The New Testament

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The New Testament

Dr. Martin Luther's

Complete Writings,

edited by

Dr. Joh. Georg Walch.

Ninth volume.

New Testament Interpretation.

(Conclusion.)

New revised stereotype edition.

St. Louis, Mo.

CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE.

Dr. Martin Luther's

Interpretation of the New Testament

(Conclusion.)

Luther's great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians and the other exegetical writings.

Newly published by the Ministry of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod

of Missouri, Ohio and other States.

St. Louis, Mo.

CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE.

Foreword.

This volume brings the continuation and conclusion of Luther's interpretations of the New Testament from the detailed explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians to the sermons on the Epistle of Saint Jude; also the interpretation of many beautiful sayings of sacred Scripture, which Luther wrote to some in their Bibles, and the short notes, which Luther (after 1530) entered in his own hand in his copy of the New Testament.

Compared to the ninth volume of Walch's old edition, this volume appears in a very different form. The shorter interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians has been assigned to the eighth volume, while the detailed explanation has been transferred to this volume, which has already been accounted for in the preface to the eighth volume. The first number of the appendix in the old edition, Luther's "very first exegetical work on the Psalms of David," has been omitted from this volume, partly because it does not belong to the interpretations of the New Testament, and partly because the space for it is too limited.

The second number of the appendix: "The Interpretation on Marc. 16, 14-20, 'Of the Glorious Mandate of Christ'" also had to be left out. Also the second number of the appendix: "The interpretation of Marc. 16, 14-20, "Of the glorious mandate of Christ", had to be left out, because it is not (as Walch assumed) from Luther, but from Dr. Ambrosius Moiban in Breslau. 1) Luther wrote only a preface to it. 2) The third number of the appendix, Luther's sermon on 1 John 5:4, 5, has been newly translated from Latin and inserted at the appropriate place. The fourth number of the appendix, "Luther's Short Notes on the New Testament," we have not called an appendix, because they deserve a place in this section just as much as the interpretation of many beautiful sayings.

Besides the earlier "Interpretation on the 1st Epistle of St. Peter from 1523", which is printed by Walch, we have, because Luther later (in 1539) 3) once again discussed this epistle pre

1. The title of this paper is given in the Erlanger Ausgabe, Vol. 63, p. 344.
2. Walch, old edition, vol. XIV, 194.
3. Compare the first note on the first interpretation of the first epistle of St. Peter, Col. 958.

VI Foreword.

The latter redaction, which first appeared in 1539 in the first volume of Luther's collected writings, was included in this volume after the Wittenberg edition. Both adaptations did not come from Luther's own pen, but the first redaction was "excipitated and subsequently printed" by Cruciger, the second by Georg Rörer. He says about it in the table of contents of the second volume of the Jena edition of 1555 (Weim. Ausg., Vol. XII, p. 250): "However, because the first epistle of S. Peter was later discussed and explained by the blessed man of God, D. M., in the Sunday sermons that he preached many years after noon, in many places more extensively and more abundantly than before, I have, at the request of Moritz Goltzen ^the Wittenberg bookseller^, the pious, godly man, compiled several pieces from D. M.'s sermons. M. sermons, put them into print in the XXIIIth year, sometimes somewhat changed and increased, as can be seen in the first German Tomo, Anno XXXIX at D. M. Leben ausgangen, now and then, but especially in the beginning and end." Until now, it seems to have remained unknown at what time Luther preached for the second time on the first epistle of Peter, for Walch says (probably on the basis of Rörer's "nachmals" in the words just cited) in his preface to the 9th volume, p. 17 b, only "that Luther preached after the time [the

is, after 1523] preached again on the first Epistle of Peter on Sunday afternoon," which the Erlangen edition, vol. 51, p. 324, repeats. Also nowhere else have we found a closer time determination about it, not even in the Weimar edition, which until then had only brought the first editing. However, we have been enabled by the Zwickau Luther finding, at least on one side, to give a very precise time determination, namely, that Luther preached in 1539 on the 1st Epistle of Peter, and that the last sermon, which was used for the improvement of the first edition, on 1 Peter 5, 9, was held on July 13, 1539, which can be recognized by comparing the interpretation given by us with the Zwickau sermons. So that everyone can investigate for himself whether this is the case, we have printed the "Five Sermons on the Fourth and Fifth Chapters of the First Epistle of St. Peter" from Buchwald's "Eleven Previously Unprinted Sermons by Martin Luther, Delivered in the Time of Trinity 1539", sub No. X, O, although the relation is very poor and required several improvements and corrections.

From the same small collection we have included, sub No. XII, O, "Two Sermons on I John 3:13-17."

To the "Interpretations of Many Beautiful Sayings" we have added the Bible inscriptions, which are found scattered here and there in the Erlanger Ausgabe, vol. 56; vol. 37, p. 106, and in the De

Foreword. VII

Wette's collection of letters. The passage, however, which in De Wette, Vol. VI, p. 432, has the heading: "Written in a Bible", we have translated into German and used for the first part of Luther's "Short Notes on the New Testament"; for that is where this piece belongs. In the Erlangen edition, the same is found in the opp. var. arg. VII, p. 555, under the praefationes. Both, the Erlangen edition as well as Seidemann, have overlooked the fact that it is found twice in Walch, namely vol. IX, 2774, and vol. XIX, 1774. We, too, only became aware of Walch's duplication of this piece during the editing of this volume, and have already included it in our edition, vol. XIX, 1460. There it should have been omitted.

We have newly translated the great interpretation of the letter to the Galatians. We have to talk about it a little more in depth here, because the words used in the old

Translation of Menius.

As Hosea Cap. 13 it is written that one death strangles another; for so says the prophet v. 14: "Death, I will be a death or poison unto thee; hell, I will be a plague unto thee." But the death that strangles the other is the right life. But the prophet needs such a speech precisely because of the great indignation and anger against death, which so cruelly tears away and devours all the world; and he would not be able to defy death in this way, "Death, I will be your death or poison," if his heart were not full of the Holy Spirit, through whom he sings out enlightenment with all joy and gladness, and says that Christ's death has overcome the death that the devil has brought into the world.

Luther himself recognized Menius's translation, which was printed in the second edition, by including it in the first volume of his collected writings (1539).

Although Menius' translation shows that he had the German language well under his control, it cannot be denied that it suffers from various deficiencies that make a new translation appear desirable, namely: '

In many cases Menius did not give a translation, but a paraphrase of the Latin, e.g. in Luther's preface, which in our translation is at least a full third shorter than in Menius'.

Several times Menius inserted rhetorical expansions, which the Latin text does not offer. To prove this, we put a small section here, which forms the second half of 277 and 278 of the second chapter.

Our translation.

Court. 13, 14. "Death, I will be a death to you; hell, I will be a pestilence to you." [Vulg.) Thus he Paul says here that he died to the law through the law, as if to say: The law of Moses accuses me and condemns me. Against this accusing and condemning law I have another law, which is grace and freedom. This accuses the accuser and condemns the condemning law.

vm

Foreword.

After that St. Paul speaks Rom. 8, 3.: "God sends His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and has condemned sin by sin." Makes two kinds of sin; as the prophet makes two kinds of death. But the sin that condemns the other is right, true righteousness. But St. Paul calls it a sin, out of a cheerful heart, which is full of the Spirit and of faith 2c. Item Eph. 4, 8. he takes the 68th Psalm, v. 19, and speaks in the same way, saying: "Christ has ascended on high and has caught the prison"; he sets prison against prison. In this way he also says here: "He died to the law through the law. As if to say, "The law of Moses accuses and condemns me; but against this law, which thus accuses and condemns me, I have another law, which is grace and liberty: which again accuses and condemns that law which wants to accuse and condemn me.

On a smaller scale, such extensions occur very frequently, e.g., Cap. 1, § 36, § 121, z 142; Cap. 2, § 98, § 99, § 303, § 366; Cap. 3, § 217, § 218, § 219, § 377; Cap. 6, § 119 2c. Cap. 4, § 1 is spun out by Menius in a rambling recapitulation to something over a "columne" and a half. At the end of § 240 of the 4th chapter, Menius inserts a longer section in which he elaborates on what Luther said by an excursus against the enemies of the Gospel at that time. In § 296 of the same chapter, what is contained in the Latin text is tripled in scope.

3. Sometimes in Menius the translation shrinks to an epitome, e.g. in the last sentence of Cap. 1, § 6; Cap. 2, § 87; Cap. 3, §180; Cap. 6, § 45 and § 66.

Thus death kills death, but this death that kills death is life itself. But he is called the death of death because of the exceedingly great unwillingness of the Holy Spirit against death. Thus, righteousness puts on the name of sin because it condemns sin, and this condemning sin is right righteousness.

4. Not infrequently, Menius' translation is so free that one can hardly recognize any resemblance to the Latin original, e.g., Cap. 1, § 179, §180, § 181. Of Cap. 1, § 180 and Cap. 6, § 14 and § 15, there is almost not a word in the Latin. Cap. 3, § 563 is completely changed in content. Luther's description of the struggle between law and gospel, which was going on within himself, is omitted, and commonplaces are inserted in its place. The second half of Cap. 3, § 195 is changed entirely. Menius also avoids difficulties of the text by inaccurate translation, e.g., Cap. 2, § 159.
5. Here and there, entire pieces are missing, e.g., the paragraph which we have added to Cap. 2, §6; a piece of Cap. 2, §162 at the end; the beginning of § 222; the first half of Cap. 3, § 372. to the end of

Foreword. IX

Cap. 4, § 342 is missing several sentences. What we have called § 52 in the 5th chapter is completely missing in Menius. In Cap. 5, § 248, a longer section is omitted. About half of Cap. 6, § 8 is missing. The second half of Cap. 6, § 58 is missing in Menius, and in its place other thoughts are introduced that recapitulate the previous.

In contrast, longer sections are inserted elsewhere, none of which are in the original Latin, e.g., Cap. 2, § 32, § 218; Cap. 3, § 336, § 337 (two full colums); Cap. 3, § 315. How arbitrarily Menius deals with the Latin text, we have a striking example in Cap. 3, 88 372-385. In this section, about one columne has been omitted, while two and a half columne have been inserted. Most of the paragraphs of this section take up about twice as much space in Menius' translation as in ours. Of Cap. 6, § 18 Menius brings less than half, but he has brought 8 19 to more than double.

7. sections are rearranged, e.g. § 28 and § 29 of the 6th chapter in Menius should be designated as § 34 and § 35.

Sometimes, Menius also has downright wrong translations; e.g. Cap. 3, 8 111 he did not realize that the "eulogy" about the justice of the law was to be understood ironically. - According to the Latin, Cap. 4, § 54: "Therefore we have this filiation only through the redemption of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is our abundant and everlasting forgiveness.

The first is "service, be it according to equity or dignity" (sive de congruo, sive de condigno). That this translation is correct is proven by § 58. Menius translates: "Therefore we do not need any further merit, neither de congruo, nor de condigno.

In some places Menius unnecessarily amplifies Luther's expressions, e.g. Cap. 2, § 213 he translates homines sine mfente by: incomprehensible coarse asses; Cap. 2, § 248 malevolus by: a useless spitting bird; Cap. 2, § 378 sophistae arch-villains; Cap. 3, § 106 commander caeci the blind asses' heads; Cap. 3, § 211 aliquis ineptus a clumsy grobianus. On the other hand, in other places where Luther's expression seems too harsh or too bold to him, he softens the same, e.g. Cap. 2, § 309 quod Christus sit diabolus meus contra diabolum Menius translates: that Christ, the stronger, sees and binds the strong. Cap. 3, § 322 according to the Latin: "And indeed all the prophets saw this in the spirit, that Christ would be the greatest of all malefactors, murderers, adulterers, thieves, robbers of God, blasphemers 2c., whose like had never been in the world." Instead Menius brings: "And indeed all the prophets foreknew in the Spirit that Christ would be the greatest of sinners, the like of which had never been on earth." Cap. 5, § 42 seemed to him the expression: "the law was a denial of Christ" too harsh, therefore he brought other thoughts in the place of Luther's execution. From the-

X Foreword .

For the same reason he changed Cap. 5, § 132. According to the Latin it reads: "Thus God puts on the larva of the devil, and the devil the larva of God, and God wants to be known under the larva of the devil and wants the devil to be rejected under the larva of God. Instead of this, Menius says: "Therefore, we should be careful not to blaspheme God in the place of the devil, and not to worship the devil in the place of God." Cap. 3, § 10 it reads according to the Latin: "These are completely opposite things, as the devil and God, sin and righteousness, death and life are opposite to each other." Menius: "Therefore rhyme together like winter and summer, fire and water."

10. Some of the expressions in Menius' translation are so outdated that even scholars hardly understand them; e.g. in the sentence Cap. 3, § 10: "Unserer Deutschen Gewohnheit hält somit, dass wir auf allerleilei Ding fürwitzig und jächgierig sind; Walen sind ruhmredig, können viel Prangens und große Bellilschier machen," are two expressions incomprehensible to the ordinary reader: "jächgierig sein" (i.e., to strive for something with great haste) and "große Bellitschier machen" (i.e., to give oneself a great reputation). Walch, old edition, vol. XXIII, 175, gives 8. v. "Deutsche" as the content of this phrase: "Deutsche haben Fürwitz und Rachgier" instead of: "Deutsche sind neuerungssüchtig," and Aurifaber in the Tischreden, cap. 7, § 43 (Erl. Ausg.,

Vol. 58, p. 55), puts instead of: "Make yourself a Bellitschier" - "Make yourself a good harness."

Now we want to add only a few words about the main writings in this volume. In the great interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Cap. 5, § 263, Luther states that his main intention was to teach the article of justification as clearly as possible. This was done in such a splendid way that there is no book other than the Holy Scriptures that shows the way to salvation so fully, so clearly and purely as this interpretation.

Of the First Epistle of Peter, Luther says that it is "one of the noblest books in the New Testament," and of the sermons Luther preached on it, Seckendorf (Hist. Luth., lib. I, § 160, p. 282) says that they are full of wonderful interpretations and memories.

We consider it necessary to mention here that the "other interpretation of the first epistle of St. John" (Col. 1522 ff.) is not, as Rambach stated under the heading, "translated into German from Luther's own handwritten manuscript", but, as Köstlin has already recognized, is reproduced from a (very deficient) postscript.

A particularly outstanding place among Luther's sermons is that on 1 John 4:16-21. Older and newer outstanding theologians are unanimous in their praise of it. Also from the speech

Foreword. xi

We would like to draw attention to 1 John 5:4, 5, which Luther wrote out in 1512 for the provost of Leitzkau, because it shows us how bright and pure Luther's knowledge was even in the pre-Reformation period.

About the "Interpretation of Many Beautiful Sayings" Rörer rightly says in his preface: "Although this work seems small, the benefit is not small who wants to strengthen his faith with reading. As it has been said before, God's serious command is that one should read His Scriptures and

should learn. Thus, these short interpretations, in which the natural juice of the sayings is captured, give more understanding than many great, ancient commentaries of Origen or many others."

Now God grant that we also continue to read the Holy Scriptures diligently, and let Luther's exquisite interpretations lead us ever deeper into them, so that our faith may grow and remain constant, and we may finally attain the end of our faith, eternal bliss. Amen.

St. Louis, on Reformation Day, 1893.

A. F. Hoppe.

Content

of the

The ninth part of Luther's complete writings.

Doctor Martin Luther's Interpretation of the "New" Testament.

(Conclusion.)

VI. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. (Continuation.) > Columne

B. Luther's detailed explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians. 1536 1

C. Luther's Explanation of the Saying Gal. 1, 4. 5. 1538 774

D. Luther's Sermon on the Difference between the Law and the Gospel on Gal. 3, 23. 24. Delivered January 1, 1532 798

VII Interpretation on the Epistle to the Ephesians.

Luther's Sermon on Christian Armor and Weapons, delivered on Eph. 6, 10-17, October 20, 1532 810

VIII. Interpretations on the first epistle to Timothy.

A. Luther's Sermon on the Main Summa of God > > Commandment, 1 Tim. 1, 3-11. Delivered in 1524 858

B. Luther's sermon on the Summa of the Christian

Life on 1 Tim. 1, 5-7. Held at Wörlitz on November 24, 1532 ... 882

C. Luther's Lection against the Rottengeists about

1 Tun. 1, 18-20. and Cap. 2, 1. 2. Held March 24, 1525 914

D. Luther's interpretation of the saying 1 Tim. 2, 4: God wants all men to be helped 2c.

Preached March 27, 1525 922

IX. Interpretation on the Epistle to Titus.

Luther's sermon on our blessed hope on the saying of St. Paul Tit. 2, 13. Delivered to

Kemberg August 19, 1531 930

X. Interpretations on the first epistle of St. Peter.

A. The first epistle of St. Peter interpreted. First editing. 1523 958

B. The first epistle of St. Peter interpreted. Second editing. 1539 1110

Columne

C. Five sermons on the fourth and fifth chapters of the first epistle of St. Peter.

1. sermon on 1 Petr. 4, 9-11. held

June 1 1539 1296

2. sermon on 1 Petr. 5, 5. 6. held

June 22 1539 1308

3. sermon on 1 Petr. 5, 7. 8. delivered June 29, 1539 1316

4. sermon on 1 Petr. 5, 8. delivered July 6, 1539 1326 > > 5. sermon on 1 Petr. 5, 9. delivered July 13, 1539 1336

XI. Interpretations on the second epistle of St. Peter.

The second epistle St. Peter preached and interpreted. 1523 1342

XII. Interpretations on the first epistle of St. John.

A. The first epistle of St. John interpreted. August to October 1527 > 1398

B. Another Interpretation of the First Epistle of St. John. 1529 and 1530 1522

C. Two sermons on 1 John 3:13-17.

First sermon, delivered June 8, 1539 1654

Second sermon, preached June 15, 1539. 1666

D. Sermon on 1 Jn. 4, 16-21. Delivered in the Trinity 1532 1674

E. Sermon on 1 John 5, 4. 5. anno 1512 1728

XIII Interpretations on the Epistle of St. Jude.

The epistle St. Jude preached. 1523 1742

Luther's small exegetical writings.

XIV Interpretation of many beautiful sayings of holy scripture, which Luther wrote to some in their bibles 1756

XV. Short Notes, which Luther wrote with his own hand in his copy of the New Testament. After 1530 1860

Luther's marginal notes on the Bible are already included in the appendix of the eighth volume.

Epistle to the Galatians ** VI. D. Martin Luther's Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians.**

(Continued.)

B. D. Martin Luther's detailed explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians. *)

Anno 1535.

Newly translated from Latin.

Justi Menii Foreword. ^1^)

To the Most Serene, Highborn Prince and Lord, Duke of Saxony, > Archmarshall and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Landgrave of > Thuringia, and Margrave of Meissen 2c., my most gracious Lord, grace > and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Most Serene, Highborn Prince, Most Gracious Lord! This past year I have written the interpretation of the venerable and highly respected D. Martin Luther, my dear Father in Christ, on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, and have translated it by divine grace. Gn. Rentmeister, Hans von Taubenheim, has persuaded me to do so.

1. Although we do not bring Menius' translation, but a new one, we have nevertheless left Menius' preface, partly because of the historical material it contains, and partly because many of the thoughts Menius expressed in it have also moved us in the preparation of the new translation.

And I was almost afraid of the food, not only because the work was great and heavy, but also because I considered my inability and worried that I might either have to let what I was about to do fall into disgrace, and succumb to weakness, or do it in such a way that it would never be done well. And even if I should tell the truth and confess it at once, it has been hard enough on several occasions, and it would have taken very little for me to get stuck with it. However, in the name of the Lord, I have again and again strained and continued until, with God's help, I have torn through it and reached the end, even though it has been hard and difficult enough for me to get through.

And although I have had to spend a good long time with it, I have also become tired of the work, writing and reading, more than just one; therefore, I would like to believe that one or two will also read themselves tired before they read it out. However, the manifold, beautiful and extremely comforting teachings contained in this book have pleased and delighted me so much that I have forgotten all boredom and fatigue because of it.

*) After Luther had already interpreted the Epistle to the Galatians once from 1516-1519 and had his explanation go out in the latter year, he began again in the winter semester of 1531-1532 to explain it in his lectures. (Köstlin, Martin Luther, vol. II, p. 272. Cf. vol. I, p. 291.) This second interpretation was copied by AI. Georg Rörer and first published it in 1535 under the title:In epistolam S. Pauli ad Galatas Commentarius, ex praelectione D. Martini Lutheri collectus. Vitebergae 1535 2c. At the end: Excusum Vitebergae per Joannem Lufft. This edition was reprinted in the same year at Hagenau by Peter Brubach. Eme other edition, which has on the title the addition: Jam denuo diligenter recognitus,

2 Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. vin, 1514 f. 3

which I have no doubt will happen to every diligent reader.

For, in order that I may be aware of the great, exuberant benefit and comfort that every reader may receive from this book, let alone who would not heartily desire to see the great, glorious miraculous work that our Lord God visibly and obviously places before our eyes and lets us see how an exceedingly abundant treasury his holy word is of all graces, knowledge, comfort, eternal life, salvation and bliss, The Holy Spirit, through these few words of his apostle, which outwardly appear so bad, silly and simple, gives such exuberant, inordinate and incomprehensible consolation to poor consciences that no one's heart can grasp it in thought, much less that anyone should be able to express it in words. And if there were no other doctrine of godliness, no consolation nor admonition on earth, but this one epistle alone, so understood and considered, that nevertheless the whole world would have enough and enough of all kinds of godly doctrine and consolation.

Therefore, it is no small miracle of the Holy Spirit that He is in so few.

The Lord has given and distributed so much divine wisdom, heavenly secrets, comfort and living power against sin, death and all kinds of temptation to so many poor souls, because this great miracle has been that our Lord Christ fed and satisfied so many thousands of people with so little bread Marc. 8, 5. 8. Joh. 6, 9. 12.. Item, that God fed His people with bread from heaven in the wilderness, Ex. 16, 15. and watered them with water from the hard and dry rock Ex. 17, 6. 7.. So that we experience so obviously and certainly that man lives from the word of God Deut. 8, 3, as the Jews have experienced such. For this reason, the size and length of this book should not deter anyone from reading it, but rather, for the sake of this divine miracle, should stimulate and encourage every godly person to do so. For what I speak now, I have experienced myself in interpreting.

But how well I have done, and how right I have been with the interpretation, I truly cannot say myself; for this reason, I hereby command others to judge and evaluate it. However, since this beautiful book contains almost all of the most important articles of the sacred Christian religion, it is not necessary for me to say.

castigatus etc. Adjecto etiam indice, appeared at Wittenberg by Hans Luft in 1538 (In the Erlanger Aus

gabe, Dom. I, p. X, is erroneously 1535.), which was reprinted in Frankfurt by Peter Brubach in 1543 and 1546. This second edition was provided by Luther himself with the preface, which we have presented to the interpretation. We do not know whether the first edition of 1535 was also provided with a preface by Luther, but it is certain that our preface, at least in its present form, cannot belong to an earlier time than 1538, because of the statements about the antinomians contained therein. (Cf. Kawerau, Agricola, p. 201, note 2.) That which is designated in the editions as [liu 6t drevm pruokutio (with the exception of the Latin Wittenberg, which does not contain this superscription) is not a "preface," but a "salutation of Luther to his hearers." The 1538 edition is included in the Latin collections of Luther's works: Wittenberger (1554), Dorn. V, coq. 2694"; Jenaer (1570), Dom. IV, col. 1; Erlanger, Dom. Justus Menius, then pastor and superintendent at Eisenach, translated this interpretation into German. This translation was included in the first volume of the Wittenberg edition, published as early as 1539; we find no news of an old single edition. This translation is also found in the later editions of Luther's writings: in the Wittenberg edition (1556), vol. I, p. I; in the Altenburg edition, vol. VI, p. 509; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XI, p. 1. In the last century, two individual editions of the same text appeared, namely one, without indication of the place, in 1717, organized by Samuel Lucius, preacher at Ansoldingen in the Canton of Bern; the other at Halle in 1737, published by I. G. Walch. A reprint of Walch's text review was published in 1856 in Berlin by Gustav Schlawitz. A French translation of the larger commentary appeared in Antwerp in 1583 by Arnoult Conink under the title: Declaration enti5re des fondemens de la Doctrine Chr^tienne, faite par Martin Luther sur VEpistre de St. Paul aux Galatiens, en laquelle est contenue une vraye et parfaite Exposition de la Justification, qui est par la Foy en Jesus Christ. Nouvellement revue, curieusement corrig^e et augment^e (suivant le Latin) de ce qui est6 etait obmis en l'Impression Francoise auparavant mise en Lumiere. The earlier French edition to which this title refers may perhaps be that which appeared at Geneva in 1564. In the Erlangen edition, Dom. I, p. XII, 8nl" Xo. IX of the editions of the Commentaria major, a Spanish translation is also given, but this is a translation of the smaller Commentary. Christian Friedrich Börner, the editor of the Leipzig edition of Luther's works, reports in the preface to Volume II, p. 28, that he has an English translation, which was printed in London in 1635. The approval of the Bishop of London, Edwin Sandys, was added to this edition, which was before the first English edition of 1575. Instead of the many praises given to this main writing of Luther (he himself calls it his best work, Limi86i1, ooUohuia, Dom. Ill, p. 196), we only add the words of Menius from his preface: "If there were no other doctrine of godliness, no consolation nor admonition on earth, but this few epistles alone, so understood and considered, that nevertheless the whole world would have enough and enough of all kinds of godly doctrine and consolation. We have re-translated according to the Wittenberg edition.

4 Justi Menii Foreword. W. vm, isis-E 5

The main article of Justification, that is, which teaches how one must become righteous and blessed before God through the one faith in Jesus Christ alone, without the help of all kinds of laws and works, is emphasized and explained in the most powerful, abundant and comforting way, and in contrast, all the most prominent ungodly errors of the papal sophists and monks are thus overthrown by God's Word, and monks are thus refuted and overthrown by God's word, so that in the consciences and hearts of all pious, right-minded people, such devilish lies and blasphemies against the divine eternal truth must melt, dissolve and fly away, no differently than how the snow melts away from the sun, and the light chaff is scattered by the mighty wind: I nevertheless hope that I will have done so much in this interpretation, with my possible diligence, that such comforting articles of the Christian doctrine, as those dealt with in the interpretation, should be understood in good measure.

The loose junk of the sophists, school slaves and monks, de merito congrui et condigni; de gratia gratificante et gratum faciente; de fide acquisita et infusa, formata et informi; de qualitate inhaerente, and whatever else they have slurred, I do not know myself whether I have understood it correctly, or whether I have delivered it, and I take it for granted that among them the majority slur such words, like parrots and parakeets, without any understanding, and do not know themselves whether they are cut or stung. For it is such a hopeless, insolent slobber that, like a hut smoke or an assa foetida, it neither wants to be ingested nor reproduced; both of the things and words are almost such a theologia, as Constantini's donatio is a jurisprudence. For the things on both sides are in themselves vain lies and deceit, what the emperor Constantinus is supposed to have given to the pope of the empire, and what the sophists and monks promise to give to the poor consciences by their lies and alfalfaism in the kingdom of heaven.

In addition, there is such Latin on both sides, which, except for such gypsies, has never been used anywhere else in the whole world. And just as such theologians have a peculiar spirit (not of light nor of truth, but of darkness and lies), so they also speak with peculiar new tongues, not the great, glorious deeds of God, but only dark, incomprehensible, yes, outrageous and inexperienced lies and blasphemy of their pope and

devil out of hell. But I will take care, it should also be almost met and given so that whoever wants to pay attention to the things and think about them, he should also be able to understand it quite well. For whoever wants to take up strange, unknown things anew and learn to understand them, must also be accustomed to strange, new words and speeches.

However, no matter how it may be spoiled, I will nevertheless attribute such book to Your Lordship. Gn., and let it go out under the same name, because it is already owned by Ew. Gn., therefore, that it has been published by the above-mentioned my dear Lord, v. Martinum, in Ew. Gn. hochlöbliche Universität zu Wittenberg, and by the well-learned, pious, diligent man, M. Georg Rörern, has been most faithfully compiled, and thus brought together in this book. Therefore, I also fear that I am doing wrong and evil, and that I am doing Your Grace an injustice. Gn.'s honor, if I were to publish such a book other than under Your Honor's auspices. Gn. name. Just as Magister George, along with others, would also do wrong and evil if they kept such precious and noble treasures, of which they admittedly still have a great deal and are delicious, hidden among themselves and did not also communicate them to the other Christians.

Moreover, I also think that at this time no one is so much in need of this and similar books, and to read them diligently, as Ew. Gn. For although there is no doubt that all Christian hearts at all times need to be comforted and strengthened with God's word against the devil without ceasing, and there is no one who can arm himself too well against such a powerful and malicious enemy, it is certainly true, and can never be lacking, that the evil-doer of Ew. Gn. must be especially mortally hostile before all others, therefore that Ew. Gn. not only publicly profess the Christian truth for their own person with other believers in Christ, but also that in their lands and principalities, and even in their school and church at Wittenberg, the church and the school of the Church of the Holy Spirit have been established. Gn. school and church at Wittenberg, such comforting, wholesome teachings of the Holy Gospel have initially arisen, and our dear Lord Jesus Christ has planted, cherishes and adorns His most holy kingdom of grace in such beautiful peace, good order, in the most blessed way.

And so, that like a beautiful, wholesome, fragrant balsam garden, it now spreads to other principalities, yes, even to foreign nations and mighty kingdoms, with its wholesome good

6 Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 1518-1521. 7

The stench is spreading, and in the same foreign nations, kingdoms and countries innumerable poor, miserable consciences, who in their sins under God's wrath would otherwise have had to despair and perish utterly for eternity, are now thus refreshed and refreshed, that the blessed knowledge of the great graces and benefits of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, as if raised from the dead to life, yes, as if from the abyss of hell, where they had been truly imprisoned under the cursed, unholy pabstium, now leads them into Abraham's bosom, into the heavenly paradise and to eternal bliss. 1) And is such a comforting, wholesome teaching of the holy gospel ever a right good smell of life to the poor, miserable conscience. Just as it is also a stench of death unto death to all the ungodly and the damned, but especially to the accursed ministry, which is truly the real kingdom of sin of the Antichrist, of whom St. Paul proclaimed 2 Thess. 2:8 that the Lord would kill him with the spirit of his mouth; for which reason it is no wonder that he again rages and rages against it so horribly.

And there is no doubt that this and other such books will testify to eternal times, 2) what we have taught at this time from the holy gospel of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, both rightly and well, and what we have also challenged and rejected in the devilish, damned teaching of the counter-Christian papacy (of which they have been, of the sophists and monks), and all pious Christian hearts will be able to judge and judge from this, that we have not done this without necessity, out of frivolous presumption, out of ambition, for the sake of money, but that a greater and higher thing than the kingdom of the world, with all its power and glory, can be and become ever more to us than the glory of God, love of truth, and our own, together with all other poor Christians' miserable consciences, to save them from eternal destruction by God's power, and to help them through the true knowledge of Christ to grace and eternal blessedness, has moved, yes, forced and urged us to do so.

For although someone may think out of ignorance, or out of an envious, hostile heart against

1. Wittenberger: "auffrüret", a printing error.
2. Wittenberger: to become a witness.

to pretend to us that we were so blind and foolish that we had initially initiated this trade for the above-mentioned reasons: How could we be so mad and foolish that we should persist in it and not desist from it, after we have learned so grossly and with such great miserable sorrow in all the world that with this doctrine we will ever gain neither honor nor good, neither favor nor some temporal enjoyment before the world, but must wait for the antagonism; In addition, to put our life and limb, together with wife and children, in all kinds of danger, and through the adversary's iniquity and unjust judgment, to condemn ourselves as the very worst heretics, God's enemies and blasphemers, to the abyss of hell, and to make us entirely the devil's own? And such a thing should drive away and atone for the presumption of one, my mistake. But let each one think, speak and write what he wants and how he wants, so we can comfort ourselves that our dear Lord Jesus Christ is the one who justifies us; who then wants to condemn us?

Therefore, Most Gracious Sir, Your Lordship. Gn. may have this book, along with others like it, especially ordered, be very dear and valuable to you, so that, since Your Lordship is the most merciful of all, you will be able to read and understand it. Gn. have to tolerate more than one kind of challenge from the devil and his larvae every day, you may see from this book in every way and take comfort in the fact that such things are and will be inflicted on you by the devil and his kingdom, the damned world, for no other reason than solely for the sake of God's holy word and the poor Christian souls' eternal salvation and blessedness. Therefore also our dear God and Father in heaven, for the sake of His only dear Son, our dear Lord and Saviour JEsu Christ, Ew. Gn. in all such temptations and adversities against all kinds of tyranny, guile and evil treacherous practices of the adversaries, and will preserve them with all glory. Therefore all the pious God-fearing and Christ-believing hearts, who have been saved by such salutary teachings to grace and salvation from the cruel kingdom of darkness in the counter-Christian papacy, all over the world, without ceasing from the bottom of their believing hearts, most sigh, ask and plead most earnestly, amen.

So it has come to me that I have done it with the interpretation and have served pious God-fearing Christians with it, who should, next to

3. Wittenberger: and.

8 Lri. 6-u. i, 3 f. Luther's Foreword. W. vm, 1521-^26. 9

God, Your Lordship. Gn., as those to whom in their principalities and lands the holy and salutary Gospel, of the grace of our dear Lord JEsu Christ, is graciously granted and given by God to have, to honor and to promote before other potentates, therefore give thanks. If, however, I do not want to swear too much (that it ever happens from time to time), and some disgusting, tender spirits also want to sharpen their beaks and blame it, then I am here, gladly confess my guilt and foolishness, also want to bear the shame willingly, and grant them all honors from the heart; only that they both, for their own honor and for the benefit of pious Christians, may take the trouble and work of

They will not let themselves be put off, and where I have made a mess of it and have failed to do it there, they will do it right and do it better. For I have done my part, and I have never lacked any possible diligence and my good will. I therefore ask with all humility that Your Serene Highnesses. Your Grace will accept this small fortune of mine as a gracious favor, and I do your grace. Grace in the gracious protection and protection of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. Date Eisenach.

Ew. Churfl. Yours sincerely

Justus Menius, pastor at Eisenach.

D. Martin Luther's Preface.

1538.*)

1. I can hardly believe myself that I have made so many words in publicly expounding this epistle of St. Paul, as this booklet shows that I have done, and yet I perceive that all the thoughts which I find distinguished in this writing by the brethren with such great care are my thoughts, so that I must confess that I have said all, or perhaps more, in this my public discourse. 1) For in my heart this article alone prevails, namely, faith in Christ, from which, through which, and to which, by day and by night, all my theological thoughts flow and flow back. Nevertheless, I feel that of the wisdom, which has such a great height, breadth and depth, I have only grasped a few weak, poor firstlings and, as it were, crumbs.

2 Therefore, I am also ashamed that my so meager and cold interpretations of the Scriptures of such a great apostle and chosen instrument of God are being published. However, it compels me to lay aside this shame and to be bold without shame, the endless and terrifying desecration and abomination that is always raging in the Church of God.

1. Aurifaber has taken the following up to the end of the paragraph from the translation of Justus Menius and by the words: "sprach D. Mart. Mart." as Luther's speech in the Table Talks, Cap. 7, K 57. In our edition of the Table Talks, this paragraph has been omitted.

and even today does not cease to rage against this unified and solid rock, which we call the doctrine (locum) of justification, that is, how we have been redeemed from sin, death and the devil and given eternal life not by ourselves (no doubt not even by our works, which are inferior to ourselves), but by the help of others, through the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.

This rock was challenged by Satan in Paradise, when he persuaded the first parents to become like God through their own wisdom and strength, if they abandoned faith in God, who had given them life and promised to preserve it.

4 Soon after that liar and murderer, who can never desist from his ways, drove a brother for the sake of this article to kill his brother for no other reason than because his godly brother had made a better sacrifice by faith Heb. 11:4, and he, as an ungodly man who offered his works without faith, had not pleased God.

5. Then followed an unceasing, unbearable persecution of Satan against the same faith by the children of Cain, until God was forced to purify the whole world at once through the flood and to destroy Noah, the

*) This time determination results from the contents of the preface. Cf. the note to § 18.

10 Li-1. 6ai. 1, 4-6. Interpretations-On the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1526-1530. 11

Preachers of faith and righteousness (2 Petr. 2, 5.). Nevertheless, Satan kept his seed in Ham, the third son of Noah.

But who can tell everything? The whole race has raged against this faith by setting up idols and worship services of their own choosing, in which each one (as Paul says Apost. 14, 16.) walked his own way and hoped with his works to reconcile one god, another one goddess, one many gods, another many goddesses, that is, to redeem himself from all evil and sins by his own work without the help of Christ, as the deeds and writings of all pagans sufficiently testify.

(7) But these are nothing against the people of God Israel or the synagogue, which were gifted before all others, not only with the certain promise made to the fathers, then with the law given to them by God through the angels Acts 7:53., but also were continually strengthened in the certainty by the prophets who were with them, with sermons, miracles and examples: and yet the devil, that is, the raging for one's own righteousness, had such a continuance among them that, according to all the prophets, they themselves also killed the Son of God, the Messiah promised to them, namely for the same reason, 'because they taught that we humans please God, not through our righteousness, but through the grace of God. And this is the highest principle (propositio) of the devil and the world from the beginning: We do not want to be regarded as doing evil, but everything we do must please God, and all his prophets must agree with this. If they do not, they must die. Away with Abel, Cain shall live! That is our law. And so it is done.

(8) But in the church of the Gentiles this matter has reached the highest level (res acta est) and is pursued with all seriousness, so that one is justified in thinking that the raging of the synagogue was only a game. For they did not recognize their Messiah (as Paul says 1 Cor. 2:8), "otherwise they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But the church of the Gentiles has accepted him and confesses that Christ is the Son of God, who was made for us to be righteous 1 Cor. 1:30, and this they sing and read and teach publicly. And while this confession stands, those who want to be the church still persecute and rage against those who believe, teach and do nothing else than that Christ is exactly what they themselves are forced to confess with false mouths and fabricated works. For nowadays they rule under Christ's name; if they could maintain this rule without Christ's name, they would also show him (Christ) outwardly as such, as they have him in their hearts. But they think far less of him than the Jews, who at least hold that he is a thola, that is, an avenger, who was justly put to death on the cross; but our papists hold him to be a fable, as it were a kind of fictitious deity among the heathen, as may be seen at Rome in the court of the pope and almost in all Italy.

(9) Therefore, since Christ is a mockery to his Christians (for that is the name they want), and Cain kills Abel without ceasing, and the abomination of Satan reigns supreme, it is necessary that we practice this article most diligently and resist Satan, whether we speak as children or are eloquent, whether we are learned or unlearned. For even if all men were to be silent, even rocks and stones would have to cry out to this rock Luc. 19:40.

10. Therefore, I too will gladly do my duty and admit that this extremely eloquent interpretation is published in order to encourage the brothers in Christ against the plots and wickedness of Satan, who in these last and most dangerous (extremis) times has gone into such great frenzy against this salvific knowledge of Christ, that, just as men have hitherto been seen to be possessed by devils and to become insane, now the devils themselves seem to be possessed by worse devils and to be raging with more than diabolical fury. For this

12 Lri. "ai. i, s-8. Luther's Foreword. W. vm, isso-1584. 13

This enemy of truth and life feels that the terrible day of his condemnation is very near, but the longed-for, joyful day of our redemption, which will put an end to his tyranny, is near to us. For it is not without cause that he will be in such great consternation that all his limbs and strength will tremble, like a thief or an adulterer who is caught when the sun rises and betrays him.

(11) For who has ever heard (to say nothing of the abominations of the pope) that such great monstrosities have suddenly broken out, as we see in recent times as an example in the Anabaptists alone? In them the devil, as if he wanted to exhale the last breath of his dominion, is everywhere driving his own with frightening movements, and as if he suddenly wanted not only to turn the whole world with riots, but also to devour the whole Christ with the church through innumerable sects.

(12) So he does not rage and rage against other lives or opinions of men, namely, adulterers, thieves, murderers, perjurers, wicked men, robbers of God, unbelievers. Yes, he leaves them in peace, flatters them sweetly in his palace and lets them have it all. Just as in the beginning of the church he not only tolerated all the idolatries and religions of the whole world untouched and quietly, but also cultivated them most splendidly, but only plagued Christ's church and worship on all sides, then left all heretics in peace, but only troubled the right Christian (catholicam) doctrine: so also today he has nothing to do with but this one thing, which is always his real business, that he should persecute our Lord Christ (who is our righteousness without our works), as it is written of him (Gen. 3:15), "Thou shalt bruise his heel."

(13) But it is not both against these devil's caves and for the sake of our Christians that our thoughts about this letter of Saint Paul go out. These will either give me thanks in the Lord for my diligence, 'or give me credit for my incapacity and boldness.

hold good. I should be very sorry, however, if this had the applause of the ungodly, but I only wanted them to be provoked to anger with their God the devil by it, since this (with my hard work) has been presented only to those to whom Paul himself addressed this epistle, namely to the troubled, the afflicted, the afflicted and the challenged in faith (for only these understand it), unhappy Galatians. But those who are not such people may listen to the papists, monks, Anabaptists, and many other teachers of infinite wisdom and their own worship, and confidently despise ours, not even bothering to understand it.

(14) For papists and Anabaptists today agree with one another against the Church of God on this one opinion (although they deny it with words), that God's work depends on the worthiness of the person. For this is what the Anabaptists teach: Baptism is nothing if the person should not be a believer. From this basis (principio == supersentence) (as it is called) it follows with necessity that all the works of God are nothing if the person is not good. Baptism, however, is the work of God, but the evil man makes it not to be the work of God. From this it follows further: Marriage, authority, the status of a servant are works of God, but because men are evil, therefore they are not works of God; the ungodly have the sun, the moon, the earth, the waters, the air, and everything that has been subjected to man, but because they are ungodly, not pious, therefore the sun is not the sun; the moon, the earth, the waters, the air are not what they are. They themselves, the rebaptizers, had bodies and souls before their rebaptism, but because they were not pious, they did not have right bodies and souls. Likewise, their parents have not been true spouses (as they confess) because they have not been rebaptized, so they, the Anabaptists, are all bastards, and all their parents were adulterers and fornicators. Nevertheless, they inherit the goods of their parents, even though they confess that they are bastards and heirless. Now who does not see here in the Anabaptists that they are not possessed men?

14 Lri.i, 8-ia. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 1534-1537. 15

They are right devils who are possessed by worse devils.

(15) In the same way, the papists to this day do not cease to insist on works and the worthiness of the person against grace and to strongly support (at least with words) their brothers, the Anabaptists. For these foxes are joined together by their tails Judges 15:4, but their heads go apart. For they the papists present themselves outwardly as if they were great enemies of those Anabaptists, although inwardly they hold, teach and defend exactly the same against the one Savior Christ, who alone is our righteousness Jer. 23:6, 33:16.

16 Therefore, whoever can, hold fast to this one article. Let the others who are shipwrecked drift wherever the sea and the winds will, until they return to the ship or swim to shore.

The sum and end of the trouble is: that one hopes for no rest or end of the trouble, as long as Christ and Belial are not one. One generation passes away, another arises. When one heresy falls, another soon rises, because the devil neither sleeps nor slumbers. I though I am nothing, who have now been twenty years in the service of Christ, can testify with truth that I have been attacked by more than twenty sects, some of which have perished altogether, but others still twitch somewhat like torn off limbs of insects.

(18) But Satan, this god of the spirits of the wicked, sets up new sects daily, and most recently this one, of which I would have been least concerned or anxious, namely, the people who teach that the Ten Commandments must be removed from the church, 1) that people should not be frightened by the law, but that they should be kindly admonished by the grace of Christ, so that the word of the prophet Micah may be fulfilled Hof. 4, 4: "But no one is to be punished"; "We are not to be punished" Mich. 2, 6: as if we do not

1. This refers to the Antinomians. This passage proves that this preface is to be placed in the year 1538. See also "Luthers Schriften wider die Antinomer", Walch, St. Louiser Ausgabe, Vol. XX, 1610 ff. and the introduction to it.

They know or have never taught that the anguished and broken hearts should be raised by Christ, but the hard Pharaohs, to whom the grace of God is preached in vain, are frightened by the law, since they themselves are forced to invent "revelations of wrath" 2) against the wicked and unbelievers, as if the law were or could be something other than a revelation of wrath. So great is the blindness and hopefulness of these people who have condemned themselves Titus 3:11.

(19) Therefore the ministers of the word must be sure, if they would be found faithful and wise in the day of Christ, that St. Paul's word was not spoken in vain, nor prophesied in vain 1 Cor. 11:19: "There must be breeds, that they which are righteous may be made manifest." A servant of Christ, I say, must know that as long as he teaches Christ pure and true, there will be no lack of perverse men, even among our own, who take pains to confuse the church.

20. but let him strengthen himself with this comfort, that there can be no peace between Christ and Belial 2 Cor. 6:15, or between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman; yea, let him rejoice that he hath to suffer mobs and such rebellious spirits as continually follow one another. "For our glory is this, that is, the testimony of our conscience" 2 Cor. 1:12, "that we are found standing and fighting on the side of the seed of the woman against the seed of the serpent. This one may bite us in the heel and not cease to bite, but let us not cease to bruise his head through Christ, the first and chief of the serpent's treaders, blessed for ever and ever, amen. 3)

2. Cf. Luther's writing "Wider die Antinomer," Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XX, 1618, § 16.
3. In the Latin editions follow here: "Fifty boasts and virtues of one's own righteousness, collected from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Galatians." In the German Wittenberg edition, however, this section is at the end of the interpretation. That it belongs to the end is proven by the word "Finis" at the end, which is why we place it there, as do Menius and Walch. The old editions of the Table Talks place this passage in Cap. 14, § 48; in our edition of the Table Talks, however, it has been omitted as not belonging there (also as a duplicate).

16 Lri. i, rs-14. detailed explanation of the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, iM-1541 17

Detailed explanation of the epistle to the Galatians.

Address of D. Martin Luther to his listeners *)

We have undertaken to interpret anew in the name of the Lord the epistle of Paul to the Galatians, not because we want to present something new or unknown, since by the grace of God the whole of Paul is now well known to you and has become common knowledge (vulgatus), but because, as I often remind you, this is a very great and obvious danger, that the devil may take away the pure doctrine of faith and again introduce doctrines of works and the statutes of men.

2 Therefore, it is of great benefit that this doctrine of faith be constantly read and heard in public. And however well one may know it and learn it thoroughly, the devil, our adversary, the

The evil spirit that always goes about and seeks to devour us is not dead, just as our flesh is still alive, and finally all temptations come at us from all sides and oppress us. Therefore, this doctrine can never be sufficiently acted upon and imprinted. When it lies and perishes, the whole knowledge of truth lies and perishes at the same time. But when it blossoms, all good things blossom, religion, right worship, the glory of God, the certain knowledge of all states and things. So that we are not completely inactive, let us begin again where we left off, according to the words Sir. 18, 6. according to the Vulg.: "When a man has left off, let him begin again."

What the epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians is about.

First of all, it must be said what it is about, that is, what Paul is dealing with in this epistle. Paul wants to strengthen the doctrine of faith, grace, forgiveness of sins, or Christian righteousness in such a way that we have complete knowledge and a certain distinction between Christian righteousness and all other righteousnesses. For there are many kinds of righteousness: one is the temporal, with which the emperor, the princes of the world, philosophers and jurists have to do. Another is ceremonial, which is taught by human statutes, as are the statutes of the pope and the like. Household fathers and schoolmasters teach the same without danger, because they do not

They do not give the ceremonies the power to be sufficient for sin, to atone for God, and to merit grace, but they teach the ceremonies only as necessary for outward discipline and for a certain order. In addition, there is another, namely the righteousness of the Law or the Ten Commandments, which Moses teaches. This we also teach, after we have taken the doctrine of faith as a basis.

(2) Further and above all these is the righteousness of faith or Christian righteousness, which must be most carefully distinguished from the foregoing. For the foregoing are wholly opposed to it, partly because they are derived from the laws of the emperors, from the statutes of the Pab-

*) This superscription is set by us. The following is without any caption in the Latin Wittenberg edition. In the German Wittenberg and Erlangen editions, the following is placed above it: "Another short preface by D. Martin Luther. The content, however, proves that it is not a preface to an edition of the Interpretation, but "Luther's address to his audience," as the Jena edition also calls it: Alia et brevis praefatio D. L. M. (sic), cur denuo hanc Pauli epistolam enarrandam susceperit, a preface in which he briefly states the reason why he is interpreting this epistle anew.

18 Lri. i, 14-16. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 1541-1544. 19

The reason for this is that they are not only the result of God's commandments and flow from them, but also because they have to do with our works and can be done by us, be it from purely natural forces (as the school theologians sophistae speak of it),

or whether it is also from God's gift (for these righteousnesses of works are also God's gifts, like other goods we have).

But this righteousness, that is, the righteousness of faith, is the most precious, which God imputes to us for Christ's sake without our works; it is also not a worldly righteousness, nor a ceremonial righteousness, nor a righteousness from the divine law; it also has nothing to do with our works, but is completely different, that is, it is only a suffering righteousness (just as the aforementioned righteousnesses are active righteousnesses). For in this we do not work anything, nor do we have anything that we give to God, but only receive, and suffer that another, namely God, may work in us. Therefore, this righteousness of faith or Christian righteousness can be called a suffering righteousness.

4 And this is the righteousness that is hidden in mystery Col. 1:26, which the world does not understand; indeed, Christians do not grasp it sufficiently, and it is difficult for them to grasp it in temptations. Therefore it must always be inculcated and urged without ceasing. And whoever does not hold on to it or grasp it in tribulations and terrors of conscience cannot stand. For there is no other comfort of conscience so firm and certain as this suffering righteousness.

(5) But the inability and misery of man is such that in distress of conscience and in danger of death we look to nothing but our works, our worthiness and the law. When this shows us our sin, it immediately comes to our mind how badly we have lived our lives. Then the sinner sighs in great sorrow of heart and thinks to himself: Oh, how ungodly I have lived! If God wanted me to live longer, then I would improve my life 2c. And human reason (so much is this evil ingrained in us, and so much have we acquired this unfortunate condition) can extricate itself from this delusion of active or own righteousness.

The human being does not wriggle out of the situation and does not rise to look at the suffering or Christian righteousness, but simply remains attached to the active one.

By abusing the weakness of nature, Satan increases and sharpens these thoughts. Therefore, it cannot be otherwise than that the conscience will tremble, be dismayed and frightened all the more. For it is impossible for the human heart to draw comfort from itself and have grace alone in view when it feels sin and is frightened by it, or that it steadfastly throws away the disputation about works 2c. For this is beyond the powers, thoughts and comprehension of men, and even beyond the law of God. The law of God is indeed the highest of all that is in the world, but so much is lacking in it that it could make a frightened conscience confident, that it sinks it even more into sorrow and brings it to despair. For "through the law sin becomes exceedingly sinful." Rom. 7, 13.

(7) Therefore, a sorrowful conscience has no help against despair and eternal death unless it grasps the promise of the grace offered in Christ, that is, this suffering or Christian righteousness of faith; when it has grasped this, it can be satisfied and confidently say: I do not seek the active righteousness which I ought to have and do; but if I had it and did it, I could not put my trust in it, nor oppose it to the judgment of God. Therefore I renounce all active righteousness and the righteousness of the divine law, and take hold only of the suffering righteousness, which is the righteousness of grace, mercy, forgiveness of sins, in short, of Christ and the Holy Spirit, which we do not do, but suffer, not have, but receive, in that God the Father gives it to us through Jesus Christ.

8. just as the earth itself does not bring forth rain, nor can it obtain it by any work, labor, or strength of its own, but receives it only by a heavenly gift from above Heb. 6:7, so this rain is given to us by God, without our work or merit.

20 Lri. ttat. 1, 16-18. detailed explanation of the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1544-1548. 21

Heavenly righteousness. Therefore, as much as the arid earth can do on its own to receive abundant and desirable rain, so much can we human beings do by our own efforts and works to receive that divine heavenly and eternal righteousness, unless we obtain it in vain by reckoning and by the ineffable gift of God. Therefore, the highest art and wisdom of Christians is that they do not know the law, the works and all active righteousness, especially when the conscience wrestles with the judgment of God, just as it is the highest wisdom outside the people of God to know the law, works and active righteousness, to have them before one's eyes and to penetrate them.

(9) Now it is a strange and unheard-of thing in the eyes of the world that Christians should be taught not to know the law, and that they should live before God as if there were no law at all. For if you do not disregard the law, and firmly insist in your heart that there is no law and no wrath of God, but only grace and mercy for the sake of Christ, you cannot be saved. "For through the law comes the knowledge of sin" 2c. Rom. 3, 20.

(10) Again, the law and works must be insisted upon in the world as if there were no promise or grace at all, for the sake of stiff-necked, proud and hardened people, to whom nothing but the law must be put before their eyes, that they may be terrified and humbled. For this is the purpose for which the law was given, that it might terrify and kill such people and afflict the old man. Both the word of grace and the word of wrath must be rightly divided, as the apostle teaches 2 Timothy 2:15.

(11) What is needed here is a wise and faithful steward of God who will temper the law so that it remains within its bounds. He who teaches that men are justified before God by the law transgresses the limits of the law and mixes these two righteousnesses, the active and the suffering, and is a bad dialecticus, because he does not divide rightly.

(12) Again, he who puts the law and works before the old man, but the promise and grace before the new man, divides rightly. For the flesh, or the old man, the law and works must be joined together; so also the spirit, or the new man, with the promise and grace. Therefore, when I see that a sufficiently broken man is oppressed by the law, frightened by sin, and thirsting for comfort, then it is time for me to put the law and active righteousness out of his sight and present to him through the gospel the suffering righteousness that excludes Moses with his law and offers the promise of Christ, who came for the sake of the afflicted and for the sake of sinners. Then man is raised up and receives hope, and is no longer under the law, but under grace, as the apostle says Rom. 6:14., "Ye are therefore no longer under the law, but under grace." How is he not under the law? According to the new man, to whom the law is of no concern. For it has its limits until Christ, as Paul says below Rom. 10, 4. Gal. 3, 17. 19. 24.: "The law endures until Christ." When he comes, Moses stops the law, the circumcision, the sacrifices, the Sabbath; all the prophets also stop.

This is our theology, according to which we teach to distinguish clearly between these two righteousnesses, the active and the suffering, so that life and faith, works and grace, world government and worship are not mixed up with one another. Both righteousnesses are necessary, but each must be left within its limits. Christian righteousness is for the new man, but the righteousness of the law is for the old man, born of flesh and blood. This man, like an ass, must have a burden laid upon him, and must not enjoy the freedom of the Spirit or grace, unless he has first put on the new man through faith in Christ (which does not fully happen in this life): then he may enjoy the kingdom and the gift of unspeakable grace.

22 Lri. 6ai. 1,18-2". Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, I648-IS51. 23

14 I say this so that no one may think that we reject or prevent good works, as the papists falsely accuse us, not understanding either what they themselves say or what we teach. They know nothing but the righteousness of the law, and yet they want to be judges of doctrine, which is far above the law and transcends it, over which a carnal man cannot possibly judge. Therefore, they must necessarily be angry, because they cannot look higher than the law. Therefore, everything that is higher than the law causes them the greatest annoyance.

(15) We set up, as it were, two worlds, one heavenly and one earthly. In these we assign their place to these two righteousnesses, which are separate and far apart from each other. The righteousness of the law is earthly, has to do with earthly things, through which we do good works. But just as the earth does not bring forth fruit unless it has first been moistened and made fruitful from heaven (for the earth cannot master, renew, and govern heaven, but vice versa, heaven masters, renews, governs, and fertilizes the earth, so that it may do what the Lord has commanded): So we also do nothing if we do many things by the righteousness of the law, and do not fulfill the law if we fulfill the law, unless we are first justified without our work and merit by the Christian righteousness, which has nothing at all to do with the righteousness of the law or the earthly and active righteousness. But this is the heavenly and suffering righteousness, which we do not have, but receive from heaven, not doing, but grasping by faith, by which we rise above all laws and works. "As we have borne the image of the earthly Adam," says Paul 1 Cor. 15:49, "so shall we bear the image of the heavenly," which is a new man in a new world, where is no law, no sin, no conscience, no death, but joy, righteousness, grace, peace, life, blessedness, and glory altogether undisturbed.

(16) Do we then do nothing, work nothing, to obtain this righteousness? I answer: Nothing; for this righteousness is that one

He is not sitting in heaven at the right hand of the Father, not as a judge, but "made for us by God for wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" 1 Cor. 1:30, in short, that he is our high priest, who represents us and rules over us and in us through grace. There one sees no sin, feels no horror, no biting of the conscience. No sin can enter into this heavenly righteousness, for there is no law. "But where the law is not, 1) there is no transgression" Rom. 4:15. Therefore, since sin does not take place here, there is certainly no anguish of conscience, no terror, no sadness. Therefore John says 1 Ep. 3, 9.: "He who is born of God cannot sin."

(17) But when there is terror in the conscience, it is a sign that this righteousness is gone, that grace is out of sight and lost, and Christ, hidden in darkness, is not seen. But where Christ is seen in truth, there must necessarily be complete and perfect joy in the Lord, and peace of conscience, which firmly insists on it: Although I am a sinner in the law and lack the righteousness of the law, yet I do not despair, therefore I do not have to die, for Christ lives, who is my righteousness and my eternal and heavenly life. In this righteousness and in this life I have no sin, no evil conscience, no death. I am indeed a sinner as far as the present life and its righteousness are concerned, as a child of Adam, where the law accuses me, death reigns and will finally devour me; but over this life I have another righteousness, another life, which is Christ, the Son of God, who knows nothing of sin and death, but is righteousness and eternal life, for whose sake also this body of mine, after it has died and turned to ashes, is raised again and freed from the bondage of the law.

1. ubi autem nulla est lex is missing in the Erlanger.

24 Li-1. 1, 20-22. Detailed explanation of the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, ISS1-I554. 25

and sin, and at the same time be sanctified with the Spirit.

18 Thus both remain as long as we live here. The flesh is accused, it is afflicted with temptations, it is afflicted and brought to nothing by the active righteousness of the law. But the spirit reigns, rejoices and is blessed by the suffering righteousness, because it knows that it has a Lord who sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, who has done away with the law, trampled sin and death and all evil under his feet, led them captive and "made a triumph of them by himself" Col. 2:15.

(19) This, then, is Paul's purpose in this epistle, that he may diligently instruct, strengthen, and sustain us in the perfect knowledge of this most excellent and Christian righteousness. For if this article of justification is lost, then the whole Christian doctrine is lost at the same time. And all people in the world who do not hold it justification are either Jews, or Turks, or Papists, or heretics, because between these two righteousnesses, the active one of the law and the suffering one of Christ, there is no middle ground. Therefore, whoever strays from Christian righteousness must fall back into active righteousness, that is, because he has lost Christ, he must fall into placing his trust in his own works.

20 We see this today in the swarm spirits, who cause sects, teach nothing, nor can they teach rightly about this righteousness of grace (the words, of course, they have taken from our mouths and our writings), 1) therefore they speak and write only words. But they cannot present the matter itself, neither can they urge it nor inculcate it, because they do not understand it, nor can they understand it, since they cling only to the righteousness of the law. That is why they are and will remain workmen who cannot rise above the active justice.

21 Therefore they remain the same people they were under the pope, only they bring up new names and new works, but the thing remains the same; as the Turks do different works than the papists, the papists

1. These brackets are set by us.

do other works than the Jews 2c. But no matter how much more apparent, greater, and more difficult the works may be than the others, the essence remains the same; only the nature is different, that is, the works differ only in outward appearance, but in fact and truth they are works, and those who do them are not Christians, but are and remain works saints, whether they are called Jews, Mahometists, Papists, or Anabaptists 2c.

(22) Therefore, we constantly repeat this doctrine of faith or Christian righteousness, insisting on it so much and pursuing it so earnestly that it may remain in constant use and be clearly distinguished from the active righteousness of the law. In no other way will we be able to preserve true theology (for it is from this and in this teaching alone that the church arises and exists), but we will immediately become lawyers, ceremonialists, teachers of the law, papists: Christ will be obscured, and no one can be properly taught and raised up in the church. Therefore, if we want to be preachers and teachers of others, we must pay attention to these things with the utmost care and keep this difference of the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of Christ well. This is easy to say, but in experience and in application it is the most difficult thing to do, even if it is most carefully sharpened and practiced, because at the hour of death or in other struggles of the conscience these two righteousnesses come closer together than one might wish or want.

(23) Therefore I exhort you, especially you who will be teachers of consciences, and each one in particular, to practice study, reading, meditation and prayer, so that you may be able to instruct and comfort both your own consciences and the consciences of others in tribulation, and lead them from law to grace, from active righteousness to suffering righteousness, in short, from Moses to Christ. For the devil uses the law to frighten us in tribulation and in the battle of conscience, and to reproach us with our evil conscience about sin, our extremely shameful way of life, the wrath and judgment of God, hell, and

26 Lri. 1, 22-24. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1S54-I5S7. 27

eternal death, so that he may plunge us into despair, make us subservient to himself and withdraw us from Christ. He even holds up to us passages from the Gospel in which Christ himself demands works from us and threatens those who have not done them with condemnation in clear words. If we do not know how to distinguish between these two righteousnesses, if we do not take hold of Christ in faith, who sits at the right hand of God, who is our life and our righteousness, who also represents us poor sinners to the Father, then we are under the law, not under grace, and Christ is no longer a savior, but a lawgiver. There can be no blessedness left, but certain despair and eternal death will follow. Therefore, we must most diligently learn this art of distinguishing between these two righteousnesses, so that we may know how far we must obey the law.

(24) We have said above §§ 11, 12 that the law must not exceed its limits in a Christian, but must have its dominion only over the flesh, which is to be subject to it and remain under it. Where this happens, the law remains within its bounds. But if it wants to take over the conscience and rule here, see to it that you then are a good dialecticus, divide rightly, and do not grant the law more than must be granted to it, but say: "Law, you want to climb up into the realm of the conscience and rule there, and accuse it of sin, and cancel the joy of the heart, which I have from faith in Christ, and bring me to despair, that I should despair and perish. This you do, and yet it is not your office. Stay in your place and exercise dominion over the flesh, but do not touch my conscience. For I am baptized and called through the gospel to the fellowship of righteousness and eternal life.

I want to go to the kingdom of Christ, where my conscience has found rest, where there is no law, but only forgiveness of sins, peace, rest, joy, bliss and eternal life. These things thou dost not deceive me, for I will not suffer thee to reign as a harsh tyrant and as a cruel driver in my conscience. For it is the seat and temple of Christ, the Son of God, who is the King of righteousness and peace and an exceedingly loving Savior and my mediator. He will keep my conscience happy and satisfied in the sound and pure doctrine of the gospel and in the knowledge of this suffering righteousness.

(25) When I have this righteousness in my heart, I descend from heaven as rain that fertilizes the earth, that is, I go out into another realm and do good works as much as I can. If I am a minister of the word, I preach, comfort the fainthearted, administer the sacraments; if I am a householder, I govern my house, my servants, educate my children to godliness and respectability; if I am a person in authority, I carry out my office, which God has commanded me to do; if I am a servant, I faithfully let myself be commanded in the affairs of my master. In short, anyone who knows for certain that Christ is his righteousness not only does everything well in his profession from his heart and with joy, but also submits out of love to the authorities, even to their ungodly laws, even to all the burdens and dangers of this life, if circumstances require it, because he knows that this is God's will and that such obedience pleases him.

That is enough about what this epistle is about. Paul takes this before him and sets it forth, prompted by false teachers who had obscured this righteousness of faith from the Galatians. Against these he boasts of his apostolic reputation and office.

28 Lri. 1, 24-W. Exec. Explanation d. Epistle to the GalatiansW . VIII, I558-IS68. 29

The first chapter.

V. 1. 2. Paul, an apostle (not of men, nor by men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead), and all the brethren that are with me: the commoners of Galatia.

Now that we have stated what the epistle to the Galatians is about, and the brief epitome of it, let us now, before we come to the matter itself, say what prompted Paul to write this epistle. He had planted the pure doctrine of the gospel and the righteousness of faith among the Galatians, but immediately after his departure false teachers crept in who overturned everything he had planted and taught well.

(2) For the devil cannot do otherwise, he must fiercely contest this doctrine with violence and cunning, and he will not rest until he suppresses it, or corrupts it by tyrants, or at least by swarming spirits, and at last, for the sake of the same, but under the appearance of godliness, imposes an ungodly doctrine on the safe and snoring people. And for the sake of this one cause, that we present the teaching of the gospel purely, we have the devil for an enemy today, who arouses against us the raving of the world and the bitterest hatred of the heretics.

But the gospel is such a doctrine, which teaches something far more sublime than the world's wisdom, righteousness, and worship, namely, the forgiveness of sins, free of charge, through Christ. The gospel lets those things in their position be what they are, and praises them as good creatures of God, but the world prefers these creatures to the Creator and even wants to redeem sins through them, to be freed from death and to earn eternal life. This is condemned by the gospel.

4 On the other hand, the world cannot stand that the best it has should be condemned. Therefore, it attaches this stain to the gospel as if it were a rebellious and erroneous doctrine,

which overthrows states, countries, principalities, kingdoms and empire and therefore sins against God and against the emperor, deviates from the laws, corrupts good morals, and allows anyone the freedom to do whatever he wants with impunity. Therefore, the world pursues this doctrine with quite just zeal and, as it can be seen, with the highest desire to render service to God, and detests the teachers and followers of it as the most pernicious plague that could exist on earth.

Then, through the teaching of the gospel, the devil will be trampled underfoot, his kingdom will be destroyed, and the law, sin, and death (through which he, as the most powerful and insurmountable tyrant, has subjugated the entire human race to his rule) will be snatched away from him. At last his prisoners are transferred from the kingdom of darkness and bondage to the kingdom of light and freedom. Should the devil suffer this? Shouldn't the father of lies use all his powers and artifices to darken, corrupt and completely eradicate this doctrine of blessedness and eternal life? At least Paul complains in this letter and in all his other epistles that Satan had done this in a very special way through his apostles while Paul was still alive.

6 We lament and weep for the same thing today, that Satan has done more harm to our gospel through his servants, the spirits of the swarms, than through all the kings, princes and bishops who have violently persecuted it and are still persecuting it. And if we here in Wittenberg had not watched and worked so diligently and carefully in planting and teaching this doctrine of the faith, we would not have remained in harmony so long, but sects would already have arisen even among ourselves. But because we remain steadfast in this doctrine and diligently practice it, it keeps us in the greatest unity and peace. Others, who either

30 Lri. 6ai. 1, 26-28. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1568-1571. 31

neglect, or, as they make themselves believe, want to teach something higher, fall into various and pernicious errors and sects, of which there is no end, and are lost. Here we have only wanted to indicate in passing that the gospel is such a doctrine, which condemns all righteousness and preaches only the righteousness of Christ, and brings peace of conscience and all goods to those who embrace it, and that nevertheless the world hates and persecutes it most bitterly 2c.

7 I have said that Paul had this reason to write this epistle, that soon after his departure false teachers tore down among the Galatians what he had built up with great labor and in a long time. But the false teachers or false apostles were people who were held in great esteem, who came from the circumcision and the Pharisees and boasted to the people that they were from the holy and chosen people of the Jews: they were Israelites from the seed of Abraham, they had the promises, the fathers 2c.; finally, they were servants of Christ and disciples of the apostles, with whom they had had contact, and had seen their miracles. Perhaps they themselves also performed signs, for Christ testifies Matth. 7, 22 that even the wicked perform signs.

8 Then they also diminished Paul's reputation with all the artifices at their command, saying, "Why do you exalt Paul so high and honor him so much? Surely he was the last of all to be converted to Christ. We are disciples and intimate friends of the apostles; we have seen Christ perform miracles and have heard him preach. Paul is later and lesser than us, and it is also not possible that God would let us err, who are of the holy people, and servants of Christ, and have received the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we are a whole number, but Paul is alone, who did not associate with the apostles, nor did he see Christ; indeed, he persecuted the Church of Christ for a long time. Should God have let so many churches err for the sake of one Paul?

(9) Where people of such great renown come to a city or country.

one immediately looks up to them with admiration, and with this appearance of godliness they deceive not only the simple-minded, but also scholars and people who are well established in the faith, especially if they, as those did, boast of their descent from the patriarchs, likewise that they are servants of Christ and disciples of the apostles 2c. In this way, the pope today, because he has no Scripture with which to defend himself, uses for and against us this one reason: Church, Church! Do you think that God is so angry that He should reject His whole Church for the sake of a few heretical Lutherans? Do you think that He has let His Church err for so many centuries? This is what he insists on most, that the church cannot be overthrown. Just as many people are moved by this reason today, so the false apostles in Paul's time captured the minds of the Galatians by the astonishing preaching of their own praise, so that Paul lost his reputation among them and his teaching was made suspect.

(10) Against this empty boasting of the false apostles, Paul raises his apostolic reputation with great firmness and unshakable confidence and gloriously praises his profession and defends his apostleship (ministerium), and, which he does nowhere else, does not want to yield to anyone, not even the apostles, much less their disciples. And in order to break their Pharisaic arrogance and hard forehead, he tells the incident that happened in Antioch, where he had resisted Peter himself. Moreover, he does not shy away from the great astonishment, and clearly states in the text that he had taken upon himself to accuse and punish even Peter, the chief of the apostles, who had seen Christ and had had the most intimate intercourse with him. I am an apostle, he says, and one who cares nothing about what others are, and in such a way that I have not been afraid to punish even the pillar of the other apostles.

In short, in the first two chapters he does almost nothing else than praising his profession, his apostleship and his gospel, which is not human and which he did not receive from any man,

32 Lri. 1, 28-30. Explanation of Galatians 1, 1. W. VIII, 1571-1575. 33

but by the revelation of Jesus Christ; likewise, if he himself, or even an angel from heaven, should preach any other gospel than the one he preached, let him be accursed.

The certainty of the profession..

(12) But what is the purpose of Paul's boasting? I answer: This main part of Christian doctrine (locus communis) serves that every minister of the divine word may be sure of his calling, so that he may confidently boast before God and men that he preaches the gospel as one who is called and sent, just as the messenger of a king boasts and flaunts that he does not come as a private person, but as the king's messenger. And because of this dignity, that he is the messenger of the king, honor is given to him, that he has the precedence and sits on top, which would not happen to him if he were there as a private person.

(13) Therefore a preacher of the gospel should be certain that he has a divine calling, and it is of great benefit that, following the example of Paul, he magnifies and boasts of his calling before the people, so that he may gain prestige among his hearers, just as a royal envoy boasts of his legation. This is not a vain boast, but a necessary boast, because he does not boast because of his own person, but for the sake of the king who sent him. He desires that the king's reputation be held in honor and inviolable. And when he expresses the will in the name of the king that something should be carried out by the subjects, he does not say: We ask, but: We command, we will that this be done 2c. But as a private person he says: We ask 2c.

14 Thus also, when Paul gloriously exalts his profession, he does not exalt himself in a presumptuous manner, as many think, but he praises his apostleship with a necessary and holy pride, as he says in the Epistle to the Romans Cap. 11, v. 13: "As long as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I will praise my ministry," that is, I want people to receive me, not as Paul of Tarsus, but as Paul of Tarsus.

as Paul, the messenger or apostle of Jesus Christ. And this he does, of necessity, in order to gain prestige, so that the listeners, who hear this, become attentive, inclined and willing to be taught. For they do not hear the man who is only Paul, but in the person of Paul Christ Himself, and God the Father who deputizes him. Just as people owe a sacred reverence to God's prestige and majesty, they must also receive and listen to His messengers, who bring His word, with the highest reverence.

15 Now this is a strange passage, since Paul is so proud of his profession and boasts of it that he despises all others. If someone would humanly despise all others against himself and arrogate everything to himself, he would commit an extraordinary folly and would thereby also sin gravely. But here this boasting is necessary and it is not intended for the honor of Paul or our honor, but for the honor of God, to whom a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving is offered. For through this praise the name, or the grace and mercy of God is made known to the world. The epistle to the Galatians now begins with these words:

V. 1. Paul, an apostle, not of men 2c.

16 Right at the beginning he attacks the false teachers, who boasted that they were disciples of the apostles and sent by them. But they despised Paul because he was neither a disciple of the apostles nor sent by anyone to preach the gospel, but had come from somewhere else and had entered this ministry on his own authority. Against these Paul defends his calling by saying: "My calling seems to be contemptible to your preachers, but whoever they may be that have come to you, they have been sent either by men or through a man, that is, either they have come of themselves without a calling, or called by others. My profession, however, is neither from men nor through a man, but it is above all profession, which is according to

34 Lri.O "I. 1, 30-32. -^Älusations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, I57S-1578. 35

could happen to the apostles. For he is "through Jesus Christ and God the Father" 2c.

I understand the word "of men" as follows: those who call and invade themselves, while neither God nor men call or send them, but walk and talk of themselves, like the swarming spirits nowadays, who either creep through the corners and look for space where they want to pour out their poison (they do not come to the public churches), or come where the gospel is planted before. This is what I call: "by men." But: "by a man" who have a divine calling, but by a man.

18 It is therefore a twofold divine calling, one indirect, the other direct. God calls us all today to the ministry of preaching through the indirect calling, that is, through a calling that happens through a means, that is, through a man. The apostles, however, were called without means by Christ Himself, just as the prophets in the Old Testament were called by God Himself. Afterwards the apostles called their disciples, like Paul called Timothy, Titus 2c., who then called bishops, as Titus 1, 5. is written; the bishops called their successors. This profession has remained until our times and will remain until the end of the world. It is an indirect profession, because it happens through a human being, and yet a divine profession.

(19) If in this way the prince or the authorities, or I, call someone, he has a calling through a man; and this, according to the apostles, is the general way of calling in the whole world. And this is not to be changed, but held in high esteem for the sake of the deceivers, who despise it and boast of another better calling, since, as they say, the Spirit impels them to teach. But the deceivers lie. They are indeed driven by a spirit, but not by a good spirit, but by the evil spirit. It is not for me to go from my appointed place (sortem) to another city, where I am not called as a minister of the Word, and to preach there (that is, if I am a preacher; but if I am a doctor, I could preach throughout the whole papacy, if only they would let me), even if I heard that they were teaching falsely there, that the souls of the people of the world were not being taught.

I am to command the matter to God, who in his time will find opportunity to call preachers in a proper way and to give his word. For he is the Lord of the harvest, who will also send laborers into his harvest; it is ours to ask, Matth. 9, 38.

20 Therefore, it is not necessary to take hold of someone else's harvest, as the devil tends to incite his servants to run without a profession, and to use this fervent zeal as a pretext: they are sorry that people are so miserably deceived; they want to teach the truth and snatch the deceived out of the devil's snares. Yes, even if someone, out of godly zeal and in good opinion, wanted to help the deceived out of error through right teaching, this would still set an evil example, creating an opportunity for godless teachers to intrude, through which Satan would then take the preaching chair and do great harm.

(21) But if the prince or another person in authority calls me, then I can certainly and confidently boast against the devil and the enemies of the gospel that I am called by God's command through the voice of a man. For there is God's command through the mouth of the prince, which makes me certain that my calling is a right and divine calling. Therefore, we too are called by divine authority, not directly by Christ, as the apostles were, but through a man.

(22) This teaching of the certainty of the calling is very necessary against the corrupt and devilish spirits, who boast of the Spirit and the heavenly calling beyond measure and deceive many by this pretense; and yet they lie quite brazenly. Therefore, the certainty that we are called serves that each one may boast with John the Baptist Luc. 3:2: "The command of God has gone out to me." That I now teach the word, baptize and administer the sacraments, I do so because I have the command and am called to do so, for God's voice has spoken to me, not in the corner,

36 Lri. ttai. 1, 32-35. Explanation of Galatians 1, 1. W. VIII, 1578-1582. 37

as the enthusiasts boast, but by the mouth of a man who is in a rightful office.

But if one or two citizens ask me to preach, I should not obey such a private call, because it would open the door to the servants of the devil, who would then invoke this example and do harm, as we said above. But if I am required by those who hold a public office, then I shall obey.

(24) Saying then, "Paul, an apostle not of men, nor by men," he meets and overcomes (reprimands) the false apostles with these words, as if to say, "However highly they may boast, what more can these vipers boast than that they have come, either from men, that is, of themselves, no one having called them, or by men, that is, sent by others? I have no interest in all this, nor do you need to ask anything about it. But I am neither called nor sent by men, but directly, that is, by Jesus Christ, and my calling is in all respects like the calling of the other apostles, and I am certainly an apostle.

Therefore Paul treats the doctrine of the calling of the apostles very diligently, and elsewhere separates the apostleship from the other [spiritual offices), as 1 Cor. 12, 28. and Eph. 4, 11.: "He has appointed some to be apostles, but some to be prophets" 2c., by putting the apostles first to indicate that actually only those are apostles who are sent directly by God Himself, without an intermediary. Thus also Matthias was called straight from GOD. For since the other apostles raised two, they did not dare to choose one or the other, but cast lots and prayed that God would indicate which of these two He Himself had chosen Apost. 1, 23. f.. For he had to be called by God, since he was to be an apostle. In the same way Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, was called Apost. 9, 15. Therefore, the apostles are also called holy, because they are certain of their calling and their teaching, and have remained faithful in their office,

and none of them has fallen away except Judas, for their profession is holy.

This is the first strike that Paul makes against the false apostles who were running when no one had sent them. Therefore one must not despise the profession. For it is not enough that one has the word and pure doctrine, but there must also be a certain profession; if someone intrudes without such a profession, he only comes "to choke and kill" John 10:10. For God never gives proper prosperity to the work of those who are not called. And even though they sometimes bring forward some wholesome things, they build nothing. Thus, nowadays our enthusiasts have the words of faith in their mouths, but they do not produce any fruit, but mainly go about persuading people with their erroneous opinions 2c.

(27) Those who have a certain and holy profession must endure many and very difficult struggles; likewise, those whose doctrine is pure and wholesome must struggle hard to remain in their wholesome ministry against the incessant and countless attempts of the devil and the ravages of the world. What can such a one do whose profession is uncertain and whose teaching is not pure?

28 Our consolation then, who are in the service of the word, is this, that we have a holy and heavenly office, to which we are ordinarily (rite) called, as we boast against all the gates of hell. On the other hand, it is something frightening when the conscience says: You have done this without a calling. In such a case, such a great terror tends to crush the heart that the uncalled preacher wishes he had never heard the word he teaches, because disobedience makes all works evil, however good they may be, so that even the greatest works and labors become the greatest sins.

29 Therefore you see how good and how necessary this boasting and praising of our ministry is. In former times, when I was still a novice in theology and a young doctor, it seemed to me that Paul was acting foolishly, that he boasted so often about his profession in all his letters. I did not understand what he had in mind, for I was

38 Lri. "Ai. 1, 35-37. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1582-1585. 39

I did not know that the service of the word was something so great. I knew nothing of the doctrine of faith, nor what a right conscience was, because nothing certain was taught, neither in the schools nor in the churches, but everything was full of sophistical confusion and useless chatter of the teachers of papal law (canonistarum) and of those who recited the sentences (sententiariorum). Therefore, no one could recognize the value and meaning of this sacred and spiritual praise of the profession. This serves first of all for God's glory, then for the praise of our office, finally for our blessedness and that of those who are commanded to us (populi). For by this boasting we do not seek to be something in the world, we do not seek honor among men, not money, not prosperity, not the favor of the world 2c. But because we are in a divine calling and in the work of God, and because the certainty of our calling is most necessary for people to know that our word is the word of God, we boast of this calling with pride. Therefore, it is not a vain, but an exceedingly holy pride against the devil and the world, but a right humility before God.

And by God the Father, who raised him from the dead.

(30) Paul is so fiercely passionate that he cannot wait until he gets to the matter at hand, but immediately goes into the superscription and says what is in his heart. In this letter, he wants to deal with the righteousness of faith and defend it, and overthrow the law and the righteousness of works. These thoughts fill him completely, and his mouth speaks out of this wonderful and inexhaustible abundance of the most glorious wisdom and knowledge of Christ in his heart. This flame, this immense conflagration in his heart cannot remain hidden, nor does it allow him to remain silent. Therefore he does not content himself with saying that he is an apostle sent by Jesus Christ, but he also adds: "By God the Father, who raised him from the dead.

31. but it seems as if this addition: "and by God the Father" 2c. is not necessary, but, as I have said, knows

his heart is full, his mouth overflows. His mind burns and longs to bring to light immediately, even in the superscription, the unfathomable riches of Christ and to preach the righteousness of God, which is called the resurrection of the dead. The Christ who lives and is raised from the dead speaks from him and drives him. Therefore he adds, not without reason, that he is also an apostle through God the Father, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, as if he wanted to say: I am dealing here with Satan and with those vipers, the instruments of Satan, who want to overthrow for me the righteousness of Christ, whom God the Father raised from the dead, by whom alone we are justified, by whom also we shall be raised from the dead to eternal life on the last (illo) day. But by thus overthrowing the righteousness of Christ, they resist the Father and the Son and their works.

32 Thus, at the very first word, the whole matter of which he speaks in this epistle is revealed to him. As I said, he is talking about the resurrection of Christ, "who was raised for our righteousness", Rom. 4:15, and thereby overcame the law, sin, death and all evil. Therefore, Christ's victory is the victory over the law, over sin, over our flesh, the world, the devil, death, hell and all evil, and he has given us this victory. Therefore, although these tyrants and our enemies may accuse and terrify us, they cannot plunge us into despair and condemn us, for Christ, who was raised from the dead by God the Father, is our righteousness and our victory. Thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

But consider how clearly Paul speaks. He does not say: by God, who created heaven and earth, who is the Lord of angels, who commanded Abraham to go out of his country, who sent Moses to Pharaoh, who led Israel out of Egypt; as the false apostles did, who boasted that he was the God of their fathers, who creates, sustains and works all things, and performs miracles among their people. But Paul had something

40 Di i. oui. i, 37-^0. Explan. Explanation of Galatians 1, 2. w. vm, 1585-1588. 41

But he had something else in his heart, namely the righteousness of Christ, which he taught and defended as an apostle of Christ. Therefore he speaks words that serve this cause, saying, "I am an apostle, neither of men nor by men, but by JESUS Christ and GOD the Father, who raised him from the dead." So you see how great fervor and zeal he is inflamed in the spirit in this cause, which he wants to plant and protect against the whole kingdom of hell, against all the mighty and wise men of the whole world, against the devil and his apostles.

V. 2. And all the brothers who are with me.

34 This also serves to repel the false teachers. For all his reasons are directed to praise and exalt his ministry, and to make that of the false teachers suspect, as if he spoke thus: Although it is sufficient that I am sent by divine appointment as an apostle through JESUS Christ and GOD the Father, 2c., yet, that you may see that I am not alone, I add to the abundance all the brethren who are not apostles, but my fellow-workers (commilitones). They write this epistle with me and testify that my teaching is right and divine. Therefore we are sure that Christ is present with us, teaching and speaking in our midst and in our church. If they are anything, they are only sent by men or through men. But I am sent by God the Father and Christ, who is the life and our resurrection. The others, my brothers, are sent by God through a man, namely through me. So that they may not say that I, as a single man, exalt myself against so many, I have my brothers with me, who are of one mind with me, as faithful witnesses, who believe (sentiunt), write and teach the same things with me. So much for the superscription; now follows to whom the letter is addressed. 1)

1. In antiquity, the name of the writer was placed first in a letter, then the name of the addressee. Luther called the former sudseriptio, the latter supruseriptio. We have rendered the former by "Ueberschrift", the latter by the words: "to whom the letter is addressed".

To the commoners in Galatia.

35 Paul had preached everywhere in Galatia; although he had not completely converted it to Christ, he had many churches there, into which all the devil's servants, the false apostles, had crept.

(36) Even nowadays, the zealots do not come to the places where the opponents of the gospel rule, but where there are Christians and good people who love the gospel. They also go to such places in the principalities of the tyrants who persecute the gospel. There they secretly enter the houses, turn them inside out and pour out their poison.

Why do they not rather go to the cities, countries and principalities of the papists and confess and defend their doctrine there in the face of the godless princes, bishops and teachers at the high schools, as we have done by God's grace? The tender martyrs do not want to put themselves in danger, but go where the place is already prepared by the gospel, where they can be active without danger in utmost peace and quiet. So the false apostles did not come at their own risk to Jerusalem to Caiphas, or to Rome to the emperor, or to other places where no one had preached before, as Paul and the other apostles had done, but to Galatia, which was already won and prepared for Christ through Paul's work and with his danger; to Asia, Corinth 2c., where there were good people and Christians who persecuted no one, but suffered everything. There the enemies of the cross of Christ could play their game in greatest safety and without all persecution.

Learn here that this is the fate of godly preachers, that in addition to suffering persecution from the ungodly and ungrateful world, and founding churches with great labor and danger, they must also suffer that what they have built with right doctrine over a long period of time is soon overthrown by the zealots, who still rule afterwards and are preferred to them. This plague hurts the godly servants of the Word more than any persecution inflicted on them by tyrants.

42 Nri. s-u. 1, 40-42. interpretations over^r the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, I588-I59I. 43

(39) Therefore, whoever does not want to be despised and to endure this unseemly treatment, do not become a minister of the gospel, or if he is already one, let him command his ministry to another. We experience the same today: we are utterly despised and tormented from without by tyrants, but from within by the very people whom we have set free through the gospel; likewise by false brethren. But this is our comfort and glory, that we, called by God, have the promise of eternal life, and await the reward which no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into any man's heart 1 Cor. 2:9. For when He Himself, the Arch Shepherd Jesus Christ, shall appear, we shall receive the unfading crown of glory 1 Pet. 5:4, and He will not let us die of hunger or thirst here either.

Of the church. 1)

40 St. Jerome raises a big question here: why Paul calls them churches, since they are not churches? because, he says, Paul writes to the apostate Galatians, who have turned from Christ and grace back to Moses and the law. To this I reply: Paul calls them "churches in Galatia" according to the figure of the synecdoche, 2) which is used very frequently in Scripture. Thus, when he writes to the Corinthians, he wishes them happiness 1 Ep. 1, 4. f. that the grace of God in Christ has been given to them, namely, because through Him they were made rich in all doctrine and knowledge. And yet many of them were deceived by the false apostles, and did not believe that the dead rise again 2c. So also today we call the Roman church holy and all bishoprics holy, although they are apostates and the bishops and their servants are godless, because God rules in the midst of his enemies Ps. 110, 2. Likewise, the Antichrist sits in the temple of God 2 Thess. 2, 4, and Satan is in the midst of God's children Job 1, 6.

1. This superscription is only in the Latin Wittenberg edition.
2. Synecdoche: a part for the whole or the whole for a part.

41 Therefore, even though the church is in the midst of the impious and perverse generation, as Paul says in his letter to the Philippians 2:15, even though it is in the midst of wolves and robbers, that is, spiritual tyrants, it is nevertheless the church. In the city of Rome, although it is worse than Sodom and Gomorrah, there remains baptism, the Lord's Supper, the word and text of the Gospel, the Holy Scriptures, the ministry of preaching, the name of Christ and the name of God. Whoever has it has it, whoever does not have it is not excused, because the treasure is there. Therefore the Roman church is holy, because it has the holy name of GOD, it has the gospel, baptism 2c. When these things are with a people, it is called holy. Thus our city of Wittenberg is holy, and we are truly holy, for we are baptized, taught and called by God, and partakers of the table of the Lord. We have with us God's works, namely the Word and the Sacraments; through these we are sanctified.

I say this for the sake of distinguishing Christian holiness from any other with all diligence. The monks have called their orders holy (but dared not call themselves holy), but they are not holy, for, as we have said above § 12 f., Christian holiness is not an active but a suffering holiness. Therefore, no one may say that he is holy for the sake of his state (vitae genus) or his works when he fasts, prays, mortifies his body, gives alms to the poor 2c. Otherwise the Pharisee in Lucas Cap. 18, 11. f. would also be a saint. The works that God has commanded are indeed good, and God requires them of us most strictly, but they do not make us holy before God; but I and you, we are holy, the congregation, the city, the people are holy, not through their own holiness, but through a foreign holiness, because they have divine and holy things, namely the calling to the preaching ministry, the gospel, baptism 2c., by which they are sanctified.

(43) Therefore, even though the Galatians had fallen away, baptism, the word, and the name of Christ remained with them. 2c. There were also some good people among them who had not fallen away from Paul's teaching. These had from the Word and the Sacraments the

44 Lri. 6ai. 1, 42-44. Explanation of Galatians 1, 2. 3. W. VIII, 1591-1594. 45

They had the right divine mind and used it in the right way. Furthermore, the Word and Sacraments could not be considered unclean for the sake of the deceived. For baptism, the gospel 2c. is not unholy because many are defiled and unholy, and have ungodly opinions of it, but they remain holy and unchangeable (eadem), whether they be with the godly or with the ungodly, for these can neither desecrate them nor make them holy. They are indeed desanctified and sanctified before the unchristians (gentibus) by our evil or good behavior, by our evil or good life, but not before GOD.

Therefore, the church is holy, even where the spirits of the swarm reign, if only they do not deny God's word and the sacraments. For if these are denied, there can be no church. Therefore, a holy church is everywhere where the Word and the Sacraments remain according to their essence (substantialiter), despite the fact that the Antichrist reigns there, who, as Scripture testifies 2 Thess. 2, 4., sits, not in a devil's stable, not in a pigpen, or among a bunch of unbelievers, but in the noblest and holiest place, namely in the temple of God. Thus, the temple of God must also be where the spiritual tyrants reign and be preserved among them. Therefore, we briefly answer the question that the Church is in the whole world. The Church is everywhere in the world where the Gospel and the Sacraments are. Jews, Turks, and enthusiasts are not the Church, because they attack and deny it. Now comes the greeting.

V. 3. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

I hope that you know well what grace and peace are, because these words occur frequently in Paul and are not hidden now. But since we are dealing with this epistle, not out of necessity or because of its difficulty, but to fortify our consciences against future heresies, it will not be vexatious for us to repeat here what we also teach, preach, paint, sing, and write elsewhere. For if the article of justification lies down, so lies everything.

Therefore it is most necessary that we constantly impress and sharpen it, as Moses Deut. 6:7 says of his law. For it cannot be impressed and insisted upon enough or too much. Yea, though we learn it righteously, and hold it fast, yet there is none who grasps it perfectly, or believes it with entire devotion and with all his heart. So slippery is our flesh, and contrary to the obedience of the spirit.

But this apostolic greeting, before the preaching of the Gospel began, was new to the world and something quite unheard of. And these two words "grace" and "peace" comprehend the whole of Christianity in themselves. Grace forgives sin, peace makes the conscience calm. Our two devils that plague us are sin and the evil conscience. But these two monsters Christ has overcome and trodden under his feet, both in this world and in the world to come. This the world does not know. Therefore, it cannot teach anything certain about how to overcome sin, evil conscience, and death. But the Christians have the right way of teaching (hoc doctrinae genus), are trained and armed by it, so that they can win against sin, against despair and against eternal death. And this kind of teaching is given by God, not found by free will, by human reason or human wisdom.

(47) As I have said, these two words, grace and peace, comprehend the whole of Christianity; grace the forgiveness of sins, peace a calm and joyful conscience. Furthermore, one can never have peace of conscience unless sin is forgiven. However, it is not forgiven for the sake of fulfilling the law, because no one satisfies the law, but rather the law reveals sin, accuses and frightens the conscience, proclaims the wrath of God and drives to despair. Much less is sin taken away by works and efforts devised by men, such as ungodly worship, religiones, vows, pilgrimages: in short, it is not taken away by any works, but much more by the law.

46 Lrl. Oai. 1, 44-47. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1594-1597. 47

more increased by the same. For the more the saints of works strive and make themselves sore to take away sin, the worse it becomes with them. But it is taken away by grace alone, and by no other means. Therefore, Paul opposes grace and peace 2c. to sin and evil conscience every time in the greeting in all his epistles. One must pay very diligent attention to this. The words are easy, but in temptation it is very difficult to hold firmly in the heart that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God through grace alone, and all other means that exist in heaven and on earth are excluded.

The world does not understand this teaching. Therefore, it not only does not want to and cannot tolerate it, but also condemns it as heretical and godless. It praises free will, the light of reason, the uninjured state of the natural powers (naturalium), and good works by which it can earn and obtain grace and peace, that is, forgiveness of sins and a happy conscience. But it is impossible for the conscience to be satisfied and cheerful unless it has peace through this grace, that is, through the forgiveness of sin promised in Christ.

(49) It is true that many have anxiously labored and invented various orders and exercises to calm their consciences. But in doing so, they have only sunk themselves into more and greater evil. For all these efforts serve only to increase doubt and despair. Therefore, there can be "no peace in my bones" and yours Ps. 38:4 unless we hear the word of grace and lean on it constantly and faithfully; then the conscience will surely attain peace.

50. but the apostle clearly distinguishes this grace and peace from all other grace and peace, because he does not call upon the emperor, kings and princes for grace and peace for the Galatians, for these commonly persecute the godly and "rebel against the Lord and His anointed," Ps. 2:2; nor the world, for "in the world," says Christ Jn. 16:33, "you are afraid," but God our Father 2c., the

means, he wishes them the divine peace. So also Christ says Joh. 14, 27.: "Peace I leave you, my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives."

The peace of the world can grant nothing else than peace in body and goods, so that we can live happily and calmly in the flesh. Thus the grace of the world lets us enjoy our goods, does not throw us out of what we possess 2c. But in tribulation and in the hour of death, the grace and peace of the world cannot help us, cannot snatch us out of tribulation, despair or death.

But when the grace and peace of God is in the heart, then man is strong, so that he is neither bowed down by adversities nor made arrogant by prosperity, but he walks the right middle road. For he receives the necessary strength (efficaciam) from Christ's victory over death, and in the certain confidence in it he begins to rule in his conscience over sin and death, for through him he has certain forgiveness of sins. Having received this, his conscience is quieted and straightened by the word of grace. Thus man, comforted and revived by the grace of God, that is, by the forgiveness of sins and this peace of conscience, can bravely endure and overcome all tribulations, yes, even death. This peace of God is not given to the world, because it neither desires it nor understands it, but to the believers, it is not obtained in any other way than by the grace of God alone.

A rule that must be observed: one should abstain from musings on the divine

*** Majesty included.**

But why does the apostle add, "And of our Lord Jesus Christ"? Was it not enough to say: "From God, our Father"? Why then does he connect JEsum Christum with the Father? You have often heard us say that this rule in the Scriptures must be observed very carefully, that we should abstain from speculation about the divine majesty, which man cannot bear even in body, much less in his own body.

48 LU. "Li. 1, 47-49. Explanation of Galatians 1, 3. W. VIII, I597-16M. 49

no spiritual beings (menti), "because", says the scripture 2 Mos. 33, 20., "no man shall live who beholds me".

(54) The pope, the Turks, the Jews and all saints of works do not follow this rule, therefore they put Christ the Mediator out of sight, speak only of God, pray, live and do everything before God without Christ. Thus a monk thinks: These works that I do are pleasing to God; these vows of mine God will look upon and make me blessed for their sake. A Turk thinks: If I do what is commanded in the Alkoran, God will accept me and give me eternal life; a Jew thinks: If I do what the law commands, I have a gracious God and will be blessed. Thus, nowadays, the enthusiasts who boast of the spirit, enlightenment, visions, and I don't know what other strange things, walk in whimsical things that are too high for them. These new monks 1) invent a new cross and new works, and dream that for their sake they please God. In short, as many as there are who do not know the article of justification, they take Christ, the Reconciler, out of the means, want to seize God in His majesty through the power of judgment of human reason, and want to please Him through works.

But Christian and true theology does not hold God up to us in His majesty, as Moses and other teachings do, does not command us to investigate the nature of God, but that we should know His will, which He has presented to us in Christ. God willed that Christ should take on human nature (carnem), be born and die for our sins, and that this should be preached among all nations. For since God knew "that the world by its wisdom did not know God in His wisdom, it pleased God well to make blessed by foolish preaching those who believe in it" 1 Cor. 1:21. Therefore, nothing is more dangerous when we have to deal with God in the struggle against the Law, against sin and against death, than to wander about in heaven with our musings and contemplate God Himself in His

1. About the "new monks", the Anabaptists, compare Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. VII, 636, § IS0 f.

incomprehensible power, wisdom and majesty, how he created and rules the world. 2) If you want to take hold of God in such a way and make Him merciful without Christ the Atonement, and put yourself in the middle with your works, fasting, cap and plate, it cannot come otherwise than that you fall like Lucifer, and in terrible despair lose God and everything. For as God is immeasurable, incomprehensible and infinite in His essence, so He is unbearable to human nature.

(56) Therefore, if you want to be secure and without danger of conscience and salvation, resist this tendency to inquire (sensum speculativum), and take hold of God, as Paul teaches you to take hold of Him, 1 Cor. 1:23 f.: "We preach Christ crucified, an offense to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ, divine power and divine wisdom." Therefore begin where Christ Himself began, namely as He lies in the Virgin's womb, in the manger, at the breasts of the Mother 2c. For to this end he came down from heaven, was born, walked among men, suffered, was crucified, and died, that he might in every way set himself before us, and direct the eyes of our hearts toward himself, thereby preventing the ascension to heaven and the enquiry into the majesty.

Therefore, if you have to do with the doctrine of justification and debate how to find God who justifies or accepts sinners, where and how he must be sought, then you must know of no other God except this man Jesus Christ. Take hold of him and cling to him with all your heart, and let the brooding of the majesty stand still, for he who wants to explore the majesty will be crushed by its glory. I know it and have experienced what I say. But the gushing people, who deal with GOD without the mediator Christ, do not believe me. Chri-

2. The following, from here on until the end of §60, is used by Aurifaber for the Table Talks. In the old editions of the Tischreden, it forms Cap. I, § 36 and Cap. 7, N126. 127. These sections are omitted in our edition of the Table Talks.

50 ""1. 1' 4s-si. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, i6vi-isvi. 51

Jesus himself says, John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Therefore, apart from this way, Christ, you will find no other way to the Father, but error; not truth, but hypocrisy and lies; not life, but eternal death. Therefore, be well aware that in the matter of justification, where we all have to deal with the law, sin, death, the devil, and the overcoming of all evil, no other God is to be known than the incarnate and human God.

If you have to dispute with Jews, Turks or heretics about the wisdom and power of God outside of this doctrine of justification, then use all your art and be as sharp and subtle a disputant as you can, for there it is about something else. But in the matter of conscience, righteousness, life (I want to emphasize this with special emphasis), against the law, sin, death and the devil, or in this matter, since it is about satisfaction, about the forgiveness of sins, about reconciliation, about eternal bliss, turn your mind completely away from all thoughts and musings of the majesty, and look solely at this man, who presents himself to us as mediator and says Matth. 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. "2c. If you do this, then you will see the love, the goodness, the kindness of God, you will see God's wisdom, power and majesty sweetly presented and adapted to your understanding, and you will find everything in this beautiful image according to the words of Paul to the Colossians, Cap. 2, 3: "All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ," likewise v. 9: "In him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." This the world does not know. Therefore, without the promise of Christ, it searches for the will of God, which can only be to its greatest harm. For "no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it" Matth. 11, 27.

59. and this is why Paul so frequently

He commands us to step out of the ladder of Jacob, from which God Himself stands on top, whose lower end (pedes) touches the earth next to the head of Jacob. He commands us to step out of the ladder of Jacob, from which God Himself stands above, whose lower end (pedes) touches the earth next to the head of Jacob Gen. 28, 12. f..

60. Therefore, if you want to think and do something in regard to your blessedness, then leave all musings about the majesty, renounce all thoughts of works, statutes, leave philosophy and even the divine law aside, Run to the manger and to the womb of the mother and take hold of this child, the son of the Virgin, look at him as he is born, sucks his mother's breast, grows, walks among men, teaches, dies, rises again, is exalted above all heavens, and has power over all things. In this way you can cause the clouds to be driven away from the sun, you can avoid all fear and also all error. And if you look at this, it will keep you on the right track, so that you will be able to follow where Christ himself has gone. Thus, by desiring grace and peace, not only from the Father, but also from Jesus Christ, Paul teaches us first of all that we should refrain from meditating on the Godhead, for no one knows God; but that we should hear Christ, who is in the Father's bosom and reveals his will to us, who has also been appointed by the Father to be our teacher in this, so that we may all hear him.

Christ is God by nature.

The second thing that Paul teaches here serves to confirm our faith that Christ is true God. And such sayings about the deity of Christ should be collected diligently and good care should be taken, not only against the heretics, the Arians and others who have been or may yet come, but also to fortify ourselves, because Satan will not refrain from challenging all articles of faith in us before we die. He is the bitterest enemy of faith, because he knows "that faith is the victory that will win the

52 Lri. Oai. I, SI-S3. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 1, 3. 4. W. VIII, I604-I6V7. 5Z

world overcomes". Therefore, we must make an effort that our faith may be sure, grow and be strengthened through diligent and unceasing handling of the Word and prayer, so that we may be able to resist Satan.

1. 62. But that Christ is true God is clearly proven by the fact that Paul ascribes the same things to Him as to the Father, namely divine power, that He can give grace, forgiveness of sins, peace of conscience, life, victory over sin, death, the devil and hell. This Paul should not do at all, yes, it would be a theft of God, if Christ was not true God, as it is written Is. 42, 8.: "I will not give my glory to another." Then, no one gives to others what he does not have himself. But since Christ gives grace, peace, the Holy Spirit, delivers from the power of the devil, from sin and death, it is certain that he has infinite and divine power, equal in all things to the power of the Father. Christ also does not give grace and peace as the apostles bring grace and peace through the preaching of the Gospel, but He gives them as the Author and Creator. The Father creates and gives life, grace, peace 2c. And this is what the Son creates and gives.

(63) But such works as grace, peace, giving eternal life, remission of sins, justification, making alive, deliverance from death and the devil, are not works of any creature, but unique and only of the divine Majesty; even the angels can neither create nor bestow these. Therefore, these works belong only to the glory of the supreme Majesty, the Creator of all things. But since Paul ascribes to Christ the same and equal power with the Father to create and bestow all these things, it follows that he is truly and by nature God.

64 There are many such reasons in John, where from the works that are attributed to the Son in the same way as to the Father, it is proven and irrefutably established that the Father is the Son.

1. This and the next following paragraph is used by Aurifaber for Cap. 7, §2 of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section has been omitted. Aurifaber uses here, as almost everywhere in his quotations from this explanation of the Brie to the Galatians, the translation of Justus Menius, but the same is often somewhat changed.

that the Father and the Son have the same divine essence (divinitas). Therefore, we receive nothing different or no other gift from the Father than from the Son, but one and the same proceeds from the Father and from the Son. Otherwise Paul would have spoken differently, namely: grace from God the Father and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ; but he connects both and attributes it in the same way to both the Father and the Son.

I remind you of this so diligently, because there is a danger that, with so many errors and so many different and so horrible heresies, heretics, Arians, Eunomians, Macedonians, might follow, who by their sophistry might harm the church. The Arians were indeed astute people; they admitted that Christ had two natures, that he was called God from the true God, but only in a supposed way (nuncupative) or in name. Christ is (they said) the noblest and most perfect creature, higher than the angels, through whom God created heaven and earth and all things. Mahomet also speaks gloriously of Christ. But these are nothing but thoughts that have a beautiful appearance, and words that are pleasant to human reason and find its applause, by which the gushing spirits beguile the people who are not on their guard.

But Paul speaks differently of Christ. You are, he says, well founded and established in this knowledge, that Christ is not the most perfect creature, but true God, because he does the same things that God does; he has divine works, not of a creature, but of the Creator, because he gives grace and peace. But since he gives these, he thereby condemns sin, destroys death, tramples the devil under his feet. No angel can give such things. But since this is attributed to Christ, he must necessarily be God by nature.

V. 4. who gave himself for our sins.

67 Almost in every single word Paul has to do with what the whole letter is about; he lets nothing else be heard than that he speaks of Christ. Therefore, in each one

54 Dri. "ai. i, 5A-ss> Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. viii, i""7-i "i". 55

The words of the Spirit and the life. But be careful how clearly he speaks of it. He does not say, He who received from us our works; 1) not, He who received from us the sacrifices of the Mosaic law, worship, masses, vows, pilgrimages 2c., but, "He gave." What? Not gold, not silver, not oxen, not Passover lambs, not an angel, but Himself. For whom? Not for a crown, not for a kingdom, not for our holiness or righteousness, but for our sins. These words are nothing but thunderbolts from heaven against all righteousness, just as this saying John 1:29: "Behold, this is God's Lamb, which bears the sin of the world." Therefore, every single word is to be regarded with the greatest care, not just looked at coldly and carelessly passed over; for they wonderfully comfort and fortify the fearful mind.

2. 68. Here the question arises, how can we obtain forgiveness of sins, both the sins that other people have and those that we ourselves have upon us? Paul answers that the man who is called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave himself for them. These are glorious and comforting words, which are also promised in the old covenant, that our sins will not be taken away in any other way than through the Son of God, who passed away into death. With such crude weapons, tools of war and battering rams, the papacy must be destroyed, and all religions of all pagans, all false worship of God, all works and merits. For if our sins could be atoned for by our works, atonements and merits, what need would there have been for the Son of God to be given for them? But since he was given for them, we will certainly not erase them by our works.

69 Furthermore, this statement also

1. Here we have adopted rsesxit with the Jena and Erlangen, instead of reeipit in the Wittenberg,
2. Aurifaber introduced the three following paragraphs as Luther's table speeches (in Cap, 9, U 7-9) with the words: "When someone asked how he should be treated for his sins, ... said D. Martin." In our edition of the Table Talks, these three paragraphs are omitted.

that our sins are so great, immeasurable and insurmountable that it is impossible for the whole world to do enough for just one. And surely the greatness of the price, namely Christ, the Son of God, "who gave Himself for our sins," shows sufficiently that we cannot do enough for sin nor rule over it. The power and authority of sin is made very great by these words: "Who gave Himself for our sins". Therefore, one must consider the greatness and (that I say so) the infinity of the price that was paid for it. Then it will become perfectly clear that the power and violence of sin was so great that it could not be erased by any work, but that the Son of God had to be given for it. Whoever considers this well understands that the word "sin" comprehends in itself the eternal wrath of God and the whole kingdom of Satan, and that sin is something more terrifying than can be expressed in words. This should certainly go to our hearts and frighten us so much that it would go through our marrow. But we take little notice of it; indeed, we despise sin as something trivial that has no significance. And even if we feel remorse, we think that the sin is not so great; we would like to be able to eradicate it by a small work or a merit.

(70) So this saying testifies that all men are captives and slaves of sin, and as Paul says elsewhere [Rom. 7:14.Likewise, that sin is the most cruel and powerful tyrant over all men in the whole world, which cannot be overcome nor cast out by any power of all creatures, whether they be angels or men, but only by the infinite and superior power of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who gave Himself for sin.

(71) Furthermore, this text offers immeasurable comfort to all consciences that are terrified by the greatness of sin. For however insurmountable the tyrant, sin, may be, it cannot harm those who believe in Christ, because he has overcome it by his death. Then, when we, armed with this faith, are able to face this

56 Lri. 1, 5S-57. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 1, 4. W. VIII, 1610-1613. 57

When we hear that the tyrant, sin, has power over all men and that the whole world is subject to him, we immediately conclude, and no one can escape this conclusion: The tyrant, sin, has power over all men and that the whole world is subject to him. For when we hear that the tyrant, sin, has power over all men, and that the whole world is subject to him, we immediately conclude, and no one can escape this conclusion: What then do the papists, monks, nuns, priests, Mahometists, Anabaptists, and all the works-saints, who with their statutes, preparations, amends, 2c. want to eradicate and overcome sin? Then we immediately judge that all these sects are ungodly and corrupt, since through them God's and Christ's honor is not only obscured, but completely annulled, while our honor is glorified and established.

But consider carefully every single word of Paul, and especially notice and insist with all your might on this little word: "for ours. For this is the whole point of using the pronouns, which occur very frequently in the Scriptures, correctly and well, for there is always a great emphasis on them, and by them is indicated what is to be especially remembered. You can easily say and believe that Christ, the Son of God, was given for the sins of Peter, Paul and other saints whom we judge to be worthy of this grace. But it is very difficult for you, who must deny yourself this grace and say that you are unworthy of it, to say and believe from your heart that Christ was given for your insurmountable, infinite and immeasurable sins.

(73) Therefore, it is easy to praise and extol Christ's good deeds in general and without the pronoun, in splendid and high words, that he was given for sins, but for the sins of others who were worthy of him; but when the pronoun "our" is to be added, our weak nature and reason will not accept it. Then it does not dare to approach GOtte, nor even to refer to itself this promise that so great a treasure should be given to it in vain. That is why she does not want to talk to God.

She has nothing to do with us, unless she is pure and without sins beforehand. Therefore, when she reads and hears this text: "Who gave himself for our sins", or the like, she does not apply the pronoun "our" from herself, but refers it to others who are worthy and holy. But she herself wants to wait until she becomes worthy by her works.

(1) (74) This is nothing other than that human reason would like the power of sin to be neither greater nor more powerful than it can dream. Hence it is that hypocrites who do not know Christ, even when they feel remorse over sin, still think they can easily do away with it by their works and merits. And though they do not say it, yet they cherish the wish that these words, "Who gave himself for our sins," should be words spoken with great humility, and that their sins should not be serious and true sins, but unfounded and fictitious.

In short, human reason would like to present to God only a fictitious and pretended sinner, who would not be frightened at all, who would not feel the sin. It would like to bring to him a healthy person who does not need a doctor, and then, not feeling the sin, it would like to believe that Christ was given for our sins.

The whole world is like this, and especially those people who want to be more godly and holy than others in the world, as they dream, namely the monks and all the saints of works. They confess with their mouths that they are sinners, they also confess that they commit sins every day, but not so tremendously great and many that they should not be able to redeem them with their works. Yes, beyond that they still want righteousness and merit before the judges.

1. The following, a very long section, from s 74 to K 89 (except for § 80 alone), has been used by Aurifaber for the table speeches; that contained in § 88 even twice. It is found in the old Table Speeches Cap. 9, ZK wund 11; Cap. 7, § 128; Cap. 24, §§ 31 to 35; Cap. 7, U 129. 130 and (duplicate in the Table Speeches) Cap. 24, A 35. In "our" edition of the Table Talks, these pieces are Weggelasien.

58 Lri. Oai. 1, 57-59. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 1613-1616. 59

They will bring their sins to the throne of Christ and demand eternal life from the judge as retribution for them. But in the meantime, as they are humble brothers, so as not to be completely pure, they invent some sins, so that they can pray for their forgiveness with the tax collector out of great devotion: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner! Luc. 18, 13. For these, Paul's words "for our sins" are quite devoid of content and empty talk. Therefore, they do not understand them, and when they feel their sin seriously, they cannot take comfort from them, but have to despair.

This, therefore, is the highest knowledge (scientia) and the right Christian wisdom, that these words of Paul should be considered serious and quite true, namely, that Christ was given into death, not for the sake of our righteousness or holiness, but for the sake of our sins, which are real, great, many, even infinite and insurmountable sins. Therefore, do not imagine that they are trifling, so that they can be blotted out by your works. But do not despair because of their greatness if you feel them seriously, whether in life or in death, but learn here from Paul that you believe that Christ was given, not for imaginary or painted sins, but for real sins, not for small sins, but for the very greatest ones, not for one or the other, but for all of them, not for the sins that have been overcome (for no man, not even an angel, can overcome even the very smallest sin), but for the sins that are insurmountable. And if you are not found in the number of those of whom it is said: "ours", that is, who have this doctrine of faith, teach it, hear it, learn it, love it and believe it, then your blessedness is over.

78. Therefore, make every effort that not only in times of temptation, but also in danger and in the battle of death, when the conscience is frightened by the memory of past sins, and the devil attacks you with great impetuosity, and wants to overwhelm you with the force, the flood, yes, the flood of sins, so that he frightens you, pulls you away from Christ and plunges you into despair, that you, I say, can then confidently say: Christ, Son of God,

is not given for the holy and righteous, but for the unrighteous and sinners. If I were righteous and had no sin, I would have no need of the Atonement, Christ. Why then, O most perverse Satan, do you want to make me a saint and require righteousness from me, when I have nothing but sins, and sins that are real and exceedingly grave, not fictitious or trivial? Such are the sins against the first tablet, namely the greatest unbelief, doubt, despair, contempt of God, hatred of God, lack of right knowledge, blasphemy, ingratitude, misuse of the name of God, carelessness, overindulgence and contempt of the word of God 2c.

79. Then I have also committed the sins against the second table, such as not honoring parents, not obeying the authorities, coveting the goods of another than his wife 2c. (although these are minor compared to the above-mentioned), and even if I have not committed a death, adultery, theft and other such sins against the second table by deed, I have nevertheless committed them in my heart. Therefore, I am a transgressor of all the commandments of God, and the multitude of my sins is so great that the skin of an ox could not contain them; indeed, there is no number of them, for I have sinned more, and the number of my sins is greater "than the sand of the sea" Prayer of Manasseh, v. 9. Above this, the devil is such a cunning thousand-artist that he can make the greatest sin even out of my good works and out of my righteousness. Since my sins are so serious, real, great, infinite, terrifying and insurmountable, and my righteousness does not benefit me before God, but rather harms me, therefore Christ, the Son of God, was given up to death for them, so that he might eradicate them and make me and all who believe this blessed.

(80) Therein, then, lies the power to eternal blessedness, that these words be taken for earnest and true. I do not say this in vain. For I have often experienced, and still experience daily, how difficult it is to believe, especially in distress of conscience, that Christ was given, not for the saints, but for God.

60 Dri. Uai. 1, 89-62. Explanation of Galatians 1, 4. W. VIII, 1616-1620. 61

right. Worthy and friends, but for the ungodly, sinners, unworthy and enemies, who deserve the wrath of God and eternal death.

(81) Therefore, let us fortify our hearts with these and similar sayings of Scripture, so that when the devil accuses us, "You are a sinner, therefore you are condemned," we may be able to answer him: Because thou sayest that I am a sinner, therefore will I be justified and blessed. - Yes, you will be damned! - No; for I take refuge in Christ, "who gave himself for my sins". Therefore you, Satan, will do nothing by trying to frighten me by holding up the greatness of my sin to me, and so bring me into sadness, disbelief, despair, hatred, contempt and blasphemy against God. Yes, just by saying that I am a sinner, you give me the weapons against you in my hand, so that I can strangle and destroy you with your own sword, because Christ died for sinners.

