that no joy relieves it
until its jealousy sees you stumble and become ruined. This is its
heart's delight and pleasure and it esteems it a heavenly, eternal joy. Then it
says: Let us now see whether God will save him; is he the Son of God, then let
him come down from the cross, etc. Mk 15, 31-32. As if they should say: He is
now out of the way, and we are done with him forever.
24. But notice what further follows. Just as you, he says,
shall not be robbed of a view of me forever, nor remain in your sorrow, so they
shall not rejoice over your misfortune forever; but it shall be for them also
only a short season, and be, as they say, a dance at high mass. For I will soon
come to you again and make it worse and more bitter
for them than it has ever been before. This was fulfilled in them after
Christ's resurrection, so that the Jews have no severer suffering than that
they must hear and see Christ, our Lord. Although it pleases them a little that
they slander Christ and his mother Mary and us Christians in the most
ignominious manner, yet true joy they can never
possess as they desire. And they continually hope that their Messiah will come
and uproot all Christians.
25. Thus, also, our Caiaphas and Judas, the pope, with all
his factions, who continually console themselves with the hope that we shall
yet be uprooted cannot be happy while we live and the Gospel spreads. Nothing
that causes man to rejoice has any effect upon them. Some are so angry that
they cannot cease their raging and roaring until we all are dead. When that
takes place they will be once happy, but the joy for which they long shall
never be theirs. For, although we are dead, the Gospel will still remain and
others will take our places, and that will be to them a new heart agony.
26. The Turk likewise imagines he will exterminate Christ
and enthrone his Mohammed in all the world, and he rejoices whenever there is
any hope of doing so; but this joy he craves he shall never experience. Our
Lord, whom the Turk himself highly exalts and must esteem as a great prophet,
shall restrain him; yea, finally season his joy and make it bitter enough
through the exalted work of his death and resurrection, by which he tramples
under foot sin, death and Satan. The victory which God accomplished through
Christ was long before announced in the Scriptures, whereupon the beloved
prophets and fathers died in this joy, as Christ says of Abraham in John 8, 56.
27. Since Abraham received such joy before it had yet
transpired, but was only in word and promise, how much more
can and will he receive it in the future after it has transpired and is
proclaimed in the earth and even in heaven by the angels! Neither pope nor Turk
can smother and extinguish it. They may indeed try to smother it, and fancy
they have a bite of sugar when they do Christendom a little harm; but they
shall never obtain the joy they hope for and for which they thirst.
28. They may rejoice for a season, Christ says, but not
longer than while you are in sorrow. That joy is particularly short, as your
sorrow is short and lasts only a little while, and shall soon be turned into
joy that no one will take from you. Without doubt that joy will, on the other
hand, be also turned into sorrow that will never end.
29. Here upon the earth, however, you will not be able to
have enough joy, nor will it be of the true, perfect
quality that will quench your thirst. Only a foretaste, an appetizing morsel or
a refreshing sip. It is too great ever to be exhausted as also the work that
develops this joy is far too great to be fathomed by our learning. God mingles
and tempers things thus upon the earth so that those who should by right
rejoice must experience great suffering and sorrow; and, on the other hand,
those who should be sorrowful here are happy and have a good time, but still in
a way that this outward joy works their ruin. For they cannot acquire the true inner joy they long for, therefore their outer joy will
also be their destruction. Their wealth, power, honor, pleasure and high living
by no means make them happy, and they cannot lay their heads down to rest until
they see that Christ is dead and his disciples are banished from the earth.
These are always poor, miserable people whom one may truly pity. They fare the
worst in that they cannot have their temporal joy pure, as they desire, because
of their jealousy and hatred; and we even are altogether too ready to take
vengeance by doing them harm. What more misfortune can they have and what
greater injury can they do themselves than that they themselves should spoil
and annihilate their own joy?
30. We also have true sorrow, both
outwardly and inwardly, when Christ conceals himself from us; not like them,
moved by jealousy and hatred, but because we do not possess Christ, the chief
good. For this, however, there is already mingled with the sorrow the sugar
that Christ speaks. Beloved, only persevere a little. It shall not be eternal,
but shortlived sorrow, and soon it will be better. It is only a matter of a
little while.
31. These words I hear, but when sorrow comes, it is stamped
so deeply in the heart that I do not feel this comfort, and I fancy that it is
impossible for the sorrow to have an end. However, this comfort keeps me, so
that I do not fall from Christ to the other party. Though I experience grief
and need, still they keep me, so that the sorrow must not be thoroughly bitter.
As in the case of the others, their joy is sweetened and sugared through and
through, yet it is always spoiled by wormwood and gall, so in our case sorrow
has within itself its sugar and honey.
32. Therefore, let us continue to hear Christ and learn to
understand his language, that we judge not according to our feelings, as if comfort
were lost forever and sorrow had no end. That you feel and think thus, he says,
I know very well; but still listen to what I say to you and learn only this
word modicum, a little while. Sorrow must also be felt, but it shall not harm
you, besides it shall not last long. Even by this the sorrow is already
sugar-coated and tempered. Later, when the ”little while” has passed and
triumphed, then one feels what Christ says: ”Your sorrow shall be turned into
joy.” Then the true joy of the heart commences and the soul sings an eternal
Hallelujah, and Christ is Risen - a joy which will in the life beyond be
perfect, without a defect and without an end.
33. Notice that the articles of our faith, both on the death
and the resurrection of Christ, are thus set before us
in this Gospel, and how the same must be put to practice by us, learned, and
exercised in our deeds and our experiences, and not only heard with the ears
and spoken with the mouth. Also, that we thus feel it, and such power works in
us that both body and soul thereby become changed; that is, Christ dies in us
and we also die in him. That is a great change, from
life to death. However, then I must cleave firmly by faith to the words Christ
says, ”A little while,” and not only hear, but also take to heart the truth
that trial will not last forever, but there will be a change from death to life
when Christ again rises and lives in me and I become alive in him. Then the
words shall come true, ”I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and
your joy no one taketh away from you,” etc. For this meeting every Christian
should be prepared whenever he is called for it; for he must experience
something of it either in life or at the hour of death; so that he will then be
reminded of this saying of Christ and let nothing tear this comfort out of his
heart. Amen.
34. Whatever is to be said further on this Gospel in a
textual exposition of it you can read in the explanation of the three chapters
of John, the discourses Christ spoke at the Last Supper to his disciples, where
this and the Gospel for the following Sunday are treated at length.
Fourth Sunday after Easter;
James
1:16-21
This sermon was printed first in the ”Two Sermons on Anger,”
by Luther, Wittenberg, 1536.
James 1:16-21
Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of
lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own
will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of
firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not
the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of
naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to
save your souls.
1. This lesson was addressed to all Christians. Particularly
was it meant for the time when they had to endure from the unbelieving world
persecutions severe and oft; as James indicates at the outset, where he says
(verses 2-4): ”Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold
temptations; knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. And let
patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire.” Again
(verse 12): ”Blessed is the man that endureth temptation.”
WHY MEN REJECT THE GOSPEL.
2. Two things there are which part men from the Gospel: one
is angry impatience, and the other evil lust. Of these James speaks in this epistle.
The former sin, he says, arises under persecution - when for the sake of Christ
the Lord you must give up property and honor, and risk
body and life; must be regarded as fools, as the drudges, yes, the footstool,
of the world. Painful and intolerable to the point of discouragement and
weariness is such a lot, particularly when it is apparent that your persecutors
enjoy good fortune, having honor, power and wealth, while you suffer
constantly. Peter, too, admonishes (I Pet 3, 10), upon authority of Psalm 34,
12-14: He who would be a Christian must be prepared to avoid evil and do good,
to seek peace, to refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking
guile, and must commit himself to God. In the case of a great many people
otherwise favorably disposed toward the Gospel, it is nothing but persecution
which deters and repels them from it. They cannot endure the injuries and
reproaches they must suffer for its sake. But for the precious holy cross which
is laid upon Christians, and their inability to overcome indignation and
impatience, the world would long ago have been crowded with Christians. But on
account of trials men recoil, saying: ”Rather than endure these, I will remain
with the majority; as it is with them, so be it with me.”
3. The second thing to which James refers is worldly lust
”filthiness,” as James terms it. This, too, is a prevailing evil, particularly
with the common people. When they once hear the Gospel they are prone to think
right away that they know all about it. They cease to heed it and drown in
lust, pride and covetousness of the world, being concerned entirely with
accumulating wealth and seeking pleasure.
4. That these two evils prevail is apparent to the eyes of
all men today. We fear that we shall fare no better than the prophets and the
apostles; these things are likely to continue. Nevertheless, we must
unceasingly exert ourselves in behalf of ourselves and others to guard
diligently against both these evils. Particularly must we not impatiently
murmur and rage against God; we must also show
meekness toward our fellowmen, to the end that wrath everywhere may be quelled
and subdued, and only patience and meekness reign among Christians.
5. As I said before, such seems to be the trend of the whole
text. The apostle gives a reason why we should be patient to the extent of not
allowing ourselves to be vexed with them who injure us, especially ungrateful
rejecters of the Word of God or persecutors of Christians. The reason he
assigns is the debt of gratitude we owe: we are to remember the great good we
receive from God in heaven - ”Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, coming down from the Father of lights.”
OUR BLESSINGS OUTWEIGH OUR ILLS.
6. If you carefully balance our gifts and trials against
each other and weigh them carefully, you will find the blessings conferred upon
you so numerous and rich as far to outweigh the injuries and reproaches you
must incur. Therefore, if you are assailed by the world, and are provoked to
impatience by ingratitude, contempt and persecution, compare with your trials
the blessings and consolations you have in Christ and his Gospel. You will soon
find you have more reason to pity your enemies than
you have to murmur and to rage against them.
7. Again, concerning them who live in worldly lusts - in
”filthiness,” as the apostle terms it: let not their conduct induce you to
forsake the Gospel to be like them; for their portion is altogether paltry in
comparison with your glorious blessings and divine riches. Take thought, then,
and do not allow yourselves to be misled either by the wanton wickedness of the
world, through the injury and pain it may inflict, or by the prosperity of the
world's wealthy, who live riotously in all manner of voluptuousness. Look upon
what you have from the Father in comparison - his divine blessings, his perfect
gifts.
8. For the sake of distinction, we shall designate by ”good
gifts” the blessings we enjoy here in this life; by ”perfect gifts” those
awaiting us in the life to come. James implies this distinction when he says:
”Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a
kind of first-fruits of his creatures.” In the terms ”good gifts” and ”perfect
gifts,” the apostle comprehends all our blessings, those we have already
received in the present life and those to be ours in the life to come.
9. I will not now speak particularly of earthly, transient
and changeable blessings, such as temporal goods, honor, a healthy body and
others, but could we only compare our blessings with these and weigh our
treasures and surpassing blessings, we should presently conclude that ours
transcend in value a hundred thousand times anything the world possesses and
boasts. Many individuals there are who would give thousands of dollars to have
the sight of both eyes. So much do they prize the blessing of sight, they would
willingly suffer a year's illness or endure other great inconveniences to
obtain it. Less sensible would they be to such discomforts than to the
deprivation of the thing they desire. Of physical blessings particularly, we
shall not now speak, however, save to mention that they are never equaled by
physical ills. Who can purchase or merit, even by enduring tenfold his present
physical ills, the very least of God's gifts; as, for instance, the beholding
of the light of the beautiful sun for a single day? And so long as mortal life
itself remains, you have the greatest of blessings, one outweighing far all
gold and silver and all the misfortunes you may endure.
OUR BLESSINGS IN CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.
But we shall speak now particularly of the blessings we have
in Christ's resurrection, a subject appropriate to this Paschal season. The
text says, Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father
of lights. For God has begun the work of edifying us, of building us up, and
will constitute us his own children, his heirs. This work, James says, is
wrought through the Gospel, or ”the word of truth,” as he terms it.
10. But what does the resurrection advantage us? It has
already brought us this gain: our hearts are enlightened and filled with joy,
and we have passed from the darkness of sin, error and fear into the clear
light; the Christian is able to judge all sects, all doctrines of devils, that
may arise on earth. Is it not a thing of unspeakable value, a precious gift, to
be enlightened and taught of God to the extent of being able to judge correctly
every doctrine and every kind of conduct exhibited in this world, and to show
all men how to live - what to do and what to avoid? Well may we boast, then, of
having here on earth also a Father - ”the Father of lights” - from whom we
receive blessings of such magnitude that man should willingly yield body and
life for their attainment. What would I in my darkness not have given to be
liberated from the very dread which prompted the celebration of masses and
other abominations, yes, from the torture and anguish of conscience which left
me no rest? or to have instruction enabling me rightly to
interpret a single psalm? I would, for such enlightenment, readily have
crawled on the ground to the ends of the earth. Thank God, we now have the
blessed treasure abundantly, the great and precious light, the gracious Word.
What is the sum of all suffering and misfortune compared to this light?
11. Secondly, through Christ's resurrection we have a good,
joyous conscience, one able to withstand every form of sin and temptation and
to maintain a sure hope of eternal life. The great, glorious gifts and
blessings of the resurrection are these: the Gospel, Holy Baptism, the power of
the Holy Spirit, and comfort in all adversity. What is a slight injury or the
loss of some temporal blessing in comparison with these? What reason has any
man to murmur and to rage when such divine blessings
are his, even here in this life, blessings which none can take away or abridge?
If, then, you are called to renounce money, possessions, honor and men's favor,
remember you have a treasure more precious than all
the honors and all the possessions of the world. Again, when you see one living
in great splendor, in pleasure and presumption, following his own inclinations,
think thus: ”What has he? A wretched portion, a beggarly morsel. In contrast, I
have divine grace enabling me to know God's will and the work he would have me
do, and all in heaven and on earth is mine.” Look, says James, upon the
treasure already obtained from the Father of lights - his great and glorious
gifts.
12. But these do not represent the consummation of
resurrection blessings. We must yet await the real, the perfect, gifts. Our
earthly condition does not admit of perfection; hence we cannot truly perceive,
cannot comprehend, our treasure. We are but ”a kind of first-fruits of his
creatures.” God has only commenced to work in us, but he will not leave us in
that state. If we continue in faith, not allowing ourselves to be turned away
through wrath and impatience, God will bring us to the real, eternal blessings,
called ”perfect gifts,” the possession of which excludes error, stumbling, anger,
and any sin whatever.
THE FUTURE LIFE OF BLESSEDNESS.
13. That future existence, James goes on to say, will be one
wherein is ”no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning” - no alternating
of light and darkness. In other words, there will not be the variation and
instability characteristic of this world, even of the Christian life - today
joyous, tomorrow sad; now standing but soon tottering. It is in the Christian
life just as in the physical world: we find variableness and continual change -
light is succeeded by darkness, day by night, cold by heat; here are mountains,
there valleys; today we are well, tomorrow ill; and so it goes. But all this
change shall be abolished. The present life shall be succeeded by one wherein
is no variation, but a permanence and eternity of blessing. We shall
unceasingly behold God in his majesty where dwells no darkness, no death,
plague nor infirmity, but pure light, joy and happiness. Look to this future
life! call it to mind, when assailed by the world and enticed to anger or evil
lust. Remember the great blessings of heaven assuredly promised you, and
whereof Christ your Head has already taken possession, that he may make sure
your entrance into the same blessings. These should be to you far more precious and desirable than the things of earth, which
all men must leave behind.
14. To these things the Christian should direct his thoughts
and efforts, that he may learn to prize his blessings, to recognize his
treasures as great and glorious, and to thank God for the beginnings of his
grace and blessing bestowed here below. Let us ever look and turn toward true knowledge and understanding, toward righteousness and
life; so shall we attain that perfection wherein we are freed from the present
imperfect, unstable existence, the yoke we now bear upon our necks and which
continually weighs upon us and renders us liable to fall from the Gospel.
Impulse and aid for such pursuit we are to receive from the holy cross and
persecution, as well as from the example of the world. With what ease the poor,
wretched people are wrested from the Word and from faith, wherein they might
enjoy unspeakable grace and blessings, by the sordid, beggarly pleasures to be
sought for here!
15. Therefore, James says: ”Why trouble yourselves about
earthly blessings, which though God-given are transitory? Why not much rather
rejoice in the comforting prospect of the great heavenly blessings already
abundantly yours and which cannot be taken from you?” And by way of explanation
he says further:
”Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth.”
GOD'S CHILDREN BEGOTTEN BY THE WORD.
16. The first, and in fact the best, thing Christ has sent
us from on high is sonship. He brought us forth, made us his children, or
heirs. We are truly called children born of God. But how are we born? Through
”the Word of truth,” or the true Word. By this
statement James makes a wide thrust at all factions and sects. For they also
have a word and boast much of their doctrine, but theirs is not the Word of
truth whereby men are made children of God. They teach
naught, and know naught, about how we are to be born God's children through
faith. They prate much about the works done by us in the state derived from
Adam. But we have a Word whereby, as we are assured, God makes us his beloved
children and justifies us - if we believe in that Word. He justifies us not
through works or laws. The Christian must derive his sonship from his birth.
All whittling and patching is to no purpose. The disciples of Moses, and all
work-mongers, would effect it by commandments, extorting a work here and a work
there, effecting nothing. New beings are needed, children of God by birth, as
John 1, 12 says.
17. The children of God, John tells us, are they who believe
on the name of Christ; that is, who sincerely cling to the Word. John extols
the Word as the great, the mighty, gift. They are children who cleave to the
message that through Christ God forgives their sins and receives them into his
favor; who adhere to this promise in all temptations, afflictions and troubles.
The Word here on earth is the jewel which secures sonship. Now, since God has
so greatly blessed you as to make you his own begotten children, shall he not
also give you every other good?
18. Whence, then, do you derive sonship? Not from your own
will, not from your own powers or efforts. Were it so, I and other monks surely
should have obtained it, independently of the Word; it would have been ours
through the numerous works we performed in our monastic life. It is, secured,
James says, ”of his will.” For it never entered into the thought of any man
that so should we be made children of God. The idea
did not grow in our gardens; it did not spring up in our wells. But it came
down from above, ”from the Father of lights,” by Word and Spirit revealed to us
and given into our hearts through the agency of his apostles and their
successors, by whom the Word has been transmitted to us. Hence we did not
secure it through our efforts or merits. Of his Fatherly will and good pleasure
was it conferred upon us; of pure grace and mercy he give
it.
CHRISTIANS THE FIRST-FRUITS.
19. James says, ”That we should be a kind of first-fruits of
his creatures”; that is, the newly- begun creature, or work, of God. By this
phrase the apostle distinguishes the creatures of God from the creatures of the
world, or creatures of men. Likewise does Peter when he says (1 Pet 2, 13), ”Be
subject to every ordinance [or creature] of man”; that is, to everything
commanded, ordained, instituted, made, by men. For instance, a prince
constitutes men tax-gatherers, squires, secretaries, or anything he desires,
within the limits of his power. But new creatures are found with God. They are
styled ”creatures of God” because he has created them as his own work,
independently of human effort or human power. And so the Christian is called a
”new creature of God,” a creature God himself has made,
aside from all other creatures and higher than they. At the same time, such
creation of God is only in its initial stage. He still daily operates upon it
until it becomes perfect, a wholly divine creature, as the very sun in
clearness and purity, without sin and imperfection, all aglow with love divine.
20. Take into careful consideration these facts. Keep before
you the great blessing, honor and glory God has conferred upon you in making
you heirs of the life to come, the life wherein shall be no imperfection nor
variation, the life which shall be an existence in divine purity and protection
like God's own. Do not, then, by any means allow yourselves to be provoked to
anger by the wretched, sordid, beggar's wallet which the world craves. Rather,
much rather, rejoice in the divine blessings, and thank God for having made you worthy of them. Whether sweet or bitter - in
comparison with these let everything else be spurned. ”For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed to us-ward” - to us the children of God - says Paul in
Romans 8,18. So James draws the conclusion:
”Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
IMPATIENT ANGER FORBIDDEN.
21. In other words, in receiving counsel or comfort be
swift; but do not permit yourselves readily to criticise, curse, or upbraid God
or men. James does not mean to prohibit reproof, censure, indignation and
correction where the command of God or necessity requires; but he forbids
rashness or hastiness on our part, despite our provocation in the premises.
When we are provoked we should first hear what the Word of God says and be
advised thereby. It is the right and true counsel, and
we should ever permit ourselves to be led by it; according to its teaching
should all our decisions, reproofs and censures be regulated. In immediate
connection, James bids us receive the Word with meekness; we are not to be
incensed when censured by its authority, or to become impatient and murmur when
we have to suffer something because of it. The reason James assigns for
restraining our anger is: ”For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness
of God.” This is a truth admitted even by the heathen - ”Ira furor brevis est,”
etc. - and verified by experience. Therefore, upon authority of Psalm 4, 4,
when you feel your wrath rising, sin not, but go to your chamber and commune
with yourself. Let not wrath take you by surprise and cause you to yield to it.
When slander and reproach is heaped upon you, or curses given, do not rashly
allow yourself to be immediately inflamed with anger. Rather, take heed to
overcome the provocation and not to respond to it.
22. The apostle's first point, then, is: Christians should
guard against yielding to wrath and impatience, and should remember the great blessings
they enjoy - gifts wherewith all the advantages and favors of the world are
unworthy of comparison. Similarly, James says regarding the other point:
”Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, etc.”
23. By ”filthiness” he means the impure life of the world - indulgence,
voluptuousness and knavery of every sort. These things, he would say, should be
far from you Christians who enjoy blessings so great and glorious. Could you
rightly recognize and appreciate these blessings, you would regard all worldly
pursuits and pleasures mere filth in comparison. Nor is this overdrawn; they
are, such when contrasted with the good and perfect heavenly gifts and
treasures.
”Receive with meekness the implanted word.”
24. You have the Word, James says, a Word which is yours not
by your own fancy or effort, but which God, by grace, gave to you - implanted in you.
It has free course - is preached, read and sung among you. (By the grace of
God, it is free among us, too.) In this respect, God be praised, there is no
lack. It is of the utmost importance, however, to receive it, to make
profitable use of it; to handle it with meekness that
we may hold it fast and not allow it to be effaced by anger under persecution
or by the allurements of worldly lusts. Christ says (Lk 21, 19), ”In your
patience possess ye your souls [ye shall win your souls].”
MEEKNESS AND PATIENCE ENJOINED.
Meekness and patience are necessary to enable us to triumph
over the devil and the world. Without them we shall not be able to hold fast
the Word in our strife against those evil forces. We must fight and contend
against sin, but if we essay to cool our wrath by grasping the devil and his
followers by the hair and wreaking vengeance upon them, we will accomplish nothing
and may thereby lose our treasure, the beloved Word. Therefore, lay hold of the
Word planted or engrafted within you, that you may be able to retain it and
have it bring forth its fruit in yourself.
THE POWER OF THE WORD.
25. It is a Word, says James in conclusion, ”which is able
to save your souls.” What more could be desired? You have the Word, the promise
of all divine blessings and gifts. It is able to save you if you but
steadfastly cleave to it. Why, then, need you take any account of the world, and
anything it may do, whether good or evil? What injury can the world render,
what help can it offer, so long as you hold the treasure of the Word? Observe
that the apostle ascribes to the spoken Word, the preached Gospel, the power to
save souls. Similarly, Paul commends it to the Romans (ch.
1, 16), in almost the same words, as ”the power of God unto salvation to every
one that believeth.”
26. Now, the Word is implanted within you in a way to give you the certain comfort and sure hope of your
salvation. Be careful, then, not to permit yourselves to be wrested from it by
the wrath or the filth of the world. Take heed to accept in purity and to
maintain with patience the Word so graciously and richly given you by God
without effort or merit on your part. Those who are without the Word, and yet
endeavor to attain heaven, what efforts have they made in the past! what efforts are they making today! They might torment
themselves to death; they might institute and celebrate every possible service
- they would accomplish nothing. Is it not better to cling to the Word and
maintain this treasure whereby you attain salvation and divine sonship than to
permit the world to wrest you from it through persecution, passion or moral
filth the source of its own ruin and perdition?
Fourth Sunday after Easter;
John 16:5-15
SERMON ON CHRIST'S KINGDOM AND THE CONVICTING OFFICE OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT.
John 16:5-15
But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none
of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto
you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is
expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not
come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come,
he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of
sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my
Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because
the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but
ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he
shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall
glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All
things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of
mine, and shall shew it unto you.
A. This Sermon of Consolation In General.
I. The meaning of this Gospel we have often heard elsewhere,
the only trouble is, its language is not altogether understood as having the
meaning of things, with which we are familiar. Therefore we will expound it a
little, in order that it may be seen that the same truth lies in these words as
is contained in almost all the Gospels.
2. It is a part of that beautiful discourse, Christ the
Lord, delivered after the last supper he had with the disciples. His special
object is to console his beloved disciples in view of his departure, because he
is now about to die and to leave them alone in danger
and distress, in the hostility of the world, in persecution and death for his
sake. And so with many words he announces to them that they would be put under
the ban, and they who killed them would boast that they had offered unto God a
service. It was a grievous and terrible thing for them to hear this, and on
account of it they became very sorrowful, both because they were to lose their
dear Lord and because they were to be left in such misery and distress.
Therefore it was needful to console them against all this, as indeed Christ
does throughout these three chapters of his last discourse with all diligence
and faithfulness. And the sum of it is this: in view of the loss caused by his
departure, he promises to send the Holy Spirit, who shall comfort and
strengthen their hearts, and then first establish the kingdom of Christ and
extend it throughout the world; and he tells them plainly what is to be the
nature of his kingdom, wherein it is to consist, and what the Holy Spirit shall
accomplish in the world through them.
3. Therefore he says to them first: I know and plainly see,
beloved disciples, that you are in great fear and sorrow on account of what I
have told you, that I am about to go away from you. But this shall be your
comfort: I tell you the truth, it is much better for you, that I go away. My
departure shall bring you abundant joy, for you shall have instead the comforting
of the Holy Spirit, and in addition the power, that he will accomplish through
you what I, now present with you, am not able to do. For I am required by this
mission in the flesh to suffer and die, and so to make
my journey to the Father, and afterwards to send the Holy Spirit, who will do
through you much greater things than can be done now through me, and who will
bestow upon you a great and excellent office and work, by which my kingdom
shall be extended in the world.
B. Christ's Kingdom
of Which this Sermon Treats.
4. So then he first shows them what is to be the nature of
his kingdom on earth, in order to take away from them their old deeply-rooted
delusion of an external worldly dominionand government over the Jewish people
and the world generally in this life. For against this he says plainly enough
and in many words, that he would go away, leave the world, andnot be seen any more. But if he dies and leaves the world he cannot rule and
govern after the manner of the world, externally and visibly, like a king and
emperor on earth. He indicates this still more clearly
by announcing to them in so many words both before and after this text, how
they shall fare after his departure, namely, that they shall be hated,
persecuted, put under the ban and even killed by their own people; moreover,
that they shall weep and lament and havetribulation in the world, which on the
contrary shall be merry and joyful. All this by no means agrees with the
thought that they should have a worldly kingdom on earth, for which to hope;
they must expect the very contrary. Nevertheless they are to know that he will
have and preserve his kingdom in the world; wherefore he promises the Holy
Spirit.
C. The Convicting Office of the Holy Spirit.
5. What kind of a kingdom is it, and how is it governed?
This he indicates in the words: ”The Holy Spirit will convict the world.” It is
not to be a government constituted and organized in worldly fashion by human
wisdom, power and might, but a government of the Holy Spirit, or a spiritual
kingdom, in which Christ rules invisibly and not with external, bodily power,
through the Word alone, which the Holy Spirit will preach and thereby work in
the hearts of men. For the Holy Spirit, he says, will convict the world. That
does not mean to coerce with armor and weapons and worldly power, but to use an
oral word or an office of preaching, called the Word of God, or of the Holy
Spirit, sent by Christ. This Word is to pass through the world and to attack
it, so that it can be called a convicting of the world, not only of a few, of
one or two races and countries, but of both Jews and Gentiles, the learned, the
wise and saints, who in their own government have the most beautiful and
laudable organization.
6. For by ”world” he does not mean the humble common folk,
the populace, but that which in the world is best and most excellent, and in
external government blameless; especially those who claim to be holy above all
others, like the Jews, who were called God's people and had the law of Moses, of
whom Christ said before, that they hate him and his own without cause, as is
written in their law.
7. Herewith Christ bestows upon his apostles power and
authority, nay more, even command over the whole world.
It is to be subject to their preaching and to hear the apostles. Although their
office shall be despised in the world and have no reputation, because they are
plain, ordinary people, and even apart from this they must be hated and
oppressed and must suffer in the world, when with their convictions they run
counter to it, till he strengthens and comforts them with the assurance that
their office shall nevertheless have power, force and efficacy. Those in the
world will be compelled to hear it and to allow it to have course, unsubverted
and unforbidden, regardless of their raging and storming against it with
persecution, ban and death, and all power and force not only of the world, but
also of the whole kingdom of hell.
8. Therefore, says he, you have good reason not to be
terrified and cast down, because I am going away from you bodily. For thereby I
will give you something better than you have had while
you were with me, and you shall accomplish much greater and more glorious
things than can now be done; namely, the Holy Spirit shall effect through you
far more gloriously and mightily what pertains to my kingdom than you now
think. Then you will no longer, as now, seek and aspire to become lords upon
earth and to have great kingdoms under you. For these are transitory things,
which God does not care for, and which have always produced more
rogues than good men. But he will set you in a government, where you shall
judge all men's consciences; and what is highest in the world, namely its
wisdom and holiness, shall be subject to you. You shall pronounce judgment upon
it, convict and condemn, and nobody will be able to escape sin, death and hell,
nor get to heaven, who does not hear and obey your word.
9. He shall also give you such comfort and courage, that you
shall no longer be filled with terror and deadly fear, as now, at the world's
threatening, fury and raging against your preaching; but you shall boldly go
forward and convict regardless of what the world and the devil can do to
prevent it by persecution, murder and all the violence of hell.
10. This is the province of the work, which the Holy Spirit
is to begin in the kingdom of Christ. It is the teaching office of the
apostles, which is to be of such a character that it must convict the world, as
it finds it outside of Christ, and nobody is to be excepted, great, small,
learned, wise, holy, of high or low condition, etc. This means in short, to
bear the world's anger and to begin strife, and to be struck in the mouth for
it. For the world, which rules on earth, will not and cannot endure its course
to be disapproved; therefore persecution must arise, and one party must yield
to the other, the weakest to the stronger. But, as the office of the apostles
is to be only a teaching office, it cannot use worldly power and the world
retains its external kingdom and power against the apostles. But, on the other
hand, the apostles' office of conviction of the world shall likewise not be
suppressed, because it is the office and work of the Holy Spirit, but shall overcome
all and triumph; as Christ promised to them: ”I will give
you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to
withstand.” Lk 21, 15.
11. The Holy Spirit indeed convicted the world by preaching
before from the beginning (for Christ ever rules, and is the same Christ
”yesterday and to-day, and for ever,” Heb13, 8) through the holy fathers, Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist, and this conviction
was upheld by divine power. But now the true beginning
is to be made, and Christ will institute a public conviction, which is to be
extended not only over the Jewish people, but over the whole world until the
last day. This is to be much more efficacious and
shall prevail, and hearts shall be pierced and wounded by it, even as is said
in Acts 2, 37 of the first sermon of St. Peter on the day of Pentecost, that
they were pricked in their heart by the preaching of the apostles, and so were
enlightened and converted from their blindness. But if they will not accept
this preaching, it shall be efficacious to their condemnation, and they shall
stumble, fall and plunge into eternal ruin. So it shall prove a power unto life
and salvation to believers, and a preaching and power unto death to others, as
St. Paul says in 2 Cor 2, 16.
12. However, in respect of what shall the Holy Spirit
convict, and concerning what shall he teach? This he tells us plainly in the
words:
”And he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
13. This certainly means biting off a good deal and assuming
a big load: the poor beggars, the apostles, are to interfere in the world in
this way and to reprove and convict everything it does. They must needs have
strong backs and a good reserved force. For he shows here that this convicting
is to be no farce, nor is it to be in respect of small, trifling matters, nor
even of sovereignty, countries and property, but in respect of the highest
thing, by which the world's government exists, namely, the reputation of
wisdom, righteousness, and its judgment or convicting, especially in the high
matters, which concern the service of God and what is good in the sight of God.
14. For as to the earthly government of property and wealth,
this does not concern the Holy Spirit and Christ. In regard to that he allows
the world's wisdom, law and order to stand as they are; for in this sphere it
is commanded to the world to rule and to judge what is praiseworthy and what is
punishable. Likewise he does not convict the offices and different classes in
the world, which are God's creation and order. But for this he convicts the
world, that is, the people, who in their own government rule excellently,
because with their reason and wisdom they also seek to interfere in God's
affairs and government, and presume to decide and judge, how God shall be
served, and imagine that whatever they assert, must also be right and
acceptable in the sight of God.
15. This is what the conviction of the Holy Spirit is
directed against. It breaks in not piecemeal on certain works and actions, but
reduces to nothing and condemns everything that reason and worldly wisdom
propose. In short, he convicts and censures them in and for the very things
they do not wish to be convicted in, but rather praised and lauded, as teaching
and doing well and right. He puts them to sin and shame with all their glory
and openly charges them with knowing nothing of these things nor being able to
teach how sin is to be known and gotten rid of, righteousness is to be attained
and wrong is to be permitted. How much good is left now, when all this is laid
low completely as by a thunderbolt? He himself explains the three particulars,
and shows what each means and how each is to be preached. First he says:
”Of Sin, because they believe not on me.”
16. The world itself must confess that it understands none
of the things, which Christ here says of these three thoughts. For whoever
heard this before among the wise and learned of the earth, or by what
understanding was it produced, and in what books is it written that sin is not
to believe on this Jesus of Nazareth? Does not Moses himself and all the world
call that sin, which is done contrary to the law, by commission or omission, by
word or deed or even by thought? Well, the child is named, and the article
concluded and fixed by the Holy Spirit, that this is the sin of the world that
it does not believe on Christ. Not that there is no sin against the law besides
this; but that this is the real chief sin, which condemns the whole world even
if it could be charged with no other sin.
17. Thus this preaching of conviction is now to begin, if
people are to be brought to right knowledge and to salvation. And the first
thing shall be this: it makes all men, learned, high and wise, sinners; and
sinners for this reason, because they do not believe on Christ. Hence God's
wrath is declared, and the judgment of condemnation and eternal death (for this
is what convicting in respect of sin means) is pronounced upon those who in the
sight of the world are irreproachable, who even strive with earnestness to live
according to the law and the ten commandments. Such were Paul before his
conversion, and Nicodemus at first, and many others of like character among the
Jews, to whom St. Paul also bears witness that they had a zeal for God, and
followed after righteousness, but did not attain to righteousness (Rom 9, 31).
So then this word ”sin” briefly comprehends all life and conduct without and
apart from faith in Christ.
18. Here you will say: How is this? Is it sin to live
according to the ten commandments obediently, honorably and chastely, not to
kill, not to break the marriage tie, not to steal, not
to lie and deceive? Answer: Surely not. But that is not enough, and the ten
commandments are not kept, if only they are not violated externally by works.
For God's law demands not merely outward form and appearance, but goes to the
heart and demands its perfect obedience. Therefore it also judges man not only
by his outward walk and conduct, but by the depths of his heart. But the world
does not understand and regard this; for it recognizes only public external
sins, such as murder, adultery, robbery and what the jurists call and punish as sin. But it neither knows nor
sees the true offences and their root, such as
contempt of God, inborn inward impurity of the heart, and disobedience to God's
will: which things nevertheless are and remain in all men, who are not
sanctified by Christ. For everybody, however pious he may be, if he will only
confess it, finds in himself, what true saints
earnestly lament, that even if he would gladly keep God's law, his flesh and
blood, that is, his whole nature, including his heart and all his members,
resist it; as St. Paul says in Rom 7, 23: ”I see a different law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the
law of sin which is in my members.” Much more is this true
of those, who are without grace and the Holy Spirit, who live irreproachably
outwardly, solely from the fear of punishment or on account of reputation and
vain honor; but still would prefer to do the contrary, if they did not fear
hell or disgrace and punishment. For the heart is ever hostile to the law and
resists it with inward disobedience.
19. Now because this is the case, that no man fulfils the
commandments of God and can be without sin before God, and therefore all men
are under the wrath of God and sentenced to eternal condemnation by the law:
God has found a remedy for this evil, and he resolved to send his Son into the
world, in order that he might become a sacrifice for us and make satisfaction
for our sins by the shedding of his blood and his death, and take away from us
the wrath of God, which no creature could reconcile, and bring forgiveness of sins
and moreover bestow upon us the Holy Spirit, so that we might obtain and
receive all this, begin to become new men, and come out of sin and death to
righteousness and eternal life.
20. This he has now done and has commanded to preach it through
the Gospel, and he demands of all men (as we heard in the Easter sermons)
repentance, that is, true knowledge of sin and earnest dread of God's wrath,
and faith, that in such repentance God will for the sake of his Son forgive their sins. He that believes this preaching, has by
this faith forgiveness of sins and is in the grace of God: and although he has
not satisfied the law, still the remaining sin is not imputed to him, but is
included in the forgiveness. Together with this faith the Holy Spirit is also
given, so that he acquires love and delight to do the good and to resist sin.
Therefore he is no longer condemned by the laws as a sinner, although he has
not fulfilled it in every respect; but he is accepted by God through grace and
forgiveness, and regarded as if he had no sins.
21. But on the other hand, he who has not faith, cannot be
rid of sin nor escape the wrath of God. For he has no forgiveness and abides
under condemnation, even if he is very zealous to live according to the law;
for he cannot fulfil it. Besides, he does not accept Christ, who brings
forgiveness and bestows upon believers his own fulfilment, and also gives power
to begin to keep the law from the heart.
22. Therefore, wheresoever this preaching is not accepted,
there sin and condemnation must remain. Indeed, this unbelief then becomes the
chief sin. For if faith in Christ were present, all sins would be forgiven; but
now since they will not accept this Saviour by faith, they are justly condemned
in their sins. And it avails them nothing, that they do many works of the law
and outward divine services, and judge according to reason, that, as they
sinned by works, they will pay by works, that is to say, put away sin and merit
God's favor. For in so doing they simply undertake to blot out sin by sin, indeed, to atone for great
sins by little ones, or to do great sins in order to lay aside others. For in
addition to the fact that they continue in disobedience and sins against God's
commandments, and are so blind that they neither see nor regard it, but without
repentance and fear of God's wrath have the presumption and pride to expect to
please God by their own works and merits: above all this they proceed not only
to despise this preaching of Christ, which admonishes to repentance and faith,
but even to persecute it. This alone would be enough to bring eternal wrath and
condemnation upon them, even if they had no other sins and fulfilled the whole
law.
23. Therefore the Holy Spirit rightly and justly convicts,
as sinful and condemned, all who have not faith in Christ. For where this is
wanting, other sins in abundance must follow: God is despised and hated, and
the entire first table is treated with disobedience. For if one does not know
God in Christ, he cannot trust him for any good thing, nor call upon him from
the heart, nor know his word; but he is entangled in the devil's lies,
persecutes and blasphemes true doctrines, and
continues in obstinacy and hardening, even to the degree of slandering the Holy
Spirit. In consequence of this he also disobeys the other commandments in his
life and station, so that he does to nobody what he ought to do, and has in his
heart no true love, kindness, gentleness, patience, no
delight in chastity, righteousness, faithfulness and truth; but practices the
contrary, except where he has reason to fear disgrace or punishment.
24. Lo, how the dragon's tail of the devil and all hell must
follow unbelief! The reason is, that he who does not believe in Christ, has
already turned away from God and quite separated himself from him. Therefore he
cannot have the Holy Spirit, nor originate good thoughts, nor have a true,
hearty pleasure in living according to God's will; notwithstanding he may
outwardly assume a different appearance, like a hypocrite, and act so as not to
be rebuked or chastised. Just like a bad, ill-behaved servant, who is inimical
to his master, and does what he hates to do, only because he is compelled, and
as opportunity arises, does evil. Such are the beautiful, precious fruits,
produced by this fountain and stem, if Christ is not accepted and heard as the
Saviour, presented to us by God in order to blot out our sin and to take from
us God's wrath.
25. Hence you see pictured here what the world is, nothing
but a great company of wicked, stubborn people, who will not believe Christ,
but despise God's Word, praise and accept the seduction of the devil, and
defiantly run counter to all of God's commandments. They receive all the favors
and benefits of God only to repay him with ingratitude and blasphemy. And yet
in all this they are unwilling to be convicted or reproved, but wish to be
called excellent, pious and saintly people. Such were the Jews, who crucified
Christ and persecuted his apostles, and yet wished to claim the glory of having
done God great service. Therefore the Holy Spirit must resist this and strive
with the world and ever exercise his office of conviction with divine power and
might until the last day.
26. For he has not begun to convict with the intention of
ceasing and allowing his mouth to be closed. On the contrary he must continue
his work of conviction in the devil's kingdom, because there is nothing good in
it, and he must drive it altogether under God's wrath and condemnation, in
spite of the rage and fury of the devil, if perhaps by
this conviction some be brought to repentance and faith, which indeed is the
object of this preaching. But the others, who will not be convicted, must at
least be convinced and condemned by this preaching. For all flesh and blood
must be convicted, either for salvation or for condemnation, and the sentence,
which Christ commanded to be preached to all creatures, must stand: ”He that
believeth shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” Let
this be enough of the first point in the preaching of the Holy Spirit. The
second is this:
”Of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more.”
27. Not only is the world convicted because it has sin, but
also because it does not know how to become pious and what righteousness or
piety is. But he is not speaking here of the righteousness, which philosophers
and jurists discuss, which consists in observing civil or imperial laws and in
doing what reason teaches; but of the righteousness, which is valid before God
or which be regards as righteousness. Now what kind of righteousness is this,
or wherein does it consist? This is it, says he, that ”I go to the Father, and
ye behold me no more.” This is strange and to the
world ridiculous language. If the first particular was unusual and obscure,
that this is the world's sin, that it does not believe on him; then this is far
more strange and incomprehensible, that this alone is
righteousness, that he goes to the Father and is seen no more.
28. What shall the whole world say to this? They are all
striving after righteousness and claiming to be pious before God, Jewish,
Turkish and papistic saints, who stumble at this as an offensive, nay, foolish
doctrine, just as if all good works, devotions, pious intentions, fine obedience,
severe and strict life on the part of so many men are to be nothing before God?
And why does he give such an odd and absurd
definition, that being pious before God consists in this that he goes to the
Father and yet is not seen? How does it fit together, being righteous by what
one cannot see nor feel?
29. Well, you learn here, that he concludes emphatically and
vigorously, that alone is righteousness which he calls righteousness, and the
world is convicted by it, because it does not possess it. It is as if he said:
Of what use is it, for you to dispute much about good works, holy living and
what you think is the way to righteousness? If you do not have this, that I go
to the Father, it is all nothing and worth nothing before God. Even if you
should seek and strive, think and study to death, and pursue after
righteousness with all your powers, you will never think it out or attain to
it. Another righteousness is necessary, different from what you understand and
propose, where one is to take up the law, and be obedient to it and live
according to it. Something far and high above all that is necessary, where
there is no law, or commandment, or human work and life, but only what I do,
namely, that ”I go to the Father” etc.
30. How now does it come to pass? Answer: In the first part
of this discourse we heard that all men are convicted in respect of sin. From
this it follows, as has been explained, that nobody fulfils the law or the ten
commandments. For if anybody fulfilled them, he would certainly not be convicted
as a sinner, but by this obedience and fulfilment of the law he would be
righteous, as St. Paul says in Gal 3, 21-22: ”If there had been a law given
which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been by the law. But
the scripture shut up all things under sin.” Since no man can fulfil the law,
we have no righteousness from the law of and in ourselves, with which we can
stand before God against his wrath and judgment. But, if we are to come to God,
we must have the righteousness of another, which God regards and accepts.