Then you yourself preach the glory of God to me, because you remind me of God's fatherly love for me, a wretched and condemned sinner, who "so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son" 2c. John 3:16. Likewise, as often as you reproach me for being a sinner, so often do you call to my remembrance the good deed of Christ my Savior, on whose shoulders, not mine, all my sins rest. For the Lord has laid all our iniquities upon him; likewise, for the iniquities of his people he hath afflicted him, Isa. 53:5, 8. Therefore, when thou reproachest me that I am a sinner, thou dost not terrify me, but comfortest me exceedingly.

Whoever understands this art correctly could easily escape all the cunning attempts of the devil, who, by reminding man of his sin, drives him into despair and tortures him to death, if he does not meet and resist him through this divine art and wisdom, by which alone sin, death and the devil are overcome. But he who does not throw away the memory of sin, but holds on to it and troubles himself with his thoughts, namely, how he can get out of his sin.

If a person wants to find counsel for himself by his own efforts or wait until his conscience has been made peaceful, he falls into Satan's snares, tortures himself miserably and is finally overcome by the persistence and frequency of the temptation. For the devil does not stop accusing the conscience.

Against this temptation, one must use these words of Paul, with which he clearly and actually describes Christ, in this way: Christ is the Son of God and of the Virgin, given and dead for our sins. If the devil should bring another description of Christ here, say: Your description and what you describe are both wrong, therefore I do not accept this description. I do not say this in vain. I know why I urge so diligently that we should learn to describe Christ actually from the words of Paul. For Christ is in truth not a stern driver (exactor), but the propitiator for the sin of the whole world.

85. Therefore, if you are a sinner, as we certainly all always are, do not imagine Christ as a judge sitting on the rainbow, 1) otherwise you will be frightened and despair; but grasp his right description, namely this: That Christ, the Son of God and of the Virgin, is such a person, who does not frighten, does not afflict, does not condemn us sinners, does not demand an account of us because of our shamefully spent life, but who gave Himself for our sins, and by one sacrifice took away the sins of the whole world, crucified them and destroyed them in Himself.

Study this description diligently, and especially make the pronoun "our" your own so that you know that these three 2) syllables "our," taken in faith, also take away and blot out your sin completely, that is, that you know for certain that Christ has not only taken away the sins of some people, but also yours and the sins of the whole world. Although all men should not believe this, nevertheless this giving away has been done for the

1. Compare St. Louis edition, vol. VIII, 288, § 50.
2. The word äuas (referring to nostris, hence "two") is missing in the Wittenberg.

62 Lri. "Li. 1, 62-V4. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1620-1623. 63

Sins of the whole world. Therefore, your sins should not only be sins, but in truth your sins, that is, you should believe that Christ was not only given for the sins of others, but also for your sins. This hold fast without wavering, and in no way be dissuaded from this exceedingly lovely description of Christ, in which even the angels in heaven delight, namely, that Christ, according to his right, proper description, is not a Moses, not a driver, not an executioner, but the propitiator for our sins, who gives us grace, righteousness, and life, who gave himself, not for our merits, holiness, righteousness, blameless life, but for our sins. Christ does interpret the law, but that is not his real and main office.

As far as the words are concerned, we know this and can speak of it, but in the battle, where the devil tends to darken Christ and to tear the word of grace out of the heart, we find out that we do not yet really know it. Whoever could then really describe Christ and magnify Him and regard Him as the most loving Savior and High Priest, and not as a severe judge, would have overcome all evil and would already be in the kingdom of heaven. But it is the most difficult thing that one can do this in battle.

I speak this from experience. I am well acquainted with the devil's cunning plots, that he not only makes the law excessively great in order to frighten us, likewise that he knows how to make many and great beams out of one splinter, that is, that he can make hell out of what is not sin (for he is a marvelous artist in a thousand ways, to make sin great and to weigh down the conscience even with what is right and well done), but that he even uses the person of the mediator to frighten us. In the guise of the mediator, he suddenly gives our heart a hard blow and makes it completely despondent by citing some scripture or word of Christ, and shows himself to us as if he were the real Christ, and makes us cling to this illusion, so that the conscience is drawn to it.

would swear that he is Christ, since he leads his opinion or word.

Moreover, the slanderer uses this trick, that he holds up only a part of Christ, not the whole Christ, namely, that he is the Son of God, born man of the virgin. Then he suddenly attaches something foreign to it, that is, he holds up some word of Christ to us with which he frightens sinners, as in Luc. 13:3: "If you do not amend your ways, you will all perish. By thus sullying and corrupting the true description of Christ with poison, he brings it about that, although we believe Christ to be our mediator, in fact the troubled conscience feels and judges that he is a tyrant and a judge. If we are deceived by Satan in this way, we easily lose the exceedingly lovely image of Christ the High Priest and Savior; but if that is lost, we are no less terrified of him than of the devil himself.

90 And this is the reason why I insist so strongly that you learn to describe Christ well and truly from these words of Paul: "Who gave himself for our sins. If he gave himself to die for our sins, then he is truly not a tyrant or a judge who will condemn us for our sins; he is not a man who grieves the weary, but who helps up the fallen, who reconciles and comforts the brokenhearted. Otherwise Paul would be lying when he says, "Who gave himself for our sins." When I describe Christ in this way, I describe Him rightly and grasp and have the true Christ. In the same way, I leave aside the musings about the divine majesty and cling to the humanity of Christ, and thus I learn to know the will of God rightly. There is then no terror, but only sweetness, joy 2c., and at the same time the light rises, which gives me right knowledge of God, of myself, of all creatures, and of all wickedness in the devil's realm 2c.

We do not teach anything new, but old things, and what the apostles and all godly teachers have taught before us, we inculcate and strengthen. And yet, God would that we could imprint it and make it firm,

64 cri. 6ai. 1, 6^-66. elabor. Explanation d. Galatians 1, 4. W. VIII, 1623-1626. 65

so that we would like to have it not only in our mouths, but, well understood (bene meditata), deep in our hearts, and could use it especially in deathly distress.

That he saved us from this present evil world.

Also in these words Paul deals in truth with what constitutes the content of this whole epistle. He calls this whole world, as it was, is and will be, "the present world" in contrast to the future and eternal world. Then he calls it a "wicked world" because everything that is in this world is subject to the wickedness of the devil, who rules in the whole world. Therefore, the world is the devil's kingdom. For in it there is nothing but ignorance of God, contempt for God, blasphemy and hatred of God, as well as disobedience to all the words and works of God. In this realm and under its rule we are.

Here you see again that no one can redeem sins by his works or his own powers, because this present world is evil and, as John says, "is in trouble. As many as there are in the world, they are the devil's captives, who must serve him and do everything according to his will. What use was it then that so many orders were instituted to blot out sins, that so many great and exceedingly burdensome works were devised, namely, to wear hard shirts, to beat the body with scourges, that the blood ran after them, to run in full armor 1) to St. James 2c.? You may do such things, but nevertheless this explanation remains: You are in this present and evil world, not in Christ's kingdom. If you are not in Christ's kingdom, it is certain that you belong to the devil's kingdom, that is, to the evil world. Therefore, all the gifts you have, spiritual and physical, such as wisdom, righteousness, holiness, eloquence, power, beauty, wealth, are tools and servile weapons of this infernal tyranny, and with all these you must serve the devil and promote and increase his kingdom.

1. Wittenberger wrong: insrmis instead of in Sinais.

First, by your wisdom you obscure the wisdom and knowledge of Christ and deceive people with ungodly teaching so that they cannot come to the grace and knowledge of Christ. You praise and extol your own righteousness and holiness, but the righteousness and holiness of Christ, by which alone we are made righteous and alive, you utterly abhor and condemn as ungodly and devilish. Furthermore, by your power you destroy the kingdom of Christ, misuse it to wipe out the gospel with it, persecute and kill the servants of Christ along with all who hear them 2c. Therefore this wisdom of yours, if you are apart from Christ, is twofold foolishness, your righteousness twofold sin and ungodliness, because it does not know the wisdom and righteousness of Christ, and moreover obscures, hinders, blasphemes and persecutes them.

Therefore Paul rightly calls the world a bad world, because it is worst when it is best. In the spiritual, wise and learned 2c. the world is at its best, but in fact and truth it is doubly evil. I will not say anything now about the gross offenses against the second table, as there are disobedience against the parents, against the authorities 2c., adultery, fornication, avarice, theft, murder, envy, bitter hatred, in which the world is completely drowned. But these are only small sins when compared with the wisdom, righteousness 2c. of the wicked, with which they contend against the first table. The white devil, who drives men to spiritual sins, which one should accept for righteousness, is far more harmful than the black devil, who only drives to carnal sins, which the world also recognizes for sins.

96 With these words, "That he might save us," 2c, Paul shows what this whole letter is about, namely, that grace and Christ are necessary, and that no creature, neither man nor angel, can save man from this evil world. For these are works of the divine majesty alone, which are not in the power of man or angel, that Christ hath put away sin, and delivered us out of the tyranny and dominion of the devil, that is, out of the wicked world, which is an abomination.

66 Lri. Sai. 1, 66-ss. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1626-1829. 67

is an obedient slave and willing imitator of their god, the devil. Everything that this murderer and father of lies does and says, his extremely obedient son, the world, imitates most perfectly and also accomplishes it. Therefore it knows nothing about God, is full of hatred, lies, error, blasphemy and contempt against God; then also full of gross sins, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, robbery, because it follows its father, the devil, who is a liar and murderer John 8:44. And the wiser, righteous, and holier people are apart from Christ, the more they harm the gospel. So we also, who were in a spiritual state, before the light of the gospel, were twofold wicked and ungodly in the ministry, but under the name of godliness and holiness.

97. But you must also let these words of Paul be sincere and true words, not take them for made-up or invented ones, namely, that the present world is bad. Do not be misled by the fact that most people have much more glorious virtue, that there is so much apparent holiness among the hypocrites, but rather pay attention to what Paul says, from whose words you can make this statement against the world quite freely and with the utmost certainty, that the world with all its wisdom, righteousness and power is the kingdom of the devil, from which alone God can save us through His only begotten Son.

Therefore, we should praise God the Father and thank Him for His immeasurable mercy in delivering us from the devil's kingdom, in which we were held captive, through His Son, since it was impossible that this could have happened through our powers. And at the same time we want to confess with Paul that all our works and righteousness are only shame and dirt, with all of which we could not even touch a hair of the devil.

We also trample underfoot all the power of free will, all Pharisaic wisdom and righteousness, all religious orders, masses, holy orders, vows, fasting, hard shirts, 2c. and spit on them as the most abominable filthy garment and the most pernicious poison of the devil. Against this we want

clearly bring to light and glorify the glory of Christ, who by his death has saved us not merely from the world, but from the wicked world.

100. For by this epithet, that he calls the world a bad one, Paul indicates that the kingdom of the world or of the devil is a kingdom of ungodliness, ignorance, error, sin, death, blasphemy, despair and eternal damnation; On the other hand, it follows from the antithesis (per antithesin) that the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of justice (aequitatis), a kingdom of light, grace, forgiveness of sins, peace, comfort, blessedness and eternal life, into which we have been translated through our Lord Jesus Christ. To Him be glory forever and ever, Amen.

According to the will of God and our Father.

Paul arranges all his words in such a way that they argue against the false apostles for the article of justification. Christ, he says, has saved us from this exceedingly wicked realm of the devil and the world, and this he has done according to the will, pleasure and command of the Father. Therefore we are not saved by our will or running, not by our counsel or will, but by God's mercy and good pleasure, as is also written elsewhere 1 John 4:9, 10: "In this appeared the love of God toward us, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his only begotten Son to be a propitiation for our sins." That we are saved from the wicked world is pure grace, not our merit. Paul is so abundant and fervent in the exaltation of grace that he also sharpens every single word and judges it against the false apostles.

There is another reason why Paul mentions the will of the Father here, which is also indicated everywhere in the Gospel of John, where Christ, praising His ministry, refers us to the will of the Father, that in His words and works we should not regard Him as well as the Father. For Christ came into the world and took upon Himself human nature so that He might

68 Lri. 6 "i. i, 69-7i. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 1, 4-6. W. vni, iW-iM. 69

the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the whole world, thus reconciling us to the Father, and he alone revealed to us that this was done by the Father's gracious will, so that, with our eyes fixed on Christ, we might be drawn and led straight to the Father.

For, as I have reminded you above 53 ff., one must not think that by brooding over the majesty one can know anything salvific about God, unless one takes hold of Christ, who, according to the will of the Father, gave Himself to death for our sins. When you recognize this will of God in Christ, you no longer see any wrath, fear and trembling cease, and there is no other God to be seen but only the merciful God, who out of premeditated counsel wanted His Son to die for us so that we might live through Him. This realization makes the heart glad, so that it certainly believes that God did not intend to be angry, but to love us wretched sinners so much that He gave His only begotten Son for us. Therefore, it is not without reason that Paul inculcates that Christ was given for our sins according to the will of the Father.

On the other hand, the musings about the majesty, about the terrible judgments of God, namely, how he destroyed the whole world through the flood of sin, how he destroyed Sodom 2c., are dangerous and finally plunge people into despair and complete ruin, as I have indicated above §55.

God and our Father.

The word "our" is to be referred to both, so that the opinion is: Our God and our Father. The same is therefore the Father of Christ and our Father. So Christ also says Joh. 20, 17. to Mary Magdalene: "Go to my brothers and tell them: I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my GOD and to your GOD." So GOtt is our Father and our GOtt, but through Christ. And this is an apostolic and quite Pauline way of speaking, for Paul, though he uses words that have no great appearance, yet speaks in the most appropriate and powerful way.

V. 5. To whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.

The Hebrews have the habit of interspersing expressions of praise and thanksgiving in their writings. This habit is also observed by the apostles, who are also Hebrews, as can often be seen in Paul. For one must hold the name of the Lord in the highest honor and never mention him without praise and thanksgiving. And this custom is a kind of reverence and veneration, as we are wont to do in the secular regiment, where, when we call the names of kings or princes, we accompany it with a reverential gesture, bowing of the head (reverentia) and bending of the knees. Much more, when we speak of God, we must bend the knees of the heart and call the name of God with gratitude and highest reverence.

V. 6. I am surprised.

Here you see Paul's art and subtlety in dealing with his fallen Galatians who were deceived by the false apostles. He does not attack them with fierce and harsh words, but speaks to them in a truly fatherly manner, not only bearing their case patiently, but also almost excusing it. Then he embraces them with motherly love and speaks to them tenderly, but in such a way that he also punishes them at the same time, but with very chosen words that are wisely adapted to this matter. Against this he is fierce and full of indignation against the false apostles. He is full of indignation against the false apostles, their seducers, on whom he puts all the blame. Therefore, in the very beginning of the epistle, he goes out against them with loud thunderbolts and lightnings, saying v. 9: "If any man preach the gospel unto you," 2c., "let him be accursed." And further on, Cap. 5, 10, he threatens them with judgment: "He that maketh you to err shall bear his judgment, whosoever he will." Furthermore, he curses them Cap. 5:12 with very frightening words: "Would to God that they also were cut off who disturb you." These are truly terrible flashes against the righteousness of the flesh or the law.

108. He could also have treated the Galatians themselves a little more unkindly and hit them harder, in this way: O, what a

70 Lri. 6ai. 1, 71-73. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1633-1636. 71

shameful trash! I am ashamed of you. Your ingratitude pains me, I must be angry with you! Or he could have exclaimed, as happens in tragedies: O terrible times! O horrible customs! 2c. (0 saecula, o mores!) But because he is concerned with raising up the fallen and bringing them back from their error to the pure gospel, he deals with them as a father does with his children, refraining from such excessive harshness, especially at the beginning, and addressing them with the most tender and gentle words. For since he wanted to heal the wounded, it would not have been beneficial if he had only made the newly inflicted wound worse by applying an unsuitable remedy and thus hurt the wounded more than healed them. Therefore, he could not have chosen a more suitable word from among the gentle words than: "I am surprised," by which he expresses that he is sorry, and yet he is displeased that they have fallen away from him.

(109) And here Paul is mindful of the precept which he afterwards gives in the sixth chapter, v. 1, where he says: "Beloved brethren, if a man be overtaken in any fault, restore him with a gentle spirit, ye that are spiritual. This example we should also imitate, that we should be to poor and deceived disciples as parents are to their children, that they may recognize our fatherly zeal and motherly affection for them, and see that we seek not their ruin but their blessedness. But against the devil and his servants, the authors of seduction and rottenness, according to the apostle's example, we are not to exercise patience, to be proud, harsh, and unforgiving, and to most sharply traverse, curse, and condemn their deceitfulness and deception. In the same way, parents, when their child is bitten by a dog, only pursue the dog, but they caress the crying child and comfort it with the sweetest words.

Therefore, in Paul there is a spirit that knows wonderfully well how to treat the fallen and afflicted consciences rightly. On the other hand, the pope, being driven by the spirit of wickedness, tyrannically goes through, hurling only thunderbolts and curses against the

Wretched and frightened, as can be seen from his bulls, especially the one on Maundy Thursday (coenae). And the bishops do not direct their office any better, they do not teach the Gospel, they do not care about the salvation of souls, but only seek to rule. Therefore, they speak and do everything only in such a way that they strengthen this dominion and keep it intact. All teachers who seek vain honor are of the same mind 2c.

That you so soon.

You see that Paul himself complains about how easy it is to fall in faith. Therefore he admonishes the Christians elsewhere 1 Cor. 10:12, "Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall." We also experience daily how difficult it is for the heart to gain and keep a firm faith; likewise, with how great difficulty a prepared people is prepared for the Lord Luc. 1:17. It takes ten years of work before a congregation is prepared in a right and Christian way, and when it is prepared, some fool creeps in who knows nothing but to revile those who teach the word pure and true; such a one overthrows everything in a moment. Who would not be outraged by this evil?

By the grace of God, we have established a Christian congregation here in Wittenberg in the right form; the Word is taught purely among us, the sacraments are in the right use, exhortations are going forth, prayers are also being said for all classes, in short, everything is flourishing. This very happy course of the Gospel could soon be hindered by some enthusiastic person, and he would like to overthrow in a moment what we have built up with great labor over many years.

This is what happened to Paul, the chosen instrument of Christ. He had prepared the churches in Galatia with great care and labor; after his departure, the false apostles turned them around in a short time. This is testified by this his present epistle, also by others 2c. So weak and miserable it goes in this life, and so even

72 L>-I vai. 1, 73-76. Exec. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 1, 6. W. VIII, 1636-1640. 7Z.

We are walking in the midst of Satan's ropes, that a single swarm spirit can destroy and overthrow in such a short time what many right preachers have built up over a number of years through laborious work day and night. We learn this today from experience to our great heartache, but still cannot remedy this evil.

Because the church is something so soft and delicate and is so easily perverted, one must be on one's guard against these swarming spirits, who, when they have only heard a few sermons or read a few pages in the Holy Scriptures, immediately proclaim themselves masters over all, over disciples and teachers, against all who are in office (contra omnium autoritatem). You can find quite a number of such people today, even among the craftsmen, foolish people who, not having been tested by any temptations, have never learned to fear God, have never tasted grace in the slightest.

Because they are without the spirit of God, they teach what pleases them, and what is easy for the mob. Then the inexperienced rabble immediately falls to them, who are eager to hear new things. Yes, even many who think that they have grasped the doctrine of faith well, and are to some extent tempted by temptations, are deceived by them.

Since Paul teaches us here from his own experience that the churches, which have been prepared with great labor, are easily and soon perverted, we must watch with the greatest care against the devil who walks about, lest he come while we sleep and sow tares among the wheat. The Christian flock is threatened with danger from Satan, even if the shepherds are still so watchful and brave. For Paul, as I have said, had planted the churches in Galatia with the greatest effort and faithfulness, and no sooner had he (as they say) set foot outside the gate than the false apostles nevertheless perverted some of them, the fall of which later brought about such tremendous devastation in the churches of the Galatians. This sudden and so great harm is no doubt due to the dear apostle.

more bitter than death. Therefore let us watch with all diligence, first of all, each one for himself, and then also the teachers, not only for themselves but also for the whole church, so that we may not fall into temptation.

Let turn away.

Again, he does not use a harsh word, but a gentle one. He does not say: I am surprised that you have fallen away so soon, that you are so disobedient, careless, fickle, ungrateful, but that you "let yourselves be turned away" so soon, as if he wanted to say: You are only suffering, you have not done harm, but have suffered harm. In order to win back the fallen, he accuses the turners rather than the turned away. But at the same time he punishes them, although with great modesty, since he complains that they have turned away, as if he wanted to say: Although I love you dearly, as a father loves his children, and know that you have fallen, not through your fault, but through the fault of the false apostles, yet I might have wished that you had shown a little more firmness in right doctrine. You have not grasped the word sufficiently, you are not firmly enough founded. That is why you let yourselves be turned away so soon by a slight breeze and a small wind.

Jerome is of the opinion that Paul wanted to translate the word "Galatians" by alluding to the Hebrew word XXX he is turned away, as if he wanted to say: You are right Galatians by name and by deed, that is: turned away.

Some think that we Germans are descended from the Galatians, and this assumption is perhaps not without reason. For we Germans have a character not very dissimilar to that of the Galatians, and I must say that I wish our compatriots had a little more firmness and consistency. For in all things we are exceedingly hot-tempered in the first beginning. But as soon as the heat of the first excitement has passed away, we soon become all too casual, and with the same haste (temeritate) with which we begin things, we throw them from us again and leave them pending. At first, when after the great darkness of the human statutes

74 Lri. i, 76-78. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, i64v-i643. 75

When the light of the gospel went out, many were engaged in a Christian way of life, listened to the sermons with great eagerness, and held the ministers of the word in honor. But now that the Word has progressed so well, and the Christian doctrine has been so well purified, many become despisers and enemies of the Word, who not only stop studying the Word and neglect the ministers of the Word, but also hate all other good arts and sciences, and become utterly swine and vile servants, who are well worthy to be compared to the "unintelligent" Galatians Gal. 3:1, 3.

From Him who called you into the grace of Christ.

120 This passage is somewhat ambiguous, for it can be construed in two ways; first, from Christ who called you to grace; second, from him, namely, God, who called you to the grace of Christ. I accept the former version. For it pleases me that Paul, just as he said shortly before about Christ that he is the Redeemer who sets us free from this evil world through his death, likewise that he gives us grace and peace in the same way as God the Father gives us grace and peace, so also here he attributes to him that he calls us to grace. For this is Paul's way of first and foremost impressing upon us the good deed of Christ, through which we come to the Father.

(121) There is also an emphasis and contrast in these words, "From Christ who called you into grace," as if to say: Oh how easily you are torn and turned away from Christ, who called you, not to law, works, sin, wrath, condemnation, like Moses, but to pure grace.

(122) So also we complain today with Paul that the blindness and perversity of men is quite frightening, that no one wants to receive the doctrine of grace and salvation, or, even if a few receive it, they soon fall away from it again, although it brings with it all goods, spiritual and corporal, namely forgiveness of sins, true righteousness, peace of heart and eternal life. Then it brings us light

and gives us a certain judgment on all doctrine and all status, approves and confirms the world regime, the household and all statuses that God has established and ordered. It destroys the doctrines that give rise to error, sedition and confusion 2c. In short, it exposes all cunning plots and works of the devil, and reveals God's benevolence and love towards us in Christ. What, O lamentation, is this frenzy that the world so bitterly hates this word, this gospel of eternal comfort, grace, blessedness and eternal life, blasphemes and persecutes it with such devilish fury!

Paul calls the present world evil, that is, the kingdom of the devil; otherwise it would recognize the goodness and mercy of God. But because it is under the power of the devil, it surely despises and persecutes it with hostility, for it loves darkness, error and the devil's kingdom more than the light, truth and kingdom of Christ. And this it does not out of ignorance or error, but out of! devilish malice. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that Christ, the Son of God, by giving Himself to death for the sins of all men, can earn nothing else from the perverse and godless world than that it blasphemes Him for this immeasurable good deed, persecutes His saving word and would gladly crucify Him once more, if only it could. Therefore, the world not only walks in darkness, but is also darkness itself, as it is written in John 1:5.

Therefore Paul makes these words great: "Of Christ who called you" 2c., and covertly urges the antithesis (anti-thesin) of them, as if he said, "My preaching was not of the hard laws of Moses, neither did I teach you to be servants under the yoke; but pure grace and freedom from the law of sin 2c. I preached to you that Christ mercifully called you into grace, that you might be children under Christ, not servants under Moses, whose disciples you have now become again at the instigation of your false apostles, who by the law of sin have been the disciples of Moses.

76 Dr! 1, 78-80. Explanation of the Galatian Epistle 1, 6, W. VIII, 1643-1647. 77

Law of Moses does not call to grace, but to anger and hatred against God, to sin and death. But Christ's call is a call to grace and blessedness. For those who are called by Him obtain for the sad law the joyful gospel, are transferred from wrath to grace, from sin to righteousness, from death to life. And you let yourselves be swept away from such a living fountain, bubbling and overflowing with grace and life, so quickly and so easily? But if Moses by God's law calls to God's wrath and sin, to what do you think the pope will call us with his statutes of men? - The other understanding, that the Father calls to the grace of Christ, is also good, but the former of Christ is more lovely and more suitable to comfort sorrowful consciences.

To another gospel.

Here we are to learn the cunning tricks and cunning plots of the devil. No heretic comes under the name of error and the devil, and even the devil himself does not come as the devil, especially the white devil. Yes, even the black devil, when he incites to public villainy, makes a blanket for man, that he may diminish the sin he wants to commit or commits. A murderer in his rage does not see that murder is such a great and terrible sin as it really is, because he has the blanket. Adulterers, thieves, misers, drunkards 2c. have their euphemisms and covers. So also the black Satan in all his works and attacks has a mask before and is made up.

But in spiritual things, where not the black but the white Satan appears, pretending to be an angel and God, he surpasses himself in the most cunning disguise, in the most marvelous tricks he uses to deceive, and uses to sell his most harmful poison for the doctrine of grace, for God's word, for the gospel of Christ. Therefore Paul calls the teaching of the false apostles, the servants of the devil, also a gospel, saying, "To another gospel," but ironically, as if to say: You Galatians now have other

Evangelists, you have another gospel, mine is now despised among you, no longer valid.

From this it is easy to see that the false apostles condemned Paul's gospel among the Galatians, saying, "Paul began well, but it is not enough to have begun well, for there are still higher things left to be preached. 15, 1. They say: It is not enough to believe in Christ, it is not enough to be baptized, but you must also be circumcised; for "if you are not circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved". But this much is said: Christ is a good carpenter, who began the building, but did not finish it, because Moses must do that.

This is what the Anabaptists and others say nowadays, since they cannot condemn us outright: The Lutherans have the spirit of fear; they dare not freely confess the truth and tear it through. They have laid the foundation, that is, they have taught faith in Christ, but the beginning, the means and the end must be connected. This is not given to them by God, but to us. Thus the perverse and devilish people glorify their ungodly sermons and call them God's word, thereby deceiving many people under God's name. For the devil does not want to be ugly and black in his servants, but pure and white, and, in order to appear so, he presents all his words and works in such a way that he adorns them with the title (praetextu) of truth and the name of GOD. Hence arose among us Germans the well-known saying: In the name of God all misfortune is lifted up.

Therefore, let us learn that this is the devil's trick, that when he cannot do harm by persecuting and destroying, he does it by making better and building. Thus he persecutes us today with force and sword, in order, when he has destroyed us, not only to darken the gospel, but to wipe it out completely. But so far he has done nothing, for he has killed many who have steadfastly confessed that these our

78 dri. 6al. I> 80-83. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1647-1650. 79

Doctrine is holy and divine. By the blood of these martyrs, however, the church is not destroyed but fertilized (rigata). Since he has achieved nothing in this way, the evil spirit instigates ungodly teachers who first approve our doctrine and teach it unanimously with us, but later say that it is our profession to present the first elements of Christian doctrine, but that the true secrets of Scripture have been revealed to them by God and that they are called to make them known to the world.

(130) In this way Satan hinders the course of the gospel on the right and on the left. But on the right, as I said, he does much more harm by building and improving than on the left by persecuting and killing. Therefore, we must pray, read, and cling to Christ and His words without ceasing in order to overcome the cunning plots of the devil with which he attacks us on the right and on the left. "For we do not struggle with flesh and blood" 2c. Eph. 6, 12.

V. 7. If there is no other, without some there are that confound you.

Again, he excuses the Galatians and takes the false apostles to task, as if to say: Galatians, you have been persuaded that the gospel which you received from me is not the true and genuine gospel. Therefore, let it seem to you that you would do well to accept the new thing that the false apostles preach, which is supposed to be better than my gospel. I do not blame you for this misstep, nor do I blame those troublemakers who confuse your consciences and snatch you out of my hand.

Here again you see how fierce and vehement the apostle is against those deceivers, and how 1) he goes through them with the harshest words, calling them destroyers of the churches and confounders of consciences, who do nothing but deceive and confuse countless consciences and cause terrible damage in the church. We too must see this great misery today with heavy heartache, and yet we can no more remedy it than Paul was able to do at that time.

1. Wittenberger: quamquam instead of quamque.

This passage gives evidence that the false apostles undoubtedly said of Paul that he was not a perfect apostle and that he was a weak preacher who was still in error. That is why he calls them again destroyers of the churches and transgressors of the gospel of Christ. Thus they condemned each other; the false apostles condemned Paul, and Paul in turn condemned the false apostles.

Such disputes and condemnations have taken place in the church at all times, especially when the teaching of the Gospel is in full bloom, namely, that the godless teachers persecute, condemn, and oppress the godly, and the godly condemn the godless. The papists and the swarm spirits hate us today to the utmost and condemn our teachings as ungodly and erroneous; then they are also after our good and life. We, in turn, hate their godless and blasphemous doctrine with all our heart (perfecto odio) 2) and condemn the same. In the meantime, the poor people remain uncertain and waver and doubt where to turn, whom they can safely follow; for it is not given to anyone to judge such great matters in a Christian way.

But at the end it will be seen which of the two teaches rightly and condemns the other rightly. It is certain that we persecute no one, oppress no one and kill no one. Nor does our teaching confuse the consciences, but frees them from countless errors and snares of the devil. For this we have the testimony of many pious people who thank God that they have drawn a firm comfort of conscience from our teaching. Just as it was not Paul's fault that the churches were confused, but the fault of the false apostles, so it is not our fault today, but the fault of Anabaptists, Sacramentans and other fanatics, that so many and so great disturbances arise in the church.

(136) Note that everyone who teaches works and that righteousness is obtained from the law confuses the churches and the consciences. But who would ever have believed that

2. In the Wittenberg: proksato instead of perteeto.

80 Lri. "Äl. 1, 83-85. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 1, 7. W. VIII, I65V-1653. 81

the pope, cardinals, bishops, monks and their whole school of Satan, especially the founders of the holy orders (some of whom God has miraculously made blessed) are such people who confuse the consciences? Yes, they are even worse than the false apostles. For they taught that in addition to faith in Christ, the works of the divine law were necessary for salvation. But they left out faith altogether and taught only human statutes and works, which God did not command, but which they themselves devised without and against God's word; and these they not only made equal to God's word, but also raised far above it. But the greater semblance of holiness the heretics have, the more harm they do. For if the false apostles had not had excellent gifts, great prestige and a beautiful appearance of holiness, and if they had not claimed to be servants of Christ, disciples of the apostles and righteous preachers of the gospel, they could not have so easily destroyed Paul's prestige and deceived the Galatians in such a way.

But this is why he attacks them so vehemently and calls them people who confuse the churches, because they teach that apart from faith in Christ, circumcision and the observance of the law are necessary for salvation. Paul himself testifies to this later in chapter 5 v. 1, 2, and Lucas in the Acts of the Apostles, chap. 15, 1, with these words: "that some came down from Judea and taught the brethren, unless ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. Therefore the false apostles urged with great vehemence and obstinacy the keeping of the law. 1) They were soon joined by stubborn Jews who firmly insisted that the law must be kept, and then easily persuaded those who were not well established in the faith that Paul was not a righteous teacher because he neglected the law. For it seemed to them to be quite unpleasant that the Law of God should be completely abolished, and that the Jews, who had hitherto been God's people, and to whom the promises had been made, should not be allowed to keep the Law.

1. Wittenberger; "UMmssrvÄnäÄioesse." The last two words are missing in the Jena and Erlangen versions.

God were to be rejected. After that it seemed even more unpleasant to them that the Gentiles, the godless idolaters, without circumcision, without works of the law, only by grace and through faith in Christ should come to this glory and dignity, that they would be God's people 2c.

These things the false apostles have highly exaggerated in order to make Paul hated by the Galatians; and in order to make their hearts more bitter against him, they said that he preaches freedom from the law to the Gentiles, against the law of God, against the tradition of the whole Jewish people, against the example of the apostles, yes, against his own exemplum, by which he brings the divine law and the whole Jewish kingdom into contempt and brings it to nothing. Therefore, he must be shunned as a public blasphemer against God and a rebel against the whole Jewish regime; but they must be listened to because, besides teaching the gospel correctly, they were also disciples of the apostles, with whom Paul had never had any contact. In such a cunning way they disparaged Paul among the Galatians and caused the Galatians to fall away from him. So that the truth of the gospel would be preserved among the Galatians, he had to oppose the false apostles with all his might. He calls them, condemning them with the greatest confidence, confounders of the churches and destroyers of the gospel of Christ, as follows:

And want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

139 That is, they are not only to confuse you, but also to destroy and pervert the gospel of Christ from the foundation of the world. For Satan has to deal with these two things. First of all, he is not satisfied with confusing and deceiving many through his ungodly apostles, but then he also seeks through them to completely reverse and take away the gospel, and does not rest until he has accomplished it. However, such destroyers of the gospel can hear nothing less than that they are apostles of the devil, yes, they boast before others of the name of Christ and boast that they are the purest preachers of the gospel.

82 Lri. 6ai. 1, 85-87. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1653-1657. 83

But because they mix the law with the gospel, they must be destroyers of the gospel. For either Christ will remain and the law will fall, or the law will remain and Christ will fall. For Christ and the law cannot in any way agree with each other, and cannot at the same time rule in the conscience. Where the righteousness of the law prevails, the righteousness of grace cannot prevail, and again, where the righteousness of grace prevails, the righteousness of the law cannot prevail. One must give way to the other. But if you cannot believe that God wants to forgive sins for the sake of Christ, whom He sent into the world to be our High Priest, dear one, how could you believe that He wants to forgive sins for the sake of the works of the Law, which you have never done, or for the sake of your works, which you must confess are such that you cannot possibly hold them up to the judgment of God? Therefore, the doctrine of grace cannot in any way stand with the doctrine of the law. The latter must be denied and rejected, but the former must be established.

But just as the Jews had an abhorrence of the doctrine of faith and grace, so we also have an abhorrence of it. I would like to hold at the same time the righteousness of grace, which justifies, and also the other of the law, for which God should look upon me. But if one wants to mix these with the other, it means, as Paul says here, to pervert the gospel of Christ. And yet, when it comes to a dispute, the greater crowd retains the victory over those who are right. For Christ with His own is weak, and the gospel is a foolish sermon. On the other hand, the kingdom of the world and its prince, the devil, is strong; indeed, the prudence and righteousness of the flesh has an excellent appearance. And so the righteousness of grace and faith is lost, and the other, the righteousness of the law and of works, is destroyed and denied. But this is our consolation, that the devil cannot do what he wills with his members. He can confuse many people, but he cannot overthrow the gospel of Christ. The truth can indeed

in danger, but it cannot perish. It will be stormed, but not stormed, because God's word remains forever.

It seems to be a small thing that the gospel and the law, faith and works, are mixed together, but this does more harm than human reason can understand. For this not only obscures the knowledge of grace, but also removes Christ with all his benefits, and, as Paul says here, perverts the whole gospel. The cause of this great evil is our flesh, which, sunk in sins, sees no other way to free itself from them than by works. Therefore, the natural man (caro) wants to live in the righteousness of the law and confidently rely on his works. He therefore knows nothing of the doctrine of faith and grace, without which it is impossible to have a clear conscience.

From these words of Paul: "And want to pervert the gospel of Christ", it can be clearly seen that the false apostles were very impudent and insolent people, who opposed Paul with such vehemence. Therefore he again confronts them most valiantly, trusting in his Spirit and in full assurance of faith (πληρο- φορω^, and against them powerfully (mirum in modum) exalts his ministry, saying:

V. 8 But if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than the one we preached to you, let him be accursed!

Here Paul speaks with flames and is so inflamed that he begins to curse even the angels. Even we ourselves, he says, I and my brethren, Timothy, Titus, and as many as are theirs, who with me teach Christ purely (for I speak not yet of those who deceive souls), yea, if an angel from heaven 2c. preach otherwise, I would rather that I, my brethren, yea, even an angel from heaven were accursed, than that my gospel should be perverted. This is indeed a burning zeal, that he should presume to curse so confidently not only himself and his brethren, but also an angel from heaven.

84 Ari. OLi. 1, 87-90. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 1, 8. 9. W. VIII, 1657-1660. 85

145. 'Ανάθεμα 0πεφί|φ, Greek, Hebrew XXX means.

Latin maledictum, cursed, rejected and absolutely excluded from intercourse, society and fellowship with God. Thus Joshua says Cap. 6, 17. 26. that the city of Jericho shall be banished forever, so that it shall never be built again. And in the 3rd book of Moses, Cap. 27, 28, 29, it is written that if a man or any animal has been banished, the banished thing shall be put to death, and it shall not be allowed to live. Thus, Amalek and several cities that had been banished by God's judgment had to be completely exterminated.

146 Therefore Paul's opinion is: I would rather that I, others, even an angel were accursed from heaven, than that another gospel be preached, whether by us or by others, than the one we have preached. So Paul banishes and curses himself first. For good workmasters are wont to punish themselves first, that they may afterwards punish others the more freely and severely.

147 Paul concludes that there is no other gospel than the one he preached himself. He did not preach a gospel of his own devising, but the one that God had promised from the beginning through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, Rom. 1:1, 2. Therefore, he states with the utmost certainty that he, others, even an angel from heaven, would be cursed if they preached a gospel different from the former one. For the word of the gospel, which God once sent forth, will not be revoked until the last day.

V. 9 As we have said now, so we say again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

He repeats the same thing, but changes the persons. Above he cursed himself, his brothers, an angel from heaven; here he says: "If there are any others besides us who preach the gospel to you other than what you have received from us, let them also be cursed. Therefore he banishes and curses all teachers, himself, his brothers,

one angel, and after that any others, namely, those who teach contrary to the gospel. The apostle has an exceedingly fierce zeal that he dares to curse all teachers in the whole world and in heaven who pervert his gospel and teach a different one. For all must believe the gospel 1) which Paul preached, or become a curse and be damned. God would that this frightening judgment of the apostle would frighten the disseminators of Paul's gospel, of which, unfortunately, the world is full today.

The change of the persons must be taken into account here. For Paul speaks differently in the first curse than in the second. In the first, he says, "Even as we, or an angel from heaven, preach the gospel to you differently from what we have preached to you," 2c. In the second, he says, "differently from what you have received. And this he does on purpose, so that the Galatians would not say: We have not perverted the gospel which thou, Paul, didst preach unto us; but, when thou didst preach it unto us, we understood it not aright: but the teachers which came after thee have opened unto us the right understanding. This, he says, I will not allow in any way. Those shall not add to it nor improve it, but that which you have heard from me, that is the word of God; that alone shall remain. And I do not wish that I should be another teacher of the gospel, nor that you should be other disciples. Therefore, if you hear anyone who brings a different gospel from the one you have heard from me, or who boasts that he will bring something better than what you have received from me, let him be accursed with his disciples.

(150) This is the way of the servants of Satan, that they know how to creep and ingratiate themselves into the hearts of men with this peculiar skill. They admit that those who taught the gospel before them had started well, but this was not enough; but they wanted to present certain things, which they wanted to teach in such a way that this would be of great benefit to the listeners.

1. Wittenberger: ereciere; Menius: "believe". Jenaer and Erlanger: eeüere.

86 "ri. I- so-92. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1660-1663. 87

should 2c. So today, too, the enthusiasts praise us for having begun the cause of the Gospel in the right way. But because we abhor and condemn their blasphemous doctrine, they call us flatterers and new papists, who are twofold worse than the old ones. By this art the thieves and robbers gain entrance into the sheepfold of the Lord, in order to steal, slaughter and destroy, namely, that they first confirm what is ours, then improve us, and explain more clearly, as they blaspheme, what we would not have understood sufficiently or not quite correctly. In the same way the false apostles prepared the entrance to the Galatians. Paul, they said) has indeed laid the foundation of Christian doctrine, but the right way of justification he does not hold, because he teaches apostasy from the law. Therefore receive from us what he was not able to teach rightly. But Paul does not want anything else to be taught by anyone, nor anything else to be heard and received by the Galatians than what he had taught them before, and what they had heard and received from him. But those, he says, who teach or accept anything else, they shall be accursed.

151 The first two chapters contain almost nothing but denials and refutations. Only at the end of the second chapter does he begin to discuss the doctrine of justification. But this judgment of Paul is to remind us that all those are cursed who hold that the pope is a judge over Scripture, likewise that the church has power over Scripture, which the teachers of papal law and the writers of sentences have ungodly taught and have invoked for this reason: The Church has approved only four Evangelia, therefore there are only four; if she had approved more, there would be more. But since the church could accept and approve as many gospels as it wished, the church is above the gospel.

This conclusion fits like a glove. 1) I approve of the Scripture, thus

1. Ä dsoulo sä ÄQAuIum. Cf. the note to Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XX, 1640.

I am higher than they. John the Baptist accedes to Christ (approbat) and confesses him, and points him with his finger, so he is more than Christ. The church approves the Christian doctrine and faith, so it is the higher one.

To refute this ungodly and blasphemous doctrine of theirs, you have here a very clear text and a thunderbolt from heaven, that Paul, badly, himself, one, angels from heaven, the teachers on earth, and what other masters there may be, sums up everything and throws it under the holy scripture. This queen must rule, all must obey and be subject to her. Not their masters, judges or arbiters, but only witnesses, disciples and confessors, may it be the pope, or Luther, or Augustine, or Paul, or an angel from heaven, and no other doctrine shall be presented and heard in the church than the pure word of GOD, that is, the holy Scriptures; otherwise teachers and hearers shall be accursed with their doctrine.

V. 10. Am I preaching to men now, or to God for His service?

This is spoken with the same zeal as the previous, as if he wanted to say: Am I, Paul, who preached publicly in the churches, so unknown? Are not my exceedingly bitter struggles and so many disputes with the Jews in the daylight? From my sermons, from so many and so great tribulations, I think it is sufficiently evident whether I serve men or God. For all see that through this preaching of mine I have everywhere brought upon myself only persecution, the greatest and most terrifying hatred of my people and of all men. Thus I prove sufficiently that I do not seek the favor or applause of men with my sermon, but to make known the good deeds and the honor of God.

We also (I can say this without glorification) do not seek the favor of men with our doctrine. For we teach that all men are by nature ungodly and children of wrath; we condemn free will, human ability, wisdom, justice, and all self-chosen worship; in short,

88 Ari- Kai. 1, 92-94. Explanation of Galatians 1, 10. W. VIII, 1663-1666. 89

We say that there is absolutely nothing in us that is suitable to merit grace and forgiveness of sins, but we preach that the same is granted to us solely through the pure mercy of God for the sake of Christ. For this is how the heavens tell the glory of God and His works, so that they condemn all men altogether with their works. This is certainly not preaching to please men and the world.

For the world cannot be enraged more fiercely and bitterly than when its wisdom, righteousness, worship and all that it is capable of are condemned. To condemn these best and highest gifts of the world is truly not to flatter the world, but rather to strive of one's own free will for hatred 1) and all misfortune (as they say), and to get one's hands full of it. For if we condemn men and all their best apparent endeavors, it cannot but come about that we immediately invite their bitterest hatred upon us, that they persecute us, banish us, condemn us and kill us.

157 If then they see the other things, says Paul, why do they not also see this, that I teach divine things, not human things, that is, that I do not seek the favor of men with my teaching, but only glorify God's mercy, which was shown to us in Christ? For if I sought the favor of men, I would not condemn all their works. But just by condemning the works of men, that is, by pronouncing from the word of God (whose servant and apostle I am) the divine judgment against all men, that they are sinners, ungodly, unrighteous, children of wrath, captives of Satan and condemned, and that they are justified, not by works, not by circumcision, but by grace alone and through faith in Christ, I incur the irreconcilable hatred of all men. For they can hear nothing less than that they are such people, yes, they want them to be praised as wise, righteous, holy people 2c. Therefore, this testifies sufficiently that I do not teach human things.

1. Wittenberger: otium instead of oäium.

In the same way Christ speaks Joh. 7, 7: "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify of it that its works are evil", and Joh. 3, 19: "But this is the judgment, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their works were evil.

But that I teach divine things, says the apostle, can already be sufficiently recognized from the fact that I preach only God's grace, mercy, good deeds and honor. Then he who speaks (as Christ says John 13:13) what his Lord and Master has commanded him, and glorifies not himself but Him whose apostle he is, brings and teaches the certain and divine word. But I teach only what is commanded me by GOD, glorifying not myself, but Him who sent me. Moreover, I incur the wrath and displeasure of Jews and Gentiles, therefore my teaching is true, pure, certain and divine, and there can be no other (much less a better) than this my teaching. Therefore, any other doctrine that does not teach, like mine, that all men are sinners and are justified by faith in Christ alone, must necessarily be false, uncertain, ungodly, blasphemous, accursed and diabolical. This judgment also applies to all who lead this doctrine and to those who accept it.

(160) Thus we also declare with Paul in the most certain and certain way that any doctrine is accursed which does not agree with ours. For surely we too, with our preaching, do not seek the applause of men or the favor of princes, bishops, etc., but only God's favor, whose grace and mercy we also preach alone, and trample underfoot and condemn everything that is ours. Therefore we confidently say that he who teaches another gospel, or one contrary to ours, is sent by the devil and accursed.

Or do I intend to please people?

That is, do I serve people, or do I serve God? He always takes sides with the false apostles. These, he says, seek to please men and flatter them. For

90 Dri- 1, 94-97. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1666-1670. 91

In this way they seek to gain glory for themselves in their carnal nature. Furthermore, because they do not want to suffer the hatred and persecution of men, they teach circumcision so that they do not have to suffer persecution for the sake of the cross of Christ, as it says later in Cap. 5:11.

You can find many people today who strive to please men, and in order to live their lives in peace and security of the flesh, they preach to men for service, that is, they teach ungodly things, or at least, against their conscience, they approve of the blasphemies of the adversaries and their ungodly judgment against the word of God, in order to keep the favor of princes and bishops and not lose theirs. But we, because we strive to be pleasing to God and not to men, invite devilish and infernal hatred upon ourselves and suffer disgrace and abuse from the world, death and all evil.

Thus Paul says here: I do not intend to please men, I do not desire that they should praise my doctrine and exalt me as the best teacher, but only that God alone may please my doctrine, and thereby I make enemies of men who are indignant about it; and this I experience. For they give me as a reward shame, blasphemy, imprisonment, sword 2c. On the other hand, the false apostles teach human things, that is, things that are pleasing to reason and easy for it to accept, so that they may have peace and win the favor and approval of the people. And what they strive for, they also attain. For they are praised and highly exalted by all. So Christ also says Matth. 6, 2. that the hypocrites do everything "so that they will be praised by the people", and Joh. 5, 44. he severely punishes such people and says: "How can you believe, you who take honor from one another? And the honor that is from God alone you do not seek."

What Paul has said up to this point are almost only examples. But he insists everywhere that his teaching is true and the right teaching. Therefore he admonishes the Galatians that they should not despise his teaching and accept no other.

If I were still pleasing men, I would not be Christ's servant.

All this must be related to the whole ministry and service of Paul, so that it forms a kind of contrast to his former walk in Judaism, as if he wanted to say: Do you think that I still seek to please men as I did before? So also in the fifth chapter, v. 11: "If I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution?" as if he wanted to say: "Do you not see and hear my daily hard struggles, the greatest persecutions and tribulations? Since I was converted and called to the apostleship, I have never spoken to please men, I have never sought to please them, but only God, that is, I do not seek the honor and favor of men with my ministry and with my teaching, but God.

This is what Paul says to show how deceitfully and deceitfully the false apostles tried to make him hated by the Galatians. They picked contradictions out of his sermons and writings (as today the adversaries pick contradictions out of our books), and wanted to convict him that he had taught contradictory things, and therefore said that Paul should not be believed, but that circumcision and the law should be kept. For he himself had confirmed this with his own example, since he had circumcised Timothy according to the law Acts 16:3, had himself cleansed with four men in the temple at Jerusalem Acts 21:26, had his head shaved in Keuchrea Acts 18:18 2c. The slanderers claimed that Paul had done this because of necessity, forced by the command and the reputation of the apostles 2c., while he had taken it upon himself to serve the weak of his own free will, so that no offense would be given to those who did not yet recognize Christian freedom. To their calumnies he answers thus: How true it is what the false apostles invent against me, in order to disturb my gospel and again to establish the law and the circumcision, the thing itself sufficiently shows. For if I preached the law and circumcision, and the ability and the .

92 Lri. Oai. 1, 97-99. Exec. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 1, 10-12. W. VIII, 1670-1673. 93

If I praised the nobility of men, I would not be hated by men, but would please them.

V. 11. 12. But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which is preached by me is not human. For I neither received it nor learned it from any man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

This is the main proposition (propositio == the subject) of the present passage, from which the refutation and defense follows to the end of the second chapter, and it is a kind of continuous story that Paul tells here. Jerome writhes anxiously and takes great pains to rhyme it together (concordanda), but he does not touch the matter itself, because he does not consider what Paul wants or what he has in mind.

But the histories in Scripture are often briefly summarized and interwoven, so that they cannot easily be rhymed with one another, as is the case with Peter's denials and the history of the passion of Christ 2c. So Paul does not tell the whole story here. I do not bother with it, nor do I care much about rhyming it together, but only look at what Paul's intention is and what he is aiming at.

But this is the main proposition of the present passage: My gospel is not human, neither did I receive it from any man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. He insists on this main sentence, dwells on it for a long time and confirms it with an oath that he did not learn his gospel from any man, but received it through the revelation of Jesus Christ. And he swears out of necessity, so that the Galatians will believe this, not to give ear to the false apostles, whom he punishes as liars, because they had said that Paul had learned and received his gospel from the apostles.

170 But that he says his gospel is not human, this is not to say that his gospel is not of human origin, because this is self-evident, for the false apostles also boasted of it.

that their teaching does not originate from men, but from God; but he wants this to be understood in such a way that he did not learn the gospel through the ministry of any man, nor did he receive it through any human mediation (as we all either learn it through the ministry of men or receive it through some other human mediation, some by hearing, others by reading, writing, painting 2c.), but that he received it precisely through the revelation of Jesus Christ. Whoever wants to make a different decision here, may do so for all I care. - The apostle here casually shows that Christ is not only a man, but at the same time true God and man, since he says that he did not receive his gospel through a man.

Now Paul received his gospel on the way to Damascus, where Christ appeared to him and spoke with him. He also talked with him later in the temple at Jerusalem (Apost. 22, 18.], but on the way he received the gospel, as Lucas tells the story in Acts, Cap. 9, 3. ff. "Arise," says Christ to him, "and go into the city; there shall they tell thee what thou shalt do" v. 6.. He does not command him to go into the city, that he might learn the gospel of Ananias, but Ananias was to baptize him, lay hands on him, command him the ministry of the word, and commend him to the church; but not to teach the gospel, which, as he here boasts, he had already received before in the way by the revelation of JEsu Christ alone. And Ananias himself confesses this in these words Cap. 9, 17., "Dear brother Saul," 1) he says, "the LORD hath sent me (who appeared unto thee by the way), that thou mightest recover thy sight," 2c. Therefore he did not receive his teaching from Ananias, but since he was already called, enlightened and instructed by Christ on the way, he was sent to Ananias, so that he would also have the testimony of men that he was called by God to preach the gospel of Christ.

1. In the Latin editions wrong: Cains (Salve) instead of: Pillar. In Menius correct: column.

94 kri- Oai. I, SS-101. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1673-1676 . 95

Paul is forced to tell this in order to prove the slanders of the false apostles null and void, who tried to make him extremely hated by the Galatians, namely in this way that they said that Paul was far inferior to the other disciples of the apostles, who had received what they taught and held from the apostles, whose conduct they had also seen for a long time. Paul also received exactly the same from them (the apostles), although he denies it. Why then would they rather follow a lesser man and despise the reputation of the apostles themselves, who were the superiors (majores) and teachers not only of the Galatians, but also of all the churches in the whole world? This was indeed a great and solid proof, based on the prestige of the apostles, which the false apostles used; thus the Galatians were turned away quickly, especially in this matter. I could never have believed it if I did not see it in these examples of the churches in Galatia, Corinth and Asia 2c. that also these people, who in the beginning received the word with joy (among whom there were many excellent people), could be turned away so suddenly.

Dear God, how easily a terrible and immeasurable damage is done by a single apparent reason, which, when the Lord withdraws His hand of mercy, so strikes down the conscience that one can lose everything in an instant. Therefore, the false apostles easily deceived the Galatians by this pretense, who were not yet established and did not have deep roots, but were still weak in faith.

The matter of justification is also one that is difficult to hold on to, not in itself, for in itself it is extremely firm and certain, but as far as we are concerned; I often experience this myself. For I know how I sometimes have to struggle in hours of darkness. I know how often I suddenly lose the roots of the gospel and of grace, as it were, in some dense clouds. I also know how even those who are well trained and stand firm walk on slippery ground.

(175) We have the right knowledge of this matter, for we can teach it, and this is a certain sign that we have it. For no one can teach others what he does not know himself. The poet says: It is seen that you know it, for you can teach others (Signum scientis est, inquit ille, posse docere). But since in the present struggle we are to avail ourselves of the gospel, which is a word of grace, comfort, and life, the law, which is a word of wrath, sorrow, and death, precedes the gospel and begins to stir up unrest, setting up terror in the conscience no less than that which that awful and terrifying appearance (species) produced on Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:16), just as a single threatening sentence from Scripture overwhelms and darkens all consolations, and so completely shatters everything that is in us our heart and conscience that we completely forget the cause of justification, grace, Christ and the Gospel. Therefore, this thing, as much as is in us, is on very slippery ground, because we are slippery.

Furthermore, we ourselves are half our adversaries, namely our own reason and the powers of reason stand against us. In addition, the flesh resists the spirit, which cannot hold on to the certainty that God's promises are true. Therefore, it argues and fights against the spirit and, as Paul says, takes the spirit captive so that it cannot believe as firmly as it would like to. That is why we constantly inculcate that the knowledge of Christ and faith is not a human thing or work, but is par excellence a gift of God, who both creates and sustains faith in us.

177. But just as God first gives faith through the word, so He also practices, increases, strengthens and completes it through the word. Therefore, the highest service of God and the most holy Sabbath is to practice godliness, to handle the word and to hear it. On the other hand, there is nothing more dangerous than overindulgence in the word of God. Therefore, anyone who is so cold that he thinks he has grasped it and gradually begins to grow weary of the word, has not grasped Christ and the Word.

96 Lri. Cai. 1, 101-103. Explanation of Galatians 1, 11. 12. W. VL11, 1676-1679. 97

He has already lost the gospel, and grasps what he thinks he knows only speculatively, and is like a man, as Jacobus says, who looks at his face in the mirror, but from that moment on walks away and forgets how he was formed Jac. 1, 23. 24.. And such people eventually become gushers and fluttering spirits (nugaces spiritus).

For this reason, every godly person should strive and struggle with all his might to learn this doctrine in a very real way and to keep it well, and for this purpose call upon God in humble prayer and study and reflect on it in God's Word without ceasing. And even if we have exerted ourselves to the utmost, it will still take enough effort, for we have not contemptible, but very great, exceedingly strong and quite tireless enemies against us, namely our flesh, all the dangers of the world, likewise the law, sin, death, wrath and judgment of God, and also the devil himself, who never ceases to tempt us, inwardly by his fiery darts, outwardly by false apostles, so that he may bring down, if not all, at least a great number of us.

Therefore, this argument of the false apostles had a beautiful appearance and great power. The same reason moves many people today, namely: The apostles, the holy fathers and their successors have taught so; so the church holds and believes. But it is impossible that Christ should let his church err for so many centuries. You alone are certainly not wiser than so many holy people and the whole church 2c. In this way the devil disguises himself as if he were an angel of light and attacks us cunningly today through some poisonous hypocrites who say: "We do not care about the pope and the bishops who despise and persecute God's word to the highest degree; we also abhor the hypocrisy and deceit of the monks 2c.; but we desire that the reputation of the holy Catholic Church remain unharmed. It has held and taught this way for so many centuries, and so have all the teachers of the first church, exceedingly holy people, much greater and more learned than you. Who are you

How can you dare to deviate from all of these and impose a different doctrine on us?

180. When Satan does this sharply and uses the flesh and reason, the conscience is frightened and despairs if you do not constantly come to your senses and say: "Even if St. Cyprian, Ambrose and Augustine, or St. Peter, Paul and John, or even an angel from heaven teach differently, I know this for certain, that I do not preach human but divine things, that is, that I ascribe everything to God and nothing to men.

I remember that when my cause came up, D. Staupitz, who was then a very respected man and vicar of the Augustinian Order, said to me: "I like the fact that this doctrine, which you preach, ascribes honor and everything to God alone, but nothing to man. But GOtte (that is clearer than the sun) cannot be ascribed too much honor, goodness 2c. This word comforted and fortified me very much at that time. And it is true that the doctrine of the Gospel takes from men all honor, wisdom, righteousness 2c., and attributes this only to the Creator, who makes everything out of nothing. But it is much safer to ascribe too much to God than to man. For then we can confidently say: Even if the church, Augustine and other teachers, likewise Peter, Apollo, yes, even an angel from heaven teach otherwise, my teaching is such that it alone proclaims and preaches God's grace and glory, and condemns the wisdom and righteousness of all men (as far as blessedness is concerned). In this I cannot sin, because I ascribe to God and men, to each one, what actually and in truth belongs to them.

But you say: The church is holy, the fathers are holy. That is right. But even if the Church is holy, it must pray, "Forgive us our trespasses." So even the fathers, holy as they were, were blessed only through the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, if we teach anything contrary to the word of God, neither I, nor the church, nor the fathers, nor the apostles, nor even an angel from heaven, should be believed, but the word of the Lord should remain.

98 Lri. 1, 1W-I06. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1679-1683. 99

in eternity. Otherwise, this reason of the false apostles would have been of exceedingly great probative force against the teaching of Paul, for it was, I say, truly a great, great thing that they should hold the whole church with the whole company of the apostles against the Galatians against the one Paul, who, moreover, had come later and had a lesser reputation. It was therefore a very solid reason and extremely conclusive. For no one likes to say that the church is wrong, and yet one must of necessity say that it is wrong when it teaches something without or even against the word of God.

Peter, the highest among the apostles, did not live and teach according to God's word, so he erred. And Paul did not cover up this error (although it was apparently only a small error), because he saw that this would bring ruin to the whole church, but resisted him under his eyes and punished him for not walking according to the truth of the gospel, as follows in the second chapter v. 11 ff. Therefore, neither the church, nor the fathers, 1) nor the apostles, nor even the angels must be heard, unless they bring and teach the pure word of God.

The same reason is extremely burdensome to our cause today. For if we are to believe neither the Pope, nor the Fathers, nor Luther, if they do not teach the pure Word of God, then whom are we to believe? Meanwhile, who can make consciences sure which of the two, we or our adversaries, teach the pure Word of God? For they also boast that they have and teach the pure Word of God. We do not believe the papists, because they do not teach the Word of God, nor can they teach it, and on the other hand they hate us most bitterly and persecute us as the most harmful heretics and seducers. What should we do here? Shall we allow any swarming spirit to teach whatever it wants, since the world neither wants to hear our teaching nor can stand it? For as much as we boast with Paul that we teach the pure gospel of Christ (to which not only the emperor, the pope, and the whole world should yield, but should also accept it with open arms and

1. Wittenberger: kstrus, instead of katrss in the Jena.

But if someone teaches something else, be it the pope, or St. Augustine, or an apostle, or an angel from heaven, let him be accursed with his gospel), then we do not judge anything, but must hear that our boasting is not only proud, presumptuous, and completely null and void, but also blasphemous and devilish. But if we humble ourselves and give way to the raging of the adversaries, then both the papists and the enthusiasts become arrogant. The latter want to bring and teach something new that the world has not heard before, but the latter want to reestablish and confirm their old abominations. Therefore, let each one see to it that he is sure of a fine profession and a fine doctrine, so that he may dare to say with Paul in the most sure and certain way v. 8: "So do we, or an angel from heaven" 2c.

So much for the main sentence of this passage, which is: I did not receive my gospel from men, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ. He now proves this in detail by many stories and facts.

V.13. 14. For you have heard my conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted and disturbed the congregation of God beyond measure. And increased in Judaism above many of my kindred in my generation.

This passage does not contain any particular teaching, but Paul gives himself as an example by saying: "I have defended Phariseeism and Judaism more strongly and consistently than you and your false teachers. Therefore, if the righteousness of the law were something, I would not have fallen away from it either, since before I recognized Christ, I labored so hard to accomplish it, and in this I also achieved so much that I surpassed many of my peers in my generation. Then, in order to defend it, I was so zealous that I also persecuted the congregation of God most fiercely and disturbed them. For when I received power from the chief priests, I imprisoned many of the saints.

100 Dri. 1, 106-108. Exec. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 1, 13-17. W. VIII, 1683-1686. 101

I threw them to the ground and pronounced judgment when they were killed. And through all the synagogues I often tormented them, and compelled them to blaspheme, and was exceedingly senseless against them, persecuting them even unto foreign cities. Acts 26:10, 11.

And zealous beyond measure for the paternal law.

187 As Jerome rightly reminds us, Paul does not call the Pharisaic or human statutes the paternal law, because here he is not dealing with Pharisaic statutes, but with a much more important matter. So he calls the holy law of Moses itself the paternal law, that is, which had been received and inherited from the fathers. For this, he says, I have labored beyond measure in Judaism. In the same way he speaks in the letter to the Philippians, Cap. 3, 5. 6. "According to the law," he says, "I have been a Pharisee, according to zeal a persecutor of the congregation of God, according to righteousness in the law blameless," as if to say: I could publicly boast and defy the whole Jewish people, even the best and holiest of the circumcision, so that they would only expel one from all of them who had fought for the law of Moses with greater zeal or more vehemently than I had done in the past. I was, however, before others a special zealot for the paternal law, that is, I strove to the utmost to attain righteousness from the law. This should move you, Galatians, not to believe those deceivers who exalt the righteousness of the law as a thing of the highest importance, since, if it were a matter of boasting, I could boast with more truth of this very righteousness of the law in an outstanding way.

If anyone, I have certainly, before the light of the Gospel went out, held with reverence the papist laws and the paternal statutes (pie sensi) and struggled for them, and with great earnestness insisted on and defended them as sacred, and on their observance as necessary for salvation. Then I myself tried with all diligence to keep them, by toiling the body with more fasting, vigils, prayers and other exercises.

than all those who hate and persecute me so bitterly today, because I now take the honor from these works that they could make righteous. For in their observance I have been so careful and superstitious that I have imposed a greater burden on my body than it could have borne without danger to health. I have held the pope in honor without all self-interest (pure) and have not sought sinecures and high positions of honor 2c., but, whatever I have done, I have done it all out of a simple heart, out of pious zeal and for the honor of God 2c. "But that which was profitable to me I count," now with Paul Phil. 3:7, 8, "detrimental to the abundant knowledge of Christ my Lord." But the adversaries, because they are idle people and have not endured any trials, do not believe that I and very many others have experienced and suffered such things, who have made it exceedingly hard for us to attain peace of heart, which, however, could not possibly be found in such great darkness.

V.15-17. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to manifest his Son in me, that I should preach him by the gospel among the Gentiles, immediately I departed, and conferred not with flesh and blood; neither came I to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me, but went into Arabia, and returned to Damascus.

This is the first journey of Paul. Jerome gets angry here and says that Lucas does not write about Paul's journey to Arabia in the Acts of the Apostles, as if it were necessary to describe the deeds and works for each individual day, which is impossible. This should be enough for us, that we have individual parts and a short epitome of the histories, from which we can draw examples and lessons.

190: Paul testifies here that immediately after he was called by the grace of God to preach Christ among the Gentiles, he went to Arabia without consulting anyone, and set about the work to which he had been called.

102 Dri- 6ai. 1, 108-110. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1686-1689. 103

had been. And this passage testifies from whom he received his teaching, and by what means he came to the knowledge of the Gospel and to the apostleship. "Since it pleased God," he says, as if to say: I did not earn my merit by striving with ignorance for the law of God; indeed, this foolish and ungodly zeal blinded me, so that out of God's approval I fell into a terrible rage and committed the most wicked crimes. I persecuted the church of God, I was an enemy of Christ and blasphemed His gospel, yes, I caused others to shed much innocent blood; that was my merit. In the midst of this rage, I was called to this great grace. Is it because of this raging? Not at all. But the abundant grace of God, who called me and had mercy on me, forgave me and forgave me these blasphemies, and for these terrible sins of mine, which I then considered to be the highest righteousness and a service of God that pleased God exceedingly, he gave me his grace and knowledge of the truth and called me to the apostleship.

Today we come to the knowledge of grace through the same merits. When I was a monk, I crucified Christ daily, and through my false confidence, which was constantly with me at that time, I blasphemed Him. Outwardly I was not like other people, robbers, unrighteous, adulterers, but kept chastity, obedience and poverty, yes, since I was free from care for this present life, I gave myself entirely to fasting, vigil, prayer, Mass reading 2c. However, under this outward holiness and trust in my own righteousness, I continued to nurture distrust, doubt, fear, hatred and blasphemy against God, and such my righteousness was nothing but a puddle of dung, and a kingdom in which the devil took pleasure. For Satan loves such saints and has his greatest delight in them, since they corrupt their own bodies and souls and deprive themselves of all blessings and gifts of God and rob themselves of them. In such people, however, there is the greatest godlessness, blindness, doubt, contempt for God, ignorance of the gospel, desecration of the sacra

They blaspheme Christ and trample Him underfoot and abuse all the goods of God. In short, such saints are Satan's captive servants, therefore they must think, speak and do what he wants, no matter how much they seem to outwardly surpass others in good works, severity and holiness of life.

192 We were such people under the papacy, truly as great (if not greater) abusers and blasphemers against Christ and his gospel than Paul himself, and especially I. I thought it was a crime worthy of eternal condemnation if anyone deviated from him in the slightest. The pope was held in such high esteem by me that I thought it was a crime worthy of eternal damnation if anyone deviated from him in the slightest, and this ungodly opinion led me to believe that John Hus was such a cursed heretic that it would be nefarious even to denounce him, that it would be nefarious to even think of him, and I myself, in order to defend the reputation of the pope, would have brought sword and fire to burn this heretic, and would have thought that I was doing God a very great favor by doing so.

Therefore, tax collectors and harlots are not even to be considered evil compared to such hypocritical saints. For those have remorse when they sin, and do not seek to justify their ungodly deeds, but these do not recognize their abominations, idolatries and ungodly way of life (cultus) as sin, so much so that they even preach that this is righteousness and a sacrifice quite pleasing to God, and worship it as the greatest holiness, promising other people blessedness through such things and selling them to them for money as wholesome things.

194 This is now our great righteousness, this is our immense merit, by which we come to the knowledge of grace, namely, that we have persecuted, blasphemed, trampled underfoot and condemned God, Christ, the gospel, the faith, the sacraments, all true Christians (pios), the true worship of God so hostilely and devilishly, and have thoroughly taught and established the adversary. And the more holy we were, the more blind we were, and the louder (purius) we worshipped the devil. Every one of us was a bloodhound, if not in deed, yet in heart.

104 Lri. ttai. 1, 110-113. Explanation of Galatians 4, 15. 16. W. VIII, 1689-1692. 105

But since it pleased God.

As if he wanted to say: "It is God's great and immeasurable grace that He not only spares me, such a wicked man, a blasphemer, persecutor and robber of God, but also gives me the knowledge of salvation, the Spirit, Christ His Son, the apostleship and eternal life.

Likewise, God has graciously regarded us, who are burdened with such sins, and has not only forgiven our ungodliness and blasphemies out of pure mercy for the sake of Christ, but has also showered us with the greatest benefits and spiritual gifts. But many of us are not only ungrateful to God for this unspeakable grace, and forget, as it says in 2 Petr. 1, 9, the cleansing of our former sins and the grace given, but open the door again to the devil and begin to grow weary of the word; very many also falsify it and cause new errors. With these, the last becomes worse than the first.

Who has separated me from my mother's womb.

This is a Hebrew way of speaking; that is, He sanctified me, He ordained me, He prepared me; that is, while I was still in my mother's womb, God had foreknown that it would happen that I would rage against the church with such great fury, and that afterwards, out of pure grace, He would bring me out of the course of my cruelty and blasphemy, according to His mercy, back into the way of truth and blessedness. In short, before I was born, I was an apostle in the eyes of God, and when the time came, I was also declared an apostle before the world.

Thus Paul completely cuts off all merit, and ascribes glory to God alone, but only shame to himself, as if to say: All the gifts, the smallest and the greatest, spiritual and bodily, which God wanted to give me, and all the good that I would ever do in my whole life, God Himself had already provided before, when I was still in my mother's womb, since I had neither done anything good nor done anything bad.

I could neither think, nor wish, nor do, but was an unformed fruit. Therefore, this gift happened to me only by the grace of God, who provided for me beforehand and had mercy on me even before I was born. After that, when I was born, he carried me, even though I was burdened with innumerable abominations of wickedness and sin; and in order that he might make known the more the unspeakable and immeasurable greatness of his mercy toward me, he remitted my exceedingly great and innumerable sins out of sheer grace. After that he also showered me with such a great abundance of grace that I not only recognized for myself what was given to us in Christ, but I should also preach this to others.

The merits of all people are of the same kind, especially the old fools who have toiled in the muck of human justice before others.

And called by his grace.

See how carefully the apostle chooses his expression (diligentiam). "He has called me," he says. How? Because of my Pharisaism, because of my blameless and holy life, because of my prayers, fasting and works? No, but much less because of my blasphemies, persecutions and acts of violence. How then? Out of pure grace.

V. 16: That he manifested his Son in me.

Here you hear what teaching is given and commanded to Paul, namely the teaching of the Gospel, which is a revelation of the Son of God. This teaching is different from the law, which does not reveal the Son of God, but indicates sin, terrifies the conscience, reveals death, the wrath and judgment of God, and hell. All this is not the Son of GOd. So the gospel is such a doctrine, which does not admit any law. Oh, who could make a good distinction here, so that he would not look for a law in the Gospel, but would separate the two as far from each other as heaven is from earth! This difference is in itself easy, certain and clear, but for us difficult, yes, almost incomprehensible. You may easily say that

106 Dri 6ai-1> II3-11S. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1692-1696. 107

The gospel is nothing other than the revelation of the Son of God, than the knowledge of Jesus Christ, it is not the revelation or knowledge of the law, but to hold this immovably in the distress of the conscience, and when one has to put it into practice, is difficult even for the most experienced.

If the gospel is the revelation of the Son of God, as Paul describes it here, then it certainly does not accuse and terrify the conscience, does not threaten death and does not lead to despair, as the law does, but it is the teaching of Christ, who is certainly neither a law nor a work, but our righteousness, wisdom, sanctification and redemption, 1 Cor. 1:30. 1, 30. Although this is brighter than the sun at noon, the nonsense and blindness of the papists has been so great that they have made a law of love out of the gospel and a lawgiver out of Christ, who gave more severe commandments than Moses himself.

The gospel teaches that Christ did not come to give a new law or to teach us how to walk in righteousness (de moribus), but that he came to be the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, to forgive us our sins, and to give us eternal life because of him, not because of the works of the law or our righteousness. Of this abundant treasure, which is given to us freely, the gospel actually preaches. Therefore, it is a doctrine that cannot be learned or attained by any effort, diligence or wisdom of men, nor even by the divine law, but by God Himself. As Paul says here: "It is revealed"; first through the outward word, then inwardly through the Holy Spirit.

The gospel is therefore the word of God, which came down from heaven and is revealed by the Holy Spirit, who was also sent for this purpose, but in such a way that the outward word precedes it. For even Paul himself did not have an inward revelation until he had first heard the outward word from heaven, namely this Acts 9:4, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" 2c. So first he heard the outward

Only then did the revelations follow, the knowledge of the Word, faith and the gifts of the Spirit.

That I should preach him through the gospel among the Gentiles.

205. Paul arranges his words in a suitable way: "It pleased God well," he says, "to reveal His Son in me." For what purpose ? Not only so that I myself should believe in the Son of God, but also make Him known among the Gentiles. Why not among the Jews? And here you see that Paul is actually the apostle of the Gentiles, although he also preached Christ among the Jews.

Here Paul, as he often does, sums up his theology in the shortest possible way, but it is this: Preach Christ among the Gentiles; as if he wanted to say: I do not want to burden the Gentiles with the law, because I am the apostle and the gospel preacher (evan- gelista) of the Gentiles, not their lawgiver. Thus he directs all words against the false apostles, as if to say: You have not heard, dear Galatians, that I taught the righteousness of the law or of works, for that belongs to Mosi, not to me, Paulo, the apostle of the Gentiles. For I have the ministry and service of the gospel to you (ad vos), that I may preach to you the same revelation which I have. Therefore you do not need to hear a teacher who teaches the law, because among the Gentiles not the law but the gospel is to be preached, not Moses but the Son of God, not the righteousness of works but of faith. This is the real preaching that concerns the Gentiles.

Immediately I went to, and did not discuss it with flesh and blood.

In this passage Jerome harshly attacks Porphyrius and Julianus, who accuse Paul of being presumptuous, because he did not want to discuss his gospel with the other apostles; likewise, that Paul called the apostles flesh and blood.

208 But to say it briefly, Paul is not talking about the apostles here, since he mentions "flesh and blood", because he immediately adds: "Neither came to Jerusalem to those who were

108 6^-1-11^-117. Explanation of Galatians 1, 16-20. W. vin, isW-isgg. 109

But what he means is that after he received the revelation of the gospel from Christ, he did not consult with anyone in Damascus, much less ask anyone to teach him the gospel, that he did not go to Jerusalem to Peter and the other apostles to learn the gospel from them, but that he immediately preached in Damascus, where he had received baptism from Ananias, and the latter had laid his hands on him (for he had to have an outward sign and testimony of his calling), that Jesus was the Son of God. The same is written by Lucas, Apost. 9, 20.

V.17. Neither came he to Jerusalem unto them that were apostles before me, but went into Arabia, and returned to Damascus.

That is, since I had neither seen nor consulted the apostles, I went to Arabia and immediately began to carry out my ministry of preaching the gospel among the Gentiles, to which I had been called and for which I had received divine revelation. In vain, therefore, does Jerome ask what Paul did in Arabia? For what else could he do but preach Christ? For this, he says, the Son of God was revealed to him, that he should preach him among the Gentiles. Therefore, he immediately went from Damascus, a pagan city, to Arabia, where there were also pagans, and there he carried out his ministry bravely, but did not first learn the gospel from any man or from the apostles, but was content with the heavenly calling and revelation of Christ alone.

Therefore, this whole passage is a kind of refutation of the reason that the false apostles used against Paul. For they said that he was a disciple and listener of the apostles, who lived according to the law; then that Paul himself also lived according to the law; therefore it was necessary that the Gentiles also kept the law and were circumcised. To shut these slanderers up, he tells this long story. Before my conversion,

1. Wittenberger: eontutsrim, instead of: eontulsrit.

he says, I did not learn my gospel from the apostles or other believing brethren, for I persecuted and disturbed not only this doctrine, but also the church of God to the utmost; but not even after my conversion, because immediately at Damascus I preached, not Moses with fine law, but Christ, without consulting anyone or seeing the apostles.

We can also boast that we did not receive our teaching from the pope. We have received from him the Holy Scriptures and the outward creeds (symbola), but not the doctrine which has come to us only through God's gift. After that our studying, reading and researching has come to it. So this is not something that our adversaries want to claim today: Who would believe your teaching, you Lutherans, since you are not in public office? You must receive the teaching from the pope, from the bishops, who are ordained for this and are in the rightful office 2c.

V. 19, 20: After three years I came to Jerusalem to see Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles, except Jacobum, the brother of the Lord.

Paul confesses that he was with the apostles, but not with all of them. However, he indicates that he went to them in Jerusalem, not by command, but voluntarily. Further, not to learn anything from them, but only to see Peter. Lucas writes the same in the Acts of the Apostles, Cap. 9, 27, that Barnabas led Paul to the apostles and told them how he had seen the Lord on the road and how he had talked with him and how he had preached the name of Jesus freely in Damascus. Barnabas gave him this testimony.

All his words are directed to deny the claim that he received his gospel from a man. He admits that he saw Peter and Jacob, the brother of the Lord, but no one else except these two, but he did not learn anything from them either 2c. So he admits that he was at Jerusalem with the apostles, and the false apostles were right in saying this. He further admits.

110 Dri. 1, 117-120. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1699-1702. 111

that he had lived according to the Jewish way, but he had only done so with the Jews. For Paul followed the rule: "If you live in Rome, keep to Roman customs. He also testifies to this in his first letter to the Corinthians, Cap. 9, 19-22: "Although I am free from everyone," he says, "I have made myself a servant to everyone, so that I may win many of them. To the Jews I have become as a Jew 2c. I have become all things to all men, that I might save some everywhere." So he admits that he was with the apostles at Jerusalem, but he denies that he learned his gospel from them, likewise he denies that he was forced to teach the gospel as the apostles had prescribed. So the emphasis is on the word "see". He says: I went up [to Jerusalem to see Peter, not to learn from him. Therefore neither Peter nor Jacobus became my teacher. But he absolutely denies that he has seen others.

But why does Paul do this in so many words that he almost exaggerates that he did not receive his gospel from a man, nor did he even learn it from the apostles? He wants to make the churches of Galatia, which have already been destroyed by the false apostles, certain that his gospel is the word of God. That is why he insists so strongly on it. And if he had not proved this most firmly, he would not have been able to destroy the false apostles, because they would have opposed him: We are as good as Paul, for we are disciples of the apostles as well as he; then he is only one person and stands alone, but ours are many. We therefore have the advantage over him in reputation and number. So Paul was forced to boast, to claim and swear that he had not learned the gospel from any man, nor had he himself received it from the apostles; and it was the highest necessity to boast in such a way, not vain boasting, as Porphyrius and Julianus blaspheme, who no more recognized than Jerome what Paul was up to here.

215 Here Paul's ministry was in danger, and all the churches were in danger.

The need of the ministry and of all the churches required Paul to boast of his profession with a necessary and holy pride. Therefore, the need of the ministry and all the churches required Paul to boast with a necessary and holy pride about his profession and the revelation of the gospel that he had received from Christ, so that the consciences would be assured that Paul's teaching was the word of God. This was a great and serious matter, namely, that all the churches should be preserved in sound doctrine; in short, it was a matter of eternal life and eternal death. For when the right pure and certain word is taken away, there is no more comfort, no more blessedness, no more life 2c. Therefore, he tells this story with the intention of keeping the churches in the right doctrine, but does not argue about defending his honor, as Porphyrius blasphemes. He wanted to prove with this story that he had not received his gospel from any man, and that he had preached the same gospel in Damascus and Arabia from divine revelation for several years, three or four. He preached the same gospel as the apostles before he had seen any of the apostles.

Here Jerome plays with the spiritual interpretation (in mysterio) of the fifteen days. Likewise, he says that Paul was taught by Peter during these fifteen days and instructed in the mystery of the numbers eight and seven (ogdoadis et hebdoadis). But this serves no purpose. For Paul says in clear words that he came to Jerusalem to see Peter and that he stayed with him for fifteen days. If he had had to learn the gospel from Peter, he would have had to stay there for several years; in fifteen days he would not have become such a great apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, to say nothing of the fact that in these fifteen days, as Lucas testifies in Acts Cap. 9, 28. f., he freely preached the name of JEsu and consulted with the Greeks 2c.

V. 20. But what I write to you, behold, God knows I am not lying.

Why does he add an oath? Because he tells the story, that is why the

112 Lri. 6ai. 1, 120-122. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 1, 20-24. W. VIII, I7S2-I7O9. 11Z

Noth, so that the churches would believe him. To swear that the false apostles could not say: Who knows if Paul is telling the truth?

You see that Paul, the chosen instrument of Christ, was so despised that he had to swear by his Galatians, to whom he had preached Christ, that he was telling the truth. If this happened to the apostles, that they had such powerful opponents that they dared to despise them and accuse them of lying, what wonder if the same happens to us today, who are not worthy to be compared with the apostles? He therefore swears, as it seems, in a minor matter, that he is telling the truth, namely that he stayed with Peter only to see him, but not to learn from him. But if you look at the matter more closely, it is a great and serious matter, as is evident from the above. So we also swear according to Paul's example: God knows that we are not lying 2c.

V. 21. After that I came to the countries of Syria and Cilicia.

Syria and Cilicia are neighboring countries. Here, he is constantly concerned with proving that he was, before

He said that he had always been a teacher of the Gospel, which he had received through the revelation of Christ, but he had never been a disciple.

V. 22-24. But I was unknown to the Christian churches in Judea. But they alone had heard that he who once persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once destroyed, and they praised God over me.

220 He adds this to draw the conclusion from the story that he preached in Syria and Cilicia after seeing Peter, and preached there in such a way that he received a testimony from all the churches in Judea, as if he wanted to say: I appeal to the testimony of all the churches in Judea as well. Not only in Damascus, Arabia, Syria and Cilicia, but also in Judea, the churches testify that I have preached the faith which I used to persecute and disturb, and they praise God above me, not because I have taught that one must keep circumcision and the Law of Moses, but because I have preached the faith and edified the churches by my ministry of the gospel. So you have the testimony, not only of the people of Damascus in Arabia 2c., but also of the whole Christian church in Judea 2c.

The second chapter.

V. 1. After this, for fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem.

1 Paul taught that the Gentiles were justified by faith alone, without the work of the law. After he had spread this everywhere among the Gentiles, he came to Antioch and preached it to the disciples. There, those who had been accustomed to the law from their youth rose up against Paul because they were displeased that he preached to the Gentiles that they were free from the law, and a very bitter dispute arose, which later caused new unrest. Paul and Barnabas stood firm, testifying and saying:

Everywhere we preached among the Gentiles, the Holy Spirit came and fell on those who heard the word, and this happened in all the churches of the Gentiles. We did not preach circumcision, nor did we require the observance of the law, but we preached only faith in Christ. And for this preaching of faith in Christ, God gave the Holy Spirit to those who heard it.

2 So the Holy Spirit approves the faith of the Gentiles without law and circumcision. For when this preaching of the gospel is preached to him

114 6ai. 1, 122-124. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1709-1712. 115.

and the faith of the Gentiles in Christ had not fallen, he would not have come down visibly as a sign (visibili signo) on the uncircumcised who heard the word. Since then, although they alone heard by faith, he fell upon them, it is quite certain that the Holy Spirit approved the faith of the Gentiles by this sign. For it has never been known before that this was done in the preaching of the law. This was the proof reason of Paul and Barnabas.

(3) Then the Jews and many of the Pharisees, who had become believers, and yet were still fiercely zealous and contended for the preservation of the honor of the law, arose with great impetuosity against Paul, who maintained that the Gentiles were justified by faith alone, without the work of the law, and insisted that the law must be kept and the Gentiles must be circumcised, otherwise the Gentiles could not be saved. And this was no wonder. For the very name: God's law, is holy and terrifying. Even a pagan who has never known anything about the law of God will truly be moved when he hears: This teaching is the law of God. How should those not be moved and fight fiercely for the law of God who have been trained in it from their earliest youth and to whom it has become flesh and blood, as they say? Nowadays we see with what tenacity the papists fight for the preservation of their statutes and doctrines of the devil. It was much less surprising that the Jews fought with such great diligence and zeal for their law, which they had received from God.

4. so great is the power of habit, which makes nature, which already has an inclination to the law, so stiff and firm in holding above the law that when habit is added, which has been confirmed by long time and continued custom, it becomes the other (duplex) nature. 1) Hence

1. Here the Latin editions have the correct marginal gloss: Oonsustuüo altern natura. - This sentence is, as three bracketed words show, somewhat deficient and therefore difficult to translate. Menius has therefore also helped himself here with a 'paraphrase'.

it was impossible for the Jews who had been converted to Christ to leave the law immediately. They had accepted faith in Christ, but nevertheless believed that the law had to be kept at the same time.

5 And this weakness of theirs God bore for a time, until the doctrine of the gospel might be purely separated from the law. He also bore the weakness of Israel in the time of Ahab, when the people limped on both sides. Yes, he also bore our weakness under the papacy, for he is patient and very merciful. But we do not have to abuse this goodness of God, nor do we have to persist in weakness and error, since the truth is revealed to us through the light of the Gospel.

6 Furthermore, those who insisted against Paul that the Gentiles must be circumcised had for themselves the law of the fathers, the example of the apostles, and finally the example of Paul himself, who had circumcised Timothy. Therefore, when Paul said that he did this not because it was necessary, but in Christian freedom and love, so that the weak in faith would not be annoyed, who would understand or believe this? Here the whole crowd answered him simply: "Since it is obvious that you circumcised Timothy, you may say what you will; you did it anyway. For this matter is far beyond human understanding. Then even a defense is of no use if someone has lost the favor (plausum) of the people and has gotten involved in such a hateful matter. Therefore, when Paul saw this strife and clamor increasing daily, and he was also warned by a divine revelation, he went up to Jerusalem after fourteen years (not counting the years he had been preaching in Damascus and Arabia) to discuss his gospel with the apostles, not for his own sake, but for the sake of the people.

2. But this dispute, which arose over whether one must keep the law, subsequently weighed Paul down for a long time and caused him much trouble. However, I do not believe that this is the same trade that Lucas
3. This whole paragraph is missing in Menius.

116 Li-I. OLi. 1, 124-126. Explanation of Galatians 2, 1. 2. W. VIII, I7I2-17IS. 117

In the fifteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, which seems to have occurred immediately in the beginning of the Gospel, but the story that Paul tells here seems to have happened long after, since he had already preached the Gospel for almost eighteen years.

With Barnaba and took Titum also with me.

He takes two witnesses with him, Barnabas and Titus. Barnabas helped Paul preach freedom from the law among the Gentiles. Then he also witnessed all that Paul had done. He had seen how the Gentiles, who were not circumcised and free from the law of Moses, had been given the Holy Spirit only when preaching faith in Christ, and he alone held to Paul in this article that it was not necessary to interpret the law to the Gentiles, but that it was sufficient for them to believe in Christ. Therefore, he testified from his own experience, together with Paul, against the Jews who were zealous for the law, that the Gentiles would become children of God and be saved through faith in Christ alone, without law and without circumcision.

8. but Titus was not only a Christian, but also an archbishop, to whom Paul had given the commission to order the churches in Crete, Tit. 1, 5. he had been a Gentile 2c.

V. 2. But I went up out of a revelation.

9 For if Paul had not been warned by a revelation, he would not have gone. But because God warned him by a special revelation and commanded him to go up, he went, so that he might silence, or at least pacify, those who had believed from the circumcision and claimed that the law must be kept, so that the truth of the gospel might shine all the brighter and be confirmed.

And discussed with them about the Gospel.

10 So you hear that he came to Jerusalem only after eighteen years, and had an interview with the apostles about his gospel.

That I preach among the Gentiles.

(11) For among the Jews he tolerated the law and circumcision for a time, as did the other apostles. He says, 1 Cor. 9, 22: "I have become all things to all men", but in such a way that the teaching of his gospel would remain unharmed, and he absolutely wanted that the law, the circumcision, the apostles and an angel from heaven should depart from it. For this is what he says to the Jews, Apost. 13,38: "Through this Jesus Christ forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you (and emphatically he adds), of all things by which you could not be justified in the law of Moses." That is why he everywhere pushes out the doctrine of the Gospel and nowhere suffers it to be put in danger. However, he did not force his way through once, but took the weak into consideration. And so that the weak would not be annoyed, he undoubtedly spoke to the Jews in such a way: If the useless observance (cultus) of the Mosaic Law pleases you - for it does not serve to attain righteousness - I will not take it away from you, keep it, only that the Gentiles who do not observe it will not be burdened with it 2c.

(12) So Paul admits that he discussed the gospel with the apostles, but he says, "They did not give us anything or teach us anything, but rather, in order to preserve the freedom of the gospel, in view of the apostles, we fiercely resisted those who demanded and insisted that the Gentiles be charged with the law, and we overcame them. Therefore your false apostles lie when they say that we circumcised Timothy, that we had the head circumcised at Keuchrea, that we went out to Jerusalem, all by command of the apostles. On the contrary, we boast that when we went to Jerusalem by a revelation of God, not by command of the apostles, and there discussed the gospel with them, we did just the opposite, that is, we obtained that the apostles applauded us, not those who stood against us.

13. In this discussion about the Gospel, this question was dealt with: whether men are justified without the Law.

118 ki-i. s "i. i, 1W-I2S. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vni, 1715-1719. 119

or whether keeping the law is necessary for justification? Then Paul said: "According to my gospel, which I received from God, I preached faith in Christ to the Gentiles, not the law, and in this preaching of faith they received the Holy Spirit, and for this I have Barnabas as a witness. Therefore I conclude that the Gentiles do not have to be burdened with the law, that they are not to be circumcised either. But I do not deny this to the Jews; if they want to keep the law and be circumcised, I allow it; only they may do it with a free conscience. In this way I have also taught and lived among the Jews, I have become a Jew to the Jews 2c. 1 Cor. 9:20, but always in such a way that my gospel remained unharmed.

But especially with those who had the prestige.

14 That is, I did not confer with the brothers alone, but also with those who were the most distinguished.

So that I would not run or have run in vain.

(15) Not that Paul doubted whether he was running in vain or had run, because he had already preached for eighteen years, and it immediately follows in the text that he had remained steadfast in his teaching and had been right in it; but [he says this^ because many thought that he had preached in vain for so many years, because he delivered the Gentiles from the law. Then also the false opinion grew stronger day by day that the law was necessary for justification. Therefore, when he went up from Revelation, he wanted to remedy this evil in such a way that it would become clear to everyone from this conversation that his gospel did not deviate from the teaching of the other apostles, in order to shut the mouths of the adversaries who would otherwise have said that he was running or had run in vain.

16. casually take heed to this, that this is the fruit (virtutem) of one's own righteousness or law, that those who teach the same run and live in vain.

V. 3. But neither was Titus compelled to circumcise himself, who was with me, though he was a Greek.

(17) This word, "he was compelled," sufficiently indicates the nature of the discussion and its conclusion, namely this: Circumcision is not to be imposed on the Gentiles, but it is to be permitted to the Jews for a time, not as if it were necessary for righteousness, but out of reverence for the fathers, and also for the sake of love, so that the weak may not be vexed until they too become strong in the faith. For it would have been very ungentlemanly (incivile) if the law and the paternal worship, which had been given to this people by God Himself with such great glory, had been dropped all at once.

So Paul did not reject circumcision as if it were condemned by God, nor did he urge the Jews away from it by word or deed. For he says 1 Cor. 7, 18: "If anyone is called circumcised, let him not bear witness to foreskin." He rejects circumcision as something that is not necessary for righteousness, since even the fathers were not justified by it, but it only served them as a seal of righteousness faith, Rom. 4, 11, by which they testified and practiced their faith.

19 But the believing Jews, who were still weak and zealous for the law, hearing that circumcision was not necessary for righteousness, could not understand this other than that it was completely useless and condemned. And the false apostles strengthened the weak in this delusion, so that the people's minds, embittered by this adversity - for it seemed to be such - were made completely suspicious of Paul's teaching.

(20) So also today we do not condemn fasting and other pious practices as damnable things, but we teach that by these practices we do not obtain the forgiveness of sins (2c). As soon as the people hear this, they immediately judge that we condemn good works, and the papists strengthen the people in this opinion by their sermons and writings; but they lie and do us wrong.

120 6ai. 1, 129-131. Explanation d. Galatians 2, 3. W. VIII, I7IS-1722. 121

right. For for many hundreds of years no one has taught better and more godly of works than we do now 2c.

Therefore, circumcision was not rejected by Paul in such a way that it was a sin to receive or keep it, for that would have caused the Jews a great deal of trouble, but in the council and in this discussion it was determined (definitum) that it was not necessary for justification and therefore not to be imposed on the Gentiles. Thus, the means and the cheap provision (έπίείχεί") was made that the Jews should have a period of

They should not, however, seek to be justified by it, nor should they impose it on the Gentiles, because it would appear to them as a kind of innovation, but would then also be an unbearable burden, Acts 15:10. In short, no one should be forced to be circumcised, but no one should be kept from circumcision by force.

(22) This passage of Paul was the subject of a heated argument between Jerome and Augustine. The word "he was forced" shows that Augustine was right. Jerome did not understand the matter. For here it is not spoken of what Peter or Paul had done in circumcising or not circumcising, as Jerome thinks, and therefore wonders how Paul could have presumed to blame Peter for what he himself had done, for, he says, Paul circumcised Timothy, and lived Gentile with the Gentiles and Jewish with the Jews 2c. He does not think that this is a serious matter. Therefore, he concludes that neither of them sinned, but fabricates that both of them were guilty of hypocrisy by lying out of favor (officioso mendacio). But all these questions here were and are serious and concern the most important things, therefore they Peter and Paul did nothing hypocritically.

This was the main question, whether the law was necessary for justification or not. Paul and Peter argue about this main proposition, which is the epitome of the entire Christian doctrine. Paul was a

He is too important (gravior) a man to attack and punish Peter so freely in the face of the whole church at Antioch for the sake of a very trivial matter. So he attacks him for the sake of the main article of Christian doctrine. For when there were no Jews, Peter ate with the Gentiles, but when Jews came there, he separated himself from the Gentiles 2c. This is why Paul chastises him, that by his hypocrisy he urges the Gentiles to live Jewishly (ju- daisare). The whole emphasis is on the word: "you force"; Jerome did not see that.

24 Thus Paul did not force anyone who wanted to be circumcised to remain uncircumcised, only that he should know that circumcision was not necessary for justification. Paul wanted to eliminate this compulsion. He allowed the Jews to keep the law with a free conscience, because he always taught both the Jews and the Gentiles that they had to be free in conscience from law and circumcision, just as all the patriarchs and saints in the Old Testament were free in conscience and were justified by faith, not by law or circumcision.

25 And Paul could have allowed Titus to be circumcised, but he did not want to do it because he saw that they wanted to force him to do it. For if those who insisted on circumcision had obtained it, they would have immediately concluded that it was necessary for justification, and would have gained the upper hand by such permission.

26. so we also leave everyone free to put on or take off a cap, to enter or leave a monastery, to eat meat dishes or vegetables, only that he does this freely and without offense of conscience, or at least to serve the brother, or as an example of love, and not of faith, and know that all this does not serve to do enough for the sins and to earn grace 2c.

(27) But just as the false apostles did not leave the keeping of the law and circumcision free, but held them up as necessary for salvation, so today our adversaries claim most strongly that humanity is not a matter of the law and circumcision is not a matter of the law.

122 Lri. 1, 131-133. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1722-1726. 123

These laws could not be omitted without risking salvation, thus turning the example of love into an example of faith, since there is only one example of faith, namely, that one believes in Jesus Christ. And as this alone is necessary for salvation, so it also concerns all men.

But our adversaries would rather worship the devil ten times in God's stead than admit this. Therefore they become more and more hardened day by day and want to bring in their ungodly nature and their blasphemies against God again as before, and defend them by force, but do not give way to us a finger's breadth. Therefore, in the name of the Lord of hosts, we too want to continue fearlessly to glorify the glory of Christ and to fight against the kingdom of the Antichrist with word and prayer, so that only the name of God may be sanctified, His kingdom come, and His will be done. That this may happen in a short time, we ask with all our heart, amen, amen.

(29) This was a glorious triumph for Paul, that Titus the Gentile, who had been placed in the midst of all the apostles and believers, where this question was so vehemently disputed, was not forced to be circumcised. This triumph Paul carried away, and he says that it was established by this conversation, with the consent of all the apostles and with the approval of the whole church, that Titus should not be circumcised. This is a strong and firm and very weighty proof against the false apostles. And Paul knows how to drive his enemies into a corner and to press them hard with this proof: "Titus was also not forced" 2c., as if he wanted to say: How the false apostles speak so lyingly against me, that I was forced to keep the circumcision, while it is the apostles who have just made this determination (mandantibus) that Titus should not be forced to circumcision, since I have the testimony of all the believers in Jerusalem, yes, also of the apostles themselves, that at my instigation the opposite was decided. And there I did not only win the victory that Titus remained uncircumcised,

but have obtained the victory by the consent and approval of the apostles. So your false apostles are lying, that they are hypnotizing me under the name of the apostles and deceiving you with it, because I did not have the apostles and all believers against me, but on my side, and I prove this with this example of Titus.

(30) But Paul, as I have often said, did not condemn circumcision as something useless, nor did he force anyone to be circumcised, because in it there is neither sin nor righteousness, whether one is circumcised or uncircumcised, just as eating and drinking is neither sin nor righteousness. For whether thou eatest or eatest not, thou shalt not be better or worse for it, 1 Cor. 8:8. But if any man come and put sin or righteousness into it, saying, If thou eatest, thou sinest; if thou eatest not, thou art righteous; or again, he would be foolish and ungodly.

Therefore, it is ungodliness if one wants to deal with ceremonies in such a way that sin or righteousness is attached to them, as the pope does, who threatens in his banishment formula that all who do not obey the pope's laws would thereby put their souls in danger. Therefore, he makes all his laws necessary for salvation.

Therefore the devil speaks through the pope and his decrees. For if salvation is in keeping the laws of the pope, what need have we of Christ as a justifier and a beatifier? 1)

For when some false brethren had intruded, and crept in beside us, to make known our liberty which we have in Christ JEsu, that they might take us captive, we departed not one hour from being subject unto them, that the truth of the gospel might stand with you.

Here Paul shows the reason why he went to Jerusalem and discussed his gospel with the apostles.

1. Here Menius has inserted a longer section as § 32, which is not found in the Latin original. In order to maintain the same numbering of paragraphs as in Walch's old edition, we have separated the preceding section from § 31 and made a special paragraph out of it.

124 2ri. 1, 133-135. Explanation of Galatians 2, 4. 5. W. VIII, 1726-1729. 125

and did not want Titus to be circumcised, not so that he could be assured of the gospel through the apostles and be strengthened in it, for he had no doubt about that, but "so that the truth of the gospel might stand" among the Galatians and all the churches of the Gentiles. Therefore you see that this trade of Paul was not a joke or a small thing.

(34) When he says, "The truth of the gospel," he indicates that there is a twofold gospel, one true and one false. The gospel itself is only one, simple, true and pure, but it is counterfeited and perverted by the wickedness of Satan's servants. Therefore, since he says, "The truth of the gospel," he wants to be understood also that which is contrary to the truth, as if to say: The false apostles also preach the faith and the gospel, but both are false; and therefore I have so vehemently opposed them, and by this my obstinacy, that I would not yield to them 1) I have brought this about, that the truth of the gospel endures with you.

(35) Thus, today, the pope and the spirits boast that they teach the gospel and faith in Christ. They do teach this, but with the same benefit as formerly the false apostles, of whom Paul says above, Cap. 1, 7, that they confuse the churches and pervert the gospel of Christ 2c. On the other hand, he says that he teaches the truth of the gospel, that is, the pure and true gospel, as if to say: What the false apostles teach, though they speak certain truth, is nothing but lies. Those who hear them receive from them empty talk (vanitatem) and lies instead of the gospel. In this way, all heretics pretend to the name of God, Christ, the Church 2c. They also promise that they do not want to teach lies and errors, but the absolute truth and the completely pure gospel.

(36) Now it is the truth of the gospel that our righteousness is by faith alone, without the works of the law. The untruth (falsitas) or the falsification

1. Wittenberger: ersäsrs instead of esäsrs.

of the gospel is that we are justified by faith, but not without the works of the law. With this condition attached, the false apostles preached the gospel.

(37) The school theologians (sophistae = scholastics) and our papists have done the same, namely, one must believe in Christ, and faith is the reason for salvation, but it does not justify if it has not gained a form through love (fides formata caritate). This is not the truth, but an appearance and fictitious pretense of the gospel. The true gospel, however, is that works or love are not the adornment or completion of faith, but that faith, in itself, is the gift of God and the work of God in the heart, which therefore justifies because it takes hold of the Savior Christ Himself. Human reason has to do with the law (objectum habet legem): I have done this, I have not done that. But faith, when it is in its actual office, has nothing else to do with than with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was given for the sins of the whole world. He does not focus on love, he does not say: What have I done? What have I sinned? What have I deserved? but: What did Christ do? What did he deserve? There speaks the truth of the gospel: He has redeemed you from sin, from the devil, from eternal death. Therefore faith recognizes that in this person, Jesus Christ, it has forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Whoever steps out of this circle (objecto = objects, with which faith has to do), does not have true faith, but an empty appearance and delusion and turns his eyes from the promise to the law, which arouses terror and drives to despair.

(38) Therefore, what the scholastic theologians have taught, that faith justifies when it has gained a form through love, is nothing but a ringing with strange words (mera verborum portenta). For the faith that takes hold of Christ, the Son of God, and is adorned by him, justifies; not the faith that includes love. For if faith is to be certain and firm, it must take hold of nothing but Christ alone,

126 Li-I. Sai. 1, 135-137. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1729-1732. 127

and can lean on nothing else in the struggle and terror of the conscience but this pearl. Therefore, no matter how much the law terrifies him, no matter how much the burden of sins weighs him down, he who takes hold of Christ in faith can still boast that he is righteous. How or by what? Through the precious stone of Christ, which he possesses in faith.

(39) Our adversaries do not understand this, so they throw away the precious stone of Christ and put in its place love, which they say is the precious stone. But since they do not know what faith is, it is impossible for them to have faith, much less to teach it to others. But what they have is a dream, a delusion and natural reason, not faith.

40 I say this for this reason, so that you may understand that Paul says with special emphasis, "the truth of the gospel," in order to rebuke the opposite. For with these words he drags through the false apostles and accuses them of having taught a false gospel, for they insisted on circumcision and the keeping of the law as necessary for salvation. Then they persecuted Paul with great cunning and deceit. They were waiting to see if he would circumcise Titus and if he would dare to resist them in the presence of the apostles. Therefore he smites them with very fierce words. They wanted, he says, to make known our freedom, which we have in Christ, that they would take us captive. Therefore, the false apostles prepared themselves with all their might and had everything ready against Paul in order to denigrate and suppress him in every possible way in front of the whole church.

(41) And to this they would take advantage of the reputation of the apostles, accusing him in their presence, saying, "Paul, though uncircumcised, brings Titus into the assembly of all believers, denying and condemning the law in your presence, the apostles. If he now dares to oppose it here, what should he not presume to do among the Gentiles, where you are not present? When he saw that he was being attacked with these plots, he resisted the false apostles most strongly and said:

We did not want to let our freedom, which we have in Christ JEsu, be endangered, however much the false brethren pursued us and pressed us, but, since the apostles themselves were judges of it, we overcame them and did not want to give way to them even for one hour (for no doubt they will have said: Dear Paul, give in to this freedom at least for a little while), because we saw that they insisted on the law in such a way as if it were necessary for salvation. If they had only asked for an indulgence out of brotherly love, Paul would have given way to them, but they were looking for something else, namely, that they might imprison Paul and all who adhered to his teaching. That is why he did not want to give way to them even for a moment.

(42) Thus we also offer ourselves against the papists in all things that can be refrained from, and more than we ought to do, excepting only the liberty of conscience which we have in Christ Jesus. For we do not want to be forced or have our consciences bound to any work, as if, if we do this or that, we are righteous, but if we omit it, we are condemned. For we want to use the same food as they do, we want to keep their holidays and fasts, if they would only let us keep all this of our own free will, and let these threatening words, with which they have so far frightened and subjugated the whole world, stand: We command, we impose, we impose again, we put under ban 2c. But this we cannot obtain, that they let us have this freedom, just as Paul could not obtain it at that time. Therefore we do just as he did. For since he could not obtain this liberty, he would not yield one hour to the false apostles.

43 Just as the adversaries do not want to leave us unharmed that faith alone in Christ alone makes us righteous, so we do not want to and cannot give way to them in this matter either, that faith, which has gained a form through love, justifies. Here we want to and must rebel against it and be persistent, otherwise we would lose the truth of the gospel, we would-

128 Li-1. 1, 137-140. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 2, 4. 5. W. VIII, 1732-1735. 129

We would lose our freedom, which we do not have in the emperor, kings, princes, not in the pope, the world, flesh, blood, reason 2c., but in Christ JEsu; we would lose faith in Christ, who, as I said above, grasps nothing else but the precious stone Christ.

(44) If the adversaries would leave us untouched (salvam) this faith, by which we are born again, justified and implanted in Christ, we offer to do everything, if only it does not conflict with this faith. But since we cannot obtain this from them, we in turn do not want to yield to them in the slightest. For this is a serious and great matter, namely the death of the Son of God, who became man according to the will and by the command of the Father, was crucified and died for the sins of the whole world. If faith gives way here, this death, resurrection 2c. of the Son of GOD is in vain, it is then also a fable that Christ is the Savior of the world, indeed, GOD Himself is invented a liar, because He did not keep what He promised. Our persistence in this matter is therefore a godly and holy one. For by this alone we seek to preserve our freedom, which we have in Christ Jesus, and to keep the truth of the gospel. For if we lose this, we lose God, Christ, all promises, faith, righteousness and eternal life.

(45) But someone would say, "The law is divine and holy. It has its honor after all, but no law, be it as divine and holy as it can be, shall teach me that I am justified thereby and attain life. I admit that it teaches me that I should love God and my neighbor, likewise live in chastity, patience, etc., but it should not show me how I should be freed from sins, the devil, death and hell.

Here I am to consult and hear the gospel, which teaches, not what I should do, for that is the proper office of the law, but what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has done for me, namely, that he suffered and died for me to set me free from sin and death.

This is what the gospel commands me to accept and believe, and this is and is called the truth of the gospel.

(47) And this is the main article of the whole Christian doctrine, in which the knowledge of all godliness consists. Therefore, it is most important that it be well known and constantly emphasized. For, as it is exceedingly tender, so it is also very easily violated. Paul experienced this, and so do all the godly.

48 In short, Paul did not want to circumcise Titus for no other reason than, as he says, because some false brethren had intruded with him to make known the freedom 2c. who wanted to force Paul to circumcise him. When Paul saw this compulsion and need, he would not yield to them even for an hour, but resisted them with all his might, and therefore says: "Even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he were a Gentile" 2c. If they had demanded this of him according to the law of love or as a brotherly service, he would not have refused them, but because they wanted it and insisted that this should be done as an evil example to take the consciences captive and destroy the whole gospel, he resisted them most strongly and prevailed and obtained that Titus should not be circumcised.

(49) It seems to be a very small matter whether one is circumcised or not, but if it is because one puts his trust in the fact that he has been circumcised, or is afraid if circumcision has not been performed, then God is denied, as well as Christ, grace and all the promises of God. Otherwise, if circumcision were kept without this addition, there would be no danger.

50 So also, if the pope required his statutes to be nothing but ceremonies, it would not be burdensome for us to observe them. For what burden could it be if one had to wear a cap? or a plate? as we also use ceremonies. But if one hangs this great evil on the fact that in this trivial,

130 Nri. OLi. 1, 140-142. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1735-1739. 131

The fact that the name of a man is to stand for either life and salvation or death and eternal damnation is diabolical and blasphemous. Whoever does not raise his voice against this, let him be accursed. I can eat, drink, wear a cap and do everything that the pope has prescribed, if he only wanted to let all this be free. Now, however, since he wants to demand this as necessary for salvation, and bind consciences to it, and make these things a service pleasing to God, one must completely oppose it. There would be no harm in making a sculpture out of wood or stone, or a cast image pillar, but to make a service out of it, and to attach the deity to the wood or stone or the image pillar, that is, to worship an idol as God.

(51) Therefore, we must pay careful attention to what Paul is talking about here, so that we do not fall into inconsistencies with Jerome, who thought that the question and the trade was about the matter of circumcision itself. In this he was mistaken. For this is not the trade whether wood is wood, whether stone is stone, but of the addition, that is, how these things are to be used, whether this wood is GOD, or whether in this stone the Godhead dwells. Here we answer: Let wood be wood 2c. Circumcision is nothing, foreskin is nothing, says Paul 1 Cor. 7:19, but if one bases his righteousness on it, pays reverence to it, places confidence in it that he will be saved by it, or fears that he will earn eternal death by these things, that is, attaches deity to external statutes (ceremoniis). Therefore one must not give way to the adversaries even in the smallest part, just as Paul did not give way to the false apostles, because neither circumcision nor foreskin, neither plate nor cap, belongs to righteousness, but only and pure grace. This is the truth of the Gospel.

V. 6 But of those who had the reputation of what they once were, I have no concern.

This speech is one in which something is left out (ecliptica), because it is missing: "I have received nothing". But it must be credited to the Holy Spirit who speaks in Paul.

He is very eager to speak, but he does not hold his tongue when he violates grammar. He speaks with great zeal. But the one who is in the heat cannot observe the grammatical rules and the rhetorical regulations very carefully when speaking.

But this is a very vehement and proud refutation. For he does not even give the right apostles their title of honor, but says with a kind of disparagement: "who had the prestige", that is, who had the authority (erant in auctoritate), on whose wave and shaking of the head (renutu) everything depended. But in fact, the apostles had a very great prestige among all the churches, and Paul does not take away any of their honor. But he answers the false apostles so contemptuously, who everywhere held against Paul the reputation and the greatness of the apostles and their disciples, in order to belittle the reputation of Paul and to make his whole ministry suspicious.

Paul could not suffer this in any way. In order that the truth of the gospel and the freedom of conscience in Christ might endure among the Galatians and all the churches of the Gentiles, he answered the false apostles very proudly that he did not care how great the apostles were or what kind of apostles they had been in the past; furthermore, it did not bother him much that the prestige of the apostolic name was held against him by them. The apostles are certainly something important, and their reputation must be highly honored, but for this reason it cannot be admitted that for the sake of any name or title, no matter how great, whether that of an apostle or an angel from heaven, his gospel or his ministry should be endangered.

^1^55) And this reason was one of the strongest among those which the false apostles insisted on very strongly, namely in this way: The apostles lived with Christ for three years on quite intimate terms, heard and saw all his preaching and miracles, yes, they themselves also preached and did miracles while Christ still walked on earth. Paul, however, never saw him in the flesh.

1. The following until towards the end of § 56 is used by Aurifaber for the Table Talks, Cap. 1, § 61, and introduced with the words: "Doctor Luther said". In our edition of the Tischreden, this section is omitted.

132 Lru 6"1. 1, 142-144. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 2, 6. W. VIII, 1739-1742. 133

(in carne) and was converted only long after his glorification. What they the Galatians meant, which of the two should be believed? The one Paul, who was only a disciple and a later one at that, or the highest and greatest apostles, who were sent and confirmed by Christ himself long before Paul?

(56) To this Paul replies, "What else? This reason proves nothing. They may be great apostles after all, they may be angels from heaven, I do not care about that. We are not talking about the greatness of the apostles, but about the word of God and the truth of the Gospel. It is very important that this be preserved unharmed, and this must also have priority. Therefore, we are not interested in how great Peter and the other apostles were, how many and how great miracles they may have performed. We deal with this, that the truth of the gospel may stand with you. This responsibility seems to be quite weak, that he deliberately despises the reputation of the apostles, which is held against him by the false apostles, and does not oppose this their strongest reason of proof with any other counterproof than this: "There is nothing in it for me." But he adds a reason to this refutation:

For GOD does not respect the reputation of men.

57. he draws this saying from Moses, who used it more often Deut. 1, 17. 16, 19. 2 Deut. 23, 6.: "No person shall you look upon in judgment, neither the rich nor the poor" 2c. and it is a guideline

(γνώμη = a generally valid saying) or a theological judgment: God does not look at the person, and with this saying he shuts up the false teachers, as if he wanted to say: You hold against me those who have the reputation 2c. But God does not care about such things, he does not look at apostleship, not at bishopric, not at principality, he does not look at honor, at prestige 2c. and therefore as a sign he let one of the most distinguished apostles, namely Judas, fall and be condemned, likewise also one of the highest kings, namely the first one, namely Saul. Ishmael and Esau, who were both

who had the firstborn, he rejected. Thus, you will find throughout Scripture that God very often rejected those people who were the best and holiest in reputation.

And sometimes it seems as if God was cruel in such examples. But it was and still is of the utmost necessity that these horrible examples should happen and be described. For this error is inherent in our nature, that we admire the persons and regard them more than the word. On the other hand, God wants us to pay attention to the word and to base ourselves firmly on it; He wants us to choose the kernel and not the shell, to care more about the father of the house than about the house. He does not want us to admire and revere the apostleship of Peter and Paul, but Christ, who speaks through them, and God's word itself, which they bring and preach to us.

The natural (animalis) man cannot distinguish this, only the spiritual man distinguishes the person from the word, the divine larva from God Himself. But all creatures are the larva of God. Moreover, God does not deal with us face to face in this life, but veiled and under a larva, that is, as Paul says 1 Cor. 13:12: "We see Him now through a mirror in a dark word, but then face to face."

(60) Therefore, we cannot do without the larvae, but wisdom is needed to distinguish God from the larva, which the world does not have. When a miser hears that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that passes through the mouth of God, he eats the bread, but does not see God in the bread, because he only looks at the larva. He does the same with gold and other creatures; he trusts only as long as he has them, but when they are lacking, he despairs. Therefore, he does not worship the Creator, but the creature, not God, but the belly.

(61) I say this so that no one will think that Paul absolutely rejects and despises persons and bodies. For he does not say that there must be no person, but that before God there is no respect for persons. For.

134 Li-1. 6ai. 1, 144-146. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1742-1745. 135

they must be persons and larvae, and God has given them, and they are His good creatures, but we are not to worship and adore them. In the custom of things, not in the things themselves, lies all power, as I also said above §51. The fault is not in the circumcision or in the foreskin (for circumcision is nothing, foreskin is nothing), but in the custom. But if one wants to worship and adore circumcision and make a righteousness out of it, and a sin out of the foreskin, this is a damned custom which must be done away with; when this is done away with, circumcision and foreskin are good things.

Thus, the authorities, emperor, king, prince, mayor, doctor, preacher, teacher, pupil, father, mother, children, master, servant 2c. Persons or larvae whom God wants recognized as His creatures and held in all honor, which must also be in this life. But he does not want us to attach deity to them, that is, to fear and revere them, to trust in them and forget him.

63. And in order that God may the more easily draw us away from the admiration of persons, He causes sins to be committed against them, and causes them to fall, grievously and shamefully, 1) so that we may be reminded to distinguish between God and a person. So that David, the best king, would not be considered a perfon in whom one should put one's trust, God caused him to fall into heinous sins, as adultery, death 2c. The apostle Peter denied Christ. 2) These and similar examples, of which Scripture is full, are to warn us that we should not be attached to the person, nor should we think that if we have the person, we have everything (as happens in Pabbism, where everything is judged according to outward appearance; therefore it is quite unacceptable to think that we have everything).
64. Here, too, Menius translates incorrectly: "That is why our Lord God allows it to happen that one sometimes runs hard against such larvae and sins grossly" 2c. From this we see that Luther did not check this translation more closely, or at least did not have his improving hand on it.
65. The following, from here to the end of this paragraph, is included by Aurifaber in Cap. 1, ß 61 of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this piece is omitted.

and nothing at all but a reputation of the person) (προσωποληψία).

God has given all creatures for use and custom, not for worship and service. Use therefore the bread, wine, garments, goods, gold 2c., but do not trust in them and do not boast in them. For God alone is to be boasted of and trusted in; he alone is to be loved, feared and honored.

But here Paul understands by "the reputation of men" the apostolate or ministry of the apostles, who certainly performed many miraculous signs, taught many and converted them to the faith, and kept in intimate contact with Christ; in short, "the reputation" (persona) means the whole outward conduct of the apostles, which was holy, and their authority (auctoritatem), which was great. But GOtte does not care about this, he says, not that he does not care about it at all, but that he does not care about it where justification is concerned, no matter how great and glorious these things may be.

For we must carefully keep in mind this difference, that we speak of things quite differently in theology than in the world regiment. In the world regiment, God wants these persons to be honored, as I have said, as His larvae and instruments through which He governs and sustains the well. But when you come to the area of religion, where it concerns conscience, fear, trust, worship, no one should fear any person, no one should trust in him, no one should expect comfort from him, no one should hope that through him he can become physically or spiritually free.

^3^Therefore, God does not want the person to be considered in the court. For the judgment is God's business. Therefore, I shall neither fear nor love the judge, but my fear and confidence shall be in God, who is the right judge. I should indeed honor the worldly judge as a larva of God, and give him all honor for God's sake, but my conscience should be set on the judge.

3. This and the following paragraph is used by Aurifaber for Cap. 1, ß 61 of the Tischreden. In our edition of the Table Talks, this paragraph has been omitted.

136 Lri. o-o. 1, 146-148. Explanation of Galatians 2, 6, W. VIII, 1745-1748. 137

I will not trust and rely on his justice and righteousness, nor be frightened by his injustice and tyranny, that I should do anything against God, that is, that I should offend God with lies, with speaking false testimony, with denying the truth. Otherwise, I will gladly do honor to the judge.

(68) So I would honor the pope and do all honor to his person, if he left my conscience free and did not force me to sin against God. But he wants to be so feared and honored that one thereby offends the divine majesty. If one must lose one of the two, then let the person go and keep God. We would gladly bear the rule of the pope, but because he abuses it against us and wants to force us to deny and blaspheme God and to acknowledge him alone as Lord, and wants to bind and force our consciences against fear and trust in God, we are forced by God's command to oppose the pope, for it is written Apost. 5:29: "One must obey God more than men."

69 Therefore, we despise the reputation of the pope without offense of conscience, which is very comforting to us. Muenzer and other furious people also wanted the pope dead. But they wanted to do it with weapons, not with words, so they resisted him for the sake of the person, not for the sake of God. We would gladly grant the Behemoth and his scales all the prestige of the persons (personas) and dignities they have, if only they would let us have Christ. But since we cannot obtain this from them, we despise their being built on the distinction of persons (personatum) and confidently say with Paul: "God does not respect the reputation of men."

Therefore, the emphasis is on the word "God," for in matters of religion and the word of God, the person is not to be considered in any way. But if one asks about it outside of religion and where it does not concern God, then the answer is that

1. i.e. the pope and his entire appendix.

There must be respect for the person, and the person must look at the person, so that a disorderly being does not arise, and all respect and good order is not abolished. For in this area God wants order, respect and distinction of persons to be maintained. Otherwise, a son, a disciple, a subject, a servant would say: I am as much a Christian as my father, teacher, prince, lord 2c. Why then should I give him honor? Therefore in the sight of God all distinction of person ceases, there is neither Greek nor Jew, but all are one in Christ Gal. 3, 28, but in the sight of the race it is not the same 2c.

Thus Paul refutes the argument of the false apostles, which is taken from the reputation of the apostles, by saying that it is not timely, does not prove anything here, and therefore does not belong to the matter, because here a much more important matter is dealt with than the reputation of the persons, namely, a divine matter, of God, of the word of God, namely, whether it should be preferred to the apostleship or vice versa. Paul answered: "So that the truth of the gospel may stand, so that the word of God and the righteousness of faith may be preserved unharmed and pure - away with the apostleship, away with an angel from heaven, away with Paul and Peter.

But those who had the reputation taught me nothing else.

72 As if to say: I did not confer with the apostles for this reason, or set myself to confer with them, that they should teach me. For what could they have taught me? Since Christ had taught me abundantly about everything by His revelation, and I had been preaching the gospel among the Gentiles for eighteen years, and Christ had performed so many miracles through me, by which He confirmed my preaching. Therefore it was only a friendly conversation (collatio), not the discussion of a doubtful question (disputatio), in which I learned nothing, neither recanted nor defended myself, but I simply told what had happened through me.

138 Lri. 6ai. 1, 148-iso. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, I748-I7S2. 139

This is that I preached faith in Christ alone without the law to the Gentiles, and that during this preaching of faith the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, who immediately spoke in different languages. When the apostles heard this, they testified that I had taught rightly. Therefore, the false apostles who pervert this do me wrong 2c.

73 And this pride of Paul's, that he says the other apostles taught him nothing, is not reprehensible, but exceedingly necessary. For if he had given way here, the truth of the gospel would have perished. Much less should we give way to our adversaries, who against us extol the prestige of their idol, the pope, since Paul here did not want to give way to the false apostles, who against him extolled the prestige of the true apostles. I know that the godly should be humble, but against the pope I want and must be hopeful with holy pride, namely thus: "Pope, I do not want to be subject to you, nor do I want to have you as a teacher, because I am certain that my teaching is right and divine.

But the pope does not want to hear these, yes, he wants to force me to obey his laws and decrees, and if I do not obey, he puts me under ban and condemns me as a heretic and apostate from the church. Therefore, our pride against the pope is most necessary, and if we did not have this pride, and through the Holy Spirit despised him with fine doctrine, and the devil, the father of lies, who speaks in him, we could in no way keep the article of justification by faith. Therefore, we do not despise the prestige of the pope because we ourselves want to rule 1) nor do we deal with it by wanting to exalt ourselves above the highest rulers, since it is in the day that we teach that every man should be humble, submissive, subject to authority, but that we seek that the glory of God may remain and the righteousness of faith may be preserved unharmed, so that we may also remain well (salvi).

1. ipsi is not dative, as Menius took it, but nominative x>1uruli8.

(75) If the Pope were to admit to us that God alone justifies sinners by mere grace through Christ, we would not only want to carry him on our hands, but also to kiss his feet. But because we cannot attain this, we are again proud beyond measure in God, and will not yield one finger to all the angels in heaven, nor to Peter or Paul, nor to a hundred emperors, nor to a thousand popes, nor to the whole world. Far be all humility here, because they want to rob us of our honor, God Himself, who created us and gave us everything, Christ Himself, who redeemed us through His blood.

This shall be the sum of this matter: 2) We are to let ourselves be robbed of our goods, our good name, our life and all that we have; that the gospel, the faith, Christ 2c. should be taken from us, we are not to tolerate that, and cursed be the humility which can be found here yielding. Here every man should be proud and quite stubborn, if he will not deny Christ.

Therefore, if God wills, my head shall be harder than the head of all men. Here I want to be hard and also be considered hard; here I lead the motto: I yield to no one, and rejoice with all my heart that I am called rebellious and stubborn in this matter. Here I publicly confess that I am tough and want to be tough, and will not yield a hair's breadth.

78. Love, which endures everything, believes everything, hopes everything 1 Cor. 13:7, on the other hand faith does not yield, yes, it can tolerate nothing at all, as this common saying says: discipline and honor, faith and eye suffer no joking. 3) Therefore a Christian should be exceedingly proud and stubborn in everything concerning faith, suffer nothing at all, yield to no one even a hair's breadth, for through faith man becomes God, 2 Petr. 1, 4. But God suffers nothing, yields to no one, for He is unchangeable. So also faith is unchangeable, therefore it should not suffer anything.
79. Menius has drawn these words to the preceding, but they belong to the following.
80. Thus Luther cites this proverb (Xon patitur luciuin kaum, ÜU68, ooulu8) with the addition: "one soon corrupted all three", in the interpretation of the 17th Psalm, v. 8, Walch, old edition, vol. IV, 2017.

140 lei. Oui. 1, 148-152. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 2, 6-8. W. VIII, 1752-1755. 141

suffer, give way to no one. But after love the Christian should yield and suffer everything, because there he is only a pure man.

V. 7. 8. But again, when they saw that I was trusted with the gospel to the foreskin, as Petro was with the gospel to the circumcision (for he that was strong with Petro to the apostleship among the circumcision, the same was strong with me among the Gentiles).

This is a very strong responsibility against the false apostles. Here Paul claims and attaches to himself the same prestige that the false apostles boasted of the true apostles, and uses their own oratory against them. The false apostles, he says, invoke the prestige of the great apostles for their cause against me, but I invoke the same for my cause against them. For the apostles are on my side. Therefore, dear Galatians, do not believe those who boast about the prestige of the apostles against me, for when they saw that the gospel was entrusted to my foreskin and recognized the grace that was given to me, they gave me and Barnaba their right hands and became one with us, acknowledging my ministry and thanking God for the grace that was given to me.

Thus he masterfully turns the evidence of the adversaries against themselves. And in these words he is all fire and flames and his emotion is stronger than he could have expressed in words. That is why Paul did not pay attention to the grammar and broke the construction.

(81) But when he says, "Who were regarded as pillars," this was not an empty expression (fucus), but they were indeed regarded as pillars. For the apostles were held in high esteem and honor throughout the church, and they had the authority to approve and proclaim the right doctrine and to reject the wrong doctrine.

This is a strange text, that Paul says that the gospel to the foreskin is familiar to him, to Peter to the circumcision, since Paul preached almost everywhere to the Jews in their schools, and Peter also to the Gentiles. For both we have testimonies and examples

in the Acts of the Apostles. Peter converted the centurion Cornelius with his whole household, who was a Gentile Acts 10, after which he wrote to the Gentiles, as his first letter testifies. Paul, who preaches Christ among the Gentiles, nevertheless also goes to the schools of the Jews and teaches the gospel there Apost. 9, 20. ff.. And in Marcus Cap. 16, 15. and Matthew Cap. 28, 19. Christ commands all the apostles, saying, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." And Paul says, Col. 1, 23, that the gospel is preached to every creature under heaven. Why then does he only call himself the apostle to the Gentiles and Peter and the others the apostles of the circumcision?

This question is not difficult to answer. Paul has in mind that the other apostles remained mainly in Judea and Jerusalem until, when God called them, they went elsewhere. For a while, the situation was such that as long as the Jewish empire lasted, they were in the Jewish land, but when the destruction was imminent, they scattered all over the world. Paul, however, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles, Cap. 13, 2. s9, 15.], was chosen by a special calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles, and since he was sent from the Jewish country, he wandered through the countries of the Gentiles. Moreover, the Jews at that time were scattered almost all over the world and lived everywhere in the cities and towns of the Gentiles. Therefore, when Paul went there, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, he used to go to the schools of the Jews, and on that occasion he first brought them, as the children of the kingdom, this joyful message that the promises which the fathers had received were now fulfilled in Christ 2c. Since they did not want to hear this, he went to the Gentiles, as Lucas testifies Apost. 13, 46, where he introduces Paul speaking against the Jews who were zealous for the law and contradicted what he said, and reports that he confidently said: "The word of God had to be spoken to you first, but now you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles." And Apost. 28, 28: "So be it unto you

142 oai. i, 152-155. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 1755-1758. 143

that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it.

For this reason he was sent mainly to the Gentiles. Because he was everyone's debtor (Rom. 1, 14) and became everyone of all kinds (1 Cor. 9, 22), he went, when he had the opportunity, to the schools of the Jews, where not only Jews but also Gentiles heard him preach the gospel of Christ. Otherwise, he preached publicly to the Gentiles in the marketplace, in houses, and by rivers. He was therefore mainly the apostle to the Gentiles, as Peter was the apostle to the Jews, but in such a way that the latter also preached Christ to the Gentiles when the opportunity presented itself 2c.

He calls the Gentiles the foreskin, the Jews the circumcision according to the synecdoche, a figure of speech, which is used very often in the holy scriptures, namely, that one part stands for the whole. So the gospel to the foreskin is the one that should be brought to the Gentiles. Of this he says that it was entrusted to him, just as Peter was entrusted with the gospel to the circumcision, for as Peter spread the gospel of Christ among the Jews, so he spread it among the Gentiles.

Here it must be noted in passing that the Hebrews use the construction of the genitive in different ways, sometimes active (activa, i.e. genitivus subjectivus), sometimes suffering (passive, i.e. genitivus objectivus), whereby the meaning often becomes obscure. There are frequent examples of this everywhere in Paul and in all of Scripture, as, this speech: "the glory of God" is somewhat obscure, because it can be interpreted in an active and in a suffering way. The glory of God in an active way is the glory that God Himself praises in Himself; but in a suffering way the glory that we praise in God. Likewise also: the faith of Christ 2c. We usually interpret such sayings in a suffering way, so that "the faith of Christ" is the faith through which we believe in Christ. Thus, "the gospel of God" in an active way means the gospel that God alone gives and sends into the world; "the gospel of the foreskin and the circumcision" in an active way means the gospel that was sent to the Gentiles and the Jews and received by them.

(87) Paul continues to emphasize that James, Peter and John, who were considered pillars, did not teach him anything, and that they did not command him the ministry of the gospel as fine superiors and superiors (ordinatores = who ordain someone to the ministry of preaching), because they had no authority to teach him, to command him or to send him. Therefore he does not acknowledge them as fine teachers and as his superiors who ordained him, but he says, "When they saw that the gospel was entrusted to me," that is, that it was rightly commanded to me; not by Peter. For as I did not receive or learn the gospel from a man, neither did I receive from a man the command to preach it, but both the knowledge of the gospel and the command to preach it among the Gentiles I received directly from Christ, in all things just as Peter was given the gospel by God and commanded to preach it among the Jews.

This passage clearly testifies that all the apostles had the same calling and command and the same gospel. Peter did not preach a different gospel than the others, nor did he command the ministry of the other apostles, but there was complete equality among them. For all were taught and called by GOD, that is, both the calling and the command of all the apostles were badly direct from GOD. So no apostle is greater than the other, and no person has any privilege. Therefore, it is an impudent lie that the pope boasts that Peter was the most distinguished among the apostles, and thus he wants to confirm his primacy 2c.

V. 8. for he who with Petro was strong for the apostleship 2c.

This is the refutation of another reason of the false apostles. What do the false apostles boast, he says, that Peter's gospel was powerful, that many were converted through him, that he performed many and great miracles, that he raised the dead, that his shadow healed the sick? I admit all this. But Peter has

144 Ni-I. 1, 165-157. Explanation of Galatians 2, 8. 9. W. VIII, 1758-1761. 145

received this power from heaven, God gave power to his voice so that many believed that many miracles were done through him. I have also had the same power, which I did not receive from Peter, but the same God and Spirit that was powerful in Peter has also been powerful in me. I have had the same grace, taught many, and done many miracles, even healing the sick with my shadow. And this is testified by Lucas in the Acts of the Apostles Cap. 19, 11. 12.: "And God worked no small deeds by the hands of Paul, so that they also from his skin held the sweatcloths and the boils over the sick, and the plagues departed from them, and the evil spirits were carried out from them." You can read more about this in the 13th, 16th, 20th and 28th chapters of Acts.

In short, Paul does not want to be considered inferior to the other apostles in any way and has a godly and holy pride in this. Therefore Julianus and Porphyrius slander Paul without cause, saying that he is insolent against the head of the apostles. Paul was here ambitious and proud against Peter out of necessity, and indeed because of a necessity of God, because the zeal for God's honor forced him to show himself so proud. These slanderers did not see this, and therefore thought that this pride of his was a carnal one, as it is found today in the pope and his bishops. But this was not something that concerned Paul, but the faith.

In matters of faith, however, we must not allow ourselves to be overcome, we must be unbending, quite stubborn, and, if we could, harder than a demon; but where love is concerned, we must be softer and more yielding than any reed or leaf, and willing to do anything. So here the dispute was not about the honor of Paul, but about the honor of God, about the word of God, about true worship, about religion and the righteousness of faith, so that all this would remain unharmed.

V. 9. And knowing the grace that was given to me, Jacob and Cephas and John, who were esteemed pillars, gave it to me

the right hand and became one with us, so that we preached among the Gentiles, but they among the circumcision. 1)

That is, when they heard that I had received from God the calling and command to preach the gospel among the Gentiles, that God had done so many miracles through me, and that through my ministry so many Gentiles had come to the knowledge of Christ, that the Gentiles, without the law and circumcision, had received the Holy Spirit through the preaching of faith alone, they praised God for the grace that was given to me. Grace he calls all that he had received from God, that he had become an apostle from a persecutor and destroyer of the church, taught by Christ, richly gifted with spiritual gifts 2c.

And by this account Paul indicates that Peter had given him the testimony that he was a true apostle, not taught and sent by him or by other apostles, but by God alone. And so he did not humbly acknowledge the authority and prestige (auctoritatem) of Paul and the gifts of the Spirit in him as divine things, but approved and confirmed me, not as a superior and author, but as a brother and a friend. The same thing did Jacobus and John. Therefore, those who are the pillars among the apostles stand on my side, not against me.

They gave me sand Barnabas the right hand and became one with us (Dextras societatis).

That is, they gave me the right hand as a sign of fellowship or ministerial fellowship; that is, they said, "We preach the gospel with you, dear Paul, in the same sense. So we are comrades in doctrine and have fellowship in the same, that is, we have the same doctrine, because we preach the same gospel, the same baptism, the same Christ, the same faith as you. Therefore, we cannot teach you anything, nor command you anything, since we are one with you in all things. For we do not teach anything

1. Because in the Latin of the Vulgate the predicate is missing here, so in the original here is added in brackets: sailiaet pnneaiaunsM evau^Miuru.

146 Lri. Kai. 1, 157-159. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1761-1769. 147

Other or better or higher 1) than you, but see in you the same gift that we have, only that you are commanded the gospel to the foreskin, but we to circumcision. But we here resolve that the foreskin and the circumcision shall not hinder our fellowship, since it is the same gospel that we both preach.

95. This passage reminds us that it is the same gospel everywhere, for Gentiles, Jews, monks, laymen, young men, old men, men, women 2c. It does not look at persons, but is a common word and teaching for all men; whoever hears and believes this teaching will be saved, and it does not prevent him from being uncircumcised or circumcised.

Up to this point, Paul has proved that he taught the gospel rightly and godly, not only with divine testimony, but also with human testimony, namely, that of the apostles. Therefore, he shows that everything the false apostles said to diminish his reputation was fabricated, and that the testimony of the apostles was on his side, not on the side of the false apostles. But because he alone tells this, he swears and calls God as a witness that what he said is true.

V. 10. Only that we may remember the poor, which I have been diligent to do.

97 A good shepherd, after preaching the gospel, must also see to it that the poor are not left unprovided for. For where the church is, there must necessarily be the poor, who alone are usually the true disciples of the gospel, as Christ says: "To the poor the gospel is preached. For the devil and the world persecute the church and plunge many into poverty, who are subsequently abandoned and neglected.

Then the world not only sins in this, but also does not care to preserve the gospel, true godliness and right worship. No one wants to contribute or help 2c. that the servants of the church are fed and schools are established. For superstition and for sincerity, no one wants to contribute.

1. ant kuMimiora is missing in the Erlanger.

Everyone has gladly given with both hands to the support and preservation of false religious services. So many monasteries, so many cathedrals, so many bishoprics have been founded in the papacy, where nothing but godlessness reigns, and so much income has been decreed to maintain them.

Now it is burdensome for a city to feed one or two ministers of the Gospel, while in former times, when the godless being ruled, it fed without difficulty several monasteries, and missal monks without number, not to mention mendicant monks, stationers 2) 2c. In short, true religion always suffers lack, and Christ complains that he is hungry, thirsty, a guest, naked, sick 2c., whereas the godless being is in full bloom and has abundance of all goods. Therefore, a right bishop must also care for the poor, which Paul did, as he confesses here.

V. 11. But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him under my eyes, because a complaint had come against him.

Paul continues his refutation and says that he not only has the testimony of Peter and the other apostles in Jerusalem for himself, but that he also resisted Peter in the presence of the church in Antioch. Here he tells an event that did not happen in the corner, but in the presence of the church.

This wonderful story has given many people cause for blasphemy, such as Porphyrius, Celsus, Julianus and others, who accuse Paul of arrogance, because he has attacked the highest of the apostles in the face of the church, thereby exceeding the limits of Christian modesty and humility. But it is not surprising that those think and speak such things who do not recognize the purpose of Paul's statement.

Paul does not deal here, as I also reminded above, with a quite insignificant thing (de lana caprina), nor even with that,,

2. Stationers are itinerant monks who sell indulgences and relics. Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 27, U 72 and 143, Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XXII, 880 and 923.

148 Ari. Osl. 1, 159-161. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 2, 11. W. VIII, 1769-1772. 149

The main thing is not how to earn one's living, but the main article of Christian doctrine. Whoever recognizes how great the benefit and the majesty of this is, puts everything else aside and regards it as nothing. For what is Peter? what is Paul? what is an angel from heaven? what is all creation compared to the article of justification? For if we know him, we walk in the brightest light; if we do not understand him, we are in the deepest darkness 2c. Therefore, if you see that one wants to make him waver or endanger him, do not be afraid to resist Peter, yes, even an angel from heaven, because he cannot be lifted high enough.

Porphyrius and others, on the other hand, look at the high dignity of Peter, admire his person, and forget the sublimity of this article. Paul does the opposite; he does not attack Peter's person vehemently, but treats him with great reverence. But because he sees that for the sake of Peter's dignity the majesty of the article of justification is endangered, he does not take his dignity into consideration in order to preserve and defend only this article. So do we, for it is written Matth. 11, 37. ff.: "Whoever loves father or mother, yes, even his life 2c. more than me, is not worthy of me."

104 Therefore, when it comes to defending the truth of the gospel, we are not ashamed that the hypocrites accuse us of being proud and stiff-necked, wanting only to be wise, to hear no one, to yield to no one. Here it is extremely necessary that we be unbending and stubborn, because the cause for which we fall short against a person, that is, for which we trample on the great reputation (majestatem) of a person or of the world, is such a great one that the offenses which the world considers the greatest become and are the highest virtues before God.

We do well to honor our parents, to show honor to the authorities, to show reverence to Peter and other ministers of the Word. But now we do not have to deal with things that would harm Peter, the parents, the emperor, the world or any creature.

but with the cause of God. Then I do right that I do not give way to the parents, the emperor or also an angel from heaven 2c. Cause: Hold God and the creatures against each other. What are all creatures as a whole against God? A droplet against the sea. Why then should I so admire Peter, who is a little drop, that I forsake God, who is the sea? Therefore, let the drop give way to the sea, let Peter give way to God.

I say this so that one may pay careful attention to the matter with which Paul has to deal. But he is dealing with the word of God, which no one can elevate high enough. Augustine judges this matter of Paul better than Jerome, who only looks at the dignity and reputation of Peter and therefore concludes thus: Peter was the highest apostle, therefore he could not be rebuked by Paul, or if he rebuked him, he did it only in pretense.

Thus, he ascribes a hypocritical behavior to Paul, that he had pretended for Peter's sake that he was blameworthy, so that he could carry out his apostleship more effectively and protect his Gentiles. On the other hand, he excuses Peter in all respects and credits him with remaining truthful. This is a very clumsy reversal of the text, which clearly expresses that Peter was criminal and had strayed from the truth, as well as that other Jews had been hypocritical with him, so that Barnabas had also been seduced by them into the same hypocrisy. Jerome does not see these clear words, but sticks to this one: Peter was an apostle, therefore blameless, and could not sin. Augustine rightly opposes this statement. He says: "It must not be tolerated that a hypocritical behavior is imposed on Paul, because he swears with an oath that he is telling the truth.

For this reason, Jerome and Erasmus do injustice to Paul, who explain the word "under eyes" as "as it could be seen," that is, not from the heart, but only in appearance. Paul did not say this out of conviction, but in hypocritical complacency (simulatione officiosa).

150 Lri. 6ai. 1, 161-163. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1772-1775. 151

Peter resisted, so as not to give the Gentiles an upset which would have happened if he had kept completely silent.

But "under eyes" means: in his presence. For eye to eye (in os) he resisted Peter, not in the corner, but when Peter was present and the whole church was there. And this word "in sight" he puts quite emphatically against the poisonous vipers, Satan's apostles, who disparage people behind their backs, in whose presence they do not even dare to open their mouths, as the false apostles did, whom he also heckles here in a hidden way, since they did not dare to speak disparagingly of him in his presence, but did so behind his back. In this way, he says, I did not belittle Peter, but resisted him freely and openly, not out of hypocrisy, ambition, not out of any carnal irritation or bitterness (morbo animi), but because complaint had come upon him 2c.

Here let others debate whether an apostle can sin. We should not try to make Peter's sin smaller than it is. For even the prophets sometimes err and deceive themselves. Nathan said out of his own spirit to David that he should build the house of the LORD 2 Sam. 7:3. This saying of the prophet was soon corrected by a divine revelation, namely that not David, who was a man of war and had shed much blood, should build a house for the Lord, but his son Solomon 1 Chron. 23, 8. ff.

The apostles also erred in this way. They dreamed that the kingdom of Christ would be a fleshly one, Apost. 1:6: "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" and Peter would not have gone to Cornelius, even though he had heard from Christ: "Go into all the world" 2c., if he had not been admonished to do so by the vision 2c. But here in this matter he not only erred, but fell into a serious case and committed a great sin. And if Paul had not resisted him, all who had believed from among the Gentiles would have been forced to receive circumcision and keep the law, and the believing Jews would have been affected in their opinion.

The people had been convinced that the observance of these things was necessary for salvation, and in this way they had again accepted the law instead of the gospel, Moses instead of Christ. And Peter would have given rise to this exceedingly great sin and unspeakable harm by his hypocrisy. Therefore, we must not attribute such great perfection to the saints as if they could not sin.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Cap. 15, 39, Lucas reports that between Paul and Barnabas, who were both set apart for the ministry of the gospel among the Gentiles and had already traveled through many countries and preached the gospel to them, such a violent disagreement arose that they departed from each other. Here either Paul or Barnabas went too far, and it must have been an exceedingly violent discord, because it separated these most closely united comrades from one another, as the text in the Acts of the Apostles testifies. Such examples are written for our comfort, because it is very comforting to us to hear that even the saints who had the Spirit of God sinned. This consolation is snatched from us by those who say that the saints cannot sin.

Samson, David and other famous people who were full of the Holy Spirit fell into great sins. Job and Jeremiah curse the day of their birth; Elijah and Jonah ask God to let them die because they are tired of life. Such errors and sins of the saints the holy scripture holds up for the comfort of the afflicted and despairing, but for the horror of the arrogant. For no one has ever fallen so hard that he could not get up again. On the other hand, no one has gained such a firm foothold that he could not fall. If Peter fell, so can I fall; if he got up again, so can I get up again.

114 And such examples should be highly esteemed by pusillanimous and frightened consciences, that they may the better understand what they pray when they say, "Forgive us our trespasses," and, "I believe the forgiveness of sins." The same faith and the same prayer the apostles and all the saints have with

152 Oai. 1, 163-166. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 2, 1k. k2. W. VIII, 1775-1779. 15Z

We have the same goods as they have, the same Christ, the same death, the same word, the same forgiveness of sins. They also had need of all these things and were sanctified and saved in the same way as we are.

(115) This I say against the mad boasts and intemperate exaltations with which the foolish school theologians (sophistae) and the monks have singled out the saints. Likewise, they have said that the Church is so holy that it is entirely without sin. It is true that the church is holy, as our faith confesses: "I believe a holy church" 2c., and yet it has sin. Therefore she believes forgiveness of sins and prays, "Forgive us our trespasses." It is not for this reason that she is called holy, that she is holy by her nature (formaliter), as a wall is called white, from the whiteness clinging to it. This clinging holiness is not sufficient, but Christ is its perfect and entire holiness; where clinging holiness is not sufficient, Christ is 1 Cor. 1:30.

V.12. For before some of Jacob's people came, he ate with the Gentiles.

The Gentiles who were converted to the faith ate food that was forbidden by the Law. Peter ate the same food with the converted Gentiles as long as he was alone with them, and drank forbidden wine, knowing that he was doing right. Therefore he confidently transgressed the law with the Gentiles. Paul also confesses that he did this when he says, 1 Cor. 9:20, 21, that he became a Jew to the Jews, and without law to those who were without law 2c., that is, he ate and drank with the Gentiles in a Gentile way and kept no law at all. With the Jews, according to the law, he abstained from all that was forbidden in the law, for he strove to serve and please all, to win all. Therefore Peter did not sin in this, but did well, knowing that he was free to do so. And by this transgression of the law, he also showed that the law was not necessary for righteousness, and freed the Gentiles from observing the law. For it stood to the

If Peter was free to transgress the law in one piece, he was free to transgress it in all pieces. Paul did not punish Peter for this transgression of the law, but for hypocrisy, as follows:

But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those of the circumcision.

117 There you see Peter's sin, which Paul clearly describes. He complains about him, not because of malice or ignorance, but because of his hypocrisy and weakness, namely, that he abstained from common food, which was forbidden in the Law, fearing that the Jews, who had come from James, would take offense at it. And so he showed more consideration for his Jews than for the Gentiles, and thereby gave cause for Christian freedom and the truth of the gospel to be endangered. For by withdrawing and separating himself completely, abstaining from the food forbidden by the law, which he had eaten before, he put a sting (scrupulum) in the conscience of the believers, so that they concluded from this behavior of his: Peter abstains from the foods forbidden in the law, so everyone who eats what is forbidden in the law sins and transgresses the law; but he who abstains fulfills the law and is righteous; otherwise he would not abstain. But because he abstains and deliberately avoids the food he ate before, this is a sure sign that those who eat sin against the law, but that those who abstain from the food forbidden by the law fulfill the law and attain righteousness.

This is the article that is dealt with here. Jerome did not recognize this; he only looked at what happened, not what the consequences of what happened would be (finem facti). What Peter did was not evil in itself, because eating and drinking, or not eating and drinking, is nothing. But that which is attached to it: If you eat, you sin; if you abstain, you are righteous; this is evil. Likewise, circumcision in itself is something good, but that is evil if

154 Art. <4i "i. 1, 163-168. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1779-1782. 155

is hung on it: Unless you are circumcised according to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved. Likewise, it is not evil to eat such food as is forbidden in the Law, but it was evil for Peter to abstain and separate himself, because this conclusion is drawn from it: Peter abstains from the foods that are forbidden in the law, so unless you also abstain from them, you cannot be saved. Paul could not ignore this and remain silent because the truth of the gospel would be endangered; so that it would remain unharmed, he resisted Peter in plain sight.

(119) A distinction must be made here, because one can abstain from food in two ways. First, to serve the brother with love alone in mind. There is no danger, but it is good to serve the weak brother in this way. This is what Paul himself did and taught, 1 Cor. 9, 19. ff.

120 Secondly, that he who abstains from food becomes righteous and blessed, and he who does not abstain from it sins and is condemned. Here love is to be condemned, and all its ministrations and compliances. For to abstain from food in this way is to deny Christ, to trample His blood underfoot, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, yes, God and all that is God. Therefore, if one of the two must be lost, rather let a friend go and lose the brother, who is a man, rather than the Father, who is God. For if the father, who is GOD, is lost, the brother, who is a man, will not remain long.

Since Jerome did not recognize this, he could not understand this passage or the entire Brie. He thinks that Paul punished Peter only for appearances. Therefore, he belittles Peter's sin and excuses it, saying that it was done out of ignorance. But he sinned out of hypocrisy, and by doing so he would have again established the law as necessary, and would have forced Gentiles and Jews to depart from the truth of the gospel, and would have given them a very good reason to leave Christ, to deny grace, and to become a Christian.

Judaism and to bear all the burdens of the law, if Paul had not punished him and thereby brought Jews and Gentiles back to freedom in Christ and the truth of the gospel, who had been angered by Peter's example.

Therefore, if someone were to judge Peter's sin harshly and make it great, it would indeed be a very great sin, but only one that, prompted by circumstances, happened occasionally and out of fear, and was not committed out of malice or ignorance. It is so easy for the fall or error of a single person to bring tremendous harm if it is not resisted. Therefore, the article of justification is not to be trifled with, and it is not in vain that we inculcate and press it so diligently.

And it is very surprising that Peter, such a great apostle, did this, since he had previously obtained at the Council of Jerusalem almost solely through his statement that believers attain righteousness through faith alone, without the law. The very same one who had been the author of the truth and freedom of the gospel comes to ruin by this strange occasion and accident, that he abstains from the foods that were forbidden in the law, and becomes the author of such a great offense and sins against his own saying.

Therefore, let him who stands take care that he does not fall Cor. 10:12J. No one believes how dangerous statutes and ceremonies are, which we cannot do without. What is more necessary in the whole world than the law and its works 2c.? And yet there is always the danger that one might thereby come to deny Christ. For often a trust in works grows out of the law. But where this is, there can be no confidence in Christ.

(125) So it is easy to come to denying and losing Christ, as we see in Peter (who knew the article of justification better than we do), how easily 1) by his deeds and example he very soon lost faith in Christ.

1. We have adopted the Wittenberg reading: kacnls instead of kacili in the Jena and Erlangen, although Menius also followed the latter reading.

156 1, 168-170. Explanation of Galatians 2, 12. 13. W. VIII, 1782-1785. 157

to such great harm that all the Gentiles would have fallen away from the preaching of Paul, would have lost the gospel and Christ, 2c. under a pretense of holiness. For they could have said: Paul, thou hast hitherto taught that we are justified by grace alone without the law. But now you see that Peter does the opposite. For he abstains from the forbidden foods of the law, and by this he shows by his own example that we cannot be saved if we do not accept circumcision and keep the law 2c.

V.13. And the other Jews hypocritized with him, so that Barnabas also was deceived into hypocrisy with them.

Here you see clearly that Paul blames Peter for hypocrisy. Jerome, on the other hand, puts it on Paul. If Peter was hypocritical, he certainly knew what was the truth and what was not the truth. For he that hypocrites does not sin through ignorance, but knowingly deceives men by pretending something other than what is the truth. And others, he says, fell in with Peter's hypocrisy, so that Barnabas also, who had been Paul's companion and had been preaching with him among the Gentiles for a long time the faith in Christ without the law, was deceived into the same hypocrisy. Here, then, you have a clear description of Peter's sin, namely, that it was hypocrisy that would have given rise to the disturbance of the gospel accepted by the Gentiles if Paul had not stood against Peter.

It is an admirable thing that God preserved the young church and even the gospel at that time through one person. Paul alone stands, for he has lost his comrade Barnabas; Peter he has against him. So sometimes one person in a concilium can do more than the whole concilium. The papists themselves write this and cite Paphnutius as an example, who resisted the entire Council of Nicaea, which was the best after the Apostles' Council in Jerusalem, and retained the upper hand.

^1^I say this so that we may learn the article of justification with the utmost diligence, and distinguish the gospel from the law in the purest way, and in this matter do nothing at all hypocritical, yielding to no one even a hair's breadth, if we wish otherwise to keep the truth of the gospel and the faith pure and unharmed, which, as I have said, are very easily violated. Therefore, let reason, the enemy of faith, remain far away, which in the temptations of sin and death does not rely on the righteousness of faith, because it does not know it at all, but on its own righteousness or at most on the righteousness of the law. But as soon as the law and reason are combined with each other, the virginity of faith is immediately gone. Nothing is stronger and more hostile to faith than the law and reason, and these two cannot be overcome without great effort and exertion, and yet must be overcome if one wants to be blessed otherwise.

Therefore, if your conscience is troubled by the law and wrestles with the judgment of God, consult neither reason nor the law, but rely solely on grace and the word of comfort. Do not think otherwise than if you had never heard of the law of God, but go into the darkness Exodus 20:21, where neither the law nor reason shines, but only the dark word of faith, which faith surely trusts to be saved apart from and above the law, in Christ.

Thus the gospel leads us beyond the light of law and reason into the darkness of faith, where law and reason have nothing to do. The law must also be heard, but in its place and time. Since Moses is on the mountain, where he is face to face with

1. This paragraph is introduced by Aurifaber in the Table Talks with the words: "I truly say, said D. Martin, not without great cause" 2c. It forms the first half of § 73 of the 12th chapter of the old Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

158 Ari. 1, 170-172. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1785-1788. 159

God speaks, he does not have the law, he does not give and administer it; but after he came down from the mountain, he is a lawgiver and governs the people with the law. So the conscience should be free from the law, but the body should obey the law.

From this it is quite clear that Paul did not punish Peter for a very minor matter, but for the main article of Christian doctrine, which Peter almost disturbed (parabat ruinam) by his hypocrisy. For Barnabas and the other Jews were hypocritical with him, all of whom sinned, not out of ignorance or malice, but out of fear of the Jews, which had darkened their hearts so that they did not realize that they were sinning. It is truly a marvelous thing that such great men, Peter, Barnabas, and others, should so quickly and easily fall into the very work they knew and had previously taught to be right.

That is why D. Staupitz rightly warned that it is very dangerous to rely on our powers, no matter how holy and learned we may be, no matter how well we may have recognized and grasped something. For precisely in what we know best, we can still fall and err, not only to our own detriment, but also to the detriment of others. Therefore, let us devote ourselves to the study of the Scriptures with the greatest diligence and the deepest humility, and let us pray earnestly, lest we lose the truth of the Gospel.

So we are nothing with all our gifts, however great they may be, if God is not with us. If He withdraws His hand from us, our wisdom, our knowledge 2c. is nothing. If he does not constantly sustain us, then the highest knowledge is of no use to us, yes, even if we attained the highest degree of perfection in theology. For in the hour of trial it can soon happen that all comforting words are torn from our eyes by the wiles of the devil, and only the threatening words come to our mind and crush us. Therefore, we should learn that when God withdraws His hand from us, we may fall and be overthrown exceedingly easily. Therefore, let no one be proud

And boast not of his righteousness, wisdom, and gifts, but humble himself, praying with the apostles Luc. 17:5., "Lord, strengthen us in the faith."

V.14. But when I saw that they did not walk rightly according to the truth of the gospel.

Here, the greatest men and pillars of the church are held up to us as a strange example. Paul alone has open eyes here and sees the sin of Peter, Barnabas and the other Jews who were hypocrites together with Peter. On the other hand, they themselves do not see their sin, yes, they believe that they do right and serve the weak Jews through love. Therefore, it was of utmost necessity that Paul could not overlook their sin, but had to punish it. Therefore, he publicly accused Peter, Barnabas and others that they did not walk correctly according to the truth of the gospel, that is, that they had deviated from the truth of the gospel.

Now it is a great thing that Peter is accused by Paul as one who has fallen and departed from the truth of the gospel. He could not have been punished more severely. And yet he bears this patiently, and no doubt also accepted it with great gratitude.

I have noted above (34 ff.) that many have the gospel, but not the truth of the gospel. Thus Paul says here that Peter, Barnabas and the other Jews do not walk correctly according to the truth of the gospel, that is, they have the gospel, but they do not walk correctly according to it. For as much as they preached the gospel, yet by their hypocrisy, which could not stand with the truth of the gospel, they set up the law; but he that setteth up the law abolisheth the gospel, and bringeth it to nought.

Therefore, whoever knows how to distinguish the gospel from the law, thank God and know that he is a theologian. Admittedly, I do not yet understand this in the challenge as I should. But both are to be

1. This paragraph is used by Aurifaber for Cap. 12, § 67 of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

160 Lri. Ora. 1, 172-174. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 2, 14. W. VIII, 1768-1792. 161

distinguish that you place the gospel in heaven, the law on earth, that you call the righteousness of the gospel heavenly and divine, the righteousness of the law earthly and human, and that you distinguish the righteousness of the gospel from the righteousness of the law as carefully as God distinguished heaven from earth, light from darkness, day from night. The one shall be light and day, the other darkness and night, and would God that we could still further separate them.

Therefore, when one acts by faith or by conscience, the law should be completely excluded and remain on earth; but when one acts by works, let the lamp of works or of the righteousness of the law be lit by night. Thus the sun and the immense light of the gospel and grace shall shine by day, but the lamp of the law by night. Therefore a conscience that is frightened by the feeling of its sin should think: Now you have to work on earth, there the donkey should work, serve and carry the burden that is laid on it, that is, the body with its members should be subject to the law. But when you ascend to heaven, leave the donkey with its burden on earth. For the conscience has nothing to do with the law, with works and with earthly righteousness. So the donkey stays in the valley, but the conscience climbs the mountain with Isaac and knows nothing about the law and works, but has only the forgiveness of sins in mind, and nothing but the righteousness that has been held out to us and given to us in Christ.

In the worldly regime, however, obedience to the law is to be demanded most strictly. There one should know nothing of the gospel, of conscience, of grace, of forgiveness of sins, of heavenly righteousness, of Christ, but only of Moses, of the law and works. If this distinction is carefully observed, neither of them comes out of its bounds, but the law will remain out of heaven, that is, out of the heart or conscience. On the other hand, the evangelical freedom will remain from the earth, the

that is, it will remain outside the body and its members. Therefore, as soon as the law and sin come into heaven, that is, into the conscience, they are to be thrown out immediately, because the conscience, which is frightened by the fear of the wrath and judgment of God, should know nothing of the law and sin, but only of Christ. And again, when grace, liberty 2c. comes on earth, that is, into the body, one should say: You do not have to move in the stable and filth of the bodily life, but belong up to heaven 2c.

This difference between the law and the gospel was blurred by Peter's hypocritical behavior and led the believers to believe that they had to be justified by the gospel and the law at the same time. Paul could not tolerate this, so he punished Peter, not to disgrace him, but to separate these two things again, namely, that the law justified on earth, but the gospel justified in heaven.

The pope has not only mixed the law with the gospel, but has made of the gospel all laws, and only ceremonial laws, and has thrown the secular and the ecclesiastical into confusion, which is a truly satanic and hellish confusion.

This doctrine of the difference between the Law and the Gospel must be known, because it contains the sum of the whole Christian doctrine. Therefore, let every one who strives for godliness strive with the greatest care to learn the distinction, not only in words, but also in truth (affectu) and in experience, that is, in the heart and conscience. Otherwise, as far as words are concerned, this distinction is easy. But in temptation you will realize that the gospel is a rare guest in the conscience, while the law is a daily housemate. For reason by nature has the knowledge of the law.

143 Therefore, when the conscience is frightened by the sin indicated by the law, the conscience is frightened by the sin indicated by the law.

1. Instead of stksetu in the Wittenberg, we have adopted nKsotu with the Jena and Erlangen.

162 Li-1. oai. 1, 174-176. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1792-1795. 163

and made great, then you shall say: There is a time to die, there is a time to live, there is a time to hear the law, there is a time not to be concerned about the law, there is a time to hear the gospel, there is a time not to know the gospel. Now roll over the law, and let the gospel come to you, for now is not the time to hear the law, but the gospel. But you have done no good, rather you have sinned grievously. I admit that, but I have forgiveness of sins through Christ, for whose sake all my sins are forgiven. But if the conscience is not in battle, and outward works of office must be performed, where thou art a minister of the word, a person in authority, a husband, a teacher, a disciple 2c. then it is not time to hear the gospel, but the law, thou shalt perform thy profession 2c.

I said to Petro publicly in front of everyone, "If you, who are a Jew, live as a Gentile and not as a Jew, why do you force the Gentiles to live as Jews?

(144) That is, you are a Jew who is obligated to live according to the Jewish law, that is, to abstain from the foods forbidden in the law, and yet you, who are a Jew, live paganly, that is, you act freely against the law, you transgress it and trample it underfoot. For you eat (and in this you do right) common or unclean food, like a Gentile who is free from the law. But precisely because you have allowed yourself to be intimidated by the presence of the brothers from the Jews who have converted, and now abstain from the foods that are forbidden in the law, and keep the law, you force the Gentiles to live Jewishly, that is, to keep the law as necessary. For by this example of yours, that you abstain from unclean foods, you give the Gentiles cause to think thus: Peter now avoids the foods of the Gentiles, which he ate before, so we must also avoid them and live according to the Jewish way, otherwise we will not be justified nor saved. So you see that Paul is not punishing Peter for his ignorance, because he knew that he was free to eat any food with the Gentiles, but for his hypocrisy, by which he forced the Gentiles to live Jewishly.

Here again I remind you that it is not evil in itself to live according to the Jewish way, for it is a matter of no concern whether you eat pork or other meat. But if you live Jewishly in such a way that you would abstain from certain foods for the sake of conscience, that is denying Christ and disturbing the gospel. Therefore Paul, when he saw that Peter's conduct would lead to this, objected and said to him, "You know that the observance of the law is not necessary for righteousness, but that it is given to us through Christ alone, and therefore you do not keep the law, but transgress it and eat all kinds of food. Nevertheless, by your example you force the Gentiles to fall away from Christ to the law, because you give them reason to think that faith alone does not justify, but at the same time the law and works are required, and Peter shows this by his example; therefore, besides faith in Christ, the observance of the law is equally necessary if one wants to be justified.

Therefore, Peter's behavior not only violated the purity of doctrine, but also the truth of faith and Christian righteousness. For the Gentiles assumed that the law was necessary for righteousness. If this error persists, Christ is of no use.

147 From this it is completely clear what the disagreement and the dispute between Paul and Peter was about. Paul acts in earnest and from a sincere heart, he does not expose himself as if he were punishing him. But with Peter, as the text clearly says, there is hypocrisy, which Paul punishes in him. Therefore, there is no hypocrisy in Paul, but a pure and wholly Christian earnestness and a holy pride, which would have been blameworthy if Peter had committed any minor sin and had not sinned against the main article of Christian doctrine. But because the truth of the gospel suffers through Peter's guilt, Paul will not and cannot leave it unprotected. Therefore, in order to keep it unharmed, he does not care about Peter; Barnabas and all the others are nothing to him.

164 Li-I. Oai. 1, 176-178. Explanation of Galatians 2, 14. W. VIII, 1795-1798. 165

Therefore Porphyrius and Julianus do Paul an injustice, who blaspheme that he punished Peter only out of presumption. Yes, even reason itself must admit, if it recognizes otherwise what the matter of which Paul is concerned has in view, that it is better that no consideration be given to Peter than that the divine majesty should give way or the faith be endangered. For here it is a question of either Peter must be severely punished or Christ must be removed from the remedy. Here, if it could not be otherwise, Peter would rather perish and go to hell than Christ be lost. Porphyrius and all must agree with this judgment, and everyone must confess that Paul acted rightly and godly in this case.

If the dispute had been about something in the middle (like the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas Apost. 15, 39. is a joke compared to this matter and something quite insignificant), then Paul could have given way; but in this exceedingly great matter he could not give way at all.

According to the example of Paul, every Christian should be proud. Love should tolerate everything, believe and hope (1 Cor. 13, 7.), faith, on the other hand, should rule, take a commanding position, present itself as victor (triumphet) and give way to no one, but everything should be submissive to it and give way, people of low and high rank (plebes, populi), kings and judges on earth, as the 2nd Psalm, v. 10-12, says: "Let yourselves therefore be instructed, you kings, and let yourselves be chastened, you judges on earth. Serve the LORD with fear 2c., or ye shall perish in the way." Therefore, faith and love are completely opposed to each other in their activity, service and nature.

151 Therefore all power lies in the word: "You compel the Gentiles to live Jewishly", that is, you compel them to fall away from grace and faith to the law and works, and to deny Christ, as if he had suffered and died in vain 2c. This word: "You compel" includes all the dangers and sins of which Paul speaks in this passage.

The whole letter speaks so urgently, and which he presents as so great. For if this compulsion is maintained, or if it is taught that the observance of the law is necessary, then faith must necessarily be lost; but if it is lost and disturbed, then all the promises of God are in vain, all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are trampled underfoot, and all men must perish and be condemned. Paul attributes many such characteristics to the righteousness of the law throughout this letter.

^1^Since it is so dangerous to deal with the law, and since this fall happens so easily and is so violent, as if one were falling from the highest heaven into hell, let every Christian learn to distinguish these two things most carefully. Let the law rule over the body and its members, but not over the conscience. For this queen and bride is not to be defiled by the law, but to remain undefiled to the one and only bridegroom Christ, as Paul says elsewhere 2 Cor. 11:2: "I have entrusted you to one man" 2c.

Therefore, it the conscience should not have its bridal bed down in the valley, but up on the mountain, where Christ alone lies and reigns, who neither terrifies nor crushes sinners, but comforts them, forgives their sins and makes them blessed. Therefore, a troubled conscience should think nothing, know nothing, hold nothing against the wrath and judgment of God but the word of Christ, which is a word of grace, forgiveness of sins, blessedness and eternal life. But to carry this out is laborious and exceedingly difficult. For reason and human nature do not remain firmly in the arms of Christ, but fall again and again on the thoughts of the law and of sin, and thus always seek to be free according to the flesh, but a handmaid and prisoner according to the conscience.

154. paul has given to Peter the

1. This paragraph is used by Aurifaber for the second half of § 73 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

166 kri-"ai. 1, 178-180. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1798-1801. 167

He put the first article of justification into a short form (summa) with these words: "So you who are a Jew" 2c. up to the passage: "For by the works of the law" 2c. where he addresses his speech again to the Galatians. But he said these words to Peter, not to instruct him, but to exhort him to constancy in the presence of the whole church, which heard such things. He now says to Peter:

V. 15. We are Jews by nature, not sinners from among the Gentiles.

That is, we are Jews by nature who are born with the righteousness of the Law, of Moses and of circumcision, and as soon as we are born, we bring the Law with us. Not at our pleasure, like the Gentiles, but by nature we have the righteousness of the law, as Paul says above in the first chapter, v. 14: "I zeal for the fatherly law" 2c. Therefore, when we are compared to the Gentiles, we are not sinners without law and works, like the Gentiles, but we are born and raised as Jews and righteous. Our righteousness has its beginning immediately at the Goburt, for Jewishness is innate in us. For God commanded Abraham in Genesis 17:12 that every child should be circumcised on the eighth day 2c. This law of circumcision, which the fathers received, Moses confirmed afterwards. So it is a great thing that we are Jews by nature, but even though we have this advantage, that we are righteous by nature and are born into the law and its works, and are not sinners like the Gentiles, we are still not righteous before God.

Therefore, even if you were to introduce me to the best Jew, who was born righteous and kept the law perfectly from birth, he would still not be righteous before God. We are circumcised, but because of circumcision we are not justified, for it is only a seal of righteousness, Rom. 4, 11. and even the children who were circumcised in the faith of Abraham were not blessed because of their circumcision, but because of their faith. May

Even if we are born as Jews and are still so holy, even if we can boast so much against the Gentiles that we have the justification of the law, the service of God, the promises, the fathers, which is truly a mighty glory, we are still not righteous before God, nor better than the Gentiles.

157 From this it is quite clear that Paul is not talking about external customs (ceremoniis), that they are deadly after Christ has appeared, as Origen and Jerome think, but he is talking about an extremely great and serious matter, namely the birth of the Jews. He says that they are not righteous, although they are born holy, are circumcised, keep the law, the filiation, the honor, the testaments, the fathers, the worship, God, Christ, the promises, live in them and boast of them, as they say Joh. 8, 33: "We are Abraham's seed"; likewise, v. 41: "We have one Father, God", and Rom. 2, 17: "Behold, you are called a Jew" 2c.

And so Peter, Paul and the other apostles were children of God, righteous according to the Law, yes, apostles of Christ, but still they were not righteous before God. Therefore, even though you would put all this together as a bundle, the law, the works and the righteousness of the law, the circumcision, the adoption, the testaments, the promises, the apostleship 2c., you still do not attain Christian righteousness, because all this is not faith in Christ, which, as follows in the text, alone justifies, not the law 2c.

159 Not that the law is evil or condemned; for the law, circumcision, worship 2c. are not condemned for the sake of it, because they do not justify, but Paul denies them justification for the sake of it i.e., because they do not justify, because the false apostles claimed that through these things without faith, only if they performed the work (ex opere operato), men would be justified and saved. Paul could not tolerate this. For if faith ceases, all things are unto death, the law, circumcision, the adoption, the temple, the worship, the promises, yea,

168 Li-I. OÄ. 1, 180-183. Explanation of Galatians 2, 15. 16. W. VIII, 1801-1804. 169

God and Christ themselves are of no use without faith. Paul therefore speaks flatly and generally against everything that is against faith, not only attacking the ceremonies.

V.16. But because we know that man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

160 The word "work of the law" includes a great deal in itself and has a very great emphasis. I note this because of the sure and idle sophistas and monks who darken and corrupt such words in Paul's writings, indeed, his whole trade of justification, by their foolish and ungodly interpretations (glossis), which they themselves do not even understand. So take "the work of the law" simply in contrast to grace. Everything that is not grace is law, whether it be a judicial law, or a ceremonial law, or even the holy ten commandments. Therefore, even if you do a work of the law according to this commandment Matth. 12, 37.: "You shall love God, your Lord, with all your heart" 2c. (not to mention that no man has done or can do this), you will not be justified before God by it, for no man is justified by the works of the law. But we will speak of this more fully later.

161 In Paul, then, "the work of the law" means any work of the whole law, whether of the ceremonial law or of the ten commandments. But if a work of the ten commandments cannot justify it, circumcision can much less, which is a work of the ceremonial law.

162 Therefore, when Paul says, as he often does, "By the law" or "by the works of the law (both of which are synonymous in Paul) no man is justified," he is speaking of the whole law, placing the righteousness of faith in opposition to the righteousness of the whole law; the latter can be brought about from the law either by divine power or by human power, for the sake of the latter,

1. The following up to the end of this paragraph is used by Aurifaber for the beginning of § 75 of l2. Chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

he says, no man is declared righteous before God. But the righteousness of faith is imputed to us by God, without merit, out of mercy, for the sake of Christ. Therefore he said emphatically and with a certain vehemence, "By the works of the law." 2) For there is no doubt that since the law is holy, just and good, the works of the law are also holy, just and good, and yet man is not justified before God by them.

Therefore, the opinion of Jerome and others must be rejected, who dream that Paul is not speaking of the works prescribed in the Ten Commandments, but of works according to the ceremonial law. Nevertheless, they must confess that the ceremonial law was also good and holy. For the circumcision and other laws of the customs in the temple 2c. were just and holy, and just as much commanded and decreed by God Himself as the moral laws. Here they say: But after Christ they were fatal. They invent this out of their heads. Then Paul does not speak of the Gentiles, to whom the ceremonies would bring death, but of the Jews, for whom they were good; Paul himself also kept them. So they could not justify them even at the time when the ceremonial laws were holy, just and good.

164 So Paul does not speak of a part of the law that is also good and holy, but of the whole law, that a work done according to the whole law does not justify. And he does not call it law sin or work of the flesh, but "work of the law," that is, a work done according to the law. Thus, if one does not kill, does not commit adultery, 2c., whether it be by natural ability, by human powers, by free will, or by God's gift, or by divine power, it does not justify.

The works of the law can be done either before justification or after justification. Before justification, many good people, even among the

2. The following to the end of the paragraph is missing in Menius.

170 Oai. I, IW-I8S. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1804-1808. 171

Pagans kept the law and did excellent works, like Lenophon, Aristides, Fabius, Cicero, Pomponius Atticus 2c. Cicero steadfastly suffered death in a just and good cause. Pomponius was a truth-loving and constant man, who did not tell lies and did not like them in others. But constancy and love of truth are exceedingly good virtues and very beautiful works of the law; and yet they have not been justified by them.

After justification, Peter, Paul and all Christians do works of the law, but they are not justified by them. Paul says 1 Cor. 4:4, "I am conscious of nothing, but in this I am not justified." So it is obvious that he is talking about the whole law and the works of the whole law, not about the sins against the law.

Sophistic Theology.

Therefore, the pernicious and ungodly opinion of the papists must be condemned, who attribute to a mere work (operi operato) performed without faith that it deserves grace and forgiveness of sins. For they say that a good work before grace serves to obtain grace, that the same must be given according to equity (de congruo). But after the grace is already obtained, the following work deserves eternal life, that this must be given for the sake of worthiness (de condigno).

168 For example: If a person living in mortal sin without grace does a good work out of good intention, that is, reads or hears mass, gives alms 2c., he deserves grace in equity (de congruo). But after he has obtained grace in equity in this way, then he can do a work (opus condignum) worthy of reward, which deserves eternal life. In the case of the first, God is not obligated to reward it (debitor), but because He is good and just, it behooves Him to approve such a work, even if it is accomplished in mortal sin, and to give grace as remuneration for such service. According to grace, however, God is already a debtor.

and is compelled by law to give eternal life, because it is now no longer merely a work of free will done according to essence (secundum substantiam), but also accomplished in pleasing grace, that is, in love.

This is the theology of the antichristic empire, which I mention for the sake of a better understanding of Paul's disputatio, because when opposing things are held together, they appear all the clearer; then, so that it may become apparent how far these blind men and blind leaders have strayed from the truth, and how they have not only obscured the gospel with their ungodly and blasphemous doctrine, but have abolished it altogether and obscured Christ.

For if, while living in mortal sin, I can do any work, however small, which is not only pleasing to God in its nature, but can also merit grace in equity, and if, having grace, I can do works of grace, that is, in love, and merit eternal life by right, what need have I of the grace of God, the forgiveness of sins, the promise, the death and victory of Christ? Christ is now of no use to me at all. For I have the free will and powers to do a good work, by which I earn grace according to equity, and afterwards also eternal life according to dignity (de condigno).

Such insane monstrosities and horrible blasphemies should have been presented to Jews and Turks, but not to the Church of Christ. And this matter shows sufficiently that the pope with his bishops, doctors, monks 2c. had neither any knowledge of the holy things, nor had he taken care of them, nor had he been concerned about the blessedness of the abandoned and miserably scattered host. For if they had seen even in the remotest way, as through a mist, what Paul had said, they would not have seen it.

1. Thus Luther translates de condigno, Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1161, §226.

172' 6"1. 1, 188-187. Explanation of Galatians 2, 16, W. VIII, 1808-1811. 173

If they had called sin what grace is, they would not have imposed such abominations and such ungodly folly on the Christian people.

They understood by mortal sin nothing other than an outward work committed against the Law, such as murder, adultery, theft 2c. They did not consider it mortal sin that one does not recognize God, that one has hatred and contempt for God in one's heart, that one is ungrateful to God and grumbles against Him, that one resists God's will, that the flesh can do nothing but think, speak and do against God and serve the devil. If they had recognized that this exceedingly great corruption is inherent in the nature of man, they would not have so ungodly played their foolish game with the merit of equity and dignity 2c.

Therefore, it is necessary to give a clear explanation of what an ungodly man or a man in mortal sin is. But this is such a holy hypocrite and bloodhound as Paul was, since he traveled to Damaseus to persecute Jesus of Nazareth, to destroy the teaching of the Gospel, to kill the believers and to completely disturb the church of Christ. These were certainly the greatest and most horrible sins against God, but Paul could not see them. For he was so blinded by his ungodly zeal for GOD that he thought that these accursed shameful deeds were the highest righteousness, worship of God, and an obedience exceedingly pleasing to GOD. Of course, such saints, who defend such horrible sins as the highest righteousness, should deserve mercy!

Therefore, we deny with Paul the merit of equity and dignity altogether, and declare most confidently that these speculations are nothing but the antics of Satan, which have never had any reality or been demonstrated by examples. For God has never given His grace and eternal life to any man for the merit of equity and dignity.

175 These disputations of the scholastics about the merit according to equity and dignity are only fictions and dreamy musings (speculabilia somnia) of idle men about trivial things, on which the

The whole papacy is still founded on it and is still based on it today. For every monk imagines this: I can earn grace according to equity by keeping the holy rule, but by the works I do after I have received grace, I can accumulate such great merit that it is not only sufficient for me to attain eternal life, but I can also communicate and sell it to others. This is how all monks have taught and lived, and today the papists are doing everything possible against us to defend this blatant blasphemy against Christ. And the holier such a hypocrite and workman is, the worse an enemy of the Gospel he is.

The right Christian way to teach.

176. On the other hand, the correct Christian way of teaching is this: that man should first recognize through the law that he is a sinner, to whom it is impossible to do any good work. For the law says: You are an evil tree, therefore everything you think, speak and do is against God. Therefore, you cannot earn grace by your works. If you nevertheless undertake this, then you make evil out of evil, because, since you are an evil tree, you can bring forth nothing but evil fruit, that is, sins, because "whatever does not come from faith is sin" Rom. 14:23. Therefore, whoever wants to earn grace through previous works, wants to propitiate God through sins, which is nothing other than heaping sins upon sins, ridiculing God and provoking His wrath.

When a man is thus instructed, frightened and humbled by the law, and sees in truth the greatness of his sin, and does not find the slightest trace of love for God in himself, he justifies God in his words, and confesses that he is guilty of eternal death and damnation. The first part of the Christian doctrine is therefore the preaching of repentance and right self-knowledge.

The second part of this teaching is: If you want to be blessed, you can take the

1. justitiarius - one who deals with his own justice.

174 Lri. "ai. 1, 187-189. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1811-1814. 175

Salvation is not obtained by works, but "God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" 1 John 4:9. He was crucified and died for you and "sacrificed your sins in his body" 1 Petr. 2, 24. There is nothing that God would have to look upon favorably (nulla congruitas), or any work before grace, but nothing but wrath, sin, terror and death. Therefore, the law only shows sin, frightens and humbles, and in this way prepares for justification and drives to Christ. For God has revealed through His Word that He will be a gracious Father, who, since we can earn nothing, will give us forgiveness of sins, righteousness and eternal life for Christ's sake without our merit. For he is a God who gives his gifts freely to all, and this is the glory by which his divinity is praised. But he cannot defend this deity of his against the works righteous, for they do not want to accept grace and eternal life from him free of charge, but earn it with their works; therefore they want to rob him of the honor of deity. In order for him to keep it, he had to send the law beforehand to frighten and shatter these extremely hard rocks, as if by a thunderclap and lightning from heaven.

This is in brief our theology of Christian righteousness against the abominations and monstrosities of the sophists of merit according to equity and dignity, or of works before grace and after grace. For such utterly trivial dreams have been invented out of their heads by sure men, who have never been exercised by temptations and real fright from sin and from death, therefore they do not understand what they speak or about what they assert. Then no example of a work before grace and after grace can be given. Thus, the papists deceive themselves and others with the most trivial fables. Reason: Paul says here very clearly that a man is not justified by the works of the law, whether they precede before grace (of which he speaks here) or follow. You see, then, that Christian righteousness is not a [pre

The term "human being" is used by the Sophists when they say: "inhaerens forma":

(Scholastic Theology.) 1)

When a man does any good work, God is pleased with it and pours love into him for this work. This infused love, they say, is a quality (qualitatem) adhering to the heart, and call it an essential justice (formalem justitiam) (it is well for you to know how to speak in this (scholastic) way), and can hear nothing less than that this quality, which gives a shape to the heart (informantem oor), like the white paint of a wall, is not a justice. They cannot come higher than to this thought of human reason: man is just by his essential justice (formali sua justitia), which is the grace that makes man GOtte pleasant (gratia gratum faciens), that is, love. Thus they attribute to this constitution (habitui) and form (formae) which attaches to the soul, that is, to love, which is a work and a gift that comes from the law (for the law says: "You shall love the Lord your God" 2c. (Deut. 6, 5.)), the essential (formal) righteousness, and say that the same is worthy of eternal life, and of him who has it they say that he is essentially (formaliter) righteous, but then also (righteous) in his doing (effective), because he now does good works, to which eternal life is due. This is the opinion of the sophists, namely those who are the best.

Others are not so good as Scotus and Occam, who said that the love given by God is not necessary to obtain the grace of God, but man can bring about by natural forces that he loves God above all. For Scotus concludes thus: If a man can love the creature, a young man a girl, a miser money, which are lesser goods, then can

1. This heading appears here in all editions. Because the following is most closely related to what precedes here, and the heading thus has a disturbing effect, we have placed it in brackets. At the end of the previous paragraph, the editions erroneously have a punctum.

176 Lri. 6ai. I, I89-1S1. Explanation of Galatians 2, 16. Explanation of Galatians 2, 16, W. VIH, 1814-1818. 177

He must also love God, who is a greater good. If man has love for the creature by natural forces, he has much more love for the Creator.

182 All the sophists were overcome by this reason, and none of them could refute it. But they said: Scripture compels us to confess that God requires, in addition to natural love (amorem), with which He is not satisfied, love (caritatem), which has been given by Him. By this they accuse God of being a ferocious tyrant and cruel driver, who is not satisfied with my keeping and fulfilling His law, but above the law, which I can fulfill quite well, also demands that I fulfill it in a special way (circumstantia) and adornment or in a certain clothing.

It is as if a housewife were not satisfied with the fact that the cook had prepared the food in the best possible way, but was angry with her because she had not prepared the food, dressed in a delicious garment and adorned with a golden crown. What kind of mistress would that be, who, in addition to what the cook is obliged to do and also does in an excellent manner, would demand of her that she should also wear a golden crown, which she cannot have? Also, what kind of God would this be, who would demand that we fulfill His law, which we otherwise keep by natural means, in such jewelry, which we cannot have?

(184) But here they make a distinction, lest they should be regarded as asserting contradictory things, and say that the law is fulfilled in two ways; first, according to the essence of the thing (secundum substantiam facti), and secondly, according to the intention of him who commands (secundum intentionem praecipientis). According to the essence by the deed, that is, as far as the thing itself is concerned, we can certainly fulfill everything that the law commands, but not according to the intention of him who commands, for this is such that God is not satisfied that you have done and fulfilled everything that is commanded in the law, even though he can demand nothing more of you; but beyond that, he is not satisfied that you have done and fulfilled everything that is commanded in the law.

He demands this of you, that you fulfill the law in love, not in the natural love that you have, but in the supernatural and divine love that He gives. What does this mean other than making a tyrant and torturer out of GOD, who demands of us what we cannot perform? And there was little need for them to say publicly that it was not our fault, but God's fault that we were condemned, because He demands that we fulfill the law in this peculiar way.

I repeat this and state it clearly in many words (inculco), so that you may see how far they have strayed from the right understanding of Scripture, saying that we can love God above all things by natural powers or at least earn grace and eternal life through a work done by faith (ex opere operato). But since God is not satisfied that we fulfill the law according to its essence through action, but wants it to be fulfilled also according to the intention of Him who commands, therefore the Holy Scriptures compel us to have a supernatural ability (habitum) infused from heaven, which is love, of which they said it is the essential (formal) righteousness, which gives faith its proper form (informantem fidem) and adorns it and causes it to be justified by it love. Thus faith is the body, the shell, the color, but love is the life, the core, the essence (forma). These are the dreams of the school theologians.

But we substitute faith for this love, and as they say, faith is the first design,

and love the living colors and the complete execution, we say, on the other hand, that faith takes hold of Christ, who Christ is the essence (forma) that adorns faith and gives it its proper form (informat), like the color of the wall. Therefore, Christian faith is not an idle quality (qualitas) or an empty shell in the heart, which could also be present in mortal sin, until love comes along and makes it alive, but if it is the right faith, it is a certain confidence of the heart and a firm trust, by which it is possible for the heart to be able to take hold of Christ.

178 2ri. Oai. 1, 1S1-1S3. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1818-1821. 179

ches Christ is grasped, so that Christ is the object to which faith is directed, yes, not the object, but that I say so, Christ is present in faith itself.

So faith is a knowledge or rather a darkness that sees nothing, and yet Christ sits in this darkness, seized by faith, as God sat on Mount Sinai and in the temple in the midst of the darkness. So it is our essential (formalis) righteousness, not love, that gives faith its proper form, but faith itself, and the darkness (nebula) of the heart, that is, the confidence in something that we do not see, that is, in Christ, who is nevertheless present, even though he is not seen at all.

So faith justifies because it takes hold of and possesses this treasure, namely the present Christ. But in what way he is present cannot be grasped by thought, for it is, as I have said, a darkness. Now where there is right confidence of heart, Christ is present in this darkness and faith. And this is the essential (formalis) righteousness for the sake of which man is justified, not for the sake of love, as the Sophists speak. In short, as the Sophists say that love gives form to faith and brings it about, so we say that Christ gives form to faith and brings it about, or that he is the essence (formam) of faith. Christ, then, taken in faith and dwelling in the heart, is the Christian righteousness for whose sake GOD esteems us righteous and gives us eternal life. There is certainly no work of the law, no love, but a far different righteousness, and a kind of new world outside the law and above the law. For Christ or faith is not a law nor a work of the law. Of this matter, which the Sophists neither taught nor understood, we shall speak more fully hereafter. For now it is enough that we have briefly shown that Paul is not only speaking of the ceremonial law, but of the whole law.

189 I remarked above that it was a very

It is a pernicious error that the scholastic theologians have taught that man obtains forgiveness of sins and justification in this way, if he earns, through previous works, which they call merits in equity (merita congrui), the grace, which they call a quality attached to the will (qualitatem), which God has bestowed over the love that we have by natural powers. If one has this, they say, man is essentially (formaliter) righteous and in truth a Christian. This opinion, I say, is ungodly and pernicious, for it makes nothing but Turks, Jews, Anabaptists, enthusiasts 2c. For who should not be able to do a good work by human ability without grace, and in this way earn grace 2c.? Thus those dreamers have made faith an empty quality (qualitatem) in the soul, which alone is worth nothing without love; but if love is added, then it is powerful and justifies.

190. But the following works, they said, serve to earn eternal life according to dignity (de condigno), in such a way that God, for the sake of the love that He has poured into the will of man, accepts this following work, so that He gives eternal life for it. For so they say: God accepts a good work so that it serves to eternal life (acceptare ad vitam), but He does not accept an evil work (deacceptare) so that it serves to damnation and eternal punishment. In the dream they heard something about acceptance (de acceptatione) and then related this to the works and attributed it to them. All this is erroneous and blasphemous against Christ, although not all speak so well of it, but some, as I have said, have taught that by purely natural powers we can love God above all things. It is useful to know this, so that what Paul says here may become all the clearer.

Right Christian way to teach.

191. against these foolish things and quite futile dreams we teach, as we have also recalled above § 176 ff, the faith and the right way of the Christian being thus, that

180 osi. i, 193-19p. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 2, 16. w. vm, i8 "i-182s. 181

Man shall first be taught by the law to know himself, that he may learn to pray with the prophet: "They are all sinners, and lack the glory which they ought to have in God", likewise: "There is none righteous, neither is there any, there is none understanding, there is none that asketh after God; they are all gone astray" 2c. Ps. 14, 1. 2. 3.; likewise Ps. 51, 6.: "In you alone have I sinned" 2c. Thus, in the opposite way, we deter men from merit according to equity and according to dignities. But when man has been humbled by the law and made to know himself, then he has become truly penitent (for true repentance begins with the fear and judgment of God), and sees that he is such a great sinner that he cannot be freed from sins by his powers, efforts, and works.

Only then does he understand what Paul means when he says that man is a servant and prisoner of sin; likewise: God has decided everything under sin; the whole world is guilty before God 2c. [Then he sees that the theology of the sophists about merit according to equity and dignity is a useless babble 1) and that the whole pabstry falls to this. Here now arises such a groaning: Who can help here? For the man who is frightened by the law completely despairs of his strength, looks around and sighs for a mediator and savior.

193 Then the healing word of the gospel comes at the right time and says: "Be of good cheer, my son, your sins are forgiven. Believe in Jesus Christ, who was crucified for your sins 2c. When you feel your sins, do not look at them on yourself, but remember that they are laid on Christ, whose wounds have healed you 2c. Is. 53, 5. l Petr. 2, 24.

194 This is the beginning of blessedness. In this way we are freed from sin, we are justified, and eternal life is given to us, not for the sake of our merits and works, but for the sake of faith.

1) ματαιολογία - theologia a play on words.

for the sake of which we take hold of Christ. For this reason we also assume a special quality (qualitatem) and an essential righteousness (formalem justitiam) in the heart, but not, as the Sophists do, love, but faith, but in such a way that the heart has nothing else in mind and grasps but the Savior Christ. But then it is necessary that you know what Christ really is (definite). Because the sophists did not know this, they made him a judge and a tormentor, and they invented this quite foolish little fiction of merit according to equity and dignity.

But Christ is not really a legislator, but a reconciler and savior. Faith grasps this and believes without a doubt that he has accomplished works and merits according to equity and dignity more than superfluously, for he could have done enough for the sins of the world with a single drop of his blood. But now he has done enough for us. Hebr. 9, 12: "By His own blood He entered into the Holy Place" 2c., and Rom. 3, 24: "We are justified without merit by His grace, through the redemption that came by Christ, whom God made a mercy seat by faith in His blood" 2c. Therefore it is a great thing that one should take hold of Christ in faith, who bears the sin of the world, and this faith alone is counted as righteousness, Rom. 3, 28. 4, 5.

Here it is well to note that these three things, faith, Christ, and the acceptance or imputation of Christ's righteousness, belong together. Faith grasps Christ and has Him present and enclosed, as a ring encloses a precious stone, and anyone who is found to have grasped Christ with this confidence in his heart, God counts him righteous. This is the way and the merit by which we attain to the forgiveness of sins and to righteousness. Because you believe in me, says God, and your faith takes hold of Christ, whom I have given you to be your mediator and high priest, therefore you shall be righteous.

197. so GOD accepts us or reckons us

182 dri. 6ai. 1, 195-197. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1825-1828. 183

2c. and this acceptance 1) or imputation is very necessary, firstly because we are not yet perfectly righteous, but in this life sin in the flesh still clings to us. This sin, which is still left in the flesh, God sweeps out in us. On the other hand, we are sometimes also abandoned by the Holy Spirit and fall into sins, like Peter, David and other saints. But we always have access to this article, that our sins are covered and that God will not impute them to us, Ps. 32, 1. 2. Rom. 4, 7.It is not that sin is no longer there (as the Sophists taught that one must do good works bene operandum esse until we are no longer aware of sin), rather, sin is truly there, and the godly feel it, but it is hidden and not imputed to us by God for Christ's sake; because we take hold of Him in faith, all sins must not be sins. But where Christ and faith are not, there is no forgiveness of sins, no covering of them, but only imputation and condemnation of sins. Thus God wants the Son to be glorified, and He Himself wants to be glorified in us through Him.

198. Having taught faith in Christ in this way, we also teach about good works: Because you have received Christ in faith, through whom you are justified, begin to do good works, love God and your neighbor, call on God, thank Him, praise, extol and confess Him, do good to your neighbor and serve him, carry out your ministry honestly. These are truly good works that flow from this faith and from the gladness of heart that we have obtained because our sins have been forgiven in vain through Christ.

All the crosses and sufferings that are to be borne afterwards can be borne easily. For the yoke that Christ lays out is gentle and the burden is light Matth. 11, 30. For since sin is forgiven and the conscience is freed from the burden and biting of sin, a Christian can easily bear everything.

1. Jena and Erlangen acceptio instead of the otherwise consistently used acceptatio, which the Wittenberg also offers here.

Because inwardly everything is gentle and sweet, he does and suffers everything willingly. But when man walks in his own righteousness, everything he does and suffers is difficult for him, and it is burdensome to him because he does it unwillingly.

(200) Therefore we make the declaration that he who has no sin or feels no sin is a Christian, but his sin is not imputed to him because of his faith in Christ. This doctrine gives a firm comfort to consciences that are in real terror, and therefore it is not in vain that we try so often and with so much diligence to impress upon people that sins are forgiven us and righteousness is imputed to us for Christ's sake; likewise that a Christian should have nothing at all to do with the law and with sin, especially in temptations. If he is a Christian, he is above the law and sin. For he has Christ, the Lord of the law, present and enclosed in his heart, as a ring encloses a precious stone. Therefore, when the law accuses him, when sin terrifies him, 2c. he looks at Christ. When he has grasped Him in faith, he has with him the victor over the law, over sin, death and the devil, who rules over all these so that they can do him no harm.

Therefore, a Christian, in the true meaning of the word (proprie definitus), is free from all laws and absolutely subject to no one, either inwardly or outwardly. But I say with special emphasis: if he is a Christian (not if he is a man or a woman), that is, if he has a conscience that is clothed, adorned and made rich by this faith, by this great and immeasurable treasure, or, as Paul says, this unspeakable gift, which cannot be exalted and praised highly enough, because it makes children and heirs of God. Therefore, a Christian is greater than the whole world because he has this, as it seems, small gift in his heart, but this seemingly small gift and thing of value, which he holds in faith, is greater than heaven and earth because Christ is greater, who is this gift.

(202) Where this doctrine exists and remains inviolate, which leads the consciences to peace.

184 Lri. Oai. 1, 197-200. Explanation of Galatians 2, 16, W. VIII, 1828-1832. 185

Christians are made judges of all doctrines and are masters of all the laws of the whole world. They can most certainly judge that the Turk is damned with his Alkoran, because he does not walk on the right road, i.e., does not recognize that he is a wretched and damned sinner, nor does he grasp Christ in faith, believing that his sins are forgiven him for Christ's sake. So he also confidently pronounces against the pope the verdict that he is damned with his whole kingdom, because he and all his monks and high schools are based on the idea that we attain grace through merit according to equity, but are later admitted to heaven through merit according to dignity. Then a Christian says: This is not the right way to become righteous, this is not the way to enter heaven. I cannot earn grace according to equity by the preceding works, nor gain eternal life according to dignity by the following merits, but to him who believes in Christ his sin is forgiven and righteousness imputed. This confidence makes him God's child and heir, who has in hope the eternal life that has been promised to him. Through faith in Christ, therefore, we are given everything: grace, peace, forgiveness of sins, blessedness and eternal life, not through merit according to equity and dignity.

Therefore, this doctrine of the writers of sentences of merit according to equity and dignity, all services, masses and the innumerable endowments of the papal kingdom are abominable blasphemies, theft of God and denial of Christ, as Peter, 2 Peter 2:1, foretold with these words: "There shall be false teachers among you, which shall bring in corrupt sects, and shall deny the Lord that bought them," 2c. as if he wanted to say: "The Lord hath redeemed us, and bought us, to make us righteous and blessed; this is the way of righteousness and salvation: The LORD hath redeemed us, and bought us with his blood, to make us righteous and blessed; this is the way to righteousness and blessedness. But false teachers will come who will deny the Lord, blaspheme the way of truth, righteousness and salvation, and invent new ways of falsehood and destruction, and many will follow their destruction 2c.

In this whole chapter, Peter has excellently portrayed the papacy, which has set aside the gospel and faith in Christ and taught works and human statutes, such as merit according to equity and dignity, the distinction of days, meals, and persons, vows, the invocation of the saints, pilgrimages, and purgatory 2c. The papists have so imbibed these enthusiastic opinions of statutes and works that it is impossible for them to understand even one syllable of the Gospel, faith and Christ.

205. And this shows the matter itself sufficiently. For they arrogate to themselves the right which Christ alone has. He alone frees from sin, gives righteousness and eternal life. That we can attain this without Christ through merit according to equity and dignity, they lie impudently and ungodly. This is what Peter and the other apostles call "introducing corrupt sects", "denying Christ", "trampling underfoot the fine blood", blaspheming the Holy Spirit and the grace of God. Therefore, no one can sufficiently see how horrible papist idolatry is. As unspeakable is the gift that is offered to us through Christ, as horrible are the papist desecrations of the sanctuary (profanationes).

Therefore, one should not disregard these abominations or let them be forgotten, but diligently observe them, which also serves to make the grace of God and the good deeds of Christ more glorious through the opposite. The more I realize how horribly God is desecrated by the Papist Mass, the more horror and disgust I have for it, and I grasp the right custom of the Mass i.e., of the Lord's Supper, which is to be observed by all. of the Lord's Supper], which the pope has abolished and made a bad commodity out of it, which, if one buys it, can be of use to someone else, for he says that an apostate sacristan, who denies Christ and blasphemes the Holy Spirit, who stands at the altar, does a good work, not only for himself, but also for others, for the living and the dead, and for the whole church, for no other reason than that the accomplishment of the work brings this about (ex opere operato) 2c.

186 oai. i, 200-202. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, i832-i836. 187

Therefore one can already see from this that God's patience is immeasurably great, that he has not long since destroyed the whole of Pabstism and turned it back with fire and brimstone, like Sodom and Gomorrah. But these lovely people want to cover and decorate their godlessness and shamefulness; one should not be silent about this.

Therefore, we must illuminate the article of justification with the utmost diligence, so that, like the sun at noon, it may bring them out of the darkness and gloom of their hypocrisy into the light and expose their shameful nature and shame.

For this reason, we are pleased to pursue the righteousness of faith with the utmost vigor and emphasis, so that the adversaries may be put to shame and this article may become firm and certain in our hearts. And this is extremely necessary, because if we lose this sun, we will fall back into the former darkness. But it is quite frightening that the pope has been able to bring this about in the church, that Christ has been denied, trampled underfoot, insulted and blasphemed, namely through the gospel and the sacraments, which he has so obscured and turned into such a shameful abuse that they have served him against Christ to raise up and strengthen his diabolical abominations. O, darkness and immeasurable wrath of God!

So we also believe in Christ JEsum (for what?), that we may be justified 2c.

This is the right Christian way to teach, that we are justified by faith in Christ, not by the works of the law. Here you must not allow yourself to be challenged by the ungodly gloss of the Sophists, who say that faith justifies only when love and good works are added. With this pernicious gloss, the sophists have obscured and corrupted this and similar sayings in Paul's writings, in which he most clearly ascribes justification to faith.

But when a man hears that he must believe in Christ, but that faith does not justify unless this form (forma) is added, namely love, then he immediately falls away from faith and thinks:

If faith without love does not justify, then faith is idle and useless, and love alone justifies, for if faith has not gained the right form (fides formata) and is adorned by love, it is nothing.

212. and to prove their harmful and pernicious gloss, the adversaries draw on the passage 1 Cor. 13, 1. 2: "If I spoke with the tongues of men and with the tongues of angels 2c. and had not love, I should be nothing." This passage is their iron wall.

But they are people without understanding, therefore they understand and see nothing of what Paul teaches, and with this false interpretation they have not only done violence to Paul's words, but also denied Christ and destroyed all his benefits. Therefore one should avoid it this gloss like a hellish poison and conclude with Paul that we are justified by faith alone, not by faith that has gained a form through love (fide formata caritate). Therefore, the power of justification must not be ascribed to this pleasing form (formae gratificanti), but to the faith which grasps Christ the Savior Himself and possesses Him in the heart. This faith justifies without love and before love.

We admit that one must also teach about good works and love, but in its own time and place, namely when dealing with the question of works outside of this main article. Here, however, it is the question by which we are justified and obtain eternal life. Here we answer with Paul that we are declared righteous because of faith in Christ alone, not because of the works of the law or because of love; not that we reject works or love, as the adversaries blame us, but we do not want to be distracted from the main point around which the present trade revolves, which Satan would like to do. Since we are now dealing with the doctrine of justification, we reject and condemn works, for this article does not allow us to deal with good works at all. In this matter, therefore, we cut short all laws and all works of the law.

[188 Lri. Kai. 1, 202-204. Explanation of Galatians 2, 16, W. VIII, 836-1839. 189

215 But the law is good, just, and holy. Very well; but since we are now dealing with the doctrine of justification, it is not now the place to speak of the law, but the question is, what is Christ, and what good deed has he shown us? But Christ is not the law, he is not my work or a work of the law, he is not my love or the law's love, he is not my chastity, obedience or poverty, but the Lord over life and death, the mediator and savior of sinners, the redeemer of those who are under the law. In Him we are through faith, and He in us, Joh. 6, 56. This bridegroom must be alone with the bride in the chamber, but all servants and the whole household must remain outside. But after that, when he opens the door and steps out, the servants and maids may run in, serve, bring food and drink. That is when the works and love begin.

In order to describe Christ correctly, we must carefully distinguish all laws, including divine laws, and all works from the promise of the gospel and from faith. Christ, however, is not a law, therefore not a driver of either the law or works, but he is "God's lamb who bears the sin of the world," John 1:29. This is grasped by faith alone, not by love, which must follow faith, but as a kind of gratitude.

Therefore, victory over sin and death, blessedness and eternal life are not granted to us by the law, not by the works of the law, not by the powers of free will or by our will, but only through Jesus Christ.

1)218. So only the faith that grasps this justifies what results from the sufficient division and the right conclusion (a sufficienti divisione et inductione): The victory over sin and death is in Jesus Christ alone, therefore it is not in the works of the law nor also in our will 2c. Here we will gladly dul-

1. At the end of this section Menius inserted a paragraph which is not found in the Latin original. Therefore, in order to keep the same count as Walch, we have been forced to start a new paragraph here.

The opponents call us Solaris, because they do not understand the matter Paul is dealing with here 2c.

That we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law.

219 All these words should be emphasized in the reading, because they are of great importance. Paul, as I have reminded you above, is speaking not only of the ceremonial law, but of the whole law. For the ceremonial law was as much divine as the moral law; as, circumcision, the institution of the priesthood, the service of God and the customs of worship were as much commanded by God as the holy ten commandments. Likewise, it was a law when Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac. This work of Abraham pleased God, as did other ceremonial works, yet he was not justified by this work, but by faith, for the Scripture says Rom. 4:3: "Abraham believed God, and this was counted to him for righteousness."

^3^(220) But after Christ is revealed, they say, the ceremonial laws are fatal. 4) Yes, so we teach, even the law of the ten commandments is deadly without faith in Christ. Further, there must be no law in the conscience, but only the spirit of life, by which in Christ we are freed from the law of the letter and of death, from its works and its sins; not that the law is evil, but because it cannot justify, since it has the quite opposite effect. So it is an exalted and great thing to have a God who is reconciled. Therefore, a completely different mediator is needed than Moses or the

2. This mocking name is directed against Paul's teaching that we are justified by faith alone (sola fide), without works of the law, Rom. 3, 28, therefore he does not revile Luther and his followers as well as the holy apostle and God's own word.
3. This paragraph (with the exception of the last sentence) is used by Aurifaber for § 74 of the twelfth chapter of the Tischreden. In our edition of the Table Talks, it has been omitted.
4. The Erlanger edition has here before imo only a comma instead of a point, whereby the sense is completely distorted. Also in many other places the Erlangen edition has wrong, sense-distorting punctuation.

190 Lri. 6ai. 1, 204-206. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, I83S-I847. 191

Law or our will or even grace, which they call love towards God. Here we do not have to do anything at all, but only receive the treasure, which is Christ taken in the heart through faith, however much we may feel that we are full of sins. These words, "that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law," are therefore very meaningful words, not empty and idle ones, as the Sophists think, and therefore confidently skip over them.

This is how far Paul's words go, which he spoke to Peter, by which he briefly summarizes the main article of Christian doctrine, which in truth makes Christians. Now he addresses his speech again to the Galatians, to whom he is writing, and concludes by saying: "Since the matter is that we are justified by faith in Christ, therefore by the works of the law no flesh can attain to righteousness.

Therefore, by the works of the law no flesh is justified (non justificabitur omnis caro).

The expression in the Vulgate "not all flesh" is a Hebrew way of speaking, which violates the grammar 1). This expression occurs frequently in the holy Scriptures; Gen. 4, 15: "that not everyone slay him (ut non interficiat eum omnis) who found him" 2c. The Greeks and the Latins do not speak thus: "not everyone", that is, "no one"; "not all flesh", that is, "no flesh"; but "not all flesh" in Latin means so much as: some flesh (aliqua caro). The Holy Spirit does not bind himself to this strictness of grammar. 2) "Flesh" in Paul does not mean, as the sophists dream, only the gross sins, for these he uses to call by expressed names, as, adultery, fornication, uncleanness 2c., below in the fifth chapter, v. 19-21. but Paul calls the same "flesh", which is so called by Christ, who says John 3:6: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." Thus flesh means the whole nature of man with reason and all

1. grammatica, was used in Luther's time in a much broader sense than today, in that it also included the meaning of words.
2. Menius has omitted the piece from the beginning of this paragraph to here.

their powers. This, he says, is not justified by works, not even by works of the law. He does not say, The flesh is not justified by works against the law, as there are murder, fornication, gluttony 2c., but the works which are done according to the law, which are good. "Flesh," then, in Paul means the highest righteousness, wisdom, worship, religion, understanding, will, as great as these can be in the natural man.

If a Jew is not justified by the works done according to the law of God, a monk is much less justified by his order, a priest by the mass and the seven times of prayer (horas canonicas), a philosopher by his wisdom, a theologian by theology, a Turk by the Alkoran. In short, however wise and just men may be according to reason and the divine law, they are not justified by all their works, merits, masses, supreme righteousness and worship.

The papists do not believe this, but as blinded and obdurate people they defend their abominations against their conscience and persist in this blasphemy, and to this day they still praise these predatory sayings: Whoever does this or that work deserves forgiveness of sins; whoever accepts this or another holy order and keeps its rule, we promise him eternal life for sure.

(225) It cannot be said what an abominable blasphemy it is to ascribe to the doctrines of devils, to the writings and rules of men, to the impious statutes of the pope, and to the works of monks, that which Paul, the apostle of Christ, denies to the divine law and its works. For if no flesh is justified by the works of the divine law, much more will it not be justified by the rule of Benedictus, Franciscus 2c., in which there is not a syllable of faith in Christ, but only insistence on it: He who keeps these things has eternal life.

For this reason, I have often wondered beyond measure that for so many centuries, during which these pernicious sects have existed, the Church has nevertheless preserved....

192 dri. 6-u. 1, 206-208. Exec. Explanation o. Galatians 2, 16. 17. W. VIII, 1847-1850. 193

could remain in such great darkness and error. There have always been some whom God has called in pure doctrine through the text of the Gospel (which has nevertheless remained in the sermon) and through baptism. These walked in simplicity and humility of heart, thinking that only the monks and those who were smeared by the bishops were holy and spiritual (religiosos), but they were unholy and secular (saeculares), in no way to be compared with them; and because they therefore found nothing of good works or merits in themselves, which they could have held against the wrath and judgment of God, they took refuge in the suffering and death of Christ and became blessed in this simplicity.

227. It is a terrible and immeasurable wrath of God that for so many centuries He has punished the ingratitude and contempt of the Gospel and Christ in the papists by giving them over to a wrong mind, so that they completely denied and blasphemed Christ, as far as the custom of the same is concerned, and instead of the Gospel they accepted the abominations of rules and human statutes, which they worshipped only and preferred to the word of God, until finally marriage was taken from them and they were forced into this unchaste celibate state. Then they were also defiled outwardly with every kind of shameful deed, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, sodomy 2c. This was the fruit of the impure celibacy.

Thus God, punishing sin with sin, gave them over inwardly to a perverse mind and outwardly to such abominable vices, and rightly so, because they blasphemed the only begotten Son of God, in whom the Father wants to be glorified; he gave him to death, so that those who believe in the Son would be saved through him, not through their orders. "Whoever honors me," says GOD 1 Sam. 2, 30, "I will also honor." But God is honored in His Son, John 5:23. Therefore, whoever believes that the Son of God is our Mediator and Savior, honors the Father, whom God also honors in turn, that is, he adorns Him with His gifts, with forgiveness of sins, with righteousness, with the

Holy Spirit, with eternal life 2c. But those who despise me, he says, they also shall be despised (ignobiles) 2c.

229 The main conclusion is this: "For by the works of the law no flesh is justified. This you further strike out and apply to all classes: Thus no monk will be justified by his order, no nun by her chastity, no citizen by his righteousness, no prince by his good deeds 2c. The law of God is greater than the whole world, for it passes over all men, and the works of the law are more excellent than all the self-chosen works of the works saints; and yet Paul says that neither the law nor the works of the law justify; therefore faith alone justifies.

Now that this main proposition (propositione) is established, he begins to confirm it with reasons of proof, and the first of these reasons of proof, which is taken, as it were, from the opposite of what is stated in the conclusion (ex opposito consequentis), is this:

V.17. But if we ourselves, who seek to be justified by Christ, should also be found sinners, Christ would be a minister of sin.

This is not Latin, but Hebrew and theological language. If this is true, that we are justified by Christ, then it is impossible for us to be sinners or to be justified by the law. On the other hand, if it is not true, but we must be justified by the law and works of the law, then it is impossible for us to be justified by Christ. One of the two must be false; either we are not justified by Christ, or not by the law. But we are justified by Christ, therefore not by the law. He thus concludes, "But if we seek," 2c. that is, if we seek to be justified by faith in Christ, and, having been thus justified, we are still found sinners who need the law to justify us sinners; if, I say, the keeping of the law is necessary to justification, so that those who are justified in the law may be justified in the law.

194 dri. 6ai. 1, 208-211. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1850-1854. 195

If the one who has been justified by Christ is not to be justified, but still needs the justifying law, or if the one who has been justified by Christ still needs to be justified by the law, then Christ is nothing but a lawgiver and servant of sin. Therefore, he who is justified and holy through Christ is not justified and holy, but still needs the righteousness and holiness of the law.

232 But we are certainly justified and righteous through Christ, because the truth of the Gospel teaches that man is not justified by the law, but by Christ. But if those who are justified by Christ are still found to be sinners, that is, they still belong to the law and are under the law, as the false apostles teach, so they are not yet justified, because the law accuses them and convicts them that they are still sinners, and demands that they do works of the law so that they may be justified, it follows that those who are justified in Christ are not justified. And so it necessarily follows that Christ must not be a justifier, but a minister of sin.

With these words he most severely accuses the false apostles and all works saints of perverting everything, because they turn the law into grace, grace into the law, Moses into Christ, Christ into Moses. For they teach that after Christ and after all the righteousness of Christ, the observance of the law is still necessary if one wants to become righteous. Thus, by an intolerable perversion, the law becomes Christ, because to the law is ascribed that which properly belongs to Christ. They say: If you do the works of the law, you will be justified. If you do not do them, you will not be justified, no matter how much you believe in Christ. But if it is true that Christ does not justify, but is a minister of sin, as necessarily follows from their doctrine, then Christ is a law, because we have nothing else from him, since he teaches that we are sinners, than what we have also by the law; and so the minister of sin, Christ, sends us to the law and to Moses as the justifier.

Therefore, the papists and all those who do not know the righteousness of Christ or do not hold fast to it, must make Christ into Moses and the law, and the law into Christ. For they teach that faith in Christ justifies, but at the same time the commandments of God must be kept, because it is written Matt. 19:17, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments of God." Then immediately Christ is denied and faith is destroyed, because to the commandments of God or to the law is ascribed that which belongs to Christ alone. For Christ is, if one wants to describe him properly, the justifier and redeemer of sins. If I attribute this to the law, then the law itself is my justifier, in that it frees me from sins because I do its works. And so the law is Christ, and Christ completely loses his name, office and honor, and he is nothing but a servant of the law, who accuses, terrifies, abandons and sends the sinner to another who can justify him, which in truth is the office of the law.

But the real ministry of Christ is that he receives the sinner, who has been put in the dock by the law and convicted of his guilt, in the most friendly way and absolves him of sins, if he believes the gospel. "For Christ is the end of the law; he who believes in Him is righteous" Rom. 10:4; "He is the Lamb of God who bears the sin of the world" John 1:29. But because the papists and the enthusiasts do not hold to the doctrine of justification, they reverse everything, make a Moses out of Christ and a Christ out of Moses, and it is indeed (although they say otherwise in words) their most noble doctrine: Christ is a Moses 2c. Then they ridicule us, who inculcate and insist on faith with such great care, and say: Ha, ha, faith, faith, wait until you go to heaven by faith. You must seek higher things, you must fulfill the law of God, as it is written Luc. 10, 28., "Do this, and you shall live." You must suffer many things, shed your blood, leave your house, wife and children, follow the example of Christ.

196 om. 1, 211-213. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 2, 17, W. VIII, I85L-I857. 197

follow. The faith you exalt so much makes people secure, sluggish and sleepy. Thus they become mere teachers of the law and doers of works, falling away from Christ to Moses, likewise leading people from baptism, faith and the promises of Christ back to the law and works, turning grace into law and law into grace.

But who could ever have believed that these two things could so easily have been mixed up? No one's mind is so clumsy that this very slight difference between law and grace should not be obvious to him, 1) because the nature of things and words brings this difference with it. For everyone understands that these words: "law", "grace", are different in matter and in name. Therefore, it is an exceedingly strange phenomenon that, while this quite clear difference is certain, the adversaries have nevertheless fallen into this devilish falsity, that they mix the law and grace and transform Christ into a Moses.

^2^Therefore, I often say that this doctrine of faith is very easy, and that everyone can easily understand this difference between law and grace, as far as the words are concerned, but that the same is the most difficult thing in application, in life, in the heart and conscience (affectu).

The pope with his scholastic teachers clearly says that the law and grace are distinct, and yet, where it comes into use, he teaches the very opposite. Faith in Christ, he says, may it be acquired (acquisita) by natural powers, actions and behavior (habitus), or may it be infused (infusa) by God, is nevertheless dead, if love does not follow. Where is the distinction between law and grace here? According to the name he distinguishes them

1. In Latin in old editions: cui non appareat ... distinctio facillima esse. To lift the grammatical error in these words, either distinctionem facillimam must be read, or 6886 is to be deleted. We have preferred the latter, because it corresponds best to the context.
2. This paragraph is used by Aurifaber for the first paragraph of ? 68 of the twelfth chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this piece is omitted.

He calls grace "love" with the deed. In this way, all those who practise the law attribute justification to works. For this reason, all those who do not rightly hold to the article of justification necessarily confuse the law and grace.

^3^Therefore let every godly man carefully learn to distinguish the law from grace, in heart 4) and in practice, and not, as the pope and the enthusiasts do, only in words. As far as words are concerned, they admit that these two things are different, but as far as deeds are concerned, as I have said, they mix them up, because they do not admit that faith without works justifies. If this is true, then Christ is already of no use to me. No matter how much I may have the right faith, I will not be justified, as they think, if my faith is without love, and no matter how much I may have it, I do not love enough. And so, if Christ is taken by faith, he is not a justifier, grace is of no use, nor can there be true faith without love (or as the Anabaptists say, without the cross, suffering, and shedding of blood); but if love, works, and the cross are present, it is true faith and makes one just.

240 With this doctrine, the enthusiasts today again obscure the good deeds of Christ, deprive him of the honor of a justifier, and make him a minister of sin. They have learned nothing from us except that they repeat the words; they do not hold to the matter itself. They want to be regarded as teaching the gospel and faith in Christ purely, as we do, but when it comes to application, they are teachers of the law, in all respects like the false apostles. For just as they insisted in all the churches that circumcision and the observance of the gospel should be added to faith in Christ, so they also insisted that the gospel and the faith in Christ should be taught purely, as we do.

3. The first half of this paragraph is used by Aurifaber for the second paragraph of § 68 of the twelfth chapter of the Tischreden. In our edition of the Table Talks, this piece is omitted.
4. Instead of affectu, which the Jena and Erlangen offer, the Wittenberg has effectu. Cf. § 471 of the 3rd chapter.

198 Nri. Oai. 1, 213-2IS. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1857-1860. 199

of the law, without which, as they said, faith has no justifying power, for they said Apost. 15:1: "Unless ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved": so nowadays, besides the righteousness of faith, the legalists also demand the fulfillment of the commandments of God according to this word Luc. 10:28: "Do this, and thou shalt live"; likewise Matt. 19:17: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Therefore no one among them understands the difference between law and grace, however wise they may think themselves to be, for they are convicted of it by the custom they make of it and by the judgment they pass on the matter.

But we make a distinction here, and say that we do not now deal with the question whether one should do good works, nor do we ask whether the law is good, holy, righteous, or whether one must keep it, for that is quite a different doctrine; but our business and our question is of justification, whether the law makes righteous. Our adversaries do not hear this, nor do they answer this question, nor do they make any distinction, as we do, but only cry out: one must do good works, one must keep the law. Well, we know that. But because these are different doctrines, we will not suffer them to be mixed up with each other. In time we will also deal with this teaching, that one must keep the law and do good works. But since we are dealing here with the doctrine of justification, we now reject the works that the adversaries stubbornly (mordicus) hold on to and ascribe justification to. This means that we take away Christ's glory and attribute it to works.

242 This, then, is a very solid ground of proof, which I have often used for my great comfort, since Paul says v. 17, "But should we who seek" 2c., as if to say: If we, who are justified by Christ, are not yet reckoned justified, but sinners, who must first be justified by the law, it follows that we cannot seek justification in Christ, but by the law. But if justification is through the law, it is not through grace,

what results if one divides rightly (a sufficienti divisione). If then justification is not by grace, but by law, what did Christ accomplish by his suffering, by his preaching, by his victory over sin and death, and by the sending of the Holy Spirit? So we are either justified by Christ, or we are made sinners and guilty (rei) by him. But if the law justifies, it follows inevitably that we are made sinners through Christ, that is, that Christ is a minister of sin. Therefore, let this sentence be established: Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is a sinner and guilty of eternal death, and unless he takes recourse to the law and does the works of the law, he cannot be saved.

The holy Scriptures, especially those of the New Testament, everywhere inculcate faith in Christ and praise him gloriously. They say: Whoever believes in Him will be saved, will not perish, will not be judged, will not be put to shame, and will have eternal life John 3:16, 18. In contrast, they say: He that believeth on him is damned 2c., because he hath faith without works, which condemneth. Thus they pervert everything; out of Christ they make a destroyer, and out of Moses they make a beatifier. But is it not an immense blasphemy that they teach in this way? If you do the law and its works, you will be worthy of eternal life, but if you believe in Christ, you will be guilty of eternal death; the law, if kept, makes you blessed, but faith in Christ condemns you?

The adversaries do not use such words, but in fact they teach in this way, because, as they say, infused faith (fides infusa) (which they actually call faith in Christ) does not make one free from sin, but faith that has gained a proper form through love (fides formata caritate). From this it follows that faith in Christ alone, without law and works, does not make one blessed. This is certainly the same as saying that Christ leaves us in sins and God's wrath and makes us guilty of eternal death. On the other hand, if you keep the law and do works

200 Lri. 6ai. 1, 215-217. Explanation of Galatians 2, 17. W. VIII, 1860-1864. 201

then faith justifies, because it has the works, without which faith is otherwise of no use. So it is works that justify, not faith, because that from which anything else has its special nature must have the same nature in a higher degree. If faith justifies for the sake of works, then it follows that works justify more than faith. The abominations of this blasphemous doctrine are immeasurable.

Thus Paul's proof is based on the fact that if the false teachers were right the impossible would follow, and that they would have to admit this conclusion as correct if they were right. 1) If we, who are justified by Christ, are still sinners who must be justified by something other than Christ, namely, by the law, it follows that Christ cannot justify us, but only accuses and condemns us. Therefore he died in vain, and these and similar sayings are false Joh. 1, 29.: "Behold, this is the Lamb of God" 2c., likewise [Joh. 3, 36.): "He who believes in the Son has eternal life", yes, the whole Scripture, which testifies that Christ is the Justifier and Savior of the world, is false. For if we are still found sinners after we have been justified by Christ, it must necessarily follow that those who keep the law without Christ are justified. If this is true, then we are Turks, Jews, Tartars, who only keep the word and the name of Christ in appearance, but in fact and truth completely deny Christ and his word.

But Paul wants faith to be unadorned (1 Tim. 1, 5.). Therefore, it is an error and impiety to claim that the faith given by God (fidem infusam) does not justify if it is not adorned by the works of love. But if the adversaries want to defend this, why do they not throw away faith in Christ altogether? Especially since they make nothing else out of it than a useless something (inanem qualitatem) in the soul, which is of no use without love. Why

1. Latin: Argumentatur ergo Paulus ab impossibili et sufficienti divisione.

Do they not rather call the thing by its right name? That is, why do they not say in clear words that works justify, and not faith? Likewise, why do they not publicly deny the whole gospel in general and renounce Paul (which they do in truth), since these alone ascribe righteousness to faith and not to works? For if faith justifies with works, then the whole exposition (disputatio) of Paul is false, who clearly says that man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

So Christ would be a servant of sin

247 Here again a Hebrew way of speaking is used, which Paul also uses in 2 Cor. 3, 7-9. There he speaks gloriously and most clearly of these two offices (ministeriis), namely of the letter and of the spirit, of the law and of grace, or of death and of life, and he says that Moses, the minister (ministrum) of the law, has the office of the law, which he calls the office of sin, of wrath, of death and of condemnation. For Paul uses very disgraceful names for the law of God, and he alone among the apostles speaks in this way; the others do not speak in this way. However, it is very useful for those who study the Holy Scriptures to record (tenere) this way of speaking of Paul.

But a minister of sin is called nothing else than a lawgiver or exactor of the law, who teaches good works and love, who teaches that one must bear the cross and suffer, that one should follow the example of Christ and the saints. Anyone who teaches this and insists on it is a servant of the law, sin, wrath and death, because he does nothing else with his teaching than to frighten and weigh down the consciences, and to resolve them under sin. For it is impossible for human nature to fulfill the law; indeed, in the justified who have the Holy Spirit, the law in the members opposes the law in the mind 2c. [What should it not do in the ungodly who do not have the Holy Spirit?

202 Lri.:> 217-219. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1864-1867. 203

(249) Therefore, he who teaches that righteousness is obtained through the law does not understand what he says or what he claims, much less keeps the law, but deceives himself and others and burdens them with an unbearable burden, teaches and demands the impossible, and finally leads himself and his disciples into despair.

The very custom and purpose of the law, therefore, is that it may convict men, who live quietly and securely, of their guilt, that they may be guilty of sin, wrath, and death, that they may be terrified, despair, despondency, and fear of a rushing leaf. And inasmuch as they are so constituted, they are under the law. For the law demands perfect obedience to God, and condemns those who do not render the same. But it is obvious that no one does or can do this perfect obedience to the law, which God nevertheless strictly demands. Therefore the law does not justify, but condemns, as it is written Deut. 27, 26. Gal. 3, 10.: "Cursed be everyone who does not remain in all this" 2c. Therefore, he who teaches the law is a sin-servant.

Therefore Paul rightly calls the office of the law an office of sin in 2 Cor. 3, 9. 1) For the law indicates sin, which without the law is dead Rom. 7, 8. But the knowledge of sin (which is not only in thoughts speculativa, as with the hypocrites, but the right one, in which one recognizes the wrath of God over sin and in truth tastes and feels death) frightens the hearts, drives to despair and kills, Rom. 7, 11.

Therefore, these teachers of the law and works, whom the Scriptures call "drivers" and "tyrants" Isa. 9:4, 49:7 (for just as those drivers in Egypt burdened the children of Israel with physical bondage, so these bring souls into spiritual and exceedingly miserable bondage through the teaching of the law and works, and finally drive them into despair and corrupt them), neither recognize themselves, nor feel

1. In the quoted passage it says: "The ministry that preaches condemnation", namely because of sin.

The power of the law, nor is it possible for them to attain peace of conscience in right: The terror of the conscience and the peace of the conscience in the distress of death, even though they have kept the law, shown love, done many good works, and suffered many evils. For the law always terrifies them and accuses them, saying, "You have never done all that is commanded in the law, but cursed is he who has not done all." 2c. Therefore, this terror remains and gradually becomes stronger and stronger, and if such teachers of the law are not straightened out by faith and the righteousness of Christ, they must despair.

253 There is a remarkable example of this in the "Life Descriptions of the Fathers" by a hermit. 2) A short time before he died, he stood sadly and motionless for three days with his eyes turned toward heaven. When he was asked why he was doing this, he said that he feared death. When his disciples comforted him that he had no reason to fear death because he had lived a very holy life, he replied: "I have lived a holy life and kept God's commandments, but God's judgments are very different from those of men. When he saw death before his eyes, he could not satisfy his heart, even though he had lived blamelessly and kept the law of God, because it occurred to him that God judges very differently from men, and so he lost confidence in all his good works and merits, and fell into despair when he was not raised up by the promise of Christ.

Therefore, the law can do nothing but strip us naked and present us as guilty. There is then no help nor counsel, but all is lost. Here the life and the tortures of all the saints cannot help us. This is also beautifully illustrated in the history of the legislation 2 Mos. 19, 16-18. and 20, 18. f. Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, so that they would hear God speak from the dark cloud. Then the people, who had promised shortly before that they would do everything that God would command, drew back in fear and trembling, stood

2. The same story is found in the Hauspostille, Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIII, 24, § 9.

204 6si. 1, 219-221 . Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 2, 17, W. VIII, 1867-1870. 205

from afar and said to Moses, "Who can hear the fire, and the thunder, and the sound of the trumpet? "Speak thou with us, and we will obey; and let not God speak with us, lest we die."

The actual function of the law is to lead us out of our camp, that is, out of peace and trust in ourselves, and to bring us before the face of God and reveal His wrath to us. Then the conscience realizes that it has not done enough for the law, nor can it do enough, nor can it bear the wrath of God that the law reveals; when it thus brings us before God's face, that is, when it terrifies, accuses and exposes sin, it is impossible for us to stand. Therefore we flee in terror and cry out with Israel: We must die, we must die! The Lord do not speak to us, you speak to us 2c.

Whoever therefore teaches that faith in Christ does not justify unless the law is kept at the same time, makes Christ a minister of sin, that is, a teacher of the law, who teaches the same as Moses. Thus Christ cannot be a savior nor a dispenser of grace, but a cruel tyrant who, like Moses, demands impossible things that no one can accomplish. Thus all those who deal in their own righteousness (justitiarii) hold that Christ is a new lawgiver, and pass the judgment that the Gospel is nothing but a book containing new laws of works, as the Turks dream of their Alkoran. But in Mosi's books there are enough laws. Therefore the gospel is a preaching of Christ, that he forgives sins, gives grace, and makes sinners righteous and blessed. But that there are commandments in the Gospel, they are not Gospel, but interpretations of the law and appendices of the Gospel.

Furthermore, if the law is an office of sin, then it follows that it is also an office of wrath and death, because the law, as it exposes sin, so also terrifies man, reveals the wrath of God, and puts terror of death into him. For the conscience immediately concludes thus: You have not kept the commandments, so God is offended and

is angry with you, and this is the inevitable conclusion: I have sinned, therefore I must die. Thus, according to the correct conclusion (per consequens), the office of sin is also an office of God's wrath and death. For when sin is revealed, wrath, death and damnation immediately follow. For thus the conscience concludes: You have sinned, so God is angry with you; but if he is angry, he will kill you and condemn you eternally. And hence it is that many who cannot bear the wrath and judgment of God, which are made known by the law, kill themselves, cut their necks, or drown themselves 2c.

That is far away.

258 As if he wanted to say: Christ is not a servant of sin, but he gives righteousness and eternal life. That is why Paul separates Christ from Moses by a long way. Moses should therefore remain on earth, be a teacher of the letter and a lawgiver, and crucify sinners. But the believers, Paul says, have another teacher in their conscience, not Moses, but Christ, who has abolished the law, overcome sin, wrath and death 1) and abolished them. He calls us, who are weary and burdened with all evil, to come to him. Therefore, when we flee to him, Moses disappears with his law, so that his grave is nowhere to be seen, and sin and death can no longer harm us. For Christ our teacher is the Lord of law, sin and death; he who believes in him is free from these. So it is the real ministry of Christ to free from sins and death, which Paul teaches and inculcates without ceasing.

And so we are condemned and put to death by the law, but justified and made alive by Christ. The law frightens us and drives us away from God, but Christ reconciles us to God and makes it possible for us to have access to him. For he is the Lamb of God who bears the sin of the world. Therefore, whoever believes in Christ has him who took away the sin of the world. If the sin

1. Erlanger: visit, which should mean vicit.

206 Lii. 6ai. 1, 221-224. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 1870-1873. 207

If sin is taken away from the world, it is also taken away from me who believe in him. But if sin is taken away, then wrath, death and condemnation are also taken away, and righteousness has taken the place of sin, reconciliation and grace have taken the place of wrath, life has taken the place of death, and eternal blessedness has taken the place of condemnation.

260 We should not only learn to speak this difference in words, but also to put it into practice and life out of a living conviction of the heart. For where Christ is, there must also be a calm and happy conscience. For Christ is our reconciliation, righteousness, peace, life and blessedness; in short, everything that a poor and shattered conscience seeks, it finds abundantly in Christ. Paul makes further use of this reason for proof and convinces them:

V. 18 But if I build again that which I have broken, I make myself a transgressor.

261 As if to say, I have not preached in such a way that I would do again what I once broke. For if I did so, I would not only labor in vain, but would make myself a transgressor, and, as the false apostles are wont to do, would pervert all things; that is, I would turn grace and Christ into a law and Moses, and vice versa, the law and Moses into grace and Christ. But I have broken sin, sorrow, wrath and death by the ministry of the gospel. For I have taught thus: Your conscience, O man, is subject to law, sin, and death; from which you cannot be freed by the power of any man or angel. But now the gospel comes and proclaims to you forgiveness of sins through Christ, who has done away with the law and has destroyed sin and death. Believe in Him, and you will be set free from the curse of the law, from the tyranny of sin and death, and you will be justified and have eternal life.