31. For the conviction in respect of sin extends over all
human life on earth. Even saints and Christians must still suffer this
conviction to pass upon their best life and work, and confess that they have sin, which would be wrong and
worthy of condemnation, if it should be judged according to God's commandment
and before his tribunal; as also the prophet David, saintly and full of good
works as he was, prays and confesses: ”Enter not into judgment with thy
servant; for in thy sight no man living is righteous, Ps 143, 2; and St. Paul
(I Cor 4, 4): ”I know nothing against myself; yet I am not hereby justified.”
But that they are not condemned like the others, is due alone to this
difference: they accept this conviction, confess and lament that they have sin, and believe on Christ and
seek forgiveness of sins through him. In this way they have the righteousness
of another, which is entirely the work, power and merit of Christ the Lord. He
calls it: ”Going to the Father.”
32. For these words: ”because I go to the Father,” embraces
the whole work of our redemption and salvation, for which God's Son was sent
from heaven, and which he performed for us and still performs until the end;
namely, his passion, death and resurrection, and his whole reign in the church.
For this going to the Father signifies nothing else than that he offers himself
as a sacrifice by the shedding of his blood and his death in order to pay for
sin; that afterwards he triumphs in his resurrection and brings into subjection
to himself sin, death and hell, and seats himself alive at the right hand of
the Father, where he reigns invisibly over all things in heaven and earth, and
gathers and extends his church by the preaching of the Gospel; and that he
intercedes for those, who believe, with the Father as an eternal mediator and
high priest, because they still have weaknesses and sins remaining in them, and
gives the power, and strength of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin, the devil and
death.
33. Lo, this now is the righteousness of Christians before
God, that Christ goes to the Father, that is, suffers, and rises for us, and
thereby reconciles us to the Father. so that for his sake we
have forgiveness of sin and grace. It is not at all by our work or
merit, but solely by his going, which he does for our sake. This is the
righteousness of another, for which we have done nothing and have merited
nothing, and are unable to merit anything, freely given and appropriated to us
to be our righteousness, whereby we please God and are his dear children and
heirs.
34. But that this freely bestowed righteousness is in us,
and that we can comfort ourselves with it as our treasure and chief possession,
comes by faith alone. For it must be received and accepted by us. Now it cannot
be apprehended otherwise than with the heart, which clings to the departure of
Christ and firmly believes that for his sake it has forgiveness and redemption
from sin and death. For this righteousness is not an external thing, which can
be effected by human works, ordinances or exercises; but a lofty, hidden
treasure, not to be seen with eyes nor comprehended by our senses: as he
himself says: ”Ye behold me no more.” It must simply
be believed.
35. Here now is abolished and cut off at one stroke all that
the world is seeking, disputing and inquiring about without end, namely, how a
man may become pious before God. Everybody says something different; one
teaches this, another that; and yet none has ever arrived at it, although they may
have heard, learned and practiced every doctrine of the law and good works. One
ought justly to ask this master Christ also and to be glad to hear what he
says; as indeed everybody would wish to do, if this preaching were not at hand,
and would gladly run to the ends of the earth for it. But, of course, everybody
hopes that he will say something to the point, what should be done and
something higher and better than all others have taught.
36. But what does he say? Not a word about our doing and
living: on the contrary he says, that all this is not the righteousness, which
is valid before God. But if you wish to become pious and righteous before God,
something else is necessary, something that neither you nor any man is and can
do, namely this: ”I go to the Father.” In other words, nobody will become
righteous before God except by and on account of this, that I die and rise again. My departure alone is the cause, why God
graciously accepts a man and counts him righteous, if he clings to Christ in
faith.
37. Therefore these words are to be carefully noted, in
which Christ proves himself such an adventurous man in speaking against the
understanding and ideas of all men, especially, of the wise and saintly, who
all, if the discussion be concerning what it is to be pious and righteous, know
nothing else to speak of than what they call justitiam formalem, that is, such
virtue as is in us or as we ourselves do, that is to say, our work and
obedience.
38. Again you say: What about the doctrine of good works?
Shall this amount to nothing, or is it not a beautiful, praiseworthy thing,
when a man endeavors to keep the commandments, and is obedient, chaste,
honorable and truthful? Answer: Yes, surely; all this is to be done; it is also
a good doctrine and life, provided it is left in the place where it belongs,
and the two doctrines are kept distinct, how a man becomes pious and righteous
before God, and how and to what end he is to do good works. For although it is
necessary to teach the doctrine of good works, at the same time, nay, even
before this also must be carefully taught (so that the doctrine of the Gospel
and of faith be kept pure and unadulterated), that all our works, however good
and holy they may be, are not the treasure and merit, by which we become acceptable
to God and attain everlasting life. But it is this alone, that Christ goes to
the Father and by his departure merits this for us, and gives and communicates
to us his righteousness, innocence and merits; and so begins in us a kingdom
that we, who believe in him, are redeemed by his power and Spirit from sin and
death, and shall live with him forever. It must not be a righteousness that
continues only here upon earth and then ceases; but a new righteousness, which
endures forever in the life beyond with God, just as Christ lives and reigns
above forever.
39. For this reason I have often said, that in order to
speak and judge correctly of these matters, a careful distinction must be made between a good man (what the philosophers call bonum
virum) and a Christian. We also commend being a good man. There is nothing more praiseworthy on earth, and it is a gift of God just as
well as sun and moon, corn and wine, and all creatures. But things must not be
mixed and confused. Let a good man have his praise before the world, and let it
be said: A good man is doubtless an excellent, precious man on earth, but for
that reason he is not yet a Christian; for he may be a Turk or a heathen, as in
ages past some were very famous. Indeed it cannot be otherwise than, that among
so many wicked people, occasionally a good man should be found. But however
good he may be, with such goodness he is and remains a child of Adam, that is,
an earthly man under sin and death.
40. But when you inquire about a Christian, you must go much
higher; for he is another kind of a man. He is not a child of Adam, and has not
father and mother upon earth; but he is a child of God, an heir and nobleman in
the kingdom of heaven. He is called a Christian because be clings with his
heart to this Saviour, who has ascended to the Father, and he believes that for
his sake and through him he has God's grace, and everlasting salvation and
life. This is neither achieved nor apprehended, attained nor learned by our
life, virtue and work, from which we are called good men on earth; nor by
righteousness according to the law and ten commandments. These, as has been
said, are also necessary, and are found in every Christian; but they do not
attain by far to this chief thing and this righteousness, of which Christ is
speaking here and which he calls righteousness.
41. For, although a man has
exercised himself in this during his whole life much and long, and has done
everything that he was able to do; nevertheless be cannot thereby attain to
certainty that God is pleased with it and is truly gracious to him. Hence in
every such life the heart always remains uncertain and in doubt. All
experienced consciences give evidence of this, and even the monks bear
testimony to it in their books, in which they teach openly, that one must
doubt, for no man can know whether he is in a state of grace, and it would be
presumptuous in a high degree to make this boast with reference to one's self.
42. From this it must follow: because a man is in such
doubt, he can have no true confidence in God, nor turn
to him and call upon him from his heart; but he is timid and flees from God,
and must at last fall into hatred of God and despair. For when the real
struggle comes and he is to stand before the judgment, then he feels and sees,
that with his life and works he cannot abide the wrath of God, but with it all
must sink into the abyss.
43. If now in such distress we are to be saved from despair
and to prevail, we must have another foundation than our righteousness or that
of the law, namely, this eternal righteousness of Christ, which stands there,
where the devil cannot overthrow it and the judgment of God can bring no charge
against it, that is, at the right hand of the Father. The devil can overthrow
me, whenever he wills, with all my life and works by presenting God's judgment
and wrath. All this can blow away as the wind blows a little feather. But when
I direct him from myself and my works to the right hand of the Father, where
Christ, my Lord, is seated, who bestows upon me his righteousness, for which he
has gone to the Father, he will not overthrow him, nay, he will not even dare
to attack him.
44. Therefore Christ acts like a faithful, good Saviour,
when he draws all this from us and all men to himself alone, and grounds and
builds our righteousness entirely on his departure to the Father. So we can
know, where we are safe against every onset and assault of the devil and the
gates of hell. For if it depended upon us and upon our worthiness, that we had made sufficient satisfaction and had done enough good works,
our heart never would have rest and finally could not exist.
45. From all this it is manifest what a shameful, cursed
doctrine the monks and the whole papacy have hitherto taught, whereby they have
misled the world. They not only taught no word of Christ and faith, but they
even claimed with impudence, that their monkery is a much higher, nobler and more perfect life than that of ordinary Christians, which
ought to be an abomination to all Christians to hear. For one may exalt and
extol the life and piety of all men, the chastity of virgins, the discipline
and asceticism of hermits, the laudable deeds and virtues of great, excellent
and pious lords and rulers, and whatever may be described to pious people, as
high as one pleases; it never can equal a Christian, that is, one who has this
Lord, sitting at the right hand of God, and his righteousness. We will gladly
let that also stand for what it is worth and praise it as a precious gift; but
a Christian is to be extolled as a lord far and high above all that, as one
that has this eternal possession and inheritance in the kingdom of heaven at
the right hand of God with Christ, his brother.
46. He that understands and knows how to distinguish this,
can also teach and judge correctly of all life, and go safely in all matters
and guard himself from error. For he judges and measures everything by this
rule and standard, which Christ teaches here, that the righteousness of a
Christian is not the righteousness that has grown in us, like the other called
the righteousness of the law and of man, but it is a heavenly and divine
righteousness without and above us.
47. Therefore, if anybody comes and tries to make a fool of you,
makes much ado and tells you wonders about great exceptional holiness, and
directs you to live after the example of this or that great saint, in order
thereby to please God and become a Christian, you can say to him: Dear sir, I
grant all that is good and I also would like to be pious, do according to God's
commandments, and keep myself from sin; but you shall never persuade me, that
in this way I become a Christian or attain to greater and higher things. They
also, who fasted, labored and suffered so much, did not become Christians by
that. For this were to encroach upon my dear Lord Christ, so that he would have
gone away in vain and human work would be placed on equality with his. But I
wish to be called a Christian, as he taught me and all saints have had to do,
if they wished to stand before God, because I cling to this Saviour and, as St.
Paul says in Phil 3, 9: ”Be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine
own, even that which is of the law,” but his, which he gained for me by this
departure, by which he overcame my sin and death, and which he announces and
grants to me through the preaching of the Gospel. When you once have this, then
go and do as many good works as you can; however, do it according to the
commandment of God, for without this and before him you will be able to do
nothing good, because you are still in unbelief, and have and know not Christ,
and therefore are under sin with all that you do; as we have heard in the first
part of this discourse.
48. Behold, this is speaking according to the manner of
Christ and with his words of righteousness, which he esteems righteousness. It
is not an external human thing upon earth, but something incomprehensible and
invisible in this life. It is not found in us men on earth, nor attained through
men, but a new heavenly righteousness, which he alone has created and founded
by his death and resurrection, and which we must apprehend in faith, because we
do not see it, and which has for its goal an everlasting, unending life and
being, where he rules in a new, heavenly state.
49. For this life will not reach up to it, because it is
altogether corrupted by sin and death, and finally shall be destroyed.
Therefore the Son of God from heaven has founded this kingdom, which is not
concerned with external, worldly affairs and government, as the Jews and the
apostles imagined, nor with the poor, beggarly righteousness of this life. Its
purpose is, on the contrary, to create a new, everlasting righteousness, by
which all nature shall be transformed and renewed, and in it shall be no sin or
death any more, but a purely perfect, divine work and
life. This is the work, which he has begun by going to the Father and in his
own person has already fully accomplished. This kingdom he is evermore
promoting in this life by the preaching of the Gospel and the work of the Holy
Spirit in the hearts of believers until the last day. But in the life to come
it shall be lived and found completely and perfectly in us.
50. This is the meaning, he intends to say, of the words: ”I
go to the Father, and ye behold me no more.” I am not
speaking of this temporal life and existence upon earth, which in this corrupt
nature cannot be without sin and death. Therefore there can be no perfect
righteousness and life in it. Nor shall my kingdom consist of this transitory
nature. Things must become different and arrive at the pass, that you behold me
no more, because I reign eternally outside of this
bodily, visible existence, and I shall bring you thither, where purely new and
perfect righteousness and eternal life exist. This kingdom I now begin in
Christendom by the preaching and work of the Holy Spirit.
”Of judgment, because the prince of this world hath been judged!”
51. In the first two thoughts Christ spoke of doctrine and
included the whole sum of the Gospel. First, that all human nature, power,
doing and life are sin and under God's wrath, because they do not believe in
Christ. Secondly, that we become righteous, that is, we are redeemed from sin
and death, and we please God and have eternal life, solely because Christ goes
to the Father. Now follows the third, including both how the world conducts
itself towards this preaching, and how contrariwise the Holy Spirit shall press
forward with his preaching.
52. Of this he says, he will convict the world further in
respect of judgment. This is also somewhat strange and obscure language in the
ears of us, who are not accustomed to the Hebrew speech. The word ”judgment”
means nothing else than (as we also speak of it) the action and decision
between two parties at variance, which is right or wrong; and it embraces at
once both elements, which must always enter into a proceeding of judgment,
favor and anger, or aid and punishment, on the one hand, that the innocent
party be acquitted and helped to his rights; on the other, that the guilty be
condemned and punished. However, the word is generally used for the latter
element of judgment or the legal sentence namely, for condemnation and its
consequence or execution.
53. In this sense Christ also uses it here, and he intends
to indicate that when the Holy Spirit shall pursue the two themes of his
preaching in the world and shall convict it in respect of sin and
righteousness, the world will not receive it, nor be willing to be convicted of
being in sin and without righteousness, nor be moved to allow the righteousness
of Christ to be offered to it. But it will set itself against this teaching and
convicting of the Holy Spirit, and condemn and persecute it. It will claim to
be right in doing so and to be obliged not to suffer its wisdom and
righteousness, which it considers divine gifts and service of God, to be
reduced to nothing. Contrariwise the Holy Spirit must continue to convict in
respect of this judgment and also press the sentence of condemnation, and tell
the world that it with its judgment is condemned, together with its prince and
head, the devil.
54. Then arises the conflict and one judgment runs contrary
to the other. For the world also sets up this teaching, not only because it does
not proceed from its wisdom nor from the great, distinguished men of the world,
but also because it is preached by poor, lowly people. It opens its mouth wide
against it, and says: Why, what more is it than that
some, vagabond beggars wish to oppose established authority and by everybody,
aye, was instituted by God himself? So it condemns, interdicts and curses both
the doctrine and the preachers. Moreover it proceeds to shut up their mouths by
threats of its power, resorts to severity and the sword, and will absolutely
have its error and idolatry unassisted and unreproved, nay, preserved and
defended against God and Christ as wisdom and holiness, and the preaching of
the Gospel uprooted and exterminated.
55. But Christ says on the contrary, that the Holy Spirit
shall retain the superior judgment and prevail with his convicting of this
sentence of the world until the last day. But in consequence of this,
Christians get into straits between door and hinge, and the cross and
persecution begins. For, because the kingdom of Christ, as we have heard, is
not of this world, but spiritual and at present invisible on earth, the power
and might, which the world has upon earth, are directed against the church with
condemning, persecuting, harassing, torturing, killing and murdering by sword,
fire, water and every means. The world is also incited and strengthened by the
bitter, fierce anger and hatred of the devil against Christ, who desires and
seeks to blot out and exterminate the church. And so to the eyes of the world
and also of Christians it looks as if, in consequence of this persecution,
cruelty and murder, practised on the Christians who confess and maintain this
preaching of the Holy Spirit, the church would altogether perish.
56. In this part of discourse then Christ first prophesies,
how this preaching shall be received by the world and what would happen to the
apostles on account of it; namely, in the first place the world shall despise
them, because they come along without any public authority and command from it
and introduce a new doctrine in opposition to the regular government,
priesthood and teaching office, instituted by God, and convict and reprove all
it maintains as of no validity before God; in the next place, because they wish
to continue and not to cease their preaching, the world will proceed and issue
judgment against them and also execute it, as against people, who are neither
sent by God nor preach God's word, but are the emissaries of the devil, and
who, having been proved and declared to be blasphemers of God, disobedient and
rebellious to God's law, God's people and God's service, are guilty of death
and not worthy to live. So the Jews cried out against St. Paul (Acts 22,22):
”It is not fit that he should live,” and they assign the reason (Acts 21, 28):
”This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the
law, and this place.”
57. Secondly, Christ gives comfort against this hatred of
judgment and persecution of the world. They are to know that he will
nevertheless maintain his preaching and preserve his church against the anger
and rage of the world by his divine power and
strength. The devil and his kingdom shall be subdued by him and compelled to
yield and not be able to execute against his church what in his fierce, mad
wrath and hate he would like to do. Therefore, although Christians on account
of this preaching must be exposed to the devil and the world, this word shall
nevertheless remain undestroyed and finally triumph and hold the field, and
make manifest to all the world its unjust judgment against the Gospel. In the
end they shall be made to feel ashamed of themselves
and to acknowledge of themselves, that they condemned and persecuted the Gospel
unfairly and with injustice; just as the judges of Christ, aye, even his
betrayer, in his passion had to bear witness to his innocence. The reason, he
says, is this: this king Christ by going to the Father has overcome both the
world and the devil; and now he causes this to be proclaimed that he is the
Lord of all and has power and might to condemn and to punish, with everlasting
hell fire, everything that opposes him, including the devil and his angels.
58. This is what he says, that this conviction shall
continue against the world that persecutes the Gospel, and finally prevail over
it, so that its judgment and condemnation shall be overpowered, and in turn be
condemned and put to shame; and not only the world, but also its God, the
devil, who incites the world against Christ. For he is, says he, already
judged, and the sentence of condemnation has already been pronounced upon him,
and the only thing still wanting is its execution, that the punishment be
inflicted upon him in eternal hell fire: just like a thief or murderer,
sentenced by the judge, upon whom the wrath and judgment of blood has already
passed and who has been given over to death, so that he only needs to be led
away and to receive his due.
59. So here this judgment proceeds by power and might of the
Lord Christ, sitting at the right hand of the Father; and this judgment is
publicly proclaimed by the office of preaching, that the prince of the world
with all his adherents is already finally under condemnation, and shall
accomplish nothing against Christ. He must let him remain the Lord, under whose
feet he shall eternally lie and suffer his head to be trodden down. And Christ
causes this to be preached in all the world, that whoever will not believe on
the Lord, shall be condemned with the devil, however high, mighty, learned or
holy he may be, regardless of how he dares to condemn this doctrine or to
suppress and extirpate it, be his name Roman or Turkish emperor, king and lord
over all.
60. If now meanwhile the world goes its way and despises
this judgment, which is already pronounced upon the devil and all his members,
and makes a jest of it, because it does not see it come to pass visibly, just
as it also condemns the first and second part of this preaching. Christ
nevertheless ever proceeds and cheerfully allows himself to be despised. But at
the same time he also shows the devil and the world that he is the Lord, who
can break and restrain the wrath and raging of the devil, and hurl down his
enemies, as Psalm 110, I, says of him, until he makes his enemies his
footstool. For the ax is already laid at the tree, and already chains and bonds
are thrown upon him, as 2 Peter 2, 4, says, with which the devil is bound unto
everlasting darkness in the fire of hell. Nobody shall believe this except the
Christians, who take their Lord's Word for truth and know his power and
kingdom; the others shall have no other reward than what they seek with their
lord, the devil. Plunged into the abyss of hell in everlasting darkness, they
must be overthrown and perish on account of their raging against Christ. This
is the first division of this Gospel of the kingdom of Christ and the preaching
of the Holy Spirit in the world. Now follows:
II. SERMON ON THE TEACHING OFFICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
”I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth.”
61. This part also belongs to the promise of the Holy Spirit
and his office in the church. But he breaks off here, what he had begun to say
of the doctrine and had summarily comprehended in few words concerning what the
Holy Spirit shall preach; and he directs them to the truth, that the Holy
Spirit himself shall come and teach them these things, so that they shall well
understand them and experience them in their work. For it is not yet time, he
will say, to speak much of the doctrine, because he is about to pronounce his
farewell and to comfort them in view of his departure. Moreover, even if he
should speak of it at great length, they are not yet prepared to comprehend and
understand rightly, how it shall be in his future kingdom. For they are yet too
deeply immersed in the thought and hope of an external, temporal kingdom and
worldly glory, so that they cannot adapt themselves and take into their hearts,
what he says to them of his spiritual kingdom and office, which he shall
fulfill through the Holy Spirit. For they are able to think only in this way:
If he is to be a king, he must be present himself, and win the world to himself
either with his preaching and miracles, so that it will voluntarily render him
obedience and accept him as lord, or if it is not willing of its own accord,
compel it by external force and punishment. But if this, which he now says
shall happen, and he goes away from them and is not seen any more,
that is, dies, it is no longer to be hoped that he will be a king and execute
such great things. Therefore they are, and until after his resurrection they
remain, quite bewildered, so that they do not understand what he told them
beforehand, and besides they already feel the misery, sorrow and persecution of
the world, which he here announces to them.
62. This is what he says: ”I have yet many things to say
unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” It is too heavy for you to bear, what
has been said and still is to be said of this; for it is all quite contrary to
your thoughts and hopes. For if you understood it, you would thereby take
comfort and be of a joyful heart; as he also said before: ”If ye loved me, ye
would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father.” But now what I tell you for
your comfort about my glorification, ascent to heaven, and the glorious
kingdom, which I will begin through you, only fills you with fear and sorrow.
It is indeed true: ”Ye cannot bear them now.”
Therefore I must reserve it, until the time comes, when what I tell you now
beforehand, shall come. He must teach it to you himself, and lead and guide you
out of your present erroneous thoughts and misunderstandings into the truth and
right knowledge.
63. For, he says, his office shall be to glorify me, that
is, to declare of me the revelation and testimony that I, raised out of
suffering and death to glory, seated at the right hand of the Father, am Lord
over all, and announce to all the world, that this was the counsel of the
Father. Therefore the Holy Spirit shall be sent in order that the world may
know this and so be brought to my kingdom. When now this takes place, and I am
taken from you and the Holy Spirit comes, he himself shall doubtless teach much
better than you now think and understand; and in your own experience shall be
found what I have now spoken to you and, if I were to explain and elucidate it
further, would have to speak much more fully. In this
sense he also afterwards concludes this chapter, as we shall hear in the Gospel
for next Sunday, and says: ”These things have I spoken unto you in dark
sayings,” that is, what I have hitherto told you of my passion, resurrection,
and your sufferings and how in the midst of them you shall ask the Father in my
name, all these are now strange, dark and hidden sayings, which you do not
understand. But the time shall come, ”when I shall speak no more
to you in dark sayings, but shall tell you plainly of the Father,” namely, when
I have ascended to heaven and shall send to you the Holy Spirit. Then you shall
experience, what now is nothing but dark sayings to you, as I tell it to you.
This is the true, simple meaning of the text: ”I have
yet many things to say unto you.”
64. But these words have had to serve our papists and still
must serve them, and allow themselves to be twisted and interpreted, in order
to strengthen their frippery, and to be laid as foundation of what they pretend
and expectorate, that much more must be believed and
kept than what the Gospel and the Scriptures teach, namely, what the fathers
and the councils have said and ordained. For Christ has promised here that the
Holy Spirit shall tell them much more than he has
said, and guide them into all the truth. Just as if the apostles had very well
understood, what Christ says to them here, whereas they themselves prove the
contrary by the work of their unbelief in regard to his passion and
resurrection. Or as if this were ever so easy to understand, that the Holy
Spirit was not necessary, whereas until this day no pope understands anything
of it, as I know from experience. For their art I have also learned; and by
their books they give evidence enough, that they
understand nothing of this. Therefore it is necessary to reply to these fools,
in order to break down their tissue of lies.
65. First you hear now that Christ says: ”I have yet many
things to say unto you.” Who are these ”you”? Or to whom is he speaking?
Without doubt the apostles, to whom he also says: ”Ye cannot bear them now;” and ”The Holy Spirit shall guide you into all the
truth.” Therefore, unless Christ lied, this word must have been fulfilled at
the time that the Holy Spirit came. He must have accomplished in them and
through them all that the Lord here says, and have guided them into all the
truth. How now will it be inferred from this that Christ did not tell all to
the apostles, nor did the Holy Spirit, but left much untold, which the councils
should teach and determine? Whereas, according to their claims, the contrary
should follow, that the Holy Spirit has told all to the apostles; and Christ is
pressing towards this conclusion, that he will explain all to the apostles and
will introduce into the world through them, what they have learned from the
Holy Spirit. How then does their juggling agree, that what is to be known,
believed and done in the church is only to be told, taught, decided and
ordained after the apostles at the end of the world.
66. Furthermore, if what the councils have taught and
decided after the apostles is to be taken as truth, revealed anew by the Holy
Spirit, the apostles themselves did not come into all the truth, much less they
to whom they preached. And together with them the church would be deceived by
Christ, when be promises them: The Holy Spirit shall guide you into all the
truth.
67. Secondly, Christ says plainly: ”I have yet many things
to say unto you.” He does not say: I have many other things to say unto you,
and the Holy Spirit shall teach and explain to you other things than I have
told you. This is their own addition, which they daub on the words of Christ,
and so pervert them, that teaching many things (multa) is to mean teaching
other things (alia). We would wish them well to the word ”many,” if only they
had the grace of the Holy Spirit to teach many things; but it is not to be
endured, that under the guise of the word ”many” they also wish to introduce
and to have power to teach other things. For they impudently claim that the
church by inspiration of the Holy Spirit appointed and ordained many things
after the apostles, which must be observed; among others the article of one
form in the Sacrament, celibacy of priests, and the like. This is not teaching more or further, but altogether different things, aye,
contrary things against the clear ordinance and command of Christ, which they
themselves must acknowledge is right. Nevertheless it is to be heresy and wrong
to act contrary to their law according to the command of Christ; for the
church, they say, has ordained differently. If you ask, on what ground, they
answer: ”Christ says: ”I have yet many things to say unto you;” indeed, even
that which is contrary to his own Word and command.
68. Truly, that would be a fine church, which could arrogate
to itself the power, as the Antichristian church of the pope does, to teach
contrary to Christ whatever it wished, and to change his ordinances, and then
would prove and confirm it with this saying: ”I have yet many things to say
unto you.” Whereas he says distinctly of the Holy Spirit, and so puts limit and
measure upon him, that the Holy Spirit shall glorify Christ and not speak from
himself, but take and proclaim of his own, that is, of that which is the Word
and command of Christ. Therefore the company that teaches otherwise, cannot be
from the Holy Spirit, nor the church of Christ, but must be the sect of the
hateful devil.
69. For the Christian church and the Holy Spirit himself
abide by that which Christ said and commanded. They may make more of it, that
is, elucidate it in length and in breadth, but they do not make something
different of it. For this saying ”many things” consists in discussing one point
in manifold ways and yet always saying one thing. For instance John the
Evangelist wrote many more things than Christ said
here; but yet always holds to the one thing, discussing thoroughly the article
of faith on the person, office and kingdom of Christ, of which also Christ
speaks, and his scope or main point always looks to this Lamb of God. Likewise
St. Paul in the Epistle to the Romans and almost throughout that to the
Galatians treats of and enforces the righteousness of faith.
70. Doubtless this is to preach much and to say more than Christ said in these few words but yet always one
thing and not something different. For it is the quality of a good preacher,
that he is able to take a subject and briefly comprehend it and sum it up in
two or three words, and afterwards, if there is need, also to elucidate and
explain it with sayings and examples and make out of a flower a whole meadow:
just as a goldsmith is able to bend one piece of silver together solidly into a
lump, and again beat it broad, crooked and curly, and into thin foil; and so it
becomes a long or a short sermon, but always the same and not contradictory.
For God's Word is to dwell in us richly, says St. Paul (Col 3, 16), so that we
may be powerful in the Scriptures and able to prove the right doctrine by them.
The Epistle to the Hebrews does this which for the most part speaks of the
priesthood of Christ, and spins a long sermon out of the saying in the 110th
Psalm, v. 4: ”Thou art a priest forever,” adducing many more
sayings, texts and examples; and yet, viewed as a whole, it amounts to nothing
more than this one point, that Christ is the only eternal priest. This indeed
means that much more is said than David says in the psalm mentioned, but still
nothing different. So since the beginning of Christianity much more has been taught and preached, through the Holy Spirit,
than Christ did, and more may be taught still every day and expounded most
abundantly and in every manner, as more is revealed to one than another, or as
it falls and is given to one to speak more copiously than another; but still in
such a way, that when it is all finally brought together, it all refers to one
Christ. And how many things can be adduced as illustrations from the whole
Bible, aye, from all creatures, which all agree with the teaching of the
Gospel, none of which Christ has taught or said, and yet it is the same
doctrine!
71. St. Paul also speaks of this when he refers to the gift
of prophecy or the interpretation of the Scriptures, and lays down a measure
and rule by which it is to be governed: ”Whether prophecy, let us prophecy”,
says he in Rom 12, 6, ”according to the proportion of our faith,” that is, in
harmony and agreement with the doctrine of faith. For instance, if one wished
to adduce the example of Abraham, who took his son Isaac upon the mountain to
sacrifice him there, but left his servants and the ass below at the foot of the
mountain; this example can be interpreted for and according to the faith, or
against the faith. The Jewish preachers and teachers did the latter, when they set forth that whoever would allow himself to be sacrificed
and killed in the same manner, he would do the loftiest work and would
immediately ascend to heaven; wherefore kings, who desired to be distinguished
saints, sacrificed and burned to God their own children alive. Similarly our
monkish saints interpret it. If one wishes to come to God, he must leave
servants and beasts below at the foot of the mountain, that is, put away the
five senses and have nothing to do with outward, worldly affairs, but separated
from all this, live in spiritual contemplation. This can be called interpreting
and teaching not in proportion to and according to the faith, but against it.
But you may interpret it in this way: Whoever wishes to come to God, must rise above human understanding and thoughts, so that he may
have God's Word, to learn to know and apprehend God from it, and there offers
before him by faith (if the conscience is to stand before God) the sacrifice,
given for us as a sacrifice by God, Christ, the Son of God, and meanwhile lets
the ass with the servants remain below, that is, what is of our own work and
doing. In this way I have adduced this example. This is the same teaching that
the Gospel contains everywhere, and is not against, but for the faith; although
this also is not the real, sure interpretation of this history.
72. Our papistic asses, swine and simpletons will not regard
this, but wish to persuade us to accept everything that is put forth and taught
in the name of the church or the councils, as if the Holy Spirit taught it,
irrespective of how it agrees and corresponds with the teaching of the Gospel;
and all is to be confirmed by the saying: ”I have yet many things to say unto
you.” No, dear fellow, that will not pass, although he has more
to say; you cannot for this reason say whatever you please, or what every monk
has dreamed, or what every bold papist wishes to be observed. This I willingly
grant you, that you may spread these words of Christ and be a copious preacher,
and out of one word make a thousand, in order that it may become clear, bright
and lucid, and everybody may understand it; but only in such a way that the one
pure, uncorrupted doctrine remains. But if, contrary to this, you bring up and
put forth a new doctrine, for instance, if anybody becomes a monk, he has a new
baptism and becomes as pure as a young child, just baptized; then not the Holy
Spirit, but the devil teaches you to speak, and it is not teaching more, but something quite different from and contradictory
to what Christ says. Therefore a Christian must be prudent in this matter and,
as St. John teaches, be able to prove the spirits according to the Word of God,
and be on his guard, lest he allows himself to be told another teaching, be it
much or little, and led and guided upon another way.
73. Thirdly, he says: ”Ye cannot bear them now.” You observe
here, that he is speaking of excellent, great things, which are too difficult
for them, and for this reason alone he is unwilling to say more
about them now, because they are too imperfect and weak. He refers, of course,
to the same things and none other, than he began to speak of, namely, his
kingdom, how it should progress in the world; how he must die
the most shameful death and become a curse, and yet be believed on as the
Saviour, the Son of God and the Lord over all. Furthermore, that they should be
persecuted and killed by the world, and nevertheless the Gospel should prosper,
and by it the whole Jewish people, their priesthood, temple, service of God and
all their glory, should fall to the ground. At that time they were able to understand
none of these things, even if he had preached to them for many years, until
they were taught by the Holy Spirit through experience in their office of
preaching.
74. But tell me, in comparison with these things what is all
that has been ordained and appointed later, after the apostles, by councils and
popes? Is that such a difficult thing, that it cannot be understood or endured
without special revelation and power of the Holy Spirit? How this or that order
and monastic rule is to be kept; shall black or gray hoods be worn; on Friday
no meat is to be eaten; only one form of the sacrament is to be used; should
not the apostles have been able to understand and bear such things, which every
unlearned, wicked rascal can well understand and do? Ah, they were much higher
things, which the apostles could not bear, and a higher art than these
good-for-nothing babblers dream of. I certainly think that what the apostles
were not able to understand and bear, that you also will not be able to
understand and bear with the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. For the doctrine
of faith is difficult to grasp and is not so easily learned, as inexperienced
spirits dream; namely, that a man must go out of himself, out of his own life
and works, and with his whole mind fasten to that, which he neither sees nor
feels in himself, namely, that Christ goes to the Father. O, it is a difficult
art, to despair thus of one's self, and to let go whatever one has of his good
or bad life, and to cling to the Word of Christ alone and to give body and soul
for it. What power of reason can search out or teach this, if the whole world
be searched over? Only try it with earnestness and in the real conflict of
conscience, and you will experience it. For the devil and our own nature, and
so many sects and false doctrines fight against it too hard. Let this be said
against the lies and asinine art of the papists, with which they defile and
bedaub this beautiful text, in order to confirm their lies.
75. But the meaning of this, that Christ calls the Holy
Spirit ”the Spirit of truth”, belongs to the explanation of other Gospels, and
is elsewhere fully expounded. But it is said here advisedly, ”The Spirit of
truth” and, ”'He shall guide you into all the truth,” that is, into the true, pure doctrine, which preaches of me and, as he
afterwards says, shall glorify me. For he sees far ahead here, that the spirit
of lies, the devil, will stir and put himself forward even in the church, and
set forth his own with great plausibility and approval; and he would fain say:
O, how many sects shall arise, all of whom shall boast wonderfully of great
mind, and yet they will only seduce people away from Christ and the truth into
error and perdition.
76. Therefore he describes the Holy Spirit, and gives to him
the true token, by which he can be known and tested:
”He shall glorify me; for he shall take of mine.” It is he alone, who
elucidates Christ, as he has made himself known
through his word; so that it may be known, that whoever teaches anything
different, and yet pretends to be a Christian and adorns himself with the name,
is not of the Spirit of Christ. For he shall teach no other thing, but adhere
to the same teaching of Christ, except that he spreads it more
and makes it clearer and plainer; wherefore he says: ”He shall glorify me.”
77. Furthermore, when he says: ”He shall not speak from
himself,” he again distinguishes between the false and the true
Spirit. For the others all come of themselves, and speak from themselves, what
they have thought out. Now he says, this is not the quality of the Holy Spirit,
but of the devil. ”When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a
liar, and the father thereof.” Jn 8, 44. Therefore he wishes to say: If a
spirit is heard, who speaks from himself, he is certainly a liar. But the Holy
Spirit shall not speak from himself; but what he receives from me and as he
shall hear me and the Father speak with each other.
78. This is truly an incisive text for the article of the
three persons in the divine Being, that the Son of God is the Word of the
Father in eternity, whom no one hears speak except the Holy Spirit; and he not
only hears, but also testifies and proclaims it in the world. And in short, it
all tends to this, that it is God's purpose that the Holy Spirit shall teach
and pursue only the article of Christ, how we become righteous before God for
his sake. Therefore he concludes - ”He shall glorify me - , for he shall
take of mine;” that is, he shall indeed say more than I, and speak and explain
more clearly; but he shall take of mine, and speak of me and not of men and
their holiness and works. This is to be his true
office and work, by which he shall be known, and which he shall carry on until
this Christ is well known. When you have learned this, you may seek for another
Holy Spirit; but I hope we shall all remain the disciples of this Master and
Teacher until the last day.
Fifth Sunday after Easter;
John 16:23-30
John 16:23-30
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask,
and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken
unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more
speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that
day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the
Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me,
and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and
am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His
disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no
proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any
man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
1. We are accustomed to read today's Gospel on this Sunday
because it treats of prayer and this week is called Rogation (Supplication)
week, in which we give ourselves to prayer and to
processions with crosses. Those who first instituted it, no doubt, meant it
well, but it has proven to work harm. For, in the processions heretofore, many
unchristian things have been practised, and there has been no praying at all or
very little; so that the processions were rightly abolished and discontinued.
Often have I admonished that we should persevere in prayer, for there is great
need of it. Since the outward prating and muttering of prayer is done away
with, we no longer pray in any way. This is a good indication that we
heretofore, notwithstanding our many prayers, never prayed.
2. The Lord points out here five things necessary to
constitute true prayer. The first is God's promise,
which is the chief thing and is the foundation and power of all prayers. For he
promises here that it shall be given us if we ask; and besides he swears:
”Verily, verily, I say unto you, if ye shall ask anything of the Father, he
will give it you in my name.” He promises that we
might be sure of being heard in prayer; yea, he censures the disciples for the
reason that they are lazy and have not therefore been praying. As if he would
say: God is ready to give more quickly, and to give
more than you ask; yea, he offers his treasures if we only take them. It is
truly a great shame and a severe chastisement for us Christians that God should
still upbraid us for our slothfulness in prayer, and that we fail to let such a
rich and excellent promise incite us to pray. We let this precious treasure lie
there, and seek it not, nor exercise ourselves to receive the power in such a
promise.
3. So God himself now founds our prayer upon his promise and
thereby encourages us to pray. If it were not for this promise, who would have
the courage to pray? We have hitherto resorted to many ways of preparing
ourselves to pray - ways with which the books are filled; but if you wish to be
well prepared, take the promise and lay hold of God with it. Then your courage
and desire to pray will soon grow, which courage you will never otherwise get.
For those who pray without God's promise, imagine in themselves how angry God
is, whom they wish to propitiate by means of their prayers. Without faith in
the promise, there is then, neither courage nor desire to pray, but mere
uncertain delusion and a melancholy spirit; there is, therefore, no hearing of
prayers, and both prayer and labor are lost.
4. By these words Christ now chastises the unbelief of those
who, by reason of their foolish worship, consider themselves unworthy to pray,
and gauge the worthiness of their prayer according to themselves and their own
ability, and not according to the promise of God. There is then, to be sure,
nothing but unworthiness. However, you should, by all means, be conscious of
your own unworthiness, taking confidence not from your own doings, but from the
promise of God, and be so completely conscious, that if you were all alone, and
no one else in the world prayed, you would nevertheless pray, because of this promise.
For you can point me to no true saint who prayed,
depending upon his own worthiness, and who did not rely only upon God's
promises, be he Peter, Paul, Mary, Elijah, or any one else. All of them have
been unworthy. I would not give a nickel for all the
prayers of a saint if he prayed because of his own worthiness.
5. The second requisite of true prayer, following that of
God's promise, is faith - that we believe the promise is true,
and do not doubt that God will give what he promises. For the words of the
promise require faith. But faith is a firm, undoubting confidence in God's
promise that it is true; as James says: ”But if any of
you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing
doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind
and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the
Lord.” James 1, 5-7. Moreover, he who doubts and yet prays, tempts God; for he
doubts in respect to God's will and grace. Therefore, his prayer is nothing and
he gropes after God like the blind for the wall. John also speaks of this
assurance of faith in I John 5, 14-15: ”And this is the boldness which we have
toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth: and if
we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions which we have asked of him.” John describes with these words how a
truly believing heart is disposed in prayer, namely, that it is concerned about
nothing else than that its prayer be heard, knowing that it has even then
obtained its petition. That is also true. Such faith
and definite assurance, however, the Holy Spirit must impart; therefore,
without the Holy Spirit, surely no prayer will be offered.
6 Try it, now, and pray thus. Then you will taste the
sweetness of God's promise. What courage and consolation of heart it awakens to
pray for all things! It matters not how great and high the petitions may be. Elijah
was a man of like passions with ourselves; yet when he prayed, it did not rain
for three years and six months, and when he again prayed it rained. I Kings,
17, 1; 18, 45. Notice, here you see a single man prays and by his prayer he is
lord of the clouds, of heaven and earth. So God lets us see what power and
influence a true prayer has, namely, that nothing is
impossible for it to do.
7. Let everyone now ask his heart how often he has prayed
during his whole life. Singing Psalms and saying the Lord's Prayer is not
called praying. These are instituted for children and untutored people, as
exercises, to make them athletes in the Scriptures. Your prayer, however, no
one but yourself sees and feels in your heart, and you will truly know it, when
it hits the mark.
8. The third requisite of true prayer is, that one must name
definitely something that he brings to God or for which he prays; as for strong
faith, for love, for peace, and for the comfort of his neighbor. One must
actually set forth the petitions; just as the Lord's
Prayer presents seven petitions. This is what Christ means by the words: ”If ye
shall ask anything of the Father.” ”Anything,” that is, whatever you are in
need of. Besides, he himself interprets this ”anything'” and says: ”That your joy
may be made full.” That is, pray for all things you
need, until you have acquired even all and your joy is made
full; and his prayer will first be fully answered on the day of judgment.
9. The fourth element in true
prayer is that we must desire, or wish that the petition be granted, which is
nothing but asking; as Christ says, ”Ask.” Others have called this ”Ascensum
mentis in Deum,” when the soul ascends to God and desires something from him,
and sighs from its depths, saying: Oh, that I had this or that! Such sighing
St. Paul praises in Rom 8, 26. It is an intercession of the Spirit that cannot
be uttered. That is, the mouth wants to, but cannot speak as rapidly and
strongly as the heart desires; the yearning is greater that any words and
thoughts. Hence it is, also, that man himself does not feel how deep his
sighing or desire is. When Zacchaeus sought to see the Lord, he himself did not
feel how strongly his heart wished that Christ might speak with him and come
into his house. However, when his desire was fulfilled, he was very happy, for
he had succeeded according to all his wishes and prayers; he had received more than he had dared to ask by word of mouth, or desire.
Lk 19, 2ff. Moses, likewise, cried so that God spake to him: ”Wherefore criest
thou unto me?” Ex 14, 15, and yet his mouth kept silence; but his heart, in its
extremity, sighed deeply and that was called crying unto God. In like manner
St. Paul writes to the Ephesians: ”God is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think. Eph 3, 20. Now, temptation, anxiety and trouble
induce this sighing; they teach us what true sighing
is.
10. The fifth requisite of true prayer is, that we ask in
the name of Christ, This is nothing more than that we
come before God in the faith of Christ and comfort ourselves with the sure
confidence that he is our Mediator, through whom all things are given to us,
without whom we merit nothing but wrath and disgrace. As Paul says to the
Romans: ”Through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace
wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Rom 5, 2. It is
praying aright in Christ's name, when we thus trust in him that we will be
received and heard for his sake, and not for our own sake. Those, however, who
pray in their own name, who presume that God will hear or regard them, because
they say so many, such long, such devout, such godly prayers, will merit and
obtain nothing but wrath and disgrace; for they wish to be people whom God
should regard without a mediator. To them, Christ here is of no consideration,
nor is he of any service.
11. We observe that all five requisites of prayer may be
complied with in the heart, without any utterance of the mouth. The oral part
of prayer is really not to be despised, but it is necessary to kindle and
encourage prayer inwardly, in the heart. The additional conditions, however, of
which I have written enough elsewhere, should and must be omitted that we
specify to God the time, person, place, and measure. We must leave all that to
his own free will, and cling only to asking; we must not doubt that the prayer
is heard, and that what we petitioned is already ordered - that it will be
given - as certainly as if we already had it. This is pleasing to God and he
will do as he here promises: ”Ask, and ye shall receive.” Those, however, who
set the time, place and measure, tempt God, and believe not that they are heard
or that they have obtained what they asked; therefore, they also receive
nothing. The Gospel lesson continues:
”Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name.”