1. Instead of vivis, the Wittenberg has: unius.

Thus I have broken the law through the preaching of the gospel, so that it can no longer remain in the conscience. For since the new householder, Christ, comes into the new house to dwell therein alone, the old inhabitant, Moses, must depart and go elsewhere. But where Christ is the new host, there the law, sin, wrath, and death have no place, but there is only grace, righteousness, joy, life, and nothing but childlike confidence in the reconciled, favorable, and gracious Father for Christ's sake. Should I then cast out Christ and destroy his kingdom, which I planted through the gospel, and again build up the law and establish Moses' kingdom? This would happen if I taught, as the false apostles do, that circumcision and the keeping of the law are necessary for salvation. And in this way, instead of righteousness and life, I would again establish sin and death. For the law only exposes sin, incites wrath and kills.

Dear, what are the papists, when they are at their best, but destroyers of the kingdom of Christ and builders of the kingdom of the devil, of sin, of the wrath of God, and of eternal death? They destroy the church, which is the building of God, not with the law of Moses, as the false apostles do, but with the statutes of men and the teachings of the devils. So do the spirits of the swarm, who are already here today, and those who will come after us: they destroy and will destroy what we have built, and rebuild and will rebuild anew what we have destroyed.

But we, who by God's grace hold fast the article of justification, know most definitely that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. Therefore, we do not confuse law and grace, faith and works, but keep them very far apart. This distinction between the law and grace should be carefully observed by everyone who strives for godliness, and it should be given its due weight, not only in letters and syllables, but in application, so that when he hears that one must do good works, he may

208 Lii. "ai. 1, 224-226. Explanation of Galatians 2, 18. W. VIII, 1873-1877. 209

He must follow Christ's example, he can judge rightly and say: Quite right, I will gladly do that. What else? Then you will be blessed. No; I admit that one should do all good, suffer all evil, even shed one's blood, if the cause, for Christ's sake, so requires, but by this I am not justified, nor do I attain blessedness.

Therefore, it is not necessary to include good works in the article of justification, as the monks did, who said that not only good works are deserving of eternal life, but also the punishments and executions inflicted on wicked wicked men for their misdeeds. For they have been so comforted when the death penalty should now be carried out on them: Suffer willingly this shameful death; if you do so, you will earn forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

It is a frightening thing that a poor thief, murderer, or robber, in his greatest fear, should be seduced in such a way that, at the moment when he must die, when he is about to be hanged or beheaded, nothing is said to him about the Gospel of Christ, which alone can comfort and make him blessed, but he is asked to hope for mercy and forgiveness of sins if he willingly suffers the ignominious death that will be inflicted on him because of his crimes. This really means to hang the greatest misfortune on the neck of someone who is in the greatest suffering and to show him the way to hell through this false delusion and trust in his own death.

267 By this those hypocrites sufficiently show that they have not taught or understood a single letter of grace, of the gospel or of Christ. They have kept the name of the gospel or Christ only in pretense, in order to deceive the hearts of the simple all the more easily, but in fact they have denied Christ altogether and trampled Him underfoot, and ascribed more to human statutes than to the gospel of Christ. This is evidenced by the so many services, so many kinds of orders, so many ceremonies, so many works, all of which have been instituted in the opinion that they should help to merit grace 2c.

In confession they made no mention of the faith or of the merit of Christ, but only inculcated human satisfactions and merits, as can be seen in the following formula of absolution, not to mention others which the monks used among themselves, namely those who wanted to be respected for living spiritually in a higher degree than others. These I will put here, so that our descendants may also recognize the immense and unspeakable abomination of the papal empire.

Formula of absolution of the monks.

God forgive you, my brother! - May the merit of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, the merit of your order, the hard life in the spiritual state, the humility of your confession, the repentance in your heart, the good works that you have done and will do out of love for our Lord Jesus Christ, be sufficient for you to forgive your sins, to grow in merit and grace, and to receive eternal life as a reward, amen.

Here you hear the merit of Christ mentioned, but if you consider the words a little more carefully, you will see that Christ has nothing to do with it, and that the honor and the name of a justifier and savior are taken away from him, while this is attached to the monastic works. Does this not mean that the name of God is used uselessly? Is this not confessing Christ in words, but denying and blaspheming His power? I have been in the same mire; I thought that Christ was a judge (although I confessed with my mouth that he suffered and died to redeem the human race), who should be pacified by keeping my rule. Therefore, when I prayed or said Mass, I always added at the end: Lord Jesus, I come to you and ask you to accept the difficult service in my order as a payment for my sins.

But now I give thanks to the Father of mercies, who has brought me out of darkness.

210 Li-I. OLi. 1, 226-228. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1877-1880. 211

has called me to the light of the gospel and gifted me with an exceedingly rich knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake I, like Paul, count all things as evil and count them as filth, that I may gain Christ and be found in him Phil. 3:8, 9, that I may not have my righteousness from the rule of Augustine, but that which comes through faith in Christ 2c. To whom be praise and glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever, Amen.

272 We conclude with Paul that we are justified by faith alone in Christ, without law and works. But after a man is justified by faith, and now possesses Christ by faith, and knows that he is his righteousness and his life, he will certainly not be idle, but will bear good fruit as a good tree. For a believing person has the Holy Spirit; where He is, He does not let the person be idle, but drives him to all exercises in godliness, to love toward God, to patience in tribulations, to prayer, to thanksgiving, to showing love toward all.

For this reason we also say that faith without works is worthless and useless. This is understood by the papists and the enthusiasts to mean that faith without works does not justify, or that faith, however righteous, is useless unless it has works. This is false; but faith without works, that is, a fanciful thought, a mere delusion and dream of the heart, is false and does not justify.

274 So far we have dealt with the first ground of proof, by which Paul aims at the fact that either we cannot be justified by the law, or Christ must necessarily be a minister of sin. But this is impossible; it follows that in no way may it be admitted that we are justified by the law. We have, however, treated this doctrine in detail, as it is proper, although it cannot yet be sufficiently impressed and recorded even in this way.

V. 19. But I died to the law through the law, that I might live.

These are wonderful words and unheard-of speeches, which human reason does not understand at all. And this is spoken briefly, but very emphatically. But it is evident that Paul is speaking from a heated, ardent spirit and in great zeal, after the manner of a man who is very indignant, as if he wanted to say: Why do you insist on the law, of which I want to know nothing? Why do you so often deafen my ears with it? If one must have a law, then I also have a law.

276 So he calls grace itself a law, as it were out of an indignation wrought by the Holy Spirit, calling the work of grace (rem gratiae) by a new word, to the shame of the law, Most and the false apostles, who claimed that it was necessary for justification, and so he sets law against law.

277 And this is a very lovely way of speaking, which is exceedingly full of comfort, that in the Scriptures, especially in Paul, law is set against law, sin against sin, death against death, captivity against captivity, devil against devil, hell against hell, altar against altar, lamb against lamb, Easter against Easter 2c. Rom. 8, 3.: "He condemned sin by sin" 2c.; Ps. 68, 19. and Eph. 4, 8.: "He caught the prison." Hos. 13, 14.: "Death, I will be a death 1) to thee; hell, I will be a pestilence to thee." So here he says he died to the law through the law, as if to say: The law of Moses accuses me and condemns me. Against this accusing and condemning law I have another law, which is grace and freedom. This accuses the accuser and condemns the condemning law.

^2^Thus death kills death, but this death that kills death is life itself. But he is called the death of death because of the exceedingly great unwillingness of the Holy Spirit against death. Thus, righteousness puts on the name of sin because it condemns sin, and this condemning sin is the right righteousness.

1. According to the Vulgate.
2. In this and the preceding paragraph, Menius has added much that is not found in Latin, also changing the order.

212 Lri. Osi. 1, 228-230. Explanation of Galatians 2, l-9. W. VIII, 1880-1883. 213

And here Paul is a heretic above all heretics, and his heresy is outrageous, because he says that he who died to the law lives GOtte. The false apostles taught: If you do not live by the law, you are dead to God, that is, if you do not live by the law, you are dead to God. Paul says just the opposite: If you have not died to the law, you cannot live to God. Our adversaries today have the same teaching that the false apostles had at that time. They say: If you want to live according to the law, then live according to the law. We, on the other hand, say: If you want to live godly, you must be completely dead to the law. Human reason and wisdom cannot grasp this doctrine, therefore it constantly teaches the opposite, namely: If you want to live right, you must keep the law, for it is written: "Do this, and you will live. And this is the noblest doctrine and the only principle (maxima) of all theologians: He who lives by the law lives GOtte.

But Paul says something quite different, namely that we cannot live if we have not died to the law. Therefore, we must rise to this heavenly height, that we have certainly died to the law. But if we have died to the law, then the law has no right over us, just as it has not the slightest right over Christ, who redeemed us from it, so that we might live through Him. The purpose of all this is that we are not justified by the law, but only by faith in Christ.

But Paul is not talking about the ceremonial law, because he sacrificed in the temple, circumcised Timothy, circumcised his head in Keuchrea Acts 21:26, 16, 3, 18, 18. He would not have done this if he had died to the ceremonial law, but he is talking about the whole law. Therefore, for a Christian, the whole law, whether it be the ceremonial law or the holy ten commandments, has perished, because he has died to it. It is not as if the law had perished; rather, it remains, lives, and reigns in the ungodly; but a godly man is not subject to the law.

He died to sin, to the devil, to death, to hell, which nevertheless remain, and the wagering and the ungodly will keep them.

Therefore, while a sophist thinks that the law, and the ceremonial law at that, has passed away, you, on the other hand, hold to the understanding that Paul and every Christian was caught up from the law and died, and yet the law remains. For example: Since Christ rises from death, he is free from the grave, and yet the grave remains. Peter is free from prison, the gout-ridden man from a fine bed, the young man from his coffin, the maiden from her deathbed Apost. 12, 9. Matth. 9, 6. Luc. 7, 14. f. 8, 55., and yet the prison, the bed, the coffin and the deathbed remain. So also the law is taken away when I am taken away from it; the law dies when I die to it, and yet it remains. But because I die to it through another law, it also dies to me. Similarly, the tomb of Christ, the prison of Peter, the deathbed of the maiden 2c. remain, and yet Christ dies to the tomb by his resurrection, Peter is taken from the prison by his deliverance, the maiden is got rid of by the life of the deathbed.

Therefore these words: "I died to the law" are very weighty and emphatic. For he does not say: I am free from the law for a time, or I am a master of the law, but he says par excellence: "I am dead to the law," that is, I have nothing at all to do with the law. Paul could not have said anything stronger against justification by the law than this, since he says, "I died to the law," that is, I do not care about the law at all, because I cannot be justified by it.

But "to die to the law" does not mean to be bound by the law, but to be free from it and to know nothing of it. Therefore, if anyone wants to live before God, let him seek to be found apart from the law and come out of the grave with Christ. The guardians were astonished when Christ rose from the grave, and those who saw the maiden being raised were also astonished [Matth. 27, 4 Marc.

214 Lri. Kai. i, 230-232. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 1883-1886. 215

5, 42.]. So also reason and human wisdom is terrified and becomes a fool when it hears that we are not justified unless we have first died to the law, because it cannot understand this. But we know that when we take hold of Christ in faith, as far as conscience is concerned, we come under a new law, which swallows up the old law that held us captive. Just as that tomb in which Christ lay, having died when he was raised, opens and is seen empty, and Christ disappears from it, so also I rise with Christ when I believe in him, and die to my grave, that is, to the law that held me captive, and the law is now empty, I have escaped from my prison and grave, that is, from the law. Therefore, it now no longer has the right to accuse and hold me, because I am resurrected.

The consciences must be diligently instructed so that they learn the article of the difference between righteousness by law and righteousness by grace.

The righteousness of grace or the freedom of conscience is of no concern to the flesh. For the flesh shall not be free, but shall remain in the grave, in prison, on its deathbed; it shall be subject to the law and be tormented by the Egyptians. The Christian conscience, however, should be dead to the law, that is, free from the law, and have nothing to do with it. It is very necessary to know this, because it serves to comfort the troubled conscience.

Therefore, when you see a man who is frightened and distressed because of the sins of which he is conscious, say to him: You do not discern rightly, dear brother, you put the law on the conscience, which should be put on the flesh. Wake up, straighten up, and remember that one must believe in Christ, who overcame the law and sin; in this faith you will pass over the law and enter into grace, where there is no law and no sin; and although law and sin are present, they are none of your business, because you have died to the law and sins.

This is easy to say, but to him who understands it well in the battle of conscience, that is, who then, when sin comes upon him and the law accuses and terrifies him, could say: What is it to me that you, Law, accuse me, that you convict me of having committed many sins? Yes, I still commit many sins daily; that is none of my business, I am now deaf, I do not hear you, therefore you are telling a story to a deaf man, because I have died to you. But if you really want to dispute with me about sins, go to my flesh and my members, my servants; instruct them, afflict them and crucify them. But thou shalt not trouble my conscience, the Lord and King, for I have nothing to do with thee. For I died to you, and now live in Christ, where I am in another law, that of grace, which rules over sin and over the law. By what? Through faith in Christ, as Paul indicates below.

But this is a strange and outrageous saying, that "to live by the law" is as much as to die by it, and "to die by the law" is as much as to live by it. These two sentences are highly repugnant to reason, therefore no sophist or teacher of the law (legista) understands them. But you learn to understand them correctly. He who lives by the law, that is, he who seeks to be justified by the works of the law, is and remains a sinner, therefore he is dead and condemned. For the law cannot justify and make blessed, but accuses, terrifies and kills him. So "to live by the law" is to die, and again, "to die by the law" is to live. Therefore, if you want to live GOtte, you must die to the law, but if you will live to the law, you will have died to GOtte. But to "live unto the law" is to be justified by grace, or by faith for Christ's sake, without law and without works.

290 Therefore, a Christian, if one wants to describe him properly and clearly, is a child of grace and forgiveness of sins, who0 has absolutely no law, but is above

1. Wittenbergers: quia. Jenaer and Erlanger: qui.

Menius: the.

216 Lri. "Li. 1, 232-235. Explanation of Galatians 2, 19. W. VIII, 1886-1889. 217

over sin, death and hell. And just as Christ is free from the grave, Peter free from prison, so a Christian is free from the law, and just as the relationship of Christ risen from the grave and Peter freed from prison is to the grave and prison, so is the relation of a conscience justified by faith to the law, and just as Christ, by his death and resurrection, dies to the grave, so that it no longer has any right over him, nor can it keep him, but he, since the stone and seal 2c. and the guardians were terrified, he rises and goes away free, and Peter, through his deliverance, dies to the prison and goes away wherever he wants, so the conscience is freed from the law through grace.

So is every one that is born of the spirit, but the flesh knoweth not whence this cometh, or whither it goeth, for it can only judge according to the law. The spirit, on the other hand, says: "The law may accuse me, sin and death may frighten me, but I do not despair, because I have law against law, sin against sin and death against death.

Therefore, when I feel the biting of conscience because of sin, I look at the serpent of brass, Christ on the cross. There I find another sin against my sin, which accuses me and wants to devour me. But this other sin, namely in the flesh of Christ, which takes away the sin of the whole world, is almighty, condemns and devours my sin. Thus my sin, lest it should accuse and condemn me, is condemned by sin Rom. 8:3., that is, by Christ crucified, "who was made sin for us, that we might become in him the righteousness that is before God" 2 Cor. 5:21.. So I find death in my flesh, which beats me and kills me, but I have a death against this death, which is the death of my death; the same crucifies and devours.

All this is not through the law or works, but through Christ crucified, on whose shoulders rests all the evils of the human race, law, sin, death, devil, hell, all of which die in him,

because he kills them by his death. But we must grasp this benefit of Christ with firm faith, for as neither the law nor any work but Christ alone is offered to us, so nothing else is required of us but faith, which is to grasp and believe that my sin and death have been condemned and taken away in the sin and death of Christ.

294 Thus we always have certain reasons for proof, from which it must be concluded that faith alone justifies. For how could the law and works contribute to justification, since Paul argues (agat) against the law and works and clearly says that we must have died to the law if we want to live? But if we have died to the law, and the law has died to us, then surely it has nothing to do with us. How, then, should it contribute to justification? Therefore, it must be said that we are declared righteous by grace or faith in Christ alone, without law and works.

The blind sophists do not understand this, therefore they dream that faith does not justify unless it does works of love. In this way, faith that believes in Christ becomes idle and futile, because it is deprived of the power to justify if it has not received its proper form through love (formata caritate).

But you now set aside the law and love to another place and time, and turn your attention to the matter at hand. This is the matter of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dying on the cross, bearing my sin in his body, the law, death, the devil and hell. These insurmountable enemies and tyrants press me and trouble me now, therefore I am troubled how to become free from them, righteous and blessed. Here I find no law, no work, no love that could set me free from them, but Christ alone takes away the law, kills my sin, destroys my death in his body, and in this way he makes hell empty, judges the devil, crucifies him, and pushes him into hell; in short, everything that previously crucified and oppressed me

218 Lri. Oai. 1, 235-237. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VII/, 1889-1893. 219

Christ has "done this out of the means, stripped them, made a public display of them, and made a triumph of them through Himself" Col. 2:14, 15, so that from now on they can no longer rule over me, but must serve me.

From this it can be sufficiently understood that nothing must be done here but to hear that this has happened and to grasp it with undoubted faith, and this is in truth the rightly formed faith (fides formata). After that, if I have taken hold of Christ through faith 1) and have died to the law, justified from sin and through Christ freed from death, the devil and hell, then I do good works, love God, thank Him, show love to my neighbor. But this love or the following works neither give my faith its proper form nor do they adorn it, but my faith gives love its proper form and adorns it. This is our theology, and it is a strange, absurd and paradoxical thing in the sight of reason that I am not only blind and deaf to the law, and free from it, but completely dead to it.

But this saying of Paul, "I died to the law through the law," is exceedingly full of comfort. If this consolation could come to a man at the right time and be firmly fixed in his heart with the right understanding, he would be able to stand strong against all the dangers of death, against the terrors of conscience and sin, no matter how much they assailed him, accused him, and wanted to bring him to despair. Surely every one is tempted, if not in life, yet in death. When the law accuses and exposes the sin, then 2) the conscience immediately says: You have sinned.

If you then hold what Paul teaches here, you can answer: It is true, I have sinned. - So God will punish and condemn you. - No. - Yes the law of God says this. - I have nothing to do with this law. - Why? -Because I have another law, which this law

1. üäs is missing in the Wittenberger.
2. Erlanger: äisut instead of äistut.

forces to fall silent, namely freedom. - What freedom? - Christ's. For through Christ I am made free from the law. Therefore the law, which is and remains a law for the ungodly, 3) is no law for me, but my law is freedom and binds the law that condemns me, and so the law that bound me and held me captive is already bound and held captive by grace or freedom, which is now my law. From this that law which accuses me hears, Thou shalt not bind this man unto me, nor hold him captive, nor accuse him; but I will hold thee captive, and bind thy hands, that thou mayest not hurt him, because now he liveth unto Christ, and is dead unto thee.

(300) That is, to strike out the teeth of the law, to blunt its sting and all its weapons, and to take away its power altogether. Nevertheless, it remains a law for the ungodly and unbelievers, and it also remains for us weak ones, as far as we do not believe; there it still has its sharpness and its teeth. But if I believe in Christ, however much sin tries to plunge me into despair, I still speak in confidence of this freedom which I have in Christ: I confess that I have sinned, but my sin, which is a damnable sin, is on Christ, who is the damnable sin. But the condemning sin is stronger than the condemned sin, because it is the justifying grace, righteousness, life and blessedness.

Likewise, when I feel the terror of death, I say: I have nothing to do with you, death, because I have another death that kills you, my death; but the death that kills is stronger than the death that is killed.

302. Thus, the believer can only be uplifted by faith and take a certain and firm comfort, so that he will not pale in the face of sin, death, the devil and all evil, and no matter how much the devil storms against him with all his impetuosity.
303. Here the text of the editions needs an addition: läso lsx, HUU6 impiis 68t st raunst Isx, sinitn non 68t I6X, 8sck Isx^ 68t raivi Iibsrtu8 6te. The omission Will be caused by the frequent recurrence of the word Isx. Menius translates according to our addition

220 Dri. "Li. 1, 237-239. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 2, 19. W. VIII, 1893-189". 221

and wants to shower him with the terror of the whole world, yet in the midst of this terror he sits hope and says: Lord Satan, your threats and terrors do not move me, for there is One called Jesus Christ in whom I believe. He has done away with the law, condemned sin, destroyed death, broken hell, and he is, Satan, your Satan. For he has taken you captive and bound you, so that you can no longer harm me or anyone who believes in him. This faith the devil cannot overcome, but is overcome by it, for "our faith," says John, "is the victory which overcomes the world. But who is he that overcometh the world, except he that believeth that JEsus is the Son of GOD?" 1 John 5:4, 5.

Thus, in a great zeal and indignation of the Holy Spirit, Paul calls grace itself a law, while in truth it is nothing other than the supreme and immeasurable freedom of grace that we have in Christ. Then, for our consolation, he also gives the law this disgraceful name, so that we know that it is now baptized with a new name, that it is no longer alive, but dead and condemned, and (this is a very lovely spectacle) he presents the law and performs it, as it were, as a thief or robber who has already been condemned and sentenced to death. For by representing the law as a person (per proso-popoeian), he describes how it is held captive, how its hands and feet are already bound and all power is taken from it, so that it can no longer exercise its tyranny, that is, can no longer accuse and condemn; and by this exceedingly lovely painting he makes it contemptible before the conscience, so that he who believes in Christ now also dares in a holy pride to defy the law in this way: I am a sinner; if you, law, are able to do something against me, do it! So much is lacking that the law should still frighten the believer.

304 Since Christ had risen from death, why should he still be terrified before the grave? After Peter was released from prison

was freed, why should he fear it? The maiden might have feared her bed of rest when she was dying, but now that she was raised again, why should she fear it? So also a Christian who truly possesses Christ by faith: why should he fear the law?

A Christian, though he feels the terror of the law, is not overcome by it, but, trusting in the freedom which he has in Christ, he says: I hear, O law, that thou murmurest, that thou wilt accuse and condemn me, but this does not move me; thou art as much to me as the empty tomb was to Christ. For I see that thou art bound and tied hand and foot, which my law hath bound thee. What is this law? The freedom that is called a law, not because it binds me, but because it binds my law. The law of the Ten Commandments bound me; against it I now have another law, namely the law of grace, which is not a law for me, nor does it bind me, but makes me free. But it is a law against the condemning law; this is bound by it, so that it can no longer bind me.

306 So I also have another death against the death that binds me, namely the life that makes alive in Christ, and this death releases me and frees me from the bonds of my death, and binds him himself with it. So the death that bound me is now bound, he who wanted to kill me is now killed by this death, that is, by the true life.

^1^Thus Christ is called by the sweetest names: My law, my sin, my death against the law, sin and death, since in truth he is nothing other than pure freedom, righteousness, life and eternal bliss. Therefore he became a law for the law, a sin for sin, a death for death, that he might redeem me from the curse of the law 2c. and make me righteous and alive. Thus Christ is twofold: while he is law, he is liberty; while he is sin, he is righteousness; while he is sin, he is righteousness.

1. This paragraph is used by Aurifaber for s 58 of the seventh chapter of the Tischreden. In our edition of the Table Talks, it has been omitted.

222 Li-I. vai. 1, 239-241. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1896-1899. 223

While he is death, he is life. For just by allowing himself to be accused by the law, condemned by sin, devoured by death, he has done away with the law, condemned sin, destroyed death, and made me righteous and blessed. Thus Christ is both the poison against the law, sin and death, and the medicine to obtain freedom, righteousness and eternal life.

This quite Pauline way of thinking and speaking is very sweet and comforting. Thus he contrasts the law in the mind with the law in the members, Rom. 7, 23. Because this is spoken in a new and strange way (mirabiliter), it enters the heart more easily and remains more firmly in the memory. Then it is also more lovely when he says: "I died to the law through the law", than if he had said: "I died to the law through freedom: I died to the law through freedom. He holds up a kind of painting, as if one law were fighting against another law, as if to say: Law, if you can accuse, terrify and bind me, I will set another law over you, that is, another tyrant and tormentor, who shall in turn accuse, bind and oppress you. You are indeed my tormentor, but I have another tormentor, Christ, who will torment you; but if you are tormented by him, I am free through him. Likewise, if the devil torment me, I have a stronger devil who torments him again 1) and overcomes him. So grace is a law, not for me, for it does not bind me, but for my law, which it binds so that it can no longer bind me.

Therefore Paul would like to withdraw us completely from the law, sin, death and all evil, so that we no longer look at them, and would like to lead us to Christ, so that we there look at the most beautiful duel, namely that the law fights against the law, so that I may be free; sin against sin, so that I may be righteous; death against death, so that I may have life; that Christ may be my devil against the devil, so that I may be God's child; that he may destroy hell, so that I may have the kingdom of heaven.

1. We have followed the reading of the Wittenberg: üaxeUat. In the Jena and in the Erlangen: UaMÜbt.

That I may live GOtte.

That is, so that I may be alive before God. So you see that there can be no life if you are not without law, yes, if you are not completely dead to the law, namely in conscience. But in the meantime, as long as the body lives, the flesh, as I have often reminded you, must be exercised by laws and be afflicted by the doings and punishments of laws. But the inward man, who owes nothing to the law, but rather is free from it, is a living, righteous, and holy person, not by himself or in his being, but in Christ, because he believes in him, as follows:

I am crucified with Christ.

He adds this because he wants to describe the law that devours the law. He says: "I did not die to the law through the law alone, so that I might live, but I was also crucified with Christ. But Christ is the Lord of the law, because he was crucified to the law and died, therefore I also am a Lord of the law. For I also was crucified to the law and died, because I was crucified with Christ and died with him. By what? Through grace and faith. Since through this faith I am crucified to the law and die, it loses all right to me, just as it lost its right to Christ. Therefore, just as Christ himself was crucified to the law, to sin, to death, to the devil, so that they no longer have any right to him, so I also, through faith, am crucified in spirit with Christ, crucified to the law, to sin, 2c. and die to them, so that they also no longer have any right to me, but are crucified to me and have died.

312 Paul does not speak here of the crucifixion, which consists of following him or imitating his example, because to follow the example of Christ also means to be crucified with him; this crucifixion concerns the flesh, of which it is said in 1 Pet 2:21: "Christ suffered for us and left us an example, that you should follow in his footsteps", but he speaks here of the sublime

2. Thus the Wittenbergers. Jenaer and Erlanger: vobis. Menius: euch.

224 Lri. (^1. 1, 241-244. Explan. Explanation of Galatians 2, 19. 20. W. VIII, 1899-1902. 225

Crucifixion, by which sin, the devil, death is crucified in Christ, not in me. Here Christ does all things alone, but, believing, I am crucified with Christ through faith, so that sin, death 2c. are also dead and crucified to me.

V. 20. But I am alive.

He speaks clearly and actually. He says: "I do not speak of my death and crucifixion as if I were no longer alive, but rather I am alive, because through this death and crucifixion, by which I die, I am made alive, that is, because through grace and faith I am freed from the law, from sin and from death, so I truly live. Therefore, crucifixion and death, by which I am crucified and die to the law, sin, death and all evil, is resurrection and life to me. For Christ crucifies the devil, kills death, condemns sin, and binds the law; believing this, I am freed from the law 2c. So the law is powerless, bound, dead and crucified to me, and again, I am powerless, bound, dead and crucified to the law. So I live just by this death and crucifixion, that is, just by this grace or freedom.

Here, however, as I have already reminded you above, the Pauline way of speaking is to be noted, namely, that he says that we die to the law and are crucified to it, while the law rather dies to us and is crucified. But he uses this expression on purpose, that we are crucified to the law and have died, so that the speech is more sweet. For the law, which otherwise remains, lives and reigns in the whole world, which accuses and condemns all men, is crucified and dies for those alone who believe in Christ. Therefore they alone have this honor, that they have been crucified and died to the law, to sin 2c.

But now not me.

315 That is, not in my person or in my being. He clearly shows how he lives and teaches what Christian righteousness is.

It is the one through which Christ lives in us, not the one that is in our person. Therefore, if we are to speak of Christian righteousness, the person must be set aside altogether. For if I cling to the person or speak of him, the person becomes a work-saint who is subject to the law, whether I like it or not. But here Christ and my conscience must become One Body, so that I keep nothing else before my eyes but the crucified and resurrected Christ. But if I only look at myself and exclude Christ, then it is all over for me. For then this thought immediately comes to my mind: Christ is in heaven, you are on earth; in what way can you come to him? I will live holy and do what the law requires, and so I will enter into life. If I now turn to myself and look at myself as I am or should be, as well as what I should do, I lose sight of Christ, who alone is my righteousness and my life. When I have lost this, there is no more counsel or help, but despair and damnation must inevitably follow.

316 And this evil is a very general one, for this is the misfortune of men, that when we are in temptation or in mortal peril, we soon forsake Christ, and look upon our life and doings. If we are not raised up by faith here, we must perish. Therefore we must get used to the fact that in such struggles of the conscience we let go of ourselves, the law and the works, which only drive us to look at ourselves, and turn our eyes straight to the brazen serpent, namely to Christ, who is nailed to the cross, and, clinging to him with unwavering gaze, certainly believe that he is our righteousness and our life, and do not care about the threats and terrors of the law, of sin, of death, of the wrath and judgment of God. For Christ, to whom we cling unwaveringly and firmly, in whom we are, and who lives in us, is the victor and the Lord over law, sin, death and all evil; in him we are offered a certain comfort and given victory.

226 Lri. Kai. 1, 244-246. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1902-1905. 227

But I live; yet now not I, but Christ liveth in me.

317 That he says: "But I live" is as if it were spoken of a person, as if Paul spoke of his person. Therefore he immediately uses a sharper expression and says: "but now not I", that is: I do not live in my person, but "Christ lives in me". The person lives, but not in himself or for his person. But who is the "I" of whom he says: "yet not I"? It is the "I" who has the law and must do works, and is a person separated from Christ. Paul rejects this "I" because the "I" as a person separated from Christ belongs to death and hell. Therefore he says: "yet now not I, but Christ lives in me"; he is my form (forma), which adorns my faith, as a color or light gives its adornment to a wall. This is how crudely this matter must be explained, for spiritually we cannot conceive of Christ adhering to us and remaining in us as closely and as intimately as light or white paint adheres to a wall. So he says: Christ, who is so attached to me and so closely connected with me, and remains in me, lives this life, which I live, in me, indeed, the life, through which I live in this way, is Christ himself. Therefore, Christ and I are now one thing in this piece.

But since Christ lives in me, he abolishes the law, condemns sin, and kills death, because these must necessarily disappear where he is present. For Christ is eternal peace, comfort, righteousness and life; but to these must give way the terror of the law, affliction of soul, sin, hell and death. Thus Christ, who abides and lives in me, takes away and devours all evil that torments and afflicts me. Therefore, this indwelling [of Christ^ causes me to be delivered from the terrors of the law and sin, to be taken out of my skin and transferred into Christ and into his kingdom, which is a kingdom of grace, righteousness, peace, joy, life, blessedness, and eternal glory. But since I live in him, no misfortune can harm me.

In the meantime, at least on the outside,

the old man, who is subject to the law, but as far as justification is concerned, Christ and I must be intimately united, so that he lives in me and I in him (this is a strange way of speaking). But because he lives in me, therefore all that is in me of grace, righteousness, life, peace, blessedness, belongs to Christ himself, and yet it is also mine through the close union and indwelling which takes place through faith, whereby Christ and I become, as it were, One Body in the Spirit. Therefore, since Christ lives in me, grace, righteousness, life and eternal blessedness must be there at the same time, and the law, sin and death must be gone, yes, the law must be crucified, swallowed up and taken away by the law, sin by sin, death by death, the devil by the devil.

Thus Paul endeavors to turn us away completely from looking at ourselves, at the law and at works, and to plant us in Christ Himself and in faith in Christ, so that in regard to the question of how we are justified, we should look at nothing else but grace, and separate this as far as possible from the law and works, which must remain completely apart here.

Paul has his own special way of speaking, not a human but a divine and heavenly one, which the evangelists and the other apostles (with the exception of St. John, who sometimes also speaks in this way) did not use. And if Paul had not first used this way of speaking, and prescribed it to us with expressed words, no one, not even from among the saints, would have presumed to use it, for it is quite unusual and unheard of. As: I live, I do not live; I am dead, I am not dead; I am a sinner, I am not a sinner; I have a law, I have no law; but this manner of speaking is very sweet to those who believe in Christ. For as far as they look to themselves, they have the law and sin, but as far as they look to Christ, they are dead to the law, have no sin 2c. Therefore, if you make a distinction in the matter of justification 1) between the

1. Wittenberger äiseerni instead of: äiseervis.

228 Li-I. "Ei. 1, 246-248. elabor. Explanation d. Galatians 2, 20. W. VIII, 1995-1908. 229

person of Christ and your person, then you are under the law and remain under it, and live in yourself, not in Christ, which is nothing else than to be condemned by the law 1) and to be dead before God, because you have such a faith, as the Sophists speak of it in their ludicrous way, which has been formed by love (informatam caritate).

322 Thus I speak for the sake of the example. For no one can be shown to have been saved by this faith. Therefore, what the Sophists have taught about faith formed by love is nothing but the devil's folly. However, we admit that a man can be found who has such faith, but if he has it, he is not righteous, because he only has the historical faith of Christ, which the devil and all the ungodly also have Jac. 2:19.

For this reason faith must be taught purely, namely, that through it you may be so closely united with Christ that you and he may become, as it were, one person, who cannot be separated from him, but constantly cling to him, so that you may confidently say: I am Christ, that is, Christ's righteousness, victory, life 2c. is mine; and Christ in turn says: I am that sinner, that is, his sins, death 2c. are mine, because he is attached to me, and I to him, because we are joined by faith to one flesh and one bones, Eph. 5, 30.: "We are members of the body of Christ, of his flesh and of his bones", so that this faith joins Christ and me more closely than a husband is joined to his wife. Therefore this faith is not an idle quality (qualitas), but its greatness is so tremendous that it obscures the quite foolish dreams of the sophistical doctrine, and completely annuls what they invent of faith formed by love, of merits, of our worthiness or quality 2c. I would like to elaborate on this if I could.

So far we have indicated that this was Paul's first reason for proving that either Christ must necessarily be a sin minister, or that the Law must be a sin minister.

1. Wittenberger: dnnannrk instead of: danannri.

could not justify. After Paul had given this proof, he set himself up as an example, made a kind of personal poetry, and said that he had died to the old law by a new law. Now he adds two άνθυποφοράς, 2) that is, pleas of the opp.

The first refutation is directed against the slander of proud spirits and the annoyance of the weak. 3) The first refutation is directed against the slander of proud spirits and the anger of the weak. For when forgiveness of sins by grace is preached, wicked people immediately slander this preaching, saying, as Rom. 3:8, "Let us do evil, that good may come of it." For as soon as such people hear that we are not justified by the law, they immediately draw this slanderous conclusion: So let us leave the law in place. Likewise: If grace is made mightier where sin is made mightier Rom. 5:20, let us therefore commit many sins, that we may be justified, and that grace may be made mightier. These are malicious and hopeful people who like to pervert the holy scriptures and the sayings of the Holy Spirit, as they also perverted the writings of Paul to their own condemnation when the apostles were still alive, as 2 Petr. 3:16 says.

(325) Then the weak also, who are not malicious, as the slanderers, but good men, are vexed, when they hear that the law is not to be kept, and that good works are not to be done, that they may be justified thereby. These must be helped, and it must be explained to them how works do not justify, in what way they must be done, and in what way they must not be done. But they must be done, not as the cause, but as the fruit of righteousness. Now that we have become righteous, we must do them, not the other way around, so that we as unrighteous may become righteous thereby. The tree brings forth the fruit, not the fruit the tree.

Above v. 19 he had said: "I died" 2c. This could easily have been blasphemed by a malicious man: What do you say, Paul? You have died? How come

2. In the editions this word is erroneously written nntipo püorus instead:

3 ) Latin: ooouMtionos, that is, a figure of speech, as one interjects and refutes oneself.

230 Lri. 6"1. 1, 248-250. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1908-1912. 231

it then that you speak and write? Even a weak person could have easily gotten angry: Who are you? Do I not see that you live and carry out your ministry?

He answers: I do live, "yet now not I, but Christ lives in me." So there is a twofold life, my natural life or my life in the flesh (animalis) and a foreign one, namely the life of Christ in me. After my life in the flesh I died and now I live a foreign life. I am now no longer living as Paul, but Paul has died. Who then lives? The Christian lives. So Paul, as he lives in himself, is completely dead by the law, but as in Christ, or rather, as Christ lives in him, he lives in a foreign life, because Christ speaks, works, and performs all actions in him. This now no longer belongs to the life of Paul, but to the life of the Christian.

328 Therefore you, wicked one, should not now blaspheme that I have said I am dead, nor you. Weak one, vex thee; but discern aright: because life is twofold, mine is another. I do not live according to my life, otherwise the law would rule over me and hold me captive. So that it cannot hold me, I have died to it through another law, and this death gives me a foreign life, namely the life of Christ, which is not innate to me, but given through Christ in faith.

329 Now follows the second objection with its refutation. For one could have further countered Paul: What do you say? You do not live in your own life or in the flesh, but in Christ? I see your flesh, not Christ. Do you, then, want to deceive us with a deceptive work, so that we should not see that you are present in the flesh and still live in the former life, have five senses and do everything that another man does in the bodily life? He answers:

For what I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God.

That means: I live in the flesh, but I do not consider this life, which is led in me, however big or small it may be, to be a life. For it is not in truth a life, but only a larva.

of life, under which another lives, namely Christ, who is in truth my life, which you do not see, but only hear, as you hear the wind blowing, but do not know from where it comes or where it goes, John 3:8. So you see that I speak, eat, work, sleep 2c., and yet you do not see my life, because this time of life that I live, I live in the flesh, but I do not live out of the flesh or according to the flesh, but in faith, out of faith and according to faith.

So he does not deny that he lives in the flesh, because he does all the works of the natural (animalis) man, then also uses bodily things, as food, clothing 2c. This certainly means living in the flesh. But he says that this is not his life, nor does he live according to (secundum) these things. He uses bodily (carnalibus) things, but he does not live for them, as the world lives from the flesh and after the flesh, because it neither knows nor hopes for another life apart from this bodily life.

Therefore he says: This life, however great or small, which I live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, because this word, which I speak in the flesh, is a word, not of the flesh, but of the Holy Spirit and of Christ. The seeing (visus) that enters or comes out of the eyes is not of the flesh, that is, my flesh does not rule over it, but the Holy Spirit. So my hearing is not of the flesh, though it is in the flesh, but it is in and of the Holy Spirit.

A Christian speaks only chaste, sober, holy and godly words, which belong to Christ and serve the glory of God and the blessedness of his neighbor. These do not come from the flesh, nor are they done according to the flesh, and yet they are in the flesh. For I cannot teach, pray, give thanks, write, except through these instruments of the body (carnis), which are necessary to perform such works, and yet these do not come from the flesh, nor originate in the flesh, but are given by God and revealed from heaven. Thus I look at a female with my eyes, but

232 Lri. ÜLI. 1, 2S0-2S3. Explanation of Galatians 2, 20. Explanation of Galatians 2, 20. W. VIII, I9I2-19IS. 233

with chaste sight, not desiring them. This seeing does not come from the flesh, although it is in the flesh, for the eyes are the bodily instrument for this seeing, but the chastity of seeing comes from heaven.

Thus a Christian uses the world and all creatures, so that there is no difference between him and an ungodly man. It is the same food, the same clothing, the same hearing, seeing and speaking, in everything else the same behavior, the same way of life, the same outward appearance (as Paul also says of Christ Phil. 2, 7: "He was found to be like another man"). Nevertheless, there is a very big difference, because although I live in the flesh, I do not live from myself, but "what I now live in the flesh, that I live in the faith of the Son of God. What you hear me speak now flows from a different source than what you heard from me before. Before his conversion, Paul spoke with the same voice and tongue, but the voice and tongue was blasphemous at that time, so it could speak nothing but blasphemies and abominations against Christ and His Church. Afterwards, when he was converted, he had the same flesh, tongue and voice that he had before, and there was no change at all in them, but the voice and tongue thereafter no longer spoke blasphemies, but spiritual words, namely thanksgiving and praise to God, which came from faith and the Holy Spirit. So I live in the flesh, but not from and according to the flesh, but in the faith of the Son of God.

33Z. From this one can understand where this strange and spiritual life comes from, which the natural man does not hear. For he does not know what this life is like; he hears the sound of the wind, but does not know where it comes from or where it goes. He hears the voice of the spiritual man, knows his face, his manner and gesture, but where these words come from, which are now no longer blasphemous and predatory as before, but holy and divine, where these spiritual movements and actions come from, he does not see. For this life is in the heart through faith, where, after the flesh is killed, Christ with his Holy Spirit comes.

The life of the Son of God is ruled by the Holy Spirit, who sees, hears, speaks, works, suffers and, in short, does everything in him, even though the flesh resists. In short, this life is not a life of the flesh, although it is in the flesh, but of Christ, the Son of God, whom the Christian possesses by faith.

Who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Here you have a description of the right way of justification and an example of the certainty of faith. Whoever could say these words with Paul: "I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me," in certain and constant faith, would be truly blessed. And just with these words Paul completely abolishes the righteousness of the law and works and cancels them, as we will say later.

These words, "The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me," must be carefully considered. From them it follows that I have not loved the Son of God, nor have I given myself for him, as the sophists invent that they love the Son of God and give themselves for him. For they teach that a man, by purely natural powers, can bring about a merit that must be given to him according to equity (meritum congrui), that he can love God and Christ above all things. These come before the love of God and Christ, because they do as much as is in them, become monks, and keep not only the commandments of God, but also the counsels, and perform superfluous good works (opera supererogationis), and sell their superfluous merits to the laity, and thus give themselves, as they dream, for Christ, and thereby make themselves and others blessed.

338 These turn Paul's words, "He who loved me," 2c. badly around, and read thus: We have loved Christ and given ourselves for him. While these ungodly people, in their vain pomposity, which flows from their carnal sense, let themselves dream and fool that they do as much as is in them, that they love God, that they offer themselves for Christ, they destroy in this manner

234 Lri. 6ai. 1, 283-WS. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, I9I5-I9I8. 235

the gospel, ridicule, deny, blaspheme, spit on Christ and trample him underfoot. In words they confess that he is a justifier and a beatifier 1) but in deed they take away his power to justify and to make blessed and ascribe it to their own chosen services. This does not mean living in the faith of the Son of God, but in their own righteousness and works.

Which means: A man shall do as much as is in him.

Therefore, this is not the right way to attain justification, that you begin to do as much as is in you (for the Sophists and scholastic teachers use this way of speaking). They say: If a man does as much as is in him, then God infallibly gives him grace, and this sentence is an article of faith with them. And in order to make it clear that they do not understand even a little bit of the teaching of Paul and the Gospel, they speak like this: This word, "do as much as is in him," need not be interpreted most sharply, but it is enough that it be understood from the way founded in nature (de medio physico), not from the unexceptional (indivisibili) mathematical way, which is impossible to attain, that is, it is enough if a man does what is sufficient according to the judgment of a good man; then grace will surely follow, not through merit in equity (merito congrui) per se, but through God's infallible goodness (infallibilitate Dei), who is so 2) good and just that he cannot do otherwise than give his grace for what is good 2c. And that is where this little verse came from: Ultra posse viri non vult Deus ulla requiri [God does not require a man to do more than he can). 3) This is indeed a good saying, but it must be used in the right place, namely, of the things that belong to the world and house regiment and of purely natural things; as when I am in the realm that is subject to reason,

1. st satvatorsni is missing in the Erlanger.
2. Wittenberger: Huiänm instead of: Hui tarn.
3. This is how Menius translated this verse.

If I rule my family, build a house, administer an office of authority, and do as much as I can, or as much as is in me, then I am excused. This realm has its limits, and that is where these sayings really belong: "Do as much as is in him", or "do as much as I can".

(340) The Sophists, on the other hand, draw these sayings into the spiritual realm, in which a man can do nothing but sin, for "he is sold under sin" Rom. 7:14. But in those outward things, that is, in those things which concern the government of the world and housekeeping, man is not a servant, but the master of these bodily things. That is why the Sophists acted ungodly by bringing into the church these sayings that belong to the world and house government. For the realm of human reason is to be separated from the spiritual realm as far as possible.

How far the natural powers of man are unharmed.

Furthermore, they have also taught that nature is indeed corrupted, but the natural powers are still unharmed, and these they also attribute to the devils. On this premise they then further concluded: If the natural powers are unharmed, it follows that the mind is also pure and the will good and unharmed, and so consequently everything is perfect. It is very useful for you to know this, so that the doctrine of faith may be preserved in its purity.

342 Since the sophists say that the natural powers are inviolate, I admit this. But if they conclude from this that man can fulfill the law and love God, 2c., I deny the conclusion and make a distinction between natural and spiritual powers, and say: The spiritual powers are not unharmed, but corrupted, yes, completely eradicated by sin in man and in the devil, so that there is nothing but a corrupted mind and a will that is hostile and opposed to the will of God, that thinks nothing but what is against God.

343. that is why the natural forces are indeed

236 Lr-1. 1, 25S-2S7. Executed. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 2:20, W. VIII, 1918-1922. 237

unharmed, but what natural powers? That man, who is drowned in ungodliness and a servant of the devil, has a will, reason, free will and the power to build a house, to administer a magisterial office, to steer a ship and to manage other things that are subject to man, Genesis 1:28. This is not taken away from man; reproduction, the rule of the world, the management of the house are not taken away from him, but confirmed by these sayings. The Sophists, however, applied them to spiritual things, perhaps drawing them from the Fathers, and, not understanding them correctly, misapplied them to spiritual things, thus confusing the temporal and spiritual governments.

Our task, therefore, is to sweep this out again and to remove these aversions from the church. We therefore admit that these sayings are true, but only in their place, namely in the physical realm. But if one wants to drag them into the spiritual realm before God, we deny them completely. For here we are completely drowned in sins. Everything that is in our will is evil, everything that is in our mind is error. Therefore, in divine things, a man has nothing but darkness, error, wickedness and falsehood in his will and mind. How should he therefore be able to work good, to love God 2c.?

Therefore Paul says here that it was not we who made the beginning, but Christ. He says, "He loved me and gave himself for me." As if he wanted to say: He did not find good will and right mind in me, but Christ had mercy on me, he saw that I was ungodly, caught in error, turned away from God, and went further and further away from Him, and that I was fighting against God, imprisoned, ruled and led by the devil. So he loved me out of mercy that preceded my reason, my will, my understanding, and he loved me so much that he gave himself for me, so that I would be freed from the law, from sin, from the devil, from death.

346 Furthermore, these words: "The Son of God", "He loved me", and "He gave Himself for me" are all thunderbolts and fire from heaven against righteousness.

of the law and the doctrine of works. So great wickedness, so great error, darkness and ignorance was in my will and mind that I could only be delivered by such an unspeakably great ransom.

347. What then do we boast that our reason guides us rightly (de dictamine rationis), that our natural powers are unharmed, that our reason is inclined to the best, that everyone must do as much as is in him? Why do I bring before the angry God, who, as Moses Deut. 4:24 says, is a consuming fire, these stubbles of mine, yes, my terrible sins, and want to quarrel with Him that He should grant me grace and eternal life for them, while I hear here that there is so much evil in my nature that the world and all creatures have not been sufficient to propitiate God, but that God's Son Himself had to be offered for this?
348. But pay careful attention to this ransom, and look at this one who is captured and offered "for me", namely the Son of God, and you will see that he is infinitely greater and more excellent than all creatures. What will you do when you hear Paul say that such an immeasurably precious ransom has been given for you? Will you still come here with your cap and plate, with your chastity, obedience and poverty? What is all this? Yes, what is the law of Moses and the works of the law? What are all the works and all the sufferings of all the martyrs? What is all the obedience of the holy angels to the Son of God, who was given, and most shamefully given, to the death of the cross, so that his most precious blood was completely shed for your sins?

If you were to look at this treasure, you should curse all caps, plates, vows, works, merits according to equity and merits according to dignity, kick them into the dung, spit on them, curse them and cast them into hell. Therefore, it is an intolerable and frightening blasphemy if you invent any work by which you miss reconciling God, seeing that He cannot be reconciled otherwise than through this immense and infinite treasure,

238 1, 257-259. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1922-1925 239

namely through the death and blood of His Son, for one drop of His blood is more precious than all creatures.

For me.

Who is the "me"? Of course, I, the lost and damned sinner, whom the Son of God so loved that he gave himself for me. So if I could have loved the Son of God by works or by merits of equity or dignity and come to him, what would it have taken for him to be offered for me? From this it is clear how coldly the papists have treated the holy Scriptures and the doctrine of faith, yes, how they have neglected them altogether. For if they had only considered these words, that the Son of God had to be given for me, it would have been impossible for any order or sect to arise, because faith would have answered immediately: Why do you choose this way of life, this order, this work? Is it so that God may be reconciled and you may be justified by it? Do you not hear, wicked man, that the Son of God was offered for you and shed His blood for you? In such a way, faith in Christ could easily have resisted all sects.

For this reason I often say that we have no other power or means of resisting the cults than this one article of Christian righteousness. If we have lost that, it is impossible for us to resist any errors or sects. We can see this today in the case of the fanatics, the Anabaptists and Sacramentans, who, having fallen away from this article, will fall, err and seduce without ceasing, ad infinitum, and will undoubtedly create countless sects and devise new works.

But what is all this, even if it seems very good and very holy, compared to the blood and death of the Son of God, who gave Himself for me? Dear one, look at who this Son of God is, how he is constituted, and how great he is. What is heaven and earth against him? Rather may all papists and instigators of

Sects with their righteousness, works and merits go to hell, even if all the world would adhere to them, than that the truth of the gospel should be darkened and the glory of Christ should perish. What is it then that works and merits are so highly praised? If I, a lost and damned sinner, could have been bought by any other ransom, what need would there have been for the Son of God to be given for me? But because there was no other in heaven and on earth than Christ, the Son of God, therefore there is the highest necessity that he be given for me. Then he did this out of the highest love, for Paul says, "He who loved me."

Therefore these words: "He who loved me" 2c. are completely full of faith, and whoever could speak this little pronoun "me" in the same faith and apply it to himself as Paul, would, just like Paul, be a very good disputant against the law. For he Christ did not offer a sheep, an ox, not gold or silver for me, but all that he was, the whole of GOD, that is, himself he offered for me, for me, I say, who was the most miserable and condemned sinner. So, through this offering of the Son of God into death, I breathe again and appropriate Him to myself, and this appropriation (applicatio) is the right power of faith. Thus, a saint of works does not say: "Christ has loved me" 2c.

These words, which are the purest preaching of grace and Christian righteousness, Paul contrasts with the righteousness of the law, as if to say: Although the law is in truth a divine doctrine and has its honor, yet it has not loved me, nor given itself for me; rather, it accuses me, terrifies me, and brings me to despair. But now I have another who has freed me from the terror of the law, from sin and from death, and has set me free, into the righteousness of God and into eternal life, who is called the Son of God, who loves me and gives Himself for me. To Him be glory forever and ever, Amen.

355. So the belief, as I said,

240 Li-i. i, 2Z9-261. Exec. Explanation d. Galatians 2, 20. W. viii, i-W-E. 241

grasps and grasps Christ, the Son of God, who was given for us, as Paul teaches here; if we have grasped him in faith, we have righteousness and life. For Christ is the Son of God, who out of pure love gave Himself to redeem us.

And with these words Paul beautifully describes the priesthood and the offices of Christ, that is, to reconcile God, to represent sinners and pray for them, to give himself as a sacrifice for their sins, to redeem them, to teach and comfort them. 2c. Therefore, you should describe Christ correctly, not as the sophists and teachers of works do, who make a new lawgiver out of him, who, having done away with the old law, has given a new one. To these Christ is a driver and tyrant; but you must describe him as Paul does here, that he is the Son of God, who gave himself up, not because of any merit or righteousness that we have, but out of pure mercy and love, and presented himself as a sacrifice to God for us poor sinners, that he might sanctify us forever.

Therefore Christ is not a Moses, not a driver or a lawgiver, but a giver of grace, a savior and a merciful one, and in short nothing but pure and infinite mercy, which is given to us and gives itself to us. In this way you paint Christ correctly; if you let Him paint Him differently, you will soon fall in the hour of challenge.

But as this is the highest art of Christians, to be able to describe Christ in this way, it is also the most difficult. For even I, who have studied it diligently and am well trained in it, find it very difficult, even though the gospel seems so bright, to describe Christ in the way Paul does here. So much has that pernicious teaching and the delusion that Christ is a lawgiver penetrated my bones like oil.

You young people are much better off in this matter than we old people. For you have not imbibed those pernicious opinions which I had been taught from childhood, so that I paled with fright when I heard the name of Christ merely because I was convinced that he was a judge. Therefore

I have to work in two ways to get rid of this evil; first, to forget this old, deeply ingrained opinion of Christ as a lawgiver and judge, and to condemn and cast it out, because it always comes back and returns to me; second, to take the new opinion, that is, the right confidence in Christ, that he is a justifier and savior. You can, if you only want to, recognize Christ with much more ease.

Therefore, if any sadness or affliction grieves the heart, it is not to be attributed to Christ, though it should come under Christ's name, but to the devil. The devil uses to come under the name of Christ by disguising himself as an angel of light 2 Cor. 11:14.

Therefore we should learn diligently, not only in word, but also in deed and in life, to make a right distinction between Christ and a lawgiver, so that when the devil comes under the guise of Christ and torments us under Christ's name, we may know for certain that it is not Christ, but truly the devil. For Christ is joy and sweetness to a frightened and anguished heart, as Paul says, who adorns Him here with the very sweetest name, namely, He who loves me and gives Himself up for me. So Christ loves those who are in anguish, in sin and in death, and loves us so much that he offers himself for us, becomes our high priest, that is, that he places himself as mediator between God and us poor sinners. I beg you, what could be said that is more lovely or more joyful? If this is true, and it must be true, or the whole Gospel would be an empty fable, then surely we are not justified by the righteousness of the Law, much less by our own righteousness.

Therefore read these words "me", "for me" in such a way that you lay great stress on them and get used to grasping and appropriating this "me" with certain faith, and do not doubt that you belong to the number of those of whom this "me" is said; likewise, that Christ not only loved Peter and Paul and gave himself up for them, but that this grace, which is expressed in the "me

242 Lri. 6HU. 1, 26I-2S4. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1929-1933. 243

The first thing you must do is to tell them that you are a part of us, and that you belong to us as well as to them.

For as we cannot deny that we are all sinners, and must say that Adam corrupted us by his sin, made us enemies of God, subjected us to the wrath and judgment of God, and made us guilty of eternal death (for this is felt and confessed more than is good by frightened hearts), so neither can we deny that Christ died for our sins that we might be justified. For he did not die to make the righteous righteous, but to make sinners righteous, friends and children of God, and heirs of all heavenly goods. Therefore, since I feel and confess that I am a sinner because of Adam's transgression, why should I not say that I am righteous because of Christ's righteousness, especially since I hear that he loved me and gave himself up for me?

Paul believed this most firmly, therefore he also speaks with such great joy of faith (πληροφορία). This also wants us,

at least to some extent, the very one who loved us and gave himself for us, amen.

V. 21. I do not throw away the grace of God.

Now he prepares the way for the second reason in this epistle. But here you must be careful that wanting to be justified by works of the law is as much as throwing away the grace of God. Dear, what could be more ungodly, or what sin could be more terrible, than to throw away God's grace and not want to be justified by faith in Christ? Surely it is enough and more than enough that we are ungodly and transgressors of all God's commandments. Now we also add this sin above all sins, that we so surely reject the grace and forgiveness of sins offered to us by Christ. Believe me, this blasphemy is greater and more terrifying than any man could express in words.

366. Paul and the other apostles did not magnify and attack any sin so violently as the contempt of grace and the denial of Christ, and yet

This sin is committed very easily. Especially for this reason Paul attacks the Antichrist so harshly, that he annuls grace and denies the benefits of Christ, our high priest, who gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins. But to deny Christ in this way is to spit on him completely and trample him underfoot, and to put himself in his place and say: I will make you righteous and blessed. By what means? By masses, pilgrimages, indulgences, keeping the monastic rule 2c.

For this reason, the Antichrist has raised himself against and above God and has taken the place of Christ, throwing away grace and denying faith. For he taught that faith is of no use unless it has works; and by this false opinion he completely obscured and destroyed the good deeds of Christ, and in place of the grace of Christ and his kingdom he established the doctrine of works and a kingdom of ceremonies, and fortified it with nothing but foolish works, and thus tore the whole world away from Christ, who alone should work and reign in the conscience, and forcibly thrust it into hell.

From this it can be sufficiently understood what it is to throw away the grace of God, namely, if one wants to attain righteousness from the law. But who has ever heard that by keeping the law we throw away grace? Do we sin, then, by keeping the law? No. But then we throw away grace when we keep the law thinking that by doing so we will become righteous. The law is good, holy and useful, but it does not justify.

Therefore, whoever keeps the law and claims that he wants to be justified by it, throws away grace, denies Christ and his sacrifice, and does not want to be saved by this inestimable ransom, but wants to be justified by the righteousness of the law, or to earn grace by his righteousness. Such a one certainly blasphemes God and throws away God's grace. But it is frightening to say that a man can be so horribly wicked that he should also throw away the mercy and grace of God. And yet this is what the whole world does, even though it is not regarded as such.

244 Dri. 6"1. 1, 264-266. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 2, 21. W. VIII, 1933-1937. 245

wants her to do this, but says that she shows GOtte the highest honor. Now follows the second reason of proof:

For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died in vain.

Here again I remind you that Paul does not speak of the ceremonial law, as the sophists constantly blather. And the first authors of this error were Origen and Jerome, who were extremely harmful teachers in this matter, and who were subsequently followed by all scholastics, and their error is approved and confirmed today by Erasmus. Godly people must absolutely keep away from the foolish work of these people, who turn the writings of Paul in such a way with their foolish glosses. For they speak of a thing which they have never known nor experienced, as if the ceremonies were not also good and holy. Certainly the order of the priesthood, circumcision, sacrifices, the service, the customs of worship, and similar holy works were all ceremonies; therefore he speaks of the whole law.

But these words of Paul must be carefully considered in this way: Is it true, or not, that Christ died? Likewise: Did he die in vain? Here we must surely answer, if we are not completely nonsensical, that he died, likewise that he did not die in vain, not for himself, but for us. If, then, he did not die in vain, it follows that righteousness does not come from the law.

372. Now therefore, take each of these two laws before you, the ceremonial law and the moral law, or the holy ten commandments, and imagine that through merit in equity (congrui) you have come to be given the Holy Spirit, that you have love (although this is something quite monstrous and is nowhere found in reality), but imagine, I say, that by doing as much as is in you, you obtain grace, are righteous, have the Spirit. From where? From merit according to equity? Then it follows that you have no need of Christ, but he is of no use to you and died in vain.
373. Then also take the ten commandments

The same is true of the law of the ten commandments, which command the highest service of God, namely the fear of God, faith, and love for God, as well as love for one's neighbor, and provide a man who has been justified by the law of the ten commandments; nevertheless, it remains true that Christ died in vain. For he who has been justified by the law of the holy ten commandments has in himself the power to attain righteousness, because by not 1) putting up a bar and doing as much as is in him, he infallibly earns grace, and the Holy Spirit is infused into him, so that he can love God and his neighbor. If this is certain, then it follows with necessity that Christ died in vain. For what does a man need Christ, who loves him and offers himself for him, if without Christ, through merit according to equity, he can attain grace and then do good works and earn eternal life (through merit) according to dignity (de condigno) or at least attain righteousness by keeping the law?

Therefore take away Christ with all his benefits, because he is of no use at all. But why is Christ born, why is he crucified, why does he die? Why does he become my high priest, who loves me and offers the unspeakably delicious sacrifice, himself, for me? Why does he do all this? In vain, if the way of justification taught by the Sophists is true, because then, apart from grace and apart from Christ, I find righteousness in the law or in myself.

Is it permissible to suffer such blasphemy and remain silent, that the Divine Majesty, who does not spare His own Son, but gives Him up for us all, does not act seriously in this, but only plays a game? Before I would allow this, I would rather that the holiness not only of all papists and works saints, but also of all saints and angels be cast into the abyss of hell with the devil himself and be damned for eternity. I do not want to see anything else but Christ. He shall be for me a

1. Wittenberger: nos instead of: non.

246 Lri. 6ai. 1, 266-269. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1937-1941. 247

I want him to be such a great treasure that I consider everything else as dung. He shall also be such a great light unto me, that, having received him in faith, I shall not know whether there be any law, or whether there be sin, or whether there be any righteousness or unrighteousness in the world. For what are all things in heaven and on earth compared with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, my Lord, who loved me and gave himself up for me?

Therefore, throwing away the grace of God is the greatest sin, and an exceedingly common one, which all works saints commit, for since they seek to be justified either by merit according to equity (congrui) or by their works and their sufferings, or by the law, they throw away, as we have said, the grace of God and of Christ.

377 And the author of all these abominations was the pope. For after the gospel of Christ had been darkened, even completely eradicated, he filled and burdened the world with his ungodly statutes, as is evidenced, among other things, by the indulgences and his bulls, in which he absolves not those who believe, but those who have repented sufficiently, confessed purely, and lent a helping hand 2c. Thus it is sufficiently testified that Christ died in vain, and that his grace is void and in vain.

Therefore the abominations and blasphemies of the papal kingdom are unspeakably great, and yet the blind and obstinate sophists, even now, when the light of truth shines so brightly, persist in their impious and utterly null opinions, saying that the natural powers are inviolate, and that men can prepare themselves for grace by their good deeds and merits: so much is lacking that they should recognize their impiety and their error, that they defend it even against their conscience.

But we insist with Paul firmly and constantly (for we do not want to throw away the grace of God) that either Christ died in vain, or that the law cannot justify. But Christ did not die in vain, so the law cannot justify. Christ, the Son of God, gave us salvation out of grace and mercy.

The law could not do this, because if it had been able to do this, Christ would have acted foolishly. For if it could, Christ would have acted foolishly in giving himself for our sins that we might be justified thereby. Therefore we conclude that we are not justified by merit in equity or dignity (congrui aut condigni), nor by the cross or suffering, nor even by the law, but only by faith in Christ.

If my salvation is so dear to Christ that he must die for my sins, then it is clear that my works and also the righteousness of the law are quite bad and completely nothing compared to this so glorious and so great ransom (pretio), because I will certainly not be able to buy what cost many thousands of tons (talentis) of gold for a penny. But the law, to say nothing of other far lesser things, with all its works and righteousnesses, is but a penny (terunciolus) compared to Christ, by whose death and resurrection my death has been overcome and righteousness and eternal life have been purchased for me. Should I then despise and throw away this incomparable ransom, and seek by the law or by works of equity and dignity (by this filth and dung, as Paul calls it, especially when held against Christ) to obtain the righteousness of which Paul here testifies that Christ gave it to me freely and out of pure love, and that this cost him so much that he had to give himself for me? This, as I said, is what the whole world does, especially those who want to be considered the best and holiest in the world. And thus they sufficiently testify, no matter how much they may say otherwise with their mouths, that Christ died in vain. This means to blaspheme Christ to the highest degree, to spit in his face, to trample the Son of God underfoot, to regard the blood of the testament as impure 2c. Heb. 10, 29.

381 And since Paul is here thinking of righteousness (let it be well observed), he is dealing with a doctrine concerning spiritual things, not the worldly or domestic government, that is, he is not dealing with the civil law.

248 Li-1. oai. 1, 269-271. Explanation of Galatians 2, 21. W. VIII, I941-I94S. 249

This is the righteousness that God approves of and wants to see done, and to which He also assigns His rewards.

This civil righteousness can also be achieved to some extent by reason. But Paul is speaking here of righteousness before God, through which we are freed from law, sin, death and all evil, and become partakers of grace, righteousness and life, and are finally made lords over heaven, earth and all creatures. No law, neither human nor God's, can bring about this righteousness.

(383) Although the law is added to reason, so that it may enlighten and help man and show him what he should do and what he should not do, nevertheless man cannot attain righteousness with all his powers and with his reason, even with the addition of this exceedingly great light and the divine benefit, namely the law. But if the best that the world has on earth (namely the law, which is added to reason like a sun to the earthly light or to a human torch, which is nevertheless weak, so that it may illuminate and guide it) cannot make righteous, I ask you, what should reason be able to do without the law? What then? Nothing other than what the pope has done with his schools and his whole synagogue, monks 2c., who have also darkened the light of the first commandment with human statutes. Therefore, all of them, as many as there are, cannot understand even one letter of the law, but walk in the darkness of reason, and this is a much more pernicious error than that which arose from the doctrine of the works of the law.

384 Therefore these are mighty words, when he says: "For if righteousness comes through the law" 2c. He is silent about human powers, about reason, about any wisdom, however great (for the greater it is, the more easily and swiftly it deceives man), but simply says: "For so by the law" 2c. Therefore, even if the divine law comes to its aid, human reason can not prove the righteousness of man.

It cannot bring about righteousness, but tears away from righteousness and casts Christ away. For if it could accomplish righteousness, Christ would have died in vain.

Therefore, set the death of Christ squarely against all laws, and be like Paul, that you know nothing but Jesus Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2:2, so that apart from Him nothing else is a light. Then you will be taught, righteous, and holy, and will receive the Holy Spirit, who will keep you in the pure word and in the right faith. But if Christ is put out of sight, then all is in vain.

Here again we see a beautiful praise of righteousness from the law or one's own righteousness, namely, that it is, as Paul says, a despising and a throwing away of divine grace, an emptying and making futile of the death of Christ. Paul is not a great orator, but see how great occasion (argumenta) he gives others to prove their oratory. For, I pray thee, where is the ability found to bring to light these words, "grace," and that is, "to cast away the grace of GOD," likewise, "that Christ died in vain," in such powerful speech that thereby the matter would be done enough? The shamefulness that is committed here is so great that the eloquence of the whole world would not suffice to explain it sufficiently.

It is a small thing to say that a man dies in vain, but to say that Christ dies in vain is to nullify him altogether. Whoever wants to prove his eloquence has here ample material to make a great point and to explain how terrible blasphemy is the doctrine of righteousness from the law and from works. Could anything more frightening or more blasphemous be attributed to me than that I made the death of Christ in vain? But this I would do, if I would keep the law with a view to be justified thereby. But to make Christ's death a vain one, that is also to make His resurrection, His victory, His glory, His kingdom, heaven and earth, God Himself and the majesty of God, in short, all things vain. Is this then something small ? If you said that the kingdom of the King

250 1, 271-273. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 1S45-195I. 251

of France or the Roman Empire were founded in vain, one would think that you had completely lost your mind. But that cannot be compared to this at all, when you say that Christ died in vain.

These thunderbolts and lightnings from heaven in the writings of Paul against the righteousness of the law and against our own righteousness should rightly deter us from it. For in Paul's writings, everything concerning the monastic life, the spiritual states, and the righteousness that is sought through worship, whether these flow from the law or from one's own choice, is suddenly thrown to the ground and condemned as if by a thunderbolt. But who should not take his vows,

plates, caps, and statutes of men, yea, even the law of Moses, when he heareth that by these he casteth away the grace of GOD, and maketh the death of Christ vain?

When the world hears this, it does not believe it to be true, for it thinks that the human heart is incapable of such great wickedness that it should throw away the grace of God and regard the death of Christ as nothing, and yet this terrible sin is quite general. For anyone who seeks to attain righteousness apart from faith in Christ, whether by works, atonement, or suffering, or whether by the law of God, casts away the grace of God and despises the death of Christ, no matter how much he asserts the opposite with his mouth.

The third chapter.

V. 1. O you Galatians without understanding.

As befits an apostle in his affliction, Paul burns with a completely spiritual zeal and fierce emotion, and in his discussion and refutation he also includes exhortations and speeches of punishment, according to the rule he gave in 2 Tim. 4, 2: "Preach the word, stop, whether in season or out of season, punish, threaten, exhort. This misleads a careless reader into thinking that Paul is not teaching in the right way or in good order. He does not do this in the manner of orators, but in spirit he keeps the most beautiful order.

(2) Now that he has disputed and demonstrated by two very strong reasons that Christian righteousness does not come from the law but from faith in Christ, and at the same time refuted the teaching of the false apostles, in the midst of this discussion he now addresses the Galatians and chastises them, "O you foolish or senseless Galatians, as if to say, 'Alas! where are you?

1. Erlanger: spiritualissima instead of: spirituatissimo.

have you come to, you poor Galatians? I taught you the truth of the gospel most carefully and you also accepted it from me with great zeal and diligence. How is it, then, that you fell away from it so soon? Who has bewitched you?

(3) It seems that he scolds the Galatians very harshly, saying that they are unintelligent, bewitched and disobedient to the truth. But whether he did this out of great zeal or out of mercy, I will not argue; both may be true. A carnal man would judge it to be an insult rather than a godly rebuke. Did Paul, then, set an evil example and show himself to be vituperative against the churches in Galatia, saying that they were foolish, bewitched 2c.? No; for it is proper for an apostle, preacher, or teacher, out of Christian zeal, to scold harshly the people over whom he presides, and such scolding is paternal and holy. In the same way, parents, out of paternal and maternal love, are accustomed to call their son a fool or a boy, and their daughter a little hurdle.

252 Lri. (Iru. 1, 273-278. Explan. Explanation of Galatians 3, 1, W. VIII, 1951-1955. 253

but would not tolerate it if someone else wanted to do it. Sometimes a teacher scolds his pupil severely, calls him an ass, stabs him with rods; the latter bears it with equanimity, but would not put up with it in such a way if any of his comrades or fellow pupils did the same. Likewise, the authorities rebuke, chastise and punish, and this discipline is not only good but also very necessary, and without it nothing, neither in peace nor in war, can be carried out in the right way. Therefore, if the authorities in the church, in the world regiment or in the household do not rebuke and punish when it is necessary, then they are ineffective and useless, and will never administer their office properly.

(4) Therefore, cries and anger are as necessary in all classes as any other virtue. But this should be done in moderation and not out of spite, but out of fatherly love and Christian zeal; that is, it must not be a childish or feminine anger that seeks only revenge, but which desires only to remedy the defect, as a father does not chastise his son for the sake of seeking revenge and cooling his temper, but that the son may be improved by this chastisement. And this is good wrath, which is called "zeal" in Scripture. For if I chastise a brother or a subordinate in this way, I do not seek his destruction but his best.

Therefore it is possible that Paul here either scolds the Galatians out of mere zeal, not to destroy them, but to bring them back on the right path and to save them, or out of mercy and an emotion of compassion, as it were after the manner of a complainer who is sorry that the Galatians are so miserably deceived, as if he wanted to say: I am sorry that it is so bad with you 2c.

(6) In this way we also rebuke people who are in misery, not to insult them or to make them feel their misery, but because we have compassion for them and would like them to be rebuke. I say this so that no one will blaspheme Paul, as if he had reviled the churches of God against the commandment of the Gospel.

7. In the same way, Christ chides the Pharisees, calling them serpents, vipers, children of the devil 2c.
8. but these are reproaches of the Holy Spirit, they are reproaches of a father, of a mother, of a faithful friend, as it is also said in Proverbs Cap. 27, 6. according to the Vulgate: "The wounds of a friend are better than the kisses of an enemy." Hence it is that the same word of reproach, when it comes from the mouth of a father, is a very great boon, but when it goes from the mouth of a comrade or an enemy, the highest disgrace. If two people do the same thing, it is praised in one and blamed in the other. If Christ or Paul scolds, it is a very great virtue and is praised, but if a philosopher or a private person does it, it is a very great fault and is disgraceful. Thus the same work and word is a good deed in the mouth of Paul, and a bad deed in the mouth of another.

9 But there is an emphasis on the word "Galatians", because he does not call them brothers, as he usually does, but by their people's name. But it seems to have been the fault peculiar to this people that they were "unintelligent," like the folk fault of the Cretans, that they liked to lie, as if he wanted to say: What is said of you and what you are called, that is what you are and remain in truth, namely, unintelligent Galatians, and this you now prove precisely in this matter of the Gospel, where you should be most intelligible, but you do not leave your kind.

In the same way, we distinguish the nations according to their faults. Each nation has its particular faults. The Germans are novelty-seekers, the Welsh are presumptuous 2c. So by the way Paul scolds them here, he reminds the Galatians of their natural condition.

(11) By the way, we are reminded here that in the churches and in Christians there still remain the natural infirmities that they have according to the flesh. Grace does not change the godly in such a way that it immediately makes them new and perfect in all things, but there still remain in the godly remnants of the old natural infirmities.

254 LN. Oai. 1, 27S-277. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, I95S-I9S8. 255

Affliction. For example, a person who is naturally inclined to anger, when converted to Christ, becomes milder by grace, and the Holy Spirit moves his heart so that he becomes gentler, but the infirmity itself in his flesh is not completely eradicated. Thus, even hard people, when they are converted to the faith, do not completely lose this hardness, but the remnants of this hardness remain in them. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures and the Gospels, which concern the same truth, are treated by different characters (ingeniis) in different ways. One is milder and gentler in teaching, another harder. Thus the Holy Spirit is poured into different instruments, but he does not eradicate the infirmities of nature all at once, but cleanses from this clinging sin throughout life, not only in the Galatians, but in all men in all nations.

(12) Therefore, although the Galatians were already enlightened and believing, and had received the Holy Spirit through the preaching of faith, this infirmity remained in them, and this tinder of unwiseness, which easily caught fire from the flame of false doctrine. Therefore, let no one trust in himself, and not think that now that he has received grace, he is completely cleansed from his old errors. Many things are swept out, but especially the head of the serpent, that is, the unbelief and the lack of knowledge of God, is cut off and trampled underfoot, but its the serpent's scaly body and the remnants of sin remain in us.

(13) Therefore, let no one presume that, having accepted the faith, he can immediately be completely transformed into a new man; on the contrary, even after he has become a Christian, he will retain some of the old defects. For we have not yet died, but still live in the flesh, which, because it is not yet pure, "lusteth against the Spirit," Gal. 5:17.; and Rom. 7:14. it is said, "I am carnal, sold under sin," and v. 23. "I see another law in my members. "2c. Therefore, the natural faults that were there before faith remain even after one is

But now they must be subject to the spirit that rules over them, so that they do not rule; however, this does not happen without a difficult struggle. Christ alone has this honor and the name that he is pure in all things. 1 Petr. 2:22: "Whosoever hath committed no sin, there is no deceit found in his mouth."

Who has bewitched you not to obey the truth?

(14) Now here you have another glory of this excellent righteousness of the law and of our own righteousness, namely, that it makes us despisers of the truth, that it bewitches us so that we do not obey but rebel against the truth.

Of physical and spiritual enchantment.

15. By calling the Galatians "unintelligent" and "enchanted", Paul compares them to children who are most harmed by sorcery, as if to say, "You are just like children, on whom sorceresses, witches, and fiends, with their witchcraft, by the play of Satan, are pleased to work their sorcery easily.

(16) In the fifth chapter v. 20 he lists among the works of the flesh also sorcery 1) to which also the means of magic belong as a special kind, whereby it is sufficiently testified that sorcery exists and that it is possible. Then it cannot be denied that the devil lives, even rules, in the whole world. 2) So sorcery and magic are works of the devil, by which he not only harms people, but, if God allows it, sometimes even kills them. In addition, we are all subject to the devil in body and goods, and are guests in the world, lesser prince and god.

1. Exactly according to the words should have been translated: "the preparation of magic means (veneficium = ®"p- μακεία*),* a special kind of sorcery" (kaseini). But because Luther translated Gal. 5, 20. veneficia with "sorcery", we were forced to the translation given in the text. ,
2. The Folgmde (from here to § 21 at the end) is used by Aurifaber for s 38 of the 24th chapter of the Tischreden. Here and there, something is omitted, some things are added, even several times. This section is omitted in our edition of the Table Talks.

256 Lri. Kai. 1, 277-279. Explanation of Galatians 3, 1. w. vm, I9S8-196I. 257

he is. Therefore, the bread we eat, the drink we drink, the clothes we wear, even the air and everything by which we live in the flesh is under his dominion. Therefore, he can harm the children through his sorceresses, either with heart potion, or he can make them blind, or steal, or take away a child altogether, and put himself in the cradle instead of the child taken away. I have heard that there was a child in Saxony who was suckled by five wives and yet could not be satisfied. And there are many such examples.

(17) But sorcery is nothing else than a cunning artifice and deception of the devil, who, as it is said, can restore to health a limb which he has corrupted in a child or an old man by his deceptions. But in such a way he makes healthy, for example, that he restores an eye or another damaged limb, not that it was really injured, but that he deceives the senses, both of those whom he has bewitched and of others who see the bewitched, in such a way that they cannot think that it is a deception, but would swear that it is a real injury. But because he removes the injury in his own time, it is clear that it was only a deception, but not a real injury, because a real injury cannot be removed or healed.

18 You will find an excellent example of this in the "Life Descriptions of the Fathers", not to mention the "metamorphoses" of the poets. To St. Macarius, who lived in the desert, came the parents of a virgin. They thought they had lost her, but in such a way that they thought she had been transformed into a cow, for they could see no other form in her than that of a cow. When they brought their daughter to St. Macarius, they asked him to pray to God for her, so that she would regain her human form. When Macarius heard this, he said: I see a virgin, not a cow. He had spiritual eyes, therefore Satan could not deceive him with his dazzling work, as he did the parents and the daughter, whose eyes the evil spirit had so deceived that they were

They swore that it was in truth as it appeared to them in their enchantment before their eyes. But when St. Macarius prayed for the Virgin, not that she might regain her human form, for she had never lost it, but that God might take away from her this deception of the devil, the eyes of the parents and the daughter were opened, and they recognized that everything they had thought to be a real event had been only a game of the devil.

(19) Such is the cunning and power of Satan to deceive the senses, and what is to be wondered at, since even through a glass the sensory perception and the color change? Therefore, he can easily deceive a man by his dazzling work so that he thinks he sees something he does not see, he hears a voice, a thunderclap, a flute or trombone sound he does not hear. Thus the soldiers of Julius Caesar thought that they heard someone playing on a flute and blowing on a trombone 2c. Suetonius mentions this in his description of Caesar's life 1). He says: A man of extraordinary size and beautiful figure suddenly appeared sitting nearby and played on a flute. Since now beside the shepherds also very many soldiers and some trumpeters from their camps had run to hear him, he tore away his trumpet from one, jumped to the river, blew with tremendous breath the signal for the fight (classicum) and went to the other bank 2c. So Satan can ape all senses extraordinarily, so that you want to swear that you see, hear or touch something, which you do not see 2c.

20 But not only in this crude way, but also in a more subtle and therefore much more dangerous way he makes people nonsensical, and there he is primarily a thousandfold artist. And therefore Paul comes from the enchantment of the senses to the enchantment of the spirit. But by this spiritual enchantment the old serpent does not catch and deceive the senses, but the minds of men with false and ungodly opinions, which he, since

1. Suetonius, de vita Caesarum, lib. I, cap. 32.2.

258 Lri. val. 1, 279-281. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1961-1964. 259

The fact that he can really do this is sufficiently demonstrated today by the fanatics and the blasphemous spirits. That he can really achieve this, however, is sufficiently demonstrated today by the enthusiasts, the Anabaptists, and the blasphemous spirits who attack the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. He has so enchanted their hearts with his deceitfulness that they take lies, error and frightening darkness for the certain truth and the brightest light, and do not let themselves be dissuaded from these dreams by any admonitions or sayings of Scripture, because they are firmly convinced that they alone are wise and have the right understanding of divine things; all other people, however, are blind. So they do quite the same as the parents of the virgin, who, because they were caught by the deception of Satan, were so firmly convinced that they would have sworn that their daughter was not a man but a cow, and could believe nothing less than that this was a deception and delusion of the devil. For all their senses bore witness to it; the eyes saw the form of a cow, the ears heard the cow's roar. 2c. Therefore, they thought that one should not argue against the judgment that all men had to make in this matter (sensum communem).

21 This example of Macarius shows that in the case of bodily enchantment one must argue against what is generally accepted according to outward perception (contra sensum communem). Much more must one do the same with spiritual bewitchment, where the devil brings about what he does outwardly for the senses with figures and colors, inwardly with probable opinions and doctrinal points (objectis doctrinae), by which, as I have said, he makes the hearts of men so nonsensical that they would swear that their quite futile and godless dreams are the quite certain truth. In this way he has bewitched Münzer, Zwingli and others in our time, by whom again others have been bewitched in great numbers.

Furthermore, this sorcerer has such a great desire to harm that he does not only have this secure...

1. This and the next following paragraph form § 39 of the 24th chapter of Aurifaber's Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks this is omitted.

He not only deceives the noble and arrogant spirits with his deceptive work, but also tries to dissuade those from right understanding by his deceptions, who stand godly and right in God's word and the Christian religion. He often attacks me so fiercely and overwhelms me with sad thoughts that he completely obscures Christ and almost takes him away from me. In short, there is no one among us who is not often bewitched by false opinions, that is, who does not fear, trust, or be joyful when he should not fear, trust, or be joyful; there is no one who does not sometimes have other thoughts about God, about Christ, about faith, about his profession, about his Christianity, 2c., than he should have.

(23) Therefore let us learn rightly the deceit and cunning of this sorcerer, lest he find us safe and snoring, and deceive us with his wiles. He cannot harm our ministry by his sorcery, but he is with us in spirit, going about day and night, seeking how he may devour each one in particular, and if he does not find us sober and armed with spiritual weapons, that is, with the word of God and faith, he devours us. 1 Petr. 5, 8. Eph. 6, 14-17.

^2^Therefore Satan starts one battle after another against us, and this is very useful for us, that he attacks and exercises us with his cunning attacks, because in this way he makes us firm in the doctrine and strengthens the faith in us. We have often suffered a defeat in this battle, and this still happens to us, but we do not perish, because Christ has always won the victory and triumphs through us.

(25) Therefore we draw a firm hope that we shall be victors over the devil also henceforth through Christ, and this hope gives us a firm consolation, so that we can stand up in all temptations: Behold, Satan also hath before challenged us, and by his deceit hath tempted us to unbelief, contempt of God, despair, 2c. and yet hath wrought nothing; therefore he shall

2. Aurifaber used the following four paragraphs for the "Tischrede", chapter 24, §§ 45 and 46. In our edition of the Table Talks, they are omitted.

260 Lri. ttra. 1, 281-283. elaborated. Explanation of Galatians 3, 1. W. VIII, 1964-1967. 261

will not be able to do anything in the future. He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world; Christ is the stronger one who overcame, overcomes, and will also henceforth overcome that strong one in us. But the devil sometimes overcomes us in the flesh, so that we ourselves may wish to experience in this way the power of the stronger against that strong, and to speak with Paul 2 Cor. 12:10., "When I am weak, then am I strong."

(26) Therefore let no one think that the Galatians alone were bewitched by Satan, but let each one think that he also could have been bewitched and that he can still be bewitched by him. No one among us is so strong that he could resist him, especially if he tries to do so with his own powers. "Job was bad and right, God-fearing, and shunned evil" Job 1:1 and "there was not his like in the land" Cap. 2:3, but what was he able to do against the devil when God withdrew His hand from him? Did not this holy man fall terribly?

Therefore, this sorcerer was not only powerful with the Galatians, but he always deals with them, that although he cannot do this with all men, he deceives many by his false pretenses, "for he is a liar and a father of lies" John 8:44. And certainly, as I have said, by this art of his, he even nowadays makes the swarming spirits nonsensical, rules in them, and makes them so unbending and hard that no anvil can be so hard. They do not allow themselves to be instructed, do not listen to any reason (rationem), do not allow any scripture to be valid, but are only concerned with how they would like to escape the scriptural passages brought against them with the glosses invented and lied out of their heads and defend their dreams brought into the scripture, which is a clear sign that they are caught by the devil's sorcery.

Who charmed you?

28 Here he excuses the Galatians and puts the blame on the false apostles, as if to say: I see that ye fell not of your own free will, nor of malice; but the devil hath among you, my children, the

They sent you sorcerers, the false apostles. They have so bewitched you with the doctrine of the law that you now think differently of Christ than before you heard the gospel preached by me. But we strive to break the spell with which the false apostles have bewitched you through our exhortations and letters to you, so that those who are trapped among you by this spell may be set free again through us.

(29) Thus, we too must work today with the word of God against the fanatical opinions of the Anabaptists and Sacramentarians, so that we may free the people captured by them and bring them back to the pure doctrine of faith and keep them in it. And this work of ours is not in vain, for we have set many of those who had bewitched them right again and freed them from this bewitchment of theirs, from which they would never have been able to break free with their own strength if they had not been rebuked by us and brought back on the right path by the word of God.

^1^For just as it is impossible for a man to wriggle out of the enchantment of the senses (for the parents could not see in their daughter any other form than that of a cow until Macarius prayed for her 2)), so it is also impossible for those who are enchanted by the spirit to free themselves by their own powers; but they can only be freed if others help them, whose minds are not caught by this enchantment.

For the power of Satan's deception is so great in those who are thus deceived that they boast and swear that they have the very certain truth; so much is lacking that they should confess that they are in error. And even if we shower and convict some of them, especially the originators of the sects, with sayings of the Scriptures, we do nothing, because they immediately have their glosses ready, with which they distort the Scriptures. Therefore they do not correct themselves by

1. The following (from here to § 32 inet.) forms in the old editions of the Table Talks the paragraphs 47 and 48 of the 24th chapter. In our edition of the Table Talks, these sections are omitted.
2. Instead of preeutionera the Wittenberger has: prueäieutionera.

262 kri. Kai. 1, 283-285. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1967-1970. 263

our exhortations, but only harden more.

I would never have believed, if I had not learned by experience today, that the power of the devil is so great that he is able to give lies such a great appearance of truth, but also, what is even more frightening, that when he wants to torture the afflicted consciences to death through excessive sadness, he knows how to disguise himself so actually and completely in the form of Christ that it is impossible for the challenged to recognize this. Therefore, many who do not know this fall into despair and lay hands on themselves. For they are so blinded by the devil that they are firmly convinced that it is a certain truth that they are not being tempted and accused by the devil, but by Christ himself.

The same thing happened in the year of the Lord 1527 to the wicked man, Doctor Kraus 1) at Halle, who said: I have denied Christ, therefore he now stands before the Father and accuses me. He had so firmly imagined this thought, caught in the devil's deception, that he could not be dissuaded by any exhortation or consolation, nor by any divine promise. And so he despaired and killed himself miserably.

This was nothing but a lie and enchantment of the devil and, to put it briefly, a fanatical description of a strange Christ, of which the Scriptures know absolutely nothing. For the Scriptures do not portray Christ as a judge, tempter, and accuser, but as a reconciler, advocate, comforter, savior, and mercy seat.

1. Doctor Krause (so Luther writes the name in his letter to the Christians at Lalle, Walch, St. Louis edition, Vol. X, 2219, and Tischreden, Cap. 24, ZI5. ibiä. Vol. XXII, 715) cut his neck on All Saints' Day 1527. On Dec. 10, Luther wrote about it to Jonas: "Kfrause^s died of eight wounds, but only one was fatal." (Cf. De Wette, vol. Ill, 243. Walch, old ed., vol. XVII, 2708, translates: "he has been executed by eight wounds.") De Wette's assumption that the sudden death mentioned in the letter to Gabriel Zwilling of March 7, 1528 (Walch, old ed. vol. XXI, 1093) is the same one discussed in the letter to the Christians at Halle (De Wette, vol. Ill, p. 305, note) is erroneous, because the "chaplain of the nuns" at Halle died suddenly on Ash Wednesday <26 Feb.) 1528.

But because this Kraus was bewitched by the devil, he could not see this at that time, and therefore, contrary to the Scriptures, declared this to be certain truth: Christ accuses you before the Father, he does not stand for you, but against you, therefore you are condemned. And this challenge is not a human one, but a devilish one, which that sorcerer imprints with all his might into the heart of the challenged. With us, who have the opposite opinion, this is considered a shameful and obvious lie and deception of the devil, but with those who are charmed in this way, it is considered the most certain truth, so that there can be no more certain.

(35) Since the devil, as an artist of thousands, where it is necessary to do harm, can stamp such a blatant and shameless lie on the heart that you would swear a thousand oaths that it is the very certain truth, we must not be hopeful, but walk in fear and humility, calling upon Christ the Lord, that he will not let us fall into temptation.

(36) Secure people who, after hearing the gospel once or twice, think that they have received the spirit in the highest degree (decimas spiritus hausisse), finally begin to do so, because they do not fear God, do not thank Him, but think that they can not only hold and defend the doctrine of godliness excellently, but are also able to stand up to the devil in a battle, no matter how fierce. Such people are then quite a ready people (idonea instrumentau) for the devil, whom he can charm and plunge into despair.

^2^But do not say, "I am perfect, I cannot fall," but humble yourself and fear, lest you, who stand today, fall tomorrow. I am a doctor of theology and have now preached Christ for a number of years and fought against the devil in fine false teachers, but I have well experienced how much this has troubled me.

38 I cannot drive Satan away like this,

2. Aurifaber used the following two paragraphs for Cap. 24, § 49 of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

264 Lri. ttra. 1, 283-288. Explanation of Galatians 3, 1. w. VIII, 1970-1974. 265

I cannot grasp Christ as the Scripture holds him out to me, but the devil keeps trying to force a false Christ upon me. But thanks be to God, who keeps us in his word, in faith and in prayer, so that we know that we must walk in humility and fear of God, and not be presumptuous in our wisdom, righteousness, learning and steadfastness, but in the power of Christ, who is mighty when we are weak, and through us weak is always victorious and triumphant; to whom be glory forever and ever, amen.

(39) Therefore, enchantment is nothing else but nonsense caused by the devil, who forms a false opinion against Christ in the heart; and he is enchanted who is caught in such an opinion. Therefore, people who believe that they can be justified by the works of the law or by the fulfillment of human statutes are bewitched. For this opinion is contrary to faith and Christ.

40 Paul uses this so spiteful word "bewitched" to show his contempt and hatred against the false apostles, who so vehemently insisted on the teaching of the law and works of the law, as if he wanted to say: What (the heck) is this satanic enchantment? For as by the bodily enchantment the senses are corrupted, so by the spiritual enchantment the hearts are corrupted.

That you do not obey the truth?

41 Initially, the Galatians had heard the truth and obeyed it. Therefore, when he says, "Who bewitched you?" he indicates that now that they have been bewitched by the false apostles, they have fallen away from the truth they obeyed before and have forsaken it. But this reads far more harshly, that he says they do not believe the truth. For with these words he indicates that they are bewitched and that he wants to remove the spell from them, and yet they do not want to recognize or accept this benefit. For it is certain that he did not bring them all back to the truth from the error of the false apostles, but the spell remained with many. That is why he uses strong words: "Who has bewitched you?

as if he wanted to say: You have become nonsensical, and the spell has caught you so that you cannot obey the truth. You cannot obey the truth, as if he wanted to say: I fear that it is over with many of you who will never return to the truth 2c.

(42) Here again you hear another glory of the righteousness of the law or of one's own righteousness, namely, that it so enchants men that they cannot obey the truth. The apostles and the fathers of the first church often mention this. 1 John 5:16: "It is a sin unto death; for this I say not that any man ask." Likewise Hebr. 6, 4-6: "For it is impossible that those who have once been enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, where they fall away, should again be renewed to repentance" 2c. These words read at first sight as if a novatus had spoken them. But the apostles had to speak this way for the sake of the heretics (but they did not mean to say that the fallen ones could not return to the community of believers through repentance, as the Novatians did), and also we have to speak this way today because of the authors and teachers of errors and sects, because such people never return to the truth.

(43) Some do turn back, but only those who are under a lesser spell, not even the leaders and the authors of this spell. For these must retain the title that Paul gives them here, namely, that they neither want to hear the truth nor suffer it, but rather are only concerned with how they might resist the truth, likewise how they might escape the grounds of proof and the scriptural passages that are brought against them. For they are caught and convinced that they have the very certain truth and a very pure understanding of the Scriptures. But he who has such a conviction does not listen, much less yield to others. So also I do not want to hear anything that is contrary to my teaching, for I am certain and convinced by the Spirit of Christ that my teaching of Christian righteousness is true and certain.

266 Li-I. Kai. 1, 288-290. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1974-1977. 267

To whom Christ Jesus was painted before the eyes.

44 It is very hard that he had said that they were so bewitched that they did not obey the truth, but it is much harder that he adds that Christ Jesus was painted before their eyes in such a way that they could have grasped him with their hands, and yet they still did not want to obey the truth. Thus he refers them to their own experience, as if to say: You are so bewitched, entranced and captivated by the erroneous opinions of the false apostles that you do not obey the truth, and it is of no use that with the greatest diligence and effort I have described Christ JEsum to you and painted him before your eyes; you are so bewitched that he is now crucified among you.

With these words, he refers back to the above-mentioned reasons, where he had stated that Christ is a sinner among those who want to be justified by the law, that such people throw away the grace of God, and that Christ died for them in vain. When he was present with them, he had fiercely pursued these reasons and explained them in detail, as if a painter were painting Christ Jesus, the crucified one, before their eyes. Now that he is absent, he recalls this to their memory by saying: "Which Christ Jesus was painted before the eyes," 2c., as if he wanted to say: "No painter can paint Christ so actually with colors as I have painted him before you through my sermon, and yet you still remain in your enchantment.

That he is now crucified among you.

What have I painted for you? Christ himself. How? That he is crucified among you. Here he certainly uses very harsh words. Above he said that those who seek to attain righteousness from the law throw away the grace of God, likewise that Christ died for them in vain. But here he adds that such people even crucify Christ, who lived and reigned in them before, as if he wanted to say: Now you have not only thrown away the grace of God, not only has Christ died in vain for you, but in the most shameful way among you, you have also been crucified.

crucifies. The epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 6, 6. also speaks in this way: "They crucify even the Son of God to themselves and hold Him up to ridicule" 2c.

47. One should be truly frightened when he only hears the name monk, plate, cap, (religious) rule mentioned (how much also the papists worship these abominations and boast that they are the highest worship and holiness, as also we could not think otherwise of them before the gospel was revealed, for we were brought up in the statutes of men, which obscured Christ and made Him all vain to us), hearing that Paul here says that even those who seek to be justified by the divine law are not only deniers and murderers, but also the most wicked crucifiers of Christ. But are those crucifiers of Christ who seek to attain righteousness through righteousness and the works of the law, beloved, what are those who seek to attain blessedness and eternal life through the filth of human righteousness and the doctrines of devils?

But who would have ever believed or understood that it would be such a terrible and atrocious outrage if someone became a clergyman (for that is what they call it), that is, if he became a mass priest, a monk or a nun? Certainly no one. Yes, they themselves have taught that monasticism is a new baptism. But what could be said that is more frightening than that the kingdom of the papists is a kingdom of those who spit on Christ, the Son of God, and crucify him anew? For Christ, who was once crucified and resurrected, they crucify anew in themselves, in the church or in the hearts of the faithful, spit upon Him by blasphemies, reproaches and insults, pierce Him with their false opinions, so that He dies in them most miserably, and in his place they put a very beautiful spell, by which men become senseless, so that they do not acknowledge Christ as their Justifier, Reconciler and Savior, but consider him a sin-servant, accuser, judge and corrupter, who must be reconciled by our works and merits.

49. and from this opinion the

268 Lri. Sai. 1, 290-292. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 1. Eq. VIII, I977-I98I. 269

This is the most ungodly and pernicious doctrine in the entire papacy: If you want to serve God, earn forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and help others to attain blessedness, enter a monastery, vow obedience, chastity, poverty 2c. Caught and puffed up by this false idea of holiness, the monks dreamed that they alone were in a state and life of perfection, that the other Christians led a common life, that is, they did not do such works that they were not obliged to do (opera indebita), as chastity, poverty, obedience 2c., but were only baptized and kept the ten commandments, but they the monks, in addition to this, which they had in common with the other Christians, also kept superfluous good works (opera supererogationis) and the counsels of Christ 2c. Therefore, they hoped that they would also have a special merit and a place in heaven among the greatest saints, far above the rest of the common people of Christians.

(50) This was indeed a terrible delusion of the devil, by which he had made almost all men senseless, and the holier one wanted to be considered, the more he was caught in this enchantment, that is, in this pernicious opinion of his own righteousness. Therefore, we could in no way recognize that Christ was a mediator and savior, but we considered him to be a severe judge who had to be reconciled by our works. This was nothing other than blaspheming Christ to the utmost and, as Paul said above, throwing away the grace of God, letting Christ die in vain, and that he not only be killed by us, but be crucified anew in the most terrible way. And this is actually what Christ Matth. 24, 15 refers to from the prophet Daniel Cap. 9, 26. f., that the abomination stands in the holy place.

(51) Therefore, every monk and every one who deals with his own righteousness (justitiarius), seeking to obtain forgiveness of sins and righteousness by his own works or sufferings, is such a man who again crucifies Christ, who lives and reigns, not in Christ's own person, but in his own heart and in the hearts of others, and

All those who enter the monasteries with the intention (nomine) that they want to become righteous by keeping the rule of the order, go into the dens of robbers of those who crucify Christ again.

(52) Paul uses very weighty and terrible words here to dissuade the Galatians from the teaching of the false apostles and to set them straight, as if he wanted to say: Consider what you have done; you have crucified Christ anew, and this I show you so clearly and paint it before your eyes that you can see and grasp it, because you want to be justified by the law. But if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ is a servant of sin and died in vain. If this is true, then it certainly follows that he is crucified again among you.

And he does not add this word "among you" in vain, because Christ in his person can no longer be crucified or die in this place, Rom. 6:9, but among us. Namely, if we throw away pure doctrine, grace, faith, forgiveness of sins without all our merit, and seek to be justified by works of our own choosing or even by the works commanded in the law, then Christ is crucified among us. This false and ungodly opinion that one wants to attain righteousness from the law or works is nothing else, as I have said above in many words, but a deception and enchantment of the devil, by which men are made so senseless that they do not recognize the good deed of Christ at all and do nothing with their whole life but not only deny the Lord, who bought them with his blood and in whose name they were baptized, but also crucify him anew in themselves.

Therefore, let everyone who is serious about godliness flee from this Babylon as quickly as possible and be terrified when he hears the name "Pabstdom" mentioned. For the ungodliness and the abomination of it is so great that no one can talk it out with words, and this abomination can only be seen with spiritual eyes.

55 Paul emphasizes these two reasons for proof most carefully and sharpens them.

270 Lri. Kai. 1, 2S2-29S. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, I98I-I987. 271

First, that they are so captivated and bewitched by the devil that they do not hear the truth, even when it is painted most clearly before their eyes; second, that they crucify Christ anew among themselves. These words seem to be uttered simply and without any sublime ornamentation, but they are so great that they far surpass all human eloquence. Therefore, only through the Holy Spirit can it be seen how terribly wicked he acts who wants to be justified by the righteousness of the law or by his own righteousness, namely, that he, as Paul says here, is bewitched by the devil, disobeys the truth and crucifies Christ anew. Is this not a beautiful praise of the righteousness of the law or of one's own righteousness?

The apostle is therefore inflamed with a very fierce zeal and attacks the trust in righteousness, even if it should be based on the keeping of the law of God, with frightening words, and condemns this opinion and imprints this brand on it, so that it crucifies the Son of God anew 2c. Since this is something extremely dangerous, it cannot be accused enough, nor can it be condemned enough, because Lucifer's fall, an irreparable damage, results from it. That is why Paul uses such terrible words against it that he does not even spare the law of God, which he attacks so sharply that it almost seems as if he wants to reject and condemn it. But he does this out of the highest necessity that forces him to do so, for otherwise he would not have been able to resist the false apostles and defend the righteousness of faith against them. Although the law is holy, just and good, it must be presented (induere) as if it were the person of a hypocrite who wants to become just by works. Now he penetrates them with a reason of proof taken from experience, which they could not deny, and says:

V. 2. This I will learn from you alone: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the preaching of faith?

57 He speaks these words from an indignant mind. He says: If I do nothing

If I had anything else to say against you, I could refer to your own experience, as if he wanted to say: Well, answer me, your disciple (for you have become learned so soon that you are already my teachers and masters), did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the preaching of the gospel? By this evidence he so convicted them that they could say nothing against it, for clear and evident experience testified against them that they had received the Spirit not from the works of the law, but through the preaching of the gospel.

Here again I remind you that Paul does not only speak of the ceremonial law, but of the whole law. His proof is based on the fact that he makes a complete distinction (a sufficienti divisione). If he spoke only of the ceremonial law, it would not be a sufficient difference. It is therefore a double sentence (dilemma), which consists of two parts, one of which must necessarily be true, the other false, namely: You have received the Spirit either through the law or through the preaching of faith. If from the law, then not from the preaching of faith; if from the preaching of faith, then not from the law. There is no third (medium) here. For everything that is not the Holy Spirit or the preaching of faith is law. But we are now dealing with the matter of justification. But there is no other way to justification than these two: either the word of the gospel or the law.

(59) Therefore, "law" is taken here in a very general way as being quite different and separate from the gospel. Not only is the ceremonial law distinct from the gospel, but also the law of the ten commandments. So Paul is talking about the whole law as a whole.

60 Paul therefore gives his proof by the complete difference between law and gospel in this way: he says: Tell me, whether you have received the Holy Spirit through the law or through the preaching of the gospel? To this answer. Ye cannot say, By the law: for as long as ye were under the law, and of the law, ye received the Holy Ghost.

272 Lri. <4ra. I, W5-W7. Explan. Explanation of Galatians 3, 2, W. VIII, 1987-1990. 273

works, you have never received the Holy Spirit. You have taught and heard the Law of Moses every Sabbath, but it has never been known or seen that any teacher or disciple has been given the Holy Spirit through the teaching of the Law. Then you have not only taught and heard the Law, but you have also striven with great zeal and effort to prove it by works. You should have received the Holy Spirit in the fullest measure if it was given through the law, since you were not only teachers and disciples, but also doers of the law; and yet you cannot show that this ever happened.

(61) But as soon as the preaching of the faith or the gospel came to you, immediately, before you did any work or brought forth any fruit of the gospel, you received the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the faith alone. For as Lucas testifies in the Acts of the Apostles Cap. 10, 44., while Peter and Paul were still preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on those who were listening to the word through this preaching alone, and through it they also received various gifts, so that they spoke with new tongues 2c.

(62) Therefore it is evident that the Holy Spirit was given to you through the preaching of the faith alone, before you did any good work or brought forth any fruit of the gospel. On the other hand, the law, even if you kept it, never brought you the Holy Spirit, much less if you heard it alone. Therefore, not only the hearing of the law, but also the effort and zeal with which you have endeavored to fulfill the law by deed is in vain.

(63) No matter how hard a person tries, that is, even if he is zealous for God and tries with great effort to be saved by the law, and toils day and night with the righteousness of the law, he still works and labors in vain. "For those who do not know the righteousness that is before GOD, and seek to establish their own righteousness," as Paul says elsewhere Rom. 10:3, "are not subject to the righteousness that is before GOD."

Likewise Rom. 9, 31.: "Israel, which was inferior to the law of righteousness, has not come over to the law of righteousness" 2c.

But Paul is speaking here of how the Holy Spirit manifested Himself in the first (primitive) church. For the Holy Spirit descended upon the believers in a visible form, and by this he gave a certain testimony that he was present at the preaching of the apostles, also testifying that those who heard the word of faith from the apostles were counted righteous by God, otherwise he would not have descended upon them.

What the book of Acts is about.

(65) Careful attention must be paid to this very strong argument, which is emphasized throughout the Acts of the Apostles; for this book was written for the purpose of confirming this argument. For this whole book is about nothing else than that it teaches that the Holy Spirit is not given through the law, but through the preaching of the gospel. For when Peter preached, the Holy Spirit immediately fell upon those who heard the word, and in one day three thousand people who heard Peter's preaching believed and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38, 41. 2, 38. 41. In the same way Cornelius did not receive the Holy Spirit through the alms he gave, but when Peter opened his mouth and was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all who listened to the word with Cornelius, Apost. 10, 44. 10, 44. These are obvious proofs from experience and God's works, which cannot be deceiving.

In the fifteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles (vv. 1 ff.), Lucas writes of Paul: "When he and Barnabas had preached the gospel among the Gentiles and returned to Jerusalem, he resisted and attacked the Pharisees and the disciples of the apostles because they insisted on circumcision and the keeping of the law as necessary for salvation. Lucas says that he silenced them by telling them what he and Barnabas had done among the Gentiles, to such an extent that the whole church was appalled by this story, especially since they heard that God had done something to the Gentiles through the Pharisees.

274 M-1. 6ai. 1, 297-299. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 1990-1993. 275

she had performed so many and such great signs and wonders among the Gentiles. And since those who were zealous for the law wondered greatly how it was possible that the uncircumcised Gentiles, who kept neither the law nor its works, nor had the righteousness of the law, could nevertheless come to this grace, that they might be justified and receive the Holy Spirit, just as the circumcised Jews did 2c., Paul and Barnabas asserted nothing but the obvious fact (experientiam). And those who were convicted could not argue against it. In the same way, the proconsul Paul Sergius and all the cities, countries and kingdoms to which the apostles preached became believers without law and works, only through the preaching of the faith.

67: In short, nothing else is said in the whole book of Acts than that both Jews and Gentiles, both righteous and sinners, are justified by faith in Christ alone, without law and works. This is shown both by the sermons of the apostles, Peter and Paul, Stephen, Philip and others, and by the examples of the Gentiles and the Jews. For just as God gave the Holy Spirit through the Gospel to the Gentiles who lived without the Law, so He also gave the Holy Spirit to the Jews not through the Law, not through the services and sacrifices commanded by the Law, but through the preaching of faith alone. But if the law could have justified, and the righteousness of the law had been necessary for salvation, then surely the Holy Spirit would not have been given to the Gentiles who had not kept the law. But public experience testified that without the law the Spirit was given to them, and this was seen by the apostles, Peter, Paul, Barnabas and others. So it is not the law that justifies, but only faith in Christ, which the gospel preaches.

(68) This must be remembered for the sake of the adversaries who do not heed what is written in the book of Acts. I also read this book in the past, but I did not understand anything in it. Therefore, if you read in the book of Acts or anywhere else in

If you hear or read the word "Gentiles" in Scripture, you should know that this is not to be taken from the natural nature (naturaliter) [of the Gentiles^, but in a theological way (theologice), namely, for the people who are not under the law like the Jews (as it says above Cap. 2, 15: "We are Jews by nature" 2c.), but without law. Therefore, when it is said that the Gentiles are justified, it is nothing else than that men who do not do the law and its works, who are not circumcised, who do not sacrifice 2c., are justified and receive the Holy Spirit. By what? Not by the law and its works, for they do not have the law, but in vain, in that nothing at all precedes but the preaching of the gospel alone.

(69) So Cornelius and his friends, whom he had called to him, do nothing, neither do they look at the previous works, and yet they all receive the Holy Spirit, as many as are with them. Only Peter speaks; they sit there and do nothing; they do not think about the law, much less do it; they do not sacrifice, do not seek to obtain circumcision, but only pay attention to what Peter speaks. He brought the Holy Spirit into their hearts through his preaching, even visibly. For they spoke with tongues and praised God.

70 But someone wants to make this sophistical objection: Who knows whether it was the Holy Spirit? Let it be mocked, but surely the Holy Spirit, who bears witness in this way, does not lie, but shows that he considers the Gentiles righteous, and that he justifies them by nothing else than the word of the Gospel or the preaching of faith in Christ alone.

71 And in the Acts of the Apostles we can see how much the Jews were amazed at this unheard-of event. For when the believers of the circumcision, who had come with Peter to Caesarea, saw that in the house of Cornelius the gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the Gentiles, they were astonished. Likewise those who were at Jerusalem confronted Peter, saying that he had gone in to the uncircumcised.

276 Lri. Oai. 1, 2W-302. Explanation of Galatians 3, 2 W. VIII, 1993-1997. 277

and had eaten with them. But when they had heard Peter tell them what had happened to Cornelius, they were astonished and praised God, saying, "God has given blessedness to the Gentiles.

This word and the rumor that God also gives salvation to the Gentiles was at first not only unbearable even to the believing Jews, but also an extremely great annoyance, which they could not easily get over. For they had this privilege before all peoples, that they were the people of God. To them belonged the adoption, the glory, the service of God 2c., Rom. 9, 4. Then they labored with great effort to attain righteousness from the law, working all day long, bearing the burden and heat of the day Matth. 20, 12.. Moreover, they also had promises for keeping the law. Therefore they could not but murmur against the Gentiles, saying, Behold, the Gentiles come quickly, without heat and burden, having the same righteousness and the Holy Ghost without labor, which we could not obtain by our labor, by the heat and burden of the day. They worked, but only for one hour, and were more refreshed than wearied by this work. Why did God afflict us with the law if it was not useful for righteousness? To us, who have long been burdened with the yoke of the law, He now prefers the Gentiles. For we, who are God's people, have been afflicted all day long, but those who are not God's people, who also do not have the law and have never done anything good, are put on a par with us.

For this reason, this council of the apostles at Jerusalem had to be held out of great necessity, so that the minds of the Jews would be calmed; although they believed in Christ, this opinion was still very firm in their hearts: one must keep the law of Moses. Peter contrasts this with his experience and says: "If God has given the same gifts to the Gentiles as He has to us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could resist God? Likewise Cap. 15, 8-10.: "GOD, the heart-denouncer, testified about the

Gentiles, and gave them the Holy Spirit, as he did us, making no distinction between us and them, and purifying their hearts by faith. Why then do you tempt God by putting the yoke on the disciples' halves, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?" 2c.

With these words Peter overturns the whole law as if he wanted to say: We do not want to keep the law, because we are not able to, "but by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we believe to be saved, just as they also" Apost. 15, 11. So Peter is dealing with this matter, that God has given the same grace to the Gentiles as to the Jews, as if he wanted to say: When I preached to Cornelius, I learned by my own experience that the Holy Spirit is given to the Gentiles without the Law, only through the preaching of faith, therefore one should in no way burden them with the Law. Furthermore, since it is evident that neither we nor our fathers were able to fulfill the law, you also must abandon the opinion that righteousness and salvation can be obtained through the law. And this the Jews, who had become believers, did little by little, but the unbelievers were all the more offended by this preaching, until at last they were completely hardened.

Praise of the book of Acts.

In the Acts of the Apostles you can find the explanation (glossam), the experience and the sermons of the apostles, as well as examples for this reason of proof against this very stubbornly held opinion of righteousness from the law. And for this reason we should have this book all the more gladly and read it all the more diligently, because it contains exceedingly solid testimonies, which give us a certain comfort and can raise us up against the papists, our Jews, whose abominations and false pretenses (larvas) we fight and condemn by our teaching, so that we may glorify Christ's benefits and His glory. Although they have nothing solid to oppose us with (for the Jews could reproach the apostles that they had not heard the law and the whole service of God), they have no reason to oppose us.

278 Oai. 1, 302-304. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 1907-2000. 279

(Even if they had not received the law of God), they try to defend their godless human statutes and abominations with no less stubbornness than the Jews defended their law given to them by God, insisting most of all that they sit in the episcopate, that they have the power to govern the communities. They do this so that they may make us servants again and try to deny us that we are justified not by faith alone, but by faith that has gained its right form through love. But we hold up the book of Acts to them, that they may read the same, and consider well what things are reported therein, and they will find that this is the brief epitome and content of this book, that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone, without any works, that the Holy Spirit is given only through the preaching of faith to the word of the gospel, not to the word or work of the law.

(76) Therefore we teach thus: If you, O man, are fast, give alms, honor parents, obey the authorities, be subject to your lord, 2c. you still do not become righteous. This word of the law does not justify, "You shall honor your father and mother," nor any other, if you hear it or do it. What then? When one hears the voice of the bridegroom, when one hears the preaching of faith, this heard preaching justifies. Why? Because it brings with it the Holy Spirit, who makes righteous.

From this we can sufficiently understand the difference between the law and the gospel. The law never brings the Holy Spirit, so it does not justify, because it only teaches what we should do. But the gospel brings the Holy Spirit, because it teaches what we are to receive. Therefore the law and the gospel are two quite opposite doctrines. Whoever says that righteousness is attained through the law is fighting against the gospel. For Moses with his law is a driver who demands that we do works and give, in short, he demands of us. The gospel, on the other hand, does not demand, but gives freely, and commands that we accept what is offered with outstretched hands. But it is

The difference between demanding and giving, receiving and giving, is so great that one is the opposite of the other, and both cannot take place at the same time. For what is given I receive, but what I give I do not receive, but give to another. Thus, if the gospel is a gift and offers a gift, it follows that it demands nothing. On the other hand, the law does not give anything, but demands from us the impossible 2c.

From Cornelius, Apost. 10.

78 Here the opponents hold up the example of Cornelius (of whom also the Magister Sententiarum and Erasmus 1) disputes in his Diatribe). Cornelius, they say, was, as Lucas testifies, a good, just, God-fearing man, who gave many alms to the people and always prayed to God Apost. 10, 2. 31.. So he deserved in equity (de congruo) to have his sins forgiven and the Holy Spirit sent to him.

79 I answer: Cornelius was a Gentile, the adversaries cannot deny this. For Peter's words in Acts, Cap. 10, 28, clearly testify to this when he says: "You know how it is not fitting for a Jewish man to go in to a Gentile. So he was a Gentile, was not circumcised, did not keep the law, yes, did not even think about it, because it was none of his business, and yet he is justified and receives the Holy Spirit. And this ground of proof, as I have said §65, is specially emphasized throughout the whole book of Acts, namely, that the law does not contribute to righteousness.

80 Therefore, this will suffice to defend the article of justification, that Cornelius was a Gentile, not circumcised, and did not keep the law. Therefore, he was not justified by the law, but by the preaching of faith. So God justifies without the law, and it follows that the law does nothing for righteousness. Otherwise, God would have given the Holy Spirit only to the Jews, who were

1. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. 18, 1659.

280 All. Orv. 1, 304-306. Explanation of Galatians 3, 2. w. vm, 2000-2003. 281

had the law and kept it, not to the Gentiles who did not have it, much less keep it. But the opposite happened: the Holy Spirit was given to those who did not have the Law. Therefore, public experience testifies that the Holy Spirit was given to people who did not keep the law. So righteousness does not come from the law. In this way, the objection of the opponents who do not understand the right way of justification is resolved.

81 Here the opponents raise another objection and say: It may be that Cornelius was a Gentile and did not receive the Holy Spirit through the law, but it is likely, since the text clearly says that he was righteous, God-fearing, and gave alms, 2c. that he deserved to receive the Holy Spirit.

82 I answer, Cornelius was righteous and holy in the Old Testament because of his faith in the Christ who was to come, just as all the fathers, prophets and godly kings were righteous because they had received the Holy Spirit secretly because of their faith in the Christ who was to come. But the sophists make no distinction between faith in the Christ who is to come and faith in the Christ who has already appeared. Therefore, Cornelius would not have been condemned if he had died before Christ was revealed, because he had the faith of the fathers, who were saved only through faith in the Christ who was to come, Apost. 15, 11. 15, 11. So he remained a Gentile, uncircumcised, without law, but he served the same God as the fathers, through faith in the Messiah who was to come. But because Messiah had now come, it had to be made known to him through the apostle Peter that he should no longer wait for him, but that he had already come.

(83) And it is very necessary to know this article about faith in the Christ who is yet to be revealed and in the Christ who has already been revealed (so that I may also remind you of this incidentally). For now that Christ is revealed, we cannot be saved by believing in Christ who is yet to come, but must believe that he has already come.

He said that he had fulfilled everything and had done away with the law. Therefore Cornelius had to be brought to the new faith that Christ had already come, while he had previously believed that he was yet to come. Thus one faith gives way to another, "by faith into faith", Rom. 1, 17.

For this reason, the sophists err when, in order to establish their doctrine of works of merit (opere congrui), they say that Cornelius obtained the grace and gift 1) of the Holy Spirit through the works that he performed by natural forces according to reason and the moral law. For being righteous and godly 2c. are virtues (affectus) that are not found in a pagan or natural man, but in a spiritual man who already has faith. For if he did not believe in GOD and did not fear GOD, he would not have hoped to obtain anything from Him through his prayer. Therefore Cornelius is praised by Lucas first because of his righteousness and fear of God, and only then because of his works and alms. The adversaries do not pay attention to this, but only tear out this little piece and hold stiffly to the fact that he gave alms to the poor, because this seems to be useful for them to support their doctrine of merit according to equity (merito congrui).

But one must first praise the person or the tree, and then the works and fruits. Cornelius is a good tree; because he is righteous and God-fearing, therefore he bears good fruit, gives alms, calls upon God, and these fruits please God because of faith. Therefore the angel praises Cornelius because of his faith in Christ who is to come, and leads him from faith in the one who is to come to faith in the Christ who has already appeared, saying Apost. 10, 5. 6.: "Let Simon demand, and he will tell you what you should do" 2c. Just as Cornelius was without law before Christ was revealed to him, so after Christ was revealed to him he did not accept the law, circumcision 2c. and just as he did not keep the law before.

1. Jenaer: missionem. In contrast, in the original edition and in the Wittenberg incorrect: remissionem.

282 Lri. 6ai. 1, 306-308. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2003-2006. 283

he did not keep it afterwards either. This reason of proof is therefore exceedingly certain: Cornelius became righteous without the law, therefore the law does not justify.

Naaman the Syrian.

Likewise, Naaman the Syrian was undoubtedly a good and godly man 2 Kings 5:1 ff and had a right opinion of God. And although he was a Gentile and did not belong to the kingdom of Moses, which was then in bloom, nevertheless his flesh is cleansed, the God of Israel is revealed to him, and the Holy Spirit is given to him. For thus he says 2 Kings 5:15, "Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth, save in Israel." He does nothing, he does not keep the law, he does not let himself be circumcised, but only asks that as much earth be given to him as two mules could carry v. 17.

(87) After this it is evident that faith was not idle in him. For thus he says to the prophet Elisha 2 Kings 5:17, 18, "Thy servant will no more sacrifice unto other gods, nor offer burnt offerings, but unto the LORD; that the LORD may be gracious unto thy servant, where I worship in the house of Rimon, when my lord goeth into the house of Rimon to worship there, that he may lean upon my hand." To him the prophet answers, "Go in peace." Thus he is justified. When a Jew hears this, he wants to burst with anger and says, "Should a Gentile who has not kept the law be justified and made equal with us who are circumcised?

The Gentiles found righteousness without law, since the regiment of Moses still existed.

Thus, long before, when the kingdom of Moses still existed and flourished, God indicated that He would make men righteous without law, as He surely made righteous many kings in Egypt, in Babylon, as well as Job and other nations of the East. Also the very great city of Nineveh is declared righteous and receives from God the promise of salvation that it shall not be destroyed. By what?

Not because this city heard and did the law, but because it believed the word of God, which the prophet Jonah preached. For this are the words of the prophet Jonah 3:5: "Then the people of Nineveh believed in God, and preached fasting, and put on sackcloth," that is, they repented.

89 The adversaries leap over this "they believed," and yet all power is attached to this word. You did not read in the prophet Jonah: "And the people of Nineveh received the law of Moses, and were circumcised, and offered sacrifices, and did the works of the law; but when they believed, they repented in sackcloth and ashes.

90 This happened before Christ appeared, although there was still faith in the Christ who was to come. If, then, the Gentiles, having been justified without the law, secretly received the Holy Spirit while the law was still in force, why should the law now be required for the attainment of righteousness, which has been done away with now that Christ has appeared?

91. This, then, is an exceedingly firm ground of proof, taken from the experience of the Galatians, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost?" 2c. For they are forced to confess that before Paul's preaching they had heard nothing of the Holy Spirit, but since he preached the gospel they had received the Spirit.

92 We must confess the same today, convicted by the testimony of our own conscience, that the Spirit is not given through the law, but through the preaching of faith. For before in the papacy many tried with the greatest effort to keep the law, the statutes or decrees of the fathers, and the traditiones of the pope; and indeed with great and manifold exertions in watching, fasting, praying, etc., they so worked and corrupted their bodies that they were no longer fit for any work, and thereby accomplished nothing but that they miserably tortured themselves. They were never able to attain a calm conscience and peace in Christ, but constantly doubted God's gracious disposition (de voluntate) toward them.

284 Li-1. 6ai. 1, 308-310. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 3, 2. W. vm, 2006-2010. 285

Now that the gospel teaches that the law and works do not justify, but faith in Christ does, there follows a certain knowledge and understanding of God's gracious attitude toward us, a completely happy conscience and a completely correct judgment about all circumstances and matters in life. Now a believer can say with certainty that the papacy with all its orders and statutes is godless, which he could not do before. For there was such a great blindness in the world that we thought that the works which men had devised, not only without but also against God's commandment, were far better than the works which, according to God's command, the authorities do, or a householder, or a schoolteacher, a child, a servant 2c.

We should have truly recognized from the word of God that the orders of the papists, which alone they called holy, were ungodly, since there is absolutely no command of God or testimony of them in the holy Scriptures, whereas the other orders, which have God's word and command, are holy and appointed by God. But at that time we were immersed in such terrifying darkness that we could not make a correct judgment about any matter at all. But now that the light of the Gospel shines, we can have a certain and infallible judgment about all states in the world. From God's words we make the certain judgment that the servant class, which is the lowest in the eyes of the world, is much more highly esteemed in the eyes of God than all the orders of monks, for God approves, praises and adorns the servant class by His word; this does not happen to the monk class.

95 Therefore, this reason for proof, which is taken from experience, should also apply to us. For although in the papacy one did this work and the other another, and indeed many and difficult works, they could never be certain of God's gracious disposition toward them, but were always in doubt, could never come to the knowledge of their God, nor to the knowledge of their calling, never felt the testimony of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. But now that the truth of the gospel is shining

If they do not know the truth, they will be taught all these things with the utmost certainty through the preaching of the faith alone.

(96) It is not for nothing that I say so much about this, for it seems to be very poorly spoken of (exiliter sonat) when it is said that the Holy Spirit is given to us through the preaching of faith alone, and that nothing else is demanded of us except that we renounce all our doings and hear only the gospel. The human heart does not understand and believe that such a great treasure, namely the Holy Spirit, is given by the preaching of faith alone, but concludes thus: The forgiveness of sins, deliverance from sin and death, the gift of the Holy Spirit, righteousness and eternal life are something exceedingly great, therefore you must also do something great to obtain these priceless gifts. The devil reinforces this opinion and magnifies it in the heart. Therefore, when reason hears, "You can do nothing to obtain forgiveness of sins. Therefore, when reason hears, "You can do nothing to obtain forgiveness of sins, but only hear God's word," it immediately objects and says, "Oh, you make forgiveness of sins 2c. too small and contemptible. Thus the greatness of the gift causes us not to accept it, and because so great a treasure is offered in vain, therefore it is despised.

97. But we must learn this by all means, that through the preaching of faith alone, the forgiveness of sins, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are given to us freely, regardless of even our exceedingly great sins and our indebtedness (demeritis), and must not look at it, We must not look at how great what is given to us is and how unworthy we are, otherwise the greatness of the treasure and our unworthiness would deter us, but we must think that it pleases God to give this unspeakable good freely, and that to us who are unworthy, as Christ says, Luc. 12, 32: "Fear not, little host, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom", he says. To whom? To you unworthy ones, who are a small herd. So if I am small, and the thing that is given is great, yes, exceedingly great, I must think that he who gives is also great.

286 Lri. Kai. 1, 310-312. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2010-2013. 287

and alone be great. When he offers and wants to give, I do not look at my sin and unworthiness, but at the fatherly will of him who gives against me, and I accept the exceedingly great gift with joy and am glad and grateful for the unspeakable gift, which was given in vain, through the preaching of faith, and that to an unworthy one.

Here again foolish reason is angry and reproves us, saying, "That you teach that men need do nothing at all to obtain this immeasurable good, but hear the word, seems to be the greatest contempt for grace, and to make men sure, sluggish, and sleepy, so that they let down their hands and want to do nothing at all good. Therefore it is not good to preach this, nor is it true, but men must be kept from working, from becoming sour, and from pursuing righteousness, and then they will also obtain this gift.

The Pelagians once reproached the Christians for this very thing, but listen to what Paul says here: "It is not from your work and effort, not from the works of the law, but from the preaching of the faith that you have received the Holy Spirit. Yes, listen to what Christ Himself answered to Martha, who was much concerned and troubled, and who was distressed that her sister Mary sat at JEsu's feet listening to His discourse, but left her to minister alone. "Martha, Martha," he said, "you have many worries and troubles, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her" Luc. 10, 39. ff.. Therefore, one becomes a Christian, not by doing works, but by hearing the Word.

(100) Therefore, whoever desires to attain righteousness, let him first of all make it his business to hear the gospel. When he has heard and grasped it, let him be glad and give thanks to God, and then let him practice the good works commanded by the law, so that the law and the works follow the preaching of faith. Then he will surely be able to walk in the light, which is Christ, and surely works he will be able to do.

choose and do things that are not hypocritical but truly good, which he can know are pleasing to God and commanded by Him, and despise all pretended (larvas), self-chosen works.

The adversaries think that faith, through which one receives the Spirit, is a trivial thing, without any importance, but how difficult and high this thing is, I and all those who, like me, seriously concern themselves with it, experience. It is soon said that one receives the Spirit only through the preaching of faith, but this is not so easily heard, grasped, believed and retained as one speaks of it. Therefore, when you hear from me that Christ, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed for your sins, see that you also hear this rightly. Paul significantly called it "the preaching of faith" (not "the word of faith", although this differs little from it), that is, such a word, which you, hearing it, believe, so that the word is not only a word spoken by me (vox mea), but is also heard by you and enters your heart and is believed by you; then it is in truth the preaching of faith, through which you receive the Holy Spirit. When thou hast received the Holy Spirit, thou shalt also kill thy flesh.

The godly experience how much they would like to hold on to the preached word with full faith and tear the (false opinion of the law and their own righteousness from their hearts, but they feel the struggle (luctam) in the flesh, which opposes the spirit with all its might. Because the reason and the flesh want to cooperate badly. The "one must be circumcised and keep the law" Apost. 15, 1. Cf. Gal. 5, 3. cannot be completely brought out of us, but it remains in the hearts of all the godly. That is why believers have a constant struggle with the preaching of faith and the works of the law, because the conscience always grumbles against it and thinks: this is too easy a way, that only from the preaching of the word righteousness, the Holy Spirit and eternal life are promised.

But try earnestly, and you will find out how easy it is to accept the word of faith.

288 Lri. 6-a. 1, 312-314. Exec. Explanation d. Galatians 3, 2-4. W. VIII, 2013-2017. 289

to hear him. Although he who gives is great, then he gives great things gladly and simply Rom. 12, 8. and does not impose them on anyone Jac. 1, 5., but you make it difficult for yourself to take hold of it (tua capacitas difficilis est), and your faith is weak and causes you a struggle, so that you cannot accept the offered gift. But let your conscience murmur against it, and let this "you must" come up again and again, but just wait for a while and stand firm until you overcome this "you must". Thus, as faith grows, that delusion of righteousness from the law will gradually diminish more and more; but this cannot happen without great struggle.

V. 3. 4. Are you so foolish? You began in the spirit, will you now complete it in the flesh? Have you suffered so much in vain?

(104) After Paul has brought this reason to bear (absoluto), namely, that the Spirit is not given by the works of the law, but by the preaching of faith, he now begins to exhort and deter them by setting before them a twofold danger or harm. The first is, "Are ye so foolish that ye should come to an end in the flesh, though ye began in the spirit?" The second, "Have ye then suffered so much in vain?" And this is according to the art of speech, that is, to dissuade people by presenting dangers and harm, and again to persuade them by presenting what is useful, honorable, and easy. So he says, "You began in the spirit," that is, your worship of God (religio) was beautifully begun and well ordered, as he also says afterwards Cap. 5:7, "You walked finely. "2c. But what happens? Now you want it to end with you in the flesh, yes, you have already come to the end in the flesh.

Here Paul opposes "spirit" and "flesh". He calls here) as I have already reminded above, "flesh", not the pleasure, animal passions or sensual desires (appetitum sensitivum), because here he does not deal with the pleasure or other lusts of the flesh, but with the forgiveness of the flesh.

of sin, of the justification of the conscience, of the attainment of righteousness that is valid before God, of deliverance from the law, from sin and from death, and yet he says here that because they have fallen away from the Spirit, they now accomplish in the flesh. Therefore, "flesh" is nothing other than righteousness, the wisdom of the flesh, and the thoughts of reason, which strives to be justified by the law. So Paul calls "flesh" everything that is best and most excellent in man, that is, the highest wisdom of reason and the righteousness of the law itself.

(106) And this passage must be heeded for the sake of the papist blasphemers, who pervert it against us, saying that we began under the papacy in the spirit, but now it comes to an end in the flesh, because we have taken wives. As if it were a life in the spirit, that one lived in celibacy or had no wife, but in the meantime the spiritual life was not hindered, if someone was not content with one whore, but had several. They are people without understanding, who do not understand what is spirit or flesh. "Spirit" is everything that is worked in us by the Holy Spirit, "flesh" is everything that takes place in us according to the flesh, without the Spirit. Therefore all the works of Christians, as, loving one's wife, rearing children, ruling one's house, honoring one's parents, obeying the authorities 2c., which those regard as worldly and fleshly works, are fruits of the Spirit. The blind people make no distinction between the things that are good creatures of God and the vices.

(107) Here it should also be noted that Paul says that the Galatians began in the spirit. There he should have added in active form: Now you consummate (consummatis) in the flesh; but this he does not do, but in a passive form he says: "You are made an end (consummamini) in the flesh." The righteousness of the law, which Paul here calls the flesh, does not justify, but rather those who, having received the Spirit through the preaching of the faith, fall away from it, are made an end of by it, that is, they are finished (finiunter) and completely destroyed.

290 Li-i. "Li. i, 3i4-3i6. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 2017-2020. 291

judges. Therefore, while those who teach that the law must be kept with the intention that men may be justified thereby want to counsel the consciences, they do them the greatest harm; while they want to make them just, they lead them into condemnation.

But Paul always attacks the false apostles in passing (oblique). For they insisted on the law, saying: "Faith in Christ alone does not take away sin, does not satisfy God's wrath, does not justify; therefore, if you want to obtain those benefits, you must not only believe in Christ, but at the same time keep the law, be circumcised, observe the holidays, sacrifice 2c. If you do this, you will be free from sin, from God's wrath 2c. Paul, on the other hand, says: "By this very thing you stir up unrighteousness, provoke the wrath of God, heap sin upon sin, fall from grace and cast it away, quench the Spirit and come to an end in the flesh with your disciples. This is the first danger by which he dissuades the Galatians, namely, that they see to it that they do not lose the Spirit in seeking to be justified by the law, and spoil the best beginning by an exceedingly evil end.

Have you suffered so much in vain?

The second danger or pity is this: "Have you suffered so much in vain?"as if he wanted to say: Consider not only how beautifully you began, and how miserably you have lost the good beginning and the best begun course; likewise, that you have not only fallen away from the firstfruits and fruits of the Spirit, into the service of sin and death, and into the sad and miserable bondage of the law; but behold also this, that ye have suffered many things for the gospel's and Christ's sake, that they have robbed you of your goods, blasphemed you, and reviled you, that ye have been in danger of life and limb 2c. life. Everything was going well with you: you taught rightly, you lived holy, and you suffered all kinds of hardships with constancy for the sake of the name of Christ. But now doctrine and faith

There, both doing and suffering, both the spirit and the fruit of the spirit in you.

(110) From this it is sufficiently evident what harm the righteousness of the law or one's own righteousness entails, namely, that those who trust in it suddenly lose incomprehensibly great goods (2c.). Furthermore, it is something very lamentable that someone so quickly and easily loses such great glory and the firm trust of the conscience in God, and likewise that he endures such multiple and severe suffering and danger to goods, to wife and children, to life and limb, and yet suffers all this in vain and in vain.

111. from these two passages v. 3. and 4. someone could write a eulogy about the

He would have written about the righteousness of the law or his own righteousness and would have gone on almost ad infinitum if he had wanted to explain this in all its parts, what the spirit was in which they began, then what, how great and how much the sufferings were that they endured for the sake of Christ. But this cannot be sufficiently presented by any oratory, because these are the greatest things Paul is talking about here, namely God's glory, victory over the world, the flesh and the devil, righteousness and eternal life; and on the other hand sin, despair, eternal death and hell.

(112) And yet, we lose those priceless gifts in a moment, and suffer these terrible plagues, which never end, through the instigation of false teachers, when they lead us astray from the truth of the gospel to false doctrine, and they do this not only with easy effort, but also put on a great pretense of godliness.

Is it different for free.

This is an improvement (correctio) by which he softens the previous rebuke, which was somewhat harsh; and he does this as an apostle, so that he does not frighten the Galatians too much. He does punish them, but in such a way that he nevertheless always puts oil in the wounds.

1. It must be read with the Wittenberg nos, "uos" in the Jena one is a misprint instead of: nos. The Erlangen one has: vos.

292 Lri. 6LI. 1, 316-319. Explanation of Galatians 3, 4. 5. W. VIII, 2929-2923. 293

so that he does not drive them into despair. Therefore he says: "Is it otherwise in vain", as if he wanted to say: I have not yet given up all hope in you. But if, setting aside the spirit, you would complete in the flesh in this way, that is, follow the righteousness of the law as you began, then you should know that all your stirring and confidence in God is vain, and all your sufferings are in vain. I must, however, speak somewhat harshly to you, make the matter very great and rebuke you severely, especially since the greatness of this matter requires it, so that you do not think that nothing or little is at stake if you reject Paul's teaching and hear and accept another. But I do not cut off all hope from you, if you only want to get back on your feet, for one must not throw away unclean, sick and grinchy children, but care for them more diligently and nurture them more carefully than the healthy ones.

Thus, Paul, as an experienced physician, puts almost all the blame on the false apostles who caused this pernicious disease. On the other hand, he treats the Galatians mildly in order to heal them through this gentleness. Therefore, following Paul's example, we too should so punish the weak, so care for them and heal their sickness, that we also comfort them at the same time, so that they do not despair when they are treated too harshly by us.

V. 5. He then that giveth you the Spirit, and doeth such works among you, doth he it by the works of the law, or by the preaching of faith?

This reason of proof, which is taken from the experience of the Galatians, pleases the apostle so much that after he had scolded and deterred them by the twofold harm, he now repeats it, and that with an addition, saying, "Who now giveth you the Spirit," 2c. that is, not only have you received the Spirit from the preaching of the faith, but all that you have in knowledge and works you have from the preaching of the faith, as if he were saying, "You have received the Spirit from the preaching of the faith.

1. Wittenberger: ?auto instead of: xaulo.

wanted: That was not enough that God had given you the Spirit once, but the same God has always given and multiplied the gifts of the Spirit, so that the Spirit, once you had received it, always increased and was strong in you.

From this it is clear that the Galatians performed miracles or at least exquisite works (virtutes), that is, fruits of faith, which the true disciples of the Gospel are wont to bring, for in another place the apostle says, "the kingdom of God is not in words, but in power. But "power" is not only to speak of the kingdom of God, but also to show by deed that God is powerful in us through His Spirit. Thus he says of himself, above Cap. 2, 8: "He who was strong with Petro among the Jews was also strong with me among the Gentiles.

Therefore, when a preacher preaches in such a way that the word does not remain without fruit, but is powerful in the listeners, that is, when faith, hope, love, patience 2c. follow, God gives the Spirit and works glorious deeds in the listeners. In a similar way, Paul says here that God has given the Spirit to the Galatians and has done deeds among them, as if he wanted to say: God not only worked through my preaching that you became believers, but that you also lived holy and brought forth many fruits of faith and endured hardships. Likewise, by the same power of the Spirit, you were changed from stingy, adulterous, angry, impatient, hostile people 2c. to those who are generous, chaste, gentle, patient, and love their neighbor. Therefore he gives them Cap. 4, 14. 15. the testimony that they received him as an angel of God, yes, as Jesus Christ, and that they loved him so much that they would have been willing to tear out their eyes 2c.

But to love one's neighbor so fiercely that one is ready to give money, goods, eyes, life, and everything for his good, and also to patiently endure all adversities, these are surely powers of the Holy Spirit. And these powers, he says, you have received and had before those false teachers came to you, you have had them.

294 Ari. 6iti. 1, 319-321. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2023-2026. 295

not from the law, but from God, who gave you the Spirit and increased it daily, so that the gospel had its most blessed course among you, with teaching, faith, work and suffering. Since you know this well, convicted by the testimony of your own conscience, how is it that you no longer do the same deeds as before? That is, that you do not teach rightly, do not believe godly, do not live righteously, do not do good works, do not suffer evil patiently? Who has so changed you that you no longer love me as before? Now you would no longer receive Paul as an angel of God, no longer as Christ Jesus; you would no longer pluck out your eyes and give them to me. How is it, I say, that you no longer strive for me with such fervent love, but now prefer to me the false apostles who seduce you so miserably?

119 This is how it is with us today. When the preaching of the Gospel began, there were very many who liked our teaching exceedingly, and who were well-meaning and reverent toward us, and the preaching of the Gospel was followed by powers and fruits of faith. What happens? Suddenly swarming spirits arise, which in a short time overthrow what we had built up in long years and with much sour labor, and also make the hearts of those who before loved us dearly and received our teaching with thanksgiving so hostile to us that now nothing is more hated by them than our name. But the devil is the author of this evil, who works in his members the opposite forces, which fight against the powers of the Holy Spirit.

120 The apostle says: "Dear Galatians, your own experience should have taught you that these great deeds did not come from the works of the law. For just as you did not have them before the preaching of the faith, so you do not have them now that the false apostles rule among you.

121 We can say the same thing today to those who boast that they are evangelical and free from the tyranny of the pope: "Have you overcome the tyranny of the pope and attained freedom in Christ through the spirits of the swarms, or through us, who are the

Have they preached faith in Christ? If they want to confess the truth here, they must say: Certainly through the preaching of faith. And it is true that when our preaching began, the doctrine of faith had a very happy course. Indulgences, purgatory, vows, masses and similar abominations were abolished, which led to the downfall of the whole papacy. No one could justly condemn us. For the doctrine was pure, straightened many consciences and comforted them, which had long been oppressed by human statutes under the papacy, which was a real tyranny and torture chamber of consciences. Therefore, many thanked God that they had been snatched out of these snares and tortures of the conscience by the Gospel, which by God's grace we first preached at that time.

But when the spirits arose who, by denying the bodily presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, by desecrating baptism, by destroying the images, and by abolishing all ceremonies, wanted to bring the papacy completely down at once and thus obscure our glory, they immediately began to blaspheme our doctrine. For the accusation was generally raised that the followers of our doctrine were divided among themselves. This angered a great many and turned them away from the truth, and it aroused the hope among the papists that we would perish with our doctrine in a very short time, because it would be at odds with itself, and that they would soon regain their strength and, through this cause, regain their old prestige and dignity.

Therefore, just as the false apostles claimed and strongly insisted that the Galatians, who were already justified by faith in Christ, had to be circumcised and had the Law of Moses if they wanted to be free from sins and God's wrath and obtain the Holy Spirit, and just by doing so only burdened them the more with sins, because sins are not taken away by the Law, nor is the Holy Spirit given by it, but the Law only causes wrath Rom. 4, 15 and instills terror: so today the zealots, who are in favor of the salvation of all

296 Oai. 1, 321-323. Explanation of Galatians 3, 5, W. VIII, 2027-2030. 297

(catholicae) Church and eradicate the papacy all at once and bury it completely by abolishing the ceremonies, destroying the images and fighting against the sacraments, did not help the Church with these very things, but rather harmed it; they did not overthrow the papacy, but strengthened it even more.

124. But if, as they had begun, they had taught in harmony with us, diligently insisting on the article of justification, that we are justified neither by the righteousness of the law, nor by our own righteousness, but by faith alone in Christ alone, then truly this few articles, as it had already begun, would have gradually put down the papacy with its brotherhoods, indulgences, orders, relics, false services, invocation of the saints, purgatory, masses, vigils, vows, and other such innumerable abominations. But those left the preaching of faith and Christian righteousness and attacked the matter differently, to great harm to the pure doctrine and to the churches. Therefore they were like those who, as the German proverb says, "fish before the fish". For they chased away the fish, which the net already wanted to enclose, by trying to seize them with their hands.

That is why the papacy is shaken and falls nowadays, not by the storming of the red spirits, but by the preaching of the article of justification, which has not only weakened the kingdom of the Antichrist, but has also preserved and defended us against his power, and if we had not had this protection, the red spirits would have perished long ago, and we with them. And yet they do not recognize this benefit at all, so that instead of loving us, as the Psalm says, they blaspheme us and persecute us with extremely hostile hearts.

(126) But the article of justification, which is the only safeguard, not only against all power and cunning of men, but also against the gates of hell, is this, that by faith alone in Christ alone, without works, we are declared righteous and saved. If this is the true way of becoming righteous

(as it certainly is, or the whole Scripture would have to be dissolved), then it follows immediately that we are not declared righteous by monasticism, nor by vows, nor by masses, nor by any works. Then, without any outward cause, without rebellion, without any human power, without any attack against the sacraments, the Pabstacy will be overthrown by the Spirit alone, and this victory will not be brought about by us, but by Christ, whose benefits we preach and praise.

What I am about to say is also borne out by experience. For at the time when the papacy first began to incline and fall, the pagans did nothing at all, nor were they able to do so, but remained silent. On the other hand, we taught nothing and insisted on nothing but the article of justification, which at that time alone damaged the reputation of the pope and destroyed his empire. But when the spirits of the mob saw that the papacy was falling and tilting, and the fish were gathered around the net, they wanted to take away our glory by overthrowing the papacy at once and completely eradicating it, and to seize all the fish that were gathered in front of the net with their hands; but they lost their effort, for they did not catch them, but only scared them away.

(128) Therefore, just as the false apostles brought righteousness to the Galatians by their teaching of keeping the law, so also have the pagans overthrown the papacy by their storming. Images and other abuses in the church would have fallen of their own accord if they had taught the article of justification diligently and purely. But they were driven by vain honor, for they would have liked to hear it said of them that they had overthrown the papacy. Therefore they left the article of justification undone and caused that storm by which they also almost suppressed us and strengthened the papists in their abominations. This is what happens to our nobility when we seek our own glory and not that of God.

129. neither the pope nor the devil fears such storms and outward terrors (larvas), but the doctrine of faith, which is

298 Lri- 1, 323-326. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VNI, 2030-2034. 299

that Christ alone is the victor over sin, death and the devil is terrible to him. For this destroys his kingdom and, as I have said, it preserves and defends us against all the gates of hell, and if we did not lean on this anchor, we would inevitably have to worship the pope again, and there would be no way or means to resist him. For if I wanted to unite myself with the spirits of the rotten, my conscience would be unsafe, because they would set themselves against the pope without any right, seeking their own honor, not God's. Therefore, if I did not use other weapons, I would have to worship the pope again, and there would be no way or means to resist him. Therefore, if I were not armed with other weapons than they, I would not dare to attack the papacy, much less presume to destroy it.

130 But they say: The pope is the antichrist. Quite so; but he again says that he has the office of teaching, that he has the power to administer the sacraments, to bind and loose, and that he possesses this power rightly, because it was handed over to him by the apostles as an inheritance. Therefore, he is not pushed out of his seat by this external storming, but by the preaching of the faith, in this way: Dear pope, I will kiss your feet and acknowledge you as the supreme bishop, if you will worship my Christ and allow us to have forgiveness of sins and eternal life through his death and resurrection, not by keeping your statutes. If thou wilt yield in this, I will not take away thy crown and power; but if not, I will continually cry out that thou art the Antichrist, and testify that all thy worship and spiritual states are not only a denial of God, but also the highest blasphemy and idolatry.

(131) The spirits of the pagans do not do this, but only seek to wrest his crown and power from him by external force; therefore, their efforts are in vain. One must do this that one bears witness against him above all things, so that the pope's ungodliness and abominations come to light, with which he has deceived the whole world under the appearance of holiness and spirituality (religionis) 2c. If I do this, I would like to see what he will keep afterwards. For I

have taken away his core and leave him the shells. On the other hand, they take away his shells and leave him the core.

In short, just as from the works of the law the deeds have not been done, so from these outward works, to which the pagans insist, nothing comes in the church but turmoil, greater confusion, and hindrance of the Holy Spirit, which experience testifies. For by destroying the images and arguing against the sacraments, they have not overthrown the pope, but only made him more hopeful. By the Spirit, however, he was cast down and is still cast down today, that is, by the preaching of faith, which testifies that Christ was given for our sins. Then the righteousness and the bondage of the laws of the pope must fall away.

In the meantime, however, I have often pleaded and still plead that I would gladly suffer the pope's statutes if he would only allow them to be free and not bind consciences to believe that they would be justified if they kept them, but would be damned if they did not. But this he does not do. For if he did not bind consciences to his statutes, what power would he have? That is why he is most careful to keep the consciences entangled and captive by his laws. That is where these speeches come from: You cannot be blessed if you do not obey the Roman See. Hence come these lightnings and thunderings in the bulls: Whoever should be presumptuous and dare to do something contrary to this, let him know that he will incur the wrath of the Almighty God 2c.

134 He absolutely denies blessedness to all who do not obey his laws. On the other hand, he promises eternal life to those who keep them. Thus he drives us into the net of the righteousness of works, as if no one could be righteous and saved if he did not keep his laws. In short, he does not mention faith in a single word, but teaches only what is his. But if he were to allow all his laws to serve nothing for the attainment of righteousness before God, then we would be willing to give him many things in return.

ZO0 Dri. dsi. 1, 326-328. Ex. Explanation of Galatians 3, 5. 6. W. VIII, 2034-2041. Z01

but then his empire would fall by itself.

For if he were to lose the power to save and to condemn, then the pope would be nothing more than a mere idol. In short, the righteousness of the heart knows nothing of any law, not only of the pope, but also of Moses, for true righteousness comes not from the works of the law, but from the preaching of faith, which is followed by the deeds and fruits of the Spirit.

V. 6: Just as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

Up to this point, Paul has based his proof on experience, and has made great use of this reason for proof, which is taken from experience. He says: "You believed, and since you believed, you performed miracles and many glorious deeds, and also suffered many evils, which are all powers and effects, not of the law, but of the Holy Spirit. The Galatians had to confess this because they could not deny what they saw with their eyes and perceived with their senses. Therefore, it is an exceedingly powerful and clear reason for proof, taken from the experience or effects on the Galatians themselves. 1)

Now he adds the example of Abraham and cites testimonies of the Scriptures. The first passage is from the 15th chapter v. 6 of the first book of Moses: "Abraham believed God" 2c. He acts this saying here very powerfully, as also in the letter to the Romans Cap. 4, 2. 3. He says: "If Abraham has been justified by the works of the law, he has righteousness and glory, not before God, but before men, because before God he has only sin and wrath. But before God he is righteous not because he has done works, but because he has believed. For the Scripture says: "Abraham believed God, and this was counted to him for righteousness."

138. Paul even explains this saying there

1. Here now follows in Menius a longer elaboration, which in the old edition of Walch takes up two whole columns, that "Paulo is to do everything to establish the main article of faith well", of which nothing is found in the Latin.

He acts in a glorious way, as he is worthy of it, and acts widely. He says Rom. 4, 19-24: "Abraham was not weak in faith, nor did he look at his own body, which was already dead, because he was almost a hundred years old, nor at the dead body of Sarah. For he did not doubt the promise of God through unbelief, but grew strong in faith and gave glory to God, and knew in all certainty that what God promises, he can also do. That is why it is counted as righteousness for him. This is not written for his sake alone, that it is counted to him, but also for our sake" 2c.

By these words: "Abraham believed God," Paul makes faith in God the highest service of God, the greatest compliance, the highest obedience, the most pleasing sacrifice. Now let him who is a good orator carry on this saying, and he will see that faith is an almighty thing, and that its power is immeasurable and infinite. For it gives glory to GOtte, which is the greatest thing that can be given. But "to give glory to GOtte" is to believe Him, to hold Him to be true, wise, just, merciful, almighty, in short, to recognize that He is the author and giver of all good.

Reason does not do this, but faith. It completes (consummates) the Godhead, and is, that I say so, the creator of the Godhead, not as far as the essence (substantia) of God is concerned, but in us. For without faith, God loses in us His glory, wisdom, justice, truth, mercy, 2c., in short, nothing of His majesty and divinity is left to God where faith is not. God also demands nothing more from man than that he give him his honor and divinity, that is, that he not consider him an idol, but God, who takes care of us, hears us, has mercy on us, helps us 2c. If this is granted to him, he has his divinity whole and unharmed, that is, he has everything that a believing heart can give him. Therefore, he who can give this honor to God has the highest wisdom, the highest righteousness, the highest worship, the most pleasing sacrifice. From this you can understand how great a righteousness faith is.

302 Li-I. 1, 328-330. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2041-2045. 303

and again, how great a sin unbelief is.

Therefore, anyone who believes the word of God, as Abraham did, is righteous before God, because he has the faith that gives glory to God, that is, he gives to God what is due to him (this is also how the worldly laws describe a righteous person). For faith speaks thus: Dear GOt, I believe you what you speak. But what does GOtt speak? Impossible things, lies, foolish, low (infirma), unrational, abominable, heretical and diabolical things, if you consult reason. For what is more ridiculous, foolish and impossible than for God to say to Abraham that he will conceive a son from the barren and already dead body of Sarah?

In this way, God, when he holds up articles of faith to us, always holds up to us things that are utterly impossible and inconsistent, if one wants to judge according to reason. It certainly seems ridiculous and inconsistent to reason that the body and blood of Christ are presented to us in the Lord's Supper, that baptism is a bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, that the dead will rise on the last day, that Christ, the Son of God, is conceived, carried in the womb of the Virgin, and born, that he suffers the most shameful death on the cross, rises again, now sits at the right hand of the Father, and has all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore Paul calls the gospel of Christ crucified a word of the cross and a foolish sermon, which the Jews consider an annoying, but the Gentiles a foolish doctrine 2c. 1 Cor. 1, 22. f.. Therefore reason does not understand that hearing and believing God's word is the highest service of God, but holds that what they themselves choose and do (as they call it) in good opinion and out of their own devotion is pleasing to God. Therefore, when God speaks, she judges that his word is heresy and the devil's word, because it seems (apparet) to her that it is unrighteous 2c.

Faith, on the other hand, puts an end to reason and kills this beast, which the whole world and all creatures cannot kill. This is how Abraham killed his reason.

killed by faith in God's word, through which he was promised the seed from the barren and already dead Sarah. Of course, reason in Abraham did not immediately agree with this word, but certainly fought against faith in him, and considered it ridiculous, tasteless and impossible that Sarah, who was already not only a ninety-year-old, but also barren by nature, should bear a son. Faith had this fight with reason in Abraham, but faith kept the victory in him, and reason, the most bitter and pernicious enemy of God, was strangled and destroyed (sacrificavit).

(144) So also all believers go with Abraham into the darkness of faith, killing reason and saying: You, reason, are foolish, you do not understand what God is, therefore do not speak against me, but be silent, do not judge, but hear the word of God, and believe. Thus, through faith, the godly strangle this beast, which is greater than the world, and thereby show God the most pleasing sacrifice and service.

And compared to this sacrifice and worship of the godly, all the worship of all pagans and all the works of all monks and works saints are nothing at all. For by this sacrifice, as I have said, they first kill reason, the greatest and most insurmountable enemy of God; for reason despises God, denies His wisdom, justice, power, truth, mercy, majesty and divinity. Then they give GOtte his glory by the same sacrifice, that is, they believe that he is just, good, faithful, true 2c., they believe that he is able to do everything, that all his words are holy, true, living, powerful 2c., which is GOtte's most pleasing service. Therefore, no greater, better, or more pleasing worship or service can be rendered to GOtte in the world than faith.

On the other hand, the faithless saints of works do a lot, they fast, pray, and put on their own crosses. But because they think they can appease God's wrath and earn mercy through these things, they do not give God His glory. That is, they do not believe that God is merciful and true and that He fulfills His promises, but they believe Him to be

304 Lri. 1, 330-333. Exec. Explanation d. Galatians 3, 6. W. vm, 2045-2049. 305

an angry judge who must be reconciled with works, and in this way they despise God, accuse Him of lying in all His promises, deny Christ and all His benefits: in short, they push God from His throne and put themselves in His place. For they neglect and despise God's word and choose services and works that God has not commanded. They let themselves dream that God is pleased with them and hope that they will receive a reward from Him. Therefore, they do not kill their reason, the bitterest enemy of God, but make it alive and take away God's majesty and divinity and attach it to their works.

Therefore faith alone gives glory to God, as Paul, Rom. 4:20 ff., testifies of Abraham: "Abraham," he says, "grew strong in faith and gave glory to God, and knew in all certainty that what God promised he was able to do. Therefore it is counted to him for righteousness."

Christian righteousness stands in the faith of the heart and in the imputation of GOD.

This sentence: "It is counted to him for righteousness", from the 15th chapter of the first book of Moses v. 6, he adds not without cause. For Christian righteousness stands in two things, namely, the faith of the heart and the imputation of GOD. Faith is indeed the essential (formalis) righteousness, and yet it is not sufficient, because after we have come to faith, the remnants of sin in the flesh still cling to us. This sacrifice of faith began in Abraham, but is not completed until death; therefore the other part of righteousness must be added, which makes it perfect, namely, divine imputation. Faith does not give God substantially (formally) enough, because it is imperfect; indeed, there is hardly a speck of faith in us that begins to give God his divinity. We have received the firstfruits of the Spirit, but not yet the fullness of the Spirit.

Then reason is not completely killed in this life, which is evident from the fact that in us there are still evil desires, anger, impatience, and

other fruits of the flesh and unbelief are left. Likewise, even the more perfect saints do not have full and constant joy in God, but are sometimes of one mind, sometimes of another, sometimes sad, sometimes happy, as the Scriptures testify of the prophets and apostles; but such faults are not imputed to them for the sake of faith in Christ, otherwise no man would be blessed.

150 So we conclude from these words, "And it is reckoned unto him for righteousness," that righteousness indeed begins by faith, and that by it we have the firstfruits of the Spirit, but because faith is weak, it righteousness is not made perfect without the imputation of God. Therefore faith begins righteousness, and imputation makes it perfect until the day of Christ.

The Sophists also argue about imputation when they say that God accepts man for the sake of works (de acceptatione operis), but they do this without and against Scripture, because they draw it only to the works. They do not pay attention to the impurity and inner corruption of the heart, such as unbelief, doubt, contempt and hatred of God, which are the main beasts, the sources and causes of all evils. They look only at the outward and gross vices and iniquities, which are the little books that flow from those sources. Therefore, they attribute to the works that God accepts the person (acceptationem), because God accepts the works, not out of debt (ex debito), but according to equity (ex congruo).

On the other hand, we exclude all works and attack the heads of that beast called reason, which is the main source of all evil. For reason does not fear God, does not love God, does not trust God, but surely despises Him, is not moved by His threats nor by His promises, does not delight in His words and deeds, but murmurs against God, is angry with Him, judges and hates God, in short, it is God's enemy, Rom. 8:7, which does not give Him His glory. If this pestilence, reason, were killed, the outward and gross sins would be nothing.

153. therefore, above all, we must

306 Oai. 1, 333-33S. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2049-2053. 307

First of all, we must strive to kill unbelief, contempt and hatred of God, grumbling against God's judgment, against God's wrath and all His words and works through faith, and then we will kill reason. For it cannot be killed by anything other than faith, which trusts in God and gives Him glory, regardless of the fact that it speaks what seems to reason to be foolish, inconsistent and impossible, also regardless of the fact that God creates a completely different image of Himself than reason can approve (judicare) or grasp, namely thus: Not because of your observance of the law, not because of your works or merits, but because of your faith in my only begotten Son JEsum Christum, who was born for your sins, suffered for them, was crucified and died, I will accept you and declare you righteous, and what sin is left in you I will not impute to you. Therefore, unless reason is put to death, and all the worships and services of God in the wide world, which have been devised by men to bring about righteousness before God, are condemned, the righteousness of faith has no place.

When reason hears this, it immediately becomes angry, nonsensical, and shows its enmity toward God, saying, "Are good works nothing? Have I labored in vain, bearing the burden and heat of the day? Hence comes this rebellion of the heathen, the nations, the kings and the princes against the Lord and His Christ Ps. 2:1, 2. The world does not want and cannot suffer its wisdom, righteousness, worship and services to be punished and condemned; the pope with his own does not want to be regarded as having erred, much less does he suffer to be condemned 2c.

Therefore, those who study the Scriptures should learn from this saying, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness," to describe Christian righteousness actually and clearly, so that it is trust in the Son of God, or the trust of the heart in God through Christ. After that, they should also add the other part, in order to describe righteousness.

(To make the righteousness complete). 1) This trust is counted as righteousness for Christ's sake. For (as I have said §148) these two things make Christian righteousness perfect, namely, faith in the heart, which is a gift given by God, and essentially (formaliter) believing in Christ; according to which God counts this imperfect faith toward perfect righteousness for the sake of Christ, in whom I have begun to believe.

For the sake of this faith that takes hold of Christ, God does not see that I doubt His gracious will toward me, does not see the distrust, the sadness of spirit and other sins that I still have. For as long as I live in the flesh, sin is truly in me. But because I am sheltered under the shadow of Christ's wings, like a little chick under the wings of the hen [Matth. 23, 37.Because I am protected under the shadow of Christ's wings, like a chick under the wings of a hen Matth. 23, 37., and live safely under the vast heaven of forgiveness of sins, which is stretched out over me, God covers and forgives what is left of sin in me, that is, because of the faith with which I have begun to take hold of Christ, He counts imperfect righteousness to me as perfect righteousness, but not sin as sin, although it is truly sin.

Thus we live under the veil of Christ's flesh Heb. 10:20, which is our pillar of cloud by day and our pillar of fire by night, so that God may not see our sin. And though we see them and feel the terrors of conscience because of them, yet we are preserved by taking refuge in Christ, our Mediator and Reconciler, through whom we have been made whole. For as in him are all things, so also through him we have all things, who also completes all things in us. When we believe this, God overlooks the remnants of sin that still cling to our flesh and wants them to be covered as if they were not. . He says: "Because you believe in my Son, your sins, even though you have them, shall be forgiven you, until

1. tanquam differentiam - as a whole (cf. Walch, St. L. Ausg., vol. XIX, 428).

308 1, 835-337. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians],6. w. VIII, 2053-2056. 309

that you may become completely free of them through death.

This teaching of Christian righteousness, which the sophists do not understand, nor can they understand, the Christians should learn to understand most diligently. But they should not think that they can learn it all at once. Therefore they should take the trouble to read and reread Paul's writings often and with the greatest care, and compare the first with the last, yes, the whole of Paul with himself, and then they will find that the matter is such that Christian righteousness consists in these two things, namely, faith, which gives glory to God, and the imputation of God. For faith, as I said, is weak, therefore God's imputation must be added, that God will not impute what is left of sin, that he will not punish it or condemn us for it, but will cover it and forgive it as if it were nothing, not for our sake, not because of our worthiness or works, but solely for the sake of Christ in whom we believe.

Thus, a Christian man is both a righteous man and a sinner, a friend and an enemy of God. These contraries (contraria) the sophists do not allow, indeed, none of them, because they do not accept (tenent) the right way of justification. Hence, they forced people to do good works until they were completely sinless, and by doing so, they caused many who tried with all their might to achieve this, to become completely righteous in essence (formaliter), and yet could not attain it, to fall into madness, and even countless numbers of those who held this ungodly doctrine fell into despair at the hour of their death. This would also have happened to me if Christ had not graciously looked upon me and delivered me from this error.

On the other hand, we teach and comfort a sorrowful sinner in this way: Dear brother, it is impossible for you to become so righteous in this life that you should feel no sin at all, and that your body should be bright and without spot as the sun, but

because you still have wrinkles and stains, and yet you are holy. But you say: How can I be holy, since I have and feel sin? That you recognize and feel your sin is good, thank God, but do not despair. That is a step towards health, when a sick person recognizes and confesses his illness. But how can I be freed from sin? Run to Christ, the physician who heals the brokenhearted Ps. 147:3 and makes sinners blessed. Do not follow the judgment of reason, which reproaches you that he is angry with sinners, but kill reason and believe in him. If thou believest, thou art righteous, because thou givest him glory that he is almighty, merciful, true, 2c., thou givest God justice (justificas) and praise, in short, thou impute to him his deity and all. Whatever sin remains with you is not imputed, but forgiven you for the sake of Christ, in whom you believe, who is completely righteous according to his nature (formaliter), whose righteousness is yours, but your sin is his.

161 From this we see that every Christian is a true priest, because he first sacrifices and chokes his reason and carnal mind, and then also gives glory to God for being just, truthful, patient, merciful and compassionate, and this is the daily morning and evening sacrifice in the new covenant: the evening sacrifice to kill reason, the morning sacrifice to praise God. This is how a Christian daily and constantly deals with and practices this twofold sacrifice, and no one can sufficiently praise the value and worthiness of the Christian sacrifice.

162 Thus, as we have said, Christian righteousness is that which God imputes as righteousness or to righteousness because of faith in Christ or for Christ's sake. When the sophists hear this wonderful description, which is unknown to reason, they ridicule it, because they imagine that righteousness is a quality (qualitatem) that was first infused and then spread to all members. They cannot get rid of the thoughts of reason, which pretends that a right knowing (judicium) and a right willing is justice.

310 Lri. 6ai. 1, 337-339. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2056-2069. 311

Therefore this unspeakable gift is higher than all reason, that God regards and acknowledges as righteous without any works the one who by faith alone takes hold of His Son, who was sent into the world for us, born, suffered, and was crucified 2c.

The matter is easy as far as the words are concerned, namely, that righteousness is not essentially (formaliter) in us, as Aristotle disputes, but apart from us, in the grace and imputation of God alone, and that nothing of the essence (formae) or of righteousness is in us except that weak faith or the firstfruits of faith, that we have begun to take hold of Christ, yet truly sin remains in us. But it is not a joke, but a serious and exceedingly great thing, because Christ, who is given to us, and whom we take hold of in faith, has not done a small thing for us, nor played a game, but, as Paul said above Cap. 2:20, 3:13, "He loved us, and gave himself for us; he became a curse for us. "2c. But it is not a useless playing with thoughts (speculatio) that Christ is offered for my sins and becomes a curse for me, so that I may be snatched out of eternal death. Therefore, if one takes hold of this Son and believes in Him from the heart (which is God's gift), then it comes about that God imputes this faith, even though it is imperfect, for a perfect righteousness.

And here we are in a completely different world, where reason has nothing to do (extra rationem), where there is no debate about what we should do, by what kind of works we can earn grace and forgiveness of sins, but here we are in divine theology, where we hear this gospel that Christ died for us, and that we who believe this are counted righteous, although nevertheless sins remain in us, and great sins at that.

166 In the Gospel of John, Christ also describes the righteousness of faith and says: "He himself, the Father, loves you. Why does he love you? Not because you have been Pharisees, blameless in the righteousness of the law, not because you are circumcised, do good works, fast 2c.

detn, because I have chosen you from the world, and you have done nothing but "that you loved me and believed that I came forth from the Father. This gift (hoc objectum), namely "I", which the Father has sent into the world, has pleased you, and because you have grasped this gift, therefore the Father loves you and you please him.

And yet, elsewhere he calls them evil and asks them to ask for forgiveness of sins. This virtually (ex diametro) contradicts each other, that a Christian is righteous and loved by God, and that he is nevertheless a sinner at the same time. For God cannot deny his nature, that is, he cannot but hate sin and sinners, and this he necessarily does, for otherwise he would be unjust and love sin. How, then, can these two contradictory things be true at the same time? I have sin and am worthy that God be angry with me and hate me, and the Father loves me? Here nothing else can mediate (intercedit) than Christ alone. He says: The Father loves you, not because you are worthy of love, but because you have loved me and believed that I came from him.

Thus a Christian remains in right humility by feeling sin in truth and acknowledging that he is worthy of God's wrath and judgment and eternal death for this reason, so that he is humbled in this life. At the same time, however, he remains in a right holy pride, by which he turns to Christ and through him Christ aligns himself against this feeling of divine wrath and judgment, and believes that not only what is left of sin is not imputed to him, but also that he is loved by the Father, not for his own sake, but for the sake of Christ, whom he loves.

From this it is evident how faith without works justifies, and how the imputation of righteousness is nevertheless necessary. The sins remain in us, which God hates exceedingly. Therefore, for their sake, we must have the imputation of righteousness, which is given to us because of Christ, who was given to us and taken by us in faith.

312 Lri. ttai. 1, 339-341. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 6. 7. 313

In the meantime, as long as we live, we are carried and nurtured in the bosom of divine mercy and longsuffering, until the sinful body is taken away and we are raised as new men on the last day. Then there will be a new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness will dwell 2 Pet. 3:13. In the meantime, sin and the ungodly dwell under this heaven, and even the godly have sin. Hence it is that Paul, Rom. 7, complains about the sin that still remains in the saints, and yet Cap. 8, 1, says that "there is nothing damnable in those who are in Christ Jesus". Who then can reconcile these highly contradictory things, that sin should not be found in us, that he who is worthy of condemnation should not be condemned, that he who is rejected should not be rejected, that he who is worthy of wrath and eternal death should not be punished? The one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ, as Paul says: "There is therefore nothing condemnable in those who are in Christ Jesus."

V. 7. Now therefore ye know that they which are of faith are the children of Abraham.

This is a general statement and the main action of Paul against the Jews, that the believers celebrate Abraham's children, not those who are born of his flesh and blood. He emphasizes this point of contention (disputationem) here and in the letter to the Romans, cap. 4 and 9, because this was the highest defiance and glory of the Jews: We are the seed and children of Abraham, who was circumcised and kept the law; therefore, if we want to be true children of Abraham, we must do as our father 2c. It was indeed a great glory and dignity that they were Abraham's seed, for no one can deny that God spoke for the seed of Abraham and of the seed of Abraham. But this privilege was of no use to the unbelieving Jews, which is why Paul also fiercely argues against this reason of theirs, and wrests from the Jews their highest defiance, which he, as a chosen instrument of Christ, could do before others.

For if we had to argue against the Jews from the beginning without Paul, we would perhaps accomplish very little against them.

Now Paul argues against this defiance of the Jews, who boasted arrogantly, in such a way: We are the seed of Abraham. Quite right. Abraham was circumcised and kept the law; we do the same. I admit that. What next? Do you want to be righteous and blessed because of that? That cannot be fine.

Yes, let us go to the patriarch Abraham himself and see in what way he was justified and saved. Certainly not because of his glorious virtues and holy works, not because he left his father's country, fine friendship and fine father's house, not because he received circumcision and kept the law, not because he wanted to sacrifice his son Isaac at God's command, on whom the promise was based that he should have descendants, but because he believed God. Therefore, he was justified by nothing other than faith.

Therefore, if you want to be justified by the Law, your father Abraham should have been justified much more by the Law. But he could not have been justified, nor received forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit, if it had not been by faith. Since this is true according to the testimony of Scripture, why do you argue in favor of the law and circumcision, claiming that you can attain righteousness and salvation through them, since even Abraham, who is your father, origin and head, of whom you boast, was justified and saved through faith alone, without both law and circumcision? What can be said against this ground of proof?

Therefore Paul concludes with this saying: "Those who are of faith are Abraham's children"; the procreation of flesh and blood or the bodily seed does not make them Abraham's children in the sight of God, as if he wanted to say: "No one who is descended from this Abraham, the servant of God, whom God chose and who became righteous through faith, is considered a child in the sight of God for the sake of a fine fleshly birth, but rather a child of Abraham.

314 Di-1. kai. 1, 341-344. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2063-2067. 315

But children must be given to him in the sight of God, of such a nature as he himself, the Father, had. But he is a father of faith, and that he began to be righteous and pleasing to God was not because he was able to beget children, not because he had circumcision and the law, but because he believed God. Therefore, whoever wants to be a child of the believing Abraham must also believe, otherwise he is not a child of the chosen Abraham, accepted and justified by grace, but only of the child-producing Abraham, who is nothing other than a man conceived in sins, born and constitutus under sin, without forgiveness of sins, without faith, without the Holy Spirit, like another man, therefore condemned. Of this kind also are the children born of him according to the flesh, who bring nothing with them from their father but flesh and blood, sin and death, and so are likewise condemned. So this glory: We are Abraham's seed, is void and useless.

This reason is explained by Paul, Rom. 9, 7. ff, with two examples from Scripture. The first is of Ishmael and Isaac, both of whom were Abraham's seed and natural children, and yet Ishmael (who was as much born of Abraham as Isaac, yea, would have been the firstborn if fleshly procreation granted a privilege and made children of Abraham) is excluded, and the Scripture says Gen. 21:12., "In Isaac shall the seed be called unto thee." The second is of Esau and Jacob. Since they were still in their mother's womb and had done neither good nor evil, it was said Gen. 25, 23. Rom. 9, 12. f., "The greater shall serve the lesser. Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." So it is evident that "those who are of faith are Abraham's children.

177 But someone might object, as the Jews do and as some clever people do nowadays, that the word "faith" means "truth" in Hebrew, therefore we wrongly put such emphasis on it. Furthermore, the passage from the 15th chapter of the first book of Moses (v. 5. 6.) speaks of a physical thing, namely of the promise of descendants, therefore Paul twisted it badly and said

They claim that the faith in Christ is not the only reason for this, but that it is simply to be understood from the faith of Abraham, in which he believed that he would have a seed, as God had promised him. And with this they want to show that the scriptures and proofs cited by Paul prove nothing.

178 They can also raise their quibbles about the passage that Paul cites from the prophet Habakkuk Cap. 2, 4, which speaks of the faith that everything that the prophet saw (visionis) shall be fulfilled, not only of the faith in Christ, of which Paul cites it. In the same way, they could deal with the whole 11th chapter of the letter to the Hebrews, which deals with faith and examples of faith. Such spirits, stingy of vain honor, seek to gain praise and prestige in these things, as if they were wise and learned, when they least ought to be. But we will answer their quibbles briefly for the sake of the simple.

To the first objection I answer thus: faith is nothing other than the truth of the heart, that is, the right thinking (cogitationem) of the heart about God. But only faith thinks right and thinks right of God, not reason. But then man thinks rightly of God when he believes His word. But if, apart from the word of God, he wants to measure and believe in God according to his reason, then he does not have the truth concerning God; therefore, he can neither think nor judge rightly of Him. For example, if a monk imagines that his cap, plate and vows are pleasing to God, and that He accepts these things and gives him grace and eternal life in return, then he does not have right thoughts of God, but lying and ungodly ones.

Therefore, the truth is just the faith that judges rightly of God, namely, that God does not look upon our works and righteousness as impure, but that He will have mercy on us, look upon us graciously, accept us, justify us, and make us blessed, if we believe in the Son whom He sent to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. These are the right thoughts of God, and there is nothing at all wrong with them.

316 Li-1. drü. 1, 344-346. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 7, W. VIII, 2067-2070. 317

than faith itself. With my reason I cannot grasp it, nor can I be sure that I am accepted by grace for Christ's sake, but I hear that this is proclaimed through the gospel, and I grasp it by faith.

181 To the second objection I answer: Paul correctly cites the passage Genesis 15:6 about faith in Christ, because with every faith there must be trust in God that He is merciful. This includes faith in the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake. For it is impossible that the conscience could expect anything good from God if it is not first certain that God is merciful to it for Christ's sake. Therefore all promises are to be referred to the first promise of Christ, Gen. 3, 15: "The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head" 2c. This is also how the prophets understood and interpreted it. Therefore, the faith of the fathers in the Old Testament and our faith now in the New Testament are one and the same, although other and different objects (objecta) are always added, which Peter Apost. 15, 10. 11. testifies, when he says: "Neither our fathers nor we were able to bear this yoke, but we believe to be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, just as they also were." And Paul says 1 Cor. 10:4: "Our fathers drank all the same spiritual drink: but they drank of the spiritual rock which followed with them, which was Christ." And Christ himself says this of Abraham, John 8:56, saying, "Abraham your father was glad that he should see my day, and he saw it, and rejoiced."

But the faith of the fathers was in Christ who was to come, just as our faith is now in him who has come. Abraham was justified in his time by faith in the Christ who was to come. If he lived today, he would be justified by faith in the one who has now appeared and is now, as I said above § 82 of Cornelius, who at first believed in Christ who was to come, but after being taught by Peter he believed that he had already come 2c. Therefore, the difference of time does not change faith, not the Holy Spirit, not the

gifts. For in relation to Christ, the same will and the same thoughts have always been, are still, and will be the same in the future, as with the fathers in the past, so with those who now live, and with the children who will live after us. So also we still have a future Christ and believe in him, just as the fathers of the Old Testament did. For we expect him to come in glory at the last day to judge the living and the dead, of whom we now believe that he came to save us. Therefore, no one resents Paul's citing this passage in this way, but only these tasteless brawlers (cavillatores).

(183) But we must not in any way revert back to the future Christ (ad futurum Christum redire), except if we expect him to be our Savior at the last day, who will deliver us from all evil. For if we did that, we would believe that Christ had not yet been revealed, but had yet to be revealed, and so we would deny Christ and all his benefits, deny the Holy Spirit and make God a liar, and would in fact testify that he had not yet fulfilled what he had promised, as the Jews do.

184 Therefore, as I have said, Paul correctly applies the passage from the first book of Moses, which speaks of the faith of Abraham, to the faith of Christ, because all the past promises were included in the promise of Christ who was to come. Therefore we both, Abraham and the other fathers, as well as we, are justified by faith in Christ, they by faith in the one who is to come, we by faith in the one who is now. For we are now dealing with the nature and manner of justification, which is the same on both sides, whether Christ has already come or is yet to come. So it is enough that Paul proves that the law does not justify, but only faith, whether this is directed to the one who is to come or to the present Christ. Christ is also today to some against-

318 Lri. 6^1. 1, 346-348. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2070-2073. 319

present, others future. For the believers he is present, or he has come to them; for the unbelievers he has not yet come, nor does he benefit them. But when they hear the gospel and believe, he becomes present to them and makes them righteous and blessed.

V. 7. Now therefore ye know that they which are of faith are the children of Abraham.

185 As if he wanted to say: Since everything is now excluded, reason, law, works, descent (generatione) from the fathers, you see from this example of Abraham and the bright testimony of Scripture that those are Abraham's children who are of faith, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. For it was not by the law, but by righteousness through faith, that the promise was made to Abraham that he should be the heir of the world, that is, that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed, and that he should be called a father of many nations. And lest the Jews should falsely interpret this word "nations" to mean themselves alone, the Scripture has resisted this by saying, not simply Gen. 17:5, a father of nations, but, "I have made thee a father of many nations." Therefore Abraham is not only the father of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles.

From this it is evident that the children of Abraham are not children according to the flesh, since he is not a father of the Gentiles according to the flesh, but children according to faith, as Paul declares Rom. 4:17: "I have made you a father of many Gentiles in the sight of God, whom you have believed. Therefore Paul makes a twofold (duos) Abraham, one who begets children, the other who believes. Abraham has children and is a father of many Gentiles. Where? Before God, where he believes, not before the world, where he begets children. For there he is a child of Adam, a sinner, or, if he is many, a man who deals with the righteousness of the law (operator), who lives according to reason, that is, according to human ways, but this is nothing compared to Abraham, who believes. So this example of Abraham understands at the same time the teaching of the Holy Scripture itself, which says that we are counted righteous by faith. Therefore this reason for proof is twofold

very firmly, both because of the example of Abraham and because of the prestige (auetoritatem) of Scripture.

V. 8. But the Scriptures have seen before that God justifies the Gentiles through faith.

187 This belongs to the previous reason of proof, as if he wanted to say: You Jews boast too highly of the law and praise Moses beyond all measure with wonderful exaltations of praise, that God spoke to him in the bush 2c., as at least the Jews boast against us with great arrogance and say (what I have heard more than once): You Christians have the apostles, the pope, bishops 2c., we Jews have the patriarchs, the prophets, yes, we have God Himself, who spoke to us in the bush, on Mount Sinai, where He gave us the Law, in the Temple 2c. Bring also such glory and such glorious testimony for yourselves against us 2c. To this Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, replies: This boasting and bragging of yours is of no avail, for the Scriptures forestalled it, and foreknew long before the law, that the Gentiles should not obtain righteousness by the law, but by the blessing of the seed of Abraham, which (as Paul afterwards v. 17. says) was promised to him four hundred and thirty years before the law was given. And this promise of blessing, which was given to Abraham, could not be weakened nor annulled (antiquare) by the law, which was given so many years later, but it remained firm and will remain forever (perpetuo). What can the Jews say to this?

This reason, which is taken from a very specific time, is very strong. The promise of blessing was given to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before the people of Israel received the Law. For to Abraham it was said [Gen. 22, 18.): Because you believed God and gave Him glory, therefore you shall become the father of many Gentiles Rom. 4, 17. 20.. Abraham is made a father of many nations by the promise of God, and the inheritance of the world is laid on his children before the law. What boasts

320 Lri. dai. 1, 348-350. Explanation of Galatians 3, 8. W. VIII, 2073-2077. 321

Do you then, O Galatians, obtain forgiveness of sins, become children, and receive the inheritance by the law, which followed the promise only after a long time, namely four hundred and thirty years afterward?

In baptism is the promise of blessedness: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Now, if someone were to say here (as the enthusiasts do nowadays) that the child is not given righteousness and blessedness as soon as he is baptized, by trying to nullify the promise in this way, that it should only apply when the person has come to the use of reason and can now do good works; and by his good works he obtains what is held out in the promise; likewise, baptism is not a signum of God's gracious disposition toward us, but only an external notam, which makes a distinction between believers and unbelievers 2c.Such a one would completely deny the blessedness of baptism and attribute it to works. So did the false apostles and their disciples in all things. They praised the law and its glory most highly, but they ignored and despised the promise given to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before the law, not wanting to recognize that Abraham, whom they boasted of as the father of all their people, since he was still uncircumcised and lived so many centuries before the law, was justified by nothing other than faith alone, as the Scriptures, Genesis 15:6, clearly show. 15:6, testifies most clearly: "Abraham believed the Lord, and He counted it to him for righteousness." Later, since he had already been counted righteous by faith, the Scripture mentions circumcision Cap. 17, 10. by saying: "This is my covenant, which you shall keep between me and you" 2c.

190 With this evidence Paul convicts the false apostles in the strongest possible way, and clearly shows that Abraham was justified by faith, without circumcision and before it, four hundred and thirty years before the law. Quite the

He treats the same reason in the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans v. 5. 9. 10. 11., namely, that righteousness was imputed to Abraham before circumcision, and that while he was still in the foreskin he was righteous, that is, much more before the law.

191 Paul says, "The Scriptures have foreknown and foreknown your boasting and bragging about the righteousness of the law and works. When? Before circumcision and before the law, because the law was not given until four hundred and thirty years after the promise, since Abraham was not only justified without the law and before the law, but was also dead and buried before the law; and his righteousness flourished without the law, not only until the law, but it will also flourish until the end of the world. If therefore the father of the whole Jewish people became righteous without the law and before the law, much more will the children attain righteousness in the same way as the father. So righteousness comes from faith, and not through the law.

Therefore it proclaims to Abraham: In you all the Gentiles shall be blessed.

192. Over these glorious and exceedingly precious sayings: "Abraham believed God," 2c., "I have made you the father of many nations," and similar ones, which praise faith to the highest degree and contain promises of spiritual things, the Jews not only walk about carelessly, but also raise quibbles about them and turn them into their foolish and ungodly glosses. For they are blinded and obdurate, so they do not see that these passages deal with faith against God and with righteousness before God. With the same perversity they also pervert this beautiful saying of the spiritual blessing Gen. 22, 18: "In you all nations shall be blessed", because they say that "to bless" is as much as to praise, to wish for good and to be glorious before the world 2c. In this way they say: blessed is the Jew, who is born of the seed of Abraham, blessed is the fellow Jew (proselytum), who worships the God of the Jews, and joins them.

322 Oai. 1, 386-363. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2077-2080. 323

joined to it. So they think that the blessing is nothing else than praise and glory in this world, that someone can boast that he is from the tribe and lineage of Abraham. But this is to pervert the sayings of Scripture, not to interpret them.

193 Paul describes and presents us with these words: "Abraham believed God" the faithful, righteous Abraham, who has the promise and is spiritual, who is not in error and the old flesh, who was not born of Adam but of the Holy Spirit. And of this Abraham, renewed by faith and born again by the Holy Spirit, the Scripture speaks, proclaiming that he shall be the father of many nations, likewise that all nations shall be given to him for an inheritance, saying, "In thee shall all nations be blessed."

194. This is supported by Paul from the Scripture, which says, Gen. 15, 6: "Abraham believed the Lord" 2c. Consequently, the Scripture ascribes righteousness to Abraham only because he stands in faith, and speaks of such an Abraham as he is before God. Therefore, by such sayings of Scripture, a new Abraham is painted before our eyes, quite apart from his marital status, marriage bed, and fleshly procreation, and he is portrayed as he is before God, namely, as a believer who is justified by faith, and to whom God, because he believes, promises: "You shall become a father of many nations" and: "In you all nations shall be blessed." Of this Paul says that the Scriptures foreknew it and cast down all glory and boasting of the law to the Jews, because the Gentiles were given to Abraham for an inheritance, not by the law and by circumcision, but long before, through the righteousness of faith alone.
195. Therefore the boast of the Jews is null and void, that they want to be called blessed because they are the seed and children of Abraham. Before the world it is a great privilege and a glorious glory to be Abraham's seed, Rom. 9, 4. f., but not equally before God. That is why the Jews pervert this passage of blessing in an ungodly way, since they only refer to the bodily blessing.

The Bible obviously speaks of the spiritual blessing before God, and it cannot and must not be understood otherwise. This, then, is the opinion of the saying, "In thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed." In what "thee"? In "thee," believing Abraham, or in thy faith, or in the future Christ (thy seed), in whom thou believest, I say, shall all the Gentiles be blessed; that is, all the Gentiles shall be thy blessed children, as thou art blessed, as it is written Gen. 15:5., "So shall thy seed be."

It follows that Abraham's blessing and faith is the same as ours, that Abraham's Christ is the same as ours, that Christ died for Abraham's sins as well as ours, as John 8:56 says: "Abraham saw my day and rejoiced. So it is all the same. Therefore, the Jews must in no way be allowed to weaken and pervert the word "blessing." They look at the Scriptures through the cover, therefore they do not pay attention to what or whereof is dealt with in the promises made to the fathers. But it is precisely to this that we must pay the most attention, and then we will see that God spoke to the patriarch Abraham, not of the law or of what he should do, but of what he should believe, that is, that God spoke to him of the promises made in faith. What does Abraham do? He believes these promises. What does God do to Abraham who believes? He counts faith to him as righteousness and adds several promises Gen. 15, 1.: "I am your shield", Gen. 12, 3.: "In you all generations on earth shall be blessed", Gen. 17, 4.: "You shall become a father of many nations", Gen. 15, 5.: "So shall your seed become." These reasons are insurmountable, and no one can break them off (cavillari), if one only pays careful and serious attention to the sayings of the Scriptures.

V. 9. So now those who are of faith will be blessed with the believing Abraham.

197 The emphasis is on the words: "with the believing Abraham", and everything depends on the same. Because he makes open-

324 Lri. Kai. 1, 353-355. Explanation of Galatians 3, 9. W. VIII, 2080-2084. 325

He makes a distinction between Abraham and Abraham by making two out of one person, as if to say: The one is the Abraham who deals with works, the other is the believing Abraham. We have nothing to do with the one who does works. For Rom. 4:2, "If Abraham is justified by works, he has glory, but not before God." The Jews may always boast of Abraham, who begets children, who does works, who is circumcised and has the law. We boast of the believing Abraham, of whom the Scripture says that he received the blessing of righteousness through his faith, not only for himself, but that this blessing should also pass on to all who believe like him, and so the world is promised to the believing Abraham as an heir. So the whole world is blessed, that is, it receives the imputation of righteousness, if it believes like Abraham.

Therefore the blessing is nothing else than the promise of the gospel, and "that all the Gentiles should be blessed" is that all the Gentiles should hear the blessing, or that the spiritual blessing, that is, the divine promise through the gospel should be preached and spread among all the Gentiles. And from this passage the prophets, through their spiritual understanding, have drawn many prophecies, 1) as, Ps. 2:8: "Cry unto me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the end of the wager for thine own possession"; and Ps. 19:5: "Their cord goeth forth into all the earth, and their speech unto the end of the wager." In short, all the prophecies of Christ's kingdom and of the spread of the gospel throughout the Wett flowed from this passage: "In you shall be blessed. "2c. Therefore, "that the Gentiles may be blessed" means that righteousness is given to them and they are counted righteous, not by the law, but by the preaching of faith, because Abraham was not justified in any other way than by hearing the word of promise, blessing and grace. Therefore, just as Abraham received the imputation of righteousness through the preaching of faith, so Abraham received the imputation of righteousness through the preaching of faith.

1. Instead of citing the following scriptural passages, Menius breaks off here briefly: "which would be much too long to steel here".

It happened to all the Gentiles, and it is still happening. For the preaching of one and the same God went first to Abraham, and then to all the Gentiles.

From this we see that "blessing" is nothing else than, as I said, preaching and teaching the word of the gospel, confessing Christ and spreading the knowledge of him among all nations, and this is the priestly office and the daily sacrifice of the church in the New Testament, which distributes this blessing by preaching, administering the sacraments, absolving, comforting and acting on the word of grace, which Abraham had and which was his blessing. Believing this, he received the blessing. In the same way, we are blessed when we believe the same.

But this blessing is a glory, not before the race, but before God. For we hear that our sins are forgiven, and that we are accepted by God in grace, and that God is our Father, we His children, whom He does not want to anger, but to free from sin, death and all evil, and to give us righteousness, life and eternal bliss.

Of this blessing, as I have said, the prophets preach everywhere, who did not regard the promises given to the fathers coldly, as the godless Jews and today's sophists and enthusiasts do, but read and considered them with the utmost diligence, and drew from them all that they prophesied about Christ and his kingdom. Thus the prophecy Hosea, Cap. 13, 14: "I will save them from death. Death, I will be a poison to you," 2c., and similar ones in other prophets, all flowed from these promises, in which God promised the fathers that the serpent's head would be crushed and that blessings would come upon all the Gentiles.

Furthermore, if the Gentiles are blessed, that is, if they are counted righteous before God, then it follows that they are free from sin and death and are partakers of righteousness, blessedness and eternal life, not because of their works, but because of faith in Christ. Therefore the passage Genesis 12:3 says: "In you shall be blessed

326 Lri. Kai. 1, 3S5-357. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2084-2087. 327

all generations on earth", as I have said, not of a blessing with the mouth, but of such a blessing as to impute righteousness, which is valid before God and redeems from the curse of sin and from all that sin entails.

This blessing is only received through faith, for the text clearly says: "Abraham believed God" 2c. [Therefore, it is a purely spiritual blessing and deserves to be called a blessing that is valid before God, even though it is blasphemed by the world, as it cannot refrain from doing. This, then, is a mighty saying, that those who are of faith have a share in this promise of blessing that happened to Abraham who believed. And so Paul anticipates the reasoning of the Jews, by virtue of which they boast of Abraham, who begets children, does works, and is righteous before men, not of Abraham, who believes.

(204) Just as the Jews take their glory from Abraham, who dealt in works, so the pope holds Christ up to us only because of the works he does, or the example of Christ. He says: Whoever wants to live godly must walk as Christ walked, as he himself said John 13:15: "An example have I given you, that ye should do as I have done unto you." We do not deny that the godly should follow Christ's example and do good works, but this does not make them righteous before God. Paul is not discussing here what we should do, but in what way we will be justified. Christ must be held up to us, just as he dies for our sins and rises again for the sake of our righteousness; and he must be grasped by faith as a gift, not as an example.

Reason does not understand this. Hence it comes about that, just as the Jews follow Abraham, provided he does works, not in that he believes, so the papists and all those who deal with their own righteousness (justitiarii) look at Christ and seize him, not as the one who justifies, but as the one who does works (operantem); and by this they only get further and further from

Christ, of righteousness and salvation. Just as the Jews, who were saved, had to follow the faithful Abraham, so we, if we want to be free from sins and saved, must take hold of Christ in faith as our justifier and savior, just as Abraham also took hold of Him and obtained blessing through Him.

206. It was indeed a great glory that Abraham received circumcision at God's command, that he was adorned with exceedingly great virtues, that he obeyed God in all things, as it is also a great praise and a fine loving behavior (felicitas), to follow the example of Christ, which he gave in his works, as to love one's neighbor, to do good to those who offend, to pray for one's enemies, and to bear patiently the ingratitude of those who repay good with evil. But this serves nothing for the attainment of righteousness before God. Abraham's glorious good works (benefacta) did not help him to be declared righteous before God, so imitating Christ's example does not make us righteous before God. For for us to be righteous before God requires a far more precious treasure than human righteousness or righteousness from the law. Here we must have Christ to bless us and make us blessed, just as Abraham had him as a blessing-giver and blessedness-maker. How? Not by works, but by faith.

(207) Therefore, just as the believing Abraham is something quite different from the one who does works, so also the blessing and redeeming Christ is something quite different from the one who does works, or, to put it this way, from the one who sets an example (exemplaris). But here Paul deals with the redeeming Christ and with the believing Abraham, not with Christ as an example and with Abraham as far as he does works. Therefore he adds meaningfully and with great emphasis: "Those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.

Therefore, the believing Abraham must be separated from the one who does works as far as heaven and earth. The believer is completely a divine man, a child of God, the heir of the earth, the overcomer of the

328 Ari. "Li. I, 3S7-3S9. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 3, 9. 10. W. VIII, 2087-2093. 329

world, sin, death, the devil 2c. Therefore, he cannot be praised enough. We do not want to leave this faithful Abraham hidden in the grave, as he is hidden from the Jews, but we want to praise him and fill heaven and earth with his name, so that before this faithful Abraham we see nothing at all of the Abraham who does works. For if we speak of the believing Abraham, we are in heaven, but if we then do the same works that Abraham did, insofar as he did works (Abraham operans) that were human and earthly, not divine and heavenly (except insofar as they were given to him by God), then we have our walk among men on earth. Therefore the believing Abraham fills heaven and earth. So every Christian fills heaven and earth with his faith, so that he shall see nothing apart from it.

209 From this word: "they are blessed" Paul takes another reason for proof, which flows from the opposite (a contrario). For the Scriptures are full of contrasts, and a man who deals with the Scriptures in the right way (ingeniosi hominis est) must pay attention to the contrasts in them and by them explain their sayings, as here the word "blessing" immediately causes one to consider the opposite, namely, the curse. 1) For since the Scripture says that all nations are blessed in faith or in the believing Abraham, it follows with necessity that all, both Jews and Gentiles, are cursed apart from faith or apart from the believing Abraham. Since the promise was made to Abraham that in him all nations would be blessed, it follows that the blessing cannot be expected anywhere else than in the promise made to Abraham and now proclaimed to the whole world through the gospel. What therefore is outside of it is accursed, and this Paul teaches exceedingly clearly, saying:

1. The following and the greater part of the next paragraph is used by Aurifaber for K 76 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

V. 10 For those who deal with the works of the law are under the curse.

Here you see that the curse is a kind of flood of sin that sweeps away everything that is outside of Abraham, that is, outside of the faith and the promise of blessing given to Abraham. But if even the law, which was given by God's command through Moses, subjects to the curse those who are under the law, the laws or statutes invented by human reason will do this much more. Therefore, whoever wants to escape the curse, let him take hold of the promise of blessing or the faith of Abraham, or he will remain under the curse. It follows from this saying: "In you shall be blessed" 2c. that all nations before, under and after Abraham will be cursed and remain under the curse forever, if they are not blessed in the faith of Abraham, to whom the promise of blessing through his seed was given, which was to be spread throughout the whole world.

It is very useful to know this, for it serves to comfort the conscience, and also to teach us to distinguish the righteousness of faith from the righteousness of the flesh or civil righteousness. For Paul is dealing here with a theological and spiritual doctrine before God, not with a worldly matter; (this I say,^j lest an unskillful man make the objection (cavilletur) that he curses and condemns the worldly laws and those who administer a magisterial office. Jerome labors here, but says nothing to the point, and the sophists here are more mute than the fish. Therefore, readers must be reminded that here we are not dealing with civil laws, customs, and worldly affairs, which are God's order and good things, approved and praised by Scripture elsewhere, but with spiritual righteousness, by which we are justified before God and called God's children in the kingdom of heaven. In short, nothing is said here about this life in the flesh, but about the eternal life, where no blessing is to be hoped for, nor righteousness to be sought through the law or human statutes or anything else that is called in this life.

330 Lri. Oai. 1, 359-362. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2693-2097. 331

The only way it can be, is through the promise of blessing that was given to Abraham.

Therefore, the civil laws and ordinances should remain in their domain (ordine) and in their place. Even if a householder or a magistrate gives the best and most beautiful laws, they still cannot free you from the curse before God. The kingdom of Babylon, which was instituted by God and given to the kings, had very good laws, and all the peoples were commanded to obey them, but this obedience to the laws did not make them free from the curse of the divine law. So we also obey the imperial laws, but this does not make us righteous before God, for here we are dealing with a different matter.

It is not in vain that I insist so diligently on this distinction and sharpen it, for it is very useful to hold it fast, although few observe and hold it. Moreover, it is easy to mix up heavenly and worldly justice. In worldly righteousness, one must look to laws and works, but in spiritual, divine and heavenly righteousness, all laws and works must be put out of sight, and one must look only to the promise and blessing of Abraham, which gives us Christ, the giver of blessings, the giver of grace, and the Savior, so that spiritual righteousness, without law and works, may look solely at the grace and blessings offered to us through Christ, as promised to Abraham and believed by him.

From this it is easy to see that this ground of proof is very strong. For if the blessing can be hoped for and received through Christ alone, then it necessarily follows by inference (a contrario) that it is not received through the law, because before the law and without the law the blessing was given to the believing Abraham. But with the same faith with which he believed in the future Christ that he would be a giver of blessing (benedictorem), we believe in the present Christ, and thus by faith we become a giver of blessing.

Just as Abraham was justified by faith. Therefore, those who are under the law are not blessed, but remain subject to the curse.

215 The pope and the bishops cannot and will not believe this, nor will they suffer it, but it behooves us not to remain silent. For we must confess the truth and say that the papacy is cursed, that the emperor's laws and rights are cursed, because, as Paul says, everything is cursed that is apart from the promise and apart from the faith of Abraham. When the adversaries hear this, they pervert our words and slander us as if we taught that no honor should be paid to the authorities, but stirred up sedition against the emperor, condemned all laws, dissolved the secular government (respublicas) and destroyed it 2c.

But they do us great injustice, for we make a distinction between the bodily and the spiritual blessing, and say that the emperor is blessed with a bodily blessing; for to have a kingdom, laws, civil orders, to possess a wife, children, a house, and fields, is a blessing, for these are all good creatures, given by God. But through this bodily blessing, which is temporal and has an end, we are not freed from the eternal curse. Therefore we do not condemn the laws, nor are we rebellious against the emperor, but teach that one should obey him, fear him, prove honor and submission to him (adorandum), but in a civil way (civiliter). But where we as theologians (theologice) speak of the blessing, we constantly say with Paul that everything that is apart from the promise and faith of Abraham is cursed and remains under the heavenly and eternal curse. For there we must wait for another life after this present life, and another blessing after this bodily.

In short, we say that all corporeal things are good creatures of God. Therefore, to have a wife, children and property, to have laws, worldly orders and ceremonies, these are divine blessings in their place, that is, they are temporal blessings.

332 Lri. Oai. 1, 362-^64. Exec. Explanation of the Gaelic letter 3, 10. W. vm, 2097-2101. 333

The blessings that belong to this life. But the works saints of all times, the Jews, Papists, Rotten 2c. confuse this and mix it up, because they do not distinguish between bodily and spiritual blessings. Therefore they say: We have the law, it is good, holy and righteous, so we are made righteous by it. Who denies that the law is good 2c.? But it is also a law of curse, sin, wrath and death.

Therefore, make a distinction here between the physical and the spiritual blessing, and say: God has a twofold blessing, a physical one for this life, and a spiritual one for eternal life. Therefore we say that goods, having children 2c. is a blessing, but in its place (gradu), that is, for the present life.

It is not enough for eternal life that we have bodily blessings, for these are most abundantly bestowed upon the wicked; it is not enough that we have civil and legal righteousness, for this is also most abundant among the wicked. God scatters these gifts of his freely throughout the world, over the evil and the good, as he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous Matth. 5, 45, for he is "rich above all" Rom. 10, 12, and it is a small thing to him that he throws all created things under the feet of the wicked. Rom. 8:20: "The creature is subject to vanity without its will." Therefore, those who have only these bodily blessings are not God's children, blessed before God spiritually, like Abraham, but they are under the curse, as Paul says: "Those who deal in the works of the law are under the curse."

220 Paul could have used a general expression and said: Everything that is apart from faith is under the curse. He does not do this, but takes what is best apart from faith, the greatest and most beautiful of the bodily blessings of the world, namely the law of God. This law, he says, is indeed holy and given by God, yet it does nothing other than subject all men to the curse and keep them under the curse. If

but the divine law subjects men to the curse, the lesser laws and blessings do this much more, and in order that one may understand correctly and clearly what Paul means when he says: to be under the curse, he proves and explains this with a testimony of the Scriptures, saying:

For it is written: Cursed be every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

With this testimony, which is taken from the fifth book of Moses, Cap. 27, 26, Paul wants to prove that all who are under the law or the works of the law are cursed, or under the curse, that is, under sin, the wrath of God, eternal death and all evil. For he speaks, as I said above, not of a physical or temporal curse, but of a spiritual and eternal curse, which must necessarily be a curse of eternal death and hell.

222 And this is a strange proof, because Paul proves the affirmative saying (affirmativam), namely: "Those who deal with the works of the law are under the curse" by this negative sentence (negativam), which he borrowed from Moses: "Cursed be everyone who does not remain in all this" 2c. These two sayings of Paul and Moses are completely contrary to each other. Paul says: Whoever does the works of the law is cursed; Moses says: Whoever does not do the works of the law is cursed.

Now how can these be brought into agreement with each other, or, what is even more, how can the one saying be proven by the other? Dear, what kind of proof would it be if I wanted to prove this saying: If you keep the commandments of God, you will enter into life, by this one: If you do not keep the commandments of God, you will enter into life? Am I not proving something by the very opposite? Truly a beautiful proof! and yet this proof of Paul is completely similar to it. No one understands this passage unless he has a righteous grasp of the article of justification. Jerome takes enough trouble, but leaves this passage unexplained.

334 Lri. Oai. 1, 364-366. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2101-2164. 335

There is no doubt that Paul has explained this saying in more detail to the Galatians, otherwise the Galatians would not have understood what Paul meant by it, since he only touches on it here in passing and briefly. But because they had heard it interpreted by Paul before, they are reminded of it now, and they immediately remember it again.

(225) These two sayings do not conflict with each other, but are in complete agreement. For we also teach in the same way: "Not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be righteous," Rom. 2:13, and again: "Those who deal with the works of the law are under the curse. For the article of justification says, "All that is apart from the faith of Abraham is accursed. And yet "righteousness, required by the law, must be fulfilled in us," Rom. 8:4. This seems to a man who does not understand the doctrine of faith to be most strongly opposed to one another, and not at all different from this quite inconsistent saying: If you fulfill the law, you do not fulfill it; if you do not fulfill it, you fulfill it.

226 Therefore, one must first of all look at what kind of matter Paul is dealing with here, what he is dealing with and how he looks at Moses. But, as I have often said, he is dealing with a spiritual matter that has nothing to do with the world regiment and all laws, and he looks at Moses with different eyes than the hypocrites and the false apostles do, and interprets the law spiritually. Therefore all power lies in the word "do". But to do the law is not merely to do it outwardly, but to do it rightly and perfectly.

227 There are, then, two kinds of law: one is that which deals with the works of the law, against which Paul acts and fights in this whole epistle; the other is that of faith, of which we shall speak shortly. But to be of the law, or to deal with the works of the law, and to be of faith, these are completely opposite things, as the devil and God, sin and righteousness, death and life are opposite. For of the law are those who by the

Those who want to be justified by the law are those who rely on faith to be justified by mercy for Christ's sake alone. He who says that righteousness is of faith curses and condemns the righteousness of works. On the other hand, he who says that righteousness is of the law condemns and curses the righteousness of faith. So they are directly opposed to each other.

He who observes this easily recognizes that doing the law is not merely outwardly, as the hypocrites dream, but in spirit, that is, that one does in truth and perfectly what is commanded in the law. But where will we find such a one who does the law in such a way? Let him be provided for us, and let us praise him. Then our opponents immediately answer Rom. 2:13, "Those who do the law will be righteous." Quite well, but first let us determine who these are who do it. They are called the one who does the work of the law and thus becomes righteous through the preceding works. This is not what Paul means by doing the law, for, as I have said, these are two opposite things, dealing with the works of the law and being of faith. Therefore, to be justified by the works of the law is to deny the righteousness of faith.

Therefore, by doing the law, the saints of works deny the righteousness of faith, and sin against the first, second and third commandments and against the whole law, because God commanded 1) that one should serve Him in faith and in fear of Him. On the other hand, without faith and against faith, they make righteousness out of works. So just by doing the law, they do most against the law and sin most grievously and most grievously, for they deny God's righteousness, mercy, and promises, deny Christ with all His benefits, and set up in their hearts a mere fiction and idol of the law, but not the righteousness of the law which they do not understand, much less

1. Jenaer and Erlanger: praecipit instead of: praecepit.

336 Li-1. 6ai. 1, 366-368. Explanation of Galatians 3, 10. W. VIII, 2104-2108. 337

do. Therefore it is inevitable that by doing the law they not only do not do it, but also sin and deny the divine majesty in all its promises. The law is certainly not given for this.

Therefore, those who do not understand the law abuse it, and as Paul says in Romans 10:3: "They do not know the righteousness that is before God, and seek to establish their own righteousness, and so are not subject to the righteousness that is before God. For they are blind and do not recognize what is to be had from faith and from the promises. That is why they enter into the holy Scriptures completely without any judgment, and take hold of only one part of them, namely the law. They think they can fulfill this with works. But this is a mere dream, an enchantment and deception of the heart, and that righteousness of the law which they think they are fulfilling is in truth nothing but idolatry and blasphemy against God. Therefore, they must necessarily remain under the curse.

Therefore it is impossible that we should fulfill the law in this way, as they dream, much less that we should be justified by it. This is testified first of all by the law itself, which has the completely opposite effect. For it increases sin, incurs wrath, accuses, terrifies, and condemns; how, then, should it make just? Secondly, the promise also proves the same, for it was said to Abraham, "In thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed." Therefore the blessing is nowhere else but in the promise made to Abraham; if you are outside of it, you are and remain under the curse. But if you are under the curse, you do not fulfill the law, because you are under sin, the devil, and eternal death, for all these certainly follow the curse.

In short, if righteousness came through the Law, God's promise would be in vain, and in vain He poured out His blessing. Therefore, because God knew that we cannot do the law, He foresaw this long before the law, and promised the promise to Abraham, saying, "In

to thee shall all nations be blessed," 2c., and thus testified that all nations were to obtain the blessing not by the law but by the promise given to Abraham. Therefore those are cursed who despise the promise, and take the law for the sake of it, that they may be justified by it.

Therefore, "to do the law" is first of all (primum) to believe, and thus to fulfill the law through faith. We must first receive the Holy Spirit, by whom enlightened and renewed we begin to do the Law, that is, to love God and neighbor. The Holy Spirit, however, is not received through the Law (for those who are under the Law, says Paul, are under the curse), but through the preaching of faith, that is, through the promise. We must be blessed with Abraham, and through his faith in the promise. Therefore, first of all, one must hear the promise that holds out Christ and brings him to those who believe; when he is taken in faith, the Holy Spirit is given for his sake. Then God and one's neighbor are loved, good works are done, one takes up one's cross. This is doing the law in truth; otherwise the law remains unfulfilled for eternity.

234 Therefore, if you want to describe clearly what it means to do the law, it is nothing other than to believe in Jesus Christ and, having received the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, to do the works contained in the law. And in no other way can the law be done by us, because the Scripture says that apart from the promise there is no blessing, not even in the law. Therefore, it is impossible for the law to be kept without the promise. There must be the blessing, which is the preaching of Christ promised to Abraham, that through him the race should be blessed. Otherwise we will never do the law.

Therefore, you cannot find a man in the whole world who, apart from the promise of the Gospel, would have this title: a doer of the Law. Therefore, the expression (terminus) "doer of the law" is a fictitious one, which no one understands who is not outside the Law.

338 Li-I. Osl. i, 368-370. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. vin, 2108-2111. 339

and is above the law in the blessing and faith of Abraham, so that a right doer of the law is the one who has received the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ, and begins to love God and to do good to his neighbor, so that the doing includes at the same time the faith that brings about (facit) the tree; when this has come about (qua facta), then fruits grow. For first the tree must be there, then fruits follow. For the fruits do not make the tree, but the tree brings forth the fruits.

236 Thus faith first creates (facit) the person who then does works. Therefore, if a man will do the law without faith, it is called bringing forth fruit without a tree, out of wood and clay; but this is not making fruit, but mere mirages. But when the tree is set, that is, the person or doer, who comes (fit) from faith in Christ, then the works follow. For the doer must be there before the deeds, not the deeds before the doer.

Therefore he is called a doer, not of the works which he has done, but of those which he is yet to do, for Christians are not justified by doing what is right (justa), but, having already been justified by faith in Christ, they do right (justa) works. The other, namely, that someone becomes a doer through deeds, belongs to the worldly life (est politicum), since someone, as Aristotle says, becomes a lute-player by playing the lute often. But in theology, doers do not arise from works, but from persons already prepared (factis) by faith become people who do works. Paul speaks of such people in Rom. 2, 13, when he says: "Those who do the law become righteous", that is, they are counted as righteous.

238 Yes, even the sophists themselves must confess, and they also teach in this way, that a moral work which is done outwardly is hypocritical if it is not done out of a sincere heart, good will and right guidance of reason. And that is why the saying arose among the Germans: The cap

covers many a rogue. For an ungodly man, even the most wicked, can pretend to do the same works that a godly man does by faith. Judas did the same works as the other apostles. What is lacking in the works of Judas, since he does the same things that the other apostles do? Then a sophist answers from his moral philosophy: Although he does the same works that the others do, yet his works, because his person was rejected and what his reason gave him (dictamen) was wrong, are hypocritical and not right works like those of the other apostles, however similar they look to them in outward appearance.

Therefore they themselves must admit that in worldly and external things works do not justify unless there is a righteous heart, good opinion and good will. How much more must they admit this in theology, where above all there must be the knowledge of God and faith that purifies the heart.

240 They walk in the works and righteousness of the law, as Judas did in the works of the apostles, but they do not understand what they say or what they establish. And although Paul everywhere says in clear words that the law does not justify, but only causes wrath, indicates sin, reveals the wrath and judgment of God, and threatens eternal death, they do not see this when they read it, much less understand it. Therefore, they are not worthy to be called hypocrites, but they are larvae and ghosts, and completely bewitched, dreaming that they are righteous by the works of the law. Therefore, as I said, "doers of the law," as they describe it, is a fictitious expression and a monstrosity that does not exist anywhere in reality.

^1^Therefore, when Paul proves this passage, "Those who deal with the works of the law are under the curse," by this saying of Moses, "Cursed be everyone," 2c., he is not proving his case by something that is just contrary to it, as it seems at first sight, but his proof is entirely

1. The following two paragraphs have been added by Menius and otherwise modified.

340 Lri. 1, 37Ü-373. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 10. W. VIII, 2111-2116. 341

right and in the best way. For Moses has the same opinion and claims the same as Paul, saying: "Cursed be everyone who does not do it" 2c. But no one does it. Therefore all those do not do the law who deal with the works of the law. But if they do not, they are under the curse.

242 But since there are two kinds of offenders of the law, as I have said, right and hypocritical, the right must be separated from the hypocritical. The right ones are those who are a good tree by faith before they bear fruit, and the wrongdoers before they do works. Moses also speaks of these, and if they are not of this nature, they are under the curse. But all hypocrites are not of this kind, for they think that they will bring about righteousness by their works, and by them make the person righteous. For they think thus: We sinners and unrighteous want to become righteous. How? By works. Therefore they act just like a foolish master builder who strives to make the foundation out of the roof and the tree out of the fruit. For since they seek to be justified by works, they want to make a valley out of the works, which is contrary to Moses, who subjects such an offender to the curse in the same way as Paul.

Therefore, those who undertake to fulfill the law not only do not keep it, but also, as I have said, deny the first commandment, the divine promises, the promised blessing of Abraham, deny the faith, and seek to bless themselves with their own works, that is, to make righteous, to free from sin and death, to overcome the devil, and to seize heaven by force: that is, to deny God outright and put themselves in God's place. For all these are works of the divine majesty alone, not of a creature, neither of an angel nor of a man.

Therefore, Paul could easily predict from the first commandment that there would be abominations that would be introduced into the church by the Antichrist. For those who teach that apart from the worship of the first commandment, which is fear, faith and love toward God, another worship is necessary for salvation,

They are Antichristi and take the place of God. That such people would come was also foretold by Christ, Matth. 24, 5. where he says: "Many will come in my name, saying: I am Christ.

Thus, today we can also say, as with great ease, so also with complete certainty: Whoever, outside of faith, stabs righteousness by works, denies God and makes himself God, for he thinks this way: If I will do this work, I will be righteous, I will be a victor over sin, death, the devil, God's wrath and hell, and I will obtain eternal life. What, I pray you, is this but presuming the work that is God's alone, and pretending to be God? Therefore, we can easily prophesy, and certainly judge of all those who are outside the faith, that they are not only idolaters, but idols themselves, who deny God and put themselves in God's place. For the same reason Peter also prophesied, when he says 2 Petr. 2, 1.: "There will be false teachers among you, who will deny the Lord who bought them" 2c.

In the Old Testament, too, all prophecies against idolaters flowed from the first commandment. For all godless kings and prophets did nothing else with the unbelieving people than what the pope and all hypocrites always do. For after the first commandment and the worship ordered by God had been set aside, and the promise of the seed of Abraham, the future giver of blessings to all nations, had fallen into contempt, they instituted a godless worship without and against God's word, saying: If this service is observed, we praise and serve GOD who brought us out of Egypt land. So Jeroboam made two golden calves and said 1 Kings 12:28., "Behold, there are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you out of Egypt land." This he said of the true GOtte who had redeemed Israel, and yet they, he and all the people, were idolaters because they served GOt differently than He had commanded in the first commandment.

247. for they looked only at the work which they were doing, and thought that if this was

342 Lri. "ai. 1, 373-375. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. viil, 2115-2118. 343

they would be righteous before God; but that would mean denying the very God of whom they preached with their mouths that He had brought them out of Egypt. Of such idolaters Paul says Tit. 1, 16.: "They say they know GOD, but with their works they deny it."

For this reason, all hypocrites and idolaters undertake to do the works that actually belong to the Godhead, and which belong to Christ alone. They do not say with their mouths: I am God; I am Christ; but in so doing they do indeed arrogate to themselves the deity and office of Christ. Therefore they say with their mouths: I am Christ, I am a savior, not only for myself but also for others. This is what the monks not only taught, but also persuaded the whole world of, namely, that by their hypocritical holiness they could not only make themselves righteous, but also others to whom they would communicate the same, while Christ's own office alone is to make a sinner righteous. Thus the pope, by spreading his divinity over the whole world, completely denied and suppressed the ministry and divinity of Christ.

It is of great use to remember and consider this, for it serves to judge all Christian doctrine and human life; it serves to fortify consciences, to understand all prophecies and sayings of the Scriptures, and to judge all things rightly. For whoever holds on to this can make the certain judgment that the pope is the antichrist, because he teaches a completely different worship than the first tablet presents; he can certainly understand what it is to deny God, to deny Christ, and what Christ means when he says [Matth. 24, 5.j: "Many will come under my name and say, 'I am Christ'"; what it is, "to be an abominable man against God, and to exalt himself above all that is called God or worship"; what it is, the Antichrist "sits in the temple of God and pretends to be God" 2 Thess. 2, 4; what it is Matth. 24, 15, "the abomination stands in the holy place" 2c.

250 All these evils come from the fact that the cursed hypocrisy is not supported by the divine

She does not want to be given the right form by God the Creator, does not want to be a mere suffering material, but wants to work in an active way what she should let God work through suffering and should accept from Him. Therefore, she makes herself the creator and justifier through her works, and despises the blessing promised and given to Abraham and his faithful children.

251 Thus every hypocrite is at the same time the substance which is worked and the workmaster who works it (although this is contrary to philosophy, because one and the same object cannot act against itself); the substance he is because he is a sinner; the workmaster because he puts on a cap or chooses some other work by which he hopes to earn grace and to make himself and others blessed; thus he is at the same time the creature and the creator.

Therefore, no one can say in words what a terrible and cursed thing it is to seek righteousness apart from the blessings of the law and works. For it is the abomination that stands in the holy place, denying God and substituting the creature for the Creator.

Therefore, the doers of the law are not the hypocrites who outwardly do the law, but the believers who, having received the Holy Spirit, fulfill the law, that is, love God and their neighbor, so that a doer of the law is not the one who becomes a doer through works, but the one who becomes a doer through the person who is already prepared through faith. For in theology those who have become righteous do righteous acts, but not also in philosophy, where those who do righteous acts become righteous. Therefore, after we have been justified by faith, we do good works, by which, as it is said in 2 Peter 1:10, our calling and election are established and become more certain day by day.

254 But because we have only the firstfruits of the Spirit, but not yet the fullness (decimas), and there still remain remnants of sin in us, we do not fully fulfill the law.

344 Lri. Kai. 1, 375-377. Explanation of Galatians 3, 10. W. VIII, 2118-2122. 345

common. But this is not imputed to us who believe in Christ, who promised to Abraham and blessed us. Meanwhile, for Christ's sake, we are nurtured and cared for in the bosom of divine patience. We are the wounded man who fell among the murderers, to whom the Samaritan bandaged his wounds, poured in oil and wine, then lifted him up on his animal, led him to the inn and nursed him. But when he departed, he commanded him to the innkeeper, saying, "Tend him well." In the meantime, we are being cared for in a hospital, as it were, until the Lord lays His hand on us a second time, as Isaiah says, so that He may save us Isa. 46:4.

Therefore the saying of Moses, "Cursed be every man that abideth not in all these things," 2c. does not argue against Paul, who declares those to be cursed who deal in the works of the law. For Moses wants to have such a doer, who fulfills the law completely. But where shall we get him? Nowhere do we find such a one. Moses himself confesses that he is not such a one, because he says in Ex 34, 7 that no man is innocent before God, and David Ps 143, 2: "Do not go into judgment with your servant" 2c, and Paul Rom 7, 15: "I do not do what I want" 2c. Therefore Moses, together with Paul, drives us with necessity to Christ, through whom we become offenders of the law and in whom we are not guilty of any transgression. In what way? First, through the forgiveness of sin and the imputation of righteousness for the sake of faith in Christ, then through the gift and the Holy Spirit, who gives birth to a new life in us, new impulses, 2c. so that we also fulfill the law in its essence (formaliter). But what is not fulfilled is forgiven for Christ's sake. Then also what is left of sin is not imputed.

Thus Moses agrees with Paul and has the same opinion, saying, "Cursed be everyone," 2c. because he denies that they do the law, since they want to make themselves righteous by their works, and concludes with Paul that they are under the curse. Therefore, Moses demands righteous doers who are of faith, just as Paul condemns those who are of faith.

who are not true doers, that is, who are not of faith. So there is nothing to prevent Moses from speaking in a negative way (negative), but Paul in an affirmative way (affirmative), if one only explains correctly what is meant by "do". So both sayings are right, namely: that all those are cursed who do not remain in all this 2c., and: that those are cursed who deal with the works of the law.

Answer from the interjections,

which the adversaries raise against the doctrine and righteousness of the faith.

257 Since this passage gives occasion to do so, it is necessary to speak of the objections which the adversaries raise against the doctrine of faith, which is this: that we are justified by faith alone. There are many passages in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments that deal with works and rewards, on which the adversaries rely, and think that through them they can violently overthrow the doctrine of faith that we teach and defend. Therefore, we must be prepared not only to teach our own, but also to answer the objections of the adversaries.

(258) The Sophists, and all who do not hold to the article of justification, know no other righteousness than temporal and legal, which are also known to some extent to the heathen. Therefore they tear out of moral philosophy and law the words "do," "work," and the like, and transfer them to theology, wherein they not only do wrong, but also act quite ungodly. For philosophy and theology must be carefully kept apart.

The Sophists themselves confess and teach that in nature there must be existence (esse) rather than action (operari), for a tree is in nature rather than fruit. Likewise, in philosophy, they admit that a work is not morally good unless there is first a right state of reason and a good will. So they put right reason and good will earlier than good will.

346 dri. 6si. 1, 377-37S. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2122-2126. 347

than the work, thus making the person morally (moraliter) just before the work happens. On the other hand, in theology, where this should happen before anything else (so stupid are the donkeys), they reverse this in the most perverse way and put the work rather than the righteous reason 2c.

Therefore, "to do" is something quite different in nature than in philosophy, and again something different in theology. In nature, first there must be the tree, then the fruit. In moral philosophy, "doing" requires a good will and a reason that is rightly constituted in relation to the action (operandi), and this is where the philosophers stop. Therefore, the theologians say that moral philosophy does not have God as its object and as its final purpose, because Aristotle, or a Sadducee, or a civic good man, calls it a rightly constituted reason, and a good will, when he seeks the common benefit of the state, peaceful life and respectability.

261 A philosopher or a legislator does not go higher; he does not intend to obtain forgiveness of sins and eternal life through righteous reason 2c. like a sophist or a monk. Therefore, a pagan philosopher is far better than such a hypocrite, for he remains within his bounds and has only an honorable life and public tranquility in mind, but does not mix the human and the divine. On the other hand, a sophist imagines that God looks at his good opinion and his works, and therefore mixes the human and the divine, defiles the name of God, and draws this imagination from moral philosophy, only that he abuses it worse than a pagan 2c.

For this reason, in theology we must come much higher with the word "do" than in nature and philosophy, so that it becomes something entirely new. For just as that which is taken out of the domain of nature and transferred to the domain of morality becomes something else, so much more does that which is transferred from philosophy and law to the domain of theology become something else, so that here it has a completely new meaning and also requires a right reason and good will, not in a moral sense,

but in a theological way, that is, that I recognize and believe through the word of the Gospel that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to redeem us from sin and death. There "to do" is something entirely new, unknown to reason, to philosophers, to teachers of the law, and to all men, for it is a wisdom hidden in mystery 2c. Therefore, in theology, a work has faith as its necessary precondition.

263 When the adversaries hold up to you passages of Scripture that deal with the law and works, and insist on the words "work" and "do," you should answer that these are theological words that do not belong to the realm of nature or morals. If they are used in the field of nature or morals, they are understood according to their way, but if they are used in theology, they imply a just reason and a good will, of which human reason cannot comprehend anything.

For this reason, "doing" in theology must always be understood in terms of believing doing, so that believing doing is a different area (circulus) and, as it were, a new realm (quite different) from moral doing. Therefore, when we theologians speak of doing, we must necessarily speak of believing doing, because in theology we have no justified reason and no good will apart from faith.

This rule is beautifully observed in the 11th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. There many and various works of the saints are enumerated from the holy scriptures, as, from David, who killed the lion and the bear and slew Goliath. There, a sophistical ass in bad taste looks only at the outward appearance of the work, like the cow at a new Thor. But this work must be regarded in such a way that you first pay attention to how the person of David was before he did this work, namely in such a way that his heart trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, as the text 1 Sam. 17, 37. clearly says: "The Lord, who delivered me from the lion and the bear, he will also deliver me from this Philistine." After that v. 45-47.: "You

348 Lri. Kai. 1, 379-382. Explanation of Galatians 3, 10. W. VIII, 2128-2129. 349

You come to me with sword, spear and shield; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the testimony of Israel, which you have heard. This day the LORD will deliver thee into mine hand, that I may smite thee, and take away thy head from thee," 2c., "for the LORD helpeth not by sword nor by spear," 2c. So you see that he was righteous and pleasing to God, strong and steadfast in faith, before he did this work. Therefore, David's "doing" is not natural or moral, but faithful.

Thus, the same epistle Heb 11:4 says of Abel that he offered a better sacrifice in faith than Cain. When the sophists come upon this passage, as it is read in the first book of Moses (where it is simply described that both Cain and Abel offered sacrifices, and that the Lord graciously looked upon Abel and his sacrifice), they immediately seize upon these words: "They offered sacrifices, and the Lord graciously looked upon the sacrifice of Abel," and cry out: There you hear and see that God graciously looked upon the sacrifices, so the works make righteous. Thus the unclean swine think that righteousness is only something brought about by a moral act (rem moralem), looking only at the shell of the work, not at the heart of the one who does the work, whereas even in philosophy they must look not at the mere work, but at the good will of the one who does the work. Here, however, they only cling to the words: "they brought sacrifices", "the Lord looked upon the sacrifices", but do not see that the text in the first book of Moses clearly says that the Lord first graciously looked upon the person of Abel, which pleased Him for the sake of faith, and then upon his sacrifices.

Therefore, in theology we speak of the works, sacrifices, gifts and presents that are done in faith (fidelibus), that is, that were offered and done in faith, as the epistle to the Hebrews interprets it, saying: "By faith Abel made a greater sacrifice," [v. 5, "By faith Enoch was taken away," v. 8, "By faith Abraham was obedient," 2c. So you have a rule from the 11th chapter to the Hebrews, how to answer simple-mindedly to the objections raised by the adversaries.

concerning the law and the works, namely: This work has this one or that one done in faith; and thus you solve all their objections.

From this it is evident that in theology a work is of no value without faith, but that faith must precede it before you can do works. For "without faith it is impossible to please God, but he who wants to come to God must believe" Heb. 11:6. Therefore, the author of the letter to the Hebrews says that Abel's sacrifice was better because he believed. Therefore, the work or sacrifice of Abel was of faith (fidele). On the other hand, Cain, because he was godless and a hypocrite, had no faith in grace, but only presumption in his own righteousness, therefore his work, by which he sought to please God, was a hypocritical and unbelieving one. Therefore, the adversaries themselves must admit that in all the works of the saints faith is presupposed, for the sake of which the works are pleasing. Thus, in theology, there is a new action, different from the moral one.

269 Then we also make a distinction between faith in this way, that faith is sometimes taken without a work, sometimes with a work. For just as a craftsman speaks of his material in various ways, and a gardener speaks of a tree, sometimes as it is without fruit (nuda), sometimes as it bears fruit, so also the Holy Spirit in Scripture speaks of faith in various ways, soon (that I say so) of faith in and for itself and without relation to other things (de fide abstracta vel absoluta), soon of faith as it comes into appearance, has to do with other things, or has become flesh (de fide concreta, composita seu incarnata). Faith is then in and of itself, or without relation to other things, when Scripture speaks in and of itself (absolute) of justification or of the justified, as may be seen in the epistle to the Romans and to the Galatians.

270 But when Scripture speaks of rewards and works, it speaks of faith as it relates to other things, coming into manifestation or

350 Lri. Osi. 1, 382-384. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2129-2132. 351

became flesh. Of this faith we will cite several examples, as Gal. 5:6: "Faith worketh by love"; Luc. 10:28: "Do this, and thou shalt live"; Matt. 19:17: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments"; Gal. 3:12: "He that doeth it shall live by it"; Ps. 34:15: "Forsake evil, and do good" 2c. In these and similar passages (which are innumerable in the Scriptures), where the word "do" is mentioned, the Scriptures always speak of faithful doing; so that when they say, "Do this, and thou shalt live," they intend it to be understood in this way: First of all, be careful that you are a believer and have right reason and good will, that is, faith in Christ; if you have this, you may do good works.

What is it to be wondered at, then, if this faith that has become flesh, that is, the faith that does works, as Abel's faith was, or the faithful works are promised merits and rewards? Why then should not the Scriptures speak of faith in such different ways, since they also speak of Christ as God and man in such different ways, namely, sometimes of the whole person, sometimes of his two natures in particular, either the divine or the human? When it speaks of the natures in particular, it speaks of Christ in and for himself (absolute). But when it speaks of the divine nature, which is united with the human nature into one person, it speaks of Christ in his relation to humanity and of him who became flesh (de Christo composito et incarnat).

Among the scholastic theologians, the rule of communication of attributes (de communicatione idiomatum) is quite common, in that the attributes that belong to the divinity of Christ are attached to His humanity, as can be seen everywhere in Scripture. Luc. 2, 11. 13. 14. the angel calls the child born of the virgin Mary the Savior of men and the Lord, both of angels and men, and Cap. 1, 35. "Son of God". Therefore I can say with complete truth: This child, who lies in the manger and in the womb of the virgin, created heaven and earth, he is the HErr of the angels. Here I speak indeed of a

But "man" in this sentence is a completely new word, and stands, as the Sophists themselves confess, for "Godhead"; that is, this God, who became man, created all things. Creation is indeed attributed to the Godhead alone, because mankind cannot create, and yet it is correctly said: Man created, because the Godhead, which alone creates, is united with mankind in the flesh, and therefore mankind participates with the Godhead in the same qualities. Therefore one says rightly and godly: This man Jesus has led Israel out of Egypt, he has defeated Pharaoh and has done all miracles from the beginning of the world 2c.

Therefore, when the Scripture says: "If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments of God," "Do this, and you will live," 2c. one must first see what kind of halls and doings it is talking about. For in these and similar passages, as I have said, she speaks of the faith that appears, not of faith in itself; of faith that has to do with objects, not of mere or simple faith, and the opinion of this passage: "Do this, and thou shalt live" is this: You will live because of this believing doing, or: This doing will give you life only because of faith. In this way, justification is attributed to faith alone, as the creation of the Godhead, and yet, as is rightly said: Jesus, the Son of Mary, created all things, so also justification is attached to faith made flesh or to faithful action. Therefore, it is in no way necessary to hold with the sophists and hypocrites that works justify in and of themselves, and that merits and rewards are promised to moral actions, but only to works that proceed from faith.

274 Therefore let us design the Holy Spirit to speak in the Scriptures either of faith itself, of mere, simple faith, or of that which is manifest, which has to do with other things, which became flesh; all that is added to works is added to faith. For the works need not be moral (mo-

352 Lri. 6ai. 1, 384-386. Explanation of Galatians 3, 10, W. VIII, 2132-2136. 353

raliter), but in a theological way and according to faith.

In theology, faith should always be the divinity of works and should permeate works as the divinity permeates humanity in Christ. He who touches the fire in a red-hot iron touches the iron. He who has touched the skin of Christ has truly touched GOD. Therefore, faith is all in all (factotum that I say so) in works. Abraham is called faithful because faith so permeates the whole Abraham that when I look at him doing works, I see nothing of the carnal or working Abraham, but only of the faithful Abraham's works.

I do this so diligently in order to present the doctrine of faith clearly, but also so that we may be able to answer correctly and easily the objections of the adversaries who mix philosophy and theology together and make theological works out of moral ones. A theological work is a believing work; so also a man in theology (homo theologicus) is a believing man, likewise his reason of a right nature; the good will, taken theologically, is the believing reason and the believing will, so that faith is the Godhead in all things, in the work, in the person, and in the members, as the only cause of justification, which is then also attached to the object with which we have to do, because of the source from which this action proceeds (tribuitur materiae propter formam), that is, the: Works because of faith. Eternal and infinite power is attributed to the man Christ not because of his humanity, but because of his divinity. For the Godhead alone created all things without all cooperation of mankind. Thus mankind also did not overcome sin or death, but the rod, which was hidden under the little worm, over which the devil fell, overcame and devoured the devil, who wanted to devour the little worm. So mankind alone could not have done anything here, but the divinity, which was connected with mankind, did it alone, and mankind for the sake of divinity. Thus, only the

Believe and do all things, and yet the same is added to works, but for the sake of faith.

So these words "do" and "work" are to be taken in a threefold way: in the external essence (substantialiter) or in the field of nature; in a moral way; and in a theological way (the Sophists also invented certain neutral works, which they said were neither good nor evil). In the external essence (substantiis) or nature, and in the field of morals, these words are taken, as I have said, according to their nature and in their natural meaning. In theology, however, these become entirely new words and acquire a new meaning. Therefore, all hypocrites, who want to be justified by the law and have false opinions about God, belong to the moral action; Paul disputes against them here. For they have a doings that flow from a right reason and a good will, which is only moral or human. Therefore their works are only in the realm of morality or rather of reason. On the other hand, the works of the godly are theological, which include faith.