12. It may be that they knew, as yet nothing of such prayer,
and of this name; besides they felt no need that urged them to pray in this
name. They imagined that so long as Christ was with them they needed nothing
and had enough of everything. But, now that he is to separate from them and
leave them, trouble immediately comes and they will have reason enough to move
them to pray.
”These things have I spoken unto you in parables (dark sayings).”
13. When he says, ”these things,” he means that which he had
just before spoken: ”A little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little
while, and ye shall see me;” and, ”Because I go to the
Father;” also, the parable of the woman in travail. For these were nothing but parables,
that is, dark-obscure sayings, which they did not understand. John calls these
dark, hidden sayings ”parables,” although the German language does not
designate them so, but calls them enigmas or veiled sayings. We are accustomed
to say of one who has uttered an enigmatical saying: ”That is a covered dish or
a covered meal,” when the words have a meaning not on the surface. In parables,
the meaning to be conveyed is expressed in a way that not everyone understands.
Of this nature were all the sayings of Christ, which he spoke to his
disciples on the night of his farewell and his going to the
Father; they could understand nothing of them. They thought his going would not
be dying and coming into another existence; they thought of it as a pleasure walk
and that Christ should return in the body, as one journeys to another country
and returns. Therefore, although he spoke plainly and clearly, yet going and
parting were a ”covered meal” to them. Hence, he adds:
”The hour cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in dark sayings (parables), but shall tell you plainly of the Father.”
14. That is, what I now speak to you, while in the body, and
my parables ye understand not, which I will thoroughly explain to you through
the Holy Spirit. I will plainly speak of my Father, that you may then
understand who the Father is and what my going to the Father means. You will
clearly see how I ascend through suffering into the Father's life and into his
kingdom; that I sit at his right hand and represent you and am your mediator;
that all this is done for your sake, that you may likewise come to the Father.
”I shall tell you plainly of the Father” is not to be understood to mean that
he will tell us much about God's divine nature, as the sophists fancy; for that
is unnecessary and the divine nature of God is incomprehensible. But Christ
will tell us how he goes to the Father, how he takes upon himself the kingdom
and government of the Father; as a king's son returns to his father and assumes
the government of the kingdom. Christ says further:
”In that day ye shall ask in my name.”
15. For then, in your many tribulations, you will have not
only reason to pray, but will also know and perceive what my name is and how
you should esteem me. Then will you be taught by praying itself what you now do
not at all understand, and that hitherto you have never prayed. Therefore, he
adds:
”And I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.”
16. How, then? Will Christ not be our mediator? Shall we not
pray in his name? How lovingly and sweetly the Lord can speak, and woo us to
himself, and, through himself, to the Father! Here he, himself, explains how it
will be when we pray in his name: ”Ye,” he says, ”have loved me, and have
believed that I came forth from the Father.” That is, ye love me and know me;
have me and my name and are in me as I in you. For Christ dwells in us, not
because we can think, speak, sing or write so much about him; but because we
love him and believe in him. We know that he is come from the Father and
returns to the Father; that is, how he emptied himself, in his passion, of all
his divine glory and returned again to the Father in his kingdom, for our sake.
This faith brings us to the Father, and thus all then is done in his name.
17. So we are sure that Christ needs not to pray for us, for
he has already prayed for us. We, ourselves, may now approach through Christ,
and pray. We no longer need a Christ who prays for us. This one Christ is
enough, he who has prayed for us and accomplished this work. Therefore, he
says: ”The Father himself loveth you.” It is not your merit, but his love. He
loves you, but for my sake, because you believe on me and love me; that is, he
has regard for my name in you. Hence, thereby have I fulfilled my office, and
you are now brought, through me, to where you may yourselves, in my place,
appear in his presence and pray. It is not necessary that I still pray for you.
These are marvelous words, that we, through Christ, become like Christ and are
his brethren, and may glory in being children of his Father, who loves us for
Christ's sake. He says in John 1 16, 'Grace for Grace,” that is, God is
gracious unto us, because he is gracious to Christ, who is in us and we in him.
18. And here we also see that to ”believe in Christ” does
not mean to believe that Christ is a person who is both God and man; that does
not help any one. But that this same person is the Christ; that is, that he
went forth from the Father and came into the world, and again leaves the world
and goes to the Father. The words mean no less than that this is Christ, that
he became man and died for us, rose again and ascended to heaven. Because of
this office of his, he is called Jesus Christ, and to believe this concerning
him, that it is true, means to be and to abide in his
name. There follows further in this Gospel:
”His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no dark sayings.”
19. Here you see that to speak ”plainly” (”frei heraus”), or
to speak in clear terms, means to speak without parables, or without dark and
covered words. And the good disciples think they understand very well what he
tells them, that Christ comes from the Father and goes to the Father; but they
do this as good, pious children of Christ. They are easily able to understand
it, and in love they tell him so. In ordinary conversation, people sometimes
say to one another Yes or No, or give assent, saying,
It is so, and in a sense one understands, even though he is still far from the
meaning of another's words. In such case the conversation is without hypocrisy
and in true simplicity. The Evangelist hereby shows
what a beautiful, plain, friendly and loving life Christ led with his
disciples, since they were so very able to understand him. Then the disciples
say further:
”Now know we that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee.”
20. That is, you anticipate and explain yourself and speak
no more in parables, concerning which we must question
you; for you know in advance where we are lacking in understanding. All this
reverts to the fact that they wished to ask what the ”little while” meant, and
he noticed it and explains by saying that he must go to the Father; which they
still did not understand, and yet it was clearer than his words: ”A little
while and ye will not see me.” Now, because he saw their thoughts - that they
wished to question him - they confessed that he comes from God and knows all
things, so that we need not to ask him, for he himself sees very well where the
trouble is.
Fifth Sunday after Easter;
John 16:23-30 - 2nd Sermon
A SERMON ON PRAYER.
1. First we note that in order for a prayer to be really right
and to be heard five things are required. The first is, that we have from God
his promise or his permission to speak to him, and that we remember the same
before we pray and remind God of it, thereby encouraging ourselves to pray in a
calm and confident frame of mind. Had God not told us to pray, and pledged
himself to hear us, none of his creatures could ever, with all their prayers,
obtain so much as a grain of corn. From this, then, there follows that no one
receives anything from God by virtue of his own merit or that of his prayer.
His answer comes by virtue of the divine goodness alone, which precedes every
prayer and desire, which moves us, through his gracious promise and call, to
pray and to desire in order that we may learn how much he cares for us, and how
he is more ready to give than we are to receive. He
would have us seek to become bold, to pray in a calm and confident spirit,
since he offers all, and even more, than we are able
to ask.
2. In the second place, it is necessary that we never doubt
the pledge and promise of the true and faithful God.
For even to this end did God pledge himself to hear, yea, commanded us to pray,
in order that we may always have a sure and firm faith that we will be heard;
as Jesus says in Mt 21, 22: ”All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive.” Christ says in Luke 11, 9-13: ”And I say unto
you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that
seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. And of which of
you that is a father shall his son ask a loaf, and he give
him a stone? or a fish, and he for a fish give him a
serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a
scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” With this and like promises and commands
we must consolingly exercise ourselves and pray in true
confidence.
3. In the third place, if one prays doubting that God will
hear him, and only offers his prayers as a venture, whether it be granted or
not granted, he is guilty of two wicked deeds. The first is, that he, himself,
makes his prayer unavailing and he labors in vain. For Jesus says: ”Whoever
will ask of God, let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth
is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that
man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.” Ja 1, 6-7. He means that
the heart of such a man does not continue stable,
therefore God can give it nothing; but faith keeps the heart calm and stable
and makes it receptive for the divine gifts.
4. The other wicked deed is, that he regards his most true and faithful God as a liar and an unstable and doubtful
being; as one who can not or will not keep his promise; and thus through his
doubt he robs God of his honor and of his name of truth and faithfulness. In
this, such a grievous sin is committed that by this sin a Christian becomes a
heathen, denying and losing his own God, and thus he remains in his sin, and must be condemned
forever, without comfort. Moreover, if he receives that for which he prays, it
will be given, not for his salvation, but for his punishment in time and
eternity and it is not for the sake of the prayers, but because of his wrath
that God rewards the good words which were spoken in sin, unbelief and divine
dishonor.
5. In the fourth place, some say: Yes, I would gladly trust
that my prayer would be heard, if I were only worthy and prayed aright. My
answer is: If you do not pray until you know and experience that you are fit,
then you will never need to pray. As I have said before, our prayers must not
be founded nor rest upon ourselves or their own merits, but upon the unshakable
truth of the divine promise. Where they are founded upon anything else, they
are false, and deceive us, even though the heart break in the midst of its
great devotions and we weep drops of blood. The very reason we do pray is
because of our unworthiness; and just through the fact that we believe we are
unworthy and confidently venture upon God's faithfulness to his Word do we
become worthy to pray and to be heard. Be you as unworthy as you may, only look
to it, and with all earnestness accept it as true,
that a thousandfold more depends upon this, that you know God's truth and not
change his faithful promise into a lie by your doubting. Your worthiness does
not help you, but your unworthiness is no barrier. Disbelief condemns you, and
trust makes you worthy and sustains you.
6. Therefore, be on your guard all through life that you may
never think yourself worthy or fit to pray or to receive; unless it be that you
discover yourself to be a freebold character risking all upon the faithful and
sure promises of your gracious God, who thus wishes to reveal to you his mercy
and goodness. just as he, out of pure grace, has promised you, being so
unworthy, an unmerited and unasked hearing, so will he also hear you, an
unworthy beggar, out of pure grace, to the praise of his truth and promise.
This he does in order that you may thank, not your worthiness, but his truth,
by which he fulfils his promise, and that you thank his mercy that gave the
promise, that the saying in PS 25,8-10 may stand: ”Good and upright is Jehovah:
Therefore will he instruct sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in
justice; and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of Jehovah are
loving kindness and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.”
Loving-kindness or mercy in the promise; faithfulness and truth in the
fulfiling or hearing of the promises. And in another Psalm he says: ”Mercy and
truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Ps 85,
10. That is, they come together in every work and gift we receive from God
through prayer.
7. In the fifth place, one should so act in this confidence
of prayer as not to limit God and specify the day or place, nor designate the way
or measure of the prayer's fulfilment; but leave all to his own will, wisdom
and almighty power. Then confidently and cheerfully await the answer, not even
wishing to know how and where, how soon, how long, and through whom. His divine
wisdom will find far better ways and measures, time and place, than we can
devise, even should we perform miracles. So, in the Old Testament, the children
of Israel all trusted in God to deliver them while yet there was no possible
way before their eyes, nor even in their thoughts; then the Red Sea parted and
offered them a way through the waters, and suddenly drowned all their enemies.
Ex 14.
8. Thus Judith, the holy woman, did when she heard that the
citizens of Bethulia wished to deliver the city to their enemies within five
days if God, in the meantime, did not help. She reproved them and said, Now who
are ye, that have tempted God? They are not designs by which one acquires
grace; but they awaken more disgrace. Do you wish to
set a time for God to show you mercy, and specify a day according to your own
pleasure? Judith 8, 10-12. Then the Lord helped her in a wonderful manner, in
that she cut off the head of the great Holofernes and dispersed the enemies.
9. In like manner, St. Paul says that God's ability is thus
proved, in that he does exceeding abundantly above and better than we ask or
think. Eph. 3, 20. Therefore, we should know that we are too finite to be able
to name, picture or designate the time, place, way, measure and other
circumstances for that which we ask of God. Let us leave that entirely to him,
and immovably and steadfastly believe that he will hear us.
The Day of Christ's Ascension;
Mark 16:14-20
Mark 16:14-20
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they
sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart,
because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he
said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe;
In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They
shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt
them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after
the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the
right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord
working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
I. THE DISCIPLES'
HARDNESS OF HEART.
1. In few words, St. Mark sums up in this Gospel all that
Christ did during the forty days after his resurrection until he ascended into
heaven. Not all the words of Christ, as here recorded, were spoken at the same
time. Some persons have doubted the authenticity of this chapter because it
does not seem to harmonize with the other Gospels. It relates the incident of
the Lord's upbraiding the disciples for their unbelief, and that of his
commanding them to preach the Gospel, as though the two utterances were spoken
at the same time, while the other Evangelists inform us of many things
occurring between these two incidents. They tell us that he appeared to all of
his disciples, not only once, but often, and that, during these forty days, he
ate and drank with them that they might no longer doubt his resurrection. The
upbraiding of the disciples took place shortly after his resurrection, between
Easter and the eighth day following. After they had all seen the risen Saviour
he took leave of them, ascending from the mountain where he had commanded them
to meet him.
2. In upbraiding the disciples with their unbelief and
hardness of heart Christ charges them with no small measure of weakness. He
tells them that they are not only unbelieving but also stubborn to the extent
that they obstinately doubt what they have heard from eye-witnesses, namely,
that the Lord has risen. On the other hand, Christ shows great forbearance and
kindness toward those who are not only disbelieving, but even obstinate. He
does not reject or despise them for their hardness, but is patient with them.
Eventually he makes them preachers of that which they, until then, did not
believe themselves. He knows that, for this very reason, their testimony for
him will be the stronger. They were themselves to have the experience of
preaching not only to the ignorant and unbelieving, but also to the hardened,
and even to their persecutors. Thus from their own experience they were to
learn to bear with others, who might be likewise stubborn, though not with
those who should wilfully and maliciously rage against
the acknowledged truth.
3. The beloved disciples had, however, cause for their hardness
of heart, which others could never have. They were Jews, and the Jewish
teaching was that at Jerusalem alone should be founded that kingdom which is
called the kingdom of God and of Christ. For this belief they thought they had
proof and evidence from the prophets, wherein was stated, in many passages,
that Christ should forever reign at Jerusalem, in the house and on the throne
of David. The heathen had no promise whatever of such a kingdom.
4. Therefore, it seemed ridiculous to the Jews and incredible,
yea, even offensive, that Christ should disregard Jerusalem, the priesthood and
everything pertaining to the Jewish nation, and, altogether unmindful of these,
send a few poor disciples who had neither a name nor fame out into the world to
preach, intending thus to fulfil the glorious prophecy of nearly all the
prophets, that, as Ps 68, 11 says, from Jerusalem should go forth the great
message and the great hosts of messengers of the Gospel into all the world.
This must surely be fulfilled and become true. As
Christ himself when he bade them farewell, charged his disciples not to depart
from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, as St. Luke says in
Acts 1, 4-8, ”until ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon
you.” And recently on Easter Christ said: ”Thus it is written, that the Christ
should suffer, and rise from the dead the third day;
and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto
all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Lk 24, 46-47. It was universally
believed that when the time should come for Christ to proclaim his message to
bring the world into his kingdom, he would surely consult the great men, the
high priests, the rulers and the council at Jerusalem, and would do nothing without
them; for was it not by the Law of Moses that the nation had its very
existence? But Christ ignores the representative heads of the nation in calm
assurance, and calls to himself a handful of strangers and beggars, brings them
to Jerusalem and commissions them to do these things. That was offensive enough
to the Jews in general, and even to the disciples; it seemed incredible that
Christ should use such lowly means for so exalted a purpose and with such
indifference to the opinions, the knowledge and the assistance of Jewish
officials.
5. However, the disciples knew, or might have known from the
Scriptures, that Christ should not come from the priesthood, but from the house
of Judah; so that the religious leaders of Jerusalem need not have looked to the
priestly ranks. Nor did the Scriptures mention a citizen either at Jerusalem or
at Bethlehem of whom Christ should be the son. Therefore, the Jews should have
given God the honor, and thought: we ought to look for him to come not from our
own tribe or from any other tribe than the tribe of Judah, from the house of
David. They knew the prophecy well enough and upon it had based their records
and calculations. We read that the blind man by the wayside (Lk 18, 39), and
the Canaanitish woman (Mt 15, 22) cried out, saying: ”Have mercy on me, O Lord,
thou Son of David.” How did this poor beggar and this alien woman know that
Christ was the son of David, if it had not been well known among all the people
that the Messiah should Come from no other house than that of David?
6. Though Christ did not belong to the house then ruling at
Jerusalem, yet the Jews knew that he belonged to the house of David, and had
been brought up in Nazareth, and for this reason they should have accepted him,
especially since they heard his teachings and saw his miracles. For all had to
confess, that no one else could preach with such power and do such mighty works
as he did. They also knew that the time to which the prophets pointed was at
hand. The prophet Zechariah had clearly stated that Christ should be lowly,
that is, from the ranks of the common people, without great pomp and power,
honor and wealth.
7. But as they disregard all this, and will neither hear nor
know him, he proceeds to fulfill the Scripture. He gathers a little flock and
establishes his kingdom through them, while neither priests nor council in
Jerusalem are aware of it. They are left, as it were, gazing and thinking that
when Christ should come and establish his kingdom, he would doubtless make them
the chief instruments therein. This he does not do. He establishes his kingdom
at Jerusalem and charges the disciples to tarry there until the sending of the
Holy Spirit upon them, who should continue the same work among them, convincing
and compelling them to believe that the predictions of the prophets have been
fulfilled.
8. But the apostles are weak and slow to believe this; they
do not realize that Christ has appeared in just the manner in which they and
all the Jews had hoped and expected. The disciples wondered why, if he really
were the Christ - as they considered him - he did not so convince all the
people at Jerusalem and organize, prepare, establish and confirm his kingdom so
that the entire nation would flock to him, and the whole world sing and
proclaim the great power and glory of this king through whom all humanity would
be honored, and obtain wealth and salvation. Since he proceeds in a manner so
contrary to their expectations, permits himself to be crucified, and dies on
the cross, and after his resurrection shows himself to only a few persons, they
can never believe that through him the marvelous things of the new kingdom
should be accomplished - those things which they had learned from the writings
of the prophets.
9. Christ has to bear with such hardness of heart in them,
though he upbraids them and instructs their ignorance. As they are gathered
together and he is about to depart from them, he tells them how his kingdom is
to be entered upon, and how he will accomplish its beginning through them. It
shall
not be by the help and advice of the officials at Jerusalem,
nor with their knowledge. It shall not be with temporal force nor power, but
shall be felt solely through the message and commission of the ministry with
which he charges them, saying:
”Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.”
II. CHRIST'S MISSIONARY COMMISSION TO HIS DISCIPLES TO
PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE CREATION.
I. The Commission Itself.
10. These are words of the sovereign Ruler, words that are
becoming his majesty - commissioning these poor beggars to go forth and
proclaim this new message, not in one city or country only, but in all the
world, in principalities and kingdoms - and to proclaim it publicly and
cheerfully; to speak before all creatures, so that all humanity might hear the
message. That certainly means, to stretch forth the arms and gather unto Christ
a great multitude. Indeed, it is such a mighty commission, that the like of it
was never issued in the world.
11. The command of a temporal ruler goes no farther than to
the confines of his own kingdom; likewise that of a father to his own
household: but this commission of Christ concerns all kings, princes, countries
and people, great and small, young and old, simple and wise, sinners and
saints. With this one message he claims all dominion and power, all wisdom,
holiness, majesty and the right to rule on earth with unlimited authority. What
else can the world think and say about it than this: What! this one man and his
eleven poor beggars dare to assume authority over Moses and all the prophets,
yes, even over all people? Even Moses was sent only to Pharaoh and his people
in Egypt. Is this man, then, to have the whole world for his field? He is in
relation to it no more than a common laborer!
12. It must be a master of no mean authority who dares to
exercise the right to send forth messengers not only to one or several crowned
heads, but to all rulers throughout the world. Christ does all this as though
he possessed full power and authority over them as his subjects, charging his
disciples that they should fear no one, no matter how great and powerful he
might be, but should cheerfully go forth, continuing to the remotest parts of
the world, and preach the Gospel, with the assurance that they could not fail
to be heard and that no one was able to hinder them.
13. Thus was it fulfilled. ”Beginning at Jerusalem,” the kingdom
touched the whole world. No other kingdom ever had such power. There never yet
lived a ruler who achieved supremacy over even one-half of the world. How is it
then, that from Jerusalem to the remotest corners of the earth all men know of
this king who is called Christ? And all this was accomplished without a single
sword-thrust and without military power; simply through these poor beggars,
whom Christ sent forth into so many kingdoms and principalities that resisted
them with the sword, with fire and water and with their whole might. If the
apostles had been dependent upon their own power, they would have miserably
failed before crossing their own thresholds. They had been afraid of their own
people, the Jews, and had hidden themselves behind bolted doors. But later on,
upon the strength of this commission, they boldly went forth, not only among
their own people, but in all kingdoms, through all principalities, and in the
face of all the powers and resistance of the world and the devil.
14. Whence did they obtain such courage and strength? Surely
not from any king of Persia nor emperor of Rome, Turkey or Tartary. No, it was
from the Lord alone, who ascended into heaven and commanded them to go and
preach to the whole creation. And as Christ began to set
up his kingdom, so it will continue till the end of the world. Certainly he is
not Lord in any temporal sense. He is the one to whom all authority in heaven
and on earth is given, as he himself declares in Mt 28, 18. To him must be
subjected both angels and men, and all creatures, as God also saith to him in
Ps 2, 8: ”Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations
for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy
possession.” This is the reason why we know and believe in him. Only Christ could
have brought the world everywhere to believe in one who was apparently a simple
Jew.
15. These words of his command are marvelously powerful.
Therein he shows that he is greater than all emperors, kings and rulers on
earth, by his own power subjecting unto himself all creatures. He does not
commission his disciples to convey his greetings or to ask favors of certain
rulers on earth, but in full authority he issues to all rulers a command that
they shall accept his message and obey his orders. It is evident, too, that
this commander is mightier than any angel. Angels are, indeed, mighty and
powerful beings, sent by God to do his bidding with reference to certain of his
servants; as, for instance, we see Moses leading his people out of Egypt by an
angel. But Christ issues his own command, that shall reach all the world, yea,
even all creatures, intimating that all belongs to him. Such authority is given
to none else but this son born of the Virgin. He must, therefore, be the one
Lord over all things, over angels and men, the only God and Maker of all
creatures.
III. THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL ENJOINED IN THIS
COMMISSION.
A. The Preaching of the Gospel in Itself.
16. Now this is the commission: ”Go ye and preach the Gospel
to the whole creation.” Christ looks far into the future. He does not want his
message hidden in a corner. He does not wish them to have any fear concerning
it, neither to go about it secretly nor deceitfully. He wants it proclaimed so
publicly that even the sun in the heavens, yea forests and stones might hear it
if they had ears. And so it has been proclaimed, though the world has opposed
it for so many centuries. It has steadily advanced. There never has been in the
world a like force and power; nothing of equal sway and authority. This
message, then, must be of divine power. It pertains not to insignificant, vain,
or sinful things of the world, such as robbing, stealing, lying, deceiving,
murdering, violence, oppression and tyranny, but to pure, heavenly and divine
things. Thus it cannot be of human origin but is God's own message. Both word
and work, then, harmonize and openly testify to Christ's authority before all
creatures under heaven, on land and sea.
17. Christ thus sends forth, not a decree to stir up
rebellion in the world, or to overthrow the legal power of kings, princes or
other temporal authority, but he simply puts his word and command into the
mouths of the disciples that they may carry into effect his own power by their
speech and ministry. They shall speak not of worldly institutions, worldly
authority or earthly riches, nor of the glory of the Jewish people, their laws,
religious rites and priesthood - though it was the expectation of all Jews that
these should be world-honored - but the import of the message shall be to teach
nobler things, namely how we may be reconciled to God, how to be redeemed from
sin, death and all evil, and be saved; how to obtain everlasting righteousness,
life and glory.
18. This, indeed, was a new message, of which the world knew
nothing. It differs greatly from all other preaching and teaching. Yes, heaven
raises it above all that can be taught on earth. All other teaching must give way to it, for it alone ministers the power to be
saved. When Christ says, ”Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to the
whole creation,” he desires none to be excluded; but he shows that the whole
world knows naught of his doctrine: In spite of all its wisdom, it is blind
concerning these things, no matter how learned and holy it pretends to be. His
own people, the Jews, though they have not the light and knowledge of salvation
to which the prophet Zecharias refers in bis Benediction, Lk 1, 77: ”To give knowledge of salvation unto his people in the remission
of sins.” If the Jews had known this before, or could have discovered it for
themselves, it would not have been necessary to preach it to them. Christ would
not have had to descend from heaven and send forth his servants into the whole
world with the message.
19. All the world is here sent to school, to hear and learn
of Christ's kingdom and confess that it did not know anything about it. Men may
know well how to build, how to care for their property, to rule, to be
outwardly pious, and how to lead a decent, honest life, and they may be able to
teach others what they know; but of things pertaining to God's kingdom, and how
to escape sin and death, they know nothing. Christ sets aside all teachings,
even that of Moses, and of the ten commandments. The order is given to the
disciples to go forth and tell all men what they do not know - that all must
hear and accept, by God's command, this message, if they would be saved.
20. The meaning of this message Christ plainly shows. In the
first place, he gives it a worthy name, calling it Gospel-preaching. No doubt
be gives it this peculiar new name for a special reason, to distinguish it from
all other teaching and preaching. It is something different from the Law of
Moses and the teachings of men. A new name would impress itself upon the minds
of the disciples. For the word ”Gospel” means a new message - a good message
bearing joyful tidings, proclaiming something, that one gladly and eagerly
hears. Not a law or a commandment, forcing or demanding from us and threatening
punishment and condemnation if we do not obey it. Such a message none like to
hear. Even if we, to our utmost ability, both teach and obey the law, yet no
consolation and joy will result from it; because we can never so perfectly
comply with its demands that it will cease to smite and accuse us. Therefore,
if we were to be rescued, God had to send us, through his Son, a different
message than the Law from which to derive consolation and peace.
21. As to what the Gospel is, and the difference between the
Law and the Gospel, enough has already been said. However, we here observe how
Christ himself gives the definition, and shows what the Gospel teaches, saying:
”He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.”
22. This indeed is a kind, friendly and consoling message,
and is rightly called a Gospel; here, in one word, you hear salvus erit, i. e.,
he shall be saved - the gates of heaven opened, hell closed, the Law and
judgment set aside, sin and death destroyed, and life
and salvation granted to all the world if they only believe the message. Oh, if
one could thoroughly learn these words: Believe and be saved! They are spelled
in few letters yet they are a sermon of such power that the world cannot grasp
the glorious grace and unspeakable treasure given us through this message. And
all this without any merit on our part since we have done absolutely nothing to
earn it, we have not known anything about it. If the world had really believed
it, they would, I am convinced, out of pure love have overwhelmed the preachers
of the Gospel, particularly the apostles, and come in great multitudes and
joyfully kissed their feet and borne them on their hands, praising and thanking
God for their having lived to hear a Christian Gospel preacher.
23. The Gospel is faithfully taught and practiced in our
day, yet it will continue to be necessary, as here, for Christ to upbraid his
disciples with their unbelief and hardness of heart. Unbelief is still too
strong in us, and our hearts are too narrow and too weak to grasp these
wonderful words. We are controlled too much by our own desires and feelings
when sin troubles us and God's wrath startles and terrifies us, though we
desire to be saved. We seek and strive to discover how we may save ourselves by
our own works; we try to find within ourselves that, by which we may justify
ourselves before God.
24. We must, therefore, constantly learn, preach and exhort
about this message of salvation, though it cannot at once enter the hearts of
men - that is impossible. But day after day, year after year, the Gospel may
the more and more be grasped, to the limit of our
comprehension here on earth. The promise is dependent upon the condition. We
cannot separate these two things; they must remain together just as Christ
joins them and says: ”He that believeth shall be saved.” As to one part,
namely, shall be saved, there is indeed nothing wanting, nor is it uncertain;
this is surely a promise in the Word, which is God's unchangeable truth. But as
to the other part, our believing, there is indeed much lacking. We do not
firmly believe; we do not accept and adhere to God's word of promise. As I have
said, the grace and the spiritual treasures offered are so great that the human
heart is astonished and overwhelmed when it realizes that the high and eternal
majesty opens the gates of heaven so wide, and that he causes his grace and
mercy to shine over all the sins and misery of the
whole world, and that this great store of grace and spiritual riches is given
us through the Word alone.
25. However, this passage stands here and declares both what
the Gospel is, - a message concerning faith in Christ, and what power it has,
namely to save him that believeth. The Jews have waited until this day for the
coming of their Messiah to restore the city of Jerusalem and its temple, and so
exalt the Law of Moses that it may be accepted by all the world. But what
happens? At the very place and at the very time when their temple services are
most glorious, and their best, noblest and wisest men most strenuously observe
the Law, the Son of God himself pronounces judgment upon them, commanding his
disciples to go and preach throughout all Jewry and all the world that not the
temple service nor the Levitical priesthood, not circumcision nor the Law and its
observance, which God indeed had given them, will save, but he that believeth
shall be saved, be he Jew or gentile. There is no distinction (Rom 3, 23), nor
one possessing any special privileges. This Gospel shall be preached to the
whole creation.
26. This, surely, was tearing a dreadful hole
in the Jewish expectations and ideas - proclaiming himself as alone having
authority and that to him all must submit - for neither Moses nor any of the
prophets would have dared to do so. They all had to be circumcised and to
observe the Law under penalty of loss of body and soul. And now this man Jesus
with full authority interferes, and even indifferently sets aside the Law, as
though he would know nothing about it. He commands, in few simple words, his
disciples thus: You shall not tell the world, in whatever part of it you may
be, that the people must go to Jerusalem, or must keep the Law of Moses etc.,
but you shall tell them all that if they would be saved, which everybody
desires (especially the Jews at that time), then they must believe this message
of mine, and thereupon be baptized etc. Commence this kind of preaching among
my people who desire to be saved by their Law and its temple service, and go
forth through the entire Roman empire, and to all the corners of the world.
Those that trust in their idols, reprove and condemn, one and all, and tell
them that this is the command that I, the Lord of heaven and earth, give them,
that they shall believe in me. This is my message; it shall go through all the
world unhindered and unmolested. No matter if the Jews disbelieve and are
offended by it, and put you under the ban, consigning you to the devil, and
fret not if the heathen endeavor to suppress it by force.
27. This is also a consoling message to us, because we, too,
are included in these words of Christ when he says: Go into all the world, and
preach the Gospel to the whole creation. Herein are inclosed all who hear this
message, wherever they may live, be they few or many. ”All the world” does not
mean one or two parts of it, but everywhere within it wherever people may
dwell. Therefore, the Gospel had to be proclaimed according to the command, as
it is yet being proclaimed today. Although it is not steadily triumphant in
every place, yet it is destined to reach to the ends of the earth and to
resound in all places and corners of the world. As it is a general command to
preach the Gospel everywhere, to all men, so it is also a general injunction
and the Lord's command that all shall believe this message.
28. It was essential for Christ, in his command, to
emphasize ”all the world.” The Jews, who wanted thus to silence the rest of
mankind, boasted that they alone were God's people, to whom the fathers and the
prophets were given, and that Christ was promised to come from their seed. This
boasting Christ had to kill, otherwise they would have overcome us gentiles and
compelled us to become Jews and accept circumcision. Directly opposed to their
claim is the fact that Christ commanded that the Gospel be preached to all
creatures. Christ says, He that believes, belongs to God's people and is saved,
be he Jew or gentile, Greek or barbarian, priest or layman, male or female etc.
True, God did not give any other nation than his
chosen people, the Jews, those special honors and blessings that were theirs in
their God-given and mighty leaders and in the miracles he wrought for them, and
in the fact that to them first were given the divine promises and the
Scriptures.
29. But now we are made one people
in the sight of God. None have any preference or privilege to boast of. Christ
would have none despised nor rejected. The injunction reads, To all creatures,
the disciples shall preach and proclaim it. The greatest, the most powerful,
the noblest born, the most learned and the holiest person is not a whit better
than the humblest, simplest, most despised on earth. All are brought into one
company and fellowship. No one is preferred above another. No partiality is
shown. No one is pictured or separated to special honor or advantage; but
everything hinges entirely on ”He that believeth.” It matters not what people,
nation or rank or what station in the world they may occupy. There must, of
course, be a difference in the physical life of the various inhabitants of the
earth, as the creatures are and are called each according to its nature and
each is different from the other; sun from moon, man from woman, master from
servant.
30. Therefore, as in the world every country and people have
their own special laws, rights and customs, so, like in outward temporal
appointments, there must also be a difference in the preaching. Every station
and office must be responsible and taught in its appointed sphere. But though
duty be beautifully and faithfully performed, all Jews perfect in temple
service, all temporal government faultlessly administered, all discipline and
obedience observed and rendered in the matter of laws and customs - yet all of
this is not sufficient to insure salvation to the doer. In this kingdom of
Christ all humanity is brought to the same place - all are made
into one bread (kuchen) - all must meet the one condition. Not this or that
person, who lives in a certain manner, and is doing a certain thing, shall be
saved, but: ”He that believeth shall be saved.” Here you have it all. No matter
if you are Jew or gentile, master or servant, virgin or husband, monk or
layman, if you believe, says Christ, then you are in my kingdom, saved and
redeemed from sin and death.
31. By this message, Christ's kingdom is clearly distinguished
from all other kingdoms of the world. In earthly kingdoms, he who obeys the
laws and precepts, does not rob, steal and kill, shall not be punished, but
shall be commended, honored and protected as an obedient citizen of the
kingdom. It will not do to say: He that believes shall have honor and riches in
this temporal kingdom. Such honor and riches would mean temporal, visible
requisition. He who is pious and good in the eyes of the world and leads a
perfect life, is not, bemuse of that, in the kingdom of God. Something higher
and better is necessary. He must believe in Christ, who ascended into heaven
and sitteth at the right hand of God. A temporal kingdom knows nothing of the
spiritual matters of faith. It does not deal in nor control these things. And
yet the blind world dares to attempt that which it is not able to understand
nor rightly to judge.
32. On the other hand, Christ's kingdom has nothing to do
with the kingdoms of men. He permits them to continue in their own observances.
Christ commands that the disciples should preach the Gospel to all creatures.
The creatures existed before the Gospel came to them. Governments are
instituted, and laws formed, by men, through God-given reason and wisdom. St.
Peter calls them human ordinances in I Pet 2, 13. They are also called
ordinances of God in Rom 13, 2. In such things, Christ would establish no
change; he permits them to remain as they are, in fact and in name. But
instructs the world concerning his own eternal kingdom; how it is possible for
one to be freed from sin and eternal death, how all, without difference, shall
be subject unto him, and acknowledge him, through faith, as their Lord.
33. We must examine and rightly understand the words, ”He
that believeth,” in order not to pervert or mar them by additions and glosses.
With such the papists becloud and nullify this sublime and powerful passage,
attaching to it their sermons, and, saying that here must be understood ”good
works” with the word ”faith,” so that it must read: He that believeth, and also
does good works, shall be saved. These are the highly learned masters that take
Christ to school, correct his language and teach him how to speak, babbling in
their blindness whatever they please, though they know not what and whereof
they speak concerning these sublime things. But we shall do Christ the honor to
keep his Word pure und undefiled. He well knew how to express these things and
what he would have the disciples speak when he commanded them to preach his
message to all the world.
34. Christ intentionally made the statement thus plain: ”He
that believeth, and is baptized” etc., in order to set right the delusions and
pretensions of the Jews and of all the world regarding salvation by man's own
works. On faith and baptism, not on our own but on his works, he bases all. In
opposition, the Jews, and the world in general, wish to consider their own
pride and glory. They boast of their own holiness, unwilling to be censured and
condemned in respect of it. The Jews, because they observe circumcision, the
Law and many temple services, these, in their own estimation, sufficient to
secure them salvation, will, therefore, not consent that the heathen, who
observe none of these, should be considered their equals, be called God's
people and be saved, until they also conform to these practices and become
Jews. Just so the false apostles, and many of those
who became Christians, with great pretense fought over these things and argued
against the teachings of the apostles.
35. What have the heathen, who had not the Word of God nor
the true knowledge of him, ever done of themselves,
yet they would either hear nor accept the Gospel for the very reason that they
did not wish to forsake their idolatry. They claimed that they also served the
true God with their offerings and religious rites. They would not listen to
condemnation of these things.
36. All who depend on good works, and teach the people
salvation through the same, are alike in error. They cannot endure disregard of
their works in the matter of salvation. They cannot endorse such a doctrine as
Christ here states to be true: ”He that believeth
shall be saved” etc. Although they receive the Gospel and wish to be
Christians, as do our papists, they will not accept this doctrine in its purity
but must defile the same with their additions and glosses, claiming that it
must be understood thus: He that believes, and does also good works, shall be
saved. Their interpretation means that one obtains salvation, not by faith
alone, but also by good works. just so the false apostles and disciples from
among the Jews also made additions to this doctrine,
pretending that not faith alone secures salvation, but the law of Moses must be
kept also. They said: ”Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye
cannot be saved.” Acts 15, 1. Thus they confused the true disciples and Christians, and the apostles at
Jerusalem had to reject this statement publicly.
37. But you may say: Indeed, you yourself teach that a
Christian must do good works; God himself commanded to do them, enjoining the
keeping of the Law, and Christ also says: ”If thou wouldest enter into life,
keep the commandments,” Mt 19, 17. Now, faith alone does not justify and save.
This message must be understood as not excluding good works; but Christ here, in
addition and beyond good works, also demands faith, which the Jews and heathen
did not exercise. Our papists also hold that good works are not sufficient unto
salvation for those who have no faith, but that faith and good works must go
together. Nor do they mean by ”works” the observance of the law of Moses, of
circumcision and the Jewish temple service, which are now obsolete; but they
mean the works demanded by the ten commandments, which teach the obedience all
men owe to God. And in order to prove that these words must be thus understood,
the papists refer to Mt 28, 19-20: ”Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them,” etc. and ”teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I commanded you.” These last words, they say, also belong to the
command Christ here gave to the disciples; therefore, this text must be
interpreted to mean that it demands not faith alone, but also good works.
38. We answer: All this, as I have said before, is mere
babbling, false and perverted comment of blind sophists who understand nothing
of this text and of the glorious doctrine of the Gospel, They know not what
they say, concerning either faith or good works, nor do they know how properly
to distinguish between the two. We also confess, and have always, better and more forcibly than the papists, taught that good works must
be done; that they must follow faith, and that faith is dead if good works be
absent. Therefore, this doctrine of faith does not denounce good works; it does
not teach that they should not be performed. Nor is it the question here,
whether or no good works are requisite. But faith and good works differ, and it
must be taught with discrimination what is the value of each for and by itself.
Each must be considered in its proper relations that we may understand both
what faith accomplishes and receives, and why good works are necessary. This
distinction is everywhere taught in the Gospel and was preached by the
apostles. It is, therefore, but blindness, if not intentional malice, that these
papal sophists, without here making any distinction, in a swine-like manner
misconstrue and pervert these passages so that neither of them can be clearly
understood.
39. We, therefore, insist that these two passages - this one
and that written in Matthew - be properly interpreted in the light of their
actual wording and arrangement. In our teachings it is right that we instruct
men to observe all that Christ commanded. But we cannot disregard that which
Christ here says concerning faith. We must always observe the place and order
which Christ gives his words. Now, we find in this text, Mt 28, 19-20, that
Christ first commands the eleven to go and make disciples of all nations, and
to baptize them into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That is, they
are to preach to them the teaching of the Gospel, how they must be saved -
which, as yet, neither the Jews nor the heathen knew - and in this knowledge to
baptize them, making the people disciples or Christians. These are the first
essentials and thereto the words agree: ”He that believeth and is baptized”
etc. Then comes the other part, which must follow the teachings of the Gospel,
namely, what those who believe and are baptized shall do. These, Christ says,
ye shall teach to observe all things that I commanded you, so, that all things
shall be according to my Word, and not according to the Jewish law and
ceremonies, or any man-made laws pertaining to self-chosen works or religious
services.
40. Therefore these two, faith and good works, must not be
confused. They must be clearly distinguished from each other. Faith and
baptism, as the chief part and foundation of our salvation, must stand first.
The other part follows. Both must be taught, but each in its proper relation. As
I have often stated, and as is also clearly self-evident, there is a vast
differrence between the efficacy of our own works and of that which Christ has
accomplished for us. In our teaching, the latter must be exalted and made infinitely superior to the former. Now, in these words
of Christ: ”Teach all nations and baptize them” etc.; and ”He that believeth
and is baptized” - it is evident that he holds before us not our unworthy works
and the demands of the Law, but his own merits and his gift; these we can
accept in no other way than by faith. These are the treasures by which we are
saved, which were neither earned nor procured by us, but were graciously
presented to us by him. For we may never dare to boast that we merit the gift
of Christ in whom we believe, or that the baptism which we receive in his name
is of our own doing or has been instituted by any human being.
41. To prove my statements, consider this: Christ says
plainly and clearly; ”He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;” as
though he would say: If you would know how you can be saved, then this shall be
considered the chief and essential condition - to believe and be baptized. The
question is not whether or no we must do good works. There is no dispute about
that. But there is something more important. The point
is not what we are doing ourselves, but where shall we seek with the certainty
we shall find that by which we can be saved from sin and death, and can obtain
life and salvation? Here Christ clearly explains what shall be the chief
doctrine of the Gospel. He bases it entirely on faith and baptism, concluding
that we shall be saved for the sole reason that we have Christ by faith and
baptism.
42. Believing means: To hold to be true,
and with all the heart to depend on, that which the Gospel and all the articles
of faith say about Christ; that he has been sent to us by God the Father, that
he suffered, died and rose again and ascended into heaven for the sole reason
that we may obtain from God the Father forgiveness of sin and life eternal in
his name. That our faith may grasp and hold this the more
firmly, he gives us holy baptism, by this visible sign to prove that God the
Father will accept us and unfailingly give us that which is offered to us in
the Gospel.
43. Now, if I am to believe this, then I must not adulterate
my faith with belief in my own works. I must not depend upon my own merits,
daring to offer them to God, as do the monks and self-righteous Jews. There are
two doctrines that will not agree and can never hold combined, namely, the
belief that we, for Christ's sake and without our merits, obtain God's grace;
and the belief that we obtain God's grace by our own works. For if we could
obtain this grace by our own merits, then we should not need Christ in
addition. Such confusion and detestable patchwork of the sophists cannot be
tolerated - the claiming that Christ, indeed, atoned for original sins and for
sins done aforetime and that he opens the door of heaven, but that we
ourselves, by our own good works, must now also atone for sins and merit grace
in order to fully obtain salvation. This is to rob Christ of his honor; yea, to
set him, his death, resurrection and ascension aside, as if his merit were not
sufficient for us, and as if his sufferings and blood are not able to atone for
sins. But St. John says he is the only propitiation for our sins, and not for
ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. 1 Jn 2, 2,
44. And that the passage we are considering and similar ones
must be thus understood, St. Paul teaches in his epistles, especially in that
to the Romans, where he proves that we are freely justified by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set
forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood Rom 3, 24-25. Here he
plainly mentions the word gratis, i. e., freely, without our merits, and not
for the sake of our works. Thus, we may have a sure consolation, and not doubt
God's grace and salvation though we are truly unworthy and still have remnants
of sin in us. If the people be taught thus: If you desire forgiveness of sins
and a merciful God, you must do enough good works and possess sufficient merits
to overcome and remove your sins - then faith is already nullified. Christ is
then of no efficacy, conscience is robbed of all consolation, and man is driven
to despair, because he seeks help by and in himself and dares to attempt to
accomplish himself that for which Christ was sent and which only he could do
for us. Christ came to fulfil the Law, and to earn for us, by his obedience,
grace and life eternal.