278 Therefore, when you read in the Scriptures about the fathers, the prophets and the kings, that they worked righteousness, raised the dead, conquered kingdoms, 2c. then you should remember that such and similar sayings are to be interpreted according to the new and theological grammar, as the letter to the Hebrews Cap. 11, 33. ff. interprets it, namely in this way: By faith they wrought righteousness, by faith they raised the dead, by faith they conquered kings and kingdoms, so that faith incorporates and informs.

279 And this the adversaries, if they are otherwise in their senses, cannot deny, nor have they anything to say or object to. They can of course cry out that Scripture often speaks of doing and working, but we constantly reply that it speaks of believing. For reason must first be enlightened by faith before it can do works; but when one has the right opinion and knowledge of God, as it were as a

354 Lri. Kai. 1, 386-388. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2136-2139. 355

right reason, then also the work comes into life (incarnatur) and is incorporated into faith, so that everything that is attached to faith can then also be attached to the works, but only for the sake of faith.

280 It is therefore very useful that those who study theology learn to distinguish between right and wrong, moral and theological. For those who do this will easily be able to explain all the passages that seem to establish the righteousness of works. But the right action, as I have said, is the believing or theological action, which he who seeks to attain righteousness from works does not have.

Therefore, everyone who deals with the works of the law (legis operator) and every moral saint is cursed, because he goes against God in presumption of his own righteousness, wanting to be justified by human will and human reason, and in this way does not fulfill the law by fulfilling it. This is what Paul calls "being under the works of the law", that is, that the hypocrites do the law, and yet by their "doing" they do not do it, because they understand doing according to the moral expression (grammaticam), which does not apply in theology. They do many works, but out of their own presumption without righteous reason and without good will as required by theology, that is, without knowledge of God and faith, like the Pharisee, Luc. 18, 11, 12, and Paul before his conversion. Therefore they are blind and err and remain under the curse.

Therefore, I remind you again that the sayings which the adversaries bring up from the Scriptures about works and rewards are always to be interpreted in a theological way by the right theological explanation (by definition). As, when this saying from Daniel is held up to us, Cap. 4, 24: "Loose yourself from your sins by doing good to the poor," one must immediately consult the grammar, not the moral, but the theological one. This will show that this unburdening is not a moral, but a believing one, that is

means that it includes faith. For a work in the holy scriptures also presupposes good will and righteous reason, not the moral, but the theological, which is faith. In this way you can easily shut up the sophists. For they themselves must admit, because they teach thus from Aristotle, that every good work must flow from free choice. If this is true in philosophy, then much more in theology, before a work, the good will and the right reason must be there through faith. And this is the opinion of all imperative words, likewise of all words that teach the law, as the epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 11, 4 clearly states: "Through faith Abel made a greater sacrifice" 2c.

Nevertheless, although this solution would not be sufficient, although it is quite certain, this is still the main argument, and the main attention of Christians should be directed against all challenges and objections, not only of the adversaries, but also of the devil himself, so that they seize the head, namely Christ. Then, even if the sophists are more perspicacious than I am, and so overwhelm and trick me with their arguments for works against faith that I could not wriggle out of it altogether (although this is impossible for them), I would rather give glory to Christ alone and believe in him than be moved by all the passages of Scripture which they might bring up against the doctrine of faith to establish righteousness by works.

Therefore, they must be answered simply like this: Here is Christ, there are the testimonies of the Scriptures concerning the law and works. But Christ is the Lord over the Scriptures and over all works; the same is also the Lord over heaven and earth, over the Sabbath, temple, righteousness, life, wrath, sin, death, and over everything, and of this Paul, his apostle, preaches that he has become sin and a curse for me. So I hear that in no other way could I be done away with sin, death and my curse than through his death and blood. Therefore, I conclude with the utmost certainty

356 ttai. 1, 388 f. II, I f. Executed. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 10. 11. W. VIII, 2139-2143. 357

and most certain, that Christ himself in his body had to overcome my sin, death and curse, not the works of the law or my works.

But reason, as it is by nature, must also applaud this and say that Christ is not a work of the law or my work, that his blood and death is not circumcision, the observance of legal customs, much less a cap, a shorn plate, fasting, vows, that his victory, which he gave me, is not a Carthusian monk. Therefore, if he himself is the ransom for my redemption, if he himself has become sin and a curse to justify and bless me, I ask nothing of all the sayings of the Scriptures, though you raise up a thousand for righteousness by works against righteousness by faith, and cry out that the Scriptures contend against themselves: I have the author and Lord of the Scriptures, on whose side I will rather stand than believe thee; though it is impossible that the Scriptures should be at variance with themselves; this can only take place among the senseless and hardened hypocrites. But with the godly and prudent it bears witness to their Lord. Therefore, see how you reconcile the passages of Scripture that you say are at odds with each other; I remain with the author of Scripture.

286. Therefore, if anyone is not sufficiently equipped to reconcile or account for such passages of Scripture concerning works, and yet has to listen to the vehement speeches of the adversaries, who insist mightily on such passages, simply give this answer: Thou dost (urges) fall upon the servant, that is, the Scriptures, and that not upon the whole Scriptures, nor upon their principal part, but only upon some sayings concerning works; this servant I leave to thee; but I lean upon the Lord, who is the King of the Scriptures, who has become my merit and my ransom for the attainment of righteousness and salvation. I hold on to him and cling to him and leave you the works that you have never done. Neither the devil nor any saint of works can snatch this responsibility from you or overthrow it. Then you are also safe from

GOD. For the heart remains firmly set on the goal, which is Christ, who was crucified and became a curse, not for his sake but for ours, as the text Gal. 3:13 reads, "He became a curse for us." Press upon this passage, and hold it up against all sayings concerning the law and works, and say, Satan, hearest thou not this? Then he must depart, because he knows that Christ is his Lord.

V. 11. But that by the law no one is justified before God is evident, for the just shall live by faith.

This is another reason taken from the testimony of the prophet Habakkuk Cap. 2, 4, and it is a very weighty and clear saying that Paul opposes all sayings about the laws and works, as if he wanted to say so: What need is there of long disputing? Here I bring an exceedingly clear testimony of the prophet, from whom no one can take anything away: "The righteous will live by his faith." If he will live by faith, he will not live by the law, for the law is not of faith; and Paul here takes the word "faith" in an exclusive way and in opposition to law and works (exclusive et per contrarium.) ).

The sophists, as they are ready to distort the Scriptures, make the subtle remarks about this passage: The righteous man lives by faith, but by faith that works (efficaci), that does works, or that has attained its right form through love (formica). The righteous lives by faith, of course, but by faith that works (efficaci), that does works, or that has attained its proper form through love (formata caritate). But if faith does not have such form (informis), it does not justify. They have invented this gloss, and by it they do violence to the words of the prophet.

If by the rightly formed faith they understood the true and theological, or as Paul says, the uncolored faith, which God calls faith, then this gloss of theirs should not be repugnant to me. For then this faith would not be set differently from love, but against the vain opinion of faith; just as we also make a distinction between the fictitious and the true faith. An er-

358 Ari. Kai. II, 2-4. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2143-2147. 359

Dense faith is that which hears of God, of Christ, and of all the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Redemption, and has grasped these things which it has heard, and knows how to speak most beautifully of them; and yet it remains only a mere delusion and a vain hearing, which leaves in the heart only a sound of the Gospel, of which it prattles much; but in truth it is not faith, because it neither renews nor changes the heart, does not produce a new man, but leaves him in his former opinion and change. And this faith is very pernicious, and it would be better not to have it; and a moral world-wise man is better than such a hypocrite who has this faith.

Therefore, if they distinguished the rightly formed faith (fidem formatam) in contrast to the false or invented faith, this distinction of theirs would not be annoying to me. But they speak of the faith that is rightly formed by love, and make a twofold faith, the unformed and the rightly formed ((informem et formatam). This quite harmful and devilish gloss I have to detest most vehemently. For they say: Although there is the infused faith, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and the acquired (acquisita) faith, which we ourselves produce through many acts of faith, yet each of these two is unformed (informis) and receives its right form through love.

Thus, faith without love, as they dream, is, as it were, a painting and a beautiful thing to look at in the dark, which can be seen only when the light that is, love, is added. And in this way, love is the essence (forma) of faith, and faith is the mere substance (materia) on which love works. This means to prefer love to faith and to attribute righteousness not to faith but to love, because that for the sake of which something has a special nature, has itself this nature in a higher degree. Therefore, they do not attribute anything at all to faith, since they attribute righteousness to faith only for the sake of love.

292. then say the trafficers of the evan

The Holy Spirit of Christ, that even the infused faith, which is not obtained by preaching or by any other operation, but which the Holy Spirit creates in man, can exist in mortal sin, and that even the very worst of boys can have it. Therefore he is idle and useless if he is alone, although he does miracles. Thus they take away the office of faith altogether and attach it to love, so that faith is of no value at all unless that which gives it its proper nature (forma) is added, that is, love. Thus, according to this harmful fiction of the sophists, that wretched virtue, faith, will be a kind of unshaped mass (chaos), without works, without efficacy, without life, but only a suffering substance.

All this is blasphemous against God and devilish, completely obscuring and overturning the doctrine of faith, subtracting from the mediator Christ and from the faith that takes hold of him. For if love is the essence (lorma) of faith, as they fool, then I must also immediately assume that love is the main and greatest part of the Christian religion, and so I lose Christ, his blood, his wounds and all his benefits, and remain attached to love and show love, and come into moral action like the pope, a pagan philosopher or a Turk.

But the Holy Spirit, who gives mouth and speech to all men, also knows how to speak. He could well have said, as the sophists fool in an ungodly manner, "The just shall live by the righteous faith. But with good deliberation he has omitted this, and says simply, "The just shall live by his faith." Therefore let the sophists go to the executioner with their impious and pernicious gloss. We want to keep and praise this faith that God has called "faith," that is, the true and certain faith that does not doubt God, nor the divine promises, nor the forgiveness of sins through Christ, so that we can remain secure and confident in the one who matters (objecto), Christ, and keep in mind the suffering and blood of the Mediator and all his benefits. But only the faith that believes in Christ

360 Dri. Oai. II, 4-6. Explanation of Galatians 3, 11. 12. W. VIII, 2I47-2I5I. 361

stum, is the only way to keep these things from coming out of our faces. Therefore, we must reject this pernicious gloss and understand this passage from faith alone. And Paul himself shows this by disputing against faith formed by love (fidem formatam) as follows:

V. 12. But the law is not of faith.

The Sophists say: The righteous lives, if the faith has been formed rightly by love; Paul, however, says: "The law is not of faith. But what is the law? Is it not also a commandment of love? Yes, the law commands nothing but love, as the text itself says Deut. 6:5, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart"; likewise Ex. 20:6, "I do mercy to many thousands that love me"; likewise Matt. 22:40, "In these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." If therefore the law, which enjoins love (caritatem), contends against faith, consequently love is also not of faith. Thus Paul refutes quite clearly the fictitious gloss of the sophists about faith being made right, and speaks of faith alone, setting aside the law. But where the law is removed, love and everything that is of the law is also removed, and only faith remains, which makes righteous and alive.

So Paul takes from an exceedingly clear testimony of the prophet the reason of proof that in the sight of God no one is granted justification and life except the one who believes, who obtains righteousness and life without the law and without love through faith. This is the reason: because the law is not of faith, that is, the law is not faith, nor anything of faith, because it does not believe; neither are the works of the law faith, therefore faith is something distinct from the law, as the promise is something distinct from the law. For the promise is taken, not by doing works, but by believing.

Just as in philosophy the essence and the accidental quality (substantia et accidens) are distinguished from one another by the first division, so also in theology the promise and the law, and consequently also faith and works, are distinguished from one another as far as heaven is from earth.

It is therefore impossible for faith to be of the law, since faith alone is attached to the promise, alone receives and knows God, and has to deal with receiving good from God. On the other hand, the law and the works have to deal with the fact that they demand, 1) do, and give to God, as Abel, by sacrificing, gives to God, but also, by believing, receives from God.

So Paul concludes very strongly from the saying of the prophet Habakkuk that the righteous man lives by faith, and faith alone, because the law has nothing to do with faith. For the law is not a promise, but faith clings to the promise and is based on it. So as law and promise differ, so also works and faith. Therefore, the gloss of the sophists is ungodly and false, since it connects the law with faith, yes, erases faith and puts the law in the place of faith.

But Paul constantly speaks of those who want to do the law in a moral, but not in a theological way. But everything that is said about good theological works is attributed to faith alone.

But the person who does it will live through it.

I understand this part of the saying (particulam) to be said ironically, but I do not want to deny that it can also be interpreted in a moral way (moraliter), because those who do the law as moral people (moraliter), that is, without faith, should live by it, that is, should not be punished, but should receive bodily rewards through it. But I take this passage quite generally like this

1. exiMnäo is missing in the Jenaer and in the Erlanger.

362 Lri. Kai. II, 6-8. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2ISI-2IS4. 363

Christ's saying (Luc. 10, 28.]: "Do this and you will live", that it is a kind of irony or mockery: Yes, just do it!

But Paul wants to show here what exactly and actually is the righteousness of the law and that of the gospel. The righteousness of the law is: to do the law, according to this word: "The man who does it" 2c. The righteousness of faith is: to believe, according to this word: "The righteous shall live by his faith." That is why the law requires us to perform GOtte. But faith does not demand works from us, or that we should perform anything for God, but that we, as people who believe the promise of God, should receive from Him. Therefore, the office of the law, where it comes highest, is to do works; the office of faith, to assent to the promises, because faith is a belief in the promise; a work is a work of the law.

Thus Paul dwells at length on the word "do" in order to show clearly which is the righteousness 1) of the law and which is that of faith; he contrasts the promise and the law, faith and works. He says that nothing else follows from the law than doing; faith, however, is something completely opposite, namely, it agrees with the promise.

304 Therefore these four pieces must be distinguished from each other in the most complete way. For just as the law, so also the promise has its proper office. To the law belongs "to do," to the promise "to believe. So far, then, as the law and the promise, so far are doing and believing distinguished, even though you wanted to understand doing in a theological way. For Paul is dealing with something different here. He insists here on the distinction between doing and believing, in order to separate love from faith, and to explain that only faith justifies, because the law, whether it is done in a moral or theological way or not at all, does not contribute at all to justification, since the law is only directed to "doing", but faith is not of this kind, but something completely different, which is required beforehand,

1. Here the Wittenberg has erroneously: fiducia instead of: justitia.

before the law can happen; if that is present beforehand, then a beautiful union (incarnatio) of faith and action can take place.

(305) Therefore faith justifies forever and makes alive, and yet it does not remain alone, that is, idle; not that it should not remain alone on its scale and in its office, because it justifies forever alone, but it takes on flesh (incarnatur) and becomes man, that is, it is not and does not remain idle or without love.

Thus Christ, according to the Godhead, is a divine and eternal being (substantia) or nature without beginning; but mankind is the nature that was created in time. These two natures in Christ are unmingled and unmixed, and what is peculiar to each must be understood differently from the other. It is proper to humanity that it began in time; it is proper to divinity that it is eternal, without beginning; and yet these two come together, and divinity, which has no beginning, is incorporated into humanity, which has a beginning. How, then, I must distinguish between humanity and Deity, and speak: Mankind is not the Godhead, and yet man is GOOD, so I distinguish here: Faith is not the law, and yet faith does works. So faith and works come together in a union (in composito), and yet each has and retains its nature and proper office. There you have the reason why Paul cites this passage here, namely, in order to distinguish faith from love in the broadest sense.

Therefore, let us continue (pereant) with the sophists with their accursed gloss, and let us condemn this word "the formed faith" (fides formata), and let us constantly say that these words: the formed faith, the unformed faith, the acquired faith (fides formata, informis, acquisita) 2c. are the devil's monstrosities, which have been brought up to corrupt doctrine and the Christian faith, to blaspheme and trample on Christ, and to establish the righteousness of works. This is what we want to say (I say), so that we may have the true and right faith.

364 Dri. 6-u. II, 8-10. Explanation of Galatians 3, 12. W. VIII, 2I54-21S7. 365

can be obtained without the works. Works must follow faith, but faith must not be works, nor works faith; the boundaries and the realm of the law, or of works and faith, should not be mixed together, but both should be distinguished from each other in the most proper way.

Therefore, if we believe, we live simply by faith in Christ, who is without sin, who, to put it briefly, is our covering, our mercy seat, and our forgiveness of sins. On the other hand, if we do the law, we do works, but we do not have righteousness and life. For the purpose of the law is not to justify and make alive, but to signify sin and to kill. The law does say: "The man who does these things will live by them"; but where is such a man who does the law, that is, who loves God with all his heart 2c. and his neighbor as himself? So no one does the law, no matter how hard he tries to do it; but by doing it he does not do it, so he remains under the curse. But faith does not "do," but believes in Christ, who justifies. Therefore a man lives not for his doing, but for his faith. The believer, however, does the law; but what he does not do is given to him for Christ's sake through the forgiveness of sins, and whatever sin remains is not imputed to him.

So Paul compares the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith in this passage and Romans 10:4, 5, by saying, "The man who does it will live by it," as if to say, "It would be good if we did the law, but because no one does it, we must flee to Christ, who is the end of the law; he who believes in Him is righteous. He was put under the law so that he might redeem us who were under the law Gal. 4:5. If we believe in him, we receive the Holy Spirit and begin to do the law. But what we do not do is not counted to us because of faith in Christ. In the life to come, however, we will no longer need faith, because we will no longer see God through a mirror in a

We will not see the dark words as we do now, but face to face, that is, there will be the clarity of eternal glory, in which we will see God as He is. There will then be a right and perfect knowledge and love towards God, a right reason and good will, not a moral or theological one, but a heavenly, divine and eternal one. Meanwhile, in this life we await in the spirit through faith the righteousness that must be hoped for. On the other hand, those who seek forgiveness of sins through the law, not through Christ, never do the law, but remain under the curse.

So Paul calls only those righteous who are justified without the law by the promise or by faith in the promise. Therefore, "doing the law" is a fictitious thing that means nothing apart from faith. Therefore, those who deal with the works of the law, and want to be counted as doing the law, do not do it, because the apostle simply concludes that all who deal with the works of the law are under the curse, under which they would not be if they did the law.

It is true that the man who does it will live, that is, he will be blessed; but such a man is nowhere to be found. But since the custom of the law is twofold, civil and spiritual, whoever wishes may understand this saying in a civil way: "He who does it will live by it," that is, if a man obeys the authorities outwardly and in the worldly regiment, he will escape punishment and death. The worldly authorities have no right over him to subject him to punishments or to kill him, but let him live unpunished. This is the worldly custom of the law, which serves to keep the rough people in check.

But Paul is not dealing with this usage here, but treats this passage in a theological way. Therefore, a condition is necessarily included, as if he said: If men could do the law, they would be blessed. But where are they? Therefore, there are no doers of the law, when

366 Li-I. SLi. II, 10-12. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2157-2163. 367

they are not first justified by faith, before the law and without the law.

Therefore Paul, when he curses and condemns those who deal with the works of the law, does not speak of those who are justified by faith, but of those who seek to be justified by works without faith in Christ. I say this for the sake of not following the conceit of St. Jerome, who, deceived by Origen, understood nothing at all in Paul, but regarded him as a civil teacher of the law. Therefore he concludes thus: The holy patriarchs, prophets and kings were circumcised and sacrificed, thus they observed the law. But it would be ungodly to say that they are and remain under the curse, so not all who do the works of the law are under the curse. Thus he falls upon Paul's writings without any judgment and makes no distinction between the right doers of the law, who are justified by faith, and the doers of works, who seek to be justified by the law without faith.

But Paul does not act here against those who are justified by faith and are true doers, because they are not people "who deal in the works of the law," but against those who not only do not keep the law, but also sin against it. For the law commands that we fear, love and serve God in faith; this they do not do, but choose new services and works which God has not commanded, by which God is not reconciled, but only more irritated, according to the words Matt. 15:9: "In vain do they serve me, because they teach such doctrines as are nothing but the commandments of men." They are therefore unrighteous, robbers of God and idolaters, who above all others sin exceedingly grievously against the first commandment. Then they also have evil lusts, wrath and other exceedingly great passions. In short, there is nothing good about them, except that they are outwardly righteous in appearance and want to be respected for doing the law.

^1^) 315. Thus we, too, who have gone through the

1. Here Menius has again inserted a whole paragraph of which there is nothing in the Latin.

We are justified by faith, like the patriarchs, prophets, and all the saints, not by "the works of the law," as far as justification is concerned. But as long as we are in the flesh and still have the remnants of sin in us, we are under the law (but not under the curse, because what is left of sin is not imputed to us for the sake of Christ in whom we believe). For the flesh is under the law of God, and the evil desire that still remains in us not only does not fulfill the law, but also sins against it, even contends against us and takes us captive and makes us slaves, Rom. 7:23.

316. But if in the saints the Law is not fulfilled, but many things are done contrary to the Law, since they still have evil air, and remnants of sin and many yeasts remain, which prevent them 2) from fully fearing and loving God, from calling upon Him with certain confidence, not praising God enough and not holding His word in due honor (venerentur), how much more is this true in a person who is not yet justified by faith and turned away from God, who with all his heart neglects, despises and hates God's word and work!

317 You see that Paul is speaking of those who want to fulfill the law and attain righteousness before they have received faith, but not of the fathers and saints, as Jerome imagines, who have already been justified by faith.

V. 13. But Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law when he became a curse for us (for it is written: Cursed be every man that hangeth on the tree 2c.).

318 Here Jerome and the sophists who followed him again toil very hard, and they grind down this passage, which is exceedingly consoling, most miserably, and, as they think, out of a godly zeal, they anxiously take care that they do not allow this dishonor to be done to Christ, that he should be called a curse or a malediction. In this way they make this

2. Instead of 60 in the Erlanger is to be read with the Wittenberger and Jena eos.

368 Lri. II, I2-IS. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 3, 13, W. VIII, 2163-2166. 369

They have therefore said, no less maliciously (sceleste) than ungodly, that this passage of Scripture argues against itself in Paul, which it does not do in its original place.

This is what they try to prove: The saying of Moses (they say), which Paul cites here, does not speak of Christ. Furthermore, Moses does not add the general word "everyone" that Paul has. On the other hand, Paul omits the word "of God" which is in Moses. Finally, it is quite obvious that Moses is speaking of an evildoer or a murderer who deserved the cross with his evil deeds, as the Scriptures in the 5th book of Moses Cap. 21, 22 clearly testifies. Therefore, they ask how this saying can be applied to Christ, that he is a cursed of God, hung on a wood, since he is not an evildoer or a murderer, but righteous and holy.

320 This might move inexperienced people who think that the sophists not only spoke these things astutely, but also in a godly opinion, thereby defending the honor of Christ and admonishing Christians of godly minds not to think that Christ has become a curse in an ungodly way: (religious) minds that they should not think in an ungodly way that Christ has become a curse. Therefore, we must see what Paul's intention and opinion was.

321 Paul has well fortified his words and spoken them clearly. But here again a difference must be made, as Paul's words sufficiently indicate. For he does not say that Christ became a curse for himself, but "for us". So the emphasis is on the word "for us". For Christ, as far as his person is concerned, is innocent, and therefore should not have been hanged on the wood. But because according to the law every murderer should be hanged, Christ also had to be hanged according to the law of Moses, because he had taken upon himself the person of a sinner and murderer, and not of one, but of all sinners and murderers. For we are sinners and murderers, and therefore guilty of death and eternal damnation. But Christ took all our sins upon himself and died for them on the cross. Therefore he had to be an evil

and, as Isaiah, Cap. 53, 12, says, "will be counted among the evildoers.

^1^All the prophets saw this in their minds, that Christ would be the greatest of all evildoers, murderers, adulterers, thieves, robbers of God, blasphemers, whose like never existed in the world. Because he is the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, he is now no longer an innocent person and without sins, no longer the Son of God, born of the virgin, but a sinner who has and bears the sin of Paul, who was a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent man; of Peter, who denied Christ; of David, who was an adulterer and murderer, and made the Gentiles blaspheme the name of the Lord 2 Sam. 12:14 In short, He who took upon Himself all the sins of all men and bore them in His body, not because He Himself committed them, but because He took upon His body the sins we have committed, that He might be sufficient for them in His own blood.

For this reason, the general law of Moses also includes him, although he is innocent in his own person, because it finds him among sinners and murderers, just as the authorities consider him guilty and punish him whom they seize among murderers, although he has never committed anything evil or worthy of death. Christ, however, was not only found among sinners, but he also voluntarily and according to the will of the Father wanted to be the companion^2^ of sinners, and took upon himself the flesh and blood of those who are sinners and murderers and laden with all sins. Since the law found him among the murderers, it condemned him as a murderer and put him to death.

324 This knowledge of Christ and this most sweet consolation, that Christ has become a curse for us, so that he may save us from the curse, is the most important thing.

1. This and the two following paragraphs find (in the translation of Menius) used by Aurifaber for § 41 of the 7th chapter of the Tischreden. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.
2. Latin: 806iu8. In the Wittenberg edition, due to a printing error, "Geisel" is written instead of: "Gesel". This error has passed into all other German editions. Aurifaber, however, expands this expression in the Tischreden I. e. and writes: "der Sünder Geißel und selbschüldiger Bürge und Pfand."

370 Dri. vai. II, 15-17. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2166-2171. 371

The sophists deprive us of the salvation of the law by separating Christ from sins and sinners and presenting him to us only as an example to be followed. In this way they not only make Christ useless to us, but also present him as a judge and tyrant who is angry about sins and condemns sinners. We, however, must include (involvere) Christ under the curse and recognize that just as he is wrapped (involutum) in our flesh and blood, so also our sins, our curse, our death and all our evil are on him.

325. But someone wants to say: It is very unrighteous and disgraceful to call the Son of God a sinner and a curse. I answer: If you deny that he is a sinner and a curse, deny also that he suffered, was crucified and died. It is no less unreasonable to say that the Son of God (as our faith confesses and prays) was crucified, endured the penalties of sin and death, than to call him a sinner or a cursed man. But if it is not unreasonable to confess and believe that Christ was crucified among murderers, neither can it be unreasonable to say that he was a cursed man and a sinner above all sinners.

Surely these are not empty words in Paul: "Christ became a curse for us" Gal. 3:13. "God made Christ, who knew of no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become in Him the righteousness that is before God." 2 Cor. 5, 21.

In the same way, John the Baptist calls him "the Lamb of God who bears the sins of the world. True, he is innocent because he is the unblemished and blameless (incontaminatus) Lamb of God, but because he bears the sins of the world, his innocence is burdened with the sins and guilt of the whole world. All the sins that I, you, and all of us have done and will do in the future are Christ's own sins, just as if he had done them himself. In short, our sin must become Christ's own sin, or we must be lost for eternity.

This right knowledge of Christ, which Paul and the prophets taught very clearly, has been obscured by the godless sophists.

Isaiah in the 53rd chapter speaks of Christ. He says v. 6.:. "GOD cast on him all our sin." We must not empty these words, but let them remain in their proper meaning. For GOD is not joking with the words of the prophet, but is speaking seriously and out of great love, namely, that this Lamb of GOD, Christ, should bear the sin of us all. But what does bear mean? The sophists answer: to be punished. Very well. But why is Christ punished? Is it not because he has sin and bears it? But that Christ has sin, the Holy Spirit also testifies in the 40th Psalm, v. 13: "My sins have taken hold of me, that I cannot see; they are more than hairs of my head." And Ps. 41:5: "I said, Lord, be merciful unto me, heal my soul: for against thee have I sinned." And Ps. 69, 6. "God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my debts are not hid from thee." In these Psalms the Holy Spirit speaks in the person of Christ and testifies in revealed words that He has sins. But these testimonies of the Psalms are not words of the innocent, but of the suffering Christ, who took it upon himself to stand in the person of all sinners, and therefore he became guilty of the sins of the whole world.

Therefore, Christ was not only crucified and died, but through the love of God, sin was also laid on Him. But after sin was laid upon him, the law came and said, "Every sinner must die. Therefore, if you, Christ, want to be a guarantor, to be guilty and to bear the punishment for sinners, you must also bear the sin and the curse. Paul therefore quite rightly cites the general law from Moses of Christ Deut. 21, 23: "Everyone who hangs on the wood is cursed by God"; Christ hung on the wood, therefore Christ is cursed by God.

331 And this is the highest comfort of the godly, that Christ should put on mine, thine, and all the world's sin, and wrap himself in it, and that we should see that he bears all our sins, seeing that, when he is thus regarded, he easily removes the sophists' rapturous opinions of justification by works. For they dream

372 Lii. ri, n-20 . Explanation of Galatians 3, 13, W. vin, 2171-2174. 373

A faith formed by love and claiming that through it sins are taken away and men are justified, which is nothing other than pulling Christ completely out of sins and winding him up and making him innocent, while we ourselves are weighed down and overwhelmed with our own sins and do not want to see them in Christ but in ourselves; this is in truth taking Christ away and making him useless.

For if it is true that we take away sins by works of the law and by love, Christ does not take them away. But if he is the Lamb of God, predestined from eternity to take away the sins of the world, and then voluntarily wrapped himself in our sins in such a way that he became a curse for us, then it necessarily follows that we cannot become righteous and take away sins through love. For God did not put our sins on us, but on His Son Christ, so that we, having the punishment on Him, would have peace, and we would be healed by His wounds Is. 53, 5. Therefore they cannot be taken away by us, and all Scripture testifies to this, and we also confess and pray it in the Christian faith when we say: I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who suffered, was crucified and died for us.

333. From this it is evident that the teaching of the Gospel, the most lovely teaching of all, and which is so exceedingly full of the richest consolation, does not preach of our works or of the works of the law, but of the incomprehensible and inexpressible mercy and love of God toward us unworthy and lost people, namely, that the merciful Father, seeing that we were oppressed by the curse of the law and held so low that even with our powers we could never have delivered ourselves from it, sent his only begotten Son into the world, and laid on him all the sins of all men, saying: You shall be Peter who denied; Paul who persecuted, blasphemed and did violence; David who broke marriage; the sinner who ate the apple in paradise; the thief on the cross: in short, you shall be the person who did all the sins of all men.

so remember to pay and provide enough for them.

334 Then cometh the law, saying, I find him to be a sinner, and such a one as hath taken upon him the sins of all men, and moreover I see no sin but of him alone; therefore let him die upon the cross: and so it assaileth him, and putteth him to death.

Since this has happened, the whole world has been cleansed of all sins and atoned for, and thus also freed from death and all evil. Now that sin and death have been taken away by this one man, God could see nothing else in the whole world, especially if it believed, but pure purity and righteousness, and even though some remnants of sin remained, God would not see them before that sun, 1) Christ.

336 Thus we must magnify the article of Christian righteousness against the righteousness of law and works, though there is no language or eloquence that can properly comprehend it, much less explain its greatness.

Therefore, the reason Paul gives here is exceedingly powerful, and the highest of all against all righteousness of the law. For it contains this insurmountable and irrefutable contradiction: If the sins of the whole world are on this One Man Jesus Christ, then they are not out of the world; but if they are not on Him, then they are still in the world. Likewise, if Christ Himself has become guilty of all the sins we have all committed, then we are absolved of all sins, but not by us, by our works or merits, but by Him. But if he is innocent and does not bear our sins, we bear them and will die in them and be condemned. But thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

But now let us see how in this person two completely opposite things come together. It is not only my sins, yours and the past, present and future sins of the whole world that attack him and seek to condemn him, as they do.

1. Wittenberger: solo instead of: solo.

374 Lri. OLi. II, 20-22. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2174-2178. 375

But because in this very person, who is the highest, greatest and only sinner, there is also eternal and unconquerable righteousness, these two fight with each other, the highest, greatest, only sin and the highest, greatest and only righteousness. Here, one of the two must necessarily give way and be overcome, since they run against each other with the highest impetuosity and collide.

So the sin of the whole world throws itself with the highest impetuosity and rage on justice. What happens? Justice is eternal, immortal and invincible. Sin is also an exceedingly powerful and cruel tyrant who rules and reigns over the whole earth and makes all men prisoners and slaves. In short, sin is a very great and mighty god, who rules over the whole human race, all the learned, the holy, the mighty, the wise and the unwise. Mighty, wise, and unlearned 2c. cast out (exhaurit). This one, I say, runs against Christ and wants to devour him like all others. But he does not see that he is a person of unconquerable and eternal righteousness. Therefore, sin must of necessity be overcome and killed in this duel, and righteousness must be victorious and live. Thus, in Christ, all sin is conquered, killed and buried, and righteousness remains victor and ruler forever.

Thus death, which is the almighty ruler of the whole world, which kills kings, princes, and all men, fights against life with all its might, in order to defeat and devour it; and of course, that which it strives for, it also accomplishes. But because life is immortal, it, having been defeated, emerges victorious, defeats and kills death. The church sings beautifully about this wonderful duel:

Death and life have quarreled at the same time in Christ. Death > overcame life. But life retained victory at hand, so that now death > lies slain, life reigns eternally in God. 1)

1. Thus these verses are found in Menius. Latin: Mors et vita duello conflixere mirando. Dux vitae mortuus regnat vivus.

Therefore, through Christ death has been overcome and taken away in the whole world, so that now there is only a painted death, which, having lost its sting, cannot harm those who believe in Christ, since he has become the death of death, as Hosea sings: "Death, I will be a poison to you.

342. The curse, which is God's wrath on the whole world, has the same struggle against the blessing, that is, against the eternal grace and mercy of God in Christ. So the curse fights with the blessing, and wants to condemn it and make it completely null and void, but it cannot. For the blessing is divine and eternal, therefore the curse must give way to it. For if the blessing in Christ could be overcome, God Himself would be defeated. But this is impossible. Therefore Christ, the divine power, overcomes righteousness, blessing, grace and life, and destroys those monsters, sin, death and the curse, without weapons and battles, in his body and through himself, as Paul likes to speak, saying Col. 2, 15.: "He has stripped the principalities and the mighty, and made a triumph of them through himself", so that they can no longer harm the believers 2c.

343 And this circumstance, that he does it "by himself," makes this duel exceedingly wonderful and glorious. For it shows that these great things (namely, that the curse, sin, and death are destroyed, and blessing, righteousness, and life take their place) must be accomplished in this one person of Christ, and that thus through him the whole creature is changed. Therefore, when you look at this person, you see that sin, death, the wrath of God, hell, the devil and all evil have been overcome and killed.

344 Therefore, if Christ reigns in the hearts of believers by his grace, there is no sin, no death, no curse. But where Christ is not recognized, these remain. Therefore, all those who do not believe lack this benefit and victory. For, as John says 1 Ep. 5, 4, "our faith is the victory." This is the main article of the Christian doctrine, which the Sophists completely undercut.

376 D'I- (-^I. II, 22-24. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 13, W. VIII, 2178-2182. 377

and which is nowadays darkened anew by the enthusiasts.

345 And here you see how necessary it is to believe and confess the article of the divinity of Christ. When Arius denied this, he necessarily had to deny the article of salvation as well. For to overcome the sin of the world by oneself, the death, the curse and the wrath of God, is not the work of any creature, but of the divine power. Therefore, he who overcame this by himself must be truly and by nature God. For this exceedingly great power (sin, death, the curse), which prevails in the world and in all creatures, must be opposed by another, higher power, which cannot be found or be anywhere else than in God.

346 Therefore, to put away sin, to destroy death, to take away the curse by himself, and to give righteousness, to bring life to light, to give blessing, that is, to make those things void and to create these things: these are works of divine power alone. But because the Scriptures ascribe all these things to Christ, therefore he himself is the life, the righteousness, and the blessing, who is by nature and essentially GOD. Therefore, those who deny the divinity of Christ eventually lose all Christianity and become completely pagans and Turks.

347 Therefore, as I often remind you, the doctrine of justification must be diligently learned. For in it are comprehended all the other articles of our faith, and if it is right with that, it is right with all the others. Therefore, when we teach that men are justified by Christ, that Christ is the victor over sin, death and the eternal curse, we also testify that he is God by nature.

From this it is sufficiently clear how frightfully blind and godless the papists have been, that they have taught that those terrible and exceedingly powerful tyrants (sin, death, curse), which sweep away the whole human race, must be overcome, not by the righteousness that comes from the divine law (which, however, if it is

(For if a man, who is also righteous, good and holy, can do nothing but be cursed), but by the righteousness of human works, such as fasting, pilgrimages, rosaries, vows 2c. Who, I pray thee, has ever been found, who, having put on this armor, could have conquered sin, death 2c.? Paul describes in the letter to the Ephesians Cap. 6, 11. ff. a completely different armor, which one should use against these extremely cruel beasts.

349. Namely, just because the blind and the leaders of the blind have thrown us defenseless without the armor of God before this invincible and omnipotent tyrant, they have not only handed us over to him to devour us, but have also made us ten times greater and worse sinners than murderers and harlots are. For it belongs to the divine power alone to destroy sin, to destroy death, to establish righteousness and to give life. This divine power they ascribed to our works, saying: If you do this or that work, you will overcome sin, death and the wrath of God, and so in truth they put us in God's place and made us, so to speak, truly and essentially God. And by this the papists have shown that under the name of Christians they have been seven times worse idolaters than the pagans. For what has happened to them is what happens to the sow that rolls in the fire again after the flood, and, as Christ says Luc. 11, 24-26.: When a man has fallen away from the faith, the evil spirit returns to the house from which it was driven out, and takes seven other spirits to itself, which are worse than itself, and dwells there, and afterwards becomes worse with the same man than before.

350 We should therefore receive with thanksgiving and certain confidence this most lovely and comforting doctrine, which teaches that Christ, who has become a curse for us (that is, a sinner subject to the wrath of God), takes on our person and puts our sins from his shoulders, saying: I have committed the sins that all men are guilty of.

378 Oai. II, 24-27. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2182-2186. 379

let. Therefore he became in truth a curse according to the law, not for himself, but, as Paul says, "for us". For if he had not taken upon himself my sin, your sin, and the sin of all the world, the law would have had no right to him, since it only condemns sinners and keeps them under the curse. Therefore, he could not have become a cursed man, nor die, since the cause of the curse and death is the sin from which he was free. But because he had taken our sins upon himself, not forced, but voluntarily, he had to bear the punishment and wrath of God, not for his person, which was righteous and for sin invincible, therefore that person could not become guilty, but for our person.

Thus, for our good, he changed with us and took our sinful person and gave us his innocent and victorious person. Clothed and clothed with this, we are freed from the curse of the law, because Christ himself willingly became a curse for us.

352. He says: I am blessed for my person, both according to humanity and according to the Godhead, and have no need of any thing at all, but I will express myself (exinanibo) Phil. 2, 7.), will take your garment and your form (larvam), that is, human nature, and will walk in it and suffer death to deliver you from death. And therefore, since he bore the sin of the whole world in our likeness, he was seized, suffered, was crucified, died, and became a curse for us. But because he was a divine and eternal person, it was impossible that death could have held him. Therefore, on the third day he rose again from death and now lives forever, and in him no sin, no death, and our likeness is found any more, but only righteousness, life and eternal blessing.

We must look at this image and grasp it with firm faith. Whoever does this has this innocence and this victory of Christ, however great a sinner he may be. But this image cannot be grasped by love, which is in our will (voluntate dilectionis), but only by reason, which is enlightened by faith.

So we are justified by faith alone, because faith alone takes hold of this victory of Christ. Now if you believe this, you have it. If you believe that sin, death and the curse have been taken away, they have been taken away, because Christ has conquered and taken them away in himself and wants us to believe that, just as in his person there is no longer any form of the sinner, no longer any trace of death, so also in our person there is no longer anything of this, since he has accomplished everything for us. 2c.

354 Therefore, if sin frightens you, if death terrifies you, think that it is a vain specter and deception of the devil, as it certainly is. For indeed there is no more sin, no more curse, no more death, no more devil, because Christ has overcome and done away with all these things.

355 Therefore, the victory of Christ is quite certain, and there is no lack in this matter, since it is certainly true, but the lack is due to our unbelief. For it is difficult for reason to believe such priceless goods. Then there is also the devil and the spirits, who only deal with this one thing, that they darken and take away this teaching from us, the one with fine poisonous arrows, the other with their perverse and godless teaching. And mainly for the sake of this article, which we so diligently pursue, we endure the hatred and persecution of Satan and the world. For Satan feels how powerful this article is and how great benefits it creates.

356. But that, since Christ now reigns, there is indeed no more sin, no more death, no more curse, we also confess daily in the Apostles' Creed, when we say: "I believe in a holy church," which is nothing at all different from saying: I believe that there is no sin, no death in the church, because those who believe in Christ are not sinners, not guilty of death, but absolutely holy and righteous, masters of sin and death, and people who live forever. But this only faith sees, because we say, "I believe a holy church." But if you consult your reason and your eyes, you will judge quite differently. For you see

380 II, 27-29. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 13, W. VIII, 2186-2189. 381

many things about the godly that annoy you; you see how they sometimes fall, sin, are weak in faith, how they still have anger, envy and other evil inclinations about them. From this you want to conclude: So the church is not holy. But I deny the inference. If I look at my person or that of my neighbor, the same will never be holy. But if I look at Christ, who sanctifies and purifies the church, it is completely holy. For he has borne the sins of the whole world.

For according to Paul's theology, there is no more sin in the world, no more death, no more curse, but out of Christ, who is the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world, who became a curse that He might deliver us from the curse.

According to worldly wisdom and reason, sin, death and curse are nowhere else than in the world, in the flesh or in sinners. For a sophistical theologian cannot speak of sin in any other way than a pagan philosopher, namely thus: The quality is attached to the essence or the object; just as therefore the color is attached to the wall, so sin is attached to the world, the flesh or the conscience. Therefore it must be eradicated by the opposite motus, namely by love.

True theology teaches that there is no longer any sin in the world, because Christ, on whom the Father cast the sins of the whole world (Is 53:6), overcame them in his body, eradicated them and killed them. He died once to sin, but having been raised from the dead, he dies no more Rom. 6:9. Therefore, wherever there is faith in Christ, sin has in truth been taken away, died and been buried. But where there is no faith in Christ, sin remains. Although there are still remnants of sin in the saints, because they do not believe perfectly, 2c. they are dead, because they are not imputed for the sake of faith in Christ.

^1^) 360. So this is the highest and ge-

1. This and the following paragraphs are written by Aurifaber (in an extremely free revision of the Ueber

This is the most important reason for Paul's insistence against righteousness by works: Not the law, not the works redeem from the eternal curse, but Christ. Therefore, for God's sake, dear Christian reader, I ask you to distinguish Christ from the law, and to pay careful attention to what and how Paul speaks. He says: Necessarily all are under the curse who do not do the law; but no one does it, so the first sentence is true, that all men are under the curse. Then he adds the second sentence: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law when he became a curse for us, so the law and works do not redeem us from the curse, but rather subject us to the curse, so love, of which the Sophists say that it gives faith its proper form (informare), not only does not redeem us from the curse, but only pushes us and brings us more into it.

As Christ is something different from the law and the works of the law, so also the redemption of Christ is something far different from my merit from the works of the law, because Christ himself had to redeem us from the curse of the law. Therefore, all remain under the curse who do not take hold of Christ in faith. For even the sophists are not so foolish as to say that Christ is our work or love. For Christ is something far different than a work that we do. No pope, however great he may be, will dare to say that the alms he gives to a poor man, the obedience a monk pays, is Christ. For Christ is God and man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary 2c. But of this Paul says that he became a curse for us, that he might redeem us from the curse of the law. So the law, works, love, vows 2c. do not redeem us, but push us deeper into it and only weigh us down more with the curse. Thus, the more we have been occupied with works, the less we are able to recognize and grasp Christ.

362. But Christ is seized, not by setting Menius) is used for the last part of § 40 of the 7th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

382 kri. "Li. II, 29-31. interpretations On the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2189-2192. 383

the law, not by works, but by reason or intellect enlightened by faith, and this grasping of Christ by faith is actually the contemplative life (of which the sophists prate much, but they know not what they speak), and this contemplation (speculatio) by which Christ is grasped, is not the foolish conceit of the sophists and the monks who 'deal with wonderful things that are too high for them, but is the theological, believing and divine contemplation of the serpent hung on the pole, that is, of Christ hanging on the cross for my, your and the whole world's sins. It is therefore evident that faith alone justifies.

363 But after we have been justified by faith, we go out into the active (activam) life. In this way, the Sophists could have properly distinguished between the contemplative and the active life, if they had called the former the gospel and the latter the law, that is, if they had taught that the contemplative life must be enclosed in God's word and guided by it, and that nothing must be considered in it but the word of the gospel, but that the active life must flow from the law, which the Christian does not grasp, but practices in works of love toward his neighbor.

Here, then, is a clear text that all men, even the apostles and prophets and patriarchs, would have remained under the curse if Christ had not opposed sin, death, the curse of the law, the wrath and judgment of God, and overcome them in his body (for these cruel monsters could not be overcome by any human power). Now Christ is not the law, he is not a work of the law, he is not a deed produced by human will (actus elicitus), but he is a person who is true God and true man, who took sin, the condemnation of the law and death upon himself, not for himself, but "for us". Therefore, the whole emphasis lies on the word: "for us".

Therefore, we do not have to think of Christ as an innocent and private person.

(as the Sophists and almost all the Fathers, Jerome and others have done), which is holy and righteous only in itself. 1) It is true that Christ is an entirely pure person, but one must not stop there. For you do not yet have Christ, even if you know that he is God and man, but only then do you have him in truth, when you believe that this completely pure and innocent person is given to you by the Father, so that he might be your high priest and savior, yes, your servant, who, having stripped himself of his innocence and holiness and taken your sinful person, should bear your sin, death and curse and become a sacrifice and curse for you, thus freeing you from the curse of the law.

So you see how Paul, with a completely apostolic spirit, has dealt with this extremely weighty evidence of the blessing and the curse, in that he not only subjects Christ Himself to the curse, but also says that He has become a curse. Thus, in the second letter to the Corinthians, Cap. 5, 21, he calls him sin, since he says: "God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us" 2c. Although these sayings could properly be interpreted thus: Christ became a curse, that is, a sacrifice for the curse; he was made sin, that is, a sacrifice for sin 2c., yet I like it better if the proper meaning of the words is preserved for the sake of greater emphasis. For when a sinner in truth comes to self-knowledge, he feels that he is a sinner not only in so far as sin is perceptible in him outwardly (concretive) or clings to him (adjective), but also in so far as it is present in him in himself (abstractive) and existing for himself (substantive), that is, it seems to him that he is not only burdened with misfortune, but that he is misfortune itself, not only a sinner and a cursed man, but sin and the curse itself, just as in Latin, when we want to express in a particularly strong way that someone is a wicked man

1. What now follows in this paragraph is used by Aurifaber for the beginning of § 40 of the 7th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

384 Nri. (lai. II, 31-34. Explanation of Galatians 3, 13, W. VIII, 2192-2196. 385

(scelestum), say: He is wickedness (scelus) itself. For it is an exceedingly great thing to bear sin, the wrath of God, the curse and death. Therefore, the man who sincerely feels these things, as Christ truly felt them for the whole human race, becomes wholly sin, death, curse 2c.

So Paul acts this passage in a quite apostolic spirit, because no sophist, no teacher of the law, no Jew, no fanatic, nor anyone else speaks like this. For who could have dared to quote this passage from Moses Deut. 21, 23. Gal. 3, 13.: "Cursed is everyone who hangs on wood" 2c. and to interpret it to Christ? In the same way as Paul drew this saying: "Cursed is everyone" 2c. to Christ, so we can summarize not only the whole 27th chapter of the 5th book of Moses, but also all the curses of the Mosaic law and point them to Christ. For as Christ is innocent in this general law for his person, so also in all others; and as he is guilty in this general law, having become a curse for us, and having been hanged on the cross as a wicked, blasphemous man, a murderer of fathers, a traitor 2c., so also he is guilty in all other laws. For all the curses of the law were brought together and laid upon him, and therefore he bore them and took them upon his body for us. Therefore he was not only a cursed man, but also became a curse for us.

368 This means to interpret the Scriptures in a truly apostolic way. For a man without the Holy Spirit cannot speak in this way, namely, that he should sum up the whole law in one word (namely, "Christ became a curse for us") and lay it all at once on Christ, and on the other hand sum up all the promises of Scripture and say that they are all fulfilled at once in Christ. Therefore, this reason for proof is an apostolic and exceedingly firm one, which is not taken from one passage of the law, but from all the laws altogether, and Paul also firmly insists on it.

From this you can see with what diligence Paul had read the Scriptures and how much he had read them.

from which he carefully considered every single word of this passage: "Through your seed all nations on earth shall be blessed" Gen. 22:18. First he makes the conclusion from the word "bless": The blessing shall come upon all nations, therefore all nations are under the curse, also the Jews who have the law, and brings a testimony of Scripture by which he proves that the Jews are under the curse who are under the law Deut. 27, 26; Gal. 3, 10: "Cursed be every one that continueth not in all these things.

Then he emphasizes the word "all Gentiles," from which he concludes that the blessing belongs not only to the Jews, but also to all peoples of the whole earth. But since it also belongs to all Gentiles, it is 1) impossible for it to be obtained through the law of Moses, since no other people had this law but the Jews. And even though they had the law, they received so little blessing from it that the more they strove to do the same, the more they were subjected to the curse of the law. Therefore, it must be another righteousness, far surpassing the righteousness of the law, by which the blessing is obtained, not only for the Jews, but also for all peoples in the whole world.

Finally he explains the word "in your seed" in this way, that a man should be born from the seed of Abraham, namely Christ, through whom the blessing should come over all Gentiles. Now, since Christ was to bless all the Gentiles whom he found cursed, he had to take the curse away from them. But he could not remove it by the law, because the curse is only increased by it. So what did he do? He joined the cursed, took on their flesh and blood, and thus placed himself as a mediator between God and man and said: "Although I am flesh and blood, and live among the cursed, I am the blessed one, through whom all men shall be blessed. And so he united in one personGod and mankind, joined us cursed ones and became a curse for us, and brought his blessing into our sin, death, and death.

1. Instead of fit in the Erlanger is to be read with the Wittenberger and the Jenaer sit.

386 Dri- 6ai. II, 34-36. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2IS6-2201. 387

and curse hidden, who condemned and killed him. But because he was the Son of God, he could not be held by those; he defeated them and made a triumph of them; and all that adhered to the flesh, which he had assumed for our sake, he took with him. Therefore, all who cling to this flesh are blessed, delivered from the curse, that is, from sin and death.

^1^Those who do not understand this good deed of Christ, of which the gospel actually preaches, nor know any other righteousness than that of the law, are angry when they hear that the works of the law are not necessary for salvation, but that salvation is granted to men by only hearing and believing that the Son of God has taken our flesh and joined the cursed, in order to bless all nations. For they understand nothing of all this, or at least understand it only carnally. For they are taken in by other thoughts and fanciful imaginings. Therefore they are only dark speeches. Yes, it is impossible for us, who have the firstfruits of the spirit, to fully understand and believe this, because it most strongly contradicts human reason.

In short, all evil would have fallen upon us, as it will fall upon the wicked for eternity. But Christ became guilty for us of all laws, curses, sins and all our misfortunes, came as our mediator, took care of us who are miserable and lost sinners, took upon himself and carried all our misfortunes, which would have oppressed and plagued us for eternity. The same fell upon him once and for a little while, and came upon his head like a flood, as the prophet laments in the 88th Psalm, v. 8. and 17. in the person of Christ 2), saying, "Thy wrath oppresseth me, and presseth me with all thy floods"; likewise, "Thy wrath passeth over me, thy terror oppresseth me." In this way, freed from these eternal terrors and plagues, we become eternal through Christ.

1. This paragraph is missing in the translation of Menius.
2. In the following, the text of the Wittenberg has become disorganized by displacement of the lines.

and enjoy unspeakable peace and bliss, if only we believe this.

These are the adorable mysteries of the Scriptures and the true secret doctrine (cabala), which Moses also indicated somewhat obscurely in some places, which the prophets and apostles understood and handed down from hand to hand to their descendants. The saints of the Old Testament rejoiced more over it when it was still future than we rejoice over it now that it has appeared.

^3^We recognize that the knowledge of Christ and the righteousness of faith is a tremendous treasure, but we do not derive from it such complete joy of the Spirit as the prophets and apostles had.

For this reason they, and especially Paul, have so abundantly acted and so often inculcated the article of justification. For this is the true office of the apostles, that they praise Christ's glory and good deeds, and by this means they instruct and comfort the afflicted consciences. 4)

V. 14: That the blessing of Abraham might come among the Gentiles in Christ Jesus.

377 Paul always has this passage in mind: "Through your seed" 2c., because the blessing promised to Abraham could not come among the Gentiles except through Abraham's seed, Christ, and in this way: He had to become a curse, so that the promise made to Abraham, "Through thy seed shall all the Gentiles be blessed," would be so fulfilled.

378 Therefore, what is promised here could not happen in any other way than that Jesus Christ would become a curse and unite with the cursed Gentiles and thus remove the curse from them and bring them righteousness and life through His blessing.

But you must remember, as I also reminded you above, that the word "blessing" is not a vain word, as the Jews dream, who interpret the word "blessing" as a verbal or written greeting,

3. From here to the end of the following paragraph is missing in Menius.
4. Here Menius has inserted a longer section of 21 columns (4 paragraphs), of which the Latin text offers nothing.

388 Li-1. 6ai. II, 36-39. Explanation of Galatians 3, 14. W. VIII, 2201-2205. 389

but Paul deals here with sin and righteousness, with death and life before God. So he speaks of inestimable and incomprehensible things when he says: "That the blessing of Abraham might come among the Gentiles in Christ Jesus" 2c.

380. Moreover, you see what merits, by which we merit according to equity or according to dignity (merita congrui et condigni), we bring forth, and by what consecration we obtain this blessing. This is the preparation, that is, the merit according to equity and dignity, these are the works by which this righteousness is brought about, that Christ Jesus has become a curse for us. For we do not know God and are His enemies, we are dead in sins and cursed, so our merit is nothing at all. For what should a cursed sinner deserve, who does not know GOD, who is dead in sins, guilty of GOD's wrath and judgment? If the pope put someone under the ban, whatever he did was cursed. How much more does he who is cursed in the sight of God, as we all are before he knows Christ, do nothing but cursed things (maledicta).

Therefore the only way to escape this curse is to believe and say with certain confidence: You, Christ, are my sin and my curse, or rather: I am your sin, your curse, your death, your wrath, your hell; whereas you are my righteousness, my blessing, my life, my grace from God, my heaven. For the text clearly says, "Christ became a curse for us." Therefore we are the cause that he became a curse, yes, we are his curse.

382 Although this mighty and exceedingly comforting saying is not sufficient for the blind and hardened Jews, it is sufficient for us who have been baptized and have accepted this teaching, and it proves most strongly that we have been blessed, that is, justified and made alive, through the curse, sin and death of Christ.

383. as long as sin, death, and the curse remain in us, sin terrifies, death kills, and the curse condemns us; but as soon as they are put on Christ, they will

these our ills his own, and the good he has becomes ours.

Therefore, let us learn to cast away from us, in every trial, sin, death, the curse, and all the evil that oppresses us, upon Christ, and to receive righteousness, life, and blessing from him. For He indeed bears all our misfortunes, since God the Father, as Isaiah says Cap. 53:6, cast all our sins upon Him. And he gladly took it upon himself, for he was not guilty, but that in it he might do the will of the Father, by which we are sanctified for eternity.

This is the inexpressible and infinite mercy of God, which Paul would like to pour out with overflowing and exceedingly rich abundance of words. But this deep abyss and the burning zeal of divine love towards us cannot be grasped by the human heart, much less expressed in words. Yes, even the greatness of divine mercy causes that one not only hardly believes, but also behaves incredulously towards it. For I not only hear that the Almighty God, the Creator of all things, is good and merciful, but that this supreme Majesty has been so concerned for me, a lost sinner, who was a child of wrath and eternal death, that He did not spare His own Son, but gave him up to the most shameful death, that he, hanging on the cross between murderers, became sin and curse for me, a sinful and cursed man, so that I might become a blessed one, that is, a righteous one, a child and heir of God. Who can sufficiently praise this goodness of God? Even all the angels are unable to do so.

Therefore, the teaching of the Gospel speaks of far different things than any worldly, philosophical or Mosaic book, namely of ineffable and completely divine gifts, which go beyond all understanding of men and angels, yes, are higher than everything.

And so we received the promised spirit through faith.

387. "The promise of the spirit" (promissionem Spiritus) is a Hebrew way

390 [ri. Oai. II, 39-41. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 220S-2212. 391

that is, "the promised spirit". But "the spirit" is the freedom from the law, from sin, from death, curse, hell, wrath and judgment of God 2c. There is no merit, which we obtained according to equity or by our worthiness (nostrum meritum congrui aut condigni), but the promise is given by grace and the gift is imparted to us through the seed of Abraham, that we are free from all evil and obtain all good. And this freedom and gift of the Holy Spirit we receive through no other merit than through faith. For this alone takes hold of the promise, as Paul here clearly says: "That we might receive the promised Spirit" not by works, but "through faith."

388 And this is an exceedingly sweet and truly apostolic doctrine, which proclaims that what "many prophets and kings desired to see and hear" 2c. was fulfilled and now given to us. Luc. 10, 24., and such passages as this are gathered from various sayings of the prophets, who foresaw long before in the spirit that all things should be changed, restored, and ruled by this man, Christ.

Therefore, the Jews, who had the Law of God, still expected Christ. No prophet or ruler of God's people gave a new law, but Elijah, Samuel, David and all the others remained under the law of Moses, did not establish a new Decalogue, not a new kingdom and priesthood, because this new change of kingdom, priesthood, law and worship was reserved for this One, of whom Moses had proclaimed long before Deut. 18, 15: "The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me for you, from you and from your brothers, and you shall obey him", as if he wanted to say, to him alone and to no one else.

This was well understood by the fathers, because no one could teach anything greater and more exalted than Moses himself, who had given the highest laws of the highest and greatest things, as the holy ten commandments are, especially the first commandment 2 Mos. 20, 2. f.: "I am the LORD your GOD, you shall have no other gods." Deut. 6, 5.: "You

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart" 2c.

The law of love towards God also includes the angels, therefore it is the source of all divine wisdom 2c. And yet another teacher had to come, namely Christ, who was to bring and teach something far greater and better than these supreme laws, namely grace and forgiveness of sins.

392 So this text is an extremely powerful one, because Paul pours out the whole thing at once with this very short word: "So that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Therefore, because he could not go any further, for he was not able to say anything greater or more sublime, he broke off here and stopped there. 1)

V. 15 Dear brothers, I will speak in a human way. Do not despise a man's testament when it is confirmed, and do nothing to it.

After the most important and powerful reason, Paul adds another one, taken from the likeness of a human testament, which seems to be only oratorical and too weak for an apostle to use to confirm this great thing.

For in great difficult matters we must rather confirm human things by divine, not divine by human. Hence also Cicero says about Homer: He transfers human things to the gods; I would rather he transferred divine things to us. And it is certainly true that these grounds are the weakest of all when we infer from human things to divine, as Scotus is wont to do. Man, he says, can love God above all things; because he loves himself above all things, he can rather love God in this way, because the greater a good is, the more lovable it is; and from this he concludes that a man of purely natural powers can fulfill this highest commandment without difficulty: "Thou shalt love God thy Lord with all thy heart.

1. Menius has spun out the last three paragraphs in his translation to such an extent that they take up two and a half columns.

392 Di-I. Kai. II, 41-43. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 15. W. VIII, 2212-2216. . 393

zem Herzen" 2c. For, he says, man can love even an exceedingly small good above all things, yes, even his life, which of all things is dearest to him, he offers for sale for a miserable and small 1) sum of money, so he can do this much more for God's sake.

You have often heard from me that the world order and the household are divine orders, because God has ordered and confirmed them like the sun, the moon and other creatures. Therefore, a reason for proof, which is taken from the order or creatures of God, is powerful, if it is only used properly. Thus the prophets very often used parables of the creatures, as they called Christ the sun, the church the moon, the teachers stars. Similarly, there are innumerable other parables in the prophets of trees, thorns, flowers and fruits of the earth. The New Testament is also full of such. And therefore, where there is a divine order in the creature, a reason of proof can very well be taken from it and transferred to divine things.

396. so Christ Matth. 7, 11. leads his proof, by concluding from human things to divine, when he says: "If you, who are bad, can still give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!Likewise Paul says that one must be obedient to men, so much more to God Eph. 6, 1. 5. ff., and Jeremiah says in the 35th chapter, v. 16: "The Rechabites obeyed their father, how much more should you obey me! But this is ordained of GOD, that the fathers should give good gifts to the children, that the children should be obedient to the parents. Therefore, such proofs are good if they are taken from the divine order. But if they are taken from the human depraved inclinations (affectibus), they are bad and of no use at all. Such is the proof of Scotus: I love a lesser good, consequently I love a greater one more. There I deny the conclusion', because my loving is not a divine

1. Instead of rasUleara in the Erlanger is to be read with the Wittenberg and Jena rnoälcnrn.

order, but a devilish perversity. It should be that since I love myself or another creature, I should love God my Creator more; but it does not happen, because the love with which I love myself is sinful and against God.

I say this so that no one will make the sophistical objection that the proof from human things to divine ones is not valid. Now I do not dispute whether this is a rhetorical or a dialectical reason for proof, but only say this, that it is a sufficiently solid reason for proof when we deduce from human things to divine ones, provided that we base these deductions only on what God has ordered, as in the present trade.

For the civil law, which is a divine order, contains [this provision^ that one may not shake (infirmari) a man's will. As long as the testator is still alive, it is not yet confirmed; but if he has died, one may not change it. This is not said of what is often done (de facto), but of what should be done according to law (de jure), that is, what should be done, and what would happen if one behaved in the right way, because it is right that a will should not be changed; indeed, the laws command that the last will should be kept in the most respectful way. This is one of the things that are kept inviolable among men (unum inter sacra humana).

399 Thus Paul gives his proof of the custom that is kept in a human testament. How is it that men are obeyed, but God is not obeyed? Secular and civil ordinances of wills and other things are scrupulously kept. Nothing is changed, nothing is added, nothing is taken away. But the testament of God, that is, the divine promise of spiritual blessings, that is, of heavenly and eternal things, which the whole world should not only receive with the greatest gratitude and open arms, but also worship, must suffer to be changed and added to.

394 Oai. II, 43-45. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2218-2220. 395

This serves to persuade them, since in this way he takes his proof from the examples and laws of men. Therefore he says, "I will speak after the manner of men," that is, I will give you a human likeness, as if to say: In wills and other human things, what the law commands is carried out and kept. For when a man makes a will and bequeaths his goods to his heirs and dies, the will is confirmed and made immutable by the death of the testator, so that nothing can be added to it or taken away from it, according to all laws. Therefore, the last will and testament is considered by legal scholars as much as a law, and sensible people keep it conscientiously. If, then, I say, a man's will is kept with such fidelity that nothing is added to it or taken away from it, truly with much greater fidelity should the will of God be kept, which he promised and gave to Abraham and his seed. For in Christ it was confirmed when he died, and after his death the letter of the testament was opened, that is, the blessing promised to Abraham was preached among all the nations scattered throughout the world. This was the last will of the testator, God, which was confirmed by the death of Christ.

(401) Therefore no one may change it or add to it, as the teachers of the law and of human statutes do. For they say, Unless you are circumcised, keep the law, do many works, and suffer, you cannot be saved. This is not the last will or testament of God. For he did not say to Abraham, If thou do this or that, thou shalt obtain the blessing, or, The circumcised and those who keep the law shall obtain it, but, In thy seed, 2c. as if to say: Out of pure mercy I promise you Christ, who shall come from your seed, who shall bring blessing to all the Gentiles oppressed by sin and death, that is, who shall deliver all nations from the eternal curse, that is, from sin and death, who accept this promise in faith: "In your seed" 2c.

402 Therefore, just as the false apostles once were

siel, as today all papists and works saints are transgressors and destroyers, not of a human testament, for they are prevented from doing so by law, but of the testament of God, whom they do not fear, even though he is a consuming fire. For this is the way of all hypocrites, that they keep human things conscientiously, but certainly despise and violate what is of God. But these sacrilegious despisers and destroyers of God's testament will have to suffer a terrible judgment in their time. This is therefore a sufficiently solid reason for proof, which is taken from divine order.

V. 16. Now the promise is made to Abraham and his seed. He does not say: through the seed, as through many, but as through one, through your seed, which is Christ.

Here Paul calls the promises of God, which were promised to Abraham by Christ as the future giver of salvation over all nations, with a new name "testament", and the promise is also nothing other than a testament, which has not yet been opened, but is still sealed. A will, however, is not a law, but a gift. For the heirs do not expect laws, compulsion or any kind of burden from the will, but the inheritance.

404 First, then, he explains the words, then he applies the simile and emphasizes the word "seed". Abraham, he says, was not given laws, but a testament was made for him and given to him, that is, the promises of spiritual blessings were made to him; thus something was promised and given to him. Therefore, if the testament of a man is kept, why not rather of God, whose mere likeness (allegoria) and image (larva) is a human testament? Likewise, if we keep the signs, why not rather the things signified by them?

405 Now the promises were not made to Abraham through all the Jews or through many seeds, but through One, who is Christ. The Jews do not accept this interpretation of Paul. Because they invent here a confusion (enallagen) of the

396 ii, 4S-48. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 3, 16. 17. W. vm, 2220-2223. 397

Numerus and say that the singular is taken for the plural. But we accept the opinion of Paul, who does not press the word "seed" in vain, and interprets that this seed is Christ, and that in a truly apostolic spirit. The Jews may deny this, but we have many and very strong grounds of proof which are sufficient, namely, those which Paul has adduced above. These they cannot deny, and they these reasons also confirm this. That be sufficient of the similitude and figurative speech taken from a divine order, that is, from a man's testament. Now he interprets it and applies it.

V. 17. But I say of this, that the testament, which was confirmed of God beforehand unto Christ, shall not be revoked, that the promise by the law should cease, which was given four hundred and thirty years after.

Here the Jews could have objected: God was not content to give Abraham the promises, but after 430 years He also gave the Law. So God distrusted His promises and did not believe that they could justify; therefore He added something better, namely the Law, so that, since it came as a better successor, they would not be idle, but, keeping the Law, would be justified by it. So the law, which followed the promise, took it away. The Jews seek many such excuses.

407 Paul removes this objection in a beautiful and striking way. The law, he says, which was given more than 430 years later than the promise made to Abraham: "In your seed" 2c., could not cancel the promise. For this promise is the testament of God, which was confirmed by God Himself so many years before the law on Christ. But what God has once promised and confirmed, He does not revoke or limit, but it remains unchangeable (ratum) before Him for eternity.

408 Why then is the law added? It was given to the descendants of Abraham so many centuries later, but not so that they might receive blessings through it.

Since the office of the law is to cast under the curse, not that it should bless, but that there should be a peculiar people on earth, having the word and testimony of Christ, out of whom also Christ should be born according to the flesh, and that the people, preserved and determined under the law, should groan for deliverance through Christ, the promised seed of Abraham, who alone should and could bless, that is, make all nations free from sin and death. Then also the ceremonies, which were commanded in the law, were a model for Christ (adumbrabant). Therefore, the promise was not taken away by the law or by the ceremonies, but rather confirmed by them, as it were, as a seal, until the letter of the testament (the promise) was opened and made known to all the Gentiles through the preaching of the gospel.

But let us let the law and the promise fight with each other, and let us see which of the two is stronger, namely, whether the promise takes away the law, or the law takes away the promise. If the law detracts from the promise, then it follows that with our works we make God a liar and nullify His promise, because if the law makes righteous, frees from sin and death, and consequently our works and human powers fulfill the law, then the promise made to Abraham is also in vain and completely useless, and consequently God is a liar and speaks vain things. For what else does it mean if someone has promised something and does not want to keep his promise or cancel it, but that he is a liar and a useless talker?

But it is impossible that the law should make God a liar, and that our works should nullify His promise. Rather, it must be unchanging and firm (for GOD does not promise in vain). Even though we could keep and fulfill the law, and even if we ourselves wanted to admit that all people were as holy as the angels (which is impossible), so that they would have no need of the promise at all, it is absolutely necessary to hold to the fact that it is quite certain and firm, for otherwise God would be unjustified.

398 Ai-I. o-u. II, 48-so. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2223-2227. 399

He was found negligent (vanus) or lying, because he either made the promise in vain or did not want to or could not keep his promise. Therefore, as the promise is before the law, so it is exceedingly more glorious.

411. And God was quite right in giving the promise so long before the law, with the express intention that it could not be said that righteousness was given through the law and not through the promise. For if he had intended that we should be justified by the law, he would have given the law 430 years before the promise, or at least at the same time as the promise. But now he is completely silent about the law at first, and only after 430 years he gives it. Meanwhile he talks about his promises during this whole time. So the blessing and the giving of righteousness before the law came through the promise. The promise therefore far surpasses the law, and so the law does not cancel the promise, but faith in the promise, through which the faithful were saved even before the revelation of Christ, which is now preached through the gospel among all the peoples of the earth, cancels the law so that it can no longer increase sin, frighten sinners and plunge them into despair who take hold of the promise in faith.

412 There is a great emphasis or rather a mockery (ironia) in the fact that he expresses the number 430 years so exactly, as if he wanted to say: If you can count, count on your fingers how much time there is between the promise and the law. Abraham certainly received the promise a long time before the law, because the law was given to the people of Israel 430 years later, and this reason, which was taken from a certain time, is very strong.

413. But he does not speak here of the law in general, but only of the written law, as if he wanted to say: God could not look at the worship and works of the law and give righteousness to those who did them, because the law was not yet in existence, which commands worship, demands works and promises life to those who do them,

who do it. "Whosoever man doeth them," saith he Deut. 18:5, "he shall live thereby." And no matter how much the law promises this, it still does not follow that we obtain the promises of it, because it clearly says, "Whichever man doeth the same." 2c. But it is well known that no one fulfills them. Furthermore, Paul says that the law cannot take away the promise. Therefore, the promise made to Abraham 430 years before the law remains unchanged.

414 In order that this matter may be the better understood, I will illustrate it by a simile. If a rich man, not out of compulsion but out of good will, accepted a person unknown to him, to whom he owed nothing everywhere, in the place of a child and made him heir to all his goods, but then, after a few years, after this benefit had been granted, a law was laid down for him to do this or that, he could not say that he had earned the benefit by his works, since he had received it for free out of pure grace so many years before, having asked for nothing. So also God could not look at the works and merits that preceded righteousness, because the promise and the gift of the Holy Spirit was there 430 years before the law. Paul emphasizes this by mocking the Galatians (per ironiam).

It is evident from this that Abraham did not attain righteousness before God through the Law, because the Law was not yet present. But if the law was not there, then neither were there works nor merit. What was there? Nothing but the mere promise of God. Abraham believed it, and this was counted to him as righteousness. In the same way that the father attained righteousness, his children also attain it.

416 So also we say today: Our sins were expiated by the death of Christ fifteen hundred years ago, when there was no order, no laws prescribing how to do penance (canon poenitentiae), no merits according to equity and dignity. Therefore, we cannot eradicate them only now by our works and merits.

417 Thus Paul gathers from all sides

400 Lri. cat. II, 50-52. Explanation of Galatians 3, 17. W. VIII, 2227-2231. 401

solid grounds of proof from parables, from certain times and persons, which no reasonable man can dispute. Let us therefore fortify our consciences with such proofs, for it is of great use in times of challenge to have them well thought out, for they lead us from law and works to promise and faith, from wrath to grace, from sins to righteousness, from death to life.

Therefore, as I often point out, 1) these two pieces, the law and the promise, must be most carefully distinguished, because in time, place, persons, and in short, in all circumstances, they are as far apart from each other as heaven and earth, as the beginning and end of the world. Although they are very close to each other, because they are united in one man or in one soul, they must remain extremely far apart in heart (in affectu) and according to their office, namely, as the law should have its rule over the flesh, so the promise, on the other hand, should rule in a loving way in the conscience.

419. If in this way you assign to each his certain place, you will surely walk in the midst of the heaven of promise and on the earth of the law, in the spirit in the paradise of grace and peace, in the flesh on the earth of works and suffering. Then even the afflictions that the flesh must bear will not be heavy, because of the sweetness of the promise, which delights the heart in a wonderful way. But if you mix these two and bring the law into the conscience and the promise of freedom into the flesh, then a confusion arises, as it was under the papacy, so that you do not know what is law, what is promise, what is sin, what is righteousness.

Therefore, if you want to rightly divide the word of truth, you should distinguish the two as far as possible, the promise and the law, in the heart and in the whole life. 2) For Paul did not emphasize this reason of proof so carefully in vain. For

1. Cf. cap. 2, §§ 137, 237, 239.
2. vitarn, which the Wittenberg and the Jena offer, is missing in the Erlanger.

In the spirit he foresaw that this evil would occur in the church, that the word GO1tes would be mixed, that is, that the promise would be mixed with the law and thus the whole promise would be lost; for when the promise is mixed with the law, it becomes a mere law.

421. Therefore, you must get used to distinguish the law and the promise, even according to the time, so that when the law comes and accuses the conscience, you can say: Madam Law, thou comest not in due season, but too soon; wait yet 430 years, when these shall have passed, and then thou mayest come. But if you come then, you will come too late, because the promise has preceded you by 430 years, which I agree with and am gladly satisfied with. Therefore I have nothing to do with you, I do not hear you, because I now live with the believing Abraham or rather according to the already appeared Christ, who is my righteousness, who has taken away and abolished the law. So Christ should always be in the heart's mind as a kind of summary of all the reasons for faith against the righteousness of the flesh, the law, works and merits.

422 So far I have given almost all the reasons, the most powerful ones, that Paul uses in this epistle to confirm the doctrine of justification, among which the most important and powerful is the one that he emphasizes especially here and in the letter to the Romans, namely, the reason of the promise made to Abraham and the other fathers, whose words he considers most carefully. Furthermore, he also deals with times and persons, likewise he emphasizes the word "seed" and explains that the same is Christ. Finally, he also shows by contrast what the law does, namely, that it concludes under the curse. And so he fortifies and defends the article of Christian righteousness with the strongest grounds of proof.

423. On the other hand, he overturns the arguments of the false apostles, which they have used to defend righteousness from the law, and he judges them against themselves, that is, where they claim that righteousness and life are obtained through the law, he shows that the law is not a law.

402 Dri. Kai. II, 52-SS. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2231-2240. 403

Paul, that it only brings about curses and death. You insist, he says, that the law is necessary for salvation; have you not read that it says Deut. 18:5, "Whosoever shall do them shall live by them"? But who does it? No one. Therefore all who deal with the works of the law are under the curse. And elsewhere 1 Cor. 15:56 it is said, "The sting of death is sin, but the power of sin is the law." Now follows the conclusion of these reasons of proof.

V. 18 For if the inheritance were acquired by law, it would not be given by promise.

424 Thus it is said in Romans 4:14: "For where they that are of the law are heirs, faith is nothing, and the promise is abolished." It cannot be otherwise, for this difference is quite clear, that the law is something quite different from the promise; indeed, natural reason, blind as it is, must admit that to promise is something different from to require, to give something different from to receive. The law demands our works, the promise of the seed offers us God's spiritual and eternal benefits, and that free of charge, for the sake of Christ.

425 So it is from the promise, not from the law, that we obtain the inheritance or blessing, because the promise says: "Through your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Therefore, he who has the law does not have enough, because he does not yet have the blessing, without which he must remain under the curse. Therefore, the law cannot justify, because the blessing is not added to it. Then, if the inheritance came from the law, God would be found to be a liar, and the promise would be taken away. Likewise, if the law could obtain the blessing, why would God make the promise from it: "In your seed" 2c.? Why would He not rather have said: Do this and you will receive the blessing, or: You can earn eternal life by doing the law? This reason for proof is based on the fact that the opposite is impossible (ex contrariis est). The inheritance is given by the promise, not by the law.

But God gave it freely to Abraham through the promise.

Here it cannot be denied that God, before the law, gave Abraham the blessing or inheritance through the promise, that is, the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, blessedness, eternal life, so that we would be children and heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, because He clearly says in the first book of Moses: "Through your seed shall all nations be blessed. There the blessing has been bestowed without all regard to law and works. For GOD preceded with the giving of the inheritance before Moses was born or any man thought of the law. What then do you boast that righteousness is obtained through the law, since your father Abraham was given righteousness, life and blessedness without the law and before the law, even before those who could keep the law? Whom this does not move is blind and hardened. But I have above diligently and abundantly dealt with the reason of the promise, therefore I will now run through it only above.

So far, the main part of this epistle has been treated. Now Paul will show the custom and the office of the law, using parables of the disciplinarian and the young heir, as well as the image of the two sons of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael 2c.; finally, he gives commands concerning a right conduct (de moribus). In this last part of the epistle, Paul proceeds more in an oratorical manner than that he teaches (plus rhetoricatur quam docet).

V. 19. What is the law for?

If we teach that man is justified without law and works, this question necessarily follows: If the law does not justify, for what purpose is the law given? Likewise: Why does God press and burden us with the law if it does not make alive? What is the need for us to be so severely afflicted and martyred with it, when those who have worked only one hour are made like us who have borne the burden and heat of the day? When grace comes, which preaches the gospel, this great murmur immediately arises.

404 ^1. 6ai. II, SS-57 . Explanation of Galatians 3, 19. W. VIII, 2240-2244. 405

without which the Gospel cannot be preached.

The Jews had this opinion that they would be justified if they kept the law. Therefore, when they heard that the gospel was preached of Christ, who came into the world not to save the righteous but sinners, and that these should enter the kingdom of heaven before them, they became extremely indignant and complained that for so many centuries they had borne the heavy yoke of the law with great trouble and labor, and that they had been most miserably martyred and oppressed by the tyranny of the law, without any benefit, even to their greatest harm; On the other hand, grace is granted to the idolatrous Gentiles without any labor or complaint.

430 Our papists grumble today and say: What has it availed us that we have lived twenty, thirty, forty years in monasticism, that we have vowed chastity, poverty, obedience, that we have kept our times of prayer (legisse horas canonicas), said mass, martyred the body with fasting, prayers, scourging 2c., if a husband, a wife, a prince, a mayor, a teacher, a student, if a day laborer or a servant who carries sacks, if a maid who sweeps the house, are not only equal to us but also better and more worthy than we are?

431 Therefore this is a difficult question, by which reason is resolved, nor can it solve it, but it is very vexed with it. For reason understands to some extent the righteousness of the law, which it also teaches and insists upon, and it imagines that those are righteous who carry it out, but it does not understand the office and purpose of the law. Therefore, when it hears this new saying of Paul, which is unknown to the world, that the law was given for the sake of sin, it judges that Paul abolishes the law because he says that we are not justified by it; indeed, he blasphemously acts against God, who gave the law, because he says that it was given for the sake of sins. Let us therefore live like the Gentiles who do not have the Law, yes, let us sin and remain in sin, so that the

grace becomes all the more powerful. Likewise: Let us do evil that good may come of it. This happened to the apostle Paul, and the same happens to us today. For when the mob hears from the Gospel that we are given righteousness by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, without law and works, they conclude in the same way as the Jews did at that time, "If the law does not make us righteous, let us do no more good works.

What shall we do now? The fact that it is so evil is certainly a great plague for us, but we cannot prevent it. When Christ preached, he heard that he was a blasphemer and a rebel, that is, that he deceived the people by his teaching and made them rebel against Caesar. The same happened to Paul and all the apostles. What wonder is it that today the world accuses us in the same way? Of course, it may blaspheme and persecute us, but for this reason we must not be silent, but speak freely, so that the afflicted consciences may be torn from the devil's snares, and we must not see to it that the godless and foolish mob abuses our teaching, that it cannot be helped (sanari), whether it has the law or not, but rather we must see to it that the wretched consciences are advised, so that they do not get lost with the great multitude. If we were silent, consciences everywhere would have no consolation, who are so imprisoned and entangled by laws and human statutes that they cannot wriggle out in any way.

433 Just as Paul, when he saw that some opposed his teaching and others sought carnal freedom and became angry, consoled himself in this way that he was an apostle of Jesus Christ, sent to preach the faith of God's elect, and that he tolerated everything for the sake of the elect, so that they too might attain salvation, so we also do everything today for the sake of the elect, whom we know will be helped by our teaching.

434 But to the dogs and sows, some of whom persecute the doctrine, others our freedom, which we have in Christ, with

406 Lri. 6ai. II, 87-60. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2244-2248. 407

I am so much as a fool that I would not speak a word in my whole life for their sake. I would rather that our sows were still under the tyranny of the pope with our adversaries, the dogs, than that the holy name of God should be so blasphemed for their sake.

435 Therefore, no matter how much, not only the unintelligent rabble, but also those who consider themselves very wise, may conclude in this way: If the law does not justify, it is useless; nevertheless, this is not true. For just as this conclusion is no good: Money does not justify, therefore it is useless; eyes do not justify, therefore they must be plucked out; hands do not justify, therefore they must be cut off: so neither does this conclusion: The law does not justify, therefore it is useless. One must attach to every thing its proper office and custom. In this way we do not destroy or condemn the law by saying that it does not justify, but we answer this question, "What then is the law for?" in a different way from the adversaries, who in their wrong opinion attribute to the law an office and a custom which it does not have.

436 Against this abuse and the fancied office of the law we contend, and answer with Paul, that the law justifieth not; but in this we do not affirm that the law is useless, as those immediately conclude, If the law justifieth not, it is given in vain. No, for it has its own office and custom, but not that which the adversaries impute to it, namely, that it should make men righteous. Yes, it accuses, frightens and condemns them. We say with Paul that the law is good when it is used rightly, that is, when it is used as a law. If I describe the law rightly according to the explanation (definitione) that belongs to it, and keep it in its office and use, it is something very good. But if I place it in a different usage, and attach to it what need not be attached to it, I pervert not only the law, but also the whole theology.

437 Thus Paul acts here against the corrupt hypocrites, to whom this word of Paul: "The law is for sins.

came," was quite intolerable. For they think that the office of the law is to do justice; and this is the general opinion of human reason among all the sophists and the whole world, that justice is brought about by the works of the law: this pernicious delusion reason does not allow to be taken away in any way, because it does not understand the justice of faith.

438 Hence it is that the papists speak not so foolishly as ungodly: The Church has the Law of God, the traditions of the Fathers, the decisions of the Councils; if it lives by them, it is holy. No one will persuade these people that by keeping these things they only provoke the wrath of God, but do not please Him. In short, every worksaint imagines that he can appease the wrath of God through his self-chosen worship and through the spiritual state (voluntaria religione) he has adopted according to his own will 2c.

Therefore, the delusion that one can attain righteousness by one's own works (opinio justitiae) is the mud pit from which all misfortune arises, and the greatest sin in the world. For gross sins and vices can be recognized, and therefore they can be corrected or at least prevented by the punishment of the authorities; but this sin (every man's delusion of his own righteousness) not only does not want to be sin, but also pretends to be the highest godliness and righteousness. Therefore this corruption is the highest and greatest rule of the devil on the whole earth, in truth the serpent's head, and the rope with which the devil catches and holds all men captive, for all by nature think that the law justifies.

440 In order to show the true office and the right use of the law and to remove the false delusion about it from the people, Paul answers this objection: "What is the purpose of the law if it does not make righteous? in this way: It is not given that it should make righteous, but:

It has come to this for the sake of sins.

As the things themselves are different, so also the custom of the things is different.

408 Nri. ttra. n. 60-62. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 3, 19. W. VIII, 2248-2251. 409

Therefore one should not mix the customs with each other, otherwise a confusion of things will occur. [Deut. 22:5, "A woman shall not wear a man's apparel, neither shall a man put on a woman's apparel." A man shall do the works of a man, a woman those of a woman. Each shall do that which his profession and office require. Pastors and preachers shall teach the word of God purely. The authorities shall govern the subjects, who shall be obedient to the authorities 2c. Likewise, every creature shall serve in its order and place. The sun shall shine by day, the moon and the stars by night; the sea shall yield fish, the earth fruit, the woods game, wood 2c. Thus the law shall not arrogate to itself a foreign office or custom, namely, that it justifies, but shall leave this to grace alone, to promise, to faith.

^1^442. What then is the office of the law? It has to do with sins (transgressio), or, as he says elsewhere Rom. 5, 20.: "The law came in beside, that sin might become more powerful." Truly, a beautiful post! He says: "The law came in for sins, that is, over the promises, and after them it was added, "until the seed should come, Christ, to whom the promise was made."

Of the twofold use of the law.

^2^Here one must know that there is a twofold custom of the law. One is the civil custom. For God has ordained the civil, yes, all laws, in order to ward off sin. So every law is given to prevent sins. If it resists sins, does it not justify them? Not at all. For if I do not kill, if I do not commit adultery, if I do not steal, if I abstain from other sins, I do not do it willingly.

1. This paragraph is used by Aurifaber for § 4 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks, in the translation of Menius. In our edition of the Table Talks, it is omitted.
2. § 443, § 444 and the beginning of ? 445 are used by Aurifaber (in the translation of Menius) for the first part of § 5 of the 7th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

or out of love for virtue, but because I fear prison, the sword and the executioner. This prevents me from sinning, just as bonds and fetters prevent a lion or bear from devouring everything in its path.

444 Thus the restraint of sins is not justice, but rather a sign of unrighteousness. For just as a fetter is put on a raging and untamed beast so that it cannot rage against everything that comes in its way, so the law restrains the senseless and raging man so that he does not sin according to his desires. This constraint shows sufficiently that those who need it (as all who are apart from Christ) are not righteous, but rather ungodly and angry people who must be kept in check with the bonds and prisons of the law so that they do not sin. So the law does not justify.

445 Therefore, the first thing to know about the laws and the first thing to use them for is to keep the wicked in check. For the devil rules in the whole world and drives people to all kinds of shameful deeds. That is why God has established authorities, parents, teachers, laws, bonds and all civil orders, so that, if they can do nothing else, they may at least bind the hands of the devil, so that he cannot rage in his own people as he pleases. Just as, therefore, bands and fetters must be put on possessed people, in whom the devil reigns mightily, so that they do not injure anyone, so for the whole world, which is possessed by the devil and is carried away head over heels into all deeds of shame, the authorities are there with their bands and fetters, that is, with their laws, and bind them hand and foot, so that they do not fall head over heels into all kinds of shame and vice. If she does not let herself be restrained in this way, the death penalty is carried out on her. This civil coercion is extremely necessary and instituted by God, both for the sake of public peace and to preserve all things, but especially so that the course of the Gospel is not hindered by unrest and rebellion of violent people.

410 O "I. ii, 62-64. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 2201-2254. 411

446 Paul does not speak of this civil custom here. It is very necessary, but it does not make one righteous. For just as a possessed man is not free and sane because his hands and feet are bound, so also the world, no matter how much it may be restrained by the law from outward deeds of shame, is not just because of this, but remains godless. Yes, this constraint shows that the world is godless, that it is raging and driven by its prince, the devil, otherwise it would not be necessary for it to be held in check by laws so that it does not sin.

^1^The other custom of the Law is a theological or spiritual one, which consists (as Paul says) in multiplying sins, that is, revealing to man his sin, his blindness, his misery, his godlessness, his ignorance of God, his hatred and contempt for God, that he deserves death, hell, judgment and wrath from God. The 7th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans deals with this custom very well; however, it is completely unknown to hypocrites and sophists, as well as to all people who are under the delusion that they can attain righteousness through the law or through themselves.

448. But in order for God to tame and overcome this monster and this raging beast (the delusion of one's own righteousness or spirituality), which by nature makes people puffed up and proud, so that they think they please God for its sake, he had to send a Hercules, who attacked this monster with full force, threw him down and finished him off, that is, he had to give the law on Mount Sinai with such great pomp and such a frightening outward appearance that all the people were terrified, 2 Mos. 19, 18. 20, 18.
449. As this custom of the law is the true and principal one, so it is also very useful and exceedingly necessary. For if a man is not a murderer, an adulterer, a thief, and keeps himself outwardly pure from sins, as that Pharisee Luc. 18, 11.

1. This and the two following paragraphs were used by Aurifaber for § 5 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks, in the translation of Menius. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

would swear (because he is possessed by the devil) that he is righteous; therefore, he is delusional about his own righteousness and is presumptuous about his good works and merits. By no other art can God soften and humble such a man, that he may know his misery and damnation, than by the law. For this is the hammer of death, the thunder of hell and the lightning of divine wrath, which crushes the hardened and unreasonable hypocrites.

450. Therefore, the proper and right custom of the Law is to terrify (as on Mount Sinai) by lightning, thunder, and the sound of a trumpet, to strike down and crush by a thunderclap this beast, which is called the delusion of one's righteousness. Therefore, God says through the prophet Jeremiah Cap. 23, 29., "My word is a hammer that shatters rocks." For as long as the delusion of one's own righteousness remains in man, there also remains an immeasurable pride, presumption, certainty, hatred of GOD, contempt for grace and mercy, ignorance regarding the promises and Christ. It does not enter the heart, nor does it taste the sermon of the forgiveness of sins in vain for the sake of Christ, because an immense rock and diamond wall, namely the delusion of one's own righteousness, stands against it, by which the heart is surrounded.

Just as the delusion of one's own righteousness is a great and terrifying monster, a rebellious, obstinate and exceedingly stubborn beast, so God, in order to put it down and crush it, requires a tremendous and strong hammer, namely the law. This is then in its proper office and custom, when it so accuses and denounces sin: Behold, you have transgressed all the commandments of God, 2c., and so frightens the conscience that it feels in truth that God is offended and angry, and that it is guilty of eternal death. Then the heart feels the unbearable burden of the law and is crushed to the point of despair, so that it wishes for death from too much fear, or thinks of killing itself.

452 Therefore the law is the hammer, the fire, the wind, and the great mighty earthquake that breaks rocks and smashes mountains.

412 Lri. 6ai. II, 64-66. Explanation of Galatians 3, 19, W. VIII, 2254-2257. 413

that is, the hardened and arrogant hypocrites. The prophet Elijah could not bear these terrors of the law, which are signified by these things, and he covered his head with his mantle, 1^1^ Kings 19:11-13. But when this storm ceased, which he witnessed, there came a quiet, gentle whirlwind in which the Lord was. But the storm with fire, tempest wind and earthquake had to precede before the Lord Himself followed in the quiet gentle soughing.

This custom of the Law was modeled on that terrible sight and splendor with which God gave the Law from Mount Sinai. It was the greatest sanctity among the people of Israel who had come out of Egypt. We (they boasted) are the people of God; everything that the Lord our God has spoken, we will do. Then Moses sanctified the people, commanded that they wash their clothes, abstain from their wives, and prepare themselves for the third day. Then every one was exceedingly holy. On the third day Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God at the foot of the mountain, so that they might hear the voice of the LORD. What happened? When the children of Israel saw the terrifying sight of the mountain, how it smokes and burns, the black clouds and the flashing lightnings in the thickest darkness, and heard how the sound of the trumpets gradually increased and echoed longer and longer, likewise when they heard the thunder and saw the lightnings, they retreated in fright and stood afar off and said to Moses: We will gladly do anything, only may the LORD not speak to us, lest we die and this very great fire devour us. Teach us, and we will hear. What, I pray thee, is the use here of purity, of white garments, of abstaining from women, of holiness? Nothing at all. No one could bear this presence of GOD in His majesty and glory, but all went back frightened and horrified, as if the devil were driving them. For God is a consuming fire, before whose face no flesh can stand.

454 This office has therefore actually the divine law, which it had at that time on the mountain.

1. In the Vulgate: "3 Reg." - "3" is missing in the Erlanger.

Sinai, when it was first given, and washed, righteous, cleansed and chaste people heard it, and yet it brought these saints to the realization of their misery, to despair and death. At that time there was no purity, but the awareness (sensus) of their impurity, unworthiness, sin, judgment and wrath of God was so great that they fled away from God and could not hear His voice. "What is all flesh," they said Deut. 5:26, "that it may hear the voice of the living GOD, and remain alive?" V. 24. 25.: "Today we have seen that when GOD speaks to man, man cannot bear it." Now they speak much differently than shortly before, when they said: "We are God's holy people, whom the Lord has chosen as his own above all peoples on earth. We will do everything the Lord has said.

This is how it is with all saints of works who, drunk with the delusion of their own righteousness when they are not challenged, think that they are very much loved by God, that God sees their vows, fasts, prayers and self-chosen works, for which He will give them a special crown in heaven. But when suddenly thunder, lightning, fire and the hammer that breaks the rocks come, that is, when the Law of God reveals sin, shows the wrath and judgment of God, then the same thing happens to them as happened to the Jews who stood at the foot of Mount Sinai.

^2^I exhort all lovers of godliness, especially those who will one day be the teachers of others, to learn diligently from Paul's writings, that they may rightly know the right and proper usage of the law, which (I fear) after our times will again be obscured and altogether suppressed. For since we are still alive and display with the greatest diligence the office and custom of both the law and the gospel, there are very few even among those who want to be considered godly, and with us

2. The following § paragraphs are for the most part (with some omissions) used by Aurifaber for § 5 of the twelfth chapter of the Table Talks (according to the translation of Menius). In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

414 Ari. Kai. II, 66-69. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2257-2261. 415

confess the gospel, who have this rightly in mind. What do you think will happen when we get there?

In the meantime, I will say nothing of the Anabaptists, the new Arians, and the spirits who blaspheme against the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, who likewise do not know this, no matter how much they speak differently with their mouths, just as the Papists do. For they have already fallen back from the pure teaching of the Gospel to the laws, and therefore they do not teach Christ. They boast and swear that they seek nothing but the glory of God and the blessedness of the brethren, and that they teach the word of God purely, but in fact they falsify it and turn it to a meaning that is not in it, so that it must say to them what they dream. That is why they teach their dreams under the name of Christ, and only laws and ceremonies under the name of the gospel. Thus, they are and always remain the same as they were, that is, monks, laborers, teachers of law and ceremonies, only that they think up new names and works.

458 Therefore it is not a small thing to hold righteously to what is the law, what is its custom, and what is its office. But because we teach this with the greatest diligence and most faithfully, we testify by deed that we do not reject the law and works, as the adversaries falsely accuse us, but we fortify the law most strongly, and require its works, and say that the law is good and useful, but only in its proper use, namely, first, to control civil transgressions, and second, to reveal and make greater spiritual transgressions.

Therefore the law is also a light that shines, showing not the grace of God, not righteousness and life, but sin, death, wrath and the judgment of God. For just as on Mount Sinai the thunder, the lightning, the dark cloud, the smoking and burning mountain, and all that terrifying sight, did not make the children of Israel joyful nor revive them, but terrified them, made them almost lifeless, and showed how, with all their holiness and purity, the

The law, when it is in its rightful function, does nothing but reveal sin, cause wrath, accuse people and frighten them so that they are not far away from despair. This is the actual custom of the law, which has its end here and does not have to go further.

The gospel, on the other hand, is a light that enlightens, gives life, comforts and reassures fearful minds. For it shows that God is merciful to sinners and those who are not worthy of it, for Christ's sake, if they believe that through his death they are freed from the curse, that is, from sin and eternal death, and that through his victory they are given the blessing, that is, grace, forgiveness of sins, righteousness and eternal life. By thus distinguishing the law from the gospel, we ascribe to each its proper custom and office. 1) Of this difference of the Law and the Gospel one reads nothing in the books of the monks, of the teachers of papal law, of the school theologians, not even in those of the ancient Fathers. Augustine knew and indicated this difference in part, but Jerome and others did not know anything about it.

In short, for many centuries there has been complete silence about this in all schools and churches, so that one must wonder about it, and this circumstance has put consciences in very great danger. For if the gospel is not clearly distinguished from the law, Christian doctrine cannot be preserved unadulterated. On the other hand, if this distinction is rightly recognized, then the right way to be justified is also recognized, and then it is easy to distinguish faith from works, Christ from Moses and all worldly laws. For apart from Christ, everything is an office of death for vengeance on the wicked. Paul therefore answers this question thus:

1. The section from here to the end of the following paragraph is used by Aurifaber (according to the translation of Menius) for the second half of § 34 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks it is omitted.

418 Lri. 6ai. II, 69-71. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 19, W. VIII, 2261-2265. 417

The law came to this for the sake of sins.

That is, so that sins would be greater and would be recognized and seen all the better, and indeed this is what happens. For when sin is revealed to a man through the law, death, wrath and judgment of God, hell 2c., it is impossible for him not to become impatient, not to grumble, to hate God and His will. For he cannot suffer the judgment of God, that he should die and be damned, and yet he cannot escape. Because of this, he inevitably comes to hate God and blaspheme Him.

Before, except for the challenge, he was a great saint, serving and praising God, bowing his knees and giving thanks like the Pharisee Luc. 18. But now that sin and death are revealed, he wanted there to be no God. Therefore the law causes one to hate God supremely, and this does not only mean that through the law one sees and recognizes sin, but also that through this manifestation of sin sin is increased, inflamed, ignited and made great. Therefore Paul says Rom. 7, 13: "Sin, that it might appear as it is sin, it hath wrought death for me through good, that sin might be exceedingly found by the commandment." There he deals very extensively with this effect of the law.

464 To this question, "If the law does not justify, what does it serve?" Paul gives this answer: "Although it does not justify, the law is very useful and necessary. First, in civil usage it keeps the carnally-minded and crude people in check. Secondly, it shows man what he is like; that he is a sinner, therefore guilty of death and worthy of eternal wrath. What is the purpose of this humiliation, the smashing and crushing with this hammer, namely the law? It serves that grace may have access to us. Thus, the law is a servant and a preparator (praeparatrix) for grace. For God is a God of the humble, the wretched, the afflicted, the oppressed, the despairing, and of those who have become nothing at all, and His fine consecration is that He exalts the lowly, the hungry, and the unhappy.

He feeds the hungry, enlightens the blind, comforts the miserable and the afflicted, justifies sinners, gives life to the dead, and saves the desperate and the damned 2c. For he is the almighty creator who makes everything out of nothing.

But the most harmful corruption, the delusion of his own righteousness, does not let him come to this work that lies in his nature (naturale) and is peculiar to him, because he does not want to be a sinner, not unclean, wretched and damned, but righteous, holy 2c. Therefore, God must use this hammer, namely the law, which breaks, shatters, crushes and makes this beast with its futile trust, wisdom, justice, power 2c. completely and utterly nothing, so that it finally learns through its misfortune that it is lost and damned. And there, when the conscience is so terrified by the law, the doctrine of the gospel and of grace has a place, which restores and comforts, saying that Christ came into the world, not to break the bruised reed, not to quench the smoldering wick Isa. 42:3, but to preach the gospel to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to preach a remission to the captives 2c. Isa. 61, 1.

But here it takes work and effort for a man who is so frightened and crushed by the law to be able to stand up again and say: Now I am sufficiently crushed and afflicted; the time of the law has made me miserable enough and afflicted me. Now it is time for grace, and to hear Christ, from whose mouth the sermons of grace flow. Now it is time to look not at the smoking and burning Mount Sinai, but at Mount Moria, where is the dwelling place, the temple and the mercy seat of God, namely Christ, who is the King of righteousness and peace. There I will hear what the LORD will speak to me; but he speaks of peace to his people.

But so great is the foolishness of the human heart that in this battle of conscience, when the law has done its work and exercised its right use, it not only fails to grasp the doctrine of grace, which most certainly promises and accepts the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake, but it also fails to grasp the doctrine of the Lord.

418 Lri. 6ai. II, 71-73. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2265-2268. 419

but seeks even more laws by which he wants to create advice for himself. He says: If I live longer, I will improve my life, do this or that. Likewise: I will go to a monastery, live in the most miserable way, be content with water and bread, go barefoot 2c. If you do not do the opposite here, that is, if you do not relegate Moses with his law to the safe and hardened, and in this fear and terror take hold of Christ, who suffered, was crucified and died for your sins, then your salvation is completely lost.

468 Thus the law with its office (which is only incidental, not its actual work per accidens) also serves for justification, in that it does not make righteous, but it urges toward the promise of grace, and makes it sweet and desirable. Therefore we do not dismiss the law, but show its proper function and use, namely, that it is a very useful servant that leads to Christ. Therefore, after the law has humbled you, frightened you and completely crushed you, so that you are now extremely close to despair, see to it that you know how to use the law properly, because its office and custom is not only to show sin and the wrath of God, but also to drive you to Christ. This use of the law is indicated only by the Holy Spirit in the Gospel, where He testifies that God is with those who are brokenhearted 2c.

469 Therefore, when thou art bruised with this hammer, use not this bruisedness in a wrong way, that thou mayest burden thyself with more laws, but hear Christ saying Matt. 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." If the law so urges you, when all your affairs are in despair, to seek help and comfort in Christ, then it is in its right use, and serves through the gospel for the attainment of righteousness; and this is the best and most perfect use of the law.

Therefore, Paul begins here to treat the law from a new point of view (novo capite) and describes what it is, having therefore been given the opportunity.

that he had said that the law does not make righteous. For when reason hears this, it immediately concludes: So God gave it in vain. It was therefore necessary to ask, to describe and to answer correctly what the law was and how it was to be understood, so that it would not be taken more broadly or more narrowly than it should be. He says: "In order to attain righteousness, no law is absolutely necessary.

Therefore, when one has to deal with righteousness, life, and eternal salvation, one must put the law completely out of sight, as if it had never been or would never be, but were absolutely nothing, for in the business of justification no one can put the law far enough out of sight and look only at the promise. That is why I said that the law and the promise must be separated from each other as far as possible in the heart, because in the matter itself they are very closely connected.

Until the seed comes to whom the promise has been made.

472 Paul does not make the law perpetual, but says that it is given and added to the promises for the sake of sins, namely, civilly, to keep them in check, but especially theologically, to reveal them and make them greater, and this also not forever, but only for a time. Here one must pay attention to the determination of "when" 1) namely, how long the rule or tyranny of the law should last, which reveals sin and shows us what we are like and makes the wrath of God known to us. Those who seriously feel this would suddenly perish if they did not receive comfort. Therefore, if the time of the law were not shortened, no man would be saved. Therefore, the law must be given a time and measure beyond which it may not reign.

How long, then, shall the dominion of the law last? Until the seed comes,

1. Latin: praedicamentum quando, which could have been translated by "category of time". About "categories" compare Walch, St. Louis edition, volume XVIII, 1132, note.

420 Li- oui. ii, 73-76. Explanation d. Galatians 3, 19. W. vm, 2268-2272. 421

namely the one of whom it is written: "Through your seed all nations shall be blessed" [Gen. 22:18.fi So long shall the tyranny of the law last, until the fullness of time and that seed of blessing come, not that the law itself brings the seed or gives righteousness, but that in civil life it keeps wild men in check and keeps them as in a prison, but in spiritual life (theologice) it keeps the innocent, humble and terrifies and forces those who are thus humiliated 1) and broken to desire that blessed seed.

474 The time, how long the law should last, can be understood both according to the letter and spiritually. According to the letter, the law lasted until the time of grace. "The law and the prophets (says Christ Matth. 11, 13. 12.) prophesied until John. From the days of John until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and those who do violence snatch it to themselves." At this time Christ was baptized and began to preach, where also according to the letter the law and the whole Mosaic service ceased. Spiritually, the law should not reign in the conscience longer than the time predestined for this blessed seed. So when the law has shown me sin, frightened me and revealed the wrath and judgment of God, so that I begin to blanch, to despair 2c., then the law has its prescribed measure, time and end, so that it should cease to exercise its tyranny, because it has then completed its office; it has sufficiently shown and frightened the wrath of God. Here it must be said: desist, law, you have sufficiently terrified and crushed, all your curses have come upon me, your terror has afflicted me [Ps. 88, 8.fi Likewise: O LORD, turn not thy face in anger from thy servant; alas, I beseech thee, chasten me not in thy wrath 2c. Ps. 6:2.

475. When this fear and such lamentations come, then is the time and hour of the blessed seed. Let the law therefore depart, which, though to reveal the sins, and to make them manifest

1. In the Wittenberg: inhumiliatos instead of: humiliatos.

but only until the seed comes; when the seed is present, the law shall cease to reveal sins and to terrify, and shall give dominion to another, namely, to the blessed seed, that is, to Christ, who has blessed lips, with which he does not accuse, terrify 2c., but speaks of far better things than the law, namely, grace, peace, forgiveness of sins, victory over sin, death 2c., which were obtained by his death and resurrection, and are given to those who believe.

So Paul shows with these words: "Until the seed comes, to whom the promise was made", how long the law should last according to the letter and spiritually. According to the letter, it ceased when that blessed seed took our flesh, came into the world, gave the Holy Spirit, and wrote a new law in the hearts 2c. The spiritual duration of the law, however, does not cease at once, but hangs exceedingly tenaciously in the conscience. Therefore, it is very difficult for a person who is plagued by the theological custom of the law to see the end of the law, because in this terror and feeling of sin, the mind cannot grasp the hope that God is merciful, that He wants to forgive sins for the sake of Christ, but rather judges that God is angry with sinners, that He accuses and condemns them. If faith is not added to this, which in turn can help, or, according to Christ's words Matth. 18, 20: "Where two or three are gathered," 2c., there is a brother who comforts with the word of God the one who is so downcast and crushed by the law, then despair and death follow.

This is why it is very bad for a man, especially a challenged one, to be alone. "Woe to him who is alone! If he falls, there is no one to help him up," says Ecclesiastes Cap. 4:10. Therefore, those who have instituted monasticism or the solitary life have given countless people cause to despair. If someone, in order to pray, would withdraw for a day or two from the intercourse with people (as we read of Christ, that he sometimes went alone on a mountain), then he would be in despair.

422 n- 76-78. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 2272-2275. 423

and spent the night in prayer), there would have been no danger. But the fact that they have forced people into constant loneliness is the devil's fault. For when a man is challenged and alone, he cannot counsel himself, not even in the slightest affliction.

And is provided by the angels, by the hand of the Mediator.

This is a small digression, which Paul neither explains nor carries out, but only touches upon in passing and passes over. For he soon returns to the matter of which he is speaking, namely, at the words v. 21., "How? is then the law contrary to God's promises?" But this is the cause of the digression: it occurred to him that in this also there was a difference between the law and the gospel, that the law, which had been added to the promises, differed from the gospel not only in time, but also as to the author (auctore) or the effecting cause. . For the law was given through the angels, Hebr. 2, 2, but the gospel through the Lord Himself. Therefore the gospel surpasses the law, because the law is the word of servants, but the gospel of the Lord.

479 Therefore, in order to diminish the law, but to exalt the gospel, he says that the law was a doctrine that lasted only a very short time (for it lasted only until the fulfillment of the promise, that is, until the blessed seed that fulfilled the promise), but the gospel was eternal. For all believers have had it from the beginning of the world and have been saved by it. The law is therefore far inferior to the gospel because it was given by the servants, the angels, and only lasted a short time, but the gospel was given by the Lord Himself, Hebr. 1, 2. and as eternal because it was promised before the times of the world, Tit. 1, 2.

480 Then the preaching of the Law is not only by the angels, who are servants, but also by another servant who is inferior to the angels, namely a man, that is (as he says here), "by the hand of the mediator", that is, Moses. Christ

but is not a servant, but the Lord Himself. He is not a mediator between God and men according to the law, like Moses, but he is the mediator of a better testament Hebr. 12, 24.

481 The law was thus given through the angels, as servants, because on Mount Sinai Moses and the people heard God speak, that is, the angels who spoke in the person of God. Therefore Stephen says in the 7th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles v. 53: "You received the law through the business of angels," that is, through the angels who were busy giving it, "and you did not keep it." Likewise, the text of Exodus 3:2 clearly states that an angel appeared to Moses in the fiery flame and spoke to him from the bush. The Latin text is corrupted because it does not have the word "angel" but "Lord", and because of ignorance of the Hebrew language, this passage has become the cause of the dispute whether the Lord himself spoke to Moses or an angel.

Thus Paul indicates that Christ is the mediator of a far better testament than Moses, and alludes to the history of the proclamation of the law in the 2nd book of Moses, in which it is said that Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God and placed them at the bottom of the mountain. There was a sad and frightening sight, the whole mountain was burning 2c. When the people saw this, they began to tremble, for they thought that they would suddenly perish in this great storm. Because they could not bear the law, which sounded terrifyingly from Mount Sinai (for this terrible voice of the law would have killed the people), they said to the mediator Moses 5 Mos. 5, 27.: "Come near, and hear all that the Lord says, but you speak with us" 2c., and Moses himself says v. 5.: "I stood between God and you" and was the mediator. From this it is quite clear that Moses was appointed mediator between the people and the voice 1) of the law.

483. Paul now wants to indicate by this history that it is impossible that through

1. Io<M<znt6ra is to be referred to legern, not to meäiatorem.

424 Li-1. 6-ti. II, 78-80. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 19, W. VIII, 2278-2278. 425

the law could obtain righteousness, as if he wanted to say: How could the law justify, since the whole Israelite people, since they were sanctified 2c., likewise Moses himself, the mediator between GOD and the people, was terrified and trembled at the voice of the law, as the epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 12, 21. says? Here was nothing but terror and trembling. But what kind of righteousness and holiness is this, if one cannot stand the law, yes, cannot hear it nor wants to, but flees and hates it, and hates it in such a way that one hates nothing more in the whole world? as this history testifies quite clearly that the people, just at the hour when they heard the law, harbored a greater hatred against nothing than against the law, and that they had rather wished for death than to hear the law.

484 When sin has been thus revealed by the rays which the law casts into the heart, nothing is more detestable and intolerable to man than the law. For then he would rather choose death than have to endure these terrors of the law even for a very short time, which is a sure sign that the law does not justify. For if it did justify, men would certainly love it, delight in it, and take it up willingly rather than unwillingly. But where is this willing reception? Nowhere; neither with Moses nor with the whole people; because all fled frightened and trembling. But that from which one flees, one does not love, but has an aversion against it, one is not delighted by it, but hates it to the utmost. Therefore, this flight indicates that the human heart has an unlimited hatred against the law and consequently also against God Himself, the author of the law, and if there were no other reason to prove that righteousness could not be obtained from the law, then this one history would be sufficient, which Paul indicates in the shortest possible way with these words: "By the hand of the mediator", as if he wanted to say: Do you not remember that your fathers could not even hear the law, so that they needed the mediator, Moses? And since he was appointed as mediator, so much was lacking in their love for the law that they were even in need of it, together with

The people of Egypt, who had been their mediator (as the epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 12, 20. 21. testifies), showed their disgust by a terrifying flight, and if they had been able to, they would have returned to Egypt through an iron mountain. But the way was barred to them, so that they could not escape to any side. Therefore they said to Moses Ex. 20:19, Deut. 5:25, "Speak thou with us, for if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we must die." So if they cannot hear the law. Dear, how should they do it?

Therefore, since the people of the law had to have a mediator by necessity, it follows quite irrefutably that the law did not make them righteous. What did it do? That which Paul says Rom. 5:20: "The law came in beside, that sin might be made mightier." So the law was the light and the sun that sent its rays into the hearts of the children of Israel, by which they were terrified, and such anger against God and fear of God was instilled in them that they felt an abhorrence of the law and of its author, which is the most grievous sin. Would you then say that such people were righteous? Certainly not. For righteous are those who hear the law, take hold of it with all their heart's desire, and delight in it. But the history of the giving of the law testifies that all people in the whole world, however holy they may be (especially since these people, who were purified and sanctified, could not hear the law), have an aversion to the law, detest and flee it, and wish it were not there. So it is impossible for people to become righteous by it, but it has the completely opposite effect.

486 Although Paul, as I have said §478, only touches on this piece in passing, does not go into it further, nor does he elaborate on it, a diligent and attentive reader will recognize without effort that he is speaking covertly 1) of both mediators, Moses and Christ, and that he is comparing them with one another, as we will show soon after. If

1. Wittenberger: reete instead of: teate.

426 Lri. 6 "I. II, 80-83. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2278-2280. 427

If he had wanted to treat and carry out this matter in detail, this few pieces would have been sufficient to give him ample material for writing a new epistle. The history of the proclamation of the law in the 2nd book of Moses, chap. 19 and 20, would offer material for a large book, if one would read it even above unbiased (sine affectu), although it seems to be very paltry to those who do not know the true office of the law and its custom, if one compares it with other sacred histories.

From this it is evident that if the whole world had stood at Mount Sinai like the Israelite people, it would also have been terrified and would have fled from the law. Thus, the whole world is opposed to the law and hates it bitterly. But the law is holy, just and good and a right presentation (rectitudo) of the divine will. How, then, can he be righteous who not only abhors and flees the law, but is also God's enemy, who is the author of the law. And yet the flesh cannot do otherwise, as Paul testifies in Romans 8:7: "To be carnally minded is enmity against God, since it is not subject to the law, for neither is it able to be." Therefore, it is the greatest foolishness to hate God and His law in such a way that we cannot even hear it, and yet claim that we are justified by it.

Therefore, the sophists are blind and understand nothing at all about this trade. They look only at the outward appearance of the law and think that it is satisfied with civil good conduct (moribus), and that those are righteous before God who do it outwardly, but they do not see its true and spiritual effect, which is not that it makes righteous and satisfies consciences, but that it increases sin, frightens and incites wrath.

Since they do not know this, they conclude that man has a good will and right reason with regard to the Law of God. But whether this is true, ask (consule) the people of the Law with their mediator, who heard the Law on Mount Sinai. Ask also David about it, who, as often as he complains in the Psalms that he has been deprived of God's

He is terrified by the greatness of his sin, the wrath and the judgment of God, this unconquerable tyrant, does not oppose his sacrifices, not even the law, but only the mercy of God, which is bestowed upon him by grace. Therefore, the law does not justify.