45. So, our passage on faith, and others like it, must be
understood in this light; not perverted and marred by misleading comments and
additions, for the purpose of belittling faith and contradicting Christ's
meaning. Such error will surely result if the teaching of good works is
confused with that of faith; if distinction is not made
between the chief doctrine of Christ's Gospel, appropriation by faith alone,
and the teaching of the Law concerning good works. As I said above, these two
doctrines cannot stand side by side; they are directly contradictory. To
believe that for Christ's sake alone grace and eternal life are granted, and
yet at the same time to seek and claim to obtain them by our own merits, is
absurd.
46. I repeat, Christ would, with these words, condemn the
pretensions of the Jews and of all the world, their boasting of their law and
works, and would declare that no one will be saved by works, but alone by faith
in the Lord. It is written that Christ alone has conquered sin and death, and
is now sitting at the right hand of God, etc.
47. From all this explanation you are now enabled to clearly
distinguish between these two passages from Matthew and Mark - which the
papists, by reason of their ignorance, confound with each other - so that both
are vindicated. By the text: ”He that believeth and is baptized” etc., our own
works and doings, in so far as they are considered as a merit, are not
considered with faith but are excluded when we speak of man's justification and
salvation before God. Not that good works have no place in a believer's creed,
but he must be conscious that by his own worthiness he cannot be saved, that
his own works and deeds do not merit for him grace and life eternal; that this
has been merited for him through Christ alone, granted him for Christ's sake,
and must be apprehended by faith. Then this text, ”He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved,” is rightly understood.
48. When one understands and believes this text, then the
teaching of the other text should follow, namely, that we should also do good
works. Yet good works must accompany faith and depend upon faith, which always
clings to Christ and pleads before God that he will graciously and for Christ's
sake accept and be pleased with the supplicant's life and works, and not impute
to him that which might be imperfect and sinful in him. Hereupon follows
properly the text, Mt 28, 20: ”Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
commanded you.” Fail not to observe the first and essential condition; for if
faith is absent, all our good works and upright life count for naught before
God. Indeed, it is not possible to do truly good works without faith. Christ
says in John 15, 5: ”For apart from me ye can do nothing” etc.
49. Observe, by making this distinction you can rightly
understand this passage. Learn how to apply it and to derive from it
consolation in the struggle with a conscience, terrified by sin and death. Only
in the experience of such agony can one know the power of faith. This truth is
apparent even among the papists and all sectarians, for they also preach these
words, although in a superficial and indifferent manner as if they were of no
importance. They thus show, by their besmirching additions, that they understand
nothing about the subject. Alas, exclaim the papists, that you preach nothing
but faith, notwithstanding we are neither unbelievers nor Turks. Well, my good
man, if it is so easy, then try it once and see how you will fare in the hour
when death overtakes you, or when Satan terrifies and disheartens you, and when
your reason and all your senses feel nothing but God's wrath and the anguish of
hell.
50. If you are a Christian, as you claim, then you must,
indeed, believe and never doubt the statement that Christ died for you, and
through his resurrection and ascension conquered for you sin, death and hell;
yes, destroyed and swallowed them up. Why is it, then, that you still fear
death, flee from God and dread his judgment? This surely is an unmistakable sign
that you lack faith, inasmuch as he that has faith cannot be troubled nor
terrified by death or hell. Where faith is, there it strengthens and delivers
the heart from fear, so that we can cheerfully say: What do I care for sin,
death and the terrors of Satan, for I have a Lord and Saviour who sits in
heaven at the right hand of God the Father, and rules over all in heaven and
upon earth, and who gives me his righteousness and life? Can you thoroughly
learn the art to do this? Then I will say, you are a doctor of all the doctors.
However, you will certainly experience, like all others, even the greatest
saints, that you are woefully deficient when it comes to a real test and trial.
51. The reason the world cares naught about the preaching of
faith is that it lives in false security and in carelessness, having neither
knowledge nor experience of the terrors of sin and a troubled conscience. But
when death and its horrors overtake it, then it knows of no help and plunges
suddenly into, despair. Then it will, indeed, having waited too long, realize
what it is to have faith, of which it hitherto knew nothing. It will learn that
faith is not a dead letter, not mere words of the tongue, a vague idea or a
mere imagination, which the papists call faith, but a fearless and strong
courage that, with all boldness of heart, relies on Christ, in defiance of sin,
death and hell.
52. In such times, even the best of holy men deplore their
weakness, and must confess that their faith is still insufficient, because they
are sad and troubled by fear and anguish. As to these words, ”He that believeth
shall be saved” etc., there is, indeed, no doubt whatever that by them hell is
closed, heaven opened, and eternal life and joy granted. But here the chief
thing is lacking, namely, that you are not yet the person qui credit, i. e.,
who believes, or that you are still weak in faith. However, though you are not
strong, if you only cling to Christ you will obtain the consolation, power and
strength that overcomes all terror of death and hell, which all human power,
works and merit cannot accomplish.
53. Here your conscience, burdened by the demands of the
Law, will say: You still have sin,
and have not kept God's commandments, which under threat of eternal condemnation,
you are bound to keep. Answer: All this I know, alas, only too well, and you
must not speak to me of it. Wait with your demands of the Law as to what I must
do, till I first possess this chief part of my salvation, namely, Christ and
his righteousness, Christ who conquers sin and death for me. This, alone, I
want to hear now, and it shall transcend the other in importance as much as the
heavens are higher than the earth. For at present the question is not, how I
must live and what I must do, but how I may overcome sin and death, or, as
Christ here says, be saved. But, after having attained all this, and being, in
spite of all that is called sin, death, hell, God's wrath, Law and works, in
Christ justified and saved, and made heir of life
eternal, then I want to know also how I must live here on the earth. Then you
may come and teach and admonish me, like a faithful schoolmaster, as much as
you tan, but never going further with your Moses than is right and necessary;
not teaching me that thereby I can be saved, or can conquer sin and death.
54. Now, this is the message that Christ commands to be
preached to all creatures. But that we may know that in his kingdom he would
have this message supreme, so that we should never doubt it, nor expect something
else, but should altogether depend upon it and know that it shall stand as an
irrevocable declaration of this Lord of all creation, Christ repeats the
message once more, making it still stronger in the
negative form, saying:
”But he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.”
55. Here you have the final judgment against the boasting
pride and self-praise of the Jews and of all the world. As the first part of
the text with one word opens heaven, closes hell and sets aside Moses and the
threats of the Law for those who believe, so Christ here with one word, closes
heaven, leaves open the jaws of hell, permits death to reign and Moses to be an
intolerable tyrant for all that disbelieve. For this there is and shall be no
help, though you, like the Jews, torment yourself to death in keeping the Law,
even torturing and burdening yourselves, saying: Did I not do many good works
and even suffer much? Alas, here you have the decision: ”He that disbelieveth
shall be condemned.”
56. Even though man accomplishes all that he possibly can,
yet without Christ, everything has already been concluded under sin and God's
wrath; as we heard in the Gospel of St. John, that the Holy Spirit will convict
the world in respect of sin, because they believe not etc. Jn 16, 8. Here, in
the text we are considering, the judgment of condemnation is already pronounced
on the world, together with all its righteousness of the Law and religious
service. No one on earth can escape this judgment, nor be rescued from
condemnation, except by hearing and believing this message, which says that
those who believe in this Lord and Saviour shall not be condemned because of
their sins, but shall, because of him, have forgiveness of sins and life
eternal. Christ says, in John 3, 16, that ”God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish” etc.
”For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world
should be saved through him.” Jn 3, 17. Therefore, ”He that believeth on him is
not judged,” but ”he that believeth not,” says he, ”hath been judged already.”
Jn 3, 18 This judgment of condemnation remains upon him because of his
disbelieving, imputing all sins to him, which cannot be forgiven. Thus he
increases his sin and makes his condemnation the stronger; in addition to all
other sins, he also despises Christ by not believing in him.
B. The Signs Christ Appointed To Accompany This Preaching.
57. When Christ adds baptism to the first part, ”He that
believeth,” he has in view the established rite among the Christian people. We
read in Mt 28, 19, where he puts both parts together, ”Make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them” etc. He thus shows, first, that faith, which the
Gospel preaches, must not remain concealed; it is not sufficient for each one
to go his own way and believe for himself, after he has heard this Gospel
message, deeming it not necessary to confess his faith before others. On the
contrary, in order that it may become evident, not only where this Gospel is preached,
but also where it is accepted and believed, that is, where the church and
kingdom of Christ may be in this world, Christ wants to unite and hold us
together by virtue of this divine sign, baptism. If Christians were without
such an ordinance, if they had no common bond in the way of seal or sign, the
organization would neither be expanded nor preserved. Christ wishes to bind us
together by a divine communion, to further the spread of the Gospel; that
others through our confession, may be brought into the fold. Therefore, baptism
is a public testimony to the Gospel teaching, and to our faith, by which the
world may know where and within whom the Lord rules.
58. In the second place, Christ has especially ordained this
sign to the end that, through the office of the Word and of baptism, we may be
conscious of God's work and mighty power in his church; that the Christian, in
accepting baptism, might know that, Christ himself being witness, he is
accepted by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That is what it means to be
baptized into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, in obedience to
Christ's command. Thus, baptism is a sign and seal, in addition to the Word or
promise, that we have been called and brought into the kingdom of Christ, have
become God's children and heirs of eternal life, if, by faith we cling to
Christ. This we have often taught elsewhere with reference to baptism.
59. It is, indeed, wisely ordained by Christ, that in his
kingdom, which shall expand into all the world and among all nations, he
instituted not many ceremonies, as was the custom among the Jews, nor a
diversity of forms among the various countries and nations, peoples and
languages; but he ordained only the simplest and most ordinary sign; it is
everywhere observed in the same way - just as the preaching of the Gospel is
alike in all places, making all, adults and children, rich and poor, great and
humble, one and all, in the world, equal before God. Hence, if a Christian from
the uttermost parts of the world should come to us and observe our forms, he
would have to say, They are the very same Word and sign that I have learned and
received.
60. Among the various inhabitants that people our earth,
each individual and each nation has its own characteristics. But Christians
everywhere may be distinguished by their one doctrine, one language, one sign,
even as they have one faith and one confession. Indeed, the kingdom of Christ
everywhere is a kingdom of love, unity and peace. But it would be impossible
for it to always withstand, steadfastly and in unity, the devils and their
wiles, if Christ, by his divine power, did not preserve and protect it.
However, we see that although Satan causes many sects and factions to rise up, soon they war among themselves and disappear again.
What countless cliques and fanatical tyrants Satan has produced to oppose the
Gospel during these fifteen hundred years, endeavoring to rend and destroy the
kingdom of Christ! And yet there remains to this day one and the same Gospel
message, one faith, one baptism and all; even the world, if not wilfully blind
and hardened, might see and feel the strength and power of this Lord.
61. Christ deems it sufficient to say, in the first part of
our text: ”He that believeth and is baptized,” and in the other part: ”But he
that disbelieveth” etc., not further mentioning baptism. The reason, of course,
is that the first part sufficiently enjoins the ordinance and that baptism is
commanded elsewhere, namely, in Mt 28, 19: ”Make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them into the name of the Father” etc. Hence, we have no authority in
these for omitting baptism; no reason to hold that because one has faith he
needs no baptism. If one becomes a Christian and truly believes, he will surely
also gladly accept this sign. He will wish to have this divine testimony and
confirmation of his salvation, for strength and consolation throughout life,
and also to confess his faith publicly before the world. St. Paul makes plain
the Christian's duty when he says: ”With the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation.” Rom 10, 10. True, it is possible that one may believe though
he is not baptized; and Again, that some may receive baptism though they do not
believe.
62. This text, however, must be understood as commanding and
confirming baptism: no one shall despise the ordinance but, as has been said,
it is the duty of all to accept it. Yet the lines must not be drawn so closely
that one should be condemned and lost for the failure to receive baptism if he
could not obtain it.
63. As a summary, we derive from this text the following
propositions:
1. Some
believe, and are baptized, which is in accordance with the general command of
Christ, the rule that is to be taught and observed.
2. Some
believe, but are not baptized.
3. Some do
not believe, and yet they are baptized.
4. Some do
not believe, and are also not baptized.
64. This distinction is made by the
text itself. (To the first two points belongs, as we have said, that part of
this passage affirming and promising salvation, namely, ”Shall be saved.” Ed.
1546). It has always unanimously been
believed that a person dying a believer is not lost, though he be not baptized;
for it may happen that a true believer is suddenly overtaken by death before he
can receive the desired baptism. (It also occurs that infants sometimes die before, during or
immediately after their birth. These, having already been commended to the Lord
by the faith and prayers of the parents or other Christians, without doubt
Christ will accept, according to bis words: ”Suffer the little children to come
unto me.” But as to the other two points, namely, those who do not believe,
whether God grant they be baptized or not, judgment of condemnation is
pronounced over them. Ed. 1546). Concerning this it is not necessary to speak
further.
65. But the troublesome Anabaptist sects speak
contemptuously of holy baptism, claiming that no one should be baptized who
does not first believe. Their intent is to abolish infant baptism. But since
enough has been written against this error of the Anabaptists in former postils
and elsewhere. we will not now dwell on this matter.
It is enough to know that Christ and the apostles make a distinction between
these two points, namely, teaching and baptizing. Baptism is administered but
once. We would need many to perform the ceremony if baptism had to be
administered as often as we preach and teach. The teaching and preaching are of
the most important and must be done constantly.
66. It is not stated here whether baptism should be
administered before or after the teaching, but may God grant that the office of
preaching should be exercised above everything else; then baptisms will follow.
It is evident that he who receives baptism once, does not need this sign again.
But the teaching of the Word, by which faith is kindled, strengthened and
preserved, we need continually. For this reason, we observe, the office of baptizing
was committed to people of much humbler station than was the office of
preaching. Christ, himself, baptized no one, as we read in John 4, 2, but
commanded his disciples to do so. St. Paul says that he was sent, not to
baptize, but to preach the Gospel, 1 Cor 1, 17, and that he himself baptized
but few people, though he preached the Gospel among all the heathen.
67. The sum and substance of the lesson, therefore, is, for
us to give heed to the Word and teaching, and not to
judge whether one truly believes or not. Where the Word is, there we shall also
administer baptism, be the people young or old. For we are not commanded to
accomplish the impossibility of looking into a man's heart to judge whether he
believes or not. This must be left to Christ alone. Neither is it commanded us,
in our office of preaching, to seek to know how each one may believe, or who
accepts the Word and who does not. It will not do for you to say that you would
preach only to those whom you could first know to be ready to believe and
accept the Word. In that case you would never dare to preach at all. The same
holds in baptism. You must not wait until you are sure as to who believes and
who does not, but give heed to this: Wherever the Word
is preached and heard, and baptism is desired, there you are commanded to
administer baptism, both to young and old. Where the Word, the all-important
thing, is rightly preached, the other will naturally follow. And, again, where
the teaching of the Word is in error, all else is in vain; because there is
neither faith nor Christ. It is the Word that brings us everything, the
sacraments with their power, peace of conscience and even Christ himself; for
it is his power and strength, or, as David calls it: ”The rod of his strength
out of Zion,” Ps 110, 2; or, as St. Paul says, ”The power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth,” Rom 1, 16.
68. Preaching is, then, the chief work that Christ and all
the apostles performed and commanded us to do. Christ gives the commission: ”Go
ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” etc. The
other work, being inferior in importance, can, indeed, be performed by those
who are not charged with the greater responsibility of preaching. It will be
recalled that both Christ and the apostles sent many to lay hands on the sick.
We may safely assume that, in the instance when, by the preaching of the
apostles on Pentecost and afterwards, the number of believers who received the
Word and were baptized increased to five thousand, not all of this multitude
were baptized by the apostles alone. The apostles had to attend to their office
of preaching, as commanded. Baptisms were accomplished by the assistance of
others who accompanied the apostles. St. Paul, having already been called to
the apostleship, was baptized by the disciple Ananias. Acts 9, 18.
69. Therefore, it depends not on the person, whoever it may
be, that administers baptism or that receives it; who it is that preaches the
Word or hears it. They may be saints or sinners, believers or unbelievers; if
only the Word is preached and taught in its purity, then the ministry is also
right, no matter who the minister may be. The office of preaching being first
observed, then Christ speaks to you and me who hear the Word and desire to be Christians,
admonishing us with this passage: ”He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved.”
70. The Christians filling this office and possessing the
talent that must bear interest, are commanded to preach wherever possible, and,
together with the preaching, administer also baptism. But as to who may believe
or disbelieve, this you must commit to Christ himself, for it is not in the
preacher's power to save or condemn, but in the power of Christ alone. He is
Lord over life and death, and may, therefore, grant it or withhold it from
whomsoever he will.
71. However, Christ is not silent upon the point, to whom
will he grant salvation. He says: ”He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved.” And again: ”He that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” Naught else can
help or hinder; no difference of person or station avails; one being is as dear
to him as another. Only that one believes and desires baptism, will avail to
save. All who are disciples or hearers of this message must so learn.
72. Preachers and teachers must see to it that they preach
and teach faithfully, and, as St. Paul says, shrink not from declaring the
whole counsel of God, Acts 20, 27, that the hearers may know what God demands
and has decreed concerning them. All the world has always desired, searched and
sought to know this, but no one ever attained such knowledge, till it was
revealed from heaven through Christ. It is embodied in this message. We should
no longer seek nor expect any other revelation. Here it may be clearly
perceived that the Gospel itself is witness that the Word of preaching and the
sacraments are the means by which you may know God's decree concerning
yourself. If you believe the message, you shall be saved. But if you do not
believe, then it is also decreed that you shall come under the judgment of
condemnation, no matter how earnestly you may have sought, by your works and
deeds, to obtain salvation. Though you had accomplished all the works and
wonders of angels and men, it would be unavailing. The whole world is hereby
divided into two classes, entirely separated from each other, the one for
heaven and the other for hell. On the last day no other judgment shall be
pronounced than that in accordance with this message, namely, the reward of
belief or disbelief.
73. Therefore, we ought to thank God that we belong to those
who shall be saved. For we are among those called God's creatures, to whom he
commands this message to be preached. And we are, also, thanks to God, baptized
into Christ, and have preached and confessed him before the world as the Lord
that is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and is ruling over all the
world. Our preaching, faith and confession is, indeed, pure and true; God grant that our lives be according to our faith and
confession. All this is said concerning the preaching of the Gospel, which
Gospel Christ commanded to be proclaimed in the whole world after his ascension
into heaven. Now follows the last part, namely:
”And these signs shall accompany them that believe.”
74. Here the sectarians have brooded over the question of
signs, vainly asking why they do not accompany our preaching and whether they
no longer can be expected. It is enough to know, that these signs followed as a
testimony to, and public confirmation of, this Gospel message. They were
especially necessary in the beginning, to further the spread of the Gospel. But
with the preaching of the Word in all lands and tongues accomplished, their
prevalence became less frequent, and their testimony less necessary.
75. Yet it is true that the same
power and efficacy of Christ remains in Christendom. If it were necessary, such
signs could even now be performed. It often took place, and still does, that devils
were cast out in Christ's name; likewise the sick are healed by prayer in his
name, and many receive help in great distress of both body and soul. The Gospel
is now being preached in new tongues, where it was unknown before. Signs are
given to all Christendom, as Christ says - to those who believe. True, we do
not always observe this gift in every Christian believer, and even the apostles
did not do these wonders with equal power.
76. These signs are inferior and very insignificant in
comparison with the really great wonders that Christ unceasingly works in the
world through his divine omnipotence. He makes frequent allusions to them.
These are truly great wonders: That Christendom is defended and preserved on
earth; that God's Word and faith, or even a single Christian believer, remains
on earth in spite of the devil and his angels; that he protects us against so
many tyrants and sects, so many false and unthankful people among the
Christians, yea, even against our own flesh and blood - all of them raging
against Christ's kingdom. Yet the devil, with all his power and the help of all
his servants, will never be able - though he has attempted to do so in his
great wrath and still attempts it through the pope, the Turk and all his hosts
- to remove the baptismal font from the church, the Gospel from the pulpit, to
extirpate Christ's name or destroy from out his kingdom in the world the little
flock that clings to him. This great wonder, the power of Christ, is prophesied
of and to it praise is given, in Ps 110, 2: ”Rule thou in the midst of thine
enemies,” who are indeed so wroth and bitter that, if they could, in one
moment, they would pervert and overthrow all that lives and moves in
Christendom. And yet, one single Christian believer, by his preaching and
prayer, can be the means of salvation to uncounted multitudes. In spite of
Satan's hatred and desire to hinder, many people hear the Gospel, receive
baptism and become teachers of the faith; and through the influence of the
Gospel, the sacredness of home and country are preserved.
77. This good work may well be called by believing
Christians, casting out devils, taking up serpents and speaking with new
tongues. Those visible wonders were only signs to the ignorant unbelievers, as
Paul says in 1 Cor 14, 22, and for the purpose of bringing them to Christ. But
why should we, who know this and believe the Gospel, need such signs? And if
they were necessary, we can easily believe they were done, We see that through
Christ greater wonders are done among us; the power of Satan and the terrors of
sin and death are overcome in our hearts, and many Christians, both young and
old, cheerfully die in Christ and by their faith tread
Satan under foot. The marvelous power of Christ's kingdom is constantly the
theme of St. Paul and the other apostles, and Christ himself lauds it above all
other signs and wonders in Lk 10, 19-20, saying: ”Behold, I have given you
authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy; and nothing shall in any wise hurt you,” etc. ”Nevertheless in this
rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rejoice that your names
are written in heaven” etc.
78. Thus, even in our day, are great signs and wonders upon
wonders. Here is an example: In a great city a little flock of Christians is
kept in the knowledge of God and in true faith,
notwithstanding that more than a hundred thousand devils are turned loose upon
them and the world is filled with sects, with scoundrels and tyrants. In spite
of the opposition of all these, the Gospel, baptism, Lord's Supper and
confession of Christ are still preserved. We can see that, for the heathen,
outward, tangible signs were necessary. Christians, however, behold spiritual
signs, in comparison with which the former ones are but earthly. We need,
therefore, not wonder that they are no longer in evidence now that the Gospel
reigns throughout the world and among those who aforetime could not comprehend
God until he had brought them into the fold by visible signs, as little children
are persuaded with apples and pears.
79. Moreover, we should marvel at and extol the great and
glorious miracles that Christ is daily accomplishing in his Christendom,
wherein Christians conquer the power of the devil and snatch so many souls from
the jaws of death and hell. Against their work the devil daily battles in the
world and fumes in his awful wrath and rancor. Yet he must flee from the
Christian. What though he be cast out of one poor heart, in which he has raged?
The whole world still remains helpless in his power unless it is brought to the
knowledge of Christ. But wherever a Christian, in spite of the terrors of sin,
death and hell, with cheerful heart dies in Christ, there Satan has been truly
cast out from his dwelling-place, and deprived of his power and kingdom.
80. The wicked world shall not see nor heed such signs and
wonders, but with open eyes and hardened hearts shall pass by and blaspheme
them, just as it always despises God's works, blaspheming even the public and
indisputable miracles of Christ and the apostles. The world would but the more despise such signs, were they done by us. God must
withhold them, since the Gospel is now revealed everywhere, giving the world
only those other signs, by which it is offended and therefore is overthrown and
destroyed by the power of God. The Jews so fared when they despised the signs
by which Christ manifested his proffered help and blessings. They looked for
and demanded other signs. Then he refrained and would give
them no other sign than the sign of Jonah, lying, after his crucifixion, for
three days in the grave in weakness and death. Afterward he came forth from
death and the grave, demonstrating his power by his resurrection and ascension.
Now he mightily rules over all the world, and will overthrow and destroy it,
together with all its power and glory.
Sunday after Ascension Day;
1 Peter 4:7-11
EXHORTATION TO CHRISTIAN LIVING.
(This sermon appeared as early as 1525 in pamphlet form.)
1 Peter 4:7-11
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye
therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent
charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use
hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the
gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;
if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God
in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1. This text, too, is an admonition to Christian living, a
discourse concerning the fruits of a good tree, a figure applied to the
Christian; in other words, concerning the fruits of the one who, through faith,
has obtained redemption from sin and death and has a place in the kingdom of
grace and of eternal life. Such a one is exhorted to live henceforth in a
manner indicative of the fact that he has apprehended the treasure of salvation
and is become a new man.
EXHORTATION TO SOBERNESS.
2. Certain good works are also introduced, and in the first
part of our text Peter makes an especially emphatic continuation of the
admonition in the foregoing part of the chapter, warning Christians to abstain
from gross vices - carnal lusts - which in the world lead to obscenity, and
from the wild, disorderly, swinish lives of the heathen world, lives of
gormandizing, guzzling and drunkenness. Peter admonishes Christians to endeavor
to be ”sober unto prayer.” The epistle was written chiefly to the Greeks, the
masses of which people were very social, and inclined to carouse and
gormandize. And we Germans are accused of the same excess; not without some
reason either.
3. With intent to turn Christians from these vices unto
temperance and sobriety, Peter reminds them, as all the apostles are wont to
do, of the obligations particularly incident to the Christian calling, to the
only true, divine service, the things for the sake of
which they have become Christians and which distinguish them from the remainder
of the world. His meaning is: It is not for Christians to lead lives
heathenish, profligate and riotous; to indulge in gormandizing, guzzling,
carousing and demoralizing of themselves. They have something nobler to do.
First, in that they are to become different beings, and be occupied with the
Word of God wherefrom they derive their new birth and whereby they preserve it.
Second, being born anew, they have enemies to fight; so long as they live on
earth, they must combat the devil, also their own flesh, which is corrupted by
the devil until it is full of evil lusts. Having, then, to assume the
obligations of this calling and contest, they must not give
way to drowsy indolence; much less may they become foolish, drunken sots,
indifferent to all issues and heedless of their obligations. Rather, they have
need to be watchful and sober, ever ready with the Word of God and with prayer.
4. These are the two kinds of armor, two weapons of defense,
whereby the devil is vanquished and of which he is afraid: First, diligence in
hearing, learning and practicing the Word of God, that instruction, comfort and
strength may be received; second, sincere petitioning upon the authority of
that Word, a crying and calling to God for help when temptations and conflicts
arise. One or the other of these weapons of defense must continually be in
active exercise, effecting perpetual intercourse between God and man - either
God speaking to us while we quietly listen, or God hearing our utterances to
him and our petitions concerning our needs. Whichever the weapon we wield, it
is unendurable to the devil; he cannot abide it. Christians need both
equipments, that their hearts may ever turn to God, cleave to his Word, and
continually, with ceaseless longing, pray a perpetual Lord's Prayer. Truly, the
Christian should learn from the temptations and straits wherewith the devil,
the world and the flesh constantly oppress him, to be ever on his guard,
watching for the enemy's point of attack; for the enemy sleeps not nor rests a
single moment.
5. Here is applicable Peter's injunction for the Christian
to keep within the bounds of physical temperance and sobriety; not to overload
the body and injure it by excessive eating and drinking: so as to be watchful,
intelligent, and in a mood, to pray. He who is not careful to discharge the
obligations of his office or station with temperance and sobriety, but is daily
in a sottish condition, is incapable of praying or performing any other
Christian duty; he is unfit for any service.
6. Right here a special admonitory sermon might well be
preached to us dissolute Germans, in warning for our excesses and drunkenness.
But where would be forthcoming a sermon forcible enough to restrain the
shameful sottishness and the drink devil among us? The evil of overindulgence
has, alas, swept in upon us like a torrent, overwhelming as a flood all
classes. It daily spreads further and further throughout the nation, embracing
every station from the lowest to the highest. All preaching, all admonition,
seem far too weak - not vain and impotent, but despised and scorned - to meet
the emergency. But the apostles, and even Christ himself, declared that in the
end of the world such a state of affairs should obtain. For that very reason
did Christ (Lk 21, 34) admonish Christians to take heed to themselves lest at
any time their hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the
cares of this life, and so that day come upon them unawares.
7. Now, God having in his infinite goodness so richly shed
upon us Germans in these latter times the Gospel light, we ought, in honor and
gratitude to him, to try to reform ourselves in the matter of intemperance. We
should fear lest through this evil besides committing other sins we draw upon
us the wrath and punishment of God. For naught else can result from the
pernicious life of intemperance but false security, and contempt of God.
Individuals continually dead in drunkenness, buried in excesses, living like
swine, cannot fear God, cannot be occupied with divine things.
8. Had we no other incentive to abandon our intemperate
living, the scandalous reputation we have among the nations ought to move us to
reform. Other countries, particularly those bordering on Germany, regard us
with extreme contempt, calling us drunken Germans. For they have virtue enough
to abstain from excessive drinking. The Turks are real monks and saints in this
respect; so far are they from the evil of intemperance that in obedience to the
teaching of their Mohammed they prohibit the drinking of wine or any other
intoxicant, and punish the offense as the greatest evil in their midst. For
this very reason are they better soldiers than our drunken masses. They are
always awake and vigilant, alert concerning their own interests, planning
attacks upon us and continually extending their dominion, while we lie sleeping
in our excesses as if we could withstand the Turks by drunkenness and
carousing.
9. But what is the use of multiplying words on the subject
when the evil prevails to such extent as to be common custom in the land? No
longer confined to the rude, illiterate rabble, to country villages and public
taverns, it has penetrated all cities and entered nearly every house, being particularly
prevalent among the nobility - in the courts of princes. I recall that when I
was young drunkenness was regarded an inexpressibly shameful thing among the
peerage, and that the dear lords and princes restrained it with serious
prohibitions and punishments. But now it is more
alarmingly prevalent among them than among farmers. It is generally the case
that when the great and good begin to go down, they sink to a lower level than
others. Yes, intemperance has attained such prevalence that even princes and
lords have learned the habit from their young noblemen and are no longer
ashamed of it. Rather, they call it honorable, making it a civil virtue
befitting princes and noblemen. Whosoever will not consent to be a drunken sot
with them, must be discountenanced; while the knights who stand for beer and
wine obtain high honors, and great favors and privileges, on account of their
drinking. They desire fame in this respect, as if they had secured their
nobility, their shield and helmet, by the very fact that they exceed others in
the shamelessness of their tippling.
10. Yes, and have we not further reason for checking the
evil when even the young practice it without fear or shame? They learn it from the
aged, and unrestrained they disgracefully and wantonly injure themselves in the
very bloom of life, destroying themselves as corn is cut down by hail and
tempest. The majority of the finest, most promising young people, particularly
the nobility, they of court circles, ruin their health, body and life, before
arriving at maturity. How can it be otherwise when they who should restrain and
punish commit the same sins themselves?
11. Hence Germany has always been a wretched country,
chastised and plagued by the drink devil, and completely immersed in this vice,
until the bodies and lives of her people, as well as their property and honor,
are shamefully consumed and only a sordid existence remains. He who would paint
the conditions must portray something swinish. Indeed, but a small proportion
of the inhabitants of Germany are undebased by this evil. These are children,
girls and women. Some sense of propriety in the matter remains to them, though
occasionally we find even under the veil some intemperance; however, it is with
restraint. Enough modesty remains to inspire the universal sentiment that so
disgraceful a thing is it for a woman to be drunk, such a one deserves to be
trampled upon in the streets.
12. In the light of their example, let us men learn to see
our own shame and to blush for it. While noting how disgraceful is drunkenness
for women, let us remember it is much more so for
ourselves. We ought to be saner and more virtuous;
for, according to Peter, the woman is the weaker vessel. Because of the
weakness of women, we ought to have more patience with
them. Man being endowed with a broader mind, stronger faculties and firmer
nature, he should be the saner being, the farther removed from the brute. It
stands to reason that it is a much greater disgrace for him to indulge in the
vice of drunkenness. In proportion to the nobility of his creation and the
exalted nature wherewith God has endowed him, should be the disgrace of such
unreasoning, brutish conduct on his part.
13. What can be said for us? So complete is the perversion
of all manly virtue and honor in our conduct in this respect that it cannot be
surpassed by any other possible degradation of manhood. There remains to us but
an atom of good reputation, and that is to be found among the women. The
occasional instance of drunkenness among them but emphasizes our own disgrace.
All countries look upon us with scorn and contempt, regarding us as shameful
and sordid creatures, day and night bent upon making ourselves surfeited and
stupid, possessing neither reason nor intelligence. The evil would be more
tolerable, more excusable, if drinking and carousing had any limit, if
intoxication were but an occasional thing - the case of a person inadvertently
taking one drink too much, or of taking a stimulant when tired from excessive
labor and worry. We excuse it in women who may chance to drink a little more at wedding parties than they are accustomed to at home.
But this excessive guzzling kept up unceasingly day and night, emitting only to
be filled again, is wholly inconsistent with the character of a prince, a
nobleman, a citizen, yes, of a human being, not to mention the life of a
Christian; it is really more in keeping with the
nature and work of swine.
14. Now, when God and all mankind permit you to eat and to
drink, to enjoy good things, not merely what is necessary for actual
subsistence, but in a measure calculated to afford gratification and pleasure,
and you are yet not satisfied with that privilege - when such is the case, your
sordid and gluttonous tendencies are worthy one born solely to consume beer and
wine. But such are the excesses now to be seen in the courts of princes - the
banqueting and the drinking - that one would think they meant to devour the
resources of the country in a single hour. Lords, princes, noblemen - the
entire country, in fact - are ruined, reduced to beggary, for the particular
reason that God's gifts are so inhumanly wasted and destroyed.
15. As I said before, the evil of drunkenness has, alas,
gained such ascendancy as to be past restraint unless the Word of God may exert
some controlling influence among the few, the individuals who are still human
and who would be Christians. The masses will remain as they are, particularly
as the civil government makes no effort to restrain the evil. It is my opinion
that if God does not sometime check the vice by a special judgment - and until
he does it will never be punished and restrained - even women and children will
become inebriate, and when the last day arrives no Christian will be found but
all souls will descend drunken into the abyss of hell.
16. Let all who desire to be Christians know that it is
incumbent upon them to manifest the virtue of temperance; that drunken sots
have no place among Christians, and cannot be saved until they amend their
ways, until they reform from their evil habits. Concerning them Paul says
plainly (Gal 5, 19-21): ”Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are
these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,
jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you,
that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Here
you see that he who lies day and night in drunkenness has no more
inheritance in the kingdom of God than the whoremonger, adulterer, and such
like. Know then, just as idolatry, adultery and so on, are sins excluding you
from heaven, so too, drunkenness is a sin which bars you from the blessings of
baptism, and from remission of sins, faith in Christ and your personal
salvation. Hence, if you would be a Christian and saved, you must be careful to
lead a sober and temperate life. But if you disregard this admonition and yet hope
to be saved - well, then continue to be an infidel and a brute so long as God
permits.
17. Were you a Christian, even if you could permit yourself
to be unmoved by the physical injury wherein, by drunkenness, you plunge
yourself, not only wasting your money and property, but injuring your health
and shortening your life; and if you could permit yourself to be unmoved by the
stigma justly recognized by men and angels as attaching to you, a filthy sot -
even then you ought to be moved by God's command, by the peril of incurring
eternal damnation - of losing God's grace and eternal salvation - to refrain
from such unchristian conduct. O God, how shameless and ungrateful we are, we
so highly blessed of God in having his Word and in being liberated from the
tyranny of the Pope, who desired our sweat and blood and tortured our
consciences with his laws - how ungrateful we are in the face of these things
not to amend our lives in some measure in honor to the Gospel, and in praise
and gratitude to God!
18. Where peradventure there are still pious parents or
godfearing Christian rulers, they ought, for the sake of lessening the evil of
intemperance, to restrain their children and domestics with serious
chastisements. Pastors and preachers are under obligation to admonish the
people frequently and faithfully, holding up to them God's displeasure and
wrath and the injuries to soul, body and property resultant from this evil, to
the intent that at least some might be moved and profited. And they who
wantonly and openly persist in the vice, being not disposed to amend their
conduct but at the same time boast of the Gospel, should not be allowed to
participate in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper nor to act as sponsors at
baptism. Preachers and pastors should hold such as openly antichristian, and
should make a distinction against them the same as with manifest adulterers,
extortioners and idolaters. Such is Paul's command (I Cor 5, 11): ”I wrote unto
you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or
covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with
such a one no, not to eat.”
NECESSITY FOR PRAYER.
19. But we will not now remark further upon this subject. To
return to Peter: He admonishes us to be sober so that we may give
ourselves to prayer, as becometh those who are Christians and have turned from
the vile, heathenish conduct of the world. just preceding our text, in verse 3,
he says: ”For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the
Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings,
revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries.” He admonishes us as being
now called and ordained to contend against the devil by faith and prayer. Later
on (ch. 5, 8) he brings in the same warning in clearer
phrase, exhorting Christians to be sober and watchful. Do you ask, What is the
great necessity therefore? he says: ”Your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion [in the midst of a flock of sheep], walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour.” Peter's meaning is this: Since you are a people called to contend with
this powerful spirit which is more intent on seizing
your souls than is the wolf on seizing the sheep, it is essential you should
take thought how to withstand him. Resistance is effected only through faith
and prayer. But soberness and vigilance are necessary to enable one to pray.
With gormandizers and drunkards, reason is dethroned and they are rendered
incapable of respecting anything, or of performing any good work. Therefore,
the ability to pray and call upon God has been taken from them and the devil
overcomes and devours them at his will.
20. The diligence in prayer which characterized Christians
of the primitive Church, even while undergoing great persecution, is apparent
to us. They were more than willing to assemble daily for prayer together, not
only morning and evening, but also at certain other appointed hours; and
frequently they watched and prayed entire nights. Some of them, according to
St. Augustine, carried their vigils to such extent as at times
to abstain from food for four days. True, this was going to somewhat of an
extreme, particularly when later the practice came to be an example and a
commandment. Yet their habit of perfect sobriety morning, evening and at all times
is commendable. With the cessation of this practice in the congregations, there
succeeded the wretched order of monks, who pretend to do the praying for
others. They, it is true, observed the same appointed
hours, the same seasons of prayer, in their matins, vespers, and so on, but
they did not really pray; they merely kept up an incessant sound, muttering and
howling. We still retain from the ancient custom the observance of morning and
evening prayers in schools for children. But the same practice should obtain in
every Christian family. Every father is under obligation to train up his
children to pray at least at the beginning and the close of day, commending to
God every exigency of this earthly life, that God's wrath may be averted, and
deserved punishment withheld.
21. Under such conditions, we would be properly instructed
and not have to be subjected to intolerable oppression and to prohibitions
relative to eating, drinking and dressing, being guided by nature's demands and
our own honor and pleasure. Yet we would not be inordinate and brutish in these
things nor shamefully dethrone reason. Drunkenness is a sin and a shame to any
man, and would be even were there neither God nor commandment; much less can it
be tolerated among Christians. There is more virtue in
this respect among the very heathen and Turks. They put us to shame, while it
is our place to set an example shaming them. Our
characters ought to be so noble as to give no chance
for offense at our conduct, that the name of God be not defamed but glorified,
as Peter admonishes in the conclusion of this epistle lesson.
TEMPERANCE IN ALL THINGS.
22. What we have said in regard to sobriety, we must also
say relative to that other virtue - temperance,* [ed. *The
German text uses the two words ”maszig” and ”nichtern,” which may be rendered
”temperate” and ”sober.”] to which Peter gives first place. They are mutually
related, but temperance respects not only eating and drinking, but is opposed
to all immoderation in outward life - in clothing, ornament, and so on; to
whatever is superfluous, or excessive; to any extravagant attempt to be greater
and better than others. To such extent has immoderation gained the upper hand
in the world, there is nowhere any limit to expense in the way of household
demands, dress, wedding parties and banquets, in the way of architecture, and
so on, whereby citizens, rulers and the country itself are impoverished,
because no individual longer keeps within proper bounds. Almost invariably the
farmer aspires to equal the nobleman, while the nobleman would excel the
prince. As with sobriety, so with the virtue of temperance - there is scarce to
be found an example of it in our midst, so completely has self-control,
sincerity and discipline given way.
23. At the same time the apostle does not forbid appropriate
and respectable recognition of the things of physical well-being, in keeping
with each individual's station in life, even including things ministering
pleasure and joy. For Peter would not have filthy, rusty, greasy monks nor
sourfaced saints, with the hypocrisy and show of their simulated austere and
peculiar lives, wherein they honor not their bodies, as Paul says (Col 2, 23),
but are ever ready to judge and condemn other people - the maiden, for
instance, who chances to join in a dance or wears a red dress. If you are a
Christian in other respects, God will easily allow you to dress and to adorn
yourself, and to live with comfort, even to enjoy honor and considerable
pleasure, so long as you keep within proper bounds; you should, however, not go
beyond the limits of temperance and moderation. In other words, do not
overreach propriety and self- restraint, regardless of real pleasure, in the
endeavor to show off in excessive and unprofitable squandering. Such conduct
results in confusion and trouble - chastisement sent of God; in taxes,
extortion, robbing and stealing, until finally lords and subjects are ruined
together.
”Above all things being fervent in your love [have fervent charity] among yourselves; for love [charity] covereth a multitude of sins.”
24. In the foregoing part of the text, Peter admonishes
Christians concerning their obligations to themselves; here he tells what is to
be their conduct toward others. He embraces all the good works named in the
second table of the commandments as obligations we owe to our neighbor, in the
little but forcible and comprehensive phrase - ”fervent in your love.” This
virtue, too, is incumbent on the Christian who must contend against the devil
and pray. For prayer is hindered where love and harmony are displaced by wrath
and ill-will. The Lord's Prayer teaches: ”Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” How can they pray one for another who
feel no interest in a neighbor's wants, who rather are enemies, entertaining no
good will toward one another? Where hearts are inflamed with hatred toward men,
prayer has ceased; it is extinguished. Hence, antichristians and all popedom,
however holy their appearance, cannot pray while enemies to the Word of God and
persecutors of Christians. He who repeats the Lord's Prayer while indulging
wrath, envy and hatred, censures his own lips; he condemns his own prayer when
he seeks forgiveness from God but does not think of forgiving his neighbor.
25. With Christians there must be, not merely natural human
affection such as exists even among heathen, but ardent, fervent love; not the
mere appearance of love, the smoke-false, hypocritical love, as Paul calls it
(Rom 12, 9) -
but real fervor and fire, which consent not to be easily extinguished, but
which endure like the love between husband and wife, or the love of parents for
children. True conjugal and parental love is not easily quenched, even though
the object of its affection be weak, diseased or dangerously ill. Rather the
greater the need and the danger of one individual, the more
is the heart of the other moved and the brighter does love burn.
26. Such sincere love, as the apostle elsewhere styles it,
must exist among Christians who are all children of one Father in heaven and
brothers and sisters. Indeed, they are under obligation to love even their
enemies - who are human beings of the same flesh and blood - and to wish no one evil but rather to
serve all wherever possible. This love is the beautiful red robe for the
adornment of Christians, supplementing the pure white garment of faith received
in baptism. It is to be worn in obedience to the example of Christ, who for us,
even while we were enemies, wore the same red garment of love when he was
sprinkled with his own blood. It was then he burned with the intense fire of
ineffable and most exalted love.
27. The apostles were moved to admonitions of this character
because they clearly perceived the great weakness and imperfection bound to exist
among Christians even in their outward lives. They knew that no one could, in
his everyday life among men, live so discreetly as not at some time or other,
by word, gesture or act, to give offense to someone,
moving him to anger. Such perfection of life is found in no family, not even
with husband and wife. The case is the same as in the human body: one member
frequently comes in conflict with another; a man may inadvertently bite his
tongue or scratch his face. He who would be a saint so stern and selfish as to
endure no evil words or acts, and to excuse no imperfections, is unfit to dwell
among men. He knows nothing of Christian love, and can neither believe nor put
into practice the article of the Creed concerning the forgiveness of sins.
28. So the Christian's fire of love must be characterized,
not by a dull, cold red, but by a warm scarlet - according to the Scriptures
(Ex 26, 1), ”Coccurn bis tinctam” (rose-red). This love retains its fire and is
really true, having which the Christian is not easily
disheartened and overcome by wrath, impatience and revenge, but to a certain
extent is able to endure and tolerate attacks upon himself calculated to
distress. it manifests itself more strongly in suffering and
enduring than in action.