490. If the law agreed with my inclinations, that is, if it approved my hypocrisy and my own honor, if it approved my delusion and my trust in my own righteousness, if it allowed that without the mercy of God and faith in Christ alone I could become righteous before God through His help (as the whole world naturally judges the law); then, if it said that God could be influenced (flecti) and overcome by works, and become guilty of giving a reward to those who do them, that I could thus, without needing God, be a god to myself, who could earn grace by my works and, with the exclusion of Christ's salvation, make myself blessed by my merits, if, I say, the law were thus at my will, then it would be pleasant, sweet and pleasing to me. Reason can flatter itself so excellently. But this would last only so long, until the law would come to its actual custom and office. Then it would become obvious that reason cannot bear the rays of the law, then some Moses would have to come and become a mediator, and yet without any benefit, as I will soon say.
491. Here belongs the passage 2 Cor. 3. 7. ff. about the hidden face of Moses, where Paul shows from the history in the 2nd book of Moses, Cap. 34, 29. ff., that the children of Israel not only did not know the right and theological custom of the law, but also could not bear it. First, because they could not look upon the end of the law, Paul says v. 13., for the sake of the covering which Moses had put before his face. Secondly, they could not look at the uncovered face of Moses either, because of the clarity of his face. For when Moses wished to speak to them, he covered his face with a blanket, without which they could not bear his speech, that is, they could not even

428 Lri. Oai. II, 8A-85. Explanation of Galatians 3, 19. 20. W. VIII, 2280-2285. 429

They could not have heard their mediator Moses, if he did not use another mediator, namely the cover. How could they have heard God's voice or the voice of an angel, since they could not hear the voice of Moses, who was their mediator, unless he covered his face?

492. Therefore, if the blessed seed does not come and direct and comfort the one who has heard the Law, then he will surely be lost in despair in disgust against the Law, in hatred and blasphemy against God, and from day to day he will sin angrier against God; for the deeper the fear and consternation of conscience that the Law produces is ingrained and the longer it lasts, the more the hatred and blasphemy against God grows.

Moreover, this history teaches what the power of free will is. The people are frightened and tremble; where is free will here, where is good will and right reason? What is the value of free will among those who are sanctified and purified? It does not know how to help itself, it darkens reason and turns away good will, it does not accept the Lord who comes to Mount Sinai with thunder, lightning and fire, does not greet him and does not seize him with joy. He cannot hear the voice of the LORD, but says against it, "The LORD speak not unto us, lest we die" Ex. 20:19.. So we see what power free will has in the children of Israel, who, even though they are sanctified, will not or cannot even hear a syllable or a letter of the law. Therefore, the boast that is made of free will is a mere pretense 2c.

V. 20: But a mediator is not a mediator of one.

Here he compares these two mediators with each other, indeed only casually and in wonderful shortness, but nevertheless in such a way that he does enough for the attentive reader who immediately understands (since the word mediator is a general one) that he speaks in general of a mediator, not of Moses alone. "A mediator."

1. Instead of äktsstationk in the Wittenberg has the Jena and the Erlangen äktsstinutionk.

he says, "is not a mediator of one," but this word necessarily comprehends two parties, namely an insulted and an insulter, one of whom needs intercession (intercessione), the other not. Therefore, a mediator is not a mediator of one, but between two, and that between such two parties who disagree with each other.

Thus, according to the general explanation, Moses is a mediator, because he acts as a mediator between the law and the people, who cannot stand the theological custom of the law. Therefore, a new face of the law must be prepared and its voice changed, that is, the theological voice of the law or the living law in the heart of the people must put on a larva and become such through the human voice of Moses that it can be endured and heard.

But when the law is thus fulfilled, it no longer speaks in its majesty, but through the mouth of Moses. In this way it no longer executes its office, that is, it does not instill terror in the consciences, and therefore men then do not understand it at all, but become by it only safe, snoring and presumptuous hypocrites. And yet one of both must happen, namely, that the law is either out of its custom, with the cover, but then, as I said, it makes hypocrites, or that it is in its custom, without cover, then it kills, because the human heart cannot suffer the law in its right custom, without cover.

Therefore, if you want to see the end of the law without a covering, you must either take hold of the blessed seed in faith (that is, you must look beyond the end of the law to Christ, who is the fulfillment of the law, who says to you, "The law has frightened you enough; be of good cheer, my son, your sins are forgiven you," of which I will say more soon), or you must certainly have Moses as your mediator with his covering.

498 Hence it is that Paul uses this general saying and says: "A mediator is not a mediator of one. For it was not possible that Moses alone should have been God's mediator, because God is not a mediator of one.

430 Lii- 6ai. ii, 85-87. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vni, 2285-2288. 431

He is not only the people's mediator, but also the mediator between God and the people, who were not at ease with God. For this is the office of a mediator, that he reconcile the offended part with the one who has offended. But Moses, as I have said, is only such a mediator who changes the voice of the law and makes it so that it is bearable to hear it, but he does not give the power to fulfill the law. In short, he is a mediator through the cover (velaminis), therefore he does not give power over the law, but only covers it. Therefore his disciples, as far as he is a mediator through the cover (mediator velaminis), must necessarily remain hypocrites.

499 But what do you think would have happened if the law had been given without Moses, either before or after Moses, and there had been no mediator, and yet the people could neither have escaped nor had a mediator? In this case, the people would either have had to die suddenly from too much terror, or, if they were to remain unharmed, another mediator would have had to come, who would have had to mediate between the law and the people in such a way that, while the people remained unharmed, the law would also have remained in its power, and the people would have come to an agreement with the law. In the meantime Moses comes and becomes a mediator, makes a larva and hangs the ceiling, but he cannot take away the terror of the law from the conscience.

Therefore, when Moses and his cover are taken away, when man feels the wrath and judgment of God in death or in distress of conscience because of his sin, which is revealed and increased by the law, then, lest he despair, a mediator must come who will say: You, sinner, shall nevertheless remain, that is, you shall not die, even though the law and its wrath remain.

501 This mediator is Jesus Christ, who does not change the voice of the law, as Moses does, nor cover it with a blanket, nor make me see the law no more, but opposes the wrath of the law, takes it away, and satisfies the law in his body by himself, and then by the gospel.

says to me: "The law threatens you with the wrath of God and eternal death, but do not be dismayed and flee, but stand still; I will stand in your place and do enough for you according to the law.

This is a far different mediator than Moses, who mediates between the angry God and the sinner. Here the mediation of Moses is of no use, because he has already disappeared and has aligned his office with his blanket.

But there, a desperate sinner or a dying man and the offended and angry God meet head-on. Therefore, a mediator other than Moses must come to satisfy the law, take away its wrath and reconcile this lost sinner, who is guilty of eternal death, with the angry God.

Paul remembers this mediator only in passing, since he says: "A mediator is not a mediator of one", because the name of a mediator actually denotes the one who acts as a mediator between an insulted and an insulter. We are the offenders, God with His law is the offended, and the offense is such that God cannot forgive it, nor are we able to do enough for it. Therefore, between God, who is unanimous in Himself, and us, there is the greatest disagreement. Moreover, God cannot revoke His law, but wants it to be kept, and we, who have transgressed the law of God, cannot flee from the presence of God. So Christ placed Himself as mediator between these two, which are completely different and separated from each other by an infinite and eternal gulf, and reconciled them to each other 2c. In what way? "He hath," as Paul elsewhere Col. 2:14, 15 says, "cut off the handwriting that was against us, which was made by statutes (that is, the law), and was contrary to us; and hath put it out of the way, and nailed it to the cross; and hath taken off principalities and powers, and made a public display of them, and made a triumph of them by himself." Therefore, he is not the mediator of one, but of two, who were in strongest disagreement with each other.

432 Li-1. ""I. II, 87-so. Exec. Explanation d. Galatians 3, 20. W. VIII, 2288-2292. 4ZZ

505 Here also is a mighty and strong passage to refute the righteousness of the law, and to instruct us that in the matter of justification the law must be set aside altogether (longissime). Likewise, even the word "mediator" also gives a sufficiently strong reason for proving that the law does not justify, for otherwise what need is there of a mediator? Since human nature cannot hear the law, it is evident that it is much less able to do so, and to agree with the law. So the law does not justify.

This is, as I often and almost to the point of exasperation inculcate, the right doctrine of the law, which every Christian should strive to learn with the utmost diligence, that he may know how to describe clearly and actually what the law is, what its custom and its mode (modus) is, what power it has, what its time is and what its purpose is, namely, that it has just the opposite effect than all men think, to whom this quite pernicious delusion of the law clings by nature, that they think it makes righteous. That is why I am afraid that when we are there, this teaching will again be obscured. For the world must be filled with terrible darkness and error before the last day.

Therefore, let him who can grasp it grasp it that the law in Christian theology and in its proper use does not justify, but has just the opposite effect. For it shows us ourselves, it holds out to us that God is angry with us, it reveals anger, terrifies us, and not only reveals sin, but also makes it exceedingly great, so that where before there was only a small sin, it becomes great through the shining of the law, so that man begins to hate and flee the law and with a determined (perfecto) hatred to abhor God who gave the law. This certainly does not mean to be justified by the law, which even reason must admit, but to sin against the law twofold; first, that you not only have an aversion to the law, so that you cannot hear it, but do against it, yes, that you, secondly, also hate it in such a way that you wish it would be done away with, yes, even God Himself, who gave it, is hated by you.

However, he is good in the highest degree.

What greater blasphemy can there be, what more terrible sin, than to hate God, to have an aversion to the Law and not to hear it, which is very good and holy? For history Ex. 19, 20. testifies clearly that the people of Israel refused to hear the best law, the most holy and, according to its essence, most sweet words (namely, "I am your GOD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt" 2c. "Thou shalt have no other gods"; "Who do I mercy to many thousands" 2c. "Honor thy father 2c., that it may go well with thee, and that thou mayest live long upon the earth" 2c.), and that it needed a mediator. This highest, most perfect and divine wisdom and the most beautiful, best and sweetest teaching they cannot stand. They say: "Let not the Lord speak with us, lest we die. Speak thou with us" 2c.

It is a marvelous, truly marvelous thing that you cannot hear your highest and sweetest good, namely, that you have a God, and that is a merciful God, who wants to exercise mercy on you in many thousand ways, that you cannot hear what serves as your defense: "You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal. For with these words God fences in your life, your wife and all that you have, as it were with a wall, and fortifies it against all violence and attacks of evil men 2c.

The Law, then, does nothing but enlighten the conscience with its light about sin, death, judgment, hatred and the wrath of God. Before the law comes, I am safe, I do not feel sin; but when the law comes, I am shown sin, death, hell. This certainly does not mean to become righteous, but to become guilty, to be set up as an enemy of GOD, to be condemned to death and hell. So the main purpose of the law in theology is that it does not make people better, but worse, that is, it shows them sin, so that they may be humbled, terrified and crushed by the knowledge of sin, and thus seek grace and the blessed

434 6 "I. II, 90-92. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2292-2295. 435

Seed desire bear. This is the short epitome of the reason of proof that Paul took from the word "mediator" in his digression.

But God is united.

God offends no one, therefore he needs no mediator; but we offend God, therefore we need a mediator, not Moses, but Christ, who speaks for our good 2c. - This is how far the digression goes cf. § 478, now Paul returns to the matter at hand.

V. 21. How is the law contrary to God's promises?

Above v. 11 Paul said that the law does not justify. Should we therefore do away with it? No, because it also has its use. Which one? It brings people to self-knowledge, shows and increases sin 2c. Here another question immediately arises. If the law only makes people worse by showing them sin, does it not conflict with God's promises, and does God not seem to be irritated and offended by the law, so that he cannot keep and fulfill his promises? We Jews have thought just the opposite, namely that we are kept and determined by the law in an outward discipline, so that God, moved by it, hastened the fulfillment of the promise, and so that through this discipline we earned the promise.

513. Paul answers: "No; yes, on the contrary, if you look at the law, the promise is only hindered more. For human reason offends God, who makes the promise, since it does not want to hear his good and holy law. For it says: "Do not let the Lord speak to us" 2c. Should God then keep His promises to these people who not only do not receive the law and its discipline, but hate and flee from the bottom of their hearts? Here, then, as I have said, this question immediately arises: Does not the law seem to hinder God's promises? Paul touches on this question even casually and passes over it, but he answers it shortly by saying:

Let that be far away!

514 Why then? First, because God did not give the promise for the sake of our worthiness, merit or good works, but out of pure abundant:: and everlasting goodness and mercy. He does not say to Abraham, Because thou hast kept the law, therefore in thee shall all nations be blessed; but because he was yet uncircumcised, and had not the law, and was yet an idolater (as Joshua 24:2. is written), he says to him Gen. 12:1., Go out of thy father's country 2c. Cap. 15, 1.: "I am your shield" 2c. Likewise Cap. 22, 18.: "Through your seed" 2c. These promises are completely unconditional (absolutae), which God promises to Abraham for free, without any condition or consideration of previous or subsequent works or merits.

515 This is very much against the Jews, who think that the divine promises are hindered by their sins. God, says Paul, does not postpone His promises because of our sins, nor does He hasten them because of our righteousness and merits; He does not consider either of them. Therefore, even though we become more angry and hate God more because of the law, God is not moved by it to postpone His promise, because it is not based on our worthiness and righteousness, but on His goodness and mercy.

Therefore, it is a mere fiction when the Jews say: Messiah does not come because our sins echo his coming; as if God becomes unjust for the sake of our sins or a liar for the sake of our lies. He remains always just and true, may we be sinners or righteous. Thus, His truth alone is the reason why He keeps and fulfills His promise.

517. Then, although the law reveals and increases sin, it is not contrary to the promises of God; rather, it is for them. For if it does its work rightly and perfectly and achieves its purpose, it humbles man and prepares him (if he only uses the law rightly) to desire and seek grace. For only then, when man is shown his sin through the law

436 Li-I. ttai. II, 92-94. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 3, 21. W. VIII, 229S-2298. 437

If he sees that the law is not only good but also blasphemous, he sees in truth the ungodliness and enmity of the human heart against the law and God, the author of the law. Then he seriously feels that he not only does not love the supremely good God with His completely holy law, but also hates and blasphemes Him. Here he must confess that there is absolutely nothing good in him, and when he has been so crushed and humiliated by the law, he recognizes that he is in truth wretched and damned. So when the law forces him to acknowledge his wickedness in such a way and to confess his sin from the heart, it has finished its work and its time is over, the time of grace has come, so that the blessed seed can come, so that it can again straighten out the man who has been frightened and crushed by the law and comfort him with the gospel.

518. In this way, the Law is not contrary to the promises of God, because, first, the promise is not based on the Law, but on God's truth; second, because the Law humbles in the best and highest use, and by humbling, causes men to sigh, desire, and seek the hand of the Mediator, whose grace and mercy make it very sweet (as it is said in the 109th Psalm, v. 21: "Thy grace is my consolation"), and makes His gift delicious and inexpressible, and so enables us to receive Christ. Psalm, v. 21: "Thy grace is my consolation") and makes his gift delicious and inexpressible, and thus enables us to receive Christ (Christi capaces reddit). For sweet things do not taste good to him who has not tasted bitter things. Hunger is the best cook. Just as a dry land thirsts for rain, so the law makes frightened hearts thirst for Christ. Christ tastes this most delightfully; there is joy, comfort and life. Only then will Christ and His good deeds be truly recognized.

519 This use of the law is therefore very good, that it may be so well used as to make humble and thirsty after Christ. For he wants to have thirsty souls, which he beckons to him in the most delightful way, saying Matth. 11, 28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Therefore he gladly waters and moistens this arid land. He pours not fine waters upon a fat, sated, and

not thirsty land. His goods are priceless, therefore he gives them only to the needy, preaches the gospel to the poor, waters the thirsty. "Whosoever thirsteth (saith he Joh. 7, 37.), let him come unto me, and drink." "He heals the brokenhearted" 2c. Ps. 147, 3., that is, those who are afflicted and martyred by the law he comforts and makes blessed. Therefore, the law is not against the promises of God.

But if there were a law that could give life, then righteousness would truly come from the law.

^1^With these words Paul shows that no law can make alive, but only kill. So my works, which I do not only according to the laws of the priest or human statutes, but also according to the law of God, do not make me righteous before God, but present me as a sinner; they do not propitiate the wrath of God, but provoke it; they do not obtain righteousness, but take it away; they do not make me alive, but kill me. Therefore, since he says, "If a law were given," 2c., he teaches in the clearest terms that not even the divine law can make alive, but has just the opposite effect.

521 Although these words of Paul are quite clear, they are completely obscure and unknown to the papists. For if they understood them, they would not praise so much the free will, the human powers, the keeping of the (evangelical) counsels, the super-long works 2c. But lest it be publicly seen that they are ungodly men and heathen, who brazenly deny the words of the apostle of Christ, they constantly seek to nullify with this exceedingly pernicious gloss such passages in Paul as speak of the law which bespeaks sin and incurs wrath, that is, of the holy ten commandments.

1. This paragraph is used by Aurifaber (in the translation of Menius) for § 33 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks it is omitted.
2. Thus Luther calls the opera supererogationis in the interpretation of the 8th chapter of John, in our edition vol. VIII, 182, § 123, and in the interpretation of the 16th chapter of John, ibid. col. 635, § 59.

438 Lri. 6ai. II, 94^-96. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2298-2302. 439

Paul is talking about the ceremonial law, not the moral law.

522 But Paul speaks actually and clearly, since he says: "If a law would be given" 2c., and does not exclude any law at all. Therefore, the gloss of the sophists is useless. For the ceremonial laws were commanded by God and kept just as strictly as the moral laws; the Jews kept circumcision just as conscientiously as the Sabbath. Therefore the apostle speaks of the whole law.

523 These words of Paul are sung and read in all churches, and yet they are taught and lived in the opposite way. Paul says that no law is given to make alive. On the other hand, the Sophists teach the exact opposite and claim that many and innumerable laws are given to make alive. Although they do not say this in clear words, this is in fact their opinion, and this testifies brightly enough to their monasticism, to the innumerable human laws, statutes, and ceremonies, to the works and merits according to equity and dignity (congrui et condigni), and to countless other ungodly services which they have established. These alone they preached after the gospel had been suppressed, promising for certain that those who held such services would obtain grace, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. This, I say, cannot be denied, for their books still exist, which bear quite certain witness to this.

(524) On the other hand, we teach with Paul that no law, whether human or divine, makes righteousness and life, and therefore we distinguish the law from righteousness as far as death from life, hell from heaven. And to this doctrine we are moved by this clear passage of Paul: 1) The law was not given to make righteous, alive and blessed, but rather to condemn, kill and destroy, contrary to the opinion of all men.

1. What now follows up to the end of § 526 is used by Aurifaber (excerpted from the translation of Menius) for the first half of § 34 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

Those who by nature judge that the law was given to obtain righteousness, life and salvation.

525 This actual difference between the offices of the Law and the Gospel keeps the entire pure theology in its proper use, also makes the faithful judges over all classes (vitae genera), over all laws and doctrines (dogmata) of all men, and also gives them the ability to test all spirits.

The papists, on the other hand, because they have completely mixed and confused the doctrine of the Law and the Gospel, cannot teach anything certain, neither of faith nor of works, neither of classes nor of the difference of spirits. The same is the case today with the spirits of the swarms 2c.

527 After these refutations and proofs Paul teaches in detail and beautifully that the law is nothing else, if one has its right, and indeed the best use in mind, than a kind of child education (paedagogiam) to righteousness. For it humbles men and makes them able to receive the righteousness of Christ when it does its proper work, that is, when it makes them guilty, terrifies them, brings them to the knowledge of sin, wrath, death, hell. For when this has happened, the delusion of their own righteousness and holiness fades away, and Christ with his benefits begins to become sweet. Therefore, the law is not against the promises of God, but rather for them. It does not fulfill the promise, nor does it bring righteousness, but it humbles us by its office and custom, and thus makes us thirsty for the grace and benefits of Christ, and able to receive them.

Therefore he says: If there were any law that could bring righteousness and through it life, since no one can obtain life unless he is first righteous, then righteousness would truly come from the law; likewise, if there were any state, work, order, or service that could bring about the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and life, then these would truly make one righteous and alive. But this is impossible, because:

V. 22. The Scriptures have decreed it all under sin.

** **440 Li-1. 6ai. II, p. 6-99. Explanation of Galatians 3, 22. W. VIII, 2302-2308. 441

Where? First of all, in the promises of Christ, such as Genesis 3:15: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head," and Genesis 22:18: "Through your seed," 2c. Therefore, wherever in the Scriptures the promise of Christ is made to the fathers, the blessing is promised, that is, righteousness, blessedness and eternal life. So by the contrast (per contrarium) it is proved that those who are to be blessed are subject to the curse, that is, to sin and eternal death; otherwise why would it be necessary to promise the blessing?

530] Secondly, the Scriptures, especially through the law itself, resolve men under sin and the curse, since its true function is to reveal sin, to cause wrath 2c., which we have indicated throughout the epistle, but especially from this saying of Paul Gal. 3, 10: "Those who deal with the works of the law are under the curse"; likewise from the saying that Paul quoted from the 5th book of Moses, Cap. 27, 26: "Cursed be every one that continueth not in all these things. "2c. For these sayings, in no uncertain terms, bring under the sin and the curse not only those who publicly sin against the law or do not do it outwardly, but also those who are under the law and strive with all their might to keep the law, as the Jews did, of which I have spoken above.

531 This passage much more concludes under sin all monks, hermits, Carthusians with their most holy (as they dream, because they pretend that if someone had taken his religious vows only a short time before and then died, he would immediately fly to heaven) vows and services. For here you hear most clearly that Scripture concludes everything under sin. So neither the vow nor the highest spirituality (religio) of a Carthusian is a righteousness, but everything is condemned. By what? By the scripture. Which scripture? First, by this promise: "The seed of the woman," 2c. "In thee shall be blessed" 2c., and similar passages; then also by the whole law, whose proper office is that it cast under sin 2c. So do not trample monks,

no Carthusians, no Celestines, the head of the serpent, but they remain trampled under the head of the serpent, that is, under the power of the devil. But who believes this?

^1^In short, everything that is outside of Christ and his promises is decided under sin without exception, whether it be divine or human law, ceremonial or moral law. For "the Scriptures have decreed all things under sin"; but he who says "all things" excludes nothing. So we conclude with Paul that all worldly ordinances (politiae) and laws of all Gentiles, however good and necessary they are, that all divine services and human holiness (religiones) without faith in Christ are and remain under sin, under death and eternal damnation, unless, as soon follows, the promise follows through faith in Christ Jesus. This has been discussed in more detail above.

533 Therefore this sentence is true: faith alone justifies, which the adversaries cannot suffer in any way, because Paul concludes here most strongly that the law does not make alive, because it was not given for this purpose. If this does not make righteous and alive, then works make much less righteous. For this is what Paul wants to infer when he says that the law does not make alive, namely, that works do not make alive either, for it says more strongly: The law does not make alive than: Works do not make alive.

534 If therefore the law, though it be fulfilled (though it be impossible that it should be fulfilled), justifieth not, much less do the works themselves. So faith alone justifies, without works. For Paul does not suffer this addition: faith with works justifies, but he speaks Rom. 3, 20. and above Cap. 2, 16. in a negative way by saying: "By the works of the law no flesh is justified", and here: "The law was not given to make alive."

1. This paragraph and § 534 are used by Aurifaber (in the translation of Menius) for the second half of § 75 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks. In our general edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

442 Lri. Kai. II, 99-101. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2305-2309. 443

That the promise might come through faith in Jesus Christ.

535 Above he said that the Scripture had decided everything under sin. For eternity? No, but until the promise comes. The promise, however, is the inheritance itself, or the blessing promised to Abraham, that is, deliverance from the law, sin, death and the devil, and the bestowal of grace, righteousness, blessedness and eternal life. That promise, he says, is obtained by no merit, no law, no works, but is given. To whom? To those who believe. In whom? In Jesus Christ, who is the blessed seed that redeemed those who believe from the curse, so that they might receive the blessing.

These words are not obscure, but exceedingly clear. However, one must take care to pay diligent attention to them, and we must consider their meaning and power (pondus) carefully. For if all things are determined under sin, it follows that all nations are cursed and lack the glory they should have in God Rom. 3:23, likewise that they are under God's wrath and the devil's dominion, and that no one can be delivered from it by anything else but faith in Christ. Paul, therefore, with these words most strongly contends against the enthusiastic opinions which the sophists and all works saints have of the righteousness of the law and of works, since he says: "That the promise might come through faith in JESUS Christ, given to them that believe."

(537) How to answer the sayings concerning works and wages, I have indicated above in sufficient detail, and the matter does not require us to speak of works now, because we have not here taken the trade of works before us, but of justification, namely, that it is not obtained by the law or by works, since everything is under sin and the curse, but by faith in Christ.

But where it is not a matter of justification, no one can praise highly enough the good works that God has commanded. For who can estimate the benefit and fruit of even one work that a Christian does?

by faith and in faith, praise enough ? For it is more precious than heaven and earth. Therefore, the whole world in this life cannot give the due reward even for such a good work, nor does the world have the grace to appreciate the good works of the godly, much less to reward them, because it does not see them, or if it sees them, it judges that they are not good works, but the worst evil deeds, and seeks to eliminate (exturbate) those who do such works as the most harmful pest for the human race.

539 Thus Christ, the Savior of the world, was put to the most ignominious death on the cross for his exceedingly great and unspeakable good deeds. Similarly, the apostles, who brought to the world the word of grace and eternal life, became a curse of the world and a sacrifice of the people. Truly a worthy reward that the world has paid for such great good deeds.

540. But the works that are done apart from faith, however holy they may appear to be, are under sin and the curse; therefore, far from those who do them deserving grace, righteousness, and eternal life, they rather heap sin upon sin. In this way the pope does works, the man of sin and the child of perdition, and all who follow him. In this way, all works saints and heretics who have fallen from the faith do their works.

V. 23: But before faith came.

541 He continues to make clear the usefulness and necessity of the law. Above v. 19 he said that it came about for the sake of sins, not as if this was the main intention of God, that he only gave the law to bring death and condemnation, as he also says in Rom. 7, 13: "Has that which is good become death to me? Be it far from me!" For the law is a word that shows life and leads to it; therefore it is not given for death alone. But this is its main use and purpose, that it reveals death, so that on

444 Dri. ttai. II, 101-104. Explanation of Galatians 3, 23, W. VIII, 2309-2312. 445

In this way, the nature and magnitude of sin is made known. But it does not reveal death in such a way that it delights in it, or seeks nothing else than to kill us, but for the sake of it, so that the frightened and humbled people fear God; and this is also clearly indicated by the text 2 Mos. 20, 20, where Moses says: "Do not be afraid, for God has come to tempt you, and that His fear may be before your eyes, so that you do not sin.

The function of the law is therefore only to kill, but in such a way that God can make alive. Therefore, the law is not given to death per se, but because man is arrogant and dreams that he is wise, just and holy, it is necessary that he be humbled by the law, so that this beast, the delusion of his own righteousness, may be killed; if it is not killed, man cannot live.

Thus, although the law kills, God uses this effect of the law, that is, this death, for a good use, namely for life. For since God saw that this general destruction of the entire human race (orbis terrarum) could not otherwise be resisted, and that the delusion of one's own righteousness or hypocrisy and the trust in one's own holiness could not otherwise be put to an end (conteri), he wanted this delusion to be killed by the law, but not in such a way that man would remain eternally in death, but that man, after the delusion has been killed, would again align himself, and he would also hear this voice over the law: "Fear not!" I did not give the law and kill you with it so that you would remain in death, but so that you would fear me and live. For presumption, which is based on good works and one's own righteousness, does not allow one to fear God. But where there is no fear of God, there can be no thirst for grace and life.

544. therefore God must have a strong hammer to break the rocks, and a fire that burns to the midst of heaven Deut. 4:11 to turn the mountains, that is, to bring down that stubborn and unruly (obstipam) beast, presumption.

to smite, so that man, having been reduced to nothing by this smashing, may despair of his powers, his righteousness and his works, and be terrified before God, and in such terror thirst for mercy and forgiveness of sins.

But before faith came, we were kept and shut up under the law.

545 That is, before the time of the gospel and grace came, this was the ministry of the law, that we should be shut up and kept under it, as in a prison.

This is a very beautiful and extremely appropriate simile, which shows what the law accomplishes and how righteous it makes people. Therefore, it must be considered very carefully. No thief, murderer, robber, 2c., who is a prisoner, loves the fetters and the hideous dungeon in which he is kept bound. Yes, if he could, he would destroy the dungeon together with the iron bands and turn it to ashes. In the dungeon he abstains from wrongdoing, but not out of good will or love of justice, but because the dungeon hinders him. And now that he is imprisoned, he does not detest and hate his sin and thievery (yes, he is heartily sorry that he is not free and cannot steal), but he hates his prison; if he could go out of it, he would steal as before.

The law keeps people civil and spiritual (theologice).

The law and justice from the law also have such an effect (vis), which forces us to be outwardly good, since it threatens the transgressors with corporal and life punishment. We obey the law out of fear of punishment, but unwillingly and with the greatest reluctance. But what kind of righteousness is it when you are forced to refrain from doing evil out of fear of punishment? Therefore, this righteousness of works is really nothing other than loving sin, hating righteousness, abhorring God with His law, and worshipping the highest wickedness. For as much as a thief may keep his dungeon

446 Kai. II, 104-106. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2312-2315. 447

If we love the law and hate theft, we will gladly obey it and do what it commands and refrain from doing what it forbids.

In the meantime, the law has this benefit, however ungodly the hearts may remain, that it first of all keeps thieves, murderers and publicly ungodly people in check to some extent, externally and civilly. For if these did not have the admittedly small faith that sin in the world would be punished with the wheel, the cross, the sword, and after this life with eternal death and hell, then no authority, no householder or disciplinarian (paedagogus) could restrain the rage of men with any force, with any laws or bonds. But by the threats of the law, which instill terror in the minds, the wicked are deterred to some extent, so that they do not suddenly plunge into all kinds of outrages. In the meantime, they would rather have no law, no punishment, no hell, and even no God. If God had no hell and did not punish the wicked, then everyone would love and praise Him. But because He punishes the wicked, and all are wicked, therefore, if they are closed under the law, they must, and it cannot be otherwise, hate God and blaspheme to the utmost.

Secondly, the law closes people not only in a civil but also in a spiritual way, that is, the law is also a spiritual dungeon and in truth a hell, because when it reveals sin, threatens death and the eternal wrath of God, man cannot escape, nor can he find comfort. For it is not in the power of man to shake off this terrible horror which the law brings about, or any other sadness of heart. Hence come the miserable words and lamentations of the saints everywhere in the Psalms [Ps. 6:6.), "Who will thank thee in hell?" 2c. For man is then locked in the dungeon, from which he cannot come out, nor does he see how he can be released from these bonds, that is, freed from this terror.

550 Thus the law is a civil and a spiritual prison. For first, in its civil use, it hinders and shuts up the wicked, so that they cannot without fear

(praecipites) can commit all deeds of shame according to their desires. Secondly, it shows us spiritually the sin, frightens and humbles us, so that we, thus frightened, recognize our misery and our damnation. And this is the right and proper use of the law, only it should not last permanently, because this locking up and keeping under the law should not last longer than until the future faith; when that has come, then this spiritual imprisonment should cease.

Here we see again that the law and the gospel, which are widely separated from each other, and are more separated from each other than such things as are totally contradictory (contradictoria, e.g. fire and water 2c.), are very close to each other in heart 1). Such Paul indicates by saying, "We were kept under the law, and shut up unto the faith to come." Therefore it is not enough that we are shut up under the law, for if nothing else followed we would have to despair, die in our sins 2c., but Paul adds that we are shut up and kept under restraint under the disciplinarian (the law), not for eternity, but unto Christ, who is the end of the law.

Therefore, this being terrified, this humiliation and being kept under the law should not last forever, but only until the future faith, that is, for our salvation and for our good, so that when we are terrified by the law, grace, the forgiveness of sins, deliverance from the law, sin, death 2c. may become sweet to us, all of which cannot be received by works, but is taken by faith alone 2c.

553 Whoever then knows how to combine these things, which are utterly opposed to each other, in the challenge, that is, whoever then, when he is frightened to the utmost by the law, knows that the end of the law and the beginning of grace or of the faith to come are present, uses the law rightly.

554. all the wicked understand this art

1. This statement seems to contradict what was said at the end of § 471. However, the contradiction is only apparent and must be put right according to § 553, but especially according to § 558. Compare also § 420.

448 Dri- Kai. II, 106-108 . Explanation of Galatians 3, 23, W. VIII, 2315-2318. 449

not. Cain did not know about it when he, locked in the dungeon of the Law, felt his sin seriously. At first he was outside the prison, that is, he felt no terror, even since he had already committed the fratricide, but he pretended tremendously and thought that even God Himself knew nothing about it. He said Gen. 4:9, "Shall I be my brother's keeper?" But when he heard the word, "What have you done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the earth," 2c. then began he to feel this prison earnestly. What was he doing here? He remained locked in the dungeon, he did not connect the gospel with the law, but said v. 13: "My sin is greater than this, that it may be forgiven me." He looked at the prison alone, but did not pay attention to the fact that the sin was revealed to him for his own sake, so that he might seek mercy from God. Therefore, he despaired and said that he had no God. He did not believe that he was closed to grace and faith, but was under the law.

555 But these words, "to be kept and shut up under the law," are not idle words, which serve only for mental games or school quarrels (speculabilia seu sophistica), but true and serious ones. For this prison or dungeon means right and spiritual terror, by which the conscience is so closed that it cannot find a place in the whole world where it would like to be safe. Indeed, as long as this terror lasts, the conscience feels such great fear that it thinks that heaven and earth, even if they were ten times larger, are narrower than a mouse hole. Then man is completely stripped of all wisdom, abandoned by all powers, all justice, counsel and help. For the conscience is an exceedingly tender thing, therefore, when it is thus closed up by the dungeon of the law, there is nowhere open for it to escape, but it seems to it that this distress is continually increased ad infinitum. For then he feels the wrath of God, which is infinite, whose hand he cannot escape, as the 139th Psalm, v. 7, says: "Where shall I go before thy spirit?" 2c.

556. Just as the lock-up or the dungeon is a plague of the body in civil terms,

by which the shut-in is deprived of the use of his body, so spiritually the dungeon is the anguish and anguish of the heart, by which the shut-in is deprived of peace in the conscience and tranquility in the heart, yet not forever, as reason judges when it feels this dungeon, but to the future faith. Therefore, a mind that is closed under the law must be comforted in this way: Dear brother, you are indeed shut up, but you should know that this does not happen so that you are kept shut up in this dungeon forever, because it is written that we are shut up to the faith to come. Thou shalt not therefore be afflicted with this prison unto thy destruction, but that thou mayest be refreshed through the seed wherein the blessing is given; thou shalt be put to death by the law, that thou mayest be made alive by Christ.

Therefore do not despair like Cain, Saul and Judas, who, being shut up in this prison, added nothing else, but remained in this prison, and therefore despaired. You must keep yourself in this terror of conscience differently from them, namely, that you know that it has happened to you for the best that you are thus shut up and put to shame; do not despair but see to it that you use this prison rightly, namely, on the future faith. For God does not want you to be put in fear so that you remain in this fear; He does not want to kill you so that you remain in death. He says through the prophet Ezekiel Cap. 33, 11: "I have no pleasure in the death of the sinner," 2c., but He wants you to fall into fear, so that you may be humbled and realize that you are in need of God's mercy and Christ's good deeds.

Therefore this custody under the law must not be eternal, but only last until faith, as also this exceedingly lovely saying in the 147th Psalm v. 11 teaches: "The Lord is pleased with those who fear him," that is, who are decided under this custody of the law, but he immediately adds: "Who wait for his goodness. These two oppose each other-

450 2ri- 6ai. II, 108-111. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2318-2321. 451

These two things must therefore be connected, even though they are quite different in substance. For what is more contrary to each other than to fear and detest the wrath of God and yet hope in his goodness? The one is hell, the other heaven, and yet they must be closely connected in the heart. It is very easy to bring them together in thought (speculative), but to bring them together in practice (practical) is the most difficult thing that I have often experienced. The papists and the founders of sects know nothing at all about this. Therefore, when they hear or read Paul's words, they are completely dark and incomprehensible to them, and when the law shows them sin, accuses them and frightens them, they find neither advice nor help, but despair like Cain and Saul.

559 Since the law, as I have said, is our tormentor and prisoner, it is certain that we do not love it, but hate it intensely. Therefore, whoever says he loves the law is lying and does not know what he is saying. For a thief or robber who loved his dungeon and bonds would be senseless and mad. But since the law, as I have said, shuts us up, it is certain that we are its bitterest enemies. In short, we love 1) the law and its righteousness as much as a murderer loves the dungeon. How then should we be justified by the law?

Closed to the faith that was to be revealed.

This is what Paul says about the time of fulfillment when Christ came. But apply this not only to that time, but also to your heart; for what happened historically and at the time when Christ came and abolished the law and brought freedom and eternal life to light, this happens especially (privately) daily in a spiritual way in every Christian, in whom the time of the law and the time of grace are found alternately. For the Christian has a body in the members of which, as Paul says, sin is at war (militat). By sin, however, I do not understand only that which is put into action by the deed, but the root and the tree with its fruits,

1. Wittenberger: amans instead of: amamus.

as the Scripture is wont to speak of sin. It not only attaches itself to the flesh of those who are Christians and baptized, but also contends with them and takes the flesh captive; even if it does not cause them to consent to sin or to put it into practice, it nevertheless makes strong attempts and provokes them.

For although a Christian does not fall into such gross sins as murder, adultery, theft 2c., he is not free from impatience, grumbling, hatred, blasphemy 2c. against God. These sins are completely unknown to human reason. These sins force a man, even against his will, to detest the law, they force him to flee from the face of God, they force him to hate and blaspheme against God. For just as in a young body lust is strong, in a man the desire for honor and wealth, in old age avarice, so in a holy man impatience, grumbling, hatred and blasphemy against God are strong. There are many examples of this everywhere in the Psalms, Job, Jeremiah and in all of Scripture. That is why Paul, in describing this spiritual battle, uses very emphatic and significant words, namely: to contend, to resist and to take captive.

562 Thus, in a Christian, both the time of the law and the time of grace are in the heart. 2) The time of the law is when the law drives me, troubles me, makes me sad, and brings me to the knowledge of sin and increases it. Then the law is in its right use, which a Christian feels continuously as long as he lives. Thus Paul was given a stake in the flesh, namely Satan's angel, who beat him with fists. He would have liked to have joy in his conscience, a happy heart and the bliss (gustum) of eternal life at every moment, and would also have liked to be free of all fear of the heart, and therefore wished that this temptation would be taken away from him. But this does not happen, but he must hear from the Lord 2 Cor. 12:9., "Be satisfied with my grace, for my power is mighty in the weak."

Every Christian experiences the same struggle. There are many hours in which I struggle with God.

2. Wittenberger: "Leetu instead of: aMetu.

452 Lri. oai. ii, H1-113. Explanation of Galatians 3, 23, W. vm, 2321-2325. 453

and impatiently resist Him. I dislike the wrath and judgment of God. On the other hand, he dislikes my impatience, my grumbling, 2c. and this is the time of the law, under which the Christian, according to the flesh, is always. For the flesh lusteth continually against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; but in the one more, in the other less.

The time of grace is when the heart is restored by the promise of God's mercy through grace, and says Ps. 42:6: "Why do you grieve, my soul, and are so troubled within me? Seest thou then nothing but the law, sin, terror, sorrow, despair, death, hell, and the devil? Is there not also grace, forgiveness of sins, righteousness, comfort, joy, peace, life, heaven, Christ, God? Stop, my soul, being restless within me. What is the law, sin and all evil in comparison? Hope in God, who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him to die on the Cross for your sins.

565 This then is to be shut up under the law according to the flesh, not for ever, but unto Christ to come. Therefore, if thou art terrified by the law, say, Woman law, thou art not alone, neither art thou all; but apart from thee there is something greater and better, namely, grace, faith, blessing 2c. These do not accuse, frighten or condemn me, but comfort me, tell me to take care of everything good, and promise me certain victory and blessedness in Christ. Therefore, there is no reason for me to despair.

He who understands this art well would rightly be called a theologian. The enthusiasts of today, who constantly boast of the spirit, and their disciples think that they can do this very well. I and my kind, however, have hardly the first rudiments of this art, but are diligent students in the school where this art is learned. One learns, but as long as the flesh and sin remain, this cannot be learned.

567 Thus a Christian is divided between two times. If he is flesh, he is under the law; if he is spirit, he is under the law.

Grace. The flesh is always affected by evil desire, avarice, ambition, arrogance 2c.; it is affected by ignorance and contempt of God, impatience, grumbling and anger against God, that he hinders our plans and noble deeds, that he does not punish the wicked and despisers immediately 2c. Such sins cling to the flesh of the saints. Therefore, if you look to nothing but the flesh, you will remain continually under the time of the law. But these days must be shortened, otherwise no flesh would be saved. The end of the law must be prescribed, since it must cease. Therefore the time of the law is not eternal, but has an end, which is Christ. But the time of grace is eternal, because Christ, having died once, dies no more. 2c. [He is eternal, therefore also the time of grace is eternal.

568 We do not have to run drowsily over such wonderful sayings in Paul's writings, as the papists and the masters of the rot are wont to do. For they contain words of life that wonderfully comfort and strengthen the afflicted conscience, and those who hold them righteously can judge correctly what is faith, what is right and what is wrong fear, likewise they can judge everything that men do according to their own inclination, and are able to distinguish all spirits. The fear of God is something holy and delicious, but it should not be eternal. It must always be there in every Christian, because there is always sin in him, but it must not be fine alone, otherwise it is the fear of Cain, Saul and Judas, that is, a servile fear that leads to despair.

Therefore, a Christian, believing in the word of grace, must overcome fear, turn away his eyes from the time of the law and look only to Christ and the faith to come. Then fear becomes sweet, and is mixed with heavenly potion (nectare), so that man begins not only to fear God, but also to love Him. Otherwise, if man only looks at the law and sin, without faith, he cannot cast out fear, but will finally despair.

570 Thus Paul beautifully distinguishes the time of the law and the time of grace. Also

454 2ri. o-u. II, 113-IIS. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2325-2328. 455

Let us learn to distinguish the time of the two properly, not with words, but from the heart, which is the most difficult thing. For although these two are very far from each other in the matter, yet they are very closely connected in one and the same heart. For nothing is more closely connected than fear and confidence, law and gospel, sin and grace. For they are so connected with each other that one consumes the other. Therefore, no mathematical connection can be found that is similar to this.

From the passage v. 19: "What then is the law for?" Paul began to speak of the law, as well as of the use and abuse of the law, and thus had the occasion to claim that righteousness is granted to those who believe through grace and the promise, not through the law. This bargain brought about the question, "What then is the law for?" For when reason hears that righteousness or blessing is obtained through grace and the promise, it immediately concludes, "So the law is of no use.

572 Therefore the doctrine of the law must be diligently considered as to what and how we are to think of the law, lest we either reject it altogether, as the enthusiasts did, who in 1525, when they stirred up the peasant revolt, said that evangelical liberty made men free from all laws; or lest we attribute to it the power that it can make righteous. For both sin against the law; on the right, those who want to be justified by the law, on the left, those who want to be entirely free from the law. We must therefore take the middle road, so that we neither reject the law altogether, nor attach to it more than is due.

What I have often said above about the twofold use of the law, the secular and the spiritual, shows sufficiently that the law is not given to the righteous, but, as Paul teaches elsewhere 1 Tim. 1:9, to the unrighteous. Now there are two kinds of unrighteous, namely, those who desire to be righteous and those who do not. Those who do not desire to be righteous are made unrighteous by the civil custom of the law.

law are kept in check. For they must be bound with the bands of the laws, just as cruel and wild beasts are bound with cords and chains. This custom never ends; Paul is not talking about it here. But those who desire to be justified are afflicted for a time by the spiritual custom of the law. For this custom does not last forever, as the civil one does, but is foreseen for the faith to come, and has its end when Christ comes.

From this it is quite clear that all the sayings in which Paul speaks of the spiritual use of the law must be understood by those who desire to be justified, not by those who have already been justified. For the justified, if they remain in Christ, are far outside all laws and above them. Therefore the law must be laid down for those who desire to be justified, only so that they may be kept under it until the righteousness of faith comes, not that they should attain this righteousness through the law, for that would be to abuse the law, but not to use it rightly; but so that, frightened and humbled by the law, they may take refuge in Christ, who is the end of the law, for the righteousness of all those who believe in him.

575 Therefore, first of all, all sanctimonious workers and hypocrites, who dream that men are justified by the law, abuse the law. For this custom does not drive and penetrate to the future faith, but makes full, sure and arrogant hypocrites, who boast and are presumptuous because of the righteousness and works of the law, and hinders the righteousness of faith.

Secondly, the law is abused by those who want to completely disassociate the Christians from the law, as the enthusiasts did and therefore aroused the peasants' revolt. And nowadays many of our people do the same, who, redeemed from the tyranny of the papacy by the teaching of the Gospel, dream that Christian freedom is a carnal licentiousness to do anything. These, as Peter says 1 Ep. 2, 16, make spiritual liberty the cover of wickedness, so that today the name

456 Li-i. oai. ii, iis-118. Explanation of Galatians 3, 23. 24. W. vin, 2328-2331. 457

God and the gospel of Christ is blasphemed everywhere, and therefore they will have to suffer the deserved punishment of their godlessness.

Thirdly, those who feel the terror of the law, but do not realize that it should last only until Christ, also abuse it. With these, abuse is the cause of despair, as with hypocrites it is the cause of pride and presumption.

578 On the other hand, the right use of the law cannot be considered sufficiently exquisite, because the conscience, which is closed under the law, does not despair, but, instructed by the Holy Spirit, wisely thinks in the midst of terror: I am indeed closed under the law, but not forever; indeed, this closure will be for my good. In what way? That I, thus shut up, desire the hand of the helper and seek it 2c.

579 In this way the law is as it were a driver that drives the hungry to Christ, that he may fill them with his goods. Therefore, the true function of the law is to make us guilty, to humiliate us, to kill us, to lead us to hell, and to take everything from us, but with the intention that we may be justified, exalted, made alive, led to heaven, and obtain everything. Therefore, do not merely kill, but kill to life.

V. 24. So the law has been our disciplinarian on Christ.

Again, he connects in his heart the law and the gospel, which are separated in the widest sense, since he says: "The law is our disciplinarian on Christ. But this simile of the disciplinarian is also an excellent one, therefore it must be considered carefully.

Although a disciplinarian is very useful and necessary to educate and teach children, provide me with only one child, or one student, who loves his disciplinarian. Did the Jews love their Moses very much and gladly do what he commanded? Their love and obedience for Moses was such that, as history testifies, they were happy to punish him at any hour.

nigt would have. Therefore, it is impossible for a disciple to love his disciplinarian. For how could he love him by whom he is kept in prison, that is, by whom he is not permitted to do what he would like to do? And if he sins (admittit) something against his orders, he is immediately scolded and chastised, and must also take the rod and kiss it. O, a splendid justice of the pupil, that he obeys the harsh and hard disciplinarian, that he kisses the rod! But he does not even do this willingly and gladly; if the disciplinarian is not there, he breaks the rod or throws it into the fire, and if he had power over the disciplinarian, he would not let himself be prodded by him with rods, but would order that he be prodded with rods. And yet a child is in great need of a disciplinarian to instruct him and discipline him. Otherwise, without this discipline, instruction and good habituation, the child would perish.

582 Thus a child is given a disciplinarian to instruct and guard it, and to keep it imprisoned, as it were, in a dungeon. For what purpose and for how long? Is it so that this harsh and spiteful rule of the disciplinarian and the bondage of the child will last forever? Not at all, but until the predetermined time, so that this obedience, imprisonment and discipline may serve the child for the best, so that he may become heir and king in his time. For it is not the Father's will that his son should be forever subject to the disciplinarian and be struck with rods by him, but that through his instruction and discipline he should become fit to take up his inheritance.

So the law is nothing else, Paul says, but a disciplinarian, not forever, but for Christ, as he also said above in other words v. 19: "The law came for sins, until the seed should come" 2c. Likewise v. 22., "The scripture hath decreed it all under sin, that the promise might come" 2c. Likewise v. 23., "We were kept under the law, and shut up unto the faith that should be revealed." Therefore the law is not a disciplinarian par excellence, but upon Christ. For what kind of a disciplinarian should it be, who only afflicted a child, and

458 Ari- Kai. II, 118-120. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2331-2335. 459

and the same taught nothing? Such disciplinarians existed before that time, when the schools were really a dungeon and a hell, and the schoolmasters were tyrants and carnifices. They were constantly pushing the children; they learned with a lot of work and untiring diligence, but very few had any benefit from it. The law is not such a disciplinarian, for it not only frightens and torments, as an unteachable and foolish disciplinarian only prods and teaches the children nothing, but it drives them to Christ with its blows, as a good disciplinarian beats, teaches, and trains the children in reading and writing, with the intention that they come to know good sciences and other respectable things and later do with pleasure what they did unwillingly before, when they were forced under the disciplinarian.

With this beautiful parable Paul shows the right use of the law, namely, that it does not make the hypocrites righteous, because they remain in presumption and security apart from Christ, and again, that it does not leave the frightened in death and condemnation when they use the law in this way, as Paul teaches, but drives them to Christ. But those who in such fear persist in their pusillanimity and do not take hold of Christ in faith must finally despair.

585 Thus Paul clearly depicts the true custom of the law through this image (allegoria) of the disciplinarian. For just as he chides, drives and saddens children, not with the intention that this discipline should last forever, but that it should cease when the children have been properly brought up and instructed, and so that they may later enjoy freedom and paternal goods happily and freely without the restraint of the disciplinarian: so let those who are frightened and crushed by the law know that this fright and crushing will not be forever, but that they will thereby be prepared for the future Christ and spiritual freedom 2c.

That we might be justified by faith.

586 The law is a disciplinarian, not that it drives to another lawgiver who requires good works, but to Christ,

who justifies and saves, so that we may be justified by faith in him, not by works. But when man feels the power of the law, he does not understand and believe it. That is why he tends to say, "I have lived condemned, for I have transgressed all the commandments of God, and therefore I am guilty of eternal death. If God would add a few more years to my life, or at least a few more months, I would amend my life and then live holy.

Man makes an abuse of the right use of the law, and, putting Christ out of sight, he looks around for another lawgiver. For reason, when seized in this terror and fear, dares to promise God the fulfillment of all the works of the whole law. And therefore so many sects of monks have arisen, so many services have been instituted, so many works have been devised to merit grace and forgiveness of sins, and those who devised this have been of the opinion that the law is not a disciplinarian on Christ, but on a new law or on Christ as the lawgiver, not on Christ as the end of the law.

588 But the right use of the law is, that I may know that by the law I am brought to the knowledge of sin, and am humbled, that I may come to Christ, and be justified by faith. Now faith is not a law nor a work, but the certain confidence that takes hold of Christ, who is the end of the law, Rom. 10:4. In what way? Not that he abolishes the old law and brings a new one, or is a judge who must be reconciled by works, as the papists taught, but "he is the end of the law, he who believes in him is righteous," the law cannot accuse him 2c. This is the power and right custom of the law. Therefore it is good, holy, useful and necessary, if only it is used rightly.

589. But the hypocrites abuse the law first, who ascribe to it the power to make righteous; then also those who despair, who do not know that the law is a disciplinarian of Christ, that is, do not know that the law humiliates, not to our destruction, but to salvation.

460 Lii.oai. II, 120-122. Explanation d. Galatians 3, 24. 25. W. VIII, 2335-2338. 461

For God strikes that He may heal, He kills that He may make alive 2c.

But Paul, as I have reminded you above, speaks of those who are to be justified, not of those who are already justified. Therefore, if you want to deal with the law, you must take such a person before you as the one with whom the law has to do (materiam legis), namely a sinner and ungodly man, whom the law does not make righteous, but puts sin before his eyes, breaks him down and brings him to self-knowledge, shows him hell, the wrath and the judgment of God. This is the actual office of the law.

591 Then follows the custom of this office, that the sinner may know that the law reveals the sins and does not humble him, so that he may despair, but that it may drive him to the Savior and Comforter Christ by its accusation and crushing. When this happens, he is no longer under the disciplinarian, and this custom is very necessary; for since the whole world is under sin, this service of the law is necessary, that it reveal sin, otherwise without it no one could attain to righteousness, as we have said in detail above.

592 But what does the law accomplish for those who are justified by Christ? Paul answers with these words, which are, as it were, a kind of addition:

V. 25. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the disciplinarian.

That is, we are free from the law, from the dungeon, and from our disciplinarian, for he no longer terrifies and torments us after faith is revealed.

594 Paul is speaking here of the faith that was preached through Christ at the appointed time. For Christ, having assumed human nature, came once at the appointed time, abolished the law with all its effects, and by his death freed all those who take hold of his benefits in faith from sin and eternal death. So when you look at Christ and what he has accomplished, there is no longer any law. For since he came at the predestined time, he actually did right.

(verissime) the whole law is abolished. But since the law is abolished, we are no longer kept under its tyranny, but live safely and joyfully under Christ, who now reigns in us with his Spirit in a loving way. But where the Lord is, there is liberty 2 Cor. 3:17.

Therefore, if we could fully grasp Christ, who has abolished the law and reconciled us sinners to the Father through his death, this disciplinarian would have no right over us. But the law in our members contradicts the law in our minds, so that we cannot grasp Christ perfectly. The defect, therefore, is not in Christ, but in us, who have not yet put off the flesh, to which sin clings as long as we live. Thus, as far as we are concerned, we are partly free from the law and partly under the law. We serve, with Paul, "with the mind the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin", Rom. 7, 25.

It follows that we are completely free from the law according to conscience. Therefore, the disciplinarian does not have to rule in it, that is, he does not have to be burdensome to it with his terrors, threats and imprisonment, and as much as it may try to do so, the conscience is not troubled by it, because it has Christ, the crucified, before its eyes, who has taken away from the conscience everything that the law has to do with (omnia officia legis), Col. 2:14: "And has blotted out the handwriting that was against us, which was by statutes" 2c. Just as a virgin knows nothing of a man, so the conscience must not only know nothing of the law, but must even be completely dead to it, and again the law to the conscience. This is not by works or any righteousness of the law, but by faith which takes hold of Christ.

597 In fact, sin still clings to the flesh, which continually accuses and troubles the conscience. Thus, as far as the flesh remains, the law also remains a disciplinarian, which continually frightens and saddens the conscience by denouncing sin and threatening death.

462 II, 122-125. Interpretations on the Epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2338-2341. 463

598. But it is always raised up again by the daily coming (adventu) of Christ, who, as he once came into the world at the appointed time to redeem us from the exceedingly hard rule of our disciplinarian, so comes to us daily in a spiritual way, having to do with it, that we may grow in faith and in the knowledge of Him, so that the conscience may more perfectly grasp Christ from day to day, and that from day to day the law of the flesh and of sin, the fear of death, and all the evils which the law brings with it, may be more and more diminished. For as long as we live in the flesh, which is not without sin, the law returns again and again and does its work, in some more, in others less, depending on whether they have weak or strong faith, but not to destruction but to salvation. For this is what the law accomplishes (exercitium) in the saints, the daily slaying of the flesh, of reason and of our powers, and the renewing of our minds, Eph. 4:23.

So we receive the firstfruits of the spirit, the leaven is hidden in the dough, but the dough is not yet leavened, but has only begun to ferment. When I look at the leaven, I see nothing but mere leaven; but when I look at the whole dough, it is not yet mere leaven. That is, when I look at Christ, I am completely holy and pure, knowing nothing of the law, for Christ is my leaven. But when I look at my flesh, I feel avarice, unchastity, anger, arrogance, fear of death, sadness, terror, hatred, grumbling and impatience against God. If these are present, Christ is not present, or if he is present, he is only weakly present. Here a disciplinarian is still needed, who will train and afflict the strong ass, the flesh, so that through this discipline the sins will be diminished and the way prepared for Christ. For Christ, as he once came in time bodily, abolished the whole law, took away sin, death and hell.

1. Here, the Jena and Erlangen editions have: psrteetiuk 86 Otiri8tum. We have erased the 86 with the Wittenberg.

destroyed. Thus, he comes to us in a spiritual way without ceasing and constantly eradicates and kills these things in us.

600. I say this so that you will know how to answer when they say to you: Christ came into the world, and all at once took away all our sins by cleansing us with his blood: why then do we hear the gospel, what need is there of absolution and the sacrament? It is true that if you look at Christ, the law and sin are indeed taken away. But Christ has not yet come to you, or if he has come, there are still remnants of sin in you, you are not yet completely leavened. For where there is still evil desire, sadness of spirit, fear of death, 2c. there is still law and sin, Christ is not yet there in truth; when he comes, he casts out fear and sadness and brings peace and security of conscience. Therefore, as far as I take hold of Christ in faith, so far is the law removed from me. But my flesh, the world and the devil do not allow faith to be perfect. I would like the little light of faith in my heart to be spread through the whole body and all the members. But this does not happen, it is not spread out immediately, but only the beginning is made that it is spread out. In the meantime, our comfort is that since we have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we have begun to be leavened, but we will be leavened completely when this sinful body is dissolved and we are raised anew with Christ.

Although Christ is yesterday and today, and the same also for eternity Heb. 13:8, and although Adam and all the blessed before Christ had the gospel and faith, yet Christ came only once at the predetermined time, also faith came only once, when the apostles preached the gospel throughout the whole world. Then Christ also comes daily in a spiritual way, faith also comes daily through the word of the Gospel. When faith is present, the disciplinarian with his sad and burdensome ministry must leave. But Christ comes in a spiritual way, when we are more and more

464 "ai. II, 128-127. Explanation d. Galatians 3, 25-27. W. VIII, 2Z4I-2345. 465

and understand more and more what is given to us by him, and we grow in grace and in his knowledge, 2 Petr. 3, 18.

V. 26. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ.

Paul, as an exceedingly good teacher of faith, always has these words in his mouth: "through faith", "in faith", "from the faith that is in Christ Jesus" 2c. He does not say, You are children of GOD because you are circumcised, have heard the law and done its works, as the Jews dreamed and the false apostles taught, but, "By faith in Christ JEsum." The law (much less human statutes) does not make children of GOD, it cannot beget a new being or cause a new birth, but it sets before us the old birth, by which we are born into the devil's kingdom, and thus prepares us for the new birth, which takes place through faith in Christ JEsum, not through the law, as Paul testifies most clearly: "Ye are all the children of GOD through faith" 2c., as if he wanted to say: Although you were afflicted, humiliated and killed by the law, it did not make you righteous, did not make you children of God, but faith. Which faith? Faith in Christ. So faith in Christ makes God's children, not the law. The same is testified by the Gospel of St. John, Cap. 1, 12: "He has given them power to become children of God who believe in His name.

I leave it to the speakers to elaborate and exalt this passage of the unspeakable grace and glory that we have in Christ, namely, that we poor sinners, who are by nature children of wrath, attain to this glory, that believing in Christ we become children and heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, and lords of heaven and earth; although no tongue, neither that of man nor of angel, can praise this glory highly enough.

For as many of you as have been baptized have put on Christ.

604. "Put on Christ" can be understood in two ways, according to the Law and according to the Gospel. According to the law, as Rom.

13, 14: "Draw on the Lord Jesus Christ," that is, follow the example and virtues of Christ, do and suffer what he himself did and suffered. So also 1 Pet. 2:21: "Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his footsteps." But we see that in Christ there is the highest patience, gentleness, love, and an admirable moderation in all things. We are to put on this adornment of Christ, that is, to follow these virtues of his. In this way we should also follow other saints.

605. But to put on Christ in an evangelical way is not by discipleship, but by a new birth and creation, that is, to be clothed with Christ Himself, that is, with His innocence, righteousness, wisdom, power, salvation, life, Spirit 2c. We are clothed with Adam's robe of skins, which is a robe of death (mortalis tunica) and a garment of sin, that is, we are all subject to sin and sold under it. In us is a frightful blindness, ignorance concerning God, contempt and hatred of God. Then we are full of evil lust, impurity, avarice 2c. This clothing, that is, this depraved and sinful nature, which Paul used to call the old man, we have inherited through the birth (propagatione) of Adam. This must be taken off together with its works, Eph. 4, 22. Col. 3, 9. so that we become children of God from Adam's children.

606 This is not done by a change of garment, not by any laws or works, but by the regeneration and renewal that takes place in baptism, as Paul says: "As many of you as were baptized have put on Christ"; likewise Titus 3:5: "According to his mercy he made us blessed by the bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit". For in those who are baptized, besides being born again and renewed by the Holy Spirit in baptism to heavenly righteousness and eternal life, there also arises a new light and a new flame, new and godly dispositions, fear of God, confidence in God, hope in God, and a new spirit.

466 Lri. "ai. II, 127-130. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2345-2348. 467

2c., a new will arises. This is what it really means to attract Christ in a true and evangelical way.

Therefore, in baptism, not the garment of righteousness of the law or of our works is given, but Christ becomes our garment. He is not a law, not a lawgiver, not a work, but a divine and ineffable gift, which the Father gave us, that he might be our justifier, quickener, and redeemer. Therefore, to put on Christ in an evangelical way is not to put on the law and works, but to put on the inestimable gift, namely the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, peace, comfort, joy in the Holy Spirit, salvation, life and Christ Himself.

608 This passage is to be carefully observed against the enthusiasts, who diminish the glory of baptism and

speak disgracefully and ungodly of it. Paul, on the other hand, adorns baptism with glorious names, calling it a bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5; and here he says that all who are baptized have put on Christ, as if to say: Ye have not received by baptism a mere outward sign (tesseram), by which ye are received into the number of Christians, as in our time many enthusiasts have held, who have made of baptism only an outward sign, that is, a short-lived and empty sign; but he says, "As many as are baptized of you have put on Christ," that is, ye are taken out of the law, and put into a new birth, which was effected in baptism. Therefore you are no longer under the law, but in a new garment, that is, you are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

So Paul teaches that baptism is not a sign, but a garment of Christ, even that Christ himself is our garment. Therefore, baptism is the most powerful and effective.

But if we have put on Christ as the garment of our righteousness and our blessedness, we shall also put on Christ as the garment of discipleship. I have dealt with this more fully elsewhere, so I will touch on it only briefly now.

V. 28. Here is neither Jew nor Greek, here is neither bond nor free, here is neither male nor female.

Here one can name even more names of persons and offices, which are ordered by God, than, here is no authority nor subject, here is no teacher nor hearer, here is no disciplinarian nor pupil, here is no woman nor maidservant, because in Christ Jesus all ranks, even those that God has ordered, are nothing. Man, woman, servant, free man, Jew, Gentile, king, subject 2c. are indeed good creatures of God, but in Christ, that is, in the matter of salvation they are nothing with all their wisdom, righteousness, worship, power.

Therefore, with these words, "There is no Jew here," 2c. Paul most strongly abolishes the law. For here, where a new man is made in baptism, and Christ is put on, there is neither Jew nor Greek 2c. But here the apostle speaks of a Jew, not as a naturalist speaks of it (physice), according to the natural essence (substantiam), but he calls the one Jew who is a disciple of Moses, subject to the laws, who is circumcised and keeps with the greatest diligence the divine service commanded in the law. He says, "Where Christ is put on, there is no longer a Jew, there is no longer circumcision, there is no longer worship in the temple, there are no longer laws which the Jews keep. For Christ has done away with all the laws of the scriptures of Moses in the whole world.

Therefore, a conscience that believes in Christ must be so sure that the law, with its terrors and threats, has been done away with, that it does not know at all whether there ever was a Moses, a law, or a Jew, because Christ and Moses do not agree with each other in any way. Moses comes with the law, various works and services, but Christ comes without law at all, without works, giving grace, righteousness 2c. Joh. 1, 17: "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

614 Further, when he says, "There is no Greek here," he also rejects and condemns the wisdom and righteousness of the Gentiles. For among the Gentiles there were great and exceedingly excellent

468 o "i. ii, 130-132. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 3, 28, W. vm, 2348-2351. 469

Men: Xenophon, Themistocles, Marcus Fabius, Attilius Regulus, Cicero, Pomponius Atticus and many others, who, gifted with excellent and truly heroic virtues, have governed the states in the best way and have executed many things in the most excellent way for the good of the commonwealth 2c. And yet all these, with their wisdom, power, exceedingly honorable deeds, glorious virtues, laws, righteousness, worship and religion (for we need not imagine that the pagans were entirely despisers of honorableness and religion, for all pagans at all times, scattered throughout the world, have had their laws, worship and religions, without which the human race cannot possibly be governed), these, I say, with all this their adornment, are nothing before God. Therefore, everything that belongs to the righteousness of the household and world regiment and the righteousness before God (divinae) (as the righteousness of the Law was), with the highest obedience, the best handling of the law and the greatest holiness, is absolutely nothing before God. What then? The garment of Christ, which we put on in baptism.

615. In such a way, a servant may perform his office with great care, be obedient to his master, serve faithfully, a suitor may in a praiseworthy manner preside over the state or the household and govern it, likewise everything that a man may do as a man, by taking a wife, presides over the household, obeys the authorities, behaves honorably toward everyone, as is proper when an honorable woman lives chastely, obeys her husband, takes care of the house diligently, brings up her children well (which are certainly highly praiseworthy and delicious gifts and works), yet all this serves nothing for righteousness before God. In short, all the laws, ceremonies, worship, righteousness and works that exist in the whole world, even among the Jews, who before others had their kingdom and priesthood instituted and ordered by God, with their laws, worship and worship practices: yet all this does not take away sins, does not deliver from death, does not make one blessed.

616 Therefore your false apostles deceive you.

stel, dear Galatians, since they teach that the law is necessary for salvation, and in this way snatch you away from the exceedingly great glory of your new birth and childship, and put you back into the old birth and the completely miserable bondage of the law, by making you from completely free children of God into servants of the law, since they want to distinguish the persons according to the law.

Of course, according to the law there is also a difference of persons before the world, and there it must be fine, but not so before God, where all men are equal. [Rom. 3, 23: "They are all sinners and lack the glory they should have in God." Therefore, before God, Jews, Gentiles and all the world must be silent. Although God has many orders, laws, statuses, and services in the world, these do not serve to merit grace and to attain eternal life. As many as are therefore justified, they are not justified because of the keeping of any human or divine law, but because of Christ, who has done away with all laws altogether. The gospel holds him up to us as the only propitiator of God's wrath, who accomplished this through his own blood and is our Savior. If one does not believe in him, he will not be saved: a Jew not by the law, a monk not by his order, a pagan not by his wisdom, the authorities or a lord not by right conduct (justitiam) in the world or house government, a servant and a maid not by their obedience 2c.

For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

These are very delicious and comprehensive words. In the world and according to the flesh there is a very great difference and inequality of persons, and this must be most carefully maintained. For if a woman were to be a man, a son a father, a disciple a teacher, a servant a lord, a subject a ruler, a great disorder and confusion of all ranks and things would result. In Christ, on the other hand, there is no law, no distinction of persons; there is not Jew, Greek, 2c., but they are all one. For there is Eph. 4, 4-6. "One body and one Spirit, just as we were called to be one and the same.

470 Dii- 6-u- H' 132-135. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 2351-2354. 474

Hope of our profession", one and the same gospel, "One faith, One baptism, One God and Father of all", One Christ, the Lord over all. The same Christ that Peter, Paul and all the saints have, we also have, I, you and all believers, the same also all baptized children have. So the conscience knows nothing of the law, but has only Christ before its eyes. That is why Paul always adds: "in Christ Jesus". If this is taken away from our eyes, then our salvation has been lost.

619. Nowadays, the enthusiasts speak of faith in Christ in the manner of the sophists, dreaming that it is a quality that belongs to the heart without Christ being present. This is a pernicious error. But Christ must be placed before your eyes in such a way that you see nothing at all apart from him, and believe that nothing is closer to you and more closely associated with you than he is. For he does not sit idly in heaven, but is present with us all the time, working and living in us, as is said above in Cap. 2, 20: "I live, yet now not I, but Christ lives in me," 2c., and here: "Ye have put on Christ." Therefore, faith is a completely unchanging reputation (intutus), which looks to nothing else than Christ, the conqueror of sin and death and the giver of righteousness, blessedness and eternal life. Therefore, Paul presents Jesus Christ to us in his epistles almost in every verse and powerfully drives the teaching of him alone. But he presents him to us through the word, because he cannot be grasped in any other way than through faith in the word.

This is beautifully illustrated by the bronze serpent, which is an image of Christ. Moses commanded the Jews, who were bitten by the fiery serpents in the desert, to do nothing else than to look at this bronze serpent with unblinking eyes. Those who did this were healed only by the constant (fixa) sight of the serpent. The others, however, who did not obey the voice of Moses by looking at their wounds and not at the serpent, died. Thus, if I am to receive consolation in the battle of conscience or in mortal distress, I must receive nothing else at all.

take hold of the one Christ in faith and say: I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who suffered, was crucified and died for me, 2c. In whose wounds and death I see my sin, in his resurrection the victory over sin, death and the devil, likewise righteousness and eternal life. Apart from him I will neither hear nor see anything. This is the right Christian faith and the right faith in Christ, through which we become members of his body, of his flesh and legs. So we live, weave and are in him.

For this reason, the speculative play on the faith of the enthusiasts, who dream that Christ is only in a spiritual way, that is, in that we have thoughts of him (speculative), but in reality and truth (realiter) he is in heaven, is a vain and ungodly play on thoughts (speculatio). Christ and faith must be absolutely connected with each other; we must be in heaven (versari) and Christ must be in us, live and work. He lives and works in us not only in our thoughts (speculative), but in fact and truth, completely present and exceedingly powerful.

V. 29. But if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

That is, if you believe and are baptized into Christ, if you believe (I say) that he is the promised seed of Abraham, who brought blessing to all nations, then you are Abraham's children, not by nature, but adopted children. For the Scripture gives him not only children according to the flesh, but also adopted children and children according to the promise, and says beforehand that these shall obtain the inheritance, but those shall be cast out of the house. Thus Paul, by a brief word, transfers all the glory of Lebanon, that is, of the Jewish people, to the wilderness, that is, to the Gentiles.

This passage contains an exceedingly rich consolation, namely that the Gentiles are to be Abraham's children and consequently also God's children. But they are Abraham's children, not by fleshly procreation, but by promise. So the kingdom of heaven, which belongs to

472 6ai. II, I3S-I37. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 3, 29. W. VIII, 23S4-2360. 473

Life and eternal inheritance to the Gentiles, and this was indicated by the Scriptures long before, when they say Gen. 17:4, Rom. 4:17: "I have made thee the father of many nations," and likewise Gen. 22:18: "Through thy seed shall all nations be blessed." Because we Gentiles thus believe, and by faith accept the blessing promised to Abraham and given through Christ, therefore the Scriptures call us Abraham's children and heirs, not according to the flesh, but according to the promise. Thus the promise: "Through your seed" also belongs to all Gentiles, and Christ also belongs to us according to this promise.

624 The promise was made to the Jews alone, not to us Gentiles, as the 147th Psalm, v. 19, 20, says: "He shows Jacob the way.

his word. He does not do this to a Gentile" 2c. But that which is promised has come upon us through faith, by which alone the promise of God is grasped. Although it has not been promised to us, it has been promised about us. For we are called by name in the promise: "Through your seed" 2c. For the promise clearly shows that Abraham will not only be the father of the Jewish people, but of many nations, and that he will be the heir, not only of one kingdom, but of the whole world, Rom. 4:13.

625 Thus the glory of the whole kingdom of Christ is transferred to us. Therefore, in the heart and conscience of a Christian, all the laws are completely abolished, but they remain outwardly in the flesh, as mentioned above in detail.

The fourth chapter.

V. 1. 2. But I say, as long as the heir is a child, there is no difference between him and a servant, though he be lord of all the goods, but he is among the guardians and custodians, until the appointed time of the father.

You see how Paul is fired up and in the heat to set the Galatians right again, and how he deals with the matter with the strongest grounds of proof taken from experience, from the example of Abraham, from the testimonies of Scripture, from time and from parables, so that you see that he often starts the whole thing over again. For above he had brought the business of justification to an end, as it were, since he concluded that men are justified before God by faith alone. But because he remembered the worldly (politicum) example of the heir, who is still a child, he also adds this to strengthen his case.

2 So he sets about it all he can, and with a kind of holy cunning sets after the Galatians, that he may catch them, as he says elsewhere [2 Cor. 12:16.), "Because I was deceitful, I caught you with guile." For the people will

by parables and examples more easily than by difficult and sharp disputations. It prefers to see a well-painted 1) picture than a well-written book.

(3) Therefore, after the parable of the testament of a man, of the prison, and of the disciplinarian, he takes also this very well-known parable of the heir, that he may move them. It is very useful to have parables and examples ready when teaching; not only Paul, but also the prophets and Christ himself used them very often. Afterwards, until the end of the letter, he proceeds oratorically.

You see, he says, that it is established in the civil laws that an heir, although he is a lord over all paternal goods, is nevertheless a servant. He has a certain claim to the inheritance, but in the period preceding the period of fine maturity (emancipationis as the jurists call it), the guardians and custodians keep him imprisoned and decided, like a disciplinarian his pupil. They do not hand over to him the administration of the goods nor

1. Wittenberger: pentzäietairt instead: Ucnc pietam.

474 Dii. 6ai. II, 137-139. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2360-2363. 475

the dominion, but force him to serve, so that he lives and is maintained in his own goods like a servant. So there is no difference between him and a servant as long as the time of imprisonment and captivity lasts, that is, as long as he is under the caretakers and superiors. And this subjection and imprisonment is very useful to him, because otherwise he would waste the goods in ignorance, and this imprisonment is not a permanent one, but comes to an end at the appointed time, which the Father has prescribed.

V. 3. So also we, being children, were captives under the outward statutes.

5 So we also, being children, were indeed heirs who had the promise of the future inheritance to be given to us through the seed of Abraham, Christ, through whom all nations would be blessed. But because the fullness of time had not yet come, .our guardian, steward and disciplinarian Moses came, kept us shut up and imprisoned, so that, our hands being bound, we could not rule and possess the inheritance. But as meanwhile an heir is comforted (lactatur) by the hope of future freedom, so Moses comforted us by the hope of the promise that was to be revealed in their time, namely that Christ would come, who by his coming would put an end to this time of the law, which lasted as long as the regiment of Moses existed, and bring the time of grace.

Now the time of the law comes to an end in two ways: first, as I have said, by the coming of Christ in the flesh at the time appointed by the Father. For Christ became man once in time, "born of a virgin, and was put under the law, that he might redeem them which were under the law" Gal. 4:4, 5. "He entered once into the Holy by His own blood, and invented an eternal redemption" Heb. 9:12.

7 Then the same Christ who came once in time comes to us in spirit every hour of every day. Once he has given us through his own blood

We are redeemed and all sanctified, but because we are not yet completely pure, for the remnants of sin still cling to our flesh, which contends against the Spirit, he comes daily in a spiritual way, and day by day completes more and more the time predestined by the Father, abolishing and canceling the law.

(8) So also to the fathers in the Old Testament he came in the spirit before he appeared in the flesh. They had Christ in the spirit, in whom they believed as in him who was to be revealed, as we believe in him now that he is revealed, and they were saved through him just as we are, according to this word Heb. 13:8: "JEsus Christ yesterday and today, and the same forever." "Yesterday" is the time before he came into the flesh, "today," since he is revealed in time. It is therefore the same Christ now and forever, through whom alone all believers in past, present, and future time are delivered from the law, justified, and saved.

9 "So also we," he says, "being children, were imprisoned under the outward statutes," that is, the law ruled over us, oppressing us as servants and prisoners with hard bondage. First of all, it kept the rough and carnal people in civil restraint, so that they would not fall impetuously into all kinds of shameful deeds. For the law threatens the transgressors with life punishment; if they did not fear this, they would practice all kinds of evil. Those whom the law thus keeps in check, it rules over.

10. secondly, spiritually or theologically, it accused, terrified, killed and condemned us before God, and this was the main dominion of the law over us. Thus, as an heir subject to guardians is beaten by them, forced to obey their laws and diligently carry out their commands, so consciences, before Christ came, are oppressed by the harsh tyranny of the law, that is, they are sued, terrified, and condemned by the law. But this rule or rather tyranny of the law is not eternal, but is to last only until the time of grace. Therefore the office of the law is to punish and to multiply sins, but for righteousness,

476 Dri- "Li. II, 139-141. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 4, 3, W. VIII, 2363-2366. 477

that it kills, but to life. For the law is a disciplinarian of Christ.

(11) Therefore, just as the guardians treat the heir who is a child harshly, rule over him and command him as a servant, and he is forced to be their subject, so the law accuses us, humiliates us and makes us servants, so that we are servants of sin, death and the wrath of God, which is certainly the most miserable and harshest servitude. But as the rule of the guardians and the subjection and bondage of the heir who is a child is not an eternal one, but lasts only until the time appointed by the father, and when the time is completed he no longer needs the guardianship of the stewards, nor remains subject to them henceforth, but enjoys at his pleasure the paternal inheritance, so the law rules over us, and we are forced to be servants and captives under its rule, but not forever. There must also be added the piece which follows: "Until the appointed time from the Father." For the promised Christ has come and redeemed us who were oppressed by the tyranny of the law.

(i)12. On the other hand, the coming of Christ is of no use to the sure hypocrites and the obviously godless despisers, even to the despairing ones who think that there is nothing left but the terror of the law that they feel. It is only of use to those who have been troubled and frightened by the law for a while, that is, to those who do not despair in the serious terror that the law arouses, but who confidently approach Christ, the throne of grace, who has redeemed them from the curse of the law, since he has become a curse for them: these will find mercy and grace 2c.

13 There is therefore a special emphasis on the word: "We were imprisoned", as if he wanted to say: Our conscience was subjected to the law which kept us locked up and imprisoned, which, like a tyrant to his captive servant, scourged us and made us lose all our freedom.

1. This paragraph is used by Aurifaber for § 61 of the 7th chapter of the Tischreden. It should be deleted there, also in our edition (Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 303).

It made us fearful, sad, pale, desperate, and threatened us with eternal death and damnation. This theological bondage is the hardest, but, as I said, not eternal, but lasts only as long as we are children, that is, as long as Christ is not there. When He is not here, we are servants, shut up under the law, without grace, faith, and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But after Christ has come, this imprisonment and bondage of the law ceases.

Among the external statutes (sub elementis mundi hujus).

Some have thought that Paul is talking about the earthly elements, fire, air, water and earth. But Paul has his peculiar way of speaking and speaks here just in front of God's laws, which he calls in a diminutive way (per tapinosin) "the elements of this world", and his words are very heretical. Also elsewhere [2 Cor. 3, 6. 7.Paul uses to diminish the law very much, calling it a letter that kills, a ministry of death and condemnation, the power of sin, and these exceedingly hateful names, which clearly and actually indicate the power and custom of the law, he chooses deliberately to remind us, that in the terrors of sin, wrath, and the judgment of God, one must not rely on one's own righteousness or the righteousness of the law, since the law in its best use can do nothing but make consciences guilty, increase sin, and threaten death and eternal damnation. Therefore, these reductions of the law are spoken only for those who are in distress of conscience, not in relation to civil life and for safe hearts.

(15) Thus he calls the law "elements of the world," that is, external letters or statutes written in a certain book. For though the law civilly restrains from evil, and urges to do good, yet, if it is kept in the proper way, it does not therefore deliver from sins, it does not justify, it does not prepare the way to heaven, but it leaves men in the world. For this is why I do not attain righteousness.

478 Lri. Kai. II, 141-143. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2366-2369. 479

I will not die, I will not commit adultery, I will not be guilty of theft 2c. These outward virtues and an honorable conduct are not Christ's kingdom nor heavenly righteousness, but are a righteousness of the flesh and of the world, which also the heathen have, not only the works saints, as at the time of Christ the Pharisees, and our monks 2c. Some allow themselves to be in this worldly righteousness in order to avoid the penalties of the law, others in order to be praised by men as steadfast, righteous, patient people 2c. Therefore, it should be called appearance and hypocrisy rather than righteousness.

^1^Furthermore, the law, even in its best use and highest power, can do nothing but accuse, terrify, condemn and kill. But where there is fear and feeling of sin, death, wrath and judgment of God, there is certainly no righteousness, nothing heavenly, nothing divine, but all these are only things of the world, which is nothing else, since it is the devil's kingdom, but a right confluence of the filth of sin, death, hell and all evil, which the fearful and frightened feel, the secure and despisers do not feel. Therefore, even in its proper use, the law only reveals and increases sin and instills fear of death; these are certainly worldly things. Therefore it is obvious that the law does not give life, salvation, heavenly or divine things, but only worldly things; therefore Paul rightly calls it "an element of the world".

17 Although Paul calls the whole law elements of the world, as can be understood from what has already been said, it is mainly the ceremonial laws that he speaks so contemptuously of, which, he says, though they accomplish much, yet only order something in certain outward things, such as food, drink, clothing, place, time, temple, feasts, ablutions, sacrifices, 2c. which are merely worldly, and ordered by God only for the custom of the present life, not that they should be kept from the world.

1. This paragraph is used by Aurifaber (in the translation of Menius) for s 10 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this paragraph is omitted.

God righteousness and salvation. Therefore, by this little word "elements of the world" he rejects and condemns all the legal righteousness that lay in these outward ceremonies, although they were ordered and commanded by God to be kept for a time, and calls them by the most contemptible name "elements of the world".

Thus the imperial laws are elements of the world, for they deal with things of the world that belong to this life, such as money, possessions, inheritance, murder, adultery, robbery, etc., of which the second tablet of the holy ten commandments deals. But the decrees and the papal laws, which forbid marriage and food, Paul calls elsewhere 1 Tim. 4, 1. "doctrines of devils", which are also elements of the world, only that they put against the word of God and the faith from external things to the most ungodly commandments.

^2^Therefore, the law of Moses does nothing but worldly things, i.e., in civil and theological terms it only shows the evil that is in the world. But when it is in proper use, it urges the conscience with its terrors to thirst and seek the promise of God, and to look to Christ.

(20) But for this the grace of the Holy Spirit is necessary, who says in the heart: It is not the will of God, after the law has done its work on you, that you should only be frightened and killed, but since you have known your misery and ruin through the law, you should not despair, but believe in Christ, who is the end of the law; "he who believes in him is righteous. Here nothing worldly happens, but here all worldly things cease, all laws, and the divine begins. So long as we are under the elements of the world, that is, under the law, which only indicates and increases sins and incurs wrath, but does not give justice and peace to the conscience, we are servants, subject to the law, although we have the promise of future blessing. True, the law says: "You shall

2. This paragraph and half of the following are used by Aurifaber (in the translation of Menius) for the conclusion of § 10 and for s 11 of the 12th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks this is omitted.

480 Li-I. "Li. II, 143-146. elabor. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 4, Z. W. VIII, 236S-2372, 481

love God your Lord", but it cannot do that I do this or that I obtain Christ.

^1^(21) I do not say this with the intention that one should despise the law, nor does Paul have this in mind, but one should hold it very dear and valuable. But since Paul is dealing here with the article of justification (the business of justification is far different from that of the law), necessity required that he speak of the law as a very contemptible thing, and even we, when we speak of this matter, cannot speak of it lightly and spitefully enough. Therefore the conscience, when it is in real distress, must think and know nothing but Christ alone, and make every effort to put the law out of sight as far as possible, and take hold of nothing but the promise of Christ.

22. This is easy to say, but to do so in temptation, when the conscience deals with God, is the most difficult thing, namely, that even when the law terrifies you, accuses you, shows you sin, threatens the wrath of God and death, you should be of the same mind as if there had never been a law or any sin, but only Christ, only grace and salvation, or, even if you feel the terror of the law, you should still say: Law, I will not hear thee, for thou hast an impeditam and heavy tongue. Then also the fullness of time has already come, therefore I am free. I will therefore no longer suffer your dominion 2c. There one sees that it is the most difficult thing to distinguish the law from grace, how it is a completely divine and heavenly gift, that here, since nothing can be hoped for, one believes in hope, and that this saying of Paul, that we are justified by faith alone, is completely true.

23 Therefore learn from this that in the trade of justification according to the apostle's example you are most contemptuously speaking of the

1. The following five paragraphs W 21-25) were used by Aurifaber (in the translation of Menius) for the Table Talks, Cap. 12, s 12 to s 16. These five pararagraphs are omitted in our edition of the Table Talks.

Laws, since he calls the law elements of the world, death-bringing statutes, the power of sin 2c. For if you allow the law to rule in your conscience, if you have to deal with overcoming sin and death before God, then the law is in fact nothing but a cesspool of all evils, heresies 2) and blasphemies, for it only increases sin, accuses, terrifies, threatens death, shows God as an angry judge who condemns sinners. Therefore, if you are wise, reject here the babbling and stammering Moses with his law as far as possible, and his terrors and threats shall not move you in any way. Here, he shall be absolutely suspicious to you as a heretic, 3) a banished one, a damned one, who is worse than the pope and the devil, who therefore should not be heard at all.

(24) By the way, outside the article of justification, we should, like Paul, hold the law in great honor and praise it exceedingly highly, calling it holy, righteous, good, spiritual, divine 2c. Outside the conscience we must make a god out of it, but in the conscience it is in truth a devil, because it cannot raise and comfort the conscience even in the slightest challenge, but does just the opposite, frightens and saddens it, and tears it away from the confidence that it will attain righteousness, life and all good. Therefore Paul calls the law afterwards v. 9 "weak and meager statutes". Therefore we should not let it rule our conscience in any way, especially since it cost Christ so much to remove the tyranny of the law from our conscience. Therefore he became a curse for us, that he might redeem us from the curse of the law.

(25) Therefore let a godly man learn that the law and Christ are two mutually repugnant and wholly incompatible things. Where Christ is, the law cannot rule in any way, but must depart from the conscience and leave the bed to Christ alone (which is too narrow for two people to occupy).

2. Jenaer and Erlanger: kaeresnM instead of kasresinrü in the Wittenberger.
3. We have assumed a comma here with the Wittenberger, which is missing in the Jenaer and the Erlanger.

482 Lri. 6ai. II, 146-148. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2372-2376. 483

(Is. 28, 20.). He alone shall reign in righteousness, safety, joy and life, so that the conscience can happily fall asleep in Christ without feeling the law, sin and death.

(26) And Paul makes careful use of this figure of speech, "elements of the world," by which, as I have said, he greatly diminishes the prestige and glory of the law, that is, in order that he may cheer us up. For when an attentive reader of Paul's writings hears that the apostle calls the law a ministry of death, a letter that kills, 2c., the thought immediately comes to him why Paul attaches such hateful and, as it seems to reason, blasphemous names to the law, which is a divine teaching revealed from heaven. To him who labors and seeks to know the reason of these names, Paul answers: the law is both holy, righteous, good 2c., and an office of sin and death, but with respect to different things. Before Christ it is holy, after Christ it is death. Therefore, when Christ has come, we must know absolutely nothing of the law, except in so far as it is to have its dominion over the flesh, which it holds in check and oppresses. Therefore the law and the flesh (to whom the dominion of the law is a heavy one) fight together until we die.

27 Paul is the only one among the apostles who calls the law of God the elements of the world, weak and meager statutes, the power of sin, a letter that kills 2c. The other apostles did not speak of the law in this way. Therefore, every one who is studious of Christian theology (studiosus) should pay careful attention to this way of speaking of Paul. Christ calls him a chosen instrument Apost. 9, 15, therefore he also gave him a chosen mouth and a special way of speaking before the other apostles, so that he as a chosen instrument laid the foundations of the article of justification most faithfully and taught it most clearly.

1. Jenaer and Erlanger: leetissirnum instead of eleetisslmuru in the Wittenberger. Menius: "chosen".

V. 4. 5. But when the time was fulfilled, God sent His Son, born of a woman, and put under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.

28 That is, after the time of the law was fulfilled, and Christ was now revealed, and had set us free from the law, and the promise was proclaimed among all the Gentiles 2c.

29 Pay attention to how Paul describes Christ here. Christ, he says, is the Son of God and of a woman, who was put under the law for us sinners, so that he might redeem us who were under the law. With these words he summarized both, the person and the ministry of Christ. The person consists of the divine and the human nature. This he clearly indicates, since he says, "GOtt sent His Son, born of a woman." Thus, it is Christ true GOD and true man. But His ministry He describes with these words: "Put under the law, that He might redeem them which were under the law."

(30) And Paul, as it seems to be a disgrace, calls the virgin, the mother of the Son of God, only a woman, which also displeased some of the old fathers, who would have preferred that he had used the name "virgin" as "woman" in this place. In this epistle, Paul deals with the most important and highest matter, namely, the gospel, faith, and Christian righteousness; likewise, what kind of person Christ is, what his ministry is, what he has taken upon himself and done for our sake, what good deeds he has done for us poor sinners. That is why it is about such astonishingly great things that he did not pay any special attention to virginity. It was enough for him to praise the abundant and infinite mercy of God, that God condescended to let His Son be born of the female sex. Therefore, he did not mention the worthiness of this gender, but only the gender itself, and by naming the gender, he indicates that Christ himself became a true man from the female gender, as if he wanted to say: "He is not of man".

484 Lrt. vLi. II, 148-150. Explanation of Galatians 4, 4. 5. W. VIII, 2376-2379. 485

and woman, but only of the female sex. Therefore, since he mentions only the female gender, saying that he was born of a woman is the same as saying that he was born of a virgin. Since the evangelist John describes that the Word, which was in the beginning, 2c. became flesh, he also does not remember the mother with one word.

31 Furthermore, this passage also testifies that Christ, when the time of the law had expired, took it away and freed those who were oppressed by it, and that he did not give a new one after the old one and above the old law of Moses. Therefore the monks and sophists do not err less corruptly, nor do they do less dishonor to Christ, because they imagine that he has given a new law, above Moses, than the Turks, who boast that their Mahomet is a new and better lawgiver than Christ. He did not come to abolish the old law in order to give a new one, but, as Paul says here, he was sent into the world by the Father so that he might redeem those who were held captive under the law.

32 These words depict Christ rightly and actually, giving Him not the office of giving a new law, but of redeeming those who were under the law, and Christ Himself says John 8:15: "I judge no man"; and elsewhere John 12:47: "I am not come to judge the world, but to make the world blessed." That is, I have not come to give a law, and by the same judge men, as Moses and other lawgivers, but I administer a higher and better office. The law killed you; I, on the other hand, judge, condemn, and kill the law, thus freeing you from its tyranny.

We, the ancients, who were immersed in the pernicious papist doctrine, which we imbibed into our bones and innermost marrow, received a completely different conception of Christ than Paul presents here. For as much as they professed with their mouths that Christ had redeemed us from the bondage and tyranny of the law, they in fact believed in their hearts that he was a lawgiver, tyrant and judge, who was even more terrible than Christ.

than Moses himself. And this pernicious opinion, even nowadays, when the light of truth shines so brightly, we cannot completely cast out of our hearts; so firmly do we cling to what we have been accustomed to from our youth.

You young people, who are still new vessels and not yet infected by this ungodly opinion, can learn to recognize Christ more easily than we old people can put these blasphemous ideas of him out of our minds. But because of this you will not completely escape the cunning attempts of the devil. For even though you are not yet tainted with this ungodly delusion that Christ is a lawgiver, you still have everything that can serve this purpose (ipsa materialia), that is, the flesh, reason and corrupt nature, which cannot judge Christ differently than that he is a lawgiver. Therefore, you must strive with the greatest effort to learn to recognize and look at Christ as Paul depicts him here. But if ungodly teachers, of whom the world is always full, are added to this corrupt nature, they strengthen the wickedness of nature, so that a twofold evil arises, that is, the evil instruction increases and strengthens the harmful error of blind reason, which by nature judges that Christ is a lawgiver, and impresses this error on the minds so powerfully that it cannot be cast off without great effort and exertion.

(35) It is therefore very useful to keep in mind and always keep in mind this very sweet and comforting saying and similar sayings that describe Christ actually and clearly, so that in all of life, in all dangers, in the confession of faith before tyrants, at the hour of death, we may be able to say with certain and constant confidence: Law, you have no right to me, therefore you accuse and condemn me in vain. For I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom the Father sent into the world to redeem us wretched sinners, oppressed by the tyranny of the law. He laid down his life and gave it most generously for me. Therefore, when I see your terrors and

486 6ai. n, IS0-1S3. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2379-2383. 487

If I feel threats, O law, then I sink my conscience into Christ's wounds, blood, death, resurrection and victory; apart from Him I want to see and hear nothing at all.

This faith is our victory 1 John 5:4, through which we overcome the terrors of the law, sin, death and all evil, but not without great struggle. The truly godly, who are daily plagued by severe temptations, have great difficulty here. It often occurs to them that Christ wants to confront us and demand an account of how we have spent our lives, that he wants to accuse and condemn us. They cannot certainly insist that he is sent by the Father to redeem us who are oppressed by the tyranny of the law. This is because the saints have not yet completely put off the flesh, but the flesh is contrary to the spirit. Therefore, the terrors of the law keep returning, the fear of death and other sad images (spectra) that hinder faith from grasping with as much certainty as it should the benefits of Christ who redeemed us from the bondage of the law.

But in what way or manner did Christ redeem us? This has been the way of redemption: "He is put under the law." When Christ came, he found us all as prisoners under the disciplinarians and guardians, that is, shut up and kept under the law. What did he do? He is the Lord of the law, therefore the law has no right over him, it cannot accuse him because he is the Son of God. Since he was not under the law, he voluntarily submitted to the law. Then the law exercised all tyranny over him, just as it does over us. 1) But it accuses us and terrifies us, throws us under the sin, death and wrath of God and condemns us by its judgment, and does this rightly, because we are all sinners and by nature children of wrath.

. 38. Christ, on the other hand, has not committed any sin, nor is there any deceit in his mouth.

1. Wittenberger: in nos Uaduit. In the Jena

and the Erlanger lacks Unbuit. We followed the latter reading.

Therefore he owed nothing to the law, and yet the law raged against this so innocent, holy, righteous and blessed one just as against us cursed and damned sinners and 2) even more cruelly. For it accused him as a blasphemer and rebel, made him guilty before God of all the sins of the whole world, yes, it grieved and distressed him so much that he sweated blood and finally condemned him by its judgment to death, namely to death on the cross.

(39) This is indeed a strange duel, where the law, a creature, thus fights with the Creator and, against all law, exercises all the subtle tyranny over the Son of God, which it has exercised over us, who are children of wrath. Now, because the Law has sinned so terribly and ungodly against its GOD, it is rightly required and accused. Then Christ says: "Lady Law, you most powerful and cruel ruler and queen of the whole human race, what have I done that you have accused, terrified and condemned me, an innocent man? Here the law, which before had condemned and killed all men, having nothing with which to defend or purify itself, is again so condemned and killed that it loses its right, not only against Christ (against whom it unjustly raged and killed him), but also against all who believe in him. For to these Christ says Matth. 11, 28.: "Come unto me all ye that labor" under the yoke of the law. I could have overcome the law with the highest right without suffering evil, for I am the LORD of the law, and therefore it has no right to me. But for your sake, who were under the law, I have taken your flesh and submitted to the law, that is, out of exceeding kindness I have placed myself in the same prison, tyranny and bondage of the law, under which you were slaves as captives. I have suffered the law to rule over me, its Lord, to terrify me, to throw me under sin, under death and the wrath of God 2c., which it should not have done. Therefore

2. Erlanger: ut instead of st.

488 Lri. tt-u. II, IS3-15S. Explanation of Galatians 4, 4. Explanation of Galatians 4, 4. 5. W. VIII, 2383-2386. 489

I overcame, threw down and killed the law with a twofold right: firstly as the Son of God, as the Lord of the law, secondly in your person, in whose place I have taken over, which is just as much as if you yourselves had overcome the law, for my victory is your victory.

In this way, Paul speaks everywhere of this strange duel, and in order to make the matter more sweet and clear, he uses to represent the law as a living being (pingere solet per prosopopoeian), as if it were an exceedingly powerful person who had condemned and killed Christ, whom he, after overcoming death, had again conquered, condemned and killed, Eph. 2, 16: "He has killed the enmity by Himself," and Cap. 4,' 8. from the 68th Psalm, v. 19.: "He ascended on high, and caught the prison." He used this personal poetry also in the Epistles to the Romans Cap. 8, 3., to the Corinthians [2 Cor. 5, 21.sj and to the Colossians Cap. 2, 14.: "He condemned sin in the flesh by sin."

41 By this victory Christ has driven the law out of our conscience, so that it can no longer shame us in the sight of God, no longer drive us into despair and condemn us. It does not refrain from denouncing, accusing and terrifying sin, but by grasping the apostle's word: "Christ has redeemed us from the law" Gal. 4:5, 3:13, the conscience is raised up by faith and grasps the consolation. Yes, with a holy pride it defies the law, saying: "I do not care for your terrors and threats, for you crucified the Son of God, and indeed you crucified him with the greatest injustice. Therefore the sin which you committed against him cannot be forgiven, you have lost your right, and are now in the future not only overcome and strangled with respect to Christ, but also for me who believe in him, because he has given me this victory. Thus the law has died for us forever, if only we abide in Christ. Therefore, thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

42. this also belongs here, that we alone

Since this duel between the law and Christ took place, there were no works or merits on our part, but Christ alone, who in our place (induta nostra persona) submitted to the law and in the highest innocence endured all its tyranny. Therefore, the law, as a robber, thief of God and murderer of the Son of God, loses its right and deserves to be condemned, so that wherever Christ is, or is even mentioned, it must depart far from it and flee this name, as the devil flees the cross. Therefore, through Christ we who believe are free from the oppressor, who has made a triumph of it through Himself Col. 2:14. Therefore this glorious triumph, which Christ has obtained for us, is not obtained by any works, but by faith alone. So faith alone justifies.

(43) As these words, "Christ was put under the law," contain much, they should be carefully considered. For they indicate that the Son of God, who is under the law, has not only done one or the other work of the law, that is, that he was not merely circumcised, presented in the temple, gone with others to Jerusalem at the appointed times, 2c., or that he was only civilly under it, but that he endured all the tyranny of the law. For the law in its highest use attacked Christ, frightened him so terribly that he felt such great fear as no man on earth has ever felt. This is sufficiently testified by his bloody sweat, that he was strengthened by the angel, and his earnest prayer in the garden, finally his pitiful cry at the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!" Matth. 27, 46.

44. But he endured this "so that he might redeem those who were under the law," that is, those who were sorrowful, fearful, and in despair, whom sins weighed down, as they certainly still weigh down all of us. For according to the flesh we still sin daily against all the commandments of God, but Paul urges us to be of good cheer, saying, "God sent His Son."

490 Osl. II, 1S5-157. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2386-2389. 491

^1^Thus Christ, true God and man, born of God in eternity, born of the virgin in time, did not come to give a law, but to feel the snail of it in the highest degree and thereby to overcome and abolish it. He did not become a teacher of the law, but a disciple who was obedient to the law, so that by this obedience he might redeem those who were under the law. This is quite different from the teaching of the papists, who made Christ a lawgiver and a stricter one than Moses was. Paul teaches here completely the opposite, namely, that God threw His Son under the law, that is, that He made Him suffer the judgment and the curse of the law, sin, death 2c. For Moses, the minister of sin, wrath and death, caught, bound, condemned and killed Christ; this he suffered. So Christ 2) behaved suffering (passive) against the law, not active (active). He is therefore not a lawgiver or a judge according to the law, but by submitting to the law and bearing its condemnation, he has freed us from its curse.

46 But that Christ in the Gospel gives commandments and teaches the law, or rather interprets it, does not belong to the locum of justification, but of good works. Furthermore, it is not Christ's actual ministry, for which he came into the world in the first place, that he teaches the law, but this is something accidental, just as it was that he healed the sick, raised the dead, did good to those who were not worthy of it, comforted the afflicted 2c. These are indeed glorious and divine works and benefits, but not the actual works of Christ. For the prophets also taught the law and performed miracles.

47. but Christ, true God and man, who, contending with the law, suffered its utmost fury and tyranny,

1. Aurifaber used the first half of this paragraph for s 59 of the 7th chapter of the Table Talks (in the translation of Menius). In our edition of the Table Talks, this paragraph is omitted.
2. Wittenberger: trabst instead of: bubuit in the Jena and Erlanger.

Just by doing and suffering the law, he overcame it through himself, and after that, when he rose from death, he condemned the law, our most bitter enemy, and did it out of the means that it can no longer condemn and kill believers.

^3^For this reason Christ's right and proper office is to contend with the law, sin and the death of the whole world, and to contend in such a way that he takes these things upon himself and by bearing them overcomes them through himself, and in this way frees the faithful from the law and all evil. Therefore these are the special benefits of Christ, that he teaches the law and performs miracles, for which he did not actually come. For the prophets and especially the apostles performed greater miracles than Christ Himself, John 14:12.

(49) Since Christ overcame the law in his own person, it necessarily follows that he is God by nature. For no one, be he man or angel, is above the law, but God alone. But Christ is above the law, because he overcame it and killed it, so he is the Son of God and God by nature.

If you grasp Christ in this way, as Paul depicts him here, you will not err nor be put to shame. Then you will also be able to judge easily about all classes, about the religion and the services in the whole world. But if this right image of Christ is gone or even obscured, confusion will surely follow in all things, because the natural man cannot judge the law of God. Here the art of the worldly wise, the legal scholars and all men fails, because the law rules over man, therefore it judges man, not man the law.

(51) Only a Christian has a reliable judgment about the law. In what way? That it does not justify. What is it kept for?

3. The following three paragraphs are used by Aurifaber (in the translation of Menius) for the Table Talks. From § 48, K 60 of the 7th chapter of the Table Talks is taken; on the other hand, § 49 and § 50 are introduced with the words: "So gedachte sein abermal D. M. Luther", and interwoven in Z1 of the 7th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, these sections are omitted.

492 Lri. II, 1S7-1S9. Explanation of Galatians 4, 4-6. Explanation of Galatians 4, 4-6, W. VIII, 2389-2395. 493

if it does not make righteous? The final cause (finalis causa) why the righteous obey the law is not that they attain righteousness before God, because this is received by faith alone, but worldly peace, gratitude to God, and a good example by which they cause others to believe the Gospel 2c. The pope mixed the ceremonies, the moral law (moralia) and the faith in such a way that he made no distinction between these things, until he finally preferred the ceremonies to the moral law, and the latter to the faith.

That we received the filiation.

That is, the filiation of God. Paul interprets this passage Gen. 22, 18: "Through your seed" 2c. expansively and gloriously. Above he called the blessing of Abraham's seed righteousness, life, the promised spirit, redemption from the law, a testament 2c. Here he calls it the filiation and the inheritance of eternal life. All this comprehends the word "blessing" in itself. For since through this blessed seed the curse is taken away, which is sin, death 2c., so in its place followed blessing, that is, righteousness, life and all good. So you see that Paul could have presented a thing richly and adorned, if he only wanted to.

(53) But by what merit have we received this blessing, that is, filiation and the inheritance of eternal life? By no merit. For what should men be able to merit who are shut up under sin, subject to the curse of the law, and guilty of eternal death? So we receive it for nothing and as unworthy, but not without merit. What then is this merit? Not ours, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was put under the law, not for himself, but for us (as Paul said above Cap. 3:13 that he had become a curse for us), who redeemed us who were under the law.

54. therefore we have this adoption only through the redemption of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is our abundant and eternal merit, whether according to equity or according to the law.

(sive de congruo, sive de condigno). 1) At the same time, however, with this filiation conferred by grace, we have also received the Holy Spirit, whom God has sent into our hearts through His Word, calling out, "Abba, dear Father," as follows.

V. 6. Because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts.

The Holy Spirit is sent in two ways. In the first church he was sent in public (manifesta) and visible form, as he descended on Christ at the Jordan in the form of a dove on the apostles and other believers in the form of fire. This was the first sending of the Holy Spirit, necessary in the first church, which had to be established by perceptible (manifestis) signs, for the sake of unbelievers, as Paul testifies in 1 Cor. 14:22: "Tongues," he says, "are not for a sign to believers, but to unbelievers." But afterward, when the church was gathered together and confirmed with these signs, it was not necessary that this visible mission of the Holy Spirit should still continue.

The other consecration is when the Holy Spirit is sent into the hearts of believers through the Word, as it is said here: "God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts" 2c. This happens without visible form, namely when we receive warmth and light through the verbal word, whereby we become different and new people, a new judgment, a new sense and new impulses arise in us. This change and the new judgment is not a work of human reason or power, but a gift and effect of the Holy Spirit, who comes with the preached word, purifies the hearts through faith, and produces spiritual stirrings in us.

Therefore, there is a very great difference between us and those who persecute the teaching of the gospel by force and elevation. We can, by the grace of God, from the word

1. The sense is: Christ is our only merit, may the merit have a name as it likes, may it be called äs eou^rno or äs eouäiAuo. Menius wrong: "Therefore we further need no merit, neither äs oouAruo nor äs eouäiAuo." Compare ? 58.

494 Ari- 6ai. II, 189-162. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2395-2398. 495

We can conclude and judge with certainty what God's will is toward us, as well as about all laws and teachings, about our and other people's lives. On the other hand, the papists and the enthusiasts cannot make a certain judgment about any matter. For these distort and pervert the word, and those persecute and blaspheme it; but without the word there can be no certain judgment about any matter.

(58) Although it is not evident to the world that we are renewed in mind and have the Holy Spirit, yet our judgment, speech and confession convince them sufficiently that the Holy Spirit and His gifts are in us. For before, we could not judge rightly about anything. For we did not speak and confess that all that is ours is sin and condemnation, that Christ is our only merit according to equity and dignity (congrui et condigni), as we do now that the sun of truth shines.

(59) Therefore, we should not be moved by the fact that the world, of which we testify that its works are evil, judges us to be the most harmful heretics and seditious people, destroyers of religion and public peace, possessed by the devil, who speaks out of us and governs all our actions. Against this wrong judgment of the world, this testimony of our conscience should be enough for us, by which we know for certain that it is God's gift that we not only believe in Jesus Christ, but also preach and confess him publicly before the world. As we believe with our hearts, so we speak with our mouths, according to this word of the Psalm 116:10: "I believe, therefore I speak. But I am greatly afflicted" 2c.

(60) Then we also practice godly living and avoid sins as much as we can. When we sin, we sin not deliberately, but out of ignorance, and we are sorry. We can fall because the devil pursues us day and night, and the remnants of sin still cling to our flesh. Therefore, as far as the flesh is concerned, we are sinners even after we have received the Holy Spirit, and there is not much difference between a Christian and a civilly good person. For

The works of a Christian are, on the face of it, small; he carries out his office as his profession requires, governs the state, rules his house, builds the field, gives advice, shares with his neighbor of his own and serves him. A carnal man does not hold these works in high esteem, but thinks that they are quite ordinary (vulgaria) works and of no value, since laymen, even pagans, can do them.

For the world hears nothing of the spirit of God, therefore it judges wrongly the works of the godly. The abominable (monstrous) superstition of the hypocrites and their self-chosen works it not only admires, but also considers them a service to God and promotes them at great expense. But far from recognizing the works of the godly (which are bad and small in appearance, but in truth good and pleasing to God, since they are done in faith, with a cheerful heart, in obedience and gratitude to God) as good works, it censures and even condemns them as the highest ungodliness and unrighteousness.

(62) Therefore the world believes nothing less than that we have the Holy Spirit. However, at the time of tribulation or the cross, and when one must confess the faith (which is the proper and noblest work of believers), when one must leave wife, children, goods and life, or deny Christ, then it becomes evident that in the power of the Holy Spirit we confess the faith, Christ and His Word.

Therefore we should not doubt that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, but we should certainly believe and recognize that we are, as Paul says 1 Cor. 6:19, a temple of the Holy Spirit. For if anyone feels love for God's word, and loves to hear, speak, think, teach (dictat), and write about Christ, let him know that this is not a work of human will or reason, but a gift of the Holy Spirit. For it is impossible for this to happen without the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, where there is hatred and contempt for the Word, the devil, the god of this world, reigns, blinds the hearts of men and holds them captive, so that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ cannot shine on them. We see this today

496 Li-I. "ai. ii, 162-164. Exec. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 4, 6. W. vni^ 2398-2402. 497

on the rabble, who cannot be moved by the word, but quite certainly despise it, as if it were none of their business.

(64) But those who have any love and desire for the Word recognize with gratitude that this attitude is infused into them by the Holy Spirit. For we are not born with such a mind, nor can we be led by any laws to attain it. This change is completely and utterly in the hands of the Most High. Therefore, if we like to hear preaching about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became man for our sake and submitted to the law in order to redeem us, then God certainly sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts through this sermon and with it. Therefore, it is very useful for the godly to know that they have the Holy Spirit.

(65) I say this to refute the harmful doctrine of the Sophists and the monks, which they taught and held, namely, that no one can know for certain whether he is in grace, even if he does good works to the best of his ability and lives blamelessly (inculpate). And this opinion was generally and everywhere accepted in the whole papacy as a main and a kind of article of faith, by which they completely suppressed the doctrine of faith, destroyed the faith, troubled the consciences, took Christ away from the church, obscured and denied all the benefits and gifts of the Holy Spirit, deprived the true worship of God, caused idolatry, contempt and blasphemy against God in the hearts of men. For whoever doubts God's gracious attitude toward him, and does not believe that he is in grace, cannot believe that he has forgiveness of sins, that God will take care of him, and that he can be saved.

66 Augustine said rightly and Christianly: He who has faith sees it most certainly. To this they say, "No. Far be it from me," they say, "to believe that I am in grace, that I am holy, that I have the Holy Spirit, even though I live holy and do everything. This ungodly opinion, on which the entire papacy is based

You young people should flee and abhor it as the most harmful plague, because you have not yet been infected by it. We, the elderly, have been raised in it from our youth and have absorbed it so much that it is deeply ingrained in our hearts. Therefore, it will be as difficult for us to unlearn it as to learn the right faith.

67 We must therefore be absolutely certain that we are in grace, that we are pleasing to God for Christ's sake, that we have the Holy Spirit. For "he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is not his" Rom. 8:9. Then also all things are sin which he that thinketh, speaketh, and doeth, who is in doubt; for all things "that proceed not from faith are sin." Therefore, whether you are a minister of the Word or govern the state, you should certainly believe that your office is pleasing to God. But you will never be able to come to this certain conviction if you do not have the Holy Spirit.

68 But you say: I do not doubt that my office pleases God, for it is God's order, but I doubt whether the person pleases Him. Here we must consult theology, which is mainly concerned with making us certain that not only the office a person holds, but also the person himself is pleasing to God. For the person is baptized, believes in Christ, is cleansed from all sins by his blood, lives in the fellowship of the church; likewise, he not only loves the right doctrine of the Word, but also rejoices greatly that it is spread and the number of believers is increased; on the other hand, he hates the pope and all the fanatics with their ungodly doctrine, according to the words Ps. 119, 113: "I hate the fanatics and love your law."

(69) Therefore, we should certainly consider that not only our ministry, but also our person is pleasing to God. For everything that this person says, does, thinks outside of his office (privately) is pleasing to God, not for our sake, of course, but for the sake of Christ, whom we believe was put under the law for us. But we are quite sure that Christ pleases God, that he is holy 2c. Inasmuch then as Christ pleases God and we cling to him, we also please God and are holy.

498 kn. "ai. II, 164-167. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2402-2405. 499

Although sin still clings to our flesh and we also fall daily, grace is richer and more powerful than sin. The mercy and truth of the Lord reigns over us forever Ps. 117:2. Therefore, sin cannot frighten us or make us doubtful about the grace of God in us. For Christ, the mightiest hero (gigas), has abolished the law, condemned sin, and done away with death and all evil. As long as he is at the right hand of God and represents us, we cannot doubt the grace of God toward us.

Then God has also sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, as Paul says here. But Christ is quite sure in his spirit that he pleases God 2c. Therefore we also, since we have the same Spirit of Christ, must be sure that we stand in grace, 2c., for his sake, who is sure of it. Let this be said of the inward testimony, by which the heart must be quite sure that it is in grace and has the Holy Spirit.

The outward signs are, as I said above, to hear gladly of Christ, to teach, to give thanks, to praise, to confess him, even at the cost of life and limb; then, according to his calling, to do his work with all his might, in faith, with gladness, 2c. not to take pleasure in sins, not to take hold of another's office, but to wait for his own, to help the needy brother, to comfort the afflicted 2c. By these signs, if they follow faith (a posteriori), we become certain and sure that we are in grace. The wicked also imagine that they have these signs, but they have none (nihil minus habent).

From this it is sufficiently obvious that the pope with his teaching only confuses the consciences and finally leads them into despair, because he not only teaches, but even commands to be uncertain 2c. Therefore, as the Psalm 5:10 says, "in his mouth there is nothing certain," and elsewhere Ps. 10:7 it is said, "His tongue causes trouble and labor."

But here we see how great the weakness of faith still is among the godly.

For if we could hold on to the fact that we are in grace, that our sins are forgiven, that we have the Spirit of Christ, that we are children of God, then we would truly be joyful and grateful to God for this unspeakable gift. But because we feel the opposite emotions, fear, doubt, sadness, etc., we do not dare to hold this as certain. Indeed, conscience judges it to be great presumption and arrogance to presume upon this honor. This is why this thing is only properly understood when it is put into practice, for it is never learned without experience.

(75) Therefore, let each one get into the habit of believing that he is in grace and that his person and works are pleasing to God. But when he feels that he doubts, he exercises himself in faith and fights against doubt, and strives to attain certainty, so that he can say: I know that I am acceptable to God, that I have the Holy Spirit, not because of my worthiness or merit, but because of Christ, who for our sake submitted to the law and bore the sins of the world. In Him I believe. If I am a sinner and err, he is righteous and cannot err. Then I love to hear, read, sing and write about him, and desire nothing so much as that his gospel may be made known to the world and that many may be converted.

This is a certain testimony that the Holy Spirit is there. For this does not happen in the heart through human powers, nor is it obtained through any kind of exercise or effort, but it is given to us through Christ, who first justifies us through his (sui) knowledge, then creates a pure heart, brings forth new impulses, and gives the certainty by which we certainly believe that we please the Father for Christ's sake, likewise gives us a certain judgment by which we now approve of that of which we knew nothing before or completely despised it.

We must therefore strive more and more every day to move from uncertainty to certainty, and strive to overcome this most harmful delusion (that man is a

500 Li-i. Kai. II, 167-169. Explanation of Galatians 4, 6. W. VIII, 240S-2408. 501

We have to doubt the grace of God), who has possessed the whole world (devoravit), from the bottom up. For if we doubt whether we celebrate in grace, whether we please God for Christ's sake, we deny that Christ has redeemed us, deny all His benefits. You young people can easily take hold of the pure teaching of the gospel and avoid that harmful delusion, because you have not yet been infected by it.

He cried out: Abba, dear Father!

Paul could have said: God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, who cries out: Abba, dear Father! but intentionally he says: "who cries out" to indicate the challenge of the Christian who is still weak and weak in faith. Rom. 8, 26. He calls this crying "an inexpressible groaning". "The same also the Spirit helpeth up our weakness," he says. "For we do not know what we ought to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself represents us in the best way with inexpressible groaning. "2c.