29. Therefore, Peter extols such love, declaring it to be a
virtue potent not only to bear but to cover ”a multitude of sins.” This
statement he introduces from the Proverbs of Solomon (ch 10, 12). The Papists,
however, pervert its meaning, explaining it in a way at variance with the
doctrine of faith; they make of love to one's neighbor a work or virtue having
merit with God. It is their desire to draw the conclusion that for the sake of
our love our sins are covered; that is, forgiven and exterminated. But we shall
not notice the dolts. It is clear enough from the text that reference is to
hatred and love received from men; our own sins are not intended here, but the
transgressions of others. To cover our sins in the sight of God, yet other love
is requisite - the love of the Son of God, who alone is the bearer of sins in
God's sight, and who, as John the Baptist says, takes away, bearing them upon
his own shoulders, the sins of the whole world, including our own. And the
example of his love teaches that we, too, should in love cheerfully bear and
freely forgive the sins of others against us.
30. Solomon contrasts the two opposing principles of envious
hatred and love, and shows the effect of each. ”Hatred,” he says, ”stirreth up
strifes; but love covereth all transgressions.” Where hatred and enmity dwell
in the heart, they must inevitably stir up strife and bring misfortune.
Animosity cannot restrain itself. It either bursts out in pernicious language
clandestinely uttered against the object of enmity, or it openly demeans itself
in a manner indicating its ill will. Hence follow reveling, cursing, quarreling
and fighting, and, when wholly unrestrained, cruelty and murder. These things
are due to the fact that the eyes of Younker Hate are so blinded by scorn and
venom that he can see only evil in every man with whom he comes in contact; and
when he actually finds it he will not let it alone, but stirs it, roots and
frets in it, as the hog roots with defiled snout in offensive filth. ”You must
have viewed your neighbor from behind,” we say when one can speak and think
only the worst of a neighbor though he may have many good traits. Hate really
desires only that everyone be an enemy to his neighbor and speak the worst
about him, and if he hears aught in his neighbor's favor, he puts upon it the
very worst construction, with the result that the other party is embittered and
in turn comes to hate, curse and revile. Thus the fire burns until only discord
and mischief can obtain.
31. But on the other hand, as Solomon tells us, Love is a
virtue pure and precious. It neither utters nor thinks any evil of its
neighbor. Rather, it covers sin; not one sin, nor two, but ”a multitude of
sins” - great masses of them, forests and seas of sin, as it were. That is,
love has no desire to reflect itself in a neighbor's sins and maliciously
rejoice in them. It conducts itself as having neither seen nor heard them. Or,
if they cannot be overlooked, it readily forgives, and so far as possible mends
matters. Where nothing else can be done, it endures the sins of a neighbor
without stirring up strife and making a bad matter worse.
32. The apostle, upon authority of observation and
experience, acknowledges that where people dwell together there must be mutual
transgressions; it cannot be otherwise. No one will always do what is pleasing
to others, and each is liable to commit open wrong. Peter would teach that
since men must live together in their respective stations in life - for the
Scriptures make no recognition of singular and intolerant saints who would
promptly run out of the world when some little thing takes place at variance
with their opinions - he who would live peaceably must so control himself as to
be able to bear with others, to overlook their imperfections, and to cover
their transgressions and thus avert further resulting evil. Where no toleration
is exercised, where no wrong is forgiven and forgotten, hate and envy must find
place. The sole office of these is to stir up strife and contention. No peace
and rest is to be had where they exist; wrangling and fighting, oppression and
bitterness, must obtain. The unbounded ill-will. the innumerable strifes and
wars, having place on earth, all result from the abominable evil of the lack of
love among us and from the prevalence of pernicious hate, which leads to anger
and revenge when opposition offers. Thus we become enemies to one another
instead of to evil, when it is our duty to love our fellow-men.
33. Now, if you would live as a Christian and enjoy peace in
the world, you must make every effort to restrain your anger and not to give way to revenge as do others. Rather you must suppress
these passions, subduing your hatred by love, and be able to overlook and bear,
even though you have to suffer great pain and injustice. So doing you will develop
a noble character fitted to accomplish much good through patience and humility,
to allay and abolish enmity, and strife, and thereby to reform and convert
others. If you are unwilling to be patient under injustice, then go on hating
and envying, impatiently blustering about and seeking revenge. But from such a
proceeding only strife and disquietude can be your portion, though your
complaints be long and your lamentations loud. You may run hither and thither,
and still you will not find the truth otherwise than as I have stated. This
text would have to be done away with first, and the Scriptures falsified.
34. Paul, having in mind Solomon's saying about love, in
extolling the same virtue amplifies the latter's statement with various expressions,
in the thirteenth of First Corinthians. Among other things he says there
(verses 5-8): ”Love seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of
evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth
all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love
never faileth,” etc. This, mark you, is ”being fervent in love,” as Peter calls
it. Here is the heat, the fire, effective to consume all evil and to replace it
with only good. This fire will not permit itself to be quenched; it surmounts
all checking. Whatever of evil is heaped upon it, it remains in itself good,
and works only good.
35. The essential property, the ”differentia essentialis,”
of genuine love, as its nature requires fervency, is the fact that it cannot be
embittered. He who has it, will not cease to love, to do good and to endure
evil. In a word love cannot hate; it cannot be at enmity with anyone. No evil
can be wrought too great for love to endure. No one can commit against it more sins than it can cover. It cannot be enraged to the
point of refusing to forgive. Its attitude is not
unlike that of the mother toward her child. The child may be imperfect and
impure, even filthy, but the mother notes it not, even if she sees it. Her love
blinds her. The eyes wherewith she looks upon her child as the beautiful and
God- given fruit of her own body are so pure that she overlooks all
imperfections, regarding them as nothing. Indeed, she excuses, even glorifies,
them. Although the child squints, it must not be called squint-eyed, but
love-eyed, and even a wart must be thought to become it.
36. Behold, this is covering sins with love - a virtue
peculiar to Christians. The world does not possess that virtue. Such love is
impossible to it, whatever its pretensions and ostentations in that respect.
However precious the world's love may be, it is subject to delusion, vanity and
hypocrisy; for the world is false in appearance and pretension. No worldling
likes to be regarded hateful and envious toward his neighbor, but succeeds in
conducting himself, so far as word and gesture are concerned, in an affable
manner to all. This attitude he maintains so long as we show him favors and
obey his pleasure. But when our love for him becomes a little disaffected and
we happen to offer a word he regards insulting, he promptly withdraws his
affections and begins to complain and to rage as if he
had been done a great wrong. He makes out he is under no obligation to endure
the injustice; and he boastingly plumes himself on having shown great
faithfulness and love to the offender, such fidelity as would have led him
readily to share with that one the very heart in his body, and now he is so ill
repaid that henceforth he will leave such people to be served by the devil.
Such is the world's love. The world loves not ”in deed,” but ”in word,” as John
expresses it. 1 Jn 3, 18. It has no sincerity of heart. Its love is a mere
ignis-fatuus, shining but having no fire; a love which endures not, but is
blown out by a breath - extinguished with a word. The reason of it all is, the
world seeks only its own. It would be served, would receive from others, and
not make any return, particularly if response must entail any suffering and
forbearance on its part.
37. ”But,” you may say, ”shall evil go unpunished? What
would be the result were all evil to be tolerated and covered up? Would not
that be giving the wicked opportunity to carry out their evil designs? Would it
not encourage them in their wickedness until life would not be safe to anyone?”
I reply: We have often stated what individuals properly merit our anger, and
the extent and manner of punishment to be awarded them. It is truly the office
of civil government and also of the father of every family to visit anger upon
evil, and to punish and restrain it. Again, every pastor and preacher is
commissioned - yes, every godly Christian - to admonish and censure when he
sees a neighbor committing sin, just as one brother in a family admonishes
another. But to be angry with evil and to inflict official punishment -
punishment by virtue of office - is a different thing from being filled with
hatred and revenge, or holding ill-will and being unforgiving.
38. It is not inconsistent with the character of love to be
angry and to reprove when a neighbor is observed to sin. But true
love feels no inclination to behold the sin and disgrace of a neighbor; rather,
much rather, it desires his improvement. Just as parents correct with a rod a
disobedient and obstinate child but do not cast it out and become enemies to it
because of that disobedience, their object being only to reform the child,
while the rod is cast away after chastisement; so, too, according to Christ's
words (Mt 18, 15-17), you may censure your brother when he sins, and manifest
your displeasure and indignation, that he may perceive and confess his
wrong-doing, and if he does not then amend his conduct, you may inform the
congregation. At the same time, his obstinacy does not justify you in becoming
his enemy, or in entertaining ill-will toward him. As said before, love to be true must not be dull and cold, too indifferent to perceive
a neighbor's sins; it must endeavor to relieve him thereof. It must have the
red fire of fervor. He who truly loves will be distressed that a beloved
neighbor wickedly trespasses against God and himself. Again, true love does not
pale with hatred and revenge. It continues to glow red when the possessor's
heart is moved with sympathy, is filled with compassion, for its neighbor.
True, when fervor and admonition fail to effect any reform, the sincere-hearted
Christian must separate himself from his obstinate neighbor and regard him as a
heathen; nevertheless, he must not become his neighbor's enemy nor wish him
evil.
39. Anger and censure prompted by sincere love are very
different from the wrath, hatred and revengefulness of the world, which seeks
only its own interests and is unwilling to tolerate any opposition to its
pleasure. True love is moved to anger only when a neighbor's good demands. Though
not insensible to evil and not approving evil, it is yet able to tolerate, to forgive and cover, all wrongs against itself, and it leaves
untried no expedient that may make a neighbor better. Sincere love makes a
clear distinction between the evil and the person; it is unfriendly to the
former, but kind to the latter.
”Using hospitality one to another without murmuring: according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
40. Having admonished all Christians to love one another
generally, Peter mentions various instances where love should be externally
manifested among Christians, and speaks particularly of those who have been
favored above others with special gifts and special offices in the Church
whereby they are able to serve their fellows. Thus he teaches that the
Christian's whole external conduct should be regulated by that love which seeks
not its own advantage, which aims not at profiting itself, but lives to serve
its neighbor.
41. First, Peter says, ”Using hospitality one to another.”
The reference is to works of love relative to the various physical needs of a
neighbor. Christians are to serve one another by ministering temporal
blessings. Especially are the poor and the wretched to be remembered, they who
are strangers or pilgrims among us, or come to us houseless and homeless. These
should receive the willing ministrations of Christians, and none be allowed to
suffer want.
42. In the apostles' time, the primitive days of the Church,
Christians were everywhere persecuted, driven from their possessions and forced
to wander hither and thither in poverty and exile. It was necessary then to
admonish Christians in general, and particularly those who had something of
their own, not to permit these destitute ones to suffer want, but to provide
for them. So, too, is it today incumbent upon Christians to provide for the
really poor - not lazy beggars, or vagabonds - the outdoor pensioners, so
called; and to maintain those who, because of old age
or other infirmity, are unable to support themselves. The churches should
establish common treasuries for the purpose of providing alms for cases of this
kind. It was so ordained of the apostles in Acts 6, 3. Paul, also, in many
places admonishes to such works of love; for instance (Rom 12, 13):
”Communicating to the necessities of the saints.”
43. Moreover, as Peter says, hospitality is to be extended
”without murmuring” - not with reluctance and aversion, as the way of the world
is. The world is particularly reluctant when called upon to give
to Christ the Lord, in other words to his poor servants the pastors and
preachers, or to their children, into whose mouths they must count every bit of
bread. It regards oppressive and burdensome the contributing of even a dime for
that purpose. At the same time, it lavishly bestows its gifts upon the devil;
as, for instance, under popedom it gave liberally and willingly to indolent,
useless monks and shameless, wicked knaves, Impostors and seducers. Such is the
inconsistence of the world; and it is a just punishment from God that it is made unworthy to contribute where it well might toward the
preservation of God's Word and his poor Church; and that it must give to other
and ungrateful purposes. Christian love must be sincere enough to do good
”without murmuring.” Paul says (Rom 12, 8) to ”let him that showeth mercy do so
with cheerfulness,” or willingly, without restraint. Again (2 Cor 9, 7), ”God
loveth a cheerful giver,” etc.
STEWARDS OF GOD'S GIFTS.
44. Peter speaks also of love's work in relation to the
gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are bestowed for the good of the entire Church
and particularly for its spiritual offices or government. He would have the
Spirit's gifts used in the service of others, and admonishes Christians to
consider all they have as given of God. The heathen have no such thought, but
live as if life and all they possess were of their own attaining. But let
Christians know they are under obligation to serve God with their gifts; and
God is served when they employ them for the advantage and service of the people
- reforming them, bringing them to a knowledge of God, and thus building up,
strengthening and perpetuating the Church. Of such love the world knows nothing
at all.
45. So then, Peter says, we are to use the gifts called
spiritual - gifts of the Holy Spirit - in the Christian Church ”as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.” He would have us know they are
conferred upon us of grace. They are not given us to exalt ourselves therewith,
but to make us stewards of the house of God - of his Church. They are manifold
and variously distributed; for no one may possess all. Some may have certain
gifts and offices, and other individuals certain others. But the mutual way in
which these gifts are united and related makes one individual serve another.
46. Peter would remind especially each individual to take
heed to the duties of his particular office. In the pursuance of his own occupation,
each is to attend faithfully to whatever is committed to his charge; to do
whatever he is commanded to do. As the Scriptures teach in many places, there
is no work nobler than being obedient to the particular calling and work
assigned of God, and satisfied therein; faithfully serving one's neighbor and
not gazing after what is committed to, or enjoined upon, another, nor presuming
to transcend the limits of one's own commission. Many fickle, unstable spirits,
however, especially the presumptuous, proud and self-sufficient, imagine
themselves to have such measure of the Spirit and of skill that their own
calling is not sufficient for them; they must control all things, must
superintend and criticise the work of others. They are malignant souls, doing
nothing but to stir up mischief, and having not the grace to perform any good
work, even though they have noble gifts. For they do not make use of the gifts
of their office to serve their neighbors; they only minister therewith to their
own glory and advantage.
47. The apostle goes on to show how God distributes his
gifts in various ways; he speaks of ”manifold gifts.” Paul likewise (1 Cor 12,
4-5) teaches that each one is given a special gift, and a particular office
wherein he is to exercise his gift, continuing in his own sphere until called
to another. Again, Paul says (Rom 12, 6-7): ”Whether prophecy, let us prophesy.
. . . or ministry, let us give ourselves to our
ministry.” It is not enough to have numerous special gifts; grace is also
requisite - ”manifold grace of God,” Peter says. We must so use our gifts that
God may be pleased to add his blessing, if we would successfully and profitably
serve the Church and accomplish good. God's grace will not be given to those
who do not, in faith and in obedience to his command, fulfill the obligations
of their calling. Now Peter proceeds to illustrate, giving a rule of how we are
to use our individual gifts. He says:
”If any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth.”
48. It is highly essential that the Church observe this
doctrine. Had it been regarded heretofore, the world would not have been filled
with anti-christian errors and deceptions. For it fixes the bounds, it sets the
mark, for all aspiring church members, however exalted their office and gifts;
the limits of these they must not transcend.
49. The apostle classifies Church government in two
divisions: teaching, or ”ministering” the Word; and holding office and fulfilling
its duties in accordance with the teachings of the Word. In both cases, he
tells us, we are to take heed that we are not actuated by our own ideas and
pleasures; our teaching and ruling must ever be God's Word and work or office.
50. The workings of the Christian Church are not the same as
the processes of civil government. They are unlike the operations that have to
do with outward things, with temporal possessions. In the latter case men are
guided by their own understanding. At the dictates of their Own reason do they
rule, instituting laws and regulations, and prohibiting, receiving and
distributing according to those regulations. In the Christian Church we have a
spiritual government of the conscience, an effecting of obedience in God's sight.
Whatever is spoken or taught, promised or done, we may be assured, will avail
and stand before God; indeed, we may know it has origin with him, whereby we
are justified in declaring: ”God himself uttered the command or performed the
work; for in us, his tabernacles where he lives and rules, essentially he, as
rightful Master in the house, commands and performs all, though employing the
instrumentality of men's lips and hands.”
ASSURANCE OF PURE DOCTRINE ESSENTIAL.
51. In the first place, therefore, it is necessary that both
preachers and hearers take heed to doctrine and have clear, unmistakable
evidence that what they embrace is really the true
Word of God revealed from heaven; the doctrine given to the holy and primitive
fathers, prophets and apostles; the doctrine Christ himself confirmed and
commanded to be taught. We are not permitted to employ the teaching dictated by
any man's pleasure or fancy. We may not adapt the Word to mere human knowledge
and reason. We are not to trifle with the Scriptures, to juggle with the Word
of God, as if it would admit of being explained to suit the people; of being
twisted, distended and patched to effect peace and agreement among men.
Otherwise, there would be no sure, permanent foundation whereon the conscience
might rely.
52. Nor is it any more admissible
for one who chances to have an office of greater influence than others, who is
peculiarly holy, or who is of exalted spirit and intellect - even though he
were an apostle - to presume upon his gifts and the office and take authority
to teach according to his own inclinations, requiring his hearers to accept
unquestioningly his word and rely upon it because what he teaches must be
right. But thus the Pope in time past persuaded the world that because he
occupied the seat of the apostles, the highest office, and assembled the
councils, the latter could not err, and that therefore all men are obliged to
believe and obey what they resolve and confirm.
53. This theory is opposed by Peter's teaching, and all the
Scriptures forbid men, at the peril of losing eternal salvation, to rely on or
respect anyone or anyone's gifts, in the things pertaining to faith. The
Scriptures teach rather that we are to prove and judge all doctrine by the
clear and sure Word of God given us from heaven and supported by the reliable,
concurrent testimony of the apostles and the Church from the beginning. Paul,
by way of denouncing the false teachers who boasted of being disciples of
eminent apostles and relied upon the latter and their reputation, pronounced
this sentence (Gal 1, 8): ”Though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach
unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be
anathema.”
54. Similarly, in the offices or government of the Church,
there must first be convincing evidence that command and office are instituted
of God. No one may be permitted to institute, promise or do anything of his own
power or pleasure and compel men to regard it as divine authority or as
essential to salvation, simply because of his appointment to office.
Nevertheless, the Pope, by virtue of his ecclesiastical office, undertook to
domineer over all men, to issue commands and institute laws and religious
services binding upon everyone. He who holds and would exercise office in the Church
must first give clear Scripture proof of having
derived his office from the authority of God. He must be able to say: ”I did
not institute such and such a proceeding; it is of God.” Then they who comply
may be assured they are obeying, not the individual, but God.
55. For instance, if in obedience to Christ's command I, as
a carer of souls, or servant of the Church, administer the holy sacrament or
pronounce absolution; if I admonish, comfort, reprove; I can say: ”That which I
do, I do not; Christ performs it.” For I act not of my own design, but in
obedience to the command of Christ - to his injunction. The Pope and his
adherents cannot make the above assertion. For they pervert the order and
commandment of Christ the Lord when, in the sacrament, they withhold the cup
from the laity, and when they change the use of the sacrament or mass, making
it a sacrifice for the living and the dead. And thus they do also by
innumerable other abominations in their false worship, things established
without God's command, indeed contrary thereto; for instance, the invocation of
dead saints, and similar idolatries, introduced by the Pope under cover of his
office, as if he had the power from Christ to institute and command such
things.
ASSURANCE OF DIVINE EFFICIENCY ESSENTIAL.
56. In the second place, it is not enough that office and
commandment be God-appointed. We his ministers should be conscious - and the
people should so be taught - that efficacy of office is not of human effort,
but is God's power and work. In other words, that which the office was designed
to accomplish is not effective by virtue of our speech or action, but by virtue
of God's commandment and appointment. He it is who orders; and himself will
effectively operate through that office which is obedient to God's command. For
instance, in baptism, the Lord's Supper and absolution, we are not to be
concerned about the person administering the sacraments or pronouncing
absolution - who he is, how righteous, how holy, how worthy. Worthiness or
unworthiness of either administering or receiving hand effects nothing; all the
virtue lies in God's command and ordinance.
57. This is the explanation of Peter's phrase, ”the strength
or ability which God supplieth.” Effect is produced, not through man's power,
not in obedience to man's will; but through the ”strength” of God and because
of his ordering. No man has a right presumptuously to boast his own power and
ability effective, as the Pope does in his pretensions about keys and
ecclesiastical power. Know that it is necessary to the efficacy of your office
and the salutary character of your work or authority in the Church that God
himself give and exert the influence. And that
influence is exerted when, as before said, God's Word and testimony are present
that the ministry in question is commanded, or authorized, of God.
58. Therefore it is earnestly enjoined that in the Church no
attempt should be made by any individual to institute
any order or perform any work, much or little, great or small, merely at the prompting
of his own inclinations or in obedience to the advice of any man. Let him who
would teach and work be sure that his words and acts are really of God -
commanded by him. Until he is certain in this respect, let him abandon his
office - suspend his ministry; let him engage in something else for a time. Nor
should we hear or believe anything presented to us that does not bear
indisputable evidence of being the divine Word, or command. For God will not
permit mockery of himself in the things of his own prerogative and on which
depends the salvation of souls; for souls will be led to eternal ruin where
this rule and command are disregarded.
”That in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”
59. Here is named the motive for all effort in the Christian
community. No one may seek for nor ascribe to himself power and honor because
of his office and gifts. Power and glory belong only to God. He himself calls
his Church, and rules, sanctifies and preserves it through his Word and his
Spirit. To this end he bestows upon us his gifts. And all is done purely of
grace, wholly for the sake of his beloved Son, Christ the Lord. Therefore, in
return for the favor and ineffable goodness bestowed upon us regardless of our
merits, we ought to thank and praise God, directing all our efforts to the
recognition and glory of his name.
Sunday after Christ's Ascension;
John 15:26-16:4
John 15:26-16:4
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from
the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye
have been with me from the beginning. These things have I spoken unto you, that
ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the
time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father,
nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may
remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the
beginning, because I was with you.
1. The first part of this Gospel, referring to the Holy
Spirit, we will reserve for consideration on Pentecost, at which time it is
appropriate to state why Christ calls the Holy Spirit the Comforter and the
Spirit of truth; also, how he distinguishes him from the Father and the Son,
namely: He is the person who proceeds from, or is sent by, the Father and the
Son; therefore, the Holy Spirit is called, at the same time, the Spirit of the
Father and of the Son, that is, of Christ, as St. Paul and St. Peter
respectively call him in Gal 4, 6, and 1 Peter 1, 11. It is here also testified
that Christ is truly eternal God with the Father when he states that he and the
Father send forth the Holy Spirit and bestow the same upon the Christian
Church. This is stated more fully in the explanation
of chapters 15 to 17 of the Gospel of St. John.
I. THE COMFORT CHRIST IMPARTS TO HIS DISCIPLES.
2. But the Lord Jesus Christ speaks these words, and all of
the discourse of these three chapters, before his departure and ascension, in
order to comfort his beloved disciples, and not only the disciples but all
Christians to the end of time, concerning all that shall happen to them in the
world after he shall have left the world and gone to the Father; to comfort
them when he is no longer visibly present with them and when he rules, not
temporally but spiritually. He says these things that we may be strengthened
and comforted through faith in his Word, to withstand the great and serious
trials which confront Christians on earth, as we shall further hear.
3. He often announced to them how the world would array
itself against them because of their office. He plainly told them, in order to
forewarn them, that the world would not agree with them, nor accept their
doctrines. They had hitherto hoped that all the world, and more
especially his own people, would gladly accept him. Now he tells them that the
world will not only despise their teaching and regard their words as vain
assertions of foolish men who preach about simply a crucified man, but will,
for the sake of himself, hate and persecute them. In a word, he told them that
they should not expect friendship and kindness of the world; he wished them to
learn that his kingdom is in no respect a temporal one.
4. But Christ would not have them be dismayed by his words
and think: What shall be the outcome of this? Shall we preach if no one will
hear us - if even our own people are to become our enemies if we open our
mouths to speak, not to think of what others will do? Let us be silent and let
the world go its own way; let it believe and live as it chooses, rather than
that we should speak only to be compelled, with shame and amid mockery, to
remain silent. We should not be able to accomplish anything, for what are we
and what can we poor, despised few do against so many, against the wisdom,
power and might of the world? He would not discourage them; therefore he
comforts and strengthens them beforehand with these words:
”But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me.”
5. Be it so, he says, even though they hate and persecute
you for my name's sake, and though the devil, who is responsible for such
hatred, aims thereby to prevent you from speaking; nevertheless they shall not
be able to stifle and nullify your preaching, for after my departure, when they
think that I am forever dead, another shall come whose mouth they shall not be
able to shut. He will publicly testify of me and will speak before all the
world, whether the world smile or be angry. This one,
he says, shall be the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and is sent by
me. If I now go to the Father, through suffering and death, and begin to reign
in divine power and majesty, then I shall speak through him; not, as now,
personally and with my weak human will, in this small corner of the world, but
publicly and before all the world. For I will send him in such form that he
shall be in you, and he shall be your Comforter, since you will obtain no
comfort from the world. He shall give you courage and strength to withstand the
enmity of the world and the fear of the devil, enabling you to confidently and
publicly testify of me. This testimony of yours shall be called and be the
testimony of the Holy Spirit, given by you in your official capacity. He shall
be sent to you by the Father and by me, and you may know, and the world will be
compelled to see, that what the Holy Spirit shall say through you is by my
power and authority, and according to the will and command of the Father.
6. This is the consolation which Christ gives the disciples
to strengthen their faith. They would have need of it in their coming work for
him. This promise is a promise to his whole Church that, after his resurrection
and ascension, the word and teaching of the Holy Spirit shall at all times, so
long as Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, testify through the
apostles and their successors, and that this testimony shall remain in the
world, no matter who hears it or hears it not. For the disciples were not to be
concerned as to who did or did not hear and receive their testimony, but they
should know, because it is the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that he would be
present and working with them, to the end that some might believe. Nor should
the world be able to hinder or prevent this, though it should rage against it with its hatred and persecution. Yea, even
if no person on earth received their teaching, nevertheless the world should be
reproved through the preaching of his Word. He says: The Holy Spirit will
reprove the world, which will thus receive the judgment of its condemnation
because it heard the preaching but nevertheless would not believe it and
therefore has no excuse; as he said afterwards: ”If I had not come and spoken
unto them,” and ”had not done among them the works which none other did, they
had not had sin.”
7. Now, when he says: ”Ye also shall bear witness, because
ye have been with me from the beginning,” he thus presents the apostles as
special examples for all preachers and confirms their preaching so that all the
world is bound to their word, to believe the same without contradiction, and is
assured that everything the apostles teach and preach is the true
doctrine and the preaching of the Holy Spirit, heard and received from himself;
as I Jn 1, 1-2 testifies, saying, ”That which we have heard, that which we have
seen with our eyes, that which we have beheld and our hands have handled
concerning the Word of life .... declare we unto you.” No other preachers on
earth have testimony like that of the apostles; all others are commanded to
follow in the footsteps of the apostles, to remain in the same doctrine, and to
teach none other.
8. In addition, the true criterion
is given by which the preaching of the Holy Spirit may be tested, when he says,
”The Holy Spirit shall testify of me;” that is, he will preach nothing except
concerning this Christ, not concerning Moses, Mohammed, or our own works. St.
Peter says, in Acts 4, 12, ”and in none other is there salvation, for neither
is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must
be saved,” except through this crucified Christ.
”These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues, yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God.”
II. THE PROPHECY OF THE WORLD'S HATRED AND PERSECUTION OF
BELIEVERS.
A. Hatred and Persecution Analyzed.
9. He pointed out clearly enough what should happen to them
in the world as a result of their preaching. He mentions two sources of
opposition to the Gospel, than which none could be stronger: One, that the
preachers should be excommunicated and put to death; the other, that the
persecutors would regard this as rendering a service to God. Who can withstand
such persecution? or who will or can preach if those who testify of Christ
shall be thus abusively treated and slain? Nevertheless, he has said that the
Holy Spirit should testify of him and that they also should bear witness; and
he assures them that their testimony shall not be effaced by this rage and persecution of the world. He gives them this
assurance beforehand for the very purpose that they may know and be prepared
against these same abuses.
10. Now, it is a strange and almost incredible thing to bear
that not only the world shall oppose, with its bitter hatred and rage, Christ, the Son of God and its Saviour, but that also
the apostles themselves must be offended at such judgment of the world. Who
could ever conceive that Christ and his Gospel should be received in this
manner among his own people, to whom he had been promised by God, and from whom
they were to expect nothing but that which is good, as indeed they have
received from him? But here you are told that the Gospel is a teaching which,
according to human judgment, gives nothing but offense; that is, men regard it,
not only as a great error or folly and justly mocked and despised of the world,
but as a thing unworthy to be heard or tolerated - to be condemned as if it
were the very devil's most dangerous gift from hell.
11. The kingdom of Christ on earth shall so come that it
must be apparent to all that it is not an earthly kingdom, after the manner of
men. But the world shall refuse to recognize its nature. It shall not be called
the kingdom of Christ or of God, but a destruction and subversion of all good
government, both spiritual and temporal. It is well nigh inconceivable that the
Son of God should be so received by those who are called the people of God and
who are regarded as the most irreproachable in the world; for he speaks here
not of open, malicious, wicked knaves and godless men, but of those who are
regarded as the most eminent, the wisest, the most holy, and, as he here says,
the servants of God.
12. Hitherto no one has understood these words, nor can any
one among the papists interpret the expression, ”They shall excommunicate you”
etc. They can say nothing else of this passage than that it is now an old and,
in fact, a dead thing, referring to the Jews, who were a wicked and hardened
people, that would not endure Christ and his apostles. It is hard to believe
that even now there can be such wicked people on earth among Christians or in
the Church as those who would excommunicate their brethren. But it cannot be
Jews nor Turks who are meant; they have nothing to do with the Church. Nor has
it ever been known that among the papists any one of them was excommunicated or
persecuted or killed for the sake of the Gospel or the knowledge of Christ.
Then, of course, this sermon does not concern them, and gives them neither
instruction nor comfort.
13. But we, thank God, have been compelled, by our
experience as preachers of the Gospel, to learn something of Christ's meaning
here and why he has spoken these things. We discover, in connection with the controversy
concerning doctrine which we carry on with our adversary, that the papacy with
its numerous adherents has been and still is composed of the tender, pious,
holy people of whom Christ here speaks, who excommunicate his Christians for
the Gospel's sake and think that thereby they are rendering service to God.
They certainly did this when by force they suppressed the Gospel and compelled
submission, the Church accepting and obeying their mandates, and when, if
anyone dared a single opposing word, he was promptly burned at the stake.
14. To exterminate the accursed heretics and enemies of God
was called doing a holy work for God. In our time, also, they have shown this
spirit in many examples and still show it in their treatment of numerous pious
people whom they foully put to death, solely on account of their confession of
faith in Christ and God, and will not consent to spare
their lives even were they willing to recant. Therefore this passage does not
need many annotations other than that we learn from it the difference between
the true and the false Church, and thereby receive
strength and comfort in our hour of a similar persecution. In view of this, let
us briefly examine the words of the Gospel.
15. The words, ”they shall excommunicate you,” are to be
understood, as the Greek text clearly sets forth, in the sense of banishment
and exclusion from the synagogue or the assembly of God's people and virtual
separation from all fellowship of the Church, the offender being committed to
the devil, to be cast into the abyss of hell, never to have any part in the
kingdom of God, of grace and of everlasting salvation. This is, indeed, a
severe and terrible word, at which every pious heart must be greatly
affrighted.
16. It is an incontrovertible truth that God has given such
authority and power to the Church that whoever is excommunicated by it is truly
excommunicated by God; that is, is placed under the wrath and curse of God and
deprived of all fellowship with the saints, as Christ says in Mt 18, 17-18: ”What
things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,” and again, ”If
he refuse to hear the church let him be unto thee as the gentile and the
publican.” What fate more terrible could happen to a man than to have the curse
and imprecation of God and of all men pronounced upon him, and to be forever
deprived of all comfort and salvation?
17. When, therefore, this ban and curse are pronounced,
these other words of Christ must follow: ”Whosoever killeth you shall think
that he offereth service to God.” This is the punishment and execution which
the world thinks it must carry into effect upon those who are publicly excommunicated that
they should, without any mercy, be exterminated from the earth. This penalty is
to apply especially to such as oppose God's people with a new teaching and
faith; just as the apostles were accused of preaching against the Law, the
temple, and the people of God. Indeed, God specifically commanded in the Law
that those who are guilty in these matters should not be permitted to live, but
should be condemned without mercy, and that no one should favor his nearest
friend nor brother, his son nor daughter, if an offender. Deut 13, 8. This,
Christ says, shall also happen to you - you will be not only excommunicated by
your own people and be put under the curse of God, but they will also carry out
the sentence of punishment upon you as the enemies of God, and think that they
can render no service more praiseworthy than to
exterminate such accursed people, to the praise and glory of God. Thus, the
disciples of Christ shall fare even as their Head and Lord himself fared; they
shall be regarded as such evil, dangerous, corrupting, accursed people that
everyone is in duty bound to assist in exterminating them from the earth; he who
does this has performed a good work, one acceptable to God in heaven, and can
render him no better obedience.
IV. What Moved Christ to Prophesy Of this Hatred and
Persecution.
18. Behold, should not this persecution prove too heavy to
be borne by the disciples? Christ tells them later that it shall be their lot
to personally see and suffer such treatment, not only with reference to their
Lord, in whom they believe, but also for themselves; that they, for Christ's
sake, must be shamefully cursed and put to death by those who are called the
people of God, and who possess the authority of the Church and command the
honor and respect of men for not only doing right, but for serving God most
zealously, as pious and holy people, ardently promoting the honor of God. What
great tribulation must be in store for the rest of the little flock of Christ's
Church, if these things happened in its beginning and first planting, when the
Holy Spirit so powerfully manifested himself in miracles before the whole
world! What better things could they later expect from idolatrous heathen, if
they are to suffer these at the hands of their own brethren and friends, the
Jewish people?
19. Christ's words, then, mean that the Church is to be
established in a most wonderful manner, beyond and inconsistent with all human
understanding. Who has ever heard that this is to be the way in which God will
introduce Christ's kingdom upon earth, establish his Word in all places, and
gather his Church, if it is to begin in such an inconsistent manner and to meet
with such opposition that the dear apostles must, in shame and disgrace, yield
up their lives and not they, with their few followers, but their adversaries,
bear the name of God's people and God's Church? This ought to be sufficient to
drive out of the hearts of the disciples the erroneous delusion they had held
concerning the temporal kingdom of Christ, and to teach them not to expect from
it worldly and temporal good and honor and power and peace, but to perceive
that he meant to give them something else, since he
permitted them to suffer shame and death.
20. With this word of consolation, Christ prepares his
disciples, and future Christians, assuring them that the Holy Spirit will
testify of him in the face of so much discouragement, as was greatly needed.
That the disciples could understand his words, must be due to the revelation of
the Holy Spirit. How otherwise could they believe that this crucified, accursed
and condemned Jesus, represented by his disciples and pupils, could be the true Son of God, the Lord of life and of eternal glory?
21. There is presented to us in this text a picture of the
reception accorded this kingdom of Christ in the perverse, opposing kingdom of
the world, concerning which God prophesied in the earliest promise of his Word
- the promise in which the Church had its first beginnings - where God said to
the serpent, ”I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed; he shall bruise (crush) thy head, but thou shalt bruise bis
heel.” Gen 3, 15. This enmity, then, must continue in the world, an unending
enmity and contest; as soon as Christ comes, teaching the Word, he meets the
serpent, which immediately becomes venomous and at every opportunity attacks
and bites with its poisonous fangs, for it fears the loss of its head. But in
spite of all efforts, it has not yet gained anything and is still under the
feet of the Seed of the woman, who tramples on its head, until its venom and
wrath against him shall have been spent in vain and its power utterly
destroyed.
22. We have the comfort of this victory of Christ - that he
maintains his Church against the wrath and power of the devil; but in the
meantime we must endure such stabs and cruel wounds from the devil as are
necessarily painful to our flesh and blood. The hardest part is that we must
see and suffer all these things from those who call themselves the people of
God and the Christian Church. We must learn to accept these things calmly, for
neither Christ nor the saints have fared better.
23. It was also a bitter and hard thing for our first
parent, Adam, to learn to understand the fulfilment in his own children of this
same truth, ”I will put enmity between thee” etc., when his first born and
God-given son murdered his own brother because of his offering to God and his
obedience to him. The patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and others who, for the time
being, were the true Church, had to pass through the
same experience when brothers who had learned from the same father one and the
same faith, Word and worship of God, became enemies and one received
persecution at the hands of the other. We ought not to be surprised, then, if a
similar experience must be ours, not alone at the hands of the papists, from
whom we have already received condemnation and whose disposition toward us is
plainly apparent; but also at the hands of those who are still among us as
evangelical Christians, and who yet are not upright.
C. The Cause of This Hatred and Persecution.
24. This is the first part of this Gospel and prophecy of
Christ. The second part now follows, explaining how it is that such worthy
people, the best, the wisest and most holy among God's children, who earnestly
seek to serve and honor God, should so bitterly and mercilessly persecute
Christ and his people.
”These things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me.”
25. There you have the reason. Christ tells what moves them
to such hatred and persecution of Christians. It is, he says, because you preach
concerning me, whom they do not know; for they jealously regard their own
office of teaching and preaching in the capacity of chief-priest and scribe
(and in this day of pope, bishop, etc.) repudiating all doctrine that differs
from that of Moses and the Law. They rigidly follow the command of Moses in
Deut 13, 6ff. How, then, shall the apostles be permitted to promulgate this
utterly new doctrine concerning an unknown Messiah, one, too, whom they reject
as a false prophet, yea, whom they have crucified as a deceiver and blasphemer?
Who, in opposition to all recognized authority and intelligence, would
acknowledge as Christ this executed victim? These so-called people of God boast
to the apostles of their authority, saying, in Acts 5, 28: ”Did we not straitly
charge you not to teach in this name?”
26. That they do not know this Christ is true
without a doubt. Their own confession and deeds prove it. It is plainly evident
in what high esteem they hold themselves as being the people of God, who
possess the Law, and the promise, the priesthood and worship of God (even as
our people possess the Scriptures, baptism, the sacrament and the name of
Christ); yet they are blind and without the true
knowledge of God and of Christ, and consequently have become hardened, opposing
God and his Son with their acts of ban and murder, under the very appearance
and with the boast of thereby serving God. But Christ strengthens and comforts
his own people that they may not fear harsh judgment, nor be intimidated by
jealous authority from preaching and confession, but may say to their
adversaries as the apostles answered the chief-priests and the council at
Jerusalem, in Acts 5, 29: ”We must obey God rather than men.”
27. In this connection Christ fixes the standard of judgment
and points out the difference between the true and the
false Church. The Church is not to be judged by name and external appearance;
but insight must be had and the identifying mark be forthcoming, by which the
holy Church and the true people and servants of God
may be recognized. Reason and human wisdom cannot furnish the necessary
qualifications for the true Church. The actual test is
in ascertaining who have the real knowledge of Christ and who have it not.
Judgment cannot be passed in this case according to mere external appearance
and name, according to the office and authority and power of the Church; in all
these externals the Jews excelled the apostles and the papacy excels us by far.
28. Accordingly, we concede to the papacy that they sit in
the true Church, possessing the office instituted by
Christ and inherited from the apostles, to teach, baptize, administer the
sacrament, absolve, ordain, etc., just as the Jews sat in their synagogues or
assemblies and were the regularly established priesthood and authority of the
Church. We admit all this and do not attack the office, although they are not
willing to admit as much for us; yea, we confess that we have received these
things from them, even as Christ by birth descended from the Jews and the apostles
obtained the Scriptures from them.
29. In view of these prerogatives, they make their perverse
boast against us and censure and curse us as obstinate and recreant apostates
and enemies of the Church. It is unpleasant to suffer such reproach, and for
this reason the devil easily terrifies the hearts of some of the ignorant and
overwhelms men with the thought: Alas! the Church has pronounced the ban and it
really possesses the office; this is certainly a thing not to be made light of, for Christ says in Mt 18, 18: ”What things
soever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.” Therefore whom the
Church excommunicates is undoubtedly also condemned by God. Most assuredly they
do not excommunicate in the name of the devil, nor of the pope, but in the name
of God the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, by the authority of
Christ etc., embellishing the ceremony with appropriate and high-sounding and
solemn words.
30. It is necessary to a thorough understanding of the
matter that we understand what Christ here says concerning the two Churches:
One is the Church which is not recognized by the world, but is robbed of its
name and exiled; the other, the Church that has the name and honor but
persecutes the small flock of believers. Thus we have the opposing situations:
The Church which is denied the name is the true
Church, whilst the other is not the reality, though it may occupy the seat of
authority and power, and possess and perform all the offices conceded to be
offices and marks of the holy Church and yet we are obliged to suffer its ban
and judgment.
31. The reason for the difference in the two Churches is
contained in Christ's saying: ”Because they have not known the Father nor me;”
that is, the false Church regards itself as superior to the teachings of
Christ, when a knowledge of Christ is the very basis of distinction between the
true and false Church. It is not enough merely to have
the name and the office of the Church since these could be unlawfully assumed
and abused; the second commandment and the second petition of the Lord's Prayer
indicate that the name of God is often abused, not hallowed but blasphemed and
dishonored. Hence, we must not be too ready to endorse the declaration: I say
or do this in the name of God or of Christ, and at the command and by the
authority of the Church. But we should reply thus: I accept the name of God and
of the Church as they are dear and precious to me; but I do not concede to you
that in this name you should prescribe and sell whatever you please.
32. Thus we say to the papists: We grant you, indeed, the
name and office, and regard these as holy and precious, for the office is not
yours, but has been established by Christ and given to the Church without
regard for and distinction of the persons who occupy it. Therefore, whatever is
exercised through this office as the institution of Christ, and in his name and
that of the Church, is at all times right and proper, even though ungodly and
unbelieving men may participate. We must distinguish between the office and the
person exercising it, between rightful use and abuse. The name of God and of
Christ is always holy in itself; but it may be abused and blasphemed. So also,
the office of the Church is holy and precious, but the person occupying it may
be accursed and belong to the devil. Therefore, we cannot decide according to
the office who are true or false Christians, and which
is the true or false Church.
33. But the basis of distinction shall be: to know Christ or
not to know Christ; that is, to know the doctrine and faith of Christ and to
confess him. It is evident, as supported by Christ's own statement, that some
know neither him nor the Father; it is determined by him that they are not the
Church of Christ, rather that those constitute the Church who bear the name of
Christ and have his truth, yet are persecuted by the others. Under authority of
this conclusion, Christians are to be undaunted; they are not to be concerned
even though they may be denounced as heretics and be cursed, but are to regard
it as a comforting sign that they are the few who belong to Christ, when they
are excommunicated by the majority in power. For excommunication certainly is
not exercised among members of the false Church for the sake of the knowledge
of Christ and of faith; their policy is to stand approved and unchastised, yea,
they dare even to denounce crowned authority to the extent of curse and ban,
protected as they are by the name and sanctity of the Church.
34. Now, what does it mean to know Christ and the Father?
The papists, forsooth, boast of such a knowledge, even as the Jews boasted of
being able to recognize the Messiah when he should come, Indeed, who should so
well know the Messiah as the same Jews who possessed his Law and promises, his
temple, priesthood etc., and who worshiped the true
God, creator of heaven and earth and promiser of the Messiah? But here you
learn that an intellectual knowledge of God is not sufficient - the Law and
temple service cannot avail; he who wishes to know God truly, must know him in
this Christ, that is, in the Word, in the promises which the Scriptures and the
prophets have spoken concerning him. The teaching and preaching of the Gospel
is nothing else than that Christ is the Son of God, sent by the Father as a
sacrifice and ransom for the sin of the world, by his own blood, that be might
appease the wrath of God and effect reconciliation for us, redeeming us from
sin and death and securing for us righteousness and everlasting life. It must
follow, then, that no one, by his own work and holiness can atone for his sins
- or appease the wrath of God, and that there is no other way to attain the
grace of God and eternal life than by the faith which thus apprehends Christ.
35. This teaching points out the true
Christ and the real knowledge of him. He who thus knows Christ, knows the
Father also; for the knowledge of Christ teaches him that, for the sake of his
Son, God will be gracious to us and will save us, that no one shall come to God
except through him who is the bearer of our sins and is our mercy-seat, and
that all this and nothing else is the eternal counsel, desire and will of God
the Father.
36. This knowledge is the article of faith by which we
become Christians, and it is the foundation of our salvation. Whenever, therefore,
we have the knowledge of Christ, we must cease trusting and boasting in
self-righteousness, in works and in worship of the God of the Jews merely
performed according to the Law, and we must place no confidence in all the
trumpery of the papal selfordained juggling and baubles; for if Christ alone
shall bear my sins, I cannot at the same time atone for them by my own works
and my own pretended worthiness.
37. The former Jewish saints would not, nor will our present
papists, accept nor believe this preaching of Christ; they testify, then, by
their own deeds that they do not know Christ nor the Father who sent him. The
Jews meanwhile set up their own God, who has regard for their holiness - a
holiness consisting in the Law, the priesthood and temple-service - and they
set up a Christ who, when he comes, will be highly pleased with such holiness
and, because of it, promote them to positions of great honor and glory before
the whole world. If they hear the apostles preach that no one can be justified
before God by the works of the Law, and that no other name is given whereby we
can be saved than that of this crucified Christ, they will not suffer the
doctrine, but must bitterly persecute its advocates, pronouncing the ban and
condemning and slaying the apostles and the Christians.
38. Even so do the papists; they will not endure the
teaching that we, for Christ's sake and not by our own works, may be accounted
righteous before God and be saved. Even though they retain the name of Christ and
of faith, yet they rob Christ of his work and power, justify the erroneous
doctrine of human merit, and admit only that faith and Christ are indeed of
some help if love and good works be present. This means simply that Christ does
not count so much as our own works; but whatever merit he confers is because of
our works, as they teach in the schools: Propter unum quodque tale etc., and as
they publicly say: Faith, which must always believe in Christ, is useless,
void, yea, dead, does not avail, if it is not clothed and made
alive by love, which is the soul and life of faith. They say that therefore
Christ and faith may be found even in a person who is impenitent and lives
openly in mortal sin. This is nothing else than to make Christ a mere empty
husk or container and to make out of works the grain and the gold; to regard
Christ as a dead body but our works as the soul. When works are added to faith,
they say, faith becomes a living body, a full container. This is a shameful and
blasphemous interpretation of Christ, that his merit and power must be
dependent upon our works, that he must receive his ability from them, and
become a beggar of us for that which he should give
us.
39. From these two convictions - that they do not know him
and that they persecute and slay his advocates - Christ now passes the judgment
that the so-called Church is not the Church. He then concludes that with their
false doctrines and persecutions they are both liars and murderers of God and
of Christ and of all his saints.
40. From the analysis given, you may decide for yourself in
which group you are to be found; for you must be on one side or the other, and
it is useless to wait for human council in this matter. It has already been
unalterably determined that the two divisions can never agree. The larger body,
which has the recognized authority, will always persecute the minority, even to
the extent of excommunication and murder, as practiced from the beginning.
Those who know Christ - the true Christians - will accept Christ's classification
and be numbered with the minority, who have the Word and the knowledge of
Christ, and they will suffer persecution for the faith rather than, for the
sake of the friendship and honor of this world, to belong to those who,
condemned by Christ, are the bitterest foes of God and of the Church, and who
cannot see the kingdom of God, nor be saved.
41. In this article of faith, distinction must be made between the true Church and the false; for it is the
command of God and of Christ that one shall not be confused with the other.
Therefore, we must separate ourselves from the papal Church, regardless of the
fact that they trust in their Church authority and condemn us as apostates.
42. If they excommunicate and persecute us because of our
evangelical preaching and our knowledge of Christ, we already have the decision
of Christ that they are not the true Church, and their
office and all the authority of which they boast cannot avail against us; that
rather our teaching and judgments against them shall avail before God in
heaven. We are certain, by reason of the test which Christ here applies, that
the true Church is with the few who know Christ and
are united in doctrine, faith and confession of him. And where the true Church is and abides, there remain, also, the offices
of the Church, the sacraments, the keys and all things to it by Christ; it
needs neither to ask nor to receive them from pope or council. In the true Church, not only is the office pure in itself, but
those who exercise it use it lawfully.
43. We admit that the papists also exercise the appointed
offices of the Church, baptize, administer the sacrament etc., when they
observe these things as the institution of Christ, in the name of Christ and by
virtue of his command (just as in the Church we must regard as right and
efficacious the offices of the Church and baptism administered by heretics),
yet if they attempt to pervert the right use of these offices by exercising
them against us, we may, by virtue of the judgment of Christ, declare their
action void and regard themselves as apostates of the Church of Christ.
Pentecost Sunday;
Acts 2:1-13
THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Acts 2:1-13
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they
were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from
heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it
sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began
to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now
when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded,
because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all
amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which
speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were
born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and
in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in
Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and
proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the
wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one
to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new
wine.
1. The historical facts of this day, as well as the
beautiful sermon the Holy Spirit delivered through the apostle Peter, which
might appropriately be fully treated at this time, we shall leave for the
special sermons on the various festivals of the year. For the present we will
but briefly speak of the occasion of this festival, and of the office of the
Holy Spirit.
2. The festival we call ”Pentecost” had origin as follows:
When God was about to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, he permitted
them to celebrate the Feast of the Passover on the night of their departure;
and commanded them on every annual recurrence of the season to observe the same
feast in commemoration of their liberation from bondage and their departure
from Egypt. Fifty days later, in their journey through the wilderness, they
arrived at Mount Sinai. There God gave them the Law, through Moses; and there
they were commanded to observe annually, in commemoration of that giving of the
Law, the fiftieth day after the Feast of the Passover. Hence the name ”Feast of
Pentecost,” the word ”Pentecost” coming from the Greek ”Pentecoste,” or
”fiftieth day.” Our Saxons, rather more in conformity to the Greek, use the
word ”Pfingsten.” So we have it here of Luke: ”When the day of Pentecost was
now come,” or ”fully come” - when the Jews had properly commemorated the giving
of the Law of God on Mount Sinai - the Holy Spirit came, in accordance with
Christ's promise, and gave them a new law. We now celebrate this feast, not
because of the old historical event, but because of the new one - the sending
of the Holy Spirit. It is in order, then, to give a
little instruction concerning the difference between our Pentecost and that of
the Jews.
LITERAL LAW AND SPIRITUAL LAW.
3. The occasion of the Jews' observance was the giving of
the literal law; but it is ours to celebrate the giving of the spiritual law.
To present the point more clearly, we cite Paul's
distinction of the two covenants. 2 Cor 3, 6. And these two covenants
respectively relate to two kinds of people.
4. First, there is the written law commanded of God and
composed of written words. It is styled ”written” or ”literal” because it goes
no farther and does not enter the heart, nor are there any resulting works
other than hypocritical and extorted ones. Consisting only of letters - a
written law - it is wholly dead. Its province being to kill, it ruled a dead
people. With dead hearts men could not sincerely observe the commandments of
God. Were every individual left to do as he pleased, being uninfluenced by fear,
not one would be found choosing to be controlled by the Law. Unquestionably,
human nature is conscious of the fact that while it prefers to follow its own
inclinations it is impelled to do otherwise; for it reasons: ”If I observe not
God's commandments, he will punish me, casting me into hell.” Thus our nature
is conscious of obeying unwillingly and contrary to desire. Because of the
punishment men fear, they soon become enemies to God; they feel themselves
sinners, unable to stand before God, and consequently not acceptable to him.
Indeed, they would rather there were no God. Such enmity to God remains
persistently in the heart, however beautifully nature may adorn itself
outwardly. We see, therefore, how the Law, so long as it consists merely of
written words, can make no one righteous, can enter no heart. Upon this topic
we have elsewhere preached and written at length.
5. The other law is spiritual; not written with ink and pen,
nor uttered by lips as Moses read from the tables of stone. We learn from the
historical record of the event that the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and
filled all the assembled multitude, and they appeared with parting, fiery
tongues and preached so unlike they were wont to do that all men were filled
with amazement. The Spirit came pouring into their hearts, making them
different beings, making them creatures who loved and willingly obeyed God.
This change was simply the manifestation of the Spirit himself, his work in the
heart. He wrote in those hearts his pure and fiery flame restoring them to life
and causing them to respond with fiery tongues and efficient hands. They became
new creatures, aware of possessing altogether different minds and different
tendencies. Then all was life and light; understanding, will and heart burned
and delighted in whatever was acceptable to God. Such is the true
distinction between the written law of God and the spiritual. Herein we
perceive what is the work of the Holy Spirit.
THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
6. From this we should learn what is the office of the Holy
Spirit in the Church, and how or by what means he is received in the heart and
works there. In time past it was preached that he merely endorses what the
councils conclude and the Pope establishes in the Spiritless papal Church. The
fact is, however, the doings of Pope and councils are mere outward matters;
they relate to external commands and government. The above theory is,
therefore, wholly inconsistent and perverse. Of the work of the Holy Spirit,
the Papists make a dead, written law, when it is really a living, spiritual
law. Thus they render the Holy Spirit a Moses, and his words mere human
prattle. It is all due to ignorance of the character of the Holy Spirit, of the
purpose of his coming and the nature of his office. Therefore, let us learn and
firmly grasp those things and be able rightly to distinguish the Spirit's
office.
7. Observe here, the Holy Spirit descends and fills the
hearts of the disciples sitting in fear and sorrow. He renders their tongues
fiery and cloven, and inflames them with love unto boldness in preaching Christ
- unto free and fearless utterance. Plainly, then, it is not the office of the
Spirit to write books or to institute laws. He writes in the hearts of men,
creating a new heart, so that man may rejoice before God, filled with love for
him and ready, in consequence, to serve his fellows gladly.
8. What are the means and process the Spirit employs to
change and renew the heart? It is through preaching Jesus Christ the Lord, as
Christ himself says (Jo 15, 26): ”When the Comforter is come, whom I will send
unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the
Father, he shall bear witness of me.” As we have often heard, the Gospel is the
message God would have preached world-wide, declaring to every individual that
since no man can through the Law be made righteous,
but must rather become more unrighteous, God sent his own beloved Son to shed
his blood and die for our sins, from which sins we could not be released by our
own effort.
9. It is not enough simply that Christ be preached; the Word
must be believed. Therefore, God sends the Holy Spirit to impress the preaching
upon the heart - to make it inhere and live therein. Unquestionably, Christ
accomplished all - took away our sins and overcame every obstacle, enabling us
to become, through him, lord$ over all things. But the treasure lies in a heap;
it is not everywhere distributed and applied. Before we can enjoy it, the Holy
Spirit comes and communicates it to the heart, enabling us to believe and say,
”I too, am one who shall have the blessing.” To everyone who hears is grace
offered through the Gospel; to grace is he called, as Christ says (Mt 11, 28),
”Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,” etc.
10. Now, with the belief that God has come to our rescue and
given us this priceless blessing, inevitably the human heart must be filled
with joy and with gratitude to God, and must exultingly cry: ”Dear Father,
since it is thy will to manifest toward me inexpressible love and fidelity, I
will love thee sincerely, and willingly do what is pleasing to thee.” The
believing heart never sees God with jealous eye. It does not fear being cast
into hell as it did before the Holy Spirit came, when it was conscious of no
love, no goodness, no faithfulness, on God's part, but only wrath and
displeasure. But once let the Holy Spirit impress the heart with the fact of
God's good will and graciousness towards it, and the resulting joy and
confidence will impel it to do and suffer for God's sake whatever necessity
demands.
11. Let us, then, learn to recognize the Holy Spirit - to
know that his mission is to present to us the priceless Christ and all his
blessings; to reveal them to us through the Gospel and apply them to the heart,
making them ours. When our hearts are sensible of this work of the Spirit,
naturally we are compelled to say: ”If our works avail naught, and the Holy
Spirit alone must accomplish our salvation, then why burden ourselves with
works and laws?” By the doctrine of the Spirit, all human works and laws are
excluded, even the laws of Moses. The Holy Spirit's instruction is superior to
that of all books. The Spirit-taught individual understands the Scriptures
better than does he who is occupied solely with the Law.
12. Hence, our only use for books is to strengthen our faith
and to show others written testimony to the Spirit's teaching. For we may not
keep our faith to ourselves, but must let it shine out;
and to establish it the Scriptures are necessary. Be careful, therefore, not to
regard the Holy Spirit as a Law-maker, but as proclaiming to your heart the
Gospel of Christ and setting you so free from the literal law that not a letter
of it remains, except as a medium for preaching the Gospel.
BELIEVERS MUST YET RESIST SIN.
13. Here we should be intelligent and know that in one sense
all is not accomplished when the Holy Spirit is received. The possessor of the
Spirit is not at once entirely perfect, pure in all respects, no more sensible of the Law and of sin. We do not preach the
doctrine that the Spirit's office is one of complete accomplishment, but rather
that it is progressive; he operates continuously and increasingly. Hence, there
is not to be found an individual perfect in righteousness and happiness, devoid
of sin and sorrow, ever serving all men with pleasure. The Scriptures make
plain the Holy Spirit's office - to liberate from sin and terror. But the work
is not then complete. The Christian must, in some measure, still feel sin in
his heart and experience the terrors of death; he is affected by whatever
disturbs other sinners. While unbelievers are so deep in their sins as to be
indifferent, believers are keenly conscious of theirs; but Christians are
supported by the Holy Spirit, who consoles and strengthens till his work is
fully accomplished. It is terminated when they no longer feel their sins.
14. So I say we must be prudent; we must take heed we do not
arrogantly and presumptuously boast possession of the Holy Spirit, as do
certain proud fanatics. The danger is in becoming too secure, in imagining
ourselves perfect in all respects. The pious Christian is still flesh and blood
like other men; he but strives to resist evil lusts and other sins, and is
unwillingly sensible of evil desires. But he who is not a Christian is
carelessly secure, wholly unconcerned about his sins.
15. It is of no significance that we feel evil lusts,
provided we endeavor to resist them. One must not go by his feelings and
consider himself lost if he have sinful desires. At the same time he must, so
long as life lasts, contend with the sins he perceives in himself. He must
unceasingly groan to be relieved of them, and must permit the Holy Spirit to
operate in him. There is in believers continual groaning after holiness -
groaning too deep for expression, as Paul says in Romans 8, 26. But Christians
have a blessed listener - the Holy Spirit himself. He readily perceives sincere
longing after purity, and sends the conscience divine comfort. There will ever
be in us mingled purity and imperfection; we must be conscious both of the Holy
Spirit's presence and of our own sins - our imperfections. We are like the sick
man in the hands of the physician who is to restore him to health. Let no one
think: ”Here is a man who possesses the Holy Spirit; consequently he must be
perfectly strong, having no imperfections and performing only worthy works.”
No, think not so; for so long as we live in the flesh here on earth, we cannot
attain such a degree of perfection as to be wholly free from weakness and
faults. The holy apostles themselves often lamented their temptations and
sorrows. Their feelings concealed from them the Holy Spirit's presence, though
they were aware of his strengthening and sustaining power in their temptations,
a power conveyed through the Word and through faith.
16. The Holy Spirit is given only to the anxious and
distressed heart. Only therein can the Gospel profit us and produce fruit. The
gift is too sublime and noble for God to cast it before dogs and swine, who,
when by chance they hear the preached message, devour it without knowing to
what they do violence. The heart must recognize and feel its wretchedness and
its inability to extricate itself. Before the Holy Spirit can come to the
rescue, there mutt be a struggle in the heart. Let no one imagine he will
receive the Spirit in any other way.
17. We see this truth illustrated in the narrative here. The
beloved disciples were filled with fear and terror. They were disconsolate and
discouraged, and sunk in unbelief and despair. Only with great difficulty and
effort did Christ raise them again. Yet their only failing was their
faintheartedness; they feared the heavens would fall upon them. Even the Lord
himself could scarce comfort them until he said: ”The Holy Spirit shall descend
upon you from heaven, impressing myself upon your hearts until you shall know
me and, through me, the Father. Then will your hearts be comforted,
strengthened and filled with joy. And so was the promise fulfilled to them on
this day of Pentecost.
Pentecost, or festival of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
JOHN 14:23-31.
Contents:
A discourse of consolation, in which Christ gives his disciples
a fivefold promise.
JOHN 14:23-31
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man
love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my
sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent
me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and
come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go
unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you
before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh,
and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and
as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
THE FIRST PROMISE
CHRIST GIVES IN THIS SERMON OF COMFORT.
1. Since pastors are expected on this day to preach on the
Holy Spirit, it would be well to begin the Gospel lesson with the verses
preceding, which it has been customary to read Pentecost evening, where Christ
says: “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may
be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth” etc. These verses are closely
connected with today’s text, and they contain the first promise of the Holy
Spirit. to the apostles. It is Christ’s intent in the
promise richly to comfort the disciples in view of his bodily departure unto
the Father, whither he was going, that he might there prepare a dwelling-place
for them and receive them unto himself. He also assures them that while here
upon earth they shall do much greater works than he has done, and that
whatsoever they shall ask in his name, that he will do. Moreover, he promises
them that the Holy Spirit shall not be with them for a time only, as he has
been in his own short stay in his bodily presence, but that the Holy Spirit
shall continue with them for ever; that they shall have in him a Comforter
whose ministrations shall exceed the comfort which they have hitherto derived
from his own bodily presence.
2. This is a beautiful, glorious promise which Christ makes
to his Church, that is, to the little company who believe on him, to whom he
before said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.”
This is a glorious promise, that the Holy Spirit should certainly be with them
and in them. It means that he shall be given them, not only in their office,
but also that he shall be given into their hearts, to rule, teach and guide
them, to give them strength and courage, and to
protect and sustain them in every danger and need against the devil and his
power. He says: “I will not leave you orphans’! come unto
you.”
3. In the various instances where he describes the Holy
Spirit, he does not designate him simply according to his nature, as he is and
is called the Holy Spirit. The word would signify to them something not to be
seen or felt; he would thus be incomprehensible to them. But, that he may be
comprehensible and real in a bodily sense, Christ gives him a name signifying
his office and work, which is the office of the Word. He thus conveys the idea
of preacher, and he calls him the Comforter and the Spirit of truth, who is
with them by means of the Word of preaching, and who allows himself to be heard
and seen. The two offices, that of comforting and that of leading into the
truth, cannot be exercised otherwise than through the Word, or through
teaching. Thus, we know how and where the Holy Spirit is to be found, and we
need not be in doubt nor waver, gazing here and there for special revelations
or illuminations. Each one should hold to the Word, and should know that
through it alone, and through no other means, does the Spirit enlighten hearts
and is he ready to dwell in them and to give true
knowledge and comfort through faith in Christ. Where this is accomplished,
where the Word concerning Christ is accepted by faith and the heart finds
comfort in it, there we may know that the Holy Spirit is assuredly present and
is performing his work, as has often been stated.
4. Furthermore, the two names, “Comforter” and “Spirit of
Truth,” are very affectionate and consoling names. The word “Comforter,” which
is here used instead of the Greek word paraclete or the Latin word advocate, or
patron, designates a person who acts as counsel for one who is accused or
charged with some crime, and who in that capacity undertakes to defend him and
win his case, to advise and aid him, and to admonish and encourage him as
occasion may require. That, says Christ, shall be the office of the Holy Spirit
when I have left you, and when ye shall find no comfort nor support in the
world, when all the world shall be against you, and when the devil shall beset
you and with his poisonous tongues of slander shall say the worst things about
you, and shall pronounce you before all the world deceivers and rebels, and
shall, furthermore, with the terror of God’s wrath, with melancholy and gloomy
thoughts of your own infirmities, alarm your consciences and fill your hearts
with fear, so that ye might well despair if ye were left in that state without
comfort and strength. The devil appropriately bears the name Diabolus, that is
calumniator, a false, wicked slanderer, who accuses Christians before God day
and night, as we find indicated Revelation 12 10.
5. Now, says Christ, to protect you against this slanderer
and accuser,! will send you, from my Father and in my stead, the Holy Spirit,
who shall be your counselor and defender, and who shall intercede for you
before God. He shall comfort and strengthen your hearts, so that you need not
despair because of the abuse and slander and the accusations and terrors of the
devil and the world, but, on the contrary, you may possess fearless hearts and
courage, and may boldly speak in defense of your cause, the faith and
confession of Christ. He says, in Luke
6. This, we say, is portraying the Holy Spirit in the most
friendly and comforting way. We are not to look upon him otherwise than as a
kind and friendly comforter and helper, and we are to know that he was sent
from God the Father and from Christ for that purpose; that he will certainly
prove himself such through the Word, by showing us the pure grace, love and goodness
of God. He shall assure our hearts that God, both the Father and the Son, is
not angry with us nor does he condemn us, nor desire us to be filled with fear.
The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and Son to be a comforter, and has been
commanded not to declare anything but what he has heard, as we have learned in
the preceding Gospel.
7. Such comfort begets a fearless heart and courage a
against the ravings of the world and the devil, and enables a Christian, whatever
his outward sufferings may be, to endure it all, even with joy, and to conquer
in the end, as did the apostles and martyrs, and many weak women and young
virgins. The Christians – and such were these mentioned .
know that the Holy Spirit is present in our faith and confession; that he will
stand by them, and will direct and carry on the conflict against the devil and
the world, so that the Christians shall not suffer defeat, but shall conquer,
and, in spite of opposition, complete his work.
8. In the second place, Christ calls him “the Spirit of
Truth.” This he does for the comfort of those who believe the Gospel. They may
know, through the witness of the Spirit, that the consolation of the Word is true and real; that it does not deceive, and that the
courage and joy which it induces are genuine and enduring, steadfast through
storms and terrors, even to the gates of hell. For this comfort is not based
upon uncertainties, as is the consolation of the world, but upon the Word of
Christ and the everlasting truth of God.
9. Christ gives this name to the Holy Spirit in
contradistinction to the devil, who is also a spirit, but not a comforter and
helper of Christians; he is their adversary and murderer. Neither is he
truthful; he is the spirit of lies, who, by means of false fear and false
comfort having the appearance of truth, both deceives and destroys. He
possesses the art of filling his own victims with sweet comfort; that is, he
gives them unbelieving, arrogant, secure, impious hearts – as was said in the
Gospel for the third day of the Easter festival. He can even make them joyful;
furthermore, he renders them haughty and proud in their opinions, in their
wisdom and self-made personal holiness; then no threat nor terror of God’s
wrath and of eternal damnation moves them, but their hearts grow harder than
steel or adamant.
10. Again, with truly pious hearts, which in many respects
are timid and tender, his practice is just the opposite. He tortures them with
everything terrible that can be imagined, martyring and piercing them as with
fiery darts, until they may find no good thing nor comfort before God. His
object in both cases is to ruin souls by means of his lies and to lead them to
eternal death. The first class, who, should they be terrified, might repent, he
fills with false comfort and security, but in the end, when their last hour has
comet he abandons them to sudden terror and despair; the latter class he
worries with unceasing torments and fear, and robs them of the comfort they
should have in God, in order that they may despair of God’s grace and help.
11. We should therefore rightly learn to understand the Holy
Spirit, and should know that he is a comforter and does nothing else than to
truly comfort, through the preaching of the Gospel in Christ, sad and timid
hearts that know their sins and are being terrified and distressed by the devil
beyond measure. He exhorts them to be comforted and to be joyful in God’s
promised grace in Christ Jesus. He keeps them therein, so that they continue in
this truth and their hearts come to know that all other teaching and comfort,
though purporting to be of God, are not genuine. The Holy Spirit cannot be
present in false teaching. All such is but the devil’s work – lies and
deception with which he seeks to effect his murderous designs. The Christian
should allow no terror, threat or suffering possible on earth to force him from
the real comfort of the Gospel.
12. Comfort and truth, when the product of the Holy Spirit,
are concealed and deeply hidden in faith. Christians themselves do not at all
times experience them, but in their weakness sometimes miss the presence of
these. For the devil, through both the timidity within themselves and the
wickedness of the world without, hinders and opposes believers to such an
extent that it is often almost impossible for them to appropriate an atom of
God’s comfort; they find themselves in the same condition in which the great
apostle Paul laments about himself ( 2 Corinthians
7:5), where without are rightings, within are fears. They cannot possess
unalloyed comfort and joy, but the greater part of their experience proves to
be sorrow and fear and deadly conflict. Paul says in 2 Corinthians
13. A Christian should be wise here, and should not judge
and determine things according to his own thoughts and feelings, but, in spite
of such temptation and weakness, he should keep to the Word and the comfort of
the preaching which the Holy Spirit gives to all poor and distressed hearts and
consciences. Christ says in Isaiah 61:1-2, concerning the office which he
should exercise through the Holy Spirit: “The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is
upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek;
he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted; to comfort all that mourn.”
14. From this ye should learn – and you will find it
everywhere in the Gospel – that God does not desire you to be sad or alarmed,
but joyful, and comforted with the certain promise of his grace, which the Holy
Spirit himself offers you. He declares that it is not the truth, but your false
opinion and the devil’s deception that lead you to feel and think in your heart
of the wrath and punishment of God, as if he would condemn you to hell.
Therefore, let God’s Word be of more authority to you
than your own feelings and the judgment of the whole world; do not give God the
lie and rob yourself of the Spirit of truth.
II. THE SECOND
PROMISE.
15. Of this promise, this comfort, to allay our feelings and
fears, Christ assures us in the words translated “desolate” he will not leave
you desolate. The word translated “desolate” literally means “orphans.” By the
use of this word Christ would intimate the condition of the Church. In the eyes
of the world, and even in her own estimation, she has not the! appearance of a
prosperous and well ordered organization; rather she is a scattered group of
poor, miserable orphans, without leader, protection or help upon earth. All the
world laughs at her and ridicules her as a great fool in thinking that she is
the Church and comprises the people of God. Furthermore, each individual is so
burdened and oppressed in his need and suffering as to feel that no one else
lies so low or is so far from help as he.
16. Such misery and fears grow upon one under the influence
of the devil’s power, when he pierces the heart with his bitter, poisonous,
murderous thrusts. Then the heart feels that it is not only forsaken by all
men, but also by God himself. So it altogether loses Christ and sees no end to
its misery. Of this we have heard before in the Gospel where Christ says ( John 16:20): “Ye shall weep and lament, but the world
shall rejoice; ye shall be sorrowful” etc. To be left thus, that is, to feel
that all things have conspired to leave us comfortless and helpless, is to be
left orphans indeed.
17. As Christ has thus told his Christians beforehand of
such suffering, so also does he wish to give this
comfort and consolation beforehand, and desires to teach us not to despair
because of suffering, but only to hold to his Word, even if it does seem that
help is being too long delayed. He desires to remind us of the promise that he
will not leave us fast in misery, and that we should accord him the highest
honor due to God, by holding him to be true and faithful.
He says: It shall not continue forever, but only a little, a short time. And he
says here: “I come unto you.” Again: “A little while, and the world beholdeth
me no more.” That hour will seem to you an hour of
sadness indeed, yea, an unending hour of death. “But I will see you again, and
your heart shall rejoice.”
18. This is a sufficient promise of friendship and comfort.
But we need only to learn to believe it, and to experience the truth that in
our greatest weakness he guides his Church by wonderful divine power and
protects and upholds her, so that she shall endure in spite of all. Yea, it
shall be that in the greatest sadness there shall be comfort; in the greatest
misery and desolation, joy and help; in death, everlasting life; until these better
things come to be our possession, and the heart, having overcome all evil and
being filled with the unspeakable joy of salvation, hears the bold, joyful word
of victory which Christ utters: “Because! live, ye shall live also,” and as we
beautifully sing in Psalm 118:15-17: “The voice of rejoicing and salvation is
in the tents of the righteous. The right hand of Jehovah doeth valiantly. I
shall not die, but live, and declare the works of
Jehovah.” This is what St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians
19. Observe, this is the sublime wisdom and knowledge of
Christians, which the Holy Spirit has revealed to them and of which the world
knows nothing whatever. The world must confess that it knows nothing of this comfort,
and that, further, it is impelled by the devil to despise and resist the Holy
Spirit’s preaching concerning such comfort. Therefore, Christ passes judgment
upon it for the comfort of Christians: “Whom the world cannot receive; for it
beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him.” Oh, that is a fearful utterance, to be
told that it cannot receive the Holy Spirit. It must follow from this that the
world has no part in the kingdom of God; that it is forever separated from God
and must remain in the power of the devil and in the bonds of hell. But it is
also a just and well-deserved punishment upon the world, for the world will not
have it otherwise, since it so shamefully despises, blasphemes and persecutes
Christ, the Son of God, together with his Word and the Holy Spirit. So much,
then, on the office of the Holy Spirit, concerning which the chapter just
before the text teaches. Upon this follows now the Gospel:
III. THE THIRD
PROMISE.
I. THE OCCASION OF
THIS PROMISE.
“If a man love me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him.”
20. Just a moment before he began with almost the same words
when he said: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love
him, and will manifest myself unto him.” Thereupon the pious apostle Judas
asked: “Lord, what is come to pass that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us and
not unto the world?” For he, together with the other disciples, was still
entangled in the Jewish notion that Christ would become a secular lord and
king; they hoped that they, themselves, should become great and mighty lords
over lands and people, and oft had they disputed and quarreled among themselves
as to who among them should be the greatest. Therefore, Judas is astonished at
this saying of Christ and cannot restrain himself. He must come out with it and
ask Christ what he means by saying that he will not manifest himself to any
except to them alone. His thoughts must have been these: What kind of a king
will he be if he will not show himself to anyone? If he who has hitherto gone
about only as a servant though he has preached publicly and wrought wonders –
if he now intends to begin his kingdom in such a private and secret manner and
with such doubtful plans as not to allow himself to be seen or known by any but
the few who love him, what kind of a king will he be? It seems to me, his
thoughts were: You should now begin to manifest yourself fully, and let
yourself be seen by all, even by your enemies, in order that all may be obliged
to fall down at your feet. And what does it mean, that everything depends upon
our keeping your Word? What shall we accomplish thereby if we do not add
something else? And who are going to be your subjects if to know and love you
is left simply to the choice of individuals?
21. But Christ answers in the same strain just for the
purpose of rooting out their Jewish notions and of portraying his kingdom to
them in the right light. No, my dear Judas, he would say, it will not be as you
think. The world has honor and glory here on earth, and power and might. It is
by means of these that the world rules in the kingdom of men; those things do
not concern you and me. But it is essential that you love me and keep my Word.
In such hearts I will rule, and to them alone can I manifest and show myself.
For my government is not one of force and might, such as is necessary among the
wicked men of the world, but I desire to rule men’s hearts, and to have my
subjects come to me cheerfully and of their own will. Those who do not believe
on me, will not do this.
22. God had before, often and in
various ways, tried governing the Jewish people simply by the Law and under
punishment; the result was that almost the whole nation was exterminate in the
wilderness, and afterward the people were smitten again and again, and carried
away as captives, until finally they were completely annihilated. In no way
could he bring them to obey him in sincerity and to keep his commandments. And
what should they keep? In the beginning, when God spoke with them and gave them
the ten commandments, they were not able to endure nor to hear him, but prayed
that he might permit Moses to speak with them; him they were willing to hear.
And then when Moses came and brought the ten commandments, they were not able
even to look upon his face, but made a veil for him;
which veil, St. Paul says, is upon their hearts to this day, so that they
cannot understand, much less experience in their hearts, what God asks of them
– that they should love him with all their hearts and be obedient unto him.
23. If, now, God, in the case of his own people, whom he had
selected and honored above all others, was not able to bring them to himself
through Moses and the prophets, how should he be able to accomplish more in another case by means of man’s instruments – law and
force? If he would have loyal subjects upon earth he must employ different
means in his dominion. He would not accomplish his purpose if he were simply to
compel disobedient nature by means of terror and threats; although threatening
may still serve a purpose in revealing the certain result of disobedience and sin, and teaching men to
tremble at the wrath of God. But love and friendship must attract before love
and longing toward God are begotten.
24. And only in this way can they be begotten: In place of
the terror of God’s wrath, which we have deserved by our disobedience, we must
receive the Word of grace and the assurance that God is ready to withdraw his
wrath and to pardon sin. Such assurances of friendship and grace Christ now
gives in his Gospel. He begins his kingdom by leading hearts to learn of his
love, and by teaching that he, through his suffering and death, has procured
for us God’s grace and mercy as a free gift, and in addition has given the Holy
Spirit. He so rules us that we continue in this kingdom Of grace, the Holy
Spirit working in us, so that we, on our part, begin to love God and to obey
him willingly and cheerfully.
II. TO WHOM THIS
PROMISE IS GIVEN.
25. Concerning obedience he now says: “If a man love me, he
will keep my Word.” And just before he said: “If ye love me, ye will keep my
commandments.” Keep his Word or commandment – that is what the soul must do who
loves Christ, who understands and appreciates what he gets from Christ; no one
else will love him. He speaks here not of Moses’ word or the declaration of the
Law, but of the proclamation of the love and grace which Christ has shown us by
taking our sins upon himself and offering for us his body and blood, and by
doing this from pure grace, that we might ,be
comforted and thereby learn to know in real experience his love. And if we
believe it, he requires nothing more of us than that
we should be thankful for it and should continue in faith and confession, and
out of love and honor to him seek the welfare of his kingdom by word and deed.
26. This loyalty to Christ’s kingdom is now considered a
simple thing by the presumptuous and inexperienced spirits who deem themselves
so holy and so strong in the faith as to be able easily to do what they hear,
and who think that the Word of God is something that is obeyed as soon as it is
heard. For everyone who has not yet had the experience of grace thinks, Who
would be so wicked as not to love Christ, nor to keep his Word which speaks of
the grace of God? Just so did the people of Israel in the wilderness when Moses
told them all the words of the Lord ( Exodus 24:3);
they all cried out with one voice: “All the words which Jehovah hath spoken
will we do.” But when they were to do these words, their conduct was such that,
on account of it, they were obliged to remain in the wilderness forty years –
until they all had perished. Yes, if Christ bestowed gold and silver by means
of his Word, or conferred honor and reputation upon our holiness and wisdom,
then everyone would cheerfully keep the Word and hold it fast. But it is none
of those things for which a man on earth has any desire; on the contrary, he is
such an unlovely figure that all the world is offended and flees from him.
27. Experience, therefore, teaches how difficult it is to
keep this Word, for the holy cross has been laid upon it. Not only do our own
flesh and the old nature resist, in accordance with its disposition, and prefer
that which is easy and agreeable, but also, when one begins to confess the
Gospel, then the devil, with all his followers and confederates, bears hard
upon one and everywhere attacks him by means of the persecutions of the world
and by all kinds of temptations. He opposes him inwardly, with unending
conflicts and fears of the heart, and outwardly, with constant danger of body
and life, until one must cry to heaven for help. Experience certainly teaches
that it is not such an easy, simple thing to keep the Word of Christ as it is
to observe the juggling of Jewish ceremonies, of a man-made divine service,
monkery and the like.
28. Therefore, Christ says that the heart must cling to him
and love him, for it cannot otherwise survive in the world, which is the
devil’s kingdom and is opposed to Christ. The Church upon earth must strive and
contend with weakness, poverty, misery, fear, death, shame and disgrace. By
necessity the Christian is driven to step out of himself and not to rely upon
the advice, help or strength of men. He must love Christ in his heart, and must
hold his name, his Word and his kingdom more precious
than all things of the earth. Whoever does not do this, but seeks his own honor
and glory, or the favor and friendship, the pleasures and enjoyments of the
world, and who loves his own life more than Christ –
to such a one it is useless to speak of these things. Jesus shortly afterwards
says: “He that loveth me not keepeth not my Words.”
29. Christians, to whom Christ here speaks as to those who know
him and know what they have in him – they, I say, should be moved to this love
by the love and friendship which he has shown us in delivering us from sin,
condemnation and eternal death, laying them upon his own shoulders. He thus
surely deserves that we should love him. Therefore, shortly before, he reminded
them of this when he said: “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments;” as if
he would say: If ye know and feel that I have deserved this at your hands, then
in turn do me the favor of loving me and keeping my Word; for if ye believe
this and consider it, then ye will surely also love me.
30. But “to keep his Word” does not mean simply “to love”
with words; the living work and proof of love must be present. It is the love
which battles and conquers. Such is the real nature of love that it does
everything for the sake of the beloved, and nothing is too hard for it to
suffer and bear, and do it even cheerfully; as we see also in the natural love
which God has implanted in fathers and mothers toward their children, which is
an image of his divine love toward us. Such love is spent altogether freely
upon those who are undeserving and is impelled to do them good. So Christ, when
he dwelt in divine majesty, eternal God and Creator, showed the highest love
toward us – toward us poor creatures, when we as yet had no kinship with him
and deserved nothing but wrath and condemnation.
31. Since love does these things for those from whom no love
had been received and who had deserved no love, and since we, aside from this,
would still be in duty bound to love him as our maker and God, even although he
had not otherwise so greatly deserved it: how much more
should we love ‘him because he so greatly loved us and loved us first. If we
would take this inexpressible kindness to heart as we should, then, of course,
nothing that we might be called upon to endure and bear for his sake would
prove irritating or too hard for us, so long as we might continue in his love.
This, then, would not only be hearing his Word willingly, but also holding it
fast and conquering.
III. THE PROMISE.
“And my Father will love him.”
32. There need be no sharp discussion here concerning the
question why Christ speaks thus: “If a man love me” etc. – whether or no we had
to love him first, It is certain that he first loved us, as is plainly stated
in John
33. What Christ says here: “He that loveth me shall be loved
of my Father” etc., is said concerning the manifestation of love. He indicates
this when he says: I will manifest myself unto him; and again: We will come
unto him. That is, if we continue steadfast in this love against the wrath,
hatred and persecution of the enemies of Christ and the Church, namely, the
devil and the world, then we shall experience the certainty that he will
faithfully and firmly stand by us with his love, and will help us in such
conflict and need and give us the victory. This is
probation, or experience which comes from patience in suffering, as St. Paul
says in Romans 5:4. In such times, as has been said sufficiently, God’s love
toward us so conceals itself that nothing but the opposite is felt; it seems as
if God had altogether forgotten us and his grace and love had been changed into
anger.
34. He that perseveres in these things and continues in this
love, shall experience that God is true, and shall
feel the comfort of divine love in certainty poured out into his heart, helping
him to overcome all things. St. Paul again says in Romans 8:37-39: “Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him
that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is the victory and
redemption through which we experience the truth of what we have believed –
that he loves us.
35. Christ purposely uses the words: “My Father will love
him,” in order that he may draw us upward and reveal to us the Father’s heart,
portraying it to us in that tender way which poor, distressed consciences can
greatly appreciate. It is exceedingly difficult for the human heart to expect
with certainty everything good of God and to appreciate all grace and mercy.
Indeed, it is altogether impossible except through Christ the mediator. Coarse
and impious hearts may be very strong and haughty at this point, bearing
themselves hard in much conceit, and thinking that what they do is all very
precious in the sight of God. Yes, they may do this until they come upon the
peril and terror of death, brought about through the clear revelation of the
Law; then there are upon all the earth no people more
dejected and despairing. When their hour has come, they go down suddenly and no
one can raise them up again.
36. Much better and safer and more
comforting, therefore, is the state of those who are constantly striving and
struggling with terror and fear of God’s wrath, and who are so afraid that when
they hear the name of God mentioned the world becomes too strait for them. Just
for these has this comfort been uttered; yes, for their sakes God has at all
times declared the promise of his grace and of the forgivness of sins, and to
that end has given his Son and all the good in the whole world, overwhelming it
with blessings, in order that they, by all means, may learn to know his grace
and goodness which, as Psalms 52 and 36 say, endureth continually, and reacheth
unto the skies. The fact that a Christian lives and that he possesses a sound
member is due solely to the visible grace and help of God. For the devil, in
whose kingdom the Christians are, here upon earth, is such a wicked, malicious
spirit that he aims at nothing else, day and night, than to murder and destroy
them.
37. But however great, both in word and deed, God’s promise
of grace is toward those that fear him, yet they cannot lift up their hearts
and joyfully look upon God. They are still constantly harassed with anxiety and
fear lest God may be angry with them on account of their unworthiness and the
weakness which is theirs. If they hear an angry word from God, or recall or
learn of some fearful example of God’s wrath and punishment, then they tremble
and fear lest it strike them. The other class, on the contrary, who indeed
should tremble before God, stiffly and proudly despise these things in their
security, and comfort themselves with the carnal notion that God cannot be
angry with them. Very difficult is it for the human heart to so balance itself
that it will not become secure in success and prosperity, but remain humble,
and again, in times of fear and misfortune, enjoy comfort and confidence toward
God.
38. Christ, everywhere in his utterances, speaks of comfort,
that he may show the Father’s loving-kindness, and himself as a faithful,
well-meaning and gracious mediator. Gladly would he impress this upon our
hearts. No one may doubt it if only he feels love and longing for Christ and
can hold fast to his Word and believe that he has borne our sins and freed us
from all wrath, sin and death; and if he furthermore continue therein with a
sincere confession that Christ, without doubt, possesses the true,
fatherly divine heart, full of unspeakable and boundless love toward him, and
that it is his earnest will and purpose that the Christian should fear and be
terrified at nothing, but should expect from God everything that is best and
most lovely.
39. It is, indeed, glorious comfort, in which you may well
exult, as in the kingdom of heaven, and leap incessantly for joy – that Christ
has assured and certified to you that, when for his sake and out of love for
him you endure the persecutions of the devil or the world, it is pleasing to
God the Father in heaven, and is the most acceptable thing that you can do for
him. And such love from God toward yourself you will also experience in help
and victory from above. This comfort Christians should know; they should call
to mind the treasure that is theirs in the Gospel and in the knowledge of
Christ, to the end that they may praise God for it and be thankful. This
promise of love he continues to explain still further, and says:
IV. FURTHER
ILLUSTRATION OF THIS PROMISE.
“And we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
40. This will be a really glorious and new Pentecost and an excellent
manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit; a heavenly assembly or council
for the hearts which are enlightened and aflame with love to Christ through the
Holy Spirit, wherein the love of Christ and the Father shines and beams upon
them. God and man will cleave unto each other as friends, for the Holy Spirit
himself prepares the heart of man and consecrates it as a holy house and
dwelling, a temple and dwelling-place of God. What a glorious, noble, loving
and precious guest and house-companion does man receive – God the Father and
the Son and certainly with them also the Holy Spirit!
41. Great glory and grace is this for men, that they are
accounted worthy of being such an honored dwelling, castle, hall, yes, Paradise
and kingdom of heaven, in which God dwells upon earth – they who are such poor,
dejected, timid hearts, who feel nothing but sin and death, and who fear and
tremble at the wrath of God, thinking that God is farthest from them and the
devil nearest. Yet, these are the people to whom such things are promised, and
they may freely comfort themselves with the thought that they are the true house of God and the true Church, not anointed with the
foul oil of the consecrating bishop, but consecrated by the Holy Spirit
himself, where God desires to rest and remain. The prophet Isaiah says
concerning these, in chapter 66:1-2, directing his words against those who were
proud and puffed up in the thought of their own holiness and divine service:
“What manner of house will ye build unto me? and what place
shall be my rest? For all these things hath my hand made,
and so all these things came to be, saith Jehovah: but to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my
Word.”
42. And where else should God dwell? He finds no other
habitation upon earth. Those self-constituted saints in their own estimation
excellent, high and great, are much too proud, much too high, wise, prudent and
holy. They have passed up through and far beyond heaven, so that they could not
be his habitation upon earth, although they boast of themselves as being the
only church and people of God. So also God is far too great and holy to dwell
with such proud, ambitious saints as these, who, like the devil, their idol,
wish to be equal with God and boast before him of their own holiness. Though
they appear in all the pomp and glory and ornament of their fine self-made
holiness, yet he does not do them the honor to look at them. He is found,
however, in the humble cots of such as are poor and despised, who fear and
believe the Word of Christ and would gladly be Christians, but who feel
themselves to be very unholy and unworthy sinners.
43. This is, certainly, a sublime, beautiful promise, and,
as St. Peter ( Peter 1:4) says, one of the precious
and exceeding great promises granted unto us poor, miserable sinners, that we
through them should become partakers of the divine nature, and should be so
highly honored as not only to be loved of God through Christ Jesus and to enjoy
his favor and grace – as the highest, the most precious and sacred thing – but
should even have the Lord himself dwelling completely in us. For it shall not,
he would say, be love – simply that he turns his wrath from us and shows a
gracious, fatherly heart toward us – but we are also to enjoy that love;
otherwise, his love to us would be vain and useless, as says the proverb: To
love and not to enjoy etc. We are to find great benefit and treasure in his
love, which shall be assured to us in its manifestation of deeds and gifts.
44. These are the two things which Christians receive from
God, namely, grace and gift, as St. Paul distinguishes them in Romans
45. That is what he means here when he says: “We will make
our abode with him.” The effect of God’s grace and love must be that it makes
the heart of man a throne and seat of the divine majesty, better and nobler
than heaven or earth; as St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians
46. His doctrine and confession as a Christian are not of
men, but of Christ, whose Word he has and holds. So also the office of a Christian
which he exercises is not of man’s ability, but of God’s. He holds it by the
command, authority and power of God; it is granted of God through the Holy
Spirit, as St. Peter says. In all things, then, he does only good, even as he
has received every good from God; and outwardly, also, his body becomes the
temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians
47. Observe now, what a worthy being the man is who is a
Christian, or who, as Christ says, keeps Christ’s Word. A wonderful man,
indeed, is he upon earth, who is of more value in the
eyes of God than heaven and earth; yea, he is a light and Savior of the whole
world, in whom God is all in all, and who in God is able to do all things. But
to the world he is hidden; he is unknown. Moreover, the world does not deserve
to know Christians. It holds them as its doormats, yea, like St. Paul says in 1
Corinthians
48. Oh, what mockery must it have been to the ears of the
Jewish saints and priests and Pharisees when they heard the words that declare
how God will make his habitation only with those who hear the words of this
man! They were only a little handful of timid, poor, despised people. As if God
did not have a better and more glorious habitation,
becoming his majesty, in the saints and superior persons who were the bright
lights and the eminent ones among God’s people, in the holy city of Jerusalem!
And the glorious temple and divine worship – did not the Scriptures and the
prophets themselves call them the holy city and dwelling-place of God, the
chosen place where God would rest, Psalm 132:14, and that forever? Of this they
boasted very haughtily, and claimed that their kingdom, their priesthood and divine
worship, should never fail.
49. But here Christ ignores all these things as if he were
totally indifferent to them, and utters the remarkable saying that the place of
his own and his Father’s abode – their habitation and their Church – is where a
Christian is found, who keeps Christ’s Word. Thus he discards the old
habitation of Judaism and the temple of Jerusamlem, and builds a new, holy,
glorious Church and house of God, which is not Jerusalem or Judaism, but is
spread abroad throughout the whole world, without distinction of person, place
or custom. Jews, Gentiles, priests or laymen – it matters not. This house of
God is not of stone or wood, made by the hand of man, but newly created of God
himself, namely a people that loves Christ and keeps his Word.
50. It is true that up to this time
God was still the master of the house among the Jewish people; he had his
hearth and fire there, as he says in Isaiah 31:9, but this was for the sake of
his Word, proclaimed through the prophets, which was still there and which was
always believed in by a few, and for the sake of the true Church of God, the
land and the city were preserved. But now, since Christ himself has come, and
the people do not want to hear his Word, but they persecute his apostles and the
Christians and drive them out of the land, until no Christian can remain there
– now the temple, the city and the land of Judaism must be desolated and
ruined, the priesthood forever rejected, never again to be restored. For Moses
and the prophets had before declared unto them that if they did not keep his
Word they should no longer be nor be called his people, and this city and
temple should no more be his city and temple.
Deuteronomy 32:21; Hosea 1:9.
51. Here, now, you have the definition and the answer to the
muchdisputed question as to what the Church really is and whence is its power.
We rightly and in truth say that it is ruled by the Holy Spirit. Christ says
that the Father and the Son dwell with it, and what it says and does is said
and done through them; everyone at the risk of his salvation is bound to hear
the Church. So far are we agreed, as the basis of this and other promises, that
there is a people upon earth which is called God’s people, where he desires to
be master in his house, prince in his castle, God in his Church; a people so
precious and highly esteemed before God that he did not deem his very heaven
above so great as to keep him from coming to his Church in this vale of sorrow
and remaining with it until the end of the world. He would not have man to gaze
up in vain and seek his Church in Paradise. He would have him find it here
until the other life begins.
52. There is, therefore, no dispute as to whether or not there
is a Church upon earth to which we owe allegiance. She is, as it were, the
sovereign or queen through whom God speaks and works. But the disputed question
is, who and what is the Church? To decide this question and to discover the one
rightful Church, one must not, says St. Augustine, judge according to men’s
words and opinions. We become sure of the case when we hear how Christ the
Lord, himself, portrays it in his Word. Now, he designates it as the little
company that believes in Christ and keeps his Word, for thereby one knows and
feels such love. The Word, which is called the Word of Christ, must be the rule
and touchstone by which the Church is to be discerned and by which it must
govern itself. There must be a certain rule by which the Church shall measure
its conduct. It will not do for individuals to formulate their own ideas of
conduct, act accordingly and then say that the Church is led by the Holy
Spirit.
53. Therefore, Christ binds the Church to his Word and makes
that the distinguishing mark by which must be measured the teaching, the
preaching, the rule of conduct Is all done out of the love of Christ? Where you
find conformity to the Word in these things, there you have discovered the
right Church, and you are in duty bound to obey it. You certainly have warrant
for concluding that God dwells therein and speaks and acts through that Church.
54. St. Peter lays down this rule, as we have heard above in
his epistle, where he says in 1 Peter
55. This is the beautiful promise concerning the
superabundant glory of Christians, namely, that God troubles himself so deeply
for their sakes and comes so near to them; he does not manifest himself
anywhere except in them and through their word and conduct. Thus God greatly
distinguishes them from all other people. One single Christian, however lowly
he may be, receives distinction and is more highly
honored of God than all kings, emperors, princes and the whole world combined;
for they have nothing of such reputation and honor. Moses says in Deuteronomy
4:7: “For what nation is there that hath a God so nigh unto them, as Jehovah
our God is whensoever we call upon him?” There is reason, then, to look with
favor upon the Word of the Gospel. We have every encouragement to cling boldly
to it and for its sake leave everything in the world.
56. But we must remember, as I have said, that among
Christians upon earth there is still weakness in the things of the Word and
faith. Christians well have need to cry to God and pray for the help and
strength of the Holy Spirit. A beginning has been made in Christ’s kingdom.
Christians are indeed called and made the habitation
of God, and in them God speaks and rules and works. But the work is not yet
complete; it is an edifice on which God yet works daily and makes arrangement.
It shall be completely prepared and perfected in his own good day. Wherefore,
Christ here does not say, We shall find our abode prepared with him, but, “We
shall make our abode with him.”
57. Christ brings with him all kinds of spiritual material
that may be necessary for building, ornamenting and completing the dwelling.
The Word and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are materials with which he builds.
Though the dwelling is not altogether completed, yet through his grace and love
it is accepted of God. Then the Christian becomes his house, and, through the
operation of the Word and the Holy Spirit, is constantly being prepared and
improved, growing stronger in knowledge, wisdom, faith, gifts and virtues. That
which remains of the old birth, still rough and uncouth, is being hewn off, or
mortified, through the cross, through temptation and suffering and there is
constant progress in grace and in the work of the Holy Spirit.
58. Therefore, no one should despise a brother Christian nor
despair concerning himself when he sees in another or feels within himself
great weakness, enticement, inclination to unbelief, impatience etc., although
at times he may even err and stumble, as did Peter when he denied Christ and
was for that reason forsaken of God and rejected as a worthless instrument; but
the Christian should again raise himself up through repentance and faith in the
Word, and should comfort himself with the thought that he is of the kingdom of
Christ, the kingdom of grace, which is far mightier, than sin. Romans
59. Accordingly, as the prophet Zechariah, in beautiful
words, in chapter
60. Great saints often lament that they do not have enough
comfort, joy and strength; they find that, in this state, they must comfort
themselves with grace and sustain themselves through prayer and endeavor. St.
Paul, himself, in many places complains of his weakness, as in 2 Corinthians
12:7-9, where he says that there was given him, through the messenger of Satan,
a thorn in the flesh, which so pierced and tortured him that he could not feel
the Spirit’s strength and power, and in anguish he besought the Lord three
times that it might be taken from him. But he was told: “My grace is sufficient
for thee.” His crying and prayers were indeed heard, yet he was not relieved of
his weakness. The spirit of grace within him, however, comforted and sustained
him in the conflict so that he should not sink under it to him was given the
assurance: My power is made perfect, or overcomes, in
the weak.
V. CHRIST ADDS A DECISION
TO THIS PROMISE.
“He that loveth me not keepeth not my words.”
61. There you have a short, vigorous decision, Whoever would
be a Christian must love. To love means, cheerfully and willingly to keep God’s
Word. Either do this or nothing. We must sincerely desire and love Christ, or
else abandon him altogether. For he that seeks his own in Christ, and does not
sufficiently love him to be willing for his sake to sacrifice his own honor and
reputation and righteousness, and to abandon everything earthly, is of no value
to Christ’s kingdom. It is not given to all to be Christians, though they may
indeed boast of themselves in this respect. St. Paul says, 2 Thessalonians 3:2:
“For all men have not faith;” for they have not yet known nor tasted his grace
and love. Hence, they cannot love him nor obey the injunction of his Word, that
they should be willing to risk or to leave anything for its sake.
62. From this decision now follows the opposite phase of the
question. Christ speaks of the alternative course and its consequences. In
words short and concise, he declares that whoever does not keep his Word,
certainly does not believe in him; furthermore, he dare not presume upon any
love from God, but is already disunited from the kingdom of grace, and continues
under everlasting wrath and judgment. John
63. Such souls must suffer the loss of all things. They cannot
be God’s habitation, nor have the Holy Spirit; they are not deserving of the
grace that God should speak and work through them. Since they despise God’s
Word, God also despises them, and they are thus left without protection from
the devil, who drives them about according to his will. ‘In his wicked power,
they can neither will nor do God’s pleasure, but, as St. Paul says in Titus
64. Among the Jews, in Christ’s time, the most prominent
class comprised such unhappy people. They were esteemed as most holy and wise,
and made claims to be God’s people above all others.
Afterwards, in the Church there were heretics, schismatics and false brethren,
who likewise professed great spirituality, love of truth and holiness, and yet
through them the devil introduced misery and ruin. Such too, only worse in
degree, is, at the present time, the whole rabble of popedom. They not only
knowingly despise utterly God’s Word, but also without any compunction
whatever, persecute its heralds and oppose its preaching. They are people
completely possessed of the devil, and in whom neither God, Christ nor the Holy
Spirit can dwell. Their lives are openly of such a character that they are
nothing but scandals and stains of shame in Christendom, as testifies the
epistle of Jude (verse 13). Yet they desire forcibly to silence those who have
the name and honor of the Church.
65. That they are not the Church of Christ needs no further
proof. It follows clearly enough from this saying of Christ that whoever does
not love him does not keep his Word; whoever does not keep his Word, is no
member of his Church, and has no part in his kingdom, as stated. That they do
not keep Christ’s Word nor love Christ is itself testimony against them, crying
unto heaven. They continue in this evil until the present day, so blinded as
not to heave one sigh of Christian repentance for the error and abomination of
which they are convicted, and of which they must be conscious, and by which
they have led so many souls into ruin. Nor are they at all anxious that for the
future God’s Word might be rightly preached and that poor souls find help. On
the contrary they resist with might and main and would rather see the country
and its people, yea, the whole world, drenched in blood than that they should
correct even one of their errors. From all this it may be seen how completely they
are in the power of the devil, and that God’s wrath must eventually reach them.
66. Christians are set apart from all other people upon
earth, not by certain outward signs or certain works which all non-Christians
and hypocrites may likewise do, but only by this, that they love Christ and
keep his Word. Therein faith and love to Christ are made
manifest. Those who do not love Christ and keep his Word, and do not desire to,
thus separate and cast themselves out. Love to Christ, as has been said, cannot
remain secret and hidden, but it must manifest itself in word and deed. So,
likewise, must unbelievers manifest themselves. Notice that it is not enough to
hear the Word; it must be kept; that is, one must bear witness before all the
world in deed and in confession, and must stand by the faith, even though it
should mean the loss of everything on account of it. One’s sincerity or
hypocrisy will surely reveal itself.
67. Now it should be plain why Christ, at the beginning,
said that he would manifest himself, not unto the world, but unto those who
love him. The world has no inclination to accept Christ in the character he has
shown himself on the cross and in his unattractive earthly form. He does not
bring the things it desires – worldly power, honor and riches, and praise and
approval of its own wisdom, its holiness etc. It is completely sunk and
submerged in lust and love of riches. Wherever it does not find these things,
there it perceives nothing further, and will not be attracted. On the contrary,
it retreats lest it be robbed of its earthly treasures. Especially does it
repel the suggestion that worldly reputation and honor, temporal wisdom,
virtues and holiness should be denounced and reduced to sin and shame before
God.
68. Therefore, the kingdom of Christ must remain hidden to
the world and the Gospel be concealed; the world’s heart must be blinded by the
devil. People of the world can know neither Christ nor the Father, and he can
make no abode with them, that they might experience some comfort from his Word
and some power from his work. So the Gospel and the knowledge of Christ
certainly remain a revelation, and, as St. Paul says in Romans
“And the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.”
69. Here, you see, he speaks of the oral Word, which they
heard of him; and he so magnifies it that whoever despises and rejects it, has
not despised the man who utters it but the divine majesty. Again, he comforts
those who keep his Word with the assurance that thereby they are doing the will
of God the Father. He does not want to let the matter rest with himself alone,
but, as said, he wishes to draw us upward through himself to the Father. This
he does everywhere in the Gospel of St. John, to shield us against great and
dangerous temptation, wherein the devil is a master. It is in pious, suffering
hearts that the devil labors most, that he may separate Christ from the Father.
It is his intention that one who hears Christ’s Word may yet, in thought,
undertake to find the will and heart of God outside of Christ.
70. For the devil is content if one holds only to the man
Christ and goes no further; yes, he is also willing that the word that Christ
is truly God should be preached and heard. But what he opposes is, that the
heart should unite Christ and the Father so intimately and inseparably as to be
convinced that the Word of Christ and the Word of the Father are altogether the
same Word and heart and will. Uninstructed hearts think- Yes, I, indeed hear
how Christ in friendliness comforts troubled consciences, but who knows how I
stand before God in heaven? This is not believing God and Christ as one, but it
is making for one’s self another Christ and another God. It is missing the true God, who would be found nowhere except in this Christ.
Christ says concerning this, to Philip, in John 14:9: “He that hath seen me
hath seen the Father.” So, also, Christ says in John
71. Therefore, beware, by all means, of other thoughts or
suggestions that may move you to doubt this, or that may direct you to look for
another revelation of God’s will concerning you, aside from this Christ. In
such search you must surely fail, yes, even meet with harm and destruction, if
you think of finding the divine majesty elsewhere. Or you may be deceived by
the devil, who, instead of God, offers his own phantom. For he possesses the
art of representing himself in the majesty of God, even as he did before
Christ, inducing souls to worship and obey him. If this scheme fails, he
confuses his victim with all manner of thoughts and imaginations, in an attempt
to tear him away from this Christ. Against this, a Christian needs to be fortified,
and skilled in wisdom; he must learn to bind his heart and his thoughts alone
to the Word of Christ, that he may not wish to know or hear any other God than
him. This I have elsewhere treated at length.
THE OTHER PART OF
THIS GOSPEL.
IV. THE FOURTH
PROMISE.
“These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding with you. But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.”
72. These, now, are closing words which Christ speaks to his
disciples – a conclusion to his sermon, his utterances of comfort. He wishes to
part from them; he thus takes his leave and directs them to further future
comfort, when the Holy Spirit shall be given them, who shall teach them to
understand all these things and to experience this comfort in very deed. As if
he would herewith say: So far I have been with you, and have done for you what
I should and could do. I have given you my Word, and have comforted you by word
of mouth, to which you are to hold when I depart from you. It is true that the comfort of the words which I have spoken is
indeed great and sublime; but while I am still with you, you do not take them
to heart that you experience their sweetness and power. They remain only as the
Word that I speak to you, and are as yet nothing more.
73. But they are not to continue simply as my words and
speech, but are also to become a part of your own experience; not a mere empty
sound or echo, but a living comfort in your hearts. This however cannot be so
long as I am with you, for ye now possess only the bodily and physical comfort
of my presence; therefore, I must be taken from you, in order that this comfort
may become effective in you and that the Holy Spirit may teach you these
things. When ye have lost me and are left alone in danger, need and fear, then,
for the first time, ye will realize the need of comfort and of praying for it.
Then will the Holy Spirit find you to be really teachable pupils. He will prove
to be your helper and reminder. Through his aid you may perceive to what end I
said these things. Then shall your hearts experience the comfort and power of
the fact that I manifest myself and the Father unto you, and so abide in you
that others may also learn of this comfort through your word.
74. And note well this text, how Christ here binds the Holy
Spirit to his Word, and fixes his limit and measure, so that the Spirit may not
go further than his Word. Everything which I have said he shall remind you of,
publishing it further through you. Thereby he shows that in the future nothing
else shall be taught through the Holy Spirit in all Christendom than what the
apostles had heard from Christ, but which they did not yet understand, until
the Holy Spirit had taught them. So the teaching may always proceed from the
mouth of Christ, then be transmitted from one mouth to another, and yet always
remain the Word of Christ. The Holy Spirit is thus the school-master who
teaches these things and brings them to remembrance.
75. Secondly, it is shown here that this Word precedes or
must be spoken beforehand, and that afterwards the Holy Spirit works through
the Word. One must not reverse the order and dream of a Holy Spirit who works
without the Word and before the Word, but one who comes with and through the
Word and goes no farther than the Word goes.
76. Thirdly, the example of the apostles show how Christ
rules his Church in her weakness; the Holy Spirit does not dwell in Christians
at all times, nor so soon as they have heard the Word does he come with such
power and effectiveness as to enable them to believe it all and rightly to
understand and grasp it. And in our case there is a great difference between
hearing the Word and feeling in it the power and effect of the Holy Spirit. For
although the apostles are so far advanced – the Holy Spirit working so much in
them – as to hear Christ’s Word willingly and to have begun to believe, yet even
they can not take these words of comfort to heart until the Holy Spirit teaches
them after the departure of Christ.
77. So it is at present. We hear God’s Word, which is in
fact the preaching of the Holy Spirit, who is at all times present with it, but
it does not always at once reach the heart and be accepted by faith; yea, in
the case of those who are moved by the Holy Spirit and gladly receive the Word,
it does not at once bear fruit. One may not, indeed, for a long time feel that
he has been made any better or comforted and
strengthened, especially where as yet he has experienced no fear and danger,
but only peace and rest. This was the case with the apostles before Christ was
taken from them; they thought of nothing more than of
preserving bodily comfort. Therefore, it must, in our case, come to this: In
need and danger we look about and sigh for comfort; then the Holy Spirit can
perform his office of teaching the heart arm bringing to its remembrance the
Word preached.
78. It is then profitable always to hear the Word and to
train one’s self there with, even if it does not at once reach the mark, in
order that in time of need the heart may recall what it has heard, and may
begin rightly to understand it, and to feel its power and comfort. As an illustration,
the embers that have lain under the ashes for a time will burn again and kindle
if one stir and blow upon them. One should, therefore, not look upon the Word
as ineffective or as having been preached in vain, nor seek for another because
its fruit is not at once apparent.
79. It is not worth while here to answer the papists, who,
in this text “He shall teach you all things” etc., want to find support for
their figment and so foolishly say that Christ has not taught the apostles all
that they needed to know, but has left and reserved much for the Holy Spirit to
teach them. Such drivel is sufficiently destroyed by the text itself, which
declares in clear, plain words: “The Holy Spirit shall teach you all things,
and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.” So, also, before this,
he directed them everywhere to his Word alone, as he says: “If a man love me,
he will keep my Word.” Likewise, in John
80. But it is a sin and a shame to hear and suffer such
pretension in Christendom as this, that the Holy Spirit should teach – I will
not say something adverse only, such as the pope, as the live Antichrist, with
the open abominations of his doctrine, teaches, things directly against Christ,
namely, those things which the pope urges most as merit of personal work, the
offering of the mass, denial of the cup, celibacy, calling upon departed
saints, lies of purgatory and fictitious power – but that he should teach
something different and better than Christ the Son of God has taught, who
himself is the teacher, sent from heaven for that purpose. Or that Christ
should have omitted something more needful, which it
was necessary to reveal and teach by means of the councils. Excepting the first
councils, wherein the Scriptures established against the heretics the one
doctrine concerning the deity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit, the councils
dealt only with the lesser matters of doctrine, which pertain merely to things
of human arrangement and ordinances, for which the Holy Spirit’s power is not
needed, either to promise or to give anything. Ah! he
has much higher things to teach and to reveal, things concerning which human
councils can neither order nor establish anything: how one may escape God’s
wrath, conquer sin and death, trample the devil under foot. Christ alone
teaches these things and he says that whoever would accomplish them must keep
his Word.
81. If these perverted, shameful glosses of the papists were
not otherwise faulty, one should condemn and curse them as the devil’s poison
and lies because they tear hearts from the Word of Christ. If one thinks Christ
has not taught everything, then eyes and ears are at once wide open to gaze and
listen elsewhere and one thinks: Oh, there must be still something great, not
taught by Christ, which the Holy Spirit is still to teach! Oh, if I could but
hear and know this, then I should surely be saved!
82. The result of this is harm and mischief: one does not
attach importance to the Word of Christ, and when he afterwards hears anything
new, he deems it a precious thing and necessary unto salvation. Christ, in
order to warn us against everything that is not his Word, as if against the
devil’s poison, not only binds the Holy Spirit to his Word, that he should not
teach anything else, but he, himself, in his preaching appeals to his Father’s
command and says: It is not mine, but my Father’s Word. How, then, can one
sanction councils in teaching or ordering some new thing when they can never
present any authority for such action? The apostles have the command from
Christ and the Holy Spirit that they should teach nothing but the Word of
Christ, as they, themselves, testify; hence; councils and all men are in duty
bound to abide by the same command and to show that what they teach is the same
doctrine.
V. THE FIFTH
PROMISE.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”
83. This is bidding them a friendly good night. Christ was
willing and able to speak with his disciples in the most loving manner. Well, I
must away, he says, and cannot speak much more with
you, therefore ye have my good night, and let it be well with you. I wish and give you nothing else but peace, that is, that it may be
well with you. (For, according to the Hebrew language, “peace” means nothing
else than to give and to bestow all good.) That is to
be my last farewell. Ye shall suffer no hurt nor want because of my departure.
I will richly repay you, for ye shall have from me, in my stead, the best that
ye can wish, the peace and good of the fact that in my Father ye have a
merciful God, whose thoughts toward you are those of a father’s heart and love.
And in me ye shall have a good, faithful Savior, who will do you all good, and
not forsake you in any need, will defend and stand by you against the devil,
the world and all wickedness, and in addition will give
you the Holy Spirit, who shall so rule your hearts that you find in me true
comfort, peace and joy.
84. That is what is meant when he says, My peace is given
you and left with you. Not as the world gives peace; for it is not able to give such peace and blessing, all its peace and good being
not only transient but also uncertain and changing with each hour. The world
bases peace and comfort only upon transient things – gold, possessions, power,
honor, the friendship of men etc. When these are gone, then peace and
confidence and courage are gone. Though it were in the power of the world to give and preserve all these, yet it has not, nor can it
have, true eternal peace, so that a heart enjoys God’s favor and is certain of
his grace and of everlasting life.
85. But since this is not the world’s peace, the holy cross
is laid upon it; then, measured by reason and by our feelings, it means no
peace, but distensions, anguish, terror, fear and trembling. Christ says in
John
86. Observe, thus Christ has secured and satisfied his
Church with peace, a peace that abides in the midst of thorns and briars, that
is, of tribulation and temptation. The devil and the world, for the sake of the
Word and of confession of Christ, will sting, torture and plague you; so that,
as the Word is a Word of grace, love and of the peace of God and Christ toward
us, so is it here in the world a Word of wrath and trouble. Therefore, when the
heart feels oppressed, in anguish and even terrified and as if a fugitive
before God on account of the devil’s suggestion, this peace must be fixed in
faith, the heart may inclose and secure itself in the Word of Christ and say: I
know, nevertheless, that I have God’s pledge and the witness of the Holy
Spirit, that he wants to be my kind Father and is not angry. with me, but
assures me of peace and all good through Christ, his Son If he is my friend,
then let the devil and the world, so long as they do not want to smile, be angry and rave with their affliction.
“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.”
87. This is the real, friendly, personal voice of the
faithful Savior; he would gladly write upon the hearts of his Christians that
they should have and expect from him nothing else but peace and every good. He
well knows how difficult it is to retain this peace and comfort of the heart,
and how the devil opposes here; even if a man is courageous and able to despise
and overcome the wrath and enmity of all the world, Satan tries to drive him
into terror and fear before God. Yes, Christ knows this well – that natural
flesh and blood shudders and that no one laughs when it goes ill with him, when
all that he has is taken and he is delivered to the hangman; much less when the
devil actually seizes the timid heart and mangles it between the spurs, so that
it can scarcely get its breath for anguish.
88. But hear ye well, he wishes to say, what I say unto you
for the sake of my Father, that he does not want you to be fearful, nor are ye
to be concerned about any affliction or fear. Ye are to know that it is only
the miserable spirit of lies, the devil, who wishes to make you fearful, and
who, under the name and appearance of God, wants to blind and deceive pious
hearts. As a devil he does nothing publicly, for he knows that where he is
known his cause is already lost. Therefore let not your heart be taken, but be
only the stronger and the more undismayed, and this
from love and obedience to my Father and myself, but for the confusion and
vexation of the devil and the world.
89. If one could believe these words, and could see how they
are the words of Christ the Lord, he would surely be comforted, and be able to
despise what all hell may do to terrify him. For whom should he fear who knows
that Christ, and God through him, together with the Holy Spirit, give him the
pledge of grace and peace, and command him to be joyful and without fear? It is
only because of our weakness that we are not able here to believe Christ, and
that our flesh and blood, feeling their unworthiness, believe the devi1 and his
false fears rather than the true and gracious Word, in
which God if only we begin to believe on Christ, announces unto us forgiveness
of sin and perfect salvation.
“Ye heard how I said unto you. I go away and I come unto you. If ye loved me, ye would have rejoiced, because I go unto the Father for the Father is greater than I.”
90. All is intended richly to comfort the disciples and to
strengthen them in view of his departure; therefore he speaks very plainly with
them, saying: “If ye loved me” etc., and yet he means it beyond measure most
kindly, even as the dearest friend would feel toward another. I have told you,
says he, and it is true, that I must leave you. Ye do
not like to hear this, for ye know that, so long as I am with you, joy is your
only portion in me. But, my dear disciples, if ye have heard the one message,
then hear the other likewise, and listen to what is said, that I will again
come to you with better and greater ‘comfort and joy than ye so far have had in
me.
91. Yes, if ye rightly loved me, as ye think, ye should be
glad that I now go away from you, for it is in truth to your best interest, and
from the heart ye should be pleased, both for your sake and
mine, and should not want to see it otherwise. For my
departure does not mean that ye will lose me, or that I or ye shall suffer any
hurt; but it is alone for your sake that I should enter into my glory, in my
Father’s kingdom, and, sitting at the right hand of the Father, should become a
mighty Lord over everything in heaven and upon earth, where I can protect and
help you against everything that seeks to injure you. This I cannot do now,
upon earth, in my humility and littleness, where I have been sent to suffer and
die.
92. For what he says – the Father is greater than I – is not
said of the personal, divine essence of his own nature nor of his Father’s as
the Arians have falsely interpreted this passage, not wishing to see why or
whereof Christ so speaks here; but concerning the difference between the
kingdom which he shall have with his Father and his service or servile state in
which he was before his resurrection. Now I am small, he wishes to say, in my
work and station as a servant; as he says in Matthew
93. That this is the plain, simple meaning of this text
appears from the fact that he is speaking here properly of that which he calls
going unto the Father. It is not a change in his person or essence. In that
sense we do not say of him that he goeth unto the Father, or that he went forth
and was separated from the Father, for he is and remains one with the Father,
in one divine essence, without beginning or end, to eternity; he dare not
ascend higher nor grow greater. But he is speaking concerning the change of
office, from his state of service to that of glory and eternal dominion.
94. Therefore, what is said here about going to the Father
and about the Father’s being greater, means nothing else than the glorification
of Christ, and is said that it may appear what and who he is; not what he in
his person should or could be, for that he was already and from eternity,
though it was not yet revealed and could not be known, since he was still in
the servile, suffering, dying state. The Father was greater than he; not
according to the essence of the two persons, by which God is Father and Christ
is the Son, but according to dominion and glory. As the schools state it: not
by the first act but by the second etc.
95. Therefore, he says, ye should much prefer to see me lay
aside this little, humble state and this form of a servant and enter into my
own dominion in the character of ruler, which I have enjoyed with my Father
from eternity. For this present state upon which I entered through my
incarnation of the virgin, necessitates suffering and abasement; but there I
shall enjoy supreme authority, with all things under my feet.
96. Now this was said not alone to the disciples, but also
to all Christians; for the experience of the apostles is that of Christendom at
all times. Christians find themselves in fear and anguish, without comfort and
help; with the apostles, such a state would be called a going away of Christ.
Such going away grieves in truth; and doubtless the apostles were sorely hurt;
they fell into such despair that they all denied Christ and were scattered.
This is the hour of deep mourning, when laughter and joy are precious, and
there is nothing but need and misery. Here, says Christ, we should rejoice and
be glad. Yes, if any one could do it. Flesh and blood, of course. cannot. St.
Paul confesses in 2 Corinthians 7:5, that in the flesh he had no rest even
though he rejoiced in spirit and in faith and boasted o/f tribulation and of
his weakness. And Christ himself says concerning this, in Matthew 26:41: “The
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The flesh cannot judge nor
think otherwise than it feels, and it prefers not to feel, but to get rid of
all that oppresses and torments it.
97. If you would learn the art of dominating your feelings
and living above them, you must listen, and hear and grasp the word which
Christ utters: Dear Christians, do believe me, it will not be to your injury,
but for your good. My departure does not mean that ye will be forsaken by me,
but that I, through this going away, shall conquer, and that ye may experience
my power and might as I, seated at the right hand of the Father, rule over your
sin and over your enemies, the devil, death and hell; then none of these shall
touch you by a hair’s breadth, except at my will, and shall not hurt you, but
rather serve and benefit you. Therefore, do heed my Word above your feelings.
If I have told you the truth, saying that I shall go away, which ye shall now
be able to prove, so also will I not deceive you in the other matter of my
coming again; ye shall be able to say: I did not believe that my Lord Christ
would be so near to me and would have helped me in such a wonderful manner; now
I could not wish that he had not gone from me.
98. Behold what comfort it is in the hour of greatest need, when
Christ seems altogether lost, that one may have the victory if he still holds
on to the Word of Christ as to a life saving plank, until he gets out of
danger! Thus, he does not sink when the flood of trouble overwhelms horse and
wagon. That is what it means, then, to rejoice over the departure of Christ;
according to the flesh, altogether a weak and very secret joy. Yet, in so far
as faith holds fast to the Word, it is nevertheless joy, until faith overcomes
and the experience follows that Christ has not forsaken us, but, seated at the
right hand of the Father, protects and helps us out. But none can know this
except he experiences it. As the saying is, when the water runs into his mouth,
he must learn to swim.
“And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe.”
99. This, of course, is said concerning experience. I,
indeed, say it to you now in words, but it does not at all enter into you, nor
become effective, as yet. I say it in order that ye may, nevertheless, have a
little comfort when ye think of it and recall that I had told you beforehand
that thus it must be; when ye have once been helped, your faith will be
strengthened and ye may also contend further and overcome.
“I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world cometh: and he hath nothing in me; but that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.”
100. Come, then, says he; now we must part. The devil is coming
on. He will seize me and think that if he only gets me, then it will be a sorry
case with you. As prince and lord of the world, he has destroyed so many that
he thinks to continue lord and prince over you. He will also get me between the
spurs and undertake to vanquish me. But he shall fail and shall find me to be
another than he supposed. With others, he has indeed a claim upon them; he
finds them in sin and guilty of eternal death. But in me he has no right of
claim and thereby he passes judgment upon himself that, with death and hell, he
must lie at my feet, and, moreover, secure nothing from those who are mine.
101. Thus, in the hour of his greatest conflict, he gathers
courage and boldness for himself from the strength of his innocence and his advantage
over the devil and death, wherein they must meet their ruin by him and forfeit
their claim upon those who believe in him and for whose sake he surrenders
himself. Thus, by his blood and his death, he takes revenge on the devil for
all other blood and death. This blood, which cries for vengeance, is, as the
Epistle to the Hebrews says ( Hebrews 12:24), far
different blood from that of Abel, which cried to God against the murderer.
That is a type of this blood which pronounces condemnation upon the devil and
death for all the shed blood of his believers since the beginning of the world.
Thus Christ seeks, not alone by his divine power, but also by the weakness of
his suffering and death, to despoil the devil of his power and dominion over
the Christians, so that he must be cast out, as he says in John
102. Why, now, does he do and suffer these things? The devil
has no claim upon him and he could easily escape him or could vanquish him. But
it must be done, says he, that the world may realize that I love the Father and
fulfill his commandment. This is the comforting word by which he reveals to us
the Father’s will and heart, that we may see all this which he does and suffers
for our sakes was so determined by the Father’s good will; that thus he, as the
true, faithful mediator, might appease all of the
wrath and displeasure of God, and assure our hearts of his fatherly grace and
love. For how should God yet be angry with or condemn us, since he has so
earnestly commanded his Son to divest himself of all his divine glory and might
and, for our sakes, cast them under the feet of the devil and of death? But oh,
Christ says, if the world but knew and believed that I do not do this of
myself, but out of great love, giving my body and life remains of the old
birth, still rough and uncouth, is being out of obedience to my Father! Whoever
can believe that, is saved already, rescued from the devil and death.
PENTECOST MONDAY.
JOHN 3:16-21.
Contents:
Christ’s grace and judgment.
JOHN 3:16-21
For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth
the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But
he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
I. THE GLORIOUS
GRACE AND GIFT IN CHRIST
1. This is one of the best and most glorious Gospel lessons,
such as John particularly wrote. It is worthy to be written in golden letters,
not upon paper, but if possible upon the heart; it ought to be made the daily lesson and meditation of Christians, who
should repeat it to strengthen their faith and awaken their hearts to prayer.
The words make the sad joyful and the dead alive, if the heart only firmly
believes them.
2. It also gives instruction on the chief article of
Christian faith, on the glory and liberty of Christians, whereby sin, the Law,
God’s wrath, death and hell are banished from believers and abolished, besides
all human wisdom, righteousness and holiness are made
futile in that which belongs to God’s kingdom. He says: “Whosoever believeth on
the Son of God should not perish, but have eternal life,” death, the devil, the
terror of the Law, must be banished forever, our merit and worthiness doing
nothing to that end. The excellent, great, eternal and divine treasure is thus
portrayed here, which we should possess so as to be without fear before the judgment
and condemnation of human nature through Adam’s fall, and instead have
salvation and victory, and every blessing besides. All this is offered and
bestowed out of pure grace, and thus represented only as a gift that can be
secured solely through faith.
I. THIS GLORIOUS
GRACE AND GIFT IN GENERAL
3. In vivid and significant words the evangelist briefly
sketches this grace and gift in Christ, that he may magnify it and portray
minutely all concerned – the giver, the recipient, the gift, its fruits and
benefits. All is so eloquently great that it is indescribable, and it is
difficult to believe only because of its very greatness.
4. Before considering this, however, let us hear why and for
what purpose Christ so speaks. He expresses it in the following words: “That
whosoever believeth on him should not perish” etc. Here he would show the world
the misery and helplessness in which it lies; that it is entirely lost, and
would have had to remain lost eternally, had Christ not come with this
proclamation; for all its wisdom, art, doctrine, law ,and
free-will would not avail in this respect; and in spite of all its teaching and
endeavors, it is and will remain lost forever. For, from its very birth, it
lies in sin, under the wrath of God, in the devil’s kingdom, and under
the-power of death, unable to help or free itself from this condition. Indeed
it is so dazed and torpid that it would never have known nor realized its
misery had this not been revealed to it through the Word.
5. Christ teaches the same truth at greater length in the
declaration made to Nicodemus, just preceding this
text, where he tells him plainly and clearly, that neither he nor any of the
Jews of his kind, though they had the Law, and diligently performed works and
outward divine services (which were at that time, indeed, the most commendable
in the world), could thereby ever get to heaven, or see the kingdom of God. For
such life and woks are still but the works of man, who, in his natural descent
from Adam, is but flesh without spirit, that is without true
understanding and knowledge of the divine will, and without genuine and
heartfelt obedience to God; in short, it cannot convert itself to God, since it
has wholly and fully turned away from God. Therefore, through the Law, man
could never liberate himself from sin, the wrath of God and eternal death.
Accordingly, if he would see the kingdom of God, he must be born anew, and have
an entirely different nature, one that does not proceed from the flesh, as the
old one did, but from the Spirit, and which is spiritual; and to this end
another word and declaration must be received than that which they have in the
Law, and a power beyond man’s ability.
6. That we may become new men, he says, we must first be
delivered from the curse of the old birth, that is, freed from sin and death.
But since we still have flesh and blood, and live on earth, the old birth
continues. Of itself, it must remain what it is by nature. Under its thrall,
man, at death, must be damned, for no man is able to appease and remove the
wrath and condemnation passed upon him; therefore, no one would ever see God,
nor enter heaven. As Christ says: “And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he
that descended out of heaven” etc. Hence another way had to be found. It could
be only through some heavenly being, righteous and innocent in the fullest
sense, pleasing and acceptable to God, who would adapt his perfection’s to our
human nature, so that the sin and condemnation that was its by birth might be
taken away, and it might be reconciled to God and rescued from eternal death,
and might turn to God and begin again rightly to know, love and obey him, and
thus experience the beginning of the new birth, and eventually, through death,
be thoroughly purified of remaining uncleanness of the old man, forever free
from sin.
7. Now, the wrath of God against sin is so intense that no
creature could have devised means to appease him or effect a reconciliation;
the condemnation was so enormous that no angel was mighty enough to remove it, and
reinstate life. Therefore, that one Person, even God’s Son, had to take upon
himself sin, God’s wrath, and death, under which humanity helplessly lay, and
make the sacrifice for them. Of this, Christ himself says, immediately before
this text, that the Son of Man must be lifted up, as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, “that whosoever believeth on him should not perish”.
Here he adds the cause which moved God to accomplish this great work, when he
says:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
8. With these words he leads us directly into the Father’s
heart, that we may see and know that it was the great and wonderful counsel of
God, resolved from eternity, that we should receive help through this Son. All
had to be fulfilled, that God’s truth might stand, even as he had promised
afore-time in the Scriptures. It is thus apparent that God does not intend to
cast us out, and to condemn us on account of our sins; but that he wills that,
for the sake of this Savior and Mediator, if we fear his wrath on account of
our sins, and keep in mind and firmly believe this eternal divine will, we
should attain to the eternal grace of God and to eternal life.
II. THIS GLORIOUS
GRACE AND GIFT IN PARTICULAR
9. Now, let us consider what significant and comforting
words these are which depict in their every relation, and in manifold ways,
this marvelous work of God, with its inexpressible treasure which is here freely
offered us. In the first place, the Giver is not a man, an emperor or a king,
nor even an angel; but is the exalted, eternal Majesty, God himself, compared
with whom, all men, however rich, powerful and great they may be, are nothing
but dust and ashes. Isaiah 40. How shall we describe him? He is
incomprehensible, immeasurable, inexhaustible.
10. He is, then, no more a
taskmaster, who simply makes demands upon us – as Moses calls him ( Deuteronomy
4:24), a devouring and consuming fire – but a rich, overflowing, eternal
fountain of grace and of all gifts, who justly deserves to be called Gebhard (a
prince or champion of givers). In comparison with him, what are all emperors
and kings, with their gifts, gold, silver, land and people? Here the heart should
expand and increase with desiring, wishing and expecting that which the Lord
God intends to give; for it indeed must needs be
something great and valuable that could well become this exalted Majesty and
rich God. Compared to such a Giver and gift, everything in heaven and on earth
must be very small and insignificant.
11. In the second place, why does he give,
and what incited him to it? Nothing but pure, inexpressible love. He does not give because it is a debt or duty, nor because any one has
asked or pleaded, but he is moved to do so by his own goodness as the Lord who
willingly gives, and delights in giving gratuitously and without solicitation.
12. As there is no greater Giver than God, so there is no
greater virtue, either in God or men, than love. One will sacrifice everything
for what he loves, even his life. Patience, humility and all other virtues are
nothing compared with it, or else are included in its essence. For whom I love,
with him I will certainly never be angry, nor injure nor annoy him, nor make
myself intolerable to him, but I will be ready to serve, counsel and help him
whenever I see that he needs me. In short, I am his fully, as to my body, goods
and all my possessions.
13. Accordingly, here, again, the heart shall grow and become
strong against all sorrow, because such wealth of unfathomable divine love is
set before us, flowing from a fatherly heart and having its source in the
highest virtue, which is the fountain of all good, and which, therefore, makes
the gift valuable and precious; just as the proverb deems a small gift
valuable, when it says: It comes from a loving hand. For where there is love
and friendship, one does not look upon the gift so much as upon the heart; it
is love which adds great value to the gift. If God had given me only an eye, a
hand or a foot, and I knew that he did it out of fatherly love, it would be
much dealer to me than a thousand worlds. Now, since he gave us precious
baptism, his Word, absolution and the Lord’s Supper, they should be regarded as
our daily paradise and heaven; not on account of the appearance of such gifts,
which are not great in the eyes of the world, but on account of the great love
from which they are given.
14. In the third place, consider the gift itself. It must,
without doubt, be something excellent and inexpressibly great, that such a rich
Giver gives us, with such sincere and generous love. What does he give? Not
great kingdoms, not one or more worlds full of silver
and gold, not heaven and earth with all they contain, not the entire creation,
but his Son, who is as great as he himself. That is an eternal,
incomprehensible gift, even as the Giver and his love are incomprehensibly
great. He is the fountain and source of all grace, goodness and kindness; yes,
the very essence of the eternal blessings and treasures of God. That is love,
not with words, but in deed, in the highest degree, proven with the most
precious goodness and wonderful work of which God himself is capable.
15. What more can he do and give?
Since he gives his Son, what does he yet withhold, that he does not give? Yes, he gives himself wholly and entirely, as Paul
says, Romans
16. In the fourth place, how and in what manner is the Son
given? Look upon him, in what he has done and suffered! For us he becomes man,
is put under the Law, that is, under the wrath of God (on account of our sins).
He is put to death, even the most ignominious death – lifted upon the cross and
suspended in the air. He was condemned (even as Christ shortly before this had
said), taking upon himself the wrath and fury of the devil and hell, and
contending with them to such extent that it must be said that he was wholly
abandoned. Yet he trampled the devil, sin, death and hell under foot, and
obtained the victory over them through his resurrection and ascension. All this
he gave us that it might be our own, that we might possess both him and all
that he accomplished. And this he does in such a way that the gift may not be
said to have been conferred upon us, either as wages or on account of merit,
nor is it loaned, borrowed or for recompense, but freely given and bestowed out
of purely benign grace. The receiver shall and can do no more
in this case than to open his hand and take what God so graciously gives him,
and what he truly needs, with love and thanksgiving.
17. In the fifth place he portrays the recipient, who is, in
a word, the world. This is indeed a wonderful and peculiar case of loving and
giving. Here the one loved is in strange contrast to the one loving. How can this
love of God for the world be explained? What does he see in the world, that he
is so ready to unbosom himself toward her? If it had been that he loved the
angels, they are at least glorious and noble creatures, worthy of his love. But
what, on the contrary, is the world but a great mass of people who neither fear
nor love nor praise nor thank God, who misuse every creature, blaspheme God’s
name and despise his Word, and are, furthermore, disobedient, murderers,
adulterers, thieves, knaves, liars, betrayers, full of treachery and all
malice; in snort, transgressors of every commandment, and in every particular
refractory and obstinate, adhering to God’s archenemy, the abominable devil?
Behold, this delicious and gracious fruit! He bestows, as if upon a beautiful
and beloved bride and daughter, his dear Son, and with him all things, whereas
he would have had more than sufficient reason, at the
very mention of the world, instantly to crush her with thunder and lightning to
powder, and cast her into the abyss of hell. The word “world” is a sound
hateful to God beyond expression; and this is a most strange paradox: God loves
the world. Here two things that are in the highest degree antagonistic are
combined. It is almost like saying: God loves death and hell, and is the friend
of his most bitter eternal enemy, the accursed devil.
18. That is indeed a boundless proof of love, and makes the
gift inexpressibly great, when the Giver and he to whom it is given are placed
side by side, and God is represented as pouring out his whole heart to his
hateful, hostile image, whereas he should have visited him only with anger,
vengeance and damnation, and when he pays no attention to the fact that the
world is full of contempt, blasphemy, disobedience toward God, and stupendous
ingratitude for all the gifts he bestowed upon it heretofore, but swallows up
all its vices and sins. Though the Giver be ever so great and beneficent, the
wickedness and viciousness of the world, which is excessive and immeasurably
great, ought to deter and repel him. For what man can even mark and
sufficiently realize his own sin and disobedience? And yet this great love so
overcomes God that he take away from the world all and every sin and
transgression, and remembers them no more against it
forever, so that they are dead and gone, and instead he gives his Son, and with
him all things.
19. By this, the truths for which Paul and the articles of
faith contend, have now been sufficiently and irrefutably demonstrated and
proven; namely: That we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life, without
merit or worthiness on our part, out of pure grace (gratis), and alone for the
sake of his beloved Son, in whom God so loved us that this love has taken away
and blotted out all our sins and the sins of the whole world; for there was
nothing but sin in us, instead of which he has bestowed his love and
forgiveness upon us, even as the prophet Isaiah (40:2) says concerning
Jerusalem, and as we ought to preach in the Gospel: “Her iniquity is pardoned.
that she hath received of Jehovah’s hand double for all her sins.”
20. Therefore, this gift – all of grace – is much greater,
transcends and is mightier, than all the sins on earth, so that the
unworthiness of any man, yes of all men together, aye the eternal wrath and
condemnation which they have deserved, cannot be so great that the greatness of
this love and grace, or forgiveness, does not in every particular outweigh.
yes, engulf them; as Paul says, Romans
21. What heart would not cheerfully render all good things
to him who has shown such love as to bestow his dear Son upon wicked and
despairing people, that is, upon the whole world, which means all people, who
never did anything good, but at all times have done that which was contrary to
his commandments? How can people like these expect such great love and such
inexpressible riches as a reward? To think of what I have done and what has
been my experience in my monastic life, when I crucified Christ daily for
fifteen years, and practiced all kinds of idolatry! and yet, notwithstanding
the fact that I so sorely provoked him, he loves me so that he no more remembers all my wickedness but reveals to me his Son,
and himself, with all grace. This, indeed, may be called incomprehensible
riches of unfathomable love.
22. O Lord God, how little the world takes such great and
sublime things to heart! Should we not all rejoice and be glad of heart that we
have lived to see the time that we can hear such things, and love and praise our
God therefor, and in gratitude, not only willingly serve him, but gladly suffer
all things and even smile if we should have to die for
the sake of his Word and obedience and to allow these bodies – worms of the
dust – to be consumed by fire or sword, or suffer any other form of martyrdom?
So little thankful is shameful, abominable unbelief, in its great and blind
darkness, of which Christ himself later complains, that there are hearts so
possessed, rigid and dead that they can hear such things and yet not believe!
23. In the sixth place, we have the final cause why and for
what purpose he does all this, and what his intention is. Of course he has not
bestowed it that I may have meat and drink from it, or inferior temporal
benefit, riches, honor, power; nor has he given it that it may harm and poison;
he has not given his Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper as poison, but that
they might be of the greatest benefit to us. As he says, they are given that
man may not be lost, but may have everlasting life. It is not for the purpose
of giving me many golden crowns and kingdoms, for then I would still remain in
sin and death: but that I might be free from hell and eternal death, and not be
lost eternally. That is what this gift is to effect; for me hell is wiped out,
and the devil cast under my feet, and out of a fearful, sad and humiliated
heart a joyful and living one comes forth. In short, God has done all this that
I might have an eternal, imperishable life in exchange for eternal destruction
and death.
24. It must follow upon the reception of such a great and
imperishable gift that, when the Son of God is rightly known and embraced with
the whole heart, we have the victory over and are rescued from all evil, and
enjoy eternal freedom, glory and happiness; for where he is, there everything
must be good. Not that we have earned this, but in his great and eternal love
God took pity on us in our misery and helplessness, and gave us his Son that we
might be helped; otherwise we would have been lost and would have had to remain
eternally lost, and notwithstanding all our workrighteousness and divine
services, and never attained to eternal life.
25. He who would now
puff up his heart, on account of these facts, has reason enough so to do. For
what more glorious and better could heart desire, than
that it should be told that eternal life shall be bestowed upon it; that it
shall never see death; that it shall never experience want, distress, sadness
and temptation, but have pure joy, and a perfect wealth of everything good, and
have the assurance that we have a gracious God, and that all creatures will
joyously smile upon us? From this it is very evident that it is not God’s
purpose and intention to deceive and destroy people, as the devil would make
timid hearts believe, holding up to them the Law and their unworthiness; but
that he would bestow life, and such life as is eternal and blissful. As a
pledge and veritable testimony of this, he gives us his only Son, which he
would never have done had he not loved us but was still angry and intended to
condemn us.
26. This and similar glorious and comforting passages should
be rightly treasured and valued by every Christian, above all else in the
world, for they are words which no one can exhaust or fathom; and when they are
rightly believed, they ought to make one a good theologian, or more – a strong, joyful Christian, who can speak and teach
of Christ aright, judge all other doctrines, advise and comfort anyone, and
patiently bear all things that he may experience.
27. But here we must pray for the Holy Spirit to impress
this upon our hearts, and must daily exercise ourselves in these things, so
that we retire and rise with these words in our minds.
But now, just as we regard them, so is their effect upon us. If they do not
enter our hearts they cannot produce the fruit they ought to; they must bewail
the ingratitude of the world, which makes them pass by our ears and hearts
without affecting them, while it runs after perishable goods, honor and fame,
thus losing this everlasting treasure; for this it will condemn and curse
itself in hell eternally.
28. In the seventh place, and lastly, in what manner may we
lay hold of such a treasure and gift, or what is the purse or safe in which it
may be kept? It is faith alone, as Christ here says: “That whosoever believeth
on him, should not perish” etc. Faith holds out its hands and opens the sack,
and allows itself to be presented with good things. As God, the Giver, in love
bestows this gift, so we are the recipients by faith, which faith does nothing more than receive the gift. For it is not our doing, and it
cannot be merited through our work. It has already been bestowed and presented.
All you need to do is to open your mouth, or rather your heart, hold still, and
allow it to be entirely filled. Psalm 81:10. This can be done in no other way
than by believing these words; for you observe that he here requires faith, and
faith fully and perfectly appropriates this treasure.
29. Here you may see, also, what faith is and is called. Not
simply an empty thought concerning Christ, that he was born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered, was crucified, arose, ascended into heaven, but a heart that grasps
and embraces the Son of God, as expressed in these words, and positively holds
that God gave his only begotten Son for us into death, and loved us so that,
for his sake, we should not be lost, but have eternal life. Therefore, he
plainly says: “That whosoever believeth on him.” It must be a faith which does
not look upon its own works, nor upon its own strength and worthiness, that is,
its own quality or the inwrought and infused virtue of the heart, of which the
blind sophists dream and imagine, but without dependence on itself, holds to
Christ, embracing him as its own bestowed treasure, being assured that on
account of him God was moved to love us, but not on account of one’s own work,
worthiness and merit; for these things are not the treasure that God gave, that
is, Christ, God’s Son, in whom we must believe.
30. Of what benefit is the gift of faith if it is nothing more than such an empty vessel? Of what value unless one
looks upon and comforts one’s self in the thought of what is comprehended in
it, and what alone makes it precious, so that one may say: Faith may be but a
little and insignificant monstrance or pix or box, but in it, nevertheless,
there is so precious a gem that heaven and earth cannot contain it.
31. Therefore we so teach from the Scriptures concerning
faith – that through it alone we are justified and acceptable before God;
because it is faith alone that grasps and retains this treasure, the Son of
God. If I weigh this gift and my works in the same balance, the contrast and
preponderance is so overwhelmingly great that the holiness of all men is
nothing compared with the smallest drop of blood Christ gave and shed for us,
to say nothing of all he did and suffered; therefore I can, in no respect,
depend upon my virtue and worthiness.
32. And why should we boast so much about our efforts when
we learn that we are so situated that we would all be lost forever had not this
treasure been given for us? Thereby the glory is taken, not only from all human
works, but from the entire Law of God; for, though one possessed it all, and
according to his ability complied with all its demands, he still has not
attained what is necessary to save himself from eternal destruction. What other
purpose have these words: “That whosoever believeth on him should not perish”
etc? They are a continual testimony that neither Moses (the Law) nor yet the
holiness of all men, could redeem from death or give
eternal life. Therefore, everything depends entirely upon this only Son of God.
33. Now, you may see what a sublime and significant matter
is embraced in this passage, since the Giver, so great and mighty, the Creator
of every creature, does not simply say: Good morning! and bestow a friendly smile; but he loves, yes loves, so sincerely that he does
not simply give a beggarly gift of perishable goods, but his greatest and most
precious treasure, his Son, who is also Lord of heaven and earth. This love he
does not show his friends only, but his enemies, and no creature but the devil
himself is less worthy this love than his enemies. For no other purpose did he give himself for them than that he might snatch them from
death and hell, and render them certain of eternal life. Of what wonder could
one speak or think, that is more marvelous in every
particular?
34. However great and unutterable all this is, that is still
greater and more wonderful in comparison, that the
human heart has been enabled to believe it all. That must indeed be a great
heart which can embrace more than heaven and earth can
hold. Hence it must be evident what a great, sublime and divine power and work
faith is, which can do that which it is impossible for nature and all the world
to do, and it is therefore no less a wonder than all the other miracles and
works of God. It is even more wonderful than that God
became man, born of a virgin, as St. Bernhard says. These things, as we have
heard, namely the love of the Giver and of him who was given, and the
unworthiness of the recipient, placed side by side, are incomparable as to
greatness. On the one hand everything is so great, and on the other, man’s
heart is so small and narrow and weak that the in-finiteness of difference is
startling and amazing.
35. Should I be told that God has granted to me, above all
other men, the gift that I should live on earth several thousand years, in the
enjoyment of peace and happiness, and all that my heart desired, I would
answer: Nay, that cannot be God’s word, it is too much to believe. Who am I,
that God should give me such things? How much less can
the heart of man realize that God gave him such a treasure, his Son, and with
him eternal life and salvation! Who can express this amazing fact? How precious
and excellent even this temporal life is! And who would give
it for all the kingdoms, all the gold and possessions of this world? But the
extent of this life compared to eternal life and its blessings is much less
than a single moment. In short, eternal life is inconceivable; we can only try
to conceive by subtracting from it, or contrasting it with the loss and misery
that is called eternal loss.
36. Now, the Christian must eventually acknowledge that the
honor belongs to God, and to Christ the Lord; that God’s Word is the truth, and
it must denounce man’s own unbelief as a lie. Where this acknowledgement is made, the Holy Spirit has already begun with his power and
work of faith, and the heart is opened, so that it can lay hold of this
treasure, which is greater than heaven and earth; true, the heart proceeds in
great weakness, and on earth it can never attain such faith as it should, and
does not get beyond the longings and groanings of the spirit, for salvation is
inexplicable to man, and the heart must cry out: Oh, that it were true! or: Oh,
that one could believe it!
37. Nevertheless such sighs and little sparks of faith are
of so much account that God recognizes them as complete faith and says: As thou
believest, even so be it unto thee, and since thou hast believed it, thou shalt
surely be saved. For this word is a power and strength that is mightier than
all the terrors of sin and damnation, and this gift is so great that sin and
death and hell are swallowed up by it as is a little drop of water in a glowing
furnace, or as a little spark on a straw is extinguished when it falls into the
great ocean. If only the heart, in temptation, could recall these words,
neither devil nor hell could affright it, and it would joyfully say: Of what
should I be afraid? Have I not the Son of God. given to me by the Father, in
testimony of which he gives me the Word, which I know is his Word? That cannot
lie to me any more than he could lie and deceive me,
even though I, alas! cannot believe it as firmly as I should:
38. You say: Yes, I would gladly believe it if I were like
St. Peter and St. Paul and others who are pious and holy; but I am too great a
sinner, and who knows whether I am predestinated? Answer: Look at these words!
What do they say, and of whom do they speak? “For God so loved the world”; and
“that whosoever believeth on him.” Now, the world is not simply St. Peter and
St. Paul, but the entire human race taken collectively, and here no one is
excluded: God’s Son was given for all, all are asked to believe, and all who
believe shall not be lost etc. Take hold of your nose, search in your bosom,
whether you are not also a man (that is, a piece of the world) and belong to
the number which the word “whosoever” embraces, as well as others? If you and I
are not to take this comfort to ourselves, then these words must have been
spoken falsely and in vain.
39. And surely, this has not been preached to any other than
to humanity. Therefore, beware lest you exclude yourself and give
place to the thought: Who knows whether it has been given to me? For that would
be accusing God of falsely speaking in his Word. But, on the contrary, make a
cross for yourself with these words, and say: If I am not St. Peter or St.
Paul, I am, nevertheless, a part of the world. Had he intended to give it to the worthy only, then he would have had it
preached to the angels alone, for they, are pure and without sin. He could then
not have given it to St. Peter, to David, or to Paul, for they were sinners as
well as I. No matter what I am, I know that God’s Word is true;
and if I do not accept it, then I am committing, above all other sins, this sin
also, that I blaspheme the Word of God and the truth, and charge God with
lying.
“For God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.”
40. In these words you hear even more
forcibly and clearly what are the will and intent of God concerning the world,
that is, concerning those who are in sin, and who, therefore, are already under
judgment and sentence of condemnation. He takes away everything that would
terrify us on account of our sins. He says plainly and clearly that Christ was sent,
and his kingdom established, not for the purpose of judging and condemning.
Such judgment and sentence have already come upon all men through the Law,
because all are born in sin, and are, therefore, consigned to death and to the
executioner, and there is nothing lacking but for the sword to be drawn. Now
Christ steps between, according to God’s command, and orders both judge and
jailer to halt, rescues the condemned and sets him free. This is the reason why
he comes to help the world, which he found already under condemnation. This is
also proved by the words he spoke: “But that the world should be saved through
him.” These words show very clearly that the world was under condemnation, for
why, otherwise, was salvation necessary?
41. But at this time salvation was preached to the Jews, and
had not yet been heard by the world generally; but they did not believe that
they were in such a condition that Christ had to come and save them, a lost and
condemned people; they looked for a Christ who should commend and honor them on
account of their Law and their holiness, therefore they could neither believe
nor accept his proclamation. In John
42. But now we hear that Christ has been sent to save those
who are judged and condemned; that we should know that he has come to save us. who acknowledge and realize this. For there must some be
saved, so that he shall not have come in vain. These are none other than those
who are oppressed and terrified on account of their misery and condemnation; to
them the friendly words are addressed: “For God so loved the world”, that is,
those who feel not love, but only wrath and condemnation. And God sent his Son, not to judge, but to save those who are
already judged, etc. To those who do not believe that they are sinners and
condemned, the Gospel is preached in vain: for much less will they believe
that. they are saved through Christ alone.
III. JUDGMENT UPON BELIEVERS AND THE
WORLD
“He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
I. JUDGMENT UPON
BELIEVERS
43. Here is the verdict which makes the distinction between
the saved and the damned. It does not depend upon how worthy or unworthy you
are, for it has already been determined that all are sinners and deserve to be
condemned; but it depends upon whether you believe in this Jesus Christ or not.
If you believe, then you are acquitted, and the judgment and condemnation taken
away: if you will not believe, the judgment will remain upon you; yes it will
only become greater and heavier than before, because you simply augment sin by
not accepting Christ, who is to free you from judgment and condemnation.
44. And this, again, is a comforting passage with which to
oppose the temptation and terrors of timid consciences which sigh for
consolation and long to know how they stand in the sight of God. Such should
hear and take these passages to heart; to them they are addressed, that they
should know that God sent his Son not to judge but to save, and that God has
already decreed that whosoever believeth in his Son shall not be judged, and
shall have no reason to fear any judgment and condemnation, but is freed. The
Law’s judgment and condemnation are taken away from him, and God’s grace and
eternal life are promised and bestowed upon him through Christ, if he only
believes these words.
45. On the contrary, a fearful judgment is passed upon those
who do not believe this proclamation, but undertake to appear before God and be
saved on the basis of their own holiness and merits; for they are at once
denied and cut off from all grace, and included in condemnation, from which
they shall find no relief so long as they do not believe, even though they may
have done many great and important works and walked apparently in eminent
holiness. Christ’s condemnation is not waiting them, simply, but they have
already been judged through the Law of God, because they did not acknowledge
their sins and that, by nature, they were under God’s wrath. What is still
worse, they try to make themselves appear beautiful and pious before God;
moreover, they oppose him with the sin of despising the Son of God, who was
given for their reconciliation and redemption. Hence, the eternal wrath and
curse must come upon them, because they do not seek forgiveness of their sins
in Christ, but increase and confirm them by their contempt. This is what John
the Baptist also says, John
46. Christ gives the reason for this: “Because he hath not
believed,” he says, “on the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Because
everyone is already guilty, being under sin and condemnation, therefore God
will not liberate any one, nor receive him, except through this Son, whom he
gave and set apart for reconciliation; and that means, therefore: Believe in
the name of the only begotten Son of God, that is, in the Word which the Son
preached of him. For faith cannot see what he here gives, neither can it be
grasped and realized with the senses; it apprehends no more
than the name which has been given him, and the oral Word, heard with the ears.
To this he would hold and bind us, that by faith in it we should escape
judgment, and be saved. The rest are justly damned, not because they have sin, but because they despise
the Son and will not believe in the name that has been proclaimed to them for
their salvation and eternal bliss. For to this name, wherever it is preached
and believed, all creation and sin and death must yield, and by it the, devil
and all the gates of hell shall be frightened and flee away.
“And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.”
II. THE JUDGMENT
UPON THE WORLD
47. Here the contention begins about this name and
proclamation of Christ, and the verdict of condemnation against the unbelieving
is manifest, because they do not receive this saying, but, on the contrary,
oppose God, and wickedly adhere to their own conceit and arrogance in direct
opposition to the clear Word of God and the revelation of his will. This can be
nothing but darkness, because it is contrary to the light of his Word, which
shines publicly before all the world, bringing believers to the knowledge of
God and salvation, but uncovering and revealing the thoughts of others, as the
aged Simeon prophesied concerning Christ, Luke
48. From this contrast which Christ makes above in verse 16,
you may see what the world, is; I mean the tender, pious, holy hypocrites and
eminent servants of God. They are people who are not only in darkness, that is,
in error and ignorance (which could be pardoned), but they at the same time
love these things; that is, they uphold and defend and adhere to them, to the
displeasure of God and his Word. And so perverse and
steeped in Wickedness are they that they bitterly hate both God the Giver and
the great and precious Gift, his beloved Son, rejecting this divine love and
Gift, notwithstanding their unworthiness. These are, forsooth, loving, pious
children, who cannot bear and endure the truth, but hate and reject their own
salvation.
49. What shall we say of such wickedness of the world? Who
could believe that people on earth could be so wicked and possessed of devils,
that even when they hear and see the light of such inexpressible divine love
and benefaction, which would bestow upon them eternal life through his Son,
nevertheless will not endure this proclamation, but look upon it as the most
harmful poison and heresy, against which everybody should close his ears? Yea,
though this light is so plain that they can. say nothing against it, but must
confess that it is the truth, yet they are so bitterly angry that they neither
can nor will accept it, but knowingly oppose it. That, I say, no human heart
could believe if Christ had not said so; yea, no one would understand these
words if facts and experience had not taught and proved them. It should ever be
regarded an accursed, hellish wickedness not only never to inquire in the least
about God’s Word, to despise his love and grace, and not to honor the truth,
but, in addition, knowingly to love and seek his own damnation; as Paul says in
Acts
50. That is what they do who call themselves God’s people,
and are the most holy and pious before the world, full of so-called good works
and services before God. They will not suffer in the least that their life and
works should be called wicked, as Christ does here. Since the Holy Spirit would
show them their sins, and lead them to Christ, that they might be redeemed from
their sins and condemnation and be saved, they accuse this doctrine of
forbidding and condemning good works, and say that it ought not, therefore, to
be tolerated. And so God and his Word must bear the blame of their wickedness,
although he would correct them and very willingly help them to lead a godly and
blessed life. He has done enough for the world, everything that is necessary to
do, in that he has permitted his light to shine for it
and offered and certified to it his love and eternal life in Christ. What
reason can it now offer why it should not be justly condemned according to its
own judgment, and on account of its own guilt?
“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be revealed. But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be manifest, that they have been wrought in God.”
51. Thus it is proved that their works are evil, because
they hate the light and will not suffer themselves to be placed openly in the
light, that they may be tried, and that it may be manifest whether they are
upright or not, but they seek only to appear well and to shine
before men. Just so the world acts in its affairs, even as Christ says, and
everyone does as he pleases and desires, and yet does not want to be regarded
as having done wrong, but would be considered faultless and pious by all.
Although a man in his acts is exceedingly rude in the presence of people, yet
he seeks to screen and cover his deeds. That is why no one can be condemned
unless he be publicly convicted and confuted. Everyone comes before the court
to prove himself to be right and his opponent to be wrong; therefore, in order
to get at the truth, his conduct must be exposed through public testimony and
proof.
52. Indeed, it is in itself sufficient evidence of the fact
that there is something wrong, when one will not allow himself to be taken to
task, and is afraid of and resists being brought publicly before the light, or
will not suffer information to be given and justice to be done. Even as he who
lies nude in bed resists and rages before he will allow the covers to be
removed; yes, squirms, wriggles and resorts to whatever expedient he can devise
that his nakedness may not be exposed; so every wretch, murderer and adulterer,
however wicked he may be, even though his own conscience condemns him, wants to
be called a man of honor. Much less will the world submit to be judged in the
things which reason does not condemn or censure, and when the devil adorns and
veils himself with a most beautiful demeanor and appearance. And so everyone
who does that which is wicked wants to be considered pious, pure and holy, and
therefore persecutes the Gospel, because it chastises him.; wherefore, God must
continue with his light until it may finally become manifest whose fruit they
are who persecute Christ, who would help them and all the world. God’s Word,
which brings them all grace and blessedness, they blaspheme and reject; pious,
innocent people, who confess his Word and love Christ, they exile and murder.
53. This, also, is one of the fruits of the Gospel, that it
rebukes and convicts evil, and exposes the devil, who formerly reigned in pomp,
unhindered, and in the appearance of God himself. Now, however, he raves and
rages because he is so exposed that his presence is apparent to all. Now, it
must become manifest which is the true and which the
false Church. and who are the true, pious children of
God, and who are the devil’s children and hypocrites, liars and murderers.
54. “But he that doeth the truth,” says Christ, “cometh to
the light” etc.; that is, he who through the Word of God is brought to a
knowledge of his sins, seeks grace and loves Christ, and is also made manifest. Yea, he, himself, comes to the light, holds
fast to God’s Word, honors the truth, and is willing that all his doctrines,
deeds and his disposition may be made manifest; he
defies all devils and men, and openly and fearlessly lets himself be seen and
heard, proved and persecuted. Even so, God be praised! through our Gospel, pious
Christians do, in their confession and in their lives; whilst others, on the
contrary, cover their doings and try to justify themselves with lies and
deceit, and all kinds of knavery, that they might, notwithstanding that they
have been put to shame by the light of our doctrines and teachings, give their
doings some coloring. Therefore, by their works and manifestations it may be
known who is upright, and who in truth performs such works as are done in God,
according to his Word and will, and are pleasing in his sight.
Pentecost Tuesday
JOHN 10:1-11
Contents:
Three classes of preachers.
JOHN 10:1-10
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the
same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice:
and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth
forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they
know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him:
for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them:
but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then
said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of
the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep
did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved,
and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.
1. This Gospel lesson presents to us in a picture and
parable that which is elsewhere taught concerning Christ’s kingdom and the
office of preaching in the Church. The same topic, is continued in the Gospel
of the good shepherd immediately following our text. Both portions distinguish
the different kinds of teaching that claim to point to heaven; and from these
words we may correctly judge which are the true
teachings of the Holy Spirit. There are three distinct kinds of teaching here
considered. Only one of them can save the soul. The first is the teaching of
those whom Christ calls thieves and murderers; the second, that of the porter
of the sheepfold; the third, that of the true
shepherd, to whom the porter opens and whom he permits to enter. John says that
the disciples did not rightly understand this parable until Christ explained
that he himself, and he alone, was the door of the sheepfold and that he was
likewise the shepherd. We, too, would not understand it if he had not shown us
the interpretation.
I. THE FIRST CLASS
OF PREACHERS – THIEVES AND MURDERERS
2. It is a fact that these three classes are always found in
the Christian Church. Herein is danger, and the need that the people be warned
to be on their guard and to protect themselves well against teachers who spread
heresy and destruction, and whose only object, wherever they appear among the
sheep, is to steal from them the true pasture of pure
doctrine and God’s Word, and to destroy their souls also. Therefore the
apostles diligently warned the Christians against such teachers. Paul, in Acts
20:29-30, prophesies to them saying: “I know that after my departing grievous
wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock,” etc.
3. Such are they who would lord it over souls with doctrines
formulated or invented by their own wisdom, or who. with good intent, would
dictate to them about what they should do if they would be saved. As, for
example, did the Pharisees and scribes among the Jews; they thought themselves
saved by their own human doctrines and writings and the worship of good works.
And they in the papacy expect to be saved by that utter filth – their own false
and self-chosen works, worship and monkery; not to mention their public
idolatry and shameful lying nonsense – praying to deceased saints, their
indulgences, purgatory and the like. They indeed do not wish to be regarded as
thieves and murderers; they would be respected in the world as worthy,
invaluable, and safe teachers and preachers. But when they are made manifest by the Word of Christ, it is discovered that
they awfully mislead and ruin the souls who follow them.
4. They are called thieves because they come stealthily
sneaking, and with smooth speech, as Paul says in Romans
5. For the words “came before me” do not refer to those who
preached before Christ; nor only to those who undertake to preach without a call
and secretly sneak into the fold, who are certainly no better than thieves and
murderers. But the words refer in general to all those – yen to them who have a
true call and are regularly installed in office – who do not begin with and
adhere to the doctrine of faith in Christ as the chief article of Christianity,
but mislead the people, directing to their own holiness and their own worship,
which ignores faith in Christ. If it were not for this error, such teachers
would never harm with their doctrine; for all doctrines concerning works would
be harmless if they did not teach faith and trust in works as being sufficient
to merit the forgiveness of sins. But in no case is to be tolerated the
teaching that we are to place in them our confidence and faith, for it should
be centered alone in Christ; nor that we esteem them to be a special service to
God when they are without the Word of God.
6. We could also without wrong keep all the commandments of
the pope and of his councils if they be not in opposition to God’s Word – when
they refer only to outward order and the observance of certain times – the use
of certain clothing, meats, and the like; as in other things a person may
follow custom. Yes, such outward and immaterial things were without harm if they
did not claim that they are necessary to salvation or serve to promote it. Just so the greater part of their priestcraft
and monkery is mere unprofitable, useless jugglery and simply child’s play,
appropriate to a Shrove-Tuesday carnival performance or to a puppet show. But
that they should command man to do such works at the peril of being lost, and
say, He who fails to do them shall fall under the wrath and displeasure of God
Almighty and of all the saints, and be condemned to hell – that is the wolf-like
and murderous voice of the true Antichrist in
Christendom.
7. Now, these destructive thieves and murderers are the
great multitude; they are always in the majority in the world. And they cannot
be different since they are out of Christ. The world desires such wolf
preaching, and is not worthy of anything better since it will not hear nor
respect Christ. Hence it is that there are so few true
Christians and faithful preachers, always outnumbered by the members of the
false church. Teachers and pupils mislead one another; as Moses says, the
drunkards draw the thirsty after them and lead them to ruin. Deuteronomy 29:19.
But Christ on the other hand comforts the true Church
with his counsel to his dear sheep to guard against the false teachers and not
to listen to, nor follow, them; as he says later, in plainer words: “My sheep
hear my voice, but they hear not the voice of strangers.”
8. True, the sheep may at first and for a time be deceived
by the false appearance and actions of thieves and robbers. Such has been the
case hitherto under the papacy when all the pulpits and churches were filled
with the false and only a few sheep heard the voice of Christ, the true shepherd; as Christ declared in Matthew 24:24, saying,
that they would lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Yet, at last he shall
help them to hear the voice of the true shepherd and
follow him. And many such have been snatched out of the errors of papacy even
on their death-beds, and have laid hold of Christ and died in him.
9. Now, these are the first class of cursed teachers and
preachers who directly oppose Christ and only mislead and ruin souls. These he
sharply distinguishes from himself, and passes judgment, teaching that we are
not to hear them at all nor tolerate them, and that they who, themselves out of
Christ, point the people elsewhere, are only thieves and murderers.
II. THE SECOND
CLASS OF PREACHERS – PORTERS OF THE FOLD
10. There are other preachers, who advocate God’s law and
commandments, not devised of themselves, but taken from the Scriptures. Such
were the teachers or scribes among the Jews, so far as they adhered to Moses
and the Scriptures; of whom Christ says: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on
Moses’ seat; all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe.”
Matthew 23:3.
11. These teachings in themselves do not oppose Christ, but
they who make use of them to teach the people to trust in themselves and in
salvation through the works of the Law, are thieves and murderers like the
others; for they also hinder and restrain the sheep from coming to Christ.
12. But if these preachers are to rightly serve, faithfully
and helpfully, they must not themselves climb into the sheepfold like the
others, nor attempt to be shepherds; they must be simply porters and servants
of the true shepherd, Christ, keeping the sheep in
shelter and safety and not allowing strangers to break in upon them, and
preparing for and giving place to the shepherd, who himself leads them out to
pasture and in. Further, their office is appointed not to feed themselves, but
to open to the shepherd; then the sheep hear the shepherd himself and are fed
by him.
13. Such among the Jewish people were Moses and the
prophets, likewise John the Baptist; and such are all who still preach the Law
for repentance, to point the people to Christ, who shall save them from sin and
death. So, then, such exercise both offices of the porter. They restrain
strangers who come as shepherds to draw the sheep after them, taking care that
the sheep be not misled by the delusion of a false confidence in their works,
but learn to know their sins and danger and be ready to heed their shepherd.
Paul speaks of the office of the Law, in Galatians 3:23-24, mentioning how it
was given that we might be kept in ward under it, and shut up unto the future
faith in Christ. “So,” he says, “the Law is become our tutor to bring us unto
Christ, that we might be just(fled by faith.” Where
the Law is so taught that man, threatened by the wrath and punishment of God,
is outwardly held under good discipline, and restrained from presumption and
carelessness, and is inwardly urged by fear and terror to feel his helplessness
and misery and to recognize his own inability – where the Law is so taught, the
fold is rightly closed and guarded, and the sheep cannot run away into error
and thus become a prey to wolves.
14. But this preaching and office of the porter is not
enough for the sheep. For if they should remain thus shut up, they would suffer
and die from hunger. Therefore another duty of the
porter is to open the door to the true shepherd, who
himself comes and feeds the sheep. It is all for his sake – the preaching and
teaching in the Church; otherwise one would not dare be a doorkeeper or
preacher.
15. It is, however, opening the door to Christ when we thus
teach the Law, as we said. God requires us to keep these commandments at the
peril of our eternal condemnation. And though you have kept them as perfectly
as you can, you must know that you will neither be justified nor saved thereby
before God; for you can never fulfill them, as you are indebted to do. And if
you were to fulfill them, still you would not thereby merit that God should give you mote than he has already given you, for which you
are in duty bound to obey him; as Christ says: “Even so ye also, when ye shall
have done the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants;
we have done that which it was our duty to do.” Luke
16. Thus you rightly fulfill both offices, and correctly
distinguish the doctrine of works from the doctrine of faith – we are to keep
the Law, but not trust in it; for faith alone will keep us and comfort us with
Christ’s pasture. So, works rest upon the obligation of the Law, and faith upon
grace in Christ.
III. THE THIRD
CLASS OF PREACHERS, IN WHOM ALONE CHRIST IS FOUND
17. Now, where the door is opened to the shepherd and he
enters, the sheep receive comfort and help; as Christ says at the lose of our
Gospel lesson: “I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.”
For as Christ rules, guides and leads them, feeds and keeps them, he works in
them through his Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, and they grow daily,
becoming richer in knowledge, stronger in faith. in consolation, in patience,
having victory in suffering and other trials, and of themselves bear fruit,
teaching, serving and helping others. And thus the office and work of the
shepherd, whose own the sheep are, go on continually, when he himself receives
the sheep and works his will in them, which he does by his voice, that is, the
external Word and preaching.
18. Therefore, Christ calls himself the door by which the
sheep go in and out. For, as he is the shepherd and also the sermon through
which he comes to us and by which he is made known, so
faith in our hearts, by which his power and work are experienced, is simply
Christ dwelling and working in us, making us in our life and work complete in
him. So all goodness goes forth from him and is received through faith in him;
we are pleasing to God only because of him, and are not dependent upon anything
else, neither have we comfort from any other source.
19. With the same figure in which Christ speaks of his
of-rice, which he administers through the Word, he speaks also of his sheep,
telling how they are to conduct themselves in his kingdom – when the door is
opened to him, they at once hear his voice and learn to know it. It is truly a
comforting, cheering voice, whereby they are released from terror and fear and
brought into liberty, where they can look to God in Christ for grace and all
comfort. And where they once recognize this shepherd, they confidently hold to
him alone and do not listen to the doctrine of any other. For they have, as the
nature of sheep is, very keen ears, that respond to a very soft voice, and are
very docile, recognizing and distinguishing the voice of their shepherd from
all others who pose as shepherds. For now the experience of their own
consciences and the witness of the Holy Spirit in their hearts testifies that
no other doctrine or word can console the heart nor bring man rightly to trust
in God and call upon him, except the voice of this shepherd, Christ. Therefore
they reflect upon it without any doubting or wavering whatever. They do not
gaze in wonder at what others teach or do, at what the world likes or the
councils decree; if there were not a single person upon earth to agree with
them, they would still be assured that they hear the voice of their true shepherd.
20. Yes, and they are of admirable intelligence; if they
were, without fear or danger, given the choice, each pious soul would rather
follow his conscience and plant himself upon Christ and his grace than upon his
own works, even if he had an abundance of the latter. For of his works he is
doubtful. Yea, he knows that they cannot stand before God’s judgment; as David
and all the saints say: “Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in
thy sight no man living is righteous.” Psalm 143:2. But he knows that grace is
assured to him; for it is God’s Word and truth.
21. What mean Christ’s further words: “And he calleth his
own sheep by name and leadeth them out”? All hear the harmonious voice of
Christ – the preaching of the Gospel: faith, baptism, hope and salvation they
all have in common and in equal measure. The grace that Magdalene has is the
same as that of the Virgin Mary, and that of Peter the same as the dying thief
experienced.
22. But there is a difference when he begins to call by
special names those who are in the same grace; as a shepherd has special marks
for each sheep and calls one “Brownie,” another “Blackie,” or such names as he
will. Likewise Christ produces special works in each individual when he
comforts, admonishes, and helps him in his needs and cares, through his Word.
Also he distributes to men his gifts: to one a stronger faith than to another,
or more understanding; gifts to teach and explain the
Scriptures, to preach, to rule. Again, he uses an individual for a special
work, to accomplish more and greater things than
another; he visits one with much suffering and another with little; he extended
the Gospel farther through Paul than through the other apostles; he called
Peter and led him to suffer in a different way than he did John.
23. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, says: “There are
diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit,” etc. As in the same house there are
many kinds of work, many occupations, but all the workers are members of the
same fami1y, having the same kind of food; and as there are many members in the
same body and each has its special work and use, and yet all are of the same
body and the same in health, deriving a common pleasure from the food and
nourishment: so in Christ’s kingdom there are many kinds of gifts, of works and
sufferings, distributed to each according to his capacity and calling; but all
are sheep of the same kind, sharing all his blessings, and one is as dear to
him as another. He says further:
“He leadeth them out. When he has put forth all his own, he goeth before them” etc.
24. This leading them out is, as I said, Christian liberty.
They are now free; no longer penned up and captive under anxious constraint and
fear of the Law and of divine judgment, but happily pastured and nourished in
Christ’s sweet kingdom of grace. Of this liberty St. Paul says: “Ye are not
under law, but under grace.” Romans
25. This liberty does not mean that the sheep may now
without a fold and without a keeper run from their shepherd unrestrained into
error; or that Christians can do whatever the flesh lusteth for. But it means
that, now free from terror and fear of wolves, thieves and murderers, they may
live with their dear shepherd, in love and pleasure following where he leads
and guides; because they know that he so defends and lovingly oversees them
that the Law dare no more accuse and condemn them,
even though they are weak as to the flesh and have not perfectly fulfilled the
Law.
26. For here the Lord, God’s Son, is the shepherd, who takes
the sheep under his grace, his shelter and protection; and he who will accuse
or condemn the sheep, must first accuse or condemn the Lord himself. Paul
gloriously and defiantly says in Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no
condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus,” etc.; likewise in verses and
34: “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that
justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea
rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us.” This is, I say, freedom of conscience –
freedom from the condemnation of the Law. Now that we are in Christ, the Law
has no claim on us, for the material, bodily life has no place here. It has its
own external government and law, unrelated to spiritual life in the kingdom of
Christ.
“When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him.”
27. That is the Christians’ life under their shepherd. Christ
ever rules, leads and guides them. They remain with him in the liberty of
faith, wherein they walk, following his example in obedience and good works, of
which example Peter says: Christ has “left you an example, that ye should
follow his steps.” 1 Peter
28. To follow the advancing Christ means that our whole
lives and all our works be in the faith of Christ – a constant exercise of
faith, wherein we recognize and are assured that because of this dear shepherd
we have favor with God. Thus our works and lives, weak and imperfect in
obedience as they are, are also under the wings of the mother hen, and are
pleasing to God because of the shepherd. In this confidence we now begin to be
obedient, to call upon him in our temptations and needs, to confess his Word
and serve our neighbors. And thus, both in the inner and the outer life – which
Christ here calls “going out and in” – we are to find pasture; that is,
comfort, strength, help, the increase of faith, and everything good. To this
end a Christian constantly needs the Word of Christ as his daily bread; he
needs to learn from it and to exercise himself in it. Therefore, Christ says
again, in concluding his words on the sheep that follow him:
“For they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers.”
29. That means, they know now how to keenly distinguish
doctrine, faith and life; for they have the standard of the Word, which teaches
them to cling alone to this shepherd, and thus be enabled to rightly judge
everything offered to them and shun and condemn that which directs and leads
them otherwise. Therefore, under this shepherd they abide indeed safe,
undeceived and rightly led; they are excellent, intelligent, well sheltered,
contented, secure and blessed sheep.
30. Notice that this parable pictures so beautifully to us
Christ and his sheep that we see the inner life of his kingdom and the treasure
we have from him. And it finely symbolizes how we should teach the Law and
faith and works in the Church. But the Pharisees and their blind leaders and
the false saints understand naught of this; as John here says:
“But they understand not what things they were which he spoke unto them.”
31. Yes, although Christ even interprets and illustrates
these things in plain words, yet his hearers do not understand them. They
consider and estimate his words from the low plane of their own reason, which
learns nothing beyond the doctrine of the law of works, and seeks the
fulfillment of the same by its own strength; as Paul, in Romans 10:3, says of
them: They seek to establish their own righteousness, and do not subject
themselves to the righteousness that avails before God. Hence, when they hear
the doctrine of our salvation, how our lives must be hid in Christ alone and
nothing avails without him, they begin to blaspheme; as they say of him at the
end of this sermon in verse 20: “He hath a demon, and is mad; why hear ye him?”
So in our day they revile the doctrine of faith as heresy, and say that we
forbid good works; but thereby they candidly reveal their own blindness – they
do not understand what Christ, faith and good works are.
32. We, however, who have – God be praised! – the true
knowledge, should learn from this Gospel two things: First, that nothing should
be taught in Christendom except that which pertains to this one shepherd,
Christ – and every individual should guard against all that does not point to
him for enlightenment of the conscience and for strengthening the hope of
salvation; or that is not enjoined and commanded as necessary to keep.
Therefore, Christ calls himself the door, through whom alone we must go out and
in; and true doctrine and faith, and life proceed only
from him, lead to him and are found in him.
33. The second truth is that all Christians have the power
and right to pass judgment upon any doctrine, and to turn from false preachers
and bishops, refusing obedience to them. For you hear in this Gospel that
Christ says of his sheep: “My sheep hear my voice, and a stranger they will not
follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of the stranger.”
The reason Christians can rightly judge is because they apply the standard – as
I mentioned – from this Word of Christ, that all who fail to teach Christ are
thieves and murderers. These words have already passed the judgment and further
knowledge than that of Christ is unnecessary. Christians, then, are in duty
bound to follow this judgment, fleeing and avoiding all it contains, it matters
not who, how wise or how many they are.
34. Here are deposed from their office and power those who
wish to rule in the Church and yet do not teach Christ’s Words but their own
commands, and who require the people to obey them as bishops occupying the
appointed seats of authority in the Church. So it is the duty of Christ’s sheep
to follow Christ’s judgment, holding such teachers as dethroned, condemned and
excommunicated from the Church of Christ, and fleeing from them as accursed.
And they who wish to remain godly, and Christ’s true
sheep, should never yield this power and fight of judgment, nor permit
themselves to indorse, accept or follow what others may decree, contrary to its
teaching, be they pope, bishop or councils.