It is a great comfort that Paul says that the Spirit of Christ is sent by God into our hearts to cry out: Abba, dear Father 2c.; likewise Rom. 8, 26. that he helps our weakness and represents us with unspeakable groaning. Whoever believed this would not fall away in any tribulation, no matter how great it might be. But many things hinder this faith. First, that our hearts are born in sins, then that this evil clings to us by nature (ingenitum est), that we doubt God's gracious will toward us, not thinking with certainty that we please God 2c. Moreover, our adversary, the devil, goes about, emitting a terrible roar and saying: You are a sinner, therefore God is angry with you and will condemn you eternally.

(80) Against this exceedingly great and unbearable clamor, we have absolutely nothing by which we can raise ourselves up and sustain ourselves, but the mere word, which holds Christ up to us as the victor over sin, death and all evil. But to firmly cling to this in this struggle and fear of conscience is effort, it is work. Then Christ is not perceived with any of our senses; for

we do not see him, our heart does not feel his presence and help in the temptation, yes, then Christ seems to be angry with us and to leave us. Then, in temptation, man feels the power of sin, the weakness of the flesh, doubt, he feels the fiery darts of the devil, the terror of death, he feels the wrath and judgment of God. All this raises a very strong and terrible cry against us, so that there seems to be nothing left but despair and eternal death.

But in the midst of these terrors of the law, thundering of sin, shaking (concussionibus) of death and roaring of the devil, the Holy Spirit begins (says Paul) to cry out in our heart: Abba, dear Father! And his cry is far stronger and drowns out (perrumpit) the exceedingly strong and terrifying cry of the law, sin, death, the devil 2c., penetrates through clouds and sky and reaches the ears of God 2c.

With these words Paul shows that there is still weakness in the godly. He teaches the same thing in Rom. 8, 26, when he says: "The Spirit helps our weakness." Since we strongly feel the opposite, that is, since we feel more that God is angry with us than that He is merciful to us, the Holy Spirit is sent into our hearts, who not only sighs and cries out, but cries out most strongly: Abba, dear Father! and represents us according to the will of God with inexpressible groaning. In what way?

In serious terror and struggle of conscience we take hold of Christ and believe that he is our Savior. But then the law terrifies us exceedingly, and sin causes us consternation; the devil also challenges us with all his attacks and fiery darts, and strives with all his strength to snatch Christ from us and to take away all our comfort. Then there is little lack of our succumbing and despair. For then we are a crushed reed and a smoldering wick Matth. 12, 20. But in the meantime, the Holy Spirit helps our weakness and represents us with inexpressible groaning and "bears witness to our spirit that we are God's

502 Lri. Kai. II, 169-172. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2408-2412. 503

Children are". In this way the mind is raised up in terror, sighs to its Savior and High Priest Jesus Christ, overcomes the weakness of the flesh and receives comfort again, saying: Abba, dear Father! Now this groaning, which we hardly feel, Paul calls a cry and an inexpressible groaning, which fills heaven and earth. Then he also calls it a crying and groaning of the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit, when we are weak and challenged, produces this crying in our heart.

(84) However great and terrible the cries of the law, sin, and the devil may be against us, so that they seem to fill the whole heaven and earth and far drown out the groaning of our hearts, they cannot harm us. For the more these our enemies persist, accuse, and afflict us with their cries, the more we groan and take hold of Christ, call upon him with heart and mouth, cling to him, and believe that he was put under the law for us, that he might redeem us from the curse of the law, and so destroy sin and death. And having thus taken hold of Christ in faith, we cry out through him: Abba, dear Father! and this cry of ours is far stronger than the cry of the devil 2c.

But we do not believe that this groaning, which we bring before God in this terror, in this weakness of ours, is a cry, that we hardly realize that it is a groaning. For our faith, which sighs to Christ in this way in the midst of our temptation, is very weak as far as our feelings are concerned. That is why we do not hear this cry. We have only the Word; when we take hold of it in this struggle, we breathe a little and sigh. And this our sighing we feel to some extent, but a cry we do not hear. But he, says Paul, who searches the hearts, understands what the Spirit desires 2c. For this investigator of hearts, this groaning, which seems to us to be small, is the strongest cry and an inexpressible groaning, against which the exceedingly strong and horrible roar of the law, of sin, of death, of the devil, of hell are nothing at all and cannot be heard. Dar

um Paul does not call the groaning of a sorrowful Christian heart a cry and an inexpressible groaning of the spirit in vain. For it fills the whole heaven and cries so strongly that the angels make believe that they hear nothing else than this cry everywhere.

But we feel just the opposite. It does not seem to us that this weak sigh of ours can penetrate through the clouds in such a way that it should be heard in heaven by God and the angels alone, yes, we think, especially as long as the temptation lasts, that the devil will roar horribly against us, that heaven will crack, the earth will shake, that everything will collapse, that all creatures are threatened with disaster, that hell will rise up and want to devour us. This is what we feel in our hearts, these horrible sounds, this terrifying sight we hear and see. And this is what Paul says in 2 Cor. 12, 9, that the power of Christ becomes mighty in our weakness. For Christ is then in truth omnipotent, then He truly reigns and triumphs in us when we are so weak that we can hardly sigh. But Paul says that this groaning is a very strong cry in the ears of God, which fills the whole heaven and earth.

In the parable of the unjust judge, Christ also calls this sighing of a godly heart a cry, and such a cry that continually cries out to God day and night, saying: "Hear what the unjust judge says. But should not GOD also save His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and should have patience over them? I tell you, he will save them in a short time."

Today, with so much persecution and opposition from the pope, tyrants, and the spirits of the swarm, who challenge us on the right and on the left, we can do nothing but let out such sighs, and these have been our heavy weapons and tools of war, with which we have thwarted the attacks of the adversaries for so many years, with which we have begun to destroy the kingdom of the Antichrist. For these sighs will 1) Chri-

1. Thus the Wittenbergers (and Menius): provocabunt. Jenaer and Erlanger: provocabant.

504 Li-I. 6Li. II, 172-174. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 4, 6, W. VIII, 2412-2415. 505

stum to hasten the day of his coming in glory, when he will abolish all principalities, power and authority, and put all enemies under his feet, amen.

(89) Similarly, in Exodus 14:15, the Lord spoke to Moses at the Red Sea and said, "Why are you crying out to me? Moses certainly did not cry out, but trembled and almost despaired, for he was in the greatest fear. Unbelief seemed to rule in him, not faith. For he saw that the people of Israel were so enclosed by mountains, the army of Egypt and the sea that they had nowhere to escape. Here Moses did not even dare to shout, how could he have shouted? Therefore, we must not judge according to the feelings of our heart, but according to the word of God, which teaches that the Holy Spirit is given to the afflicted, the brokenhearted, the despairing 2c. so that he may straighten them out and comfort them, so that they may not succumb to temptations and all misfortunes, but overcome them, but not without great fear and effort.

The papists dreamed that the saints had the Holy Spirit in such a way that they never felt or had a challenge. They speak of the Holy Spirit only according to their thoughts (speculative), as do the enthusiasts today. But Paul says that the power of Christ is mighty in our weakness, likewise that the Holy Spirit helps our weakness and represents us with unspeakable groaning 2c. So then we are most in need of the help and comfort of the Holy Spirit, then He is most with us, when our inability is greatest and we are closest to despair. When someone endures adversity with strong and cheerful courage, the Holy Spirit has already done his work in him. But in those the Holy Spirit actually does his work, who are terrified and, as the Psalm 9:14 says, have come close to "the gates of death", as I have already said about Moses, who saw death before his eyes in the water, and wherever he turned his gaze.

91. Moses was thus in the highest fear and despair and no doubt felt

in his heart an exceedingly strong cry of the devil against him, who said: All this people will perish today, for they have nowhere to escape. You alone are the author of this exceedingly great evil, for you led the people out of Egypt. In addition, there was the cry of the people, who said Ex. 14:11, 12: "Were there not graves in Egypt, that you had to take us away, that we should die in the wilderness? Would it not have been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die here miserably in the wilderness?" Then the Holy Spirit was not merely in the thoughts of Moses (speculative in Moses), but in fact represented him with inexpressible groaning, so that he groaned again to God and said: "Lord, at your command I have carried out the people, therefore help. This groaning is called a cry in the Scriptures.

I have treated this more extensively in order to show clearly what the office of the Holy Spirit is and when He exercises it primarily.

Therefore, we should not judge this matter in any way according to our feelings or according to the cries of the law, of sin, of the devil 2c. If we want to follow our feelings and believe this cry, then we must judge that we are forsaken by all help of the Holy Spirit and completely rejected from the face of God.

94. But rather, we should then remember that Paul says: the Spirit helps our weakness 2c., likewise, he cries out: Abba, dear Father, that is, if he causes even the slightest groan or sighing of the heart, as it seems to us, this is nevertheless a very great cry and an inexpressible groaning before God. Therefore, in all your temptation and weakness, cling only to Christ and sigh. He gives the Holy Spirit, who cries out: Abba, dear Father! And this little groaning is an exceedingly strong cry in the ears of God, and it fills heaven and earth in such a way that God hears nothing else besides it; moreover, it drowns out all cries that may be raised against us from any other side.

95 You must also notice that Paul says that the Spirit represents us in temptation.

506 Lri. 6"1. ii, 174-176. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2415-2418. 507

not with many words or long prayers, but only with sighing, and that with inexpressible sighing, that he also does not raise a strong cry with tears and say: God, have mercy on me 2c., but that he only brings forth the little word by which the crying and sighing is expressed, namely: Oh Father! This is indeed a very short word, but it comprehends everything in itself. Not the mouth, but the heart speaks in this way: Although I am afraid on every side, and seem to be abandoned and completely rejected by you, yet I am your child, you are my Father for Christ's sake, I am loved for the sake of the Beloved. Therefore, when the little word "Father" is spoken in the heart, as it is by its very nature (formaliter), there is an eloquence in it such as Demosthenes, Cicero, and all the greatest orators who have ever been in the world could not have expressed. This thing is not expressed by words, but by sighs, which cannot be expressed by all the words of all orators, because they are inexpressible.

With many words I have indicated that a Christian man must certainly believe that he is in the grace of God and has the cry of the Holy Spirit in his heart. I have done this so that we may learn to absolutely reject the exceedingly pernicious delusion of the whole realm of the pope, namely, that he has taught that a man must be uncertain about the grace of God toward him. If this delusion is maintained, Christ is of no use at all. For whoever doubts God's grace toward him must necessarily doubt God's promises, consequently also God's gracious will, Christ's benefits, that he was born for us, suffered, died and rose again 2c. But there is no greater blasphemy against God than to deny His promises, to deny God Himself and Christ 2c.

Therefore, it has not only been an exceedingly great foolishness, but also the utmost impiety, that the monks have treated the young people of both sexes with such great

1. Erlanger: anZustas instead of antzustias.

They were zealous in attracting people to the monasteries, to the religiones and holy orders, as they called them, as the most certain state of blessedness, and yet afterward ordered those whom they had thus attracted to doubt the grace of God.

Then the pope called upon the entire human race to obey the holy Roman church, as if by doing so they would enter into a holy state in which they could certainly attain blessedness, after which he nevertheless commanded those who rendered such obedience to doubt their blessedness by his laws. Thus the kingdom of Antichrist first boasts and exalts the holiness of its laws, orders, rules 2c., and promises eternal life with certainty to those who keep them, but afterwards, when these quite miserable people have long martyred their bodies with vigils, fasts 2c. according to the prescription of their human statutes, they have this gain from it, that they do not know whether this their obedience pleases God or not. Thus, Satan has played his game of murdering souls in a terrifying way through the pope, and that is why the pope's office is a real torture chamber of consciences and the devil's real kingdom.

In order to establish and strengthen this harmful error, they have used the saying of Solomon, Cap. 9, 1: "There are the righteous and the wise, and their works are in the hand of God, and yet man does not know whether he is worthy of love or hatred2. This saying some understand by the future, others by the present hatred of God, but both do not understand Solomon, who at this point does not at all say what they dream. Next, the whole of Scripture deals mainly with the fact that we should not doubt, but certainly hope, trust and believe that God is merciful, kind, patient, does not lie and deceive, but is faithful and true, who keeps his promises, yes, who has now fulfilled what he promised by giving his only begotten Son to die for our sins, "so that all who believe in him may not be lost.

2. According to Luther's translation, Menius cites this saying in the Bible, which, however, does not fit into the context.

508 Lri. 6 "I. II, 176-179. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 4, 6. W. VIII, 2418-2422. 509

but have eternal life". There can certainly be no doubt that God is reconciled and gracious to us from the heart, that God's hatred and wrath are gone, since He sent His Son to die for us sinners.

(100) Although the whole Gospel reproaches this everywhere and frequently inculcates it, it has not availed. This few sayings of Solomon, however misunderstood, have been more valid, especially among those who pretend to great devotion (devotarios), and the monks of stricter religious life (religionis), than all the promises and consolations of the whole Scripture, nay, than Christ himself. They have thus misused the Scriptures to their own destruction and suffered the just punishment for their contempt of the Scriptures and neglect of the Gospel.

(101) It is useful that we know this, first, because the papists nowadays adorn themselves as if they had never committed anything evil; therefore they must be convicted with their own abominations, which they have spread without number in the world, as their own books testify, of which there are still innumerable that concern this matter; secondly, so that we may be made certain that we have the pure and right doctrine of the Gospel; this certainty the papacy cannot possibly boast of. For even if all things were right in it, this abomination (monstrum), that one should be uncertain of his state of grace, is greater than all abominations. And even though it is evident that they, as the enemies of Christ, teach what is uncertain, for they command the consciences to doubt, they are nevertheless so full of satanic rage that they quite certainly condemn us, who deviate from them and teach what is certain, as heretics and kill us, as if they were completely certain of their doctrine.

Therefore, let us give thanks to God that we are freed from this abomination of uncertainty, and now we can surely believe that the Holy Spirit cries out in our hearts and brings an unspeakable groaning before God. And this is our foundation: the Gospel does not call us to look at our good works (benefacta) and our perfection, but to look at God Himself, who gives the promise, and at Christ Himself, our Mediator. On the other hand, the Pope commands that one should not look at God who gives the promise, not at Christ,

the high priest, but our works and merits. Doubt and despair inevitably follow, but on our side there is certainty and joy in the Holy Spirit, because I cling to God, who cannot lie. For he says: Behold, I give my Son to die, that by his blood he may redeem you from sin and death. I cannot doubt this unless I want to deny God completely.

And this is the reason that our theology is certain, because it makes us not see from ourselves, but bases us on what is outside of us, that we do not rely on our powers, conscience, feelings, person and works, but rely on what is outside of us, that is, on the promise and truth of God, which cannot be lacking. This the pope does not know, that is why he chats so ungodly with his nonsensical followers (furiis), that no one knows, not even the righteous and the wise, whether he is worthy of love or hate 2c. Rather, if they are righteous and wise, they truly know that they are loved by God, or they are not righteous and wise.

Furthermore, this saying of Solomon does not speak of God's hatred or benevolence toward men, but it is a worldly (politica) saying that punishes the ingratitude of men. For the ingratitude of the world is so great that it often pays evil tribute to those who have done well for it, and sometimes treats them with complete iniquity. On the other hand, it exalts the bad guys and pays them honor. Thus David, a holy man and a very good king, was driven out of his kingdom, the prophets, Christ, the apostles were killed; yes, also the histories of all the heathen testify that many men, who have done very well for the fatherland, have been sent into exile by their own fellow citizens, and have lived miserably there, that some have also perished ignominiously in prison.

Therefore, Solomon is not speaking here of the conscience that deals with God, or of the gracious disposition and judgment of God, but of the judgment and expression of the wills of men among themselves, as

510 Lli. 6ai. II, I7S-18I. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2422-2425. 511

whether he wanted to say: There are many wise and just people through whom God works much good and brings peace to people, but far from people acknowledging this, they often repay such men for their best good deeds with the most shameful thanks. Therefore, no matter how well a man has done, he does not know whether his diligence and faithfulness will earn him hatred or favor from men.

106 Thus, today we too, thinking that we would find favor with our Germans for preaching to them the gospel of peace, life and eternal bliss, find instead of favor the most bitter hatred. In the beginning, our teaching pleased many, and they eagerly accepted it. We thought that they would become friends and brothers who would plant this doctrine with us in the same spirit and spread it to others: But now we learn that they are false brethren and our worst enemies, who spread error, and counterfeit and overthrow what we teach rightly and Christianly, and excite the worst vexations in the churches. Therefore, let no one who performs his ministry godly and faithfully, be he in whatever state he may, and has to accept the ingratitude and hatred of men for his good deeds, harden himself to death over it, but let him say with Christ Ps. 25:19, Jn. 15:25, "They hate me without a cause," likewise Ps. 109:4, according to the Vulgate, "For that they should love me, they were against me; but I prayed."

Thus, by this ungodly teaching, that he makes people doubt whether God is gracious to them, the pope has taken God and all promises away from the church, obscured the benefits of Christ, and taken away the whole gospel. This damage must inevitably follow, because people do not rely on God's promise, but on their works and merits. Where this happens, it is impossible for man to be certain of God's gracious disposition, but he must always be in doubt about it and finally despair. For one cannot see anywhere else than in God's words what God wants and what pleases Him. This makes us certain that God will reject all anger and hatred against

He gave His only begotten Son for our sins 2c. Likewise, the sacraments, the office of the keys 2c. make us certain that God would not have given us if He did not love us. With innumerable testimonies of the kind in which He assures us of His gracious disposition, God has showered us.

(108) Therefore, since this harmful doctrine of uncertainty, which has infected the whole Church of the Pope, has come to an end, we should certainly believe that God is gracious to us, that we please Him, and that He takes care of us for the sake of Christ, that we have the Holy Spirit to represent us with cries and inexpressible groans.

But this crying and groaning is in its proper nature (formaliter), that you call upon God in anguish, not as a tyrant, not as an angry judge or tormentor, but as a Father, even if this groaning should be so small and hidden that one can hardly become aware of it. For in real terror, when the conscience fights with the judgment of God, it does not call God a father, but an unjust, angry and cruel tyrant and judge, and this cry, which Satan raises in the heart, is far stronger than the cry of the spirit, and is felt most strongly. For it then seems to us as if God has abandoned us and wants to cast us into hell.

Thus the saints often lament in the Psalms Ps. 31, 23: "I am cast out from the eyes of God", likewise v. 13: "I have become like a broken vessel" 2c. This, of course, is not the sighing that says: Dear Father, but a roar that hatred of God emits, crying out violently: You severe judge, you cruel tormentor 2c. Here it is time for you to turn your eyes away from the law, from your works, from what the conscience feels, and in faith take hold of the promise, that is, the word of grace and life, which in turn directs the conscience to begin to groan and say: "As much as the law accuses me, sin and death terrify me, yet you promise, O God, grace, righteousness, and eternal life for

512 Lri. Kai. II, 181-183. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 4, 6. 7. 513

Christ's sake; and so the promise brings about the groaning that cries out: Abba, dear Father!

I do not dislike that some in their interpretation point out (expound) that one word is Greek, the other is Hebrew, and that Paul intentionally wanted to use both to indicate the twofold church, both gathered from Gentiles and Jews, and that although Gentiles and Jews call God their Father in different languages, both have one and the same groaning, because both cry out: Abba, dear Father!

V. 7. So now here is no longer a servant, but vain children.

This is an exclamation (epiphonema) and a conclusion (conclusio), as if to say: If this is established, that through the Gospel we have received the Spirit by whom we cry out: Abba, dear Father! then it is certainly established in heaven that there is no longer bondage, but only freedom, gracious acceptance (adoptio) and filiation. Who generates these? This groaning. In what way? The Father offers me his grace in his promise and that he wants to be my father; so it only remains that I also accept this. This happens when I cry out in such groaning and with a childlike heart agree with this word: "Dear Father!" Then father and child come together, and a marriage vow is made without all pomp and splendor, that is, nothing at all is added, no law, no work is required here (for what could a man do in this terror and the terrible darkness of the temptations?), here is only the Father who gives the promise and calls me his child for Christ's sake, who is put under the law 2c., and I who accept it and answer by this groaning, saying, "Dear Father!" Here, then, nothing is demanded, but there is only this sighing of the child, which draws confidence in the tribulation, and says, Thou givest me the promise, and callest me thy child for Christ's sake; and I accept this, and call thee Father. This is, of course, "becoming children" without works. This cannot be understood without experience.

Here Paul uses the word "servant" in a different way than in the third chapter, v. 28, where he says: "Here is no servant nor free" 2c. Here he speaks of a servant of the law, subject to the law, as he said just before, v. 3. "We were captives under the outward statutes." Therefore, in Paul's opinion, to be a "servant" in this passage is to be guilty of the law and to be captive under the law, under the wrath of God and death; to regard God, not as a merciful Father, but as a tormentor, enemy, and tyrant. This is in truth living in bondage and Babylonian captivity and being cruelly martyred in it. For the law does not make free from sin and death, but reveals sin and increases it and incites wrath. This bondage, he says, has ceased, oppresses and grieves us no more.

114 Paul speaks as of a person (in concreto): "Here can be no more servant." But this saying becomes somewhat clearer if instead of the person we put the term derived from it (in abstracto), in this way: There can be no bondage in Christ, but only filiation. For when faith comes, bondage ceases, as he also Cap. 3, 28.

But if we are children through the Spirit of Christ, who cries in our hearts, "Abba, dear Father! we are children and no longer servants, then it certainly follows that we are freed not only from the abominations of the pope and from the predatory human statutes, but also from all the dominion and rights that the law of God has over us. Therefore, we must in no way allow the law to rule in our conscience, much less the pope with his futile threats and terrors. He does roar like a lion: that all who do not obey his laws would incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the holy apostles, but Paul fortifies and comforts us against this roar, because he says: "Here is no servant", but a freeman.

116. take this comfort in faith, and say: law, your tyranny cannot be on the throne where Christ my Lord sits.

514 Lri. II, 183-185. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2428-2431. 515

Instead of having. Here I do not hear you (much less, O Antichrist, do I hear your abominations), for I am free and a child who need not be subject to bondage or servile laws.

Let Moses (much less the pope) with his laws not enter the bridegroom's bed to rest there, that is, to reign in the conscience, which Christ freed from the law so that it would not be subject to bondage. The servants with the donkey are to remain in the valley, but Isaac is to go up the mountain with his father Abraham, that is, the law is to rule over the body and the old man, but he is to be under the law and have a burden laid upon him, he is to be tormented and afflicted; Let the law dictate to him what he shall do, what he shall suffer, and how he shall walk among men, but let it not defile the bridal bed in which Christ alone is to rest and sleep, that is, let it not trouble the conscience. For the conscience alone should live with Christ, his bridegroom, in the kingdom of freedom and filiation.

If then, he says, you cry out through the Spirit of Christ, "Abba, Father," then you are certainly no longer servants, but free and children, so you are without law, without sin, without death, that is, you are blessed and have no more evil. Therefore, childship brings with it the eternal kingdom and the whole heavenly inheritance.

(119) How great and glorious this gift is, the human mind cannot even comprehend in this life, much less express. Meanwhile, we see this in a dark word; we have this weak sighing and little faith, which is based only on the preaching and the sound of the voice of Christ, who gives us his promises. Therefore, according to our feeling, the greatness and glory of this gift (res ista) is only the center, but in itself it is an exceedingly great and infinite circle.

Thus a Christian has in himself a good (rem), which in itself is exceedingly great and immeasurable, but according to his seeing and feeling is very small and narrowly circumscribed.

121 Therefore, we must measure this good, not according to human reason and feeling,

but according to another area (circulo), namely the promise of GOD. As God is infinite, so is His promise infinite, even though in the meantime in this life it is enclosed in such a narrow circle (has angustias) and, that I say so, in the word that forms the center (verbum centrale). So now we see the center, one day we will also see the circumcircle. Therefore, nothing is left now that could accuse, frighten and bind the conscience. For there is no longer bondage, but filiation, which brings us not only freedom from the law, from sin and death, but also the inheritance of eternal life, as follows:

But if they are children, they are also heirs of God through Christ.

For whoever is a child must also be an heir. For by the very fact that he is born, he has the right (meretur) to be heir. No work, no merit procures him the inheritance, but only the birth. And so the inheritance is conferred on him in a merely passive, non-active way, that is, that he is born, not that he acquires (gignere), not that he works, not that he provides 2c., makes him an heir. For the fact that he is born, he does nothing, but behaves only suffering.

Therefore, it is only in suffering, not in action, that we attain these eternal goods, forgiveness of sins, righteousness, the glory of the resurrection and eternal life. There is nothing else that can help us here, but only faith takes hold of the promise that is offered. Just as a child in the world and in the house becomes an heir only by being born, so here faith alone makes children of God, who are born from the Word, which is the divine mother, in whom we are conceived, carried, born, raised up Is. 46:3. So by this birth, by this suffering behavior, in which we suffer to become and be formed into a new creature through faith in the Word, we become Christians, children and heirs of GOD through Christ. But if we are heirs, we are free from death, devil 2c., and have righteousness and eternal life.

516 Lri. "-U. II, 185-188. Explanation of Galatians 4, 7. W. VIII, 2431-2435. 517

But this is beyond all human comprehension, that he says: "Heirs", not of a very rich and powerful king, not of the emperor, not of the world, but of the almighty God, the creator of all things. Therefore this inheritance of ours, as Paul elsewhere Cor. 9, 15.] also says, is ineffable. And if someone with certain and constant faith could believe and understand the greatness of the good that he is a child and heir of God, he would consider all the power and treasures in all the kingdoms of the world as filth and dung compared to his heavenly inheritance. Everything that the world has in high and glorious things would be disgusting to him, and the greater the world's glory and splendor, the more he would be disgusted with it: in short, everything that the world admires and praises highly would be ugly and void in his eyes. For what is the whole world with its power, wealth and glory compared to God, whose heir and child he is?

After that, he would also have a heartfelt desire, like Paul, to depart and be with Christ, and nothing could be better for him than an early death, which he would seize as if it were the most joyful peace. For he would know that death would be the end of all his evil, and through it he would attain to his inheritance. 2c. Yes, the man who believed this completely would not remain alive long, but would be immediately dissolved with excessive joy.

But the law in the members, which is contrary to the law of the mind, does not make faith perfect. Therefore we need the help and comfort of the Holy Spirit, who represents us in our distresses with inexpressible groaning, as was said above. Sin still clings to the flesh, which continually troubles the conscience and thus hinders faith, so that we cannot fully enjoy looking at and desiring these eternal treasures that God has given us through Christ. Since even Paul felt this struggle of the flesh against the spirit, he exclaimed Rom. 7, 24.: "I wretched man, who will deliver me from the body of this death?" He accuses his body, which after all he should have loved, with a

exceedingly evil name, calling it his death, as if to say: My body troubles and weighs me down more than death itself. For it also clouded this joy of the spirit for him; he did not always have lovely and pleasant thoughts of the future heavenly inheritance, but also felt sadness of spirit, horror 2c.

From this it is sufficiently evident how difficult faith is, which is not easily and quickly learned and grasped, as the full and weary spirits dream, who devour at once everything contained in the Scriptures in one bite. The weakness and the struggle of the flesh with the spirit in the saints is sufficient proof of how small faith still is in them. For perfect faith would soon produce perfect contempt and disdain for this temporal life.

If we could understand and be certain that God is our Father, and we are His children and heirs, then the world would truly become small to us, with all its glory, righteousness, wisdom, power, with all its royal crowns, treasures, pleasures 2c. We would not be so anxious about our livelihood, we would not be so attached to earthly things with our hearts, and have good courage when they are there, but when they are not there, let our courage sink and despair, but we would do everything in the highest love, humility and patience (of which the heretics also boast, but in truth no one is more cruel, no one more arrogant, no one more impatient than they). Now we do the opposite, for the flesh is still strong, but faith is small and the spirit weak. Therefore Paul rightly says that in this life we have only the firstfruits of the Spirit, but there we will have it completely.

Through Christ.

Paul always has Christ in his mouth, he cannot forget him. For he foresaw that nothing would be less known in the world than Christ and his gospel, even among those who professed to be Christians. That is why he constantly teaches about him and puts him before us, and as often as he speaks of grace, righteousness,

518 Lri. 6ai. II, 188-190. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2435-2442. 519

He always adds "in Christ" or "through Christ" to the promise, filiation and inheritance. Incidentally (obliquely), he also refers to the law, as if he wanted to say: This can be given to us neither by the law nor by the works of the law (much less by our powers or works of human statutes), but only through Christ.

V. 8. 9. But at the time when you did not know God, you served those who are not gods by nature. But now that you have known God, or rather are known by God, how do you turn back to the weak and meager statutes, which you want to serve anew?

130 This is the conclusion of Paul's dealings with the Galatians. After this, until the end of the epistle, he does not dispute much, but gives commands concerning life. But before that he chides the Galatians, being very displeased that this divine and heavenly doctrine should have been so suddenly and easily thrust out of their hearts, as if to say: You have teachers who want to bring you under the bondage of the law; I did not do that, but by my teaching I 1) brought you out of darkness and ignorance about God into the wonderful light and knowledge of God. I have set you free from bondage and set you free as children of God, not by preaching to you the works of the law and the merits of men, but the grace and righteousness of God, and that the heavenly and eternal goods are given to you through Christ. Since this is the case, why do you so easily abandon the light and return to darkness? Why are you so easily led back from grace to law, from freedom to bondage?

Here we see again, as I also reminded above, that one can easily fall in faith, which is proven by the example of the Galatians. The same is witnessed today by the example of the Sacramentarians, Anabaptists 2c. We constantly and most diligently inculcate the doctrine of the faith, we penetrate and tread...

1. Wittenberger: vooavit instead of: voonvi.

We distinguish the gospel from the law in the purest way, and yet we accomplish very little. This is the fault of the devil, who is a marvelous artist in seducing people. He can suffer nothing less than the right knowledge of grace and faith in Christ.

For this reason, in order to take Christ out of our eyes and hearts, he presents us with other deceptive images, by which he gradually leads people away from faith and the knowledge of grace, so that they argue about the law. When he has brought them to that point, Christ is taken away. It is therefore not in vain that Paul tries to impress Christ on us in almost every line, not in vain that he presents the doctrine of faith so purely, to which alone he ascribes righteousness, but denies it to the law by showing that it has just the opposite effect, namely, that it works wrath, increases sin 2c. For he would like to persuade us not to let Christ be torn from our hearts, so that the bride will not let her bridegroom be torn from her arms, but will always cling to him. As long as he is present, there is no danger, but then there is groaning, the gracious Father (paternitas), filiation and inheritance.

But why does Paul say that the Galatians turn to the weak and meager statutes, that is, to the law, since they never had the law, because they were Gentiles (although he also writes this to the Jews, as we will say later)? Or why does he not rather speak like this: "In the past, when you did not know God, you served those who were not gods by nature. But now that you know the true God, why do you forsake the true God and turn again to the service of idols? Is it one and the same for Paul to fall away from the promise to the law, from faith to works, and to serve gods who are not gods by nature? I answer: Anyone who falls away from the article of justification does not know God and is an idolater. Therefore, if someone turns back to the law afterwards, it is the same as if he turns back to the gods.

520 Li-I. II, 190-193. Explanation of Galatians 4, 8. 9. W. VIII, 2442-2445. 521

It does not matter whether someone calls himself a monk or a Turk, a Jew, an Anabaptist 2c. For when this article is gone, nothing remains but pure error, hypocrisy, godlessness, idolatry, however much it may appear to be the highest truth, as service to God, holiness 2c.

The reason is that God cannot and will not be known in any other way than through Christ, according to this word, John 1:18: "The Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared it to us. He is the promised seed of Abraham, on whom God has based all fine promises. Therefore, Christ alone is the means and, I say, the mirror through which we see God, that is, recognize His will. For we see in Christ that God is not an angry driver and judge, but a benevolent and exceedingly kind Father, for in order that He might bless us, that is, free us from the law, sin, death and all evils, and give us fine grace, righteousness and eternal life, He did not spare His own fine Son, but gave Him up for us all 2c. This is the certain and right knowledge of God, and the divine teaching (persuasio), which does not deceive, but actually portrays God in a certain form, apart from which God is not (extra quam non est Deus).

Whoever falls from this realization must fall into such a conceit: I will establish this service, I will accept that order, I will choose this or that work, and thus I will serve God. But there is no doubt that God will look at this and accept it and give me eternal life in return. For He is merciful and kind, since He gives all good things even to the unworthy and ungrateful; much more will He give me His grace and eternal life for so many and such great good works and merits.

This is the highest wisdom, righteousness and worship, as far as reason can judge, and this is what all men have in general, as they are by nature (omnes gentes), Papists, Jews, Muhamedans, heretics 2c. They cannot get any higher than that Pharisee in the Gospel Luc. 18, 11. f., they do not recognize the Christian righteousness.

or that of faith. For the natural man hears nothing of what is of God 1 Cor. 2:14, likewise Rom. 3:11: "There is none that understandeth, there is none that asketh after God" 2c. Therefore there is absolutely no difference between a Papist, a Jew, a Turk, a heretic 2c. The persons, places, customs, services, works, worship practices are indeed different, but they all have the same reason, the same heart, the same delusion and thoughts. A Turk has exactly the same thoughts as a Carthusian, namely: If I do this or that, I have a gracious God, if not, He is angry with me. There is no middle ground between human workmanship and the knowledge of Christ; if this is obscured, then it does not matter whether you are a monk or a pagan.

Therefore it is the utmost folly that Papists and Turks argue with each other about religion and worship, that both claim to have the true religion and the right worship. 2c. Even the monks themselves do not agree among themselves; one wants to be considered holier than the other, because of some outward silly ceremonies, while in the heart the opinion of all is so equal that one egg cannot be so equal to the other. For they all have this conceit: If I do this work, God will have mercy on me; if I do not, he will be angry with me. Therefore, every man who falls away from the knowledge of Christ inevitably falls into idolatry, for he must invent such an image (formam) of God for himself, which does not exist anywhere, as a Carthusian for the sake of keeping the fine rule, a Turk because of the observance of the alcoran 2c. has the confidence that he pleases God and will receive from him the reward of his sour work.

Such a God, who forgives sins and makes righteous in this way, can nowhere be found, therefore it is a vain thought and a dream, and the erection (confictio) of an idol in the heart. For nowhere did God promise that He would make men righteous and blessed for the sake of such services, rules (observationes) and practices (cultus) that are devised and instituted by men; indeed, God has no greeting in anything.

522 Lri. II, 193-ISS. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 244S-2448. 523

The Holy Spirit, as all Scripture testifies, is not interested in such self-chosen works and worship, for the sake of which he destroyed kingdoms and empires.

Therefore, all those who trust in their own powers and righteousness serve a god who is God only in their delusion (opinabiliter), but not in his essence (natura). For the true and essential God speaks thus: No righteousness, wisdom and worship pleases me, except this one, through whom the Father is glorified in the Son. Whoever takes hold of this Son in faith, and of me or of my promise in him, to him I am God, to him I am Father, him I accept, making him righteous and blessed. All others remain under wrath, because they worship him who is not GOD by nature.

(140) Anyone who does not adhere to this doctrine inevitably ends up not knowing God correctly, not understanding what Christian righteousness and wisdom are, what the right services of God are; he is an idolater who remains under the law, sin, death and the dominion of the devil, and everything he does is lost and condemned.

141. Therefore, if an Anabaptist imagines that he pleases God, if he lets himself run again, if he leaves his house, wife and children, if he kills his flesh, if he endures much hardship and finally suffers death, in him there is already no longer a spark of the knowledge of Christ, but after Christ is excluded, he is caught in his dreams of works, abandonment of goods and killing [of the flesh^, and there is now no difference in mind or heart between him and a Turk, Jew or Papist, except as to the outward livery, ceremonies or works he chooses for himself. In this way all monks have the same reliance on works, but in dress and other outward things they differ.

There are many others like them today, who nevertheless want to be counted among the evangelical teachers and, as far as the words are concerned, teach that men are freed from sin through the death of Christ. But because they deny the faith in such a way

If they ascribe more to love than to faith, they do Christ the greatest dishonor and pervert His word in a wicked and ungodly way, since they dream that God is pleased with us and accepts us for the sake of love, through which we, already reconciled, 1) love God and our neighbor. If this is true, then we have no need of Christ at all. Such people do not serve the true God, but the idol of their heart, which they have invented for themselves. For the true God is not pleased with us and does not accept us for the sake of our love, our virtues or our newness of being, but for the sake of Christ 2c.

But they reply: The Scripture commands that we love God with all our heart 2c. Quite right, but therefore it does not follow: God commands, therefore we also do it. If we loved God with all our heart 2c., then we would certainly be justified and gain life for the sake of this obedience, according to the words Deut. 18:5: "The man who does these things will live by them." But the gospel says, Thou doest not this, therefore thou shalt not live thereby. For this saying: "You shall love God your Lord" 2c. requires perfect obedience, perfect fear, trust, love towards God. This man in his finely depraved nature does not accomplish, nor can he. Therefore this law: "You shall love God your Lord" 2c. does not make righteous, but accuses all men and condemns them, as the Scripture testifies Rom. 4, 15.: "The law only causes wrath" 2c. On the other hand Rom. 10, 4., "Christ is the end of the law; he that believeth on Him is righteous." Enough has been said about this above 2c.

(144) In the same way, a Jew who keeps the law, thinking that by obeying the law he will please God, does not serve the God of his fathers, but is an idolater who worships the dream and the idol of his heart, which is nowhere. For the God of his fathers, of whom he boasts that he serves Him, promised Abraham a seed through which all nations should be blessed. Therefore, it is not through the Ge-

1. Wittenberger: reeoneiliari instead of reeonoiliati.

524 Lri. Oai. II, 195-197. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 4, 8, 9. 525

The Gospel of Christ is the only way to know God and to receive the blessing.

Although Paul actually speaks these words: "At the time when you did not know God, you served Him" 2c. to the Galatians, who were Gentiles, he also attacks the Jews with the same words, who, even though they had outwardly abandoned idols, nevertheless inwardly "worshipped" them more than the Gentiles, as he says of them in Rom. 2:22: "You abhor idols, and rob God of what is His." The Gentiles were not the people of God, they did not have the Word, therefore their idolatry was a gross one. But the idolatrous Jews adorned their ungodly worship (cultus) with the name of God and His Word (as all works saints are wont to do), and deceived many by this pretense of godliness. Therefore, the more holy and spiritual an idolatry is according to its outward appearance, the more harmful it is.

But how can these two contradictory things that Paul exhibits here: "You did not know God" and "You served God" be united with each other?

147 I answer: All people have by nature the general knowledge that there is a God, according to the words Rom. 1, 19. 20. As far as God can be known, he is apparent to them. "For it is known that God is invisible" 2c. Furthermore, the worship and religions that have existed and remained among all pagans sufficiently testify that all men have had a certain general knowledge of God. But whether they have received this by nature or by tradition from their parents, I do not want to argue about that now.

But here again someone would like to interject: If all men know God, why then does Paul say that the Galatians did not know God before the preaching of the Gospel?

I answer: There is a twofold knowledge of God, the general and the actual. All men have the general one, namely, that there is one God, that he created heaven and earth, that he is righteous, that he punishes the wicked 2c. But what God has in mind for us, what He wants to give and do, how we can be free from sins and death and become blessed (which is the real and true

I do not know how it can happen that someone is known to me face to face, whom I do not really know, because I do not know how he is disposed toward me.

Therefore, people know by nature that there is a God, but what He wills or does not will, they do not know, for it is written Rom. 3:11, Ps. 53:3: "There is no one wise who asks about God," and elsewhere Jn. 1:18: "No one has ever seen God," that is, no one knows what the will of God is. But what good is it if you know that God is, and yet you do not know what His will is toward you? Here one dreams this, the other that. The Jews imagine that this is the will of God, that they should serve God as prescribed by the Law of Moses, the Turks that they should keep their Alkoran, a monk that he had his rule and his vows. But they all err and "become vain in their thinking," as Paul says Rom. 1:21, because they do not know what pleases or displeases God. Therefore, instead of the true and essential God, they worship the dreams of their heart, which are nothing in their essence (natura).

^1^This is what Paul indicates when he says: "Since you did not know God," that is, since you did not know what the will of God was, "you served those who are not gods by nature," that is, the dreams and thoughts of your heart, through which you fabricated without the Word that one must serve God with this or that work or ceremony (ritu). For from the fact that people by nature hold this sentence: There is one God, all idolatry has arisen, which would not have come into the world without knowledge of the Godhead. But because men had this natural knowledge of God, they formed, apart from the word and in contradiction to it, void and ungodly thoughts of God, which they assumed to be certain truth, and thus imagined God to be different from what He is by nature.

1. This paragraph is used by Aurifaber (in the translation of Menius) for § 8 of the 5th chapter of the Table Talks, and § 153, according to its larger part, for s 9 there. In our edition of the Table Talks, these two paragraphs are omitted.

526 Lru n. is7-i99. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vm, 2450-2453. 527

Thus, a monk invents such a God who forgives sins, gives grace and eternal life for the sake of keeping his rule. Such a God is nowhere, therefore he does not serve the true God, nor does he worship Him, but such a God who is not God by nature, namely a delusion and idol of his heart, that is, his false and void opinion of God, of which he dreams that it is the most certain truth. But now even reason must admit that a human delusion is not God. Therefore, he who wants to honor or serve God without the word, as Paul says, does not serve the true God, but the one who is not God by nature.

Therefore, it matters little whether he 1) uses the name "statutes" to refer to the law of Moses or to any statutes of the Gentiles (although he actually and primarily speaks of the Mosaic statutes). For he who falls back from grace into the law does not fall more gently than he who falls from grace into idolatry. For apart from Christ there is nothing but idolatry, an idol and a false poem of God, whether it be called the Law of Moses, or the Law of Pabst, or the Alkoran of the Turk 2c. Therefore he says with a certain astonishment:

But now you have recognized God.

As if he wanted to say: It is very surprising that you, who have known God from the preaching of faith, now so suddenly fall away from the right knowledge of His will (which I thought you had kept so securely and firmly that I feared nothing less than that it could be so easily overthrown among you) and turn again, since the false apostles call you to it, to the weak and meager statutes, which you want to serve anew. But you have received from my preaching that this is the will of God, that he wants to bless all nations, not through circumcision or the keeping of the law, but through Christ, who was promised to Abraham. Those who believe in him will be blessed with the faith of God.

1. Instead of ÄpptzUkk in the outputs we have assumed ÄpxsNkt.

Those who receive the blessing from Abraham are children and heirs of God. Thus, I say, you have known God.

Yes, rather, you are recognized by God.

Here Paul punishes the Galatians in an oratorical way, because he improves his previous statement "You have now known God", or rather, he turns it around in this way: "yes, rather, you are known by God", because he fears that they might have lost God completely, as if he wanted to say: Alas, the matter has already come to such a pass that you now do not know God properly, because you have returned from grace to law 2); yet God still knows you. And indeed, our knowledge is more a suffering than an active one, that is, we are rather recognized than we recognize. Our activity (nostrum agere) is that we suffer, that God works in us. God gives the Word; if we take hold of it through the faith that God gives, we become God's children.

It is therefore the opinion of the word: "You are known by God", that is, you have been visited by the word, you have been endowed with faith and the Holy Spirit, by which you have been renewed 2c. Therefore, with these words, "You have been known by God," he denies the righteousness of the law, and he denies that the knowledge of God is granted to us because of the worthiness of our works. For Matth. 11, 27. "No one knows the Father, except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it. Likewise Isa. 53, 11: "By his knowledge he will make many righteous, because he bears their sin. Therefore, our knowledge of God is a purely suffering one.

157 He is therefore very surprised that they, after they have rightly known God through the gospel, seduced by the false apostles, so quickly turn back to the weak and meager statutes, as it would certainly also seem strange to me if our church (which by God's grace is very beautifully ordered in pure and wholesome doctrine and faith) were so perverted by a fanatical man through one or two sermons.

2. Wittenberg ocNtis instead of rküitis.

528 Lri. Kai. n, 199-202. Explanation of Galatians 4, 9, W. VIII, 2453-2456. 529

that she would no longer want to recognize me as her teacher. This will happen in time, even if not while we are alive, but when we are gone. For then many will arise who want to be masters, who teach perverse things under the appearance of godliness, and in a short time will overthrow everything that we have built with the greatest effort in a long time.

We are no better than the apostles themselves, who had to see with great suffering during their lifetime that the churches they had planted through their ministry were perverted. Therefore, it is not surprising if we also have to see the same evil in the churches today, in which the spirits of the rotten reign, which after our death will take over the churches prepared by our ministry, infect them with their poison and pervert them. But Christ will remain and reign until the end of the world, but miraculously, as under the papacy.

But Paul speaks very shamefully of the law, since he calls it "statutes" (elementa) (as also above in the beginning of the fourth chapter § 14 ff.), then also not only statutes, but "weak and meager statutes". Is it not blasphemy that he calls the law of God such shameful names? The law in its proper use should serve and stand for the promises and grace. But if it is contrary to this, it is no longer God's holy law, but a harmful and devilish doctrine that only leads to despair. Therefore, it must be rejected and banished.

Therefore, when he calls the law "weak and meager statutes," he is speaking of the law according to the opinion of the proud and presumptuous hypocrites who want to be justified by it, not of the law according to its spiritual meaning, which causes wrath. For the law, as we have often said, when it is in proper use, accuses and condemns the old 1) man. Here it is not only a mighty and rich element (elementum), but also omnipotent and exceedingly rich, yes, it is an insurmountable omnipotence and richness, in the con-

1. vytsrem is missing in the Wittenberg.

The conscience is exceedingly weak and poor. For it is something so delicate that it becomes so frightened and pale at the slightest sin that it despairs if it is not raised up again. Therefore the law in its right use has more strength and power than heaven and earth can hold, so that even one tittle or letter of the law could kill the whole human race, which the history of the proclamation of the law testifies, Ex. 19, 16. 20, 18. 19. This is the right and theological use of the law, of which Paul does not speak here.

161 Thus he is speaking here of the hypocrites who have fallen from grace or who have not yet attained to it. Those who abuse the law, seek to be justified by it, toil and labor with its works day and night, as Paul testifies of the Jews, Rom. 10:2, 3: "I bear them witness," he says, "that they strive for God," that they labor day and night, "but with ignorance. For they do not know the righteousness that is before GOD. "2c. Such people have the confidence that they will become so strong and rich through the law that they can oppose their power and the wealth of righteousness, which they have from the law, to the wrath and judgment of God, that they can thereby propitiate God and become blessed. In this respect, one can rightly say that the law is a weak and meager statute, that is, that it cannot help, that there is no counsel nor ability in it.

And he who would use the art of speech here, could act and magnify these words very broadly, in an active way, in a suffering way, and in the middle position between the two (active, passive et neutraliter). In the active way, the law is a weak and meager statute, because it makes men weaker and more meager; in the suffering way, because it does not have in itself the strength and power to bestow or bring righteousness; in the middle position, it is weakness and meagerness itself. How, then, should it make men strong and rich who were weak and scanty before? Therefore, if one wants to become righteous through the law, it is just as much as if one who is otherwise already weak and poor were to become rich and strong.

530 Lri. n, 202-204. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2456-2400. 531

If a man is sick and diseased, he would seek another greater evil by which he could dispel his weakness and poverty, while it would plunge him into certain destruction. As if one who suffers from falling sickness were also to catch the plague, or a leper were to come to a leper, a beggar to a beggar, in order to bring help to the other and enrich him. Here, as the saying goes, one would milk a goat and the other would hold a sieve under it.

163. this is a beautiful diminutive speech (tapinosis = ταπεΐνωσις*),* with which Pau

This is to show that those who seek to become righteous by the law have the advantage of becoming weaker and weaker day by day, because they are already weak and meager, that is, they are by nature children of wrath, guilty of death and eternal damnation, and they take hold of what is only weakness and beggary, by which they seek to become strong and rich. Therefore, every man who falls away from the promise to the law, from faith to works, does nothing but, being weak and meager, lays upon himself an unbearable yoke, Acts 15:10. 15:10, from whose burden he becomes ten times weaker and more meager, until he finally despairs, unless Christ comes and delivers him. The same is testified by the gospel of the woman who had been in the throes of hemorrhage for twelve years, and had suffered much at the hands of many physicians, and had consumed all she had, and yet nothing helped her, but the longer she was cured, the worse she became 2c. [Therefore, all who do the works of the law with the intention of becoming righteous are not only not righteous, but twofold unrighteous, that is, as I said, they become weaker and more unskilled in every good work through the law 2c.

I have experienced this myself and in many others. In the papacy I have seen many monks who with the most ardent zeal did many and great works to attain righteousness and blessedness, and yet no one was more impatient than they, no one weaker, more miserable, no one more faithless, more fearful and more in despair. The people in secular authority, with the greatest and most

They were not so impatient and so womanishly impotent, they were not so superstitious, unbelieving, fearful 2c. as such work saints.

Therefore, anyone who seeks righteousness through the law does nothing but accustom himself, through repeated actions, to insist on his first intention, namely, that the angry and terrifying God must be reconciled through works. In this preconceived opinion, he begins to do works. But he can never find so many works as to satisfy his conscience, but desires more and more of them; indeed, even in those he has done he finds sins. Therefore, his conscience can never be made certain, but must necessarily always be in doubt, thinking: You did not say mass properly, you did not pray properly, you omitted something, you committed this or that sin. Then the heart trembles and finds itself always laden with many cargos full of sins, which increase without end, so that he falls further and further away from righteousness, until finally despair becomes a permanent condition (habitum) with him.

For this reason, many have uttered such lamentable words in despair in their death throes: I wretched man, I have not kept my order; where shall I go before the face of the angry judge of Christ? Would God that I had been a swineherd or the least of all men on earth. Thus, a monk at the end of his life is weaker, more meager, more faithless and more fearful than in the beginning when he accepted his order. The cause is that he has sought to strengthen himself through weakness and to become rich through poverty. The law, or human statutes, or the rule of his order should have made him, who was sick and poor, healthy and rich, but he has become weaker and poorer than publicans and harlots. For these have not that unfortunate habitual inclination (xxxx) to works, on which they rely, as a monk does, but, however much they may feel their sins, they can say with the publican Luc. 18, 13., "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"

On the other hand, a monk who works with the weak

532 Lri. "Li. II, 204-206. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 4, 9. W. VIII, 2460-2463. 533

The one who has constantly dealt with the poor and meager statutes has acquired this way of thinking (habitum): If you keep your rule, you will be blessed 2c. Through this false conviction he has become so nonsensical and so caught up in it that he cannot grasp grace before it, indeed, he cannot even think of grace. Therefore, neither his past nor his present works, however many and great they may be, are enough for him, but he always looks out and searches for others and others with which he strives to appease the wrath of God and to justify himself, until he finally has to despair. Therefore, he who falls from faith and pursues the law, like the dog in the fable of Aesop, 1) loses the flesh and seeks after the shadow.

Therefore, it is impossible for people who want to establish counsel for their happiness through the law (as we all are by nature) to ever become calm (in their consciences, indeed, they do nothing but heap laws upon laws, with which they torture themselves and others and weigh down the consciences so miserably that very many die before time from excessive grief of the soul. For one law always draws ten others after it, until they finally grow to infinity. This is sufficiently testified by the innumerable collections (summae) (especially the diabolical one, to which they have given the title "the angelic" 2)), which have brought together and interpreted such laws.

In short, he who undertakes to become righteous by the law subjects himself to what he can never accomplish. Here may be drawn what, I see, the fathers also did, namely, the sayings of learned and wise men about futile toil, as, rolling a stone, drawing water with a sieve 2c., and I believe that by such poems and parables the fathers wished to remind their disciples of the difference between the law and the gospel, so that they might show them that those who have fallen from grace, though they labor and are weary with constant and very arduous toil, are toiling in vain.

1. Phaedrus, lib. I, fab. IV.
2. For the summa angelica, see our edition, Vol. XIX, 97.

make. That is why it is said of such people that they roll a stone, that is, they toil in vain, as the poets write of Sisyphus in the fable that as often as he rolled a boulder to the top of a mountain in the underworld, the same boulder rolled back again and again; Likewise, to draw water with a sieve, that is, to toil with inexhaustible and useless labor, as the poets write that the daughters of Danaus in the underworld must pour water into a holed barrel with perforated ladles 2c.

170. And I wish that you students of theology would collect more such parables, so that you might better remember the difference between the Law and the Gospel, for example that if one wants to be justified by the Law, this is just as much as if one wants to count money out of an empty box, eat out of an empty bowl and drink out of an empty pitcher, to seek strength and wealth where there is only weakness and poverty, to make a heavy burden even heavier for one who sighs and succumbs under it, to want to pay a hundred gold florins and not even have one lighter, to strip a naked man of his garment, 3) to oppress a sick and needy man with greater weakness and lack 2c.

Who could have ever believed that the Galatians, who had learned the pure and certain truth from such a great apostle as their teacher, could so soon have been turned away from it and completely perverted by the false apostles? For it is not for nothing that I so often point out that it is very easy to fall away from the truth of the Gospel. The reason for this is that even godly people do not sufficiently consider how precious and necessary the right knowledge of Christ is. Therefore, they do not strive with such great care and diligence to attain and retain it surely and firmly.

The greater part of those who hear the Word are not exercised by the cross; they do not struggle with sin, death and the devil, but live securely without all strife. Because such people are not exercised by God's Word

3. nudo vestem exuere is missing in the Wittenberg.

534 Dri- Oai. II, 206-209. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2463-2466. 535

If they are fortified against the cunning attempts of the devil, they are not exercised and proved by temptations, therefore they never experience the custom and the power of the word. Indeed, as long as godly teachers are with them, they repeat them, and are certainly convinced that they have the best grasp of the matter of justification. But as soon as they are gone, and wolves in sheep's clothing come, they are like the Galatians, that is, they are soon and easily seduced and turn back to the weak and meager statutes.

Now Paul has his own peculiar way of speaking, which the other apostles did not use. For none of them calls the law by such names, namely, that it is a weak and meager element, that is, more than useless for the attainment of righteousness, than Paul alone. Nor would I dare to call the law so, but would think that this would be the highest blasphemy, if Paul had not done it before. But I have spoken about this in more detail above, when the law is weak and meager, likewise when it is exceedingly strong and rich 2c.

If the law of God is weak and not useful for justification, much more are the laws of the pope weak and not useful for justification; not that I condemn and condemn all his laws in general, but I say that very many are useful for outward discipline, so that everything in the church is done properly, and division and enmity do not arise, just as the imperial laws are useful to govern the countries well, 2c.

The pope is not satisfied with this praise and use of his laws, but demands that we believe that by keeping them we will be justified and attain salvation. We say no to this, and with the same confidence and certainty as Paul against the law of God, we pass this judgment against the decrees, statutes and laws of the pope, that they are not only weak, meager statutes and of no use for righteousness, but statutes worthy of condemnation, cursed and devilish, because they blaspheme grace, pervert the gospel, deny faith, and take away Christ 2c. Therefore, insofar as the pope requires that they be condemned

He is the Antichrist and the governor of Satan, and all those who follow him and confirm his abominations and blasphemies, or think that they want to earn forgiveness of sins through them, are servants of the Antichrist and the devil.

But the whole papal church has taught and held it for many centuries as necessary for salvation. Therefore, the pope sits in the temple of God, pretends to be God, but is an offender against God, and exalts himself above all that is called God or worship, 2c., 2 Thess. 2, 4. and the consciences have feared the laws and ordinances of the pope more and held them in higher honor than the word and ordinances of God. And therefore he has become the Lord of heaven, earth and hell, and has worn the triple crown; therefore the cardinals and bishops, his creatures, have become kings and princes of the world; and therefore, if he did not weigh down the consciences with his laws, he would not keep this terrible power, dignity, wealth 2c. for long, but his whole empire would fall immediately.

This doctrine, which Paul treats, is a very important one, therefore it must be noted that those who fall away from grace back to the law completely lose all knowledge of the truth, do not see their sin, know neither God, nor themselves, nor the devil, and even do not understand the law in its power and use, even though they boast of observing it to the highest degree. For without knowledge of grace, that is, of the gospel of Christ, it is impossible for a man to understand that the law is a weak and meager element, which is of no use for righteousness, but he judges of the law just the opposite, namely, that it is not only necessary for salvation, but that it also makes the weak and meager strong and rich, that is, that those who do it deserve righteousness and eternal salvation.

178. if this delusion endures, the promise of God is denied, Christ is taken away 2c., it becomes the lie, the God-.

536 Kai. II, 20S-21I. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 4, 9. 10. W. VIII, 2466-2470. 537

The pope with all the bishops, high schools and his whole synagogue taught that his laws were necessary for righteousness. The pope with all the bishops, high schools and his whole synagogue taught that his laws were necessary for righteousness. Therefore he has been a teacher of weak and meager statutes, by which he has made the church of Christ exceedingly weak and poor throughout the earth, that is, he has burdened it with his ungodly laws and made it utterly miserable, while Christ has been obscured and his gospel buried and buried. Therefore, if you want to keep the laws of the pope without violating the conscience, keep it without the delusion of obtaining righteousness through it, for it is given through Christ alone.

Whom you want to serve anew.

He adds this to show that he is speaking of the arrogant and presumptuous hypocrites who seek to be justified by the law, as I have often indicated above. Otherwise he calls the law holy, good 2c., as 1 Tim. 1, 8: "We know that the law is good, if anyone uses it rightly," namely, worldly, to keep the wicked in check, theologically, to increase sins. But he who uses the law to attain righteousness before God does not know what he is saying or what he is doing, and makes the good law harmful and damning to himself.

180 He therefore punishes the Galatians for wanting to serve the law anew, which does not free them from sin, but only increases it. For if a sinner, weak and meager in himself, seeks to be justified by the law, he finds nothing in it but weakness and meagerness. For two sick and beggars come together, one of whom only burdens the other more, but does not help.

We, who are strong in Christ, desire to serve the law, not the weak and scanty law, but the strong and abundant law, that is, in so far as it is effective, having dominion over the body 2c. For then we serve the law only with the body and members, not with the conscience.

But the pope demands that we serve his laws with this opinion: If you do, you are righteous, if not.

then you are damned. There the law is more than a weak and meager element 2c., because as long as this bondage of the conscience under the law lasts, it can be nothing but pure weakness and meagerness. That is why all the emphasis is on the word "serve". Paul is therefore saying that the conscience should not serve as a prisoner under the law, but should be free and the mistress of the law. For through Christ it has died to the law, and the law has died to it, which is spoken of in more detail in the second chapter above.

V. 10. You keep days and moons, and feasts and seasons.

With these words he clearly shows what the false apostles taught, namely, that one must keep days and months, feasts and seasons. Almost all teachers have interpreted this passage from the astrological days of the Chaldeans, that the pagans observed certain days, months 2c. in their undertakings, in the expectation of events in their lives and in their business, and that the Galatians, at the instigation of the false apostles, had done the same. And Augustine, followed by the later ones, interpreted these words of Paul also from this pagan custom (ritu), although he interprets it later also from the days, months 2c. of the Jews. About this in the decrees 2c. is a confused talk (disputatio).

184 But Paul instructs the conscience, therefore he does not speak of the pagan custom of choosing days 2c. which concerns only the body, but he speaks of the law of God and of the observance of days, months 2c. according to the law of Moses, that is, of worship (religiosis) days, months and times, which the Galatians kept according to the instruction of the false apostles, in order to become righteous. For in Moshi's writings the Jews had been commanded that they should conscientiously keep the day of Sahbath and the new moons, the months, the first and the seventh, three appointed times or feasts, namely the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles, the year of Jubilee and Jubilee. These habits (rite) they also kept, forced by the false apostles, as

538 Arl- 6ai. II, 211-214. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2470-2473. 539

necessary to righteousness. Hence he says that they have lost grace and Christian liberty, and have returned to the bondage of weak and meager statutes. For they had been persuaded by the false apostles that these laws must necessarily be kept, and if one kept them, they would make one righteous; if one did not keep them, one would be damned.

In contrast, Paul in no way allows consciences to be bound by the Mosaic law, but makes them free from the law everywhere. "Behold, I Paul say unto you," he says below Cap. 5, 2, "where ye are circumcised, Christ is of no profit unto you," and Col. 2, 16: "Let no man therefore make you conscience about meat, or about drink, or about certain feasts, or new moons, or sabbaths. "2c. So also Christ says Luc. 17, 20.: "The kingdom of God does not come through the outward keeping of the law" (cum observatione legis) 1) Much less should the consciences be burdened and entangled with human statutes.

Here someone might say, "If the Galatians sinned by keeping days and feasts, why is it not sin for you to do the same?

187 I answer: We keep Sunday, Christmas Day, Easter and similar feasts quite free, we do not trouble the consciences with these outward customs (ritibus), nor do we teach, as the false apostles and the papists did, that they are necessary for righteousness, or that by them we can do enough for sins, but [keep them,so that everything in the church may proceed in an orderly manner and without unrest, and that the outward unity (for in the spirit we have a different unity) may not be torn apart, as once happened when the Roman pope Victor put all the congregations in Asia under ban for no other reason than because they celebrated Easter at a different time than the Roman church was accustomed to do. Irenaeus punished Victor for this, as it was certainly reprehensible. For it was utter foolishness to hand over the churches of the East to the devil because of such a trivial matter. Therefore

1. In the Vulgate: cum observatione, with omission of.

the right knowledge of keeping days and times was rarely found, even among the greatest men. Jerome did not have it, and even Augustine would not have understood it properly if he had not been plagued by the Pelagians and practiced by them.

But especially do we keep such feasts, that the ministry of preaching may flourish, that the people may come together on certain days and at certain times to hear the word, that they may learn to know God, use the sacrament, pray publicly for all kinds of need, likewise, give thanks to God for His spiritual and bodily benefits; and I believe that it was primarily for this reason that the keeping of Sunday, Easter, Pentecost 2c. was instituted by the Fathers.

V. 11. I fear you, lest perhaps I have labored with you in vain.

With these words, he indicates that the apostasy of the Galatians has gone very much to his heart and that he would have liked to scold them more severely, but he fears that by punishing them too harshly he would not improve them, but only irritate them more and alienate them completely. Therefore he changes and softens the words while writing, and now speaks as if he almost alone had the damage, saying: "I fear for you that I have not perhaps labored in vain with you," that is, "It grieves me that I have preached the gospel with such great diligence and faithfulness among you, and yet it has gone without fruit.

(190) Yet, although he treats them with the utmost gentleness and true fatherly care, at the same time he scolds them rather harshly, but in a hidden way. For since he says that he labored in vain, that is, that he preached the gospel to them without fruit, he secretly indicates that they were either obstinately unbelieving or that they had fallen away from the doctrine of faith. Both the unbelievers and the apostates are still sinners, ungodly, unrighteous and condemned. Therefore, such people are also obedient to the law in vain, keeping the days, moons 2c. in vain.

191. and in these words: "I fear yours, that I have not perhaps worked on you in vain", is a kind of secret spell.

540 Dri. Oai. II, 214-216 . Explanation of Galatians 4, 11. 12. W. VIII, 2473-2476. 541

contain. For the apostle implies that the Galatians are thereby separated from Christ and excluded if they do not return to the right doctrine. But he does not pronounce this judgment publicly. For he believed that he would not achieve anything by punishing them more severely. That is why he changes his spelling and speaks to them in a very kind way:

V. 12. Be like me, for I am like you.

This passage is not one in which Paul teaches (dialecticus), but full of emotions, which must be treated rhetorically. Up to this point, Paul has been teaching, and while teaching, moved by the great impropriety of the matter, he has become very heated against the Galatians, and has scolded them with very harsh words, calling them unintelligent, charmed, people who do not believe the truth, crucifiers of Christ 2c. Now that the greater part of the epistle is almost finished, he begins to realize that he has treated them too harshly. Since he is therefore concerned that he might have done more harm than good by his severity, he indicates that this harsh scolding came from a fatherly and truly apostolic spirit, and uses miraculous oratory and overflows with loving and gentle speeches, keeping in mind that if perhaps some (of whom there were undoubtedly many) had been offended by his harsh scolding, he would like to pacify them again by his gentle words.

At the same time he reminds the shepherds and bishops by his example that they should also have a fatherly and motherly heart, not against ravening wolves, but against the wretched, deceived and erring sheep, that they should bear their weakness and fall patiently and treat them with the utmost gentleness. For they cannot be brought back to the right way in any other way; for by scolding them too harshly they are moved to anger, or even to despair, not to repentance.

194 And that I also remind you of this in passing is the essence and fruit of the wholesome doctrine, that when it is well taught and recognized, it unites hearts in the highest harmony. But when people abandon the doctrine of godliness and fall into the trap of error

If they adhere to the law, this unity of hearts will be torn apart. Therefore, as soon as you see that brothers or disciples, seduced by spirits, fall away from the article of justification, you will soon find out that they persecute the godly with the most bitter hatred, whom they loved very much before.

We experience this today in our false brothers, the Sacramentarians and Anabaptists, who, when the cause of the Gospel was at stake, listened to us gladly and read our writings eagerly, recognized the gift of the Holy Spirit in us and therefore honored us as God's servants. Some of them also lived with us for a while in intimate contact and behaved extremely modestly among us. But after they went out from us and passed away through the swarming spirits, no one is more devoted to our teachings and our name than they are. They also hate the papists, but not as bitterly as us.

196. I often wonder very much where such a raging and frightening hatred could have come into their hearts so suddenly, since they loved us so warmly before, since we did not offend them in the least or give them a reason to persecute us with hatred; Indeed, they must confess that we seek only that Christ's good deeds and glory may be praised, that the truth of the Gospel may be taught purely, which God has revealed anew through us to the ungrateful world in this last time, which should have stirred them rather to love than to hate us. Therefore, I am rightly wondering where this change might come from. But it is no other cause than that they have heard new masters. Infected by their poison, they are so inflamed that they work against us in such an irreconcilable way and are so fiercely bitter against us (ardeant).

And I see that this is the fate of the apostles and all godly ministers of the word, that their disciples and hearers, infected by the godless opinions of the enthusiasts and perverted by them, burn with anger and hatred against their teachers. Very few among the Galatians remained steadfast to Paul's teaching. All the others, who were seduced by the false apostles, no longer recognized Paul as their teacher.

542 Lri. <4ai. II, 216-218. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2476-2179. 543

Indeed, nothing was more detestable to them than the name and teaching of Paul, and I fear that through this epistle he has freed very few from their error and brought them to their senses.

If the same were to happen to us, that is, if in our absence our church were to be perverted by the enthusiasts, and we were to write here not just one or two, but many letters, we would achieve little or nothing. Our people, with the exception of a few who are more firmly grounded in doctrine, would behave no differently toward us than those are behaving toward us today who are seduced by the sectarians, who would rather worship the pope than obey our exhortations or approve of our teaching. No one will be able to persuade them that they have lost Christ and now serve again the weak and meager statutes and those who are not gods by nature. They can hear nothing less than that their teachers, by whom they are deceived, are perverters of the gospel of Christ and confounders of consciences and churches. 1) The Lutherans, they say, are not alone wise, do not alone preach Christ, do not alone have the Holy Spirit, the gift of prophecy and the right interpretation of the Scriptures. Our teachers are in no way inferior to them; indeed, in many respects they are superior, for they follow the Spirit and teach spiritual things. On the other hand, those the Lutherans have never touched true theology, but cling to the letter, and therefore they teach nothing but the catechism, faith, love 2c.

Therefore, as I often say, fo easy a fall is in faith, so dangerous it is also, namely from high heaven down into the deepest abyss of hell. It is not a human fall, like murder, adultery 2c., but a diabolical fall. For those who fall in this way cannot be easily restored, but usually persist stubbornly in their error. Therefore they become worse than they were before, as Christ testifies when he says (Luc. 11, 24. ff.): "When the unclean spirit comes out of his crowd, he will become a devil.

1. et ecclesiarum is missing in the Wittenberg.

is thrown out, when he returns, he does not go into it alone, but he takes seven other spirits with him that are worse than himself, and dwells there 2c.

200 Since Paul now realized, as the Holy Spirit told him, that by this severe punishment the hearts of the Galatians, whom he in godly zeal had called unintelligent 2c., would be more embittered than improved (especially since he already knew that the false apostles were doing their business among them, who would interpret this punishment coming from a fatherly heart in the worst way, and would cry out: Now Paul, whom some among you praise so much, gives himself to the day fund shows) by what spirit he is driven. When he was present, he wanted to be regarded as your father, but the letters he writes in his absence sufficiently testify that he is a tyrant 2c.) Therefore, out of godly emotion and fatherly concern, he is so distressed that he does not know what or how to write to them. For it is very dangerous to put a matter in writing to people when one is not present with them, and they have already begun to hate the writer, and have been persuaded by others that he has no good cause. Therefore, he is very upset and soon after says fV. 20): "I am wrong about you", that is, I do not know what I am doing or how I should deal with you 2c.

Be like me, for I am like you.

These words must be understood not from the doctrine, but from the attitude (aüaetibus). Therefore the meaning of these words: "Be like me" is not this: Hold of the doctrine as I do, but: be minded toward me as I am toward you, as if he meant to say: I may have punished you too harshly, but hold this severity against me, do not judge my heart by these words, but receive the words according to the disposition of my heart. Though the words seem harsh and as a sharp rod, yet my heart is mild and fatherly. Therefore, my dear Galatians, receive this punishment of mine with such a heart as I had when I punished you. For the cause required that I should show myself so severe toward you.

544 Ari. Oai. n, 218-221. Explanation of Galatians 4, 12. W. VIII, 2479-2482. 545

Our punishment is also harsh and the writing is violent, but truly the heart is not bitter, not spiteful, not vengeful against the adversaries, but there is a godly sorrow and grief of spirit in us. I do not hate the papists and other erroneous spirits in such a way that I should wish them evil and desire that they come to ruin, but rather I would like them to get back on the right path and become blessed with us.

A disciplinarian punishes his pupil not for his own destruction but for his own good. The rod is sharp, but the chastisement is very necessary for the child, and the heart of the chastiser is kind and sincere. Thus a father chastises his son, not to spoil him, but to make him better. The blows are hard and burdensome for the son, but the father's heart is without deceit and kind, and if he did not love the son, he would not chastise him, but would push him away and despair of his salvation, and would let him perish. But that he chastises him is a sign of the father's affection for the son, and is very useful to the son. So you also, my dear Galatians, should look at my punishment, and then you will not judge that it is severe, but that it is beneficial. Hebr. 12, 11: "All chastening, when it is, seems to us not to be joy, but sorrow; but afterward" 2c. Therefore let there be with you the same disposition toward me as I have toward you. I have a kind heart toward you; I require the same of you.

In this way, Paul gives good words to the Galatians and lays great stress on his kindness, so that he may soothe and restore their tempers, which were irritated by his harsh punishment. But he does not retract his words with which he punished them; he does confess that he was harsh and sharp, but necessity, he says, forced me to scold you somewhat harshly. But with this I mitigate my rebuke, that I tell you that it was done out of a well-meaning and altogether kind heart. A physician gives a sick person the most bitter potion, not because he wishes the sick person ill, but because he wants to help him in this way. Therefore, if something is given to a sick person

If bitter is given, one must not blame the physician, but the medicine and the disease. You should judge the same of my severe punishment.

Dear brothers, I beg you, you have done me no harm.

205 Does Paul's "asking" mean that he calls the Galatians enchanted, disobedient to the truth, crucifiers of Christ? I would rather call it an abuse. On the other hand, he says it is not an insult, but a plea, and in fact it is like that, as if he wanted to say: It is true that I have scolded you a little too harshly, but only take it in the right way, and then you will find that my scolding is not a scolding but a pleading. Thus, when a father chastises his son, it is just as much as if he said to him, My dear son, I beseech thee, be righteous 2c. It may seem to be a chastisement, but if you look at the father's heart, it is the kindest plea.

I did not feel sorry for you.

206 As if he wanted to say: Why should I be angry with you or revile you out of displeasure, since you have done me no harm? - Why then do you say that we are reprobates, apostates from your teaching, unintelligent, enchanted? This testifies sufficiently that we must have harmed you. - Rather, you have not harmed me, but yourselves, and that is why I am so distressed, not for my sake, but for yours. So do not think that my rebuke has come from an angry heart, from hatred or any other sinful impulse (vitio). For I call God to witness that you have done me no harm at all, but on the contrary have shown me many benefits, as follows.

By speaking kindly to the Galatians in this way, he prepares their hearts to bear his fatherly chastisements in a childlike spirit, that is, to season the wormwood and bitter drink with honey and sugar so that it becomes sweet again. In this way parents act kindly with their children: when they have chastised their children well, they give them baked goods,

546 Lrl. Kai. II, 221-223. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2482-2486. 547

Cakes, pears, apples 2c. and such small gifts by which the children realize that the parents have the greatest goodwill towards them, however severe the chastisement may have been.

V. 13, 14: For ye know that in weakness according to the flesh I preached the gospel unto you the first time. And my trials, which I suffer according to the flesh, ye have not despised nor scorned; but as an angel of God ye receive me, even as Christ Jesus.

Now he explains what kind of benefits he received from the Galatians. The first benefit, he says, which I esteem most highly of all, is this: When I first began to preach the gospel among you, and that in weakness of the flesh and great temptations, my cross did not vex you, but you were so good, kind, favorable, and loving toward me, that not only were you not vexed by this weakness of the flesh, nor by the temptations and dangers with which I was almost overwhelmed, but you treated me with the highest love, and received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

209 This is certainly high praise for the Galatians that they accepted the gospel from such a despised and afflicted man as Paul was. For he preached the gospel among them, while Jews and Gentiles raged and raged against it. For all that was mighty, wise, learned, and spiritual (religiosum) hated, persecuted, ate up Paul, trampled him under foot, and blasphemed him. In all this the Galatians took no offense, but putting what they saw, this weakness, temptations and dangers out of their sight, not only heard the meager, despised, miserable, afflicted Paul, and professed to be his disciples; but also above as an angel of God, yea, as Christ JEsum they received him and heard him. This is a glorious praise and virtue of the Galatians, and of course he never gave such great praise to any of those to whom he wrote as here to the Galatians.

210. Jerome and certain other fathers

from the number of the ancients say that the weakness of the flesh in Paulo was a bodily disease or a challenge to pleasure. These good fathers lived at a time when the church was doing well, without cross and persecution. For the bishops had already begun to grow and increase in wealth, esteem and honor among the race, and most also exercised tyranny over the people over whom they presided, as church history testifies. Few of them directed their office, and those who wanted to be respected for it, as if they did, left the teaching of the Gospel pending, and presented their decrees to the people. But if the pastors and bishops lack the knowledge, the practice and the right handling of the pure word, they must become secure, for they are not exercised by temptations, crosses and persecutions, which are quite certain to follow the pure preaching of the word. Therefore, it was not possible for them to understand Paul.

211. But we have, by the grace of God, the pure doctrine, which we also freely confess. Therefore, we must also suffer the most furious hatred and persecutions of the devil and the world, and if we were not plagued with violence and cunning by tyrants and heretics, and in our hearts by the fiery darts of Satan, Paul would be as obscure and unknown to us as he was to the whole world in earlier centuries and still is to our adversaries, the papists and fanatics. Therefore, the gift of prophecy and our study, together with the inward and outward temptations, open to us the mind of Paul and all Scripture.

Now Paul does not call "weakness according to the flesh" a disease or the air of well-being, but sufferings or afflictions that he had to endure in his body, so that the contrast is against the power or strength of the Spirit. But lest we seem to do violence to Paul's words, let us hear him for ourselves. In the second letter to the Corinthians, Cap. 12, 9. 10., he says: "I will most gladly boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore I am of good courage in weakness, in trouble, in distress, in persecution, in anguish for Christ's sake. For when I am weak.

548 Osi. II, 223-226. Explanation of Galatians 4, 13. 14. W. VIII, 2486-2489. 549

I am strong." And Cap. 11, 23-25: "I have worked more, I have suffered more blows, I have been imprisoned more often, I have often been in mortal peril. From the Jews I have received five times forty strokes less one. I have been beaten three times, stoned once, shipwrecked three times" 2c. These sufferings that he had to endure in his body, he calls weakness according to the flesh, not a bodily malaise, as if to say: When I preached the gospel among you, I was overwhelmed with various plagues and afflictions, threatened on every side with persecutions and dangers from Jews, Gentiles, and false brethren 2c. I suffered hunger and lack of all things, I was a curse of the world and a fegopfer of all people. He mentions this weakness of his everywhere, as 1 Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 4. 6. 11. 12. and elsewhere.

It is therefore quite clear that Paul refers to "weakness according to the flesh" as the afflictions which he suffered according to the flesh, and which he had in common with the other apostles, prophets and all the godly; but in the spirit he was strong. For the power of Christ dwelt in him, which always reigned and triumphed through him, as he testifies in 2 Cor. 12:10, "When I am weak, then am I strong"; likewise, v. 9, "I will most gladly boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell with me"; and Cap. 2, 14: "Thanks be to God, who always gives us victory in Christ," as if to say: "The devil rages against us in a cruel way, the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles rage against us, yet we stand firm and unconquered against their attempts, and our doctrine breaks through and triumphs, whether they want it or not. This was the power and strength of the Spirit in Paul, which he contrasts here with his weakness and bondage according to the flesh.

But this weakness according to the flesh in the godly is very annoying to reason. Therefore Paul rightly praises the Galatians so highly that they did not take offense at this extremely annoying weakness and the contemptible figure of the cross, which they saw in him, but received him as an angel, yes, as Christ. And Christ himself fortifies his own against

this lowly figure of the cross, in which he himself appeared, saying Matt. 11:6., "And blessed is he that taketh not offense at me." And it is certainly something great that those who believe in Him acknowledge Him as the Lord over all things and the Savior of the world, of whom they hear that He is the most wretched, the most unworthy (novissimum) among all men Isa. 53, 3., a mockery of the people and contempt of the people Ps. 22, 7., in short, hated by all, yes, condemned to death on the cross, and that by his own people and especially by those who were the best, wisest, holiest people 2c. It is a great thing, I say, that one should not be moved by these tremendous aversions, and should not despise all this alone, but should esteem this scourged, scourged and most shamefully crucified Christ more highly than the treasures of all the rich, than the power of all the mighty, than the wisdom of all teachers, than the crowns of all kings, than the worship of all the saints. Therefore, Christ rightly calls blessed those who do not take offense at him.

Now Paul had not only the outward temptations, of which we have already said, but also inward and spiritual ones, like Christ in the garden, when there was the stake in the flesh and Satan's angel beating him with fists, about which he complains 2 Cor. 12:7. He who is afflicted with these spiritual temptations cannot possibly be afflicted with temptation to unchastity. I mention this in passing because the papists, seeing that the Latin translation had stimulus carnis, interpreted this "sting" to have been a temptation (motus) to unchastity. But in the Greek there is σχόΛο^, which means a stake or a very sharply pointed rod (sudem). So this has been a spiritual challenge. This is not contradicted by the fact that he adds the word "flesh," since he says, "A stake is given to me in the flesh." Yes, intentionally he calls it a stake in the flesh, because the Galatians and others with whom Paul had dealt had often seen him suffering from great sadness, trembling, terrified, and tormented by inexpressible pain and sorrow (moestitia).

550 6ai. II, 226-228. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2489-2492. 551

216 Therefore the apostles had not only bodily but also spiritual temptations, which he also expresses in 2 Cor. 7, 5. with these words: "Inward fear, outward strife." And Lucas in the Acts of the Apostles in the last chapter 27, 15. says that Paul, after he had long been tossed about in the storms of the sea, so that he fell into great sadness of spirit, was refreshed again and gained a confidence, seeing that the brethren of Rome met him as far as Appifer and Tretabern; 2) likewise Phil. 2, 27. Paul confesses that God had mercy on him, because he made Epaphroditus, who was sick and already close to death, well again, so that he Paul would not have one sadness over the other. Therefore, the apostles suffered spiritual afflictions in addition to the outward physical afflictions.

But why does Paul say that he was not despised by the Galatians? Certainly they despised him, because they had fallen away from his gospel. Paul explains himself. He says: "When I first preached the gospel to you, you did not do as most other people did, who, angered by this weakness and temptation of mine according to the flesh, despised and rejected me. For human reason is easily angered by the smallness of the cross, and considers those nonsensical who want to comfort others, help others and advise others, likewise, who boast of great treasures, of righteousness, of strength, of victory over sin, death and all evil, of joy, of blessedness and eternal life, and yet are themselves meager, weak, sad and despised, are treated most shamefully and killed as the most harmful pestilence for the state and the service of God, and that not by the rabble, but by the nobles who have the administration of state and church; and these think that they are doing God a service by it Joh. 16, 2..

Therefore, since they promise eternal goods to others and themselves perish so miserably before the world, they are ridiculed and must hear: "Physician, help yourself" Luc. 4:23.

1. spostoN is missing in the Jena and Erlanger.
2. Latin: Appii forum et Tres tabernas, four

Miles from Rome.

Therefore these laments are everywhere in the Psalms Ps. 22, 7.: "I am a worm and no man" 2c. [Ps. 22, 12.): "Do not be far from me, for fear is near; for there is no helper here" 2c.

This, then, is a glorious glory and praise for the Galatians, that they did not take offense at this weakness and challenge of Paul, but received him as an angel of God, yes, as Christ Jesus. It is certainly a great and excellent virtue to give ear to an apostle, but it is a greater and truly Christian virtue to hear such a miserable, weak and despised man (as Paul here testifies of himself that he was with the Galatians) and to receive him as an angel from heaven and to give him such honor as if he were Christ JEsus, and not to be vexed at his so great and many tribulations. Therefore, with these words he praises the virtue of the Galatians to the highest degree, of which he says that he will always remember it, and that it is so pleasing to him that he wishes it to be known to all men.

But in the meantime, since he praises their good deeds and praiseworthy behavior so gloriously, he covertly shows how much they loved him before the false apostles came, and at the same time reminds them that they want to follow him as their apostle with the same love and reverence as before. 2c. And even from this it can be seen that the false apostles, as far as could be seen, had a greater reputation among the Galatians than Paul. For moved by this, the Galatians preferred them far above Paul, whom they had not only loved very much before, but had also received him as an angel of God 2c.

V. 15: How blessed you would have been at that time!

As if he wanted to say: How blessed you were praised, how you were praised and esteemed happy at that time! It is a similar way of speaking in the hymn of Mary [Luc. 1, 48.): "Blessed shall I be praised," that is, happy shall I be esteemed "by all the children's children." And these words, "How blessed you would have been then!" are very emphatic,

552 Li-i. "Li. ii, 228-231. Explanation d. Galatians 4, 15. 16. w. vm, 2192-2495. 55Z

as if he wanted to say: You were not only praised in general, but praised in all things and praised to the highest.

In this way, he tries to soften the bitter drink, that is, the severe punishment and others, because he fears that the Galatians would take offense, especially since he knew that the false apostles would slander his words and interpret them maliciously. For this is the virtue and the manner of such vipers, that they suspect the words which have come from a godly and sincere heart, and cunningly and deceitfully turn them to the very opposite opinion than they were spoken. In this they are marvelous masters, far surpassing the gifts (ingenium) and skill of all orators. For they are driven by the spirit of malice (spiritu maligno), which makes them so nonsensical that, inflamed by satanic bitterness against the godly, they must interpret their words and writings maliciously. Therefore they do just like spiders, which suck poison from the most beautiful and best flowers, which is their fault, not the flowers'. That is why he wants to anticipate with his honey and friendly treatment (blanditie), so that the false apostles will not have the opportunity to slander and to pervert his words captiously in this way: Paul treats you unkindly; he calls you unintelligent, bewitched, disobedient to the truth, which is a certain sign that he does not seek your blessedness, but considers you to be people who are condemned and rejected by Christ.

I am your witness that if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

He praises the Galatians beyond measure. He says: "You have not only treated me with the greatest kindness and reverence, receiving me as an angel of God, 2c., but if the circumstances and the need had required it, you would also have plucked out your eyes and given them to me, yes, you would also have risked your life for me. And surely the Galatians would also have risked their lives for him. For since they received Paul and kept him, whom the whole world considered to be the most wicked, accursed, and wicked of all men, they would not have given their lives for him.

As people who accepted and defended Paul, they incurred the displeasure and hatred of all Gentiles and Jews.

Thus, the name of Luther is the most hated in the world today. He who praises me sins more grievously than any idolater, blasphemer, perjurer, fornicator, adulterer, murderer, thief 2c. Therefore, the Galatians must have been well grounded in the doctrine and faith of Christ, since they accepted Paul and stood by him, even though he was hated by the whole world, and thus exposed themselves to great danger. Otherwise they would not have incurred the hatred of all men 2c.

V. 16. Have I then become your enemy, to reproach you with the truth?

Here he shows the reason why he gives the Galatians such good words. For he assumes that they consider him to be their enemy because he has punished them so severely. I beg you, he says, separate my punitive words (convicia) from my teaching, and you will find that I did not go about heaping reproaches on you, but teaching you the truth. I confess that my epistle is sharp, but the purpose of this sharpness is to bring you back to the truth of the gospel, from which you have been led astray, and to keep you in it. Therefore, do not take this sharpness and bitter drink to your persons, but assume that it is directed against the disease, and do not consider me your enemy because I have scolded you a little harshly, but your father. For if I did not love you very much as my children, and if I knew that I had been very dear to you, I would not have scolded you so harshly.

226 It behooves a friend to admonish his friend freely when he acts wrongly in something; and he who is admonished when he is otherwise sensible does not resent the other for admonishing him kindly and telling him the truth, but is and proves grateful. In the world it is quite common to be hated for telling the truth, and he is considered an enemy who does not know the truth.

554 Ari- VÄ. II, 231-233. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2495-2499. 555

truth. This does not happen among friends, much less among Christians.

227 Since I have punished you out of pure love to keep you in the truth, you must not be angry with me, nor forsake the truth for the sake of my fatherly punishment, nor suspect that I am your enemy 2c. All this Paul says to confirm the word: "Be ye even as I am; ye have done me no hurt" 2c.

V. 17. They are not jealous of you.

Here Paul attacks the flattering nature of the false apostles. For with wonderful art and cunning Satan uses his servants to deceive the simple, as Paul says Rom. 16, 18, by sweet speeches and glorious promises. First, they swear by all that is holy that they seek nothing else than to promote the glory of God; likewise, that they are driven by the Spirit, because they see that the poor people are neglected, or at least not properly taught by others in word, to teach the very certain truth, so that the elect may in this way be freed from error and come to the true light and knowledge of the truth. Then they promise blessedness to those who accept their teaching 2c. Through this pretense of godliness and the sheep's clothing, the ravening wolves do great harm to the congregations, unless vigilant and faithful shepherds resist them.

229. Paul uses here the figure of speech of anticipation (occupatione) [of the objections of the opponent). For the Galatians could have said: Why do you attack our teachers in such a way that they seek to draw us to themselves (nos ambiunt), since they do this out of a godly zeal and out of pure love? surely you should not be angry at this 2c. On the other hand, Paul says: They seek to win you to themselves, but not in good opinion (bene).

230 So nowadays we have to hear from the Sacramentarians that we separate the love and unity of the churches by our stubbornness, by rejecting their doctrine of the Lord's Supper. They say that it would be better for us to be a little lenient (especially since there is no danger here), rather than to fight for

for the sake of this single article, which, moreover, would not be a main article, caused such great discord and strife in the church, especially because they did not differ from us in any other article of Christian doctrine than in this alone of the Lord's Supper. To this I reply: Cursed be love and concord, because of which God's word is given (periclitatur) to preserve them.

Thus the false apostles pretended that they loved the Galatians very much and cared for them with a certain godly jealousy. But the zeal is actually an enraged love, or, that I say so, a godly friction. In the first book of Kings, Cap. 19, 14, Elijah says: "I have been jealous for the Lord" 2c. In this way a husband is jealous for his wife, a father for his son, a brother for another, that is, he loves him very much, but in such a way that he hates the faults in him and seeks to correct them. The false apostles also feigned such zeal against the Galatians.

232 Paul admits that they have an excessive love for the Galatians, that they are zealous and concerned about them, but not in good faith. And by this pretense and pretense the simple are deceived that these deceivers pretend a burning love and concern for others. So here Paul reminds us to make a distinction between a good zeal and an evil zeal. A good zeal is certainly praiseworthy, but not in the same way an evil one. I, says Paul, am as zealous for you as they are. Now judge which zeal is better, mine or theirs, which of the two is good and godly, which is evil and carnal. Therefore, let not their zeal move you so easily, for:

They want to make you disparaged by me, that you should be jealous for them.

233 As if to say: They are burning with too much zeal and love for you, but by this they seek that you in turn should be jealous for them and become disgusted with me. If their zeal were godly and sincere, they would certainly suffer us to be loved by you at the same time as them. But they hate our doctrine, therefore they desire that the same be destroyed among you in every way, and that their doctrine be spread among you, and for the sake of

556 Lri.kai. II, 233-235. Explanation of Galatians 4, 17, W. VIII, 2499-2502. 557

To accomplish this the more conveniently, they endeavor to alienate you from us by this zeal and to make you hostile, so that you may hate us at the same time as our doctrine and direct your zeal and endeavor toward them and love them alone and receive their doctrine. Thus he makes the Galatians suspect the false apostles, precisely by saying that they are pursuing them under the most beautiful pretense and deceiving them. Thus Christ warns us by saying Matth. 7, 15.: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing" 2c.

234 Paul suffered the same challenge that we suffer today. This disorderly nature (indignitas) hurt him very much, that he had to see that his exceedingly good teaching was followed by so many mobs, so many rebellions, disruption in the world order, change of the kingdoms 2c., from which innumerable troubles and annoyances arise. He is accused by the Jews in the Acts of the Apostles [Cap. 24. 5.), that he is a harmful man, who causes turmoil for his people on the whole earth, and that he is a prominent one of the sect of the Nazarenes, as if they wanted to say: He is a rebellious and blasphemous man, who preaches such things, by which he not only reverses the Jewish state, which is best ordered by divine laws, but also abolishes and tears apart even the holy ten commandments, religion, worship and our priesthood, and he spreads in the world the gospel (as he calls it), from which innumerable evils have arisen, riots, agitations and sects. He has to hear the same from the Gentiles who are crying out in the city of Philippi Apost. 16, 20. f. that he is misleading their city and proclaiming a way that is not appropriate for them to accept 2c.

(235) Such disruptions in the world order and other calamities, famine, wars, discord and sectarianism, were then imposed by Jews and Gentiles on the teaching of Paul and the other apostles, and therefore they persecuted them as detrimental to peace and religion. But because of this, the apostles did not abandon their ministry, but carried it out courageously (strenue), preaching and confessing Christ. For they knew that one must obey God more than men.

Apost 5:29], and that it is better for the whole world to be broken up and thrown into a heap than for Christ not to be preached or for even one soul to be neglected and lost.

In the meantime, however, the apostles must have been extremely grieved by these astonishments, for they were not of iron. They were very concerned that the people, for whose sake Paul wanted to be banished from Christ, should go to their doom with all their adornment. They saw that great unrest and changes in all kingdoms would follow this teaching of theirs, and what was more bitter to them than death, especially to Paul, they saw that countless sects would arise during their lifetime. It was sad news for Paul when he heard that the Corinthians were denying to keep quiet about other things, that the dead were rising again, when he heard that the churches prepared by his ministry were being disrupted, that the gospel was being perverted by false apostles, that all of Asia and some great men were falling away from him.

237 But he knew that his teaching was not the cause of these aversions and sects. Therefore, he did not lose heart, did not run away from his profession, but continued, knowing that the gospel he preached was the power of God to save all who believe in it Rom. 1:16, even though it was considered a foolish and annoying doctrine by pagans and Jews. For he knew that those were blessed who did not take offense at this word of the cross, whether they were teachers or hearers, as Christ also says Matt. 11:6, "Blessed is he who does not take offense at me." Again, he knew that those who judged this teaching to be foolish and heretical were damned. Therefore, trusting in his certainty of faith, he said with

Christ against the Jews and Gentiles enraged by his teaching Matth. 15, 14.: "Let them go, they are blind guides for the blind."

238 The same thing that once Paul and the other apostles have to hear, we also have to hear today, that the teaching of the gospel, which we confess, is the cause of many evils, as riots, wars, sects and innumerable troubles,

558 Ll-1. 6ai. II, 23S-238. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2202-2506. 559

Yes, all the disorder that now exists is laid upon us. We certainly do not sow heresies and ungodly teachings, but preach the gospel of Christ, who is our high priest and redeemer. Furthermore, our adversaries, if they only want to confess the truth, must concede to us that through our teaching we have not given rise to uprisings, riots, wars, etc., but that we have taught that the authorities are to be served conscientiously for the sake of God's commandment and that they are to be held in all honor. Nor are we the cause of trouble, but the trouble of the wicked is not our fault, but theirs. We have the commandment of God that we should preach the doctrine of the gospel without regard to whether people are angry. Because the same condemns the ungodly doctrine and idolatry of the adversaries, they become irritated and produce from themselves arousal, which in the schools was called "accepted arousal" (scandala accepta), of which they said that one should not beware nor could beware.

239. Christ taught the gospel and did not mind that the Jews were angry. "Let them go," he said, "they are blind. "2c. The more the chief priests forbade the apostles not to teach in the name of Jesus, the more they testified that this Jesus, whom they had crucified, was the Lord and the Christ, and that all who called on him would be saved, and that no other name under heaven had been given to men so that they could be saved 2c. Acts 4:12.
240. In the same confidence we preach Christ today and do not turn to the cries of the godless papists and all our adversaries who complain that our doctrine is seditious and blasphemous because it endangers the existence of the commonwealth, overturns religion, sows heresies, and is, in short, a cause of all evil. When Christ and the apostles preached, the same cry was raised against them by the godless Jews. Not long after that the Romans came and took away their land and people, as they themselves had prophesied John 11:48. Therefore, the enemies of the gospel today may be

They must see to it that the evil they prophesy for themselves does not come upon them one day.

241. they make these aversions exceedingly great, that the monks and priests take wives, that we eat meat on Friday 2c., But that they themselves with their ungodly doctrine daily deceive and corrupt innumerable souls, that they vex the weak with evil examples, that they blaspheme and condemn the gospel of the glory of the great God, that they persecute and kill those who practice the wholesome doctrine, this is no offense to them, but they consider it a service exceedingly pleasing to obedience and to God. Therefore let them go, for they are blind and blind guides. "Let him that is evil be evil continually, and let him that is unclean be unclean continually" Revelation 22:11.. But we will speak, because we believe, as long as there is breath in us, and will endure the persecutions of the adversaries until Christ our High Priest and King comes from heaven, which we hope will shortly come to pass, who as a righteous Judge will repay those who disobey fine Gospel, Amen.

242 The godly do not contest these aversions to which the wicked refer. For they know that the devil hates the doctrine of godliness to the utmost and therefore disfigures it with innumerable aversions in order to completely eradicate it on this occasion. In the past, the devil did not rage like this when human statutes were taught in the church. For when the strong-armed man kept his palace, all that he possessed was in peace. But now, when a stronger one comes over him, who overcomes or binds this strong one, and snatches his house from him, he begins to rage and rage to the utmost. And this is the most certain sign that this doctrine which we profess is divine; otherwise the Behemoth would probably sleep and hide under the shadow, hidden in the reed and in the mud, Job 40:16. But now that he goes about like a roaring lion, and rages so much, it is a sign that he feels the power of our doctrine.

243 Since Paul says, "They are jealous for you, but not in a good way," 2c. he indicates in passing which are the originators of the sects, namely, the jealous spirits, which at all times have been the

560 Ll-I. "ai. II, 238-240. elaborates. Explanation d. Galatians 4, 17-19. W. VIII, 2506-2510. 561

and disturb the public peace. For these, driven by a foolish zeal, dream that they have a peculiar holiness, a more suitable conduct (modestiam), greater patience and higher learning than other people, and therefore they have the confidence that they can help all men to blessedness, that they can teach higher and more wholesome things, establish better services and ceremonies than other teachers, whom they hold in low esteem, exalting their own reputation, and corrupting what those have taught in the right way. Driven by such foolish zeal, the false apostles set up mobs not only in Galatia, but everywhere where Paul and the other apostles preached, which were followed by countless uproars and very great disturbances. For the devil, as Christ says, is a liar and a murderer Joh. 8, 44, therefore he not only uses his servants to confuse the consciences with false teachings, but also to stir up riots, wars 2c.

Germany has a large number of such zealots today, who feign the greatest godliness, modesty, scholarship, patience, and yet in truth are ravening wolves, who intend nothing else with this hypocrisy of theirs than that we be put in the shadows and completely pushed aside, and that the people alone hold them in honor and hear and praise their teachings. Because they admire only themselves and despise other people, it cannot be otherwise than that mobs, quarrels, discord, riots 2c. must follow. But what shall we do? We cannot prevent this, any more than Paul could. Yet he won some who obeyed these exhortations of his. So I hope that also through our exhortations some will be brought out of the error of the 2c.

V. 18. Zeal is good when it is always for good, and not only when I am present with you.

245 As if to say: I have given you praise because you were most zealous for me and loved me very much, while I preached the gospel among you in weakness of the flesh. With the same love and

You should have attached the same zeal to me even now that I am not with you, as if I had never left you. For even though I am absent in body, you still have my teaching. Since you have received the Holy Spirit through it, you must keep this teaching and think that Paul is always present with you as long as you have his teaching. Therefore, I do not rebuke your zeal but praise it, but I praise it only if it is a divine zeal or a zeal of the Spirit, not a carnal zeal. But the zeal from the spirit is always good, because it zeal for the good, but the carnal zeal does not.

So he praises the Galatians' eagerness to appease their hearts so that they would patiently accept his punishment, as if he wanted to say: Receive my punishment for the best, for it does not come from an evil or angry heart, but from a sorrowful heart anxiously concerned for you.

Here, too, is an example from the art of oratory (rhetoricum exemplum), from which we are to learn that a godly shepherd should be concerned about his sheep and make every effort to keep them in the salvific doctrine and turn them away from the deceivers by means of bells, good words, and supplications. 2c.

V.19. My dear children, whom I bear again with fears until Christ takes form in you.

248 This is also an oratorical saying to soothe the minds of the Galatians with sweet and lovely words, which he caresses (δποκορίστικώς) "little children" (filiolos).

calls. All words are chosen to soften hearts and win their goodwill.

The words: "which I give birth to again" are a simile. The apostles (as well as the schoolmasters, but in their own way) stand in the place of the parents. For just as the form of the body comes from them, so they form the form of the soul. But the form of the Christian heart is faith or the confidence of the heart, which grasps Christ and clings to him alone and to no other thing. A heart that has this confidence, that we are righteous for Christ's sake, has the proper character of Christ.

562 kri. Kai. II, 240-243. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2510-2513. 563

250 This form is prepared by the ministry of preaching, 1 Cor. 4, 15: "I have begotten you through the gospel," that is, in the Spirit, so that you might know Christ and believe in Him; likewise 2 Cor. 3, 3: "You are an epistle of Christ, prepared by our ministry and written by us, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. For the word goes forth from the mouth of the apostle or preacher and comes into the heart of the hearer. There the Holy Spirit is present and impresses the word on the heart so that it agrees with it. In this way, every godly teacher is a father who, through the service of the word, begets and forms the right shape of the Christian heart.

251 Furthermore, with these words: "Which I give birth to again with fears", he also gives a side blow to the false apostles, as if he wanted to say: I have begotten you rightly through the gospel, but those corrupters and transgressors have come and made a new image in your hearts, not of Christ, but of Moses, so that your confidence is no longer in Christ, but in the works of the law. This is not the right form or the form of Christ, but a strange and completely devilish form.

252 And he saith not, I bear you again, till my likeness be formed in you; but, Till Christ be formed in you. That is, I labor so that you may again obtain the likeness and image of Christ, not that of Paul. With these words he again aims at the false apostles. For after the likeness of Christ was blotted out in the hearts of the faithful, they formed a foreign likeness into it, namely, their own. "They desire," he says Cap. 6:13, "that ye should be circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh."

He also speaks of this form of Christ in Col. 3, 10: "Put on the new man, who is being transformed into knowledge in the image of the one who created him. Paul wants to restore the likeness of Christ in the Galatians, which has been distorted and corrupted by the false apostles, which consists in the fact that they hold, think and want the same things that God, whose thought and will is that we should have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

through Jesus Christ, his Son, whom he sent into the world to be the propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole world, so that we might know through him that he is a reconciled and merciful Father. Those who believe this are like GOtte Gen. 1, 26., that is, in all things they think of GOtte as he is minded in his heart, for they have the same form in their hearts as GOtte or Christ. This means, as Paul says, to renew oneself in the spirit of one's mind and to put on the new man, who is created after God, Eph. 4, 23. 24.

He says that he will give birth to the Galatians again, but in such a way that the form of the children is not that of the apostle, so that the children do not bear the image of Paul, Cephas 2c, but of another father, namely Christ. This, he says, I will form in you, that in all things you may be minded as Christ himself is minded. In short, I give birth to you, that is, I labor again with anxieties to bring you back to the former faith, which you, deceived by the wiles of the false apostles, have lost, and you have fallen back into law and works. Therefore a new and hard work is now upon me, to bring you back from the law to faith in Christ. This he calls giving birth 2c.

V. 20. But I would that I were now with you, and that my voice might walk.

These words are all expressions of the apostle's sorrow. It is commonly said that a letter is a dead message, because it cannot give more than it contains, and no letter is written so precisely that one should not still miss something in it. For there are different circumstances, and the things that matter (momenta) according to time, place, persons, customs and attitudes, are various, so that they cannot be described in any letter, and therefore a letter makes a different impression on the reader; sometimes it makes him sad, sometimes it makes him happy, depending on the reader's mind. But when one acts verbally, what has been spoken too harshly or carelessly can be interpreted, soothed and improved.

256. therefore, Paul desires that he should have many-

564 6 I. II, 243-245. Explanation of Galatians 4, 20. 21. W. VIII, 2513-2519. 565

He would like to be more present, so that he could moderate his voice and change it, depending on what he saw that the different attitudes of the people (circumstantias affectuum) required, so that if he saw that some people were in too much consternation, he could moderate his speech so that he did not make them too sad, and on the other hand, if he found arrogant people, he could punish them more severely, so that they would not become too sure and finally despisers.

Therefore he does not know how to act as an absentee with absentees by letter, as if he wanted to say: If the letter is a little 1) too harsh, I fear that it will offend some of you more than better ones; if it is too mild, it will do nothing with some harsh and unintelligent people, because the dead letters and syllables only give what they contain. On the other hand, compared to a letter, the living voice is a queen, which can take away and add and direct itself according to every kind and condition of sentiments, times, places and persons. In short, I would like to convert you by letter, that is, to bring you back from the law to the faith in Christ, but I fear that I cannot accomplish this by dead letters. But if I were there in person, I could change my voice, rebuke the hard, speak kindly to the weak, according to all circumstances.

For I am mad about you.

That is, I am so distraught in my mind that I do not know what and how to do with you by letter, since I am absent.

259 Here the right apostolic attitude is described. He does everything he can; he chides, he pleads with the Galatians, he gives them good words, he praises their faith with glorious words, and he acts with the greatest care and fidelity in this matter (that is, using the art of oratory correctly rhetoricari) in order to bring them back to the truth of the gospel and to turn them away from the false apostles. The words are not cold, but warm and fiery, therefore they must be carefully considered.

1. Wittenberger; "kanlo" instead of: xanlo.

V. 21. Tell me, you who want to be under the law, have you not heard the law?

Paul wanted to close this letter, because he did not want to write any more, but rather to be there personally and talk to the Galatians. But since he is distressed about this matter in his heart, he still makes use of this figurative speech (allegoria), which perhaps just occurred to him at that time. For by figurative speeches (allegoriis) and parables (parabolis) a great impression is made on the common man. Therefore, Christ also used them frequently. For this is like paintings, which show things to the simple, as it were, before their eyes, and therefore move the hearts very much, especially of ignorant people. So first he brings the matter to the Galatians (ferit aures Galatorum) by words and scripture, then he paints it before their eyes by this very impolite figurative speech.

Paul, however, is a very good master in the art of treating spiritual interpretations (allegorias) correctly, for he tends to refer them to the doctrine of faith, to grace and to Christ, not to the law and works, as Origen and Jerome do. These are rightly censured because they have turned the simplest sayings of Scripture, in which spiritual interpretations do not take place, into inappropriate and unrhymed figurative speeches. Therefore, it is not good to imitate them in the treatment of spiritual interpretation, and in most cases it is even dangerous. For if someone does not have a perfect knowledge of Christian doctrine, he will not deal with spiritual interpretations in a profitable way.

But why does Paul call the first book of Moses, from which he gives the history of Ishmael and Isaac, a law, since this book is not a law, and especially the passage he refers to does not contain a law, but only a simple narration of the history of the two sons of Abraham? According to Jewish custom, Paul used to call the first book of Moses a law, even though it contains no other law than that of circumcision, and teaches primarily faith, testifying that the patriarchs pleased God for the sake of faith. Nevertheless

566 Lri. Sai. II, 245-247. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2519-2522. 567

The Jews called the first book of Moses together with the other books of Moses the law because of this one law of circumcision. The same was done by Paul, who was also a Jew; and Christ understands under the name "law" not only the books of Moses, but also the Psalms, Joh. 15, 25: "But that the saying might be fulfilled which is written in their law, They hate me without a cause." Ps. 35, 19. Ps. 69, 5.

V. 22, 23 For it is written, Abraham had two sons; one of the bondwoman, and the other of the free woman. But he that was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh: but he that was of the free woman was born by promise.

263 As if he wanted to say: You forsake grace, faith and Christ, and fall away to the law. You want to be under it and be wise from it, so I want to talk to you about the law. Therefore, I ask you to look at it carefully. You will find that Abraham had two sons, Ishmael by Hagar, Isaac by Sarah. Both were true sons of Abraham; Ishmael was no less a true son of Abraham than Isaac. For both were begotten of the same father, flesh and seed. So what is the difference? The difference is not, says Paul, that the one mother was free, the other a maidservant (although this is useful for the spiritual interpretation), but that Ishmael, who was born of the maidservant, was born according to the flesh, that is, without promise and God's word, but Isaac was born not only of the free, but also through the promise.

How is this? Isaac is born from the seed of Abraham in the same way as Ishmael. I admit that, both are children of the same father, and yet there is a difference. For although Isaac is produced from the flesh, nevertheless the promise and naming by God preceded it. No one would have noticed this difference if Paul had not indicated it. But he has taken it from the text of the first book of Moses in this way: The fact that Hagar conceived and gave birth to Ishmael was not the voice of God or His word, which was not the voice of God.

But with the permission of Sarah, Abraham goes in to the maid Hagar, whom the barren Sarah, as the 1st book of Moses testifies, had given to him as a wife. For Sarah had heard that Abraham, according to God's promise, should have a seed from his womb. She hoped to be the mother of this seed. But since she had waited anxiously for many years after the promise, and saw that the matter was delayed, she thought she had been deceived in her hope. Therefore, the holy woman renounced the honor that was hers from her husband and her right, and entrusted this to another, namely her maid. But she does not allow him to take a wife outside of her house, but gives him her own maid in marriage, so that she would be built up from her. For so the history reports Gen. 16, 1. 2.: "Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him nothing. But she had an Egyptian maid, whose name was Hagar. And she said unto Abram, Behold, the LORD hath shut me up, that I should not be able to bear. Dear, lie with my maidservant, whether I may build myself of her" 2c.

It is a great humility that she let herself be brought down like this and bore this challenge to her faith with equanimity. She thought: God is not a liar; what He has promised to my husband, He will surely keep. But perhaps God does not want me to be the mother of this seed. I will not begrudge Hagar this honor; may my Lord come in to her, perhaps I can build myself from her.

266 Ishmael is thus born without the word, only at the request of Sarah herself. For there is no word of God that would give Abraham the command or promise the son, but everything happens by chance. This is also indicated by the words of Sarah, who says, "Whether I may build myself out of her." Since therefore no word of God to Abraham preceded, as it happened when Sarah was to bear Isaac, but only the word of Sarah preceded, it is sufficiently indicated that Ishmael was the son of Abraham only according to the flesh, without the word, and therefore was expected and born by chance, like another child. Paul recognized this and carefully considered it.

568 Dri. o-u. II- 248-250. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 4, 22-25, W. VIII, 2523-2826. 569

Paul strongly emphasizes the same reason for proof, Rom. 9, 6-9, which he repeats here, disguised under the figurative speech, and concludes powerfully that not all of Abraham's children are also God's children. Abraham, he says, has two kinds of children; some are born of his flesh and blood, but with the word or promise of God preceding them, like Isaac; others without promise, like Ishmael. So, he says, the children according to the flesh are not God's children, but the children of the promise 2c.

268 And with this evidence he, like Christ Matth. 3, 9. and Joh. 8, 39. f., shut the mouths of the arrogant Jews who boasted that they were the seed and children of Abraham, as if he wanted to say: It does not follow: I am the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, therefore I am God's child; Esau is a natural son, therefore he is the heir. Yes, he says, those who want to be the children of Abraham must, in addition to being born according to the flesh, also be children of the promise and believe; and those who have the promise and believe are the true children of Abraham alone, and consequently also children of God.

Because Ishmael was not promised by God to Abraham, he is a child only according to the flesh, not a child of promise, and therefore he was expected and born by chance, like other children. For no mother knows whether she will have children or not, or if she feels that she is already with child, she does not know whether it will be a boy or a girl. But Isaac was most certainly named, Gen. 17:19: "Sarah thy wife," saith the angel unto Abraham, "shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac." Here the son and the mother are expressly named. Thus God repays Sarah for her humility in forsaking her right and suffering the contemptuous treatment of Hagar, Gen. 16:4, with this honor that she herself shall be the mother of the promised son 2c.

V. 24. The words mean something.

270. the spiritual interpretations (allegoriae) do not provide solid proofs in theology, but decorate and explain a thing.

as it were as a painting. For if Paul had not fortified the righteousness of faith with stronger grounds against the righteousness of works, this spiritual interpretation would be of no avail. But since he has fortified his cause above with the firmest grounds of proof, which are taken from experience, from the example of Abraham, and likewise from the testimonies of Scripture and parables, he now adds a spiritual interpretation as a kind of decoration at the end of the argument. For it is nice, when the foundation has already been laid in a reliable way and the matter has been firmly proven otherwise, that one still adds a spiritual interpretation. For as a painting is an ornament to a house already built, so the spiritual interpretation is a light for a speech or a thing already proved elsewhere.

V. 24. 25. For these are the two testaments, one from Mount Sinai, which is born to bondage, which is Hagar. 1) For Hagar is called Mount Sinai in Arabia.

Abraham is a figure of God; he has two sons, that is, two nations, signified by Ishmael and Isaac. These are born to him by Hagar and Sarah, who signify the two testaments, the old and the new. The old, which gives birth to bondage, is from Mount Sinai, which is Hagar. For the same mountain, which the Jews call Sinai (it seems to have this name from the brambles and thorn bushes), the Arabs call Hagar in their language. This testifies besides Paul also Ptolemy and the short notes (scho- lia) of the Greeks. In the same way also other mountains have other and different names with different peoples. Thus the mountain, which Moses calls Hermon, is called Sirion by the Sidonians, Senir by the Amorites.

272. it agrees however beautifully together that the mountain Sinai according to the language of the Arabs

1. Agar and Hagar is the same name. The difference of the spelling in the Old Testament (Gen. 16, 1. 2c.) and here (at least in many Bible editions) is due to the fact that the name is written "XXX" in Hebrew, but in Greek. Also in the Arabic root word (from which Hedschra or Hegira, Muhammed's flight, is derived) H is the initial letter.

570 Lli. Oai. II, 250-2S2. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2526-2S29. 571

has the same name as the maid, and I believe that this similarity of the name brought Paul to it (dedisse lucem) and gave him the cause to look for this spiritual interpretation. Just as Hagar the maid bore Abraham a true son, who nevertheless was not an heir but a servant, so Sinai, who means Hagar (allegorica Agar), bore GOtte a true son, that is, a people according to the flesh. Likewise, as Ishmael was a right son of Abraham, so the people of Israel had the true GOD for their father; GOD gave them His law and entrusted His word to them, the religion, the worship, the temple, as the 147th Psalm says v. 19.: "He shows Jacob His word" 2c.

But there was this difference: Ishmael was born of the maid according to the flesh, that is, without promise, and therefore he could not be heir. In this way, the symbolic Hagar (Agar mystica), that is, Mount Sinai, from which the Law was given and the Old Testament was established, gave birth to a people for God, the great Abraham, but without promise, that is, a carnal and servile people, who are not God's heirs, because the promises are not added to the Law, namely, from the blessing giver Christ, from the deliverance from the curse of the Law, from sin and death; Likewise, that our sins may be forgiven freely by grace, and that we may be given righteousness and eternal life. 18:5), "He that doeth these things shall live thereby."

The promises of the law are therefore conditional, not promising life by grace, but to those who keep the law; therefore they leave consciences in doubt, because no one keeps the law. But the promises of the New Testament have no condition attached, nor do they demand anything of us, nor do they depend on the condition of our worthiness, but bring and give us free forgiveness of sins, grace, righteousness, and eternal life for Christ's sake. This is more widely done by us elsewhere.

275 Therefore, the Law or the Old Testament contains only conditional promises, because it

such a condition is always added to them: "If you will hear my voice", "if you will keep my covenant", "if you will walk in my ways", you shall be my people 2c. Not heeding this, the Jews seized upon these conditional promises and made them unconditional (absolutas) and pure promises, which GOD, they thought, could never revoke but must keep. Therefore, when they heard that the prophets (who could make a proper distinction between the physical promises of the Law and the spiritual ones of Christ and His kingdom) foretold the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, the Temple, the Kingdom and the priesthood, they persecuted and killed them as heretics and blasphemers against God, because they did not see the condition attached: If you will keep my commandments, it shall be well with you 2c.

Therefore, the slave Hagar does not give birth to anything but a slave. Therefore Ishmael is not an heir, although he is the natural son of Abraham, but remains a servant. What is lacking? The promise and the blessing of the word. Thus the law given on Mount Sinai, which the Arabs call Hagar, produces only servants, because the promise of Christ was not added to the law. Therefore, O Galatians, if you forsake the promise and faith and fall away to the law and works, you will remain slaves forever, that is, you will never become free from sin and death, but will remain under the curse of the law. For Hagar does not give birth to the seed of promise and heirs, that is, the law does not justify, does not bring the childship and the inheritance, but rather hinders it and causes wrath.

And tarry unto Jerusalem, which is at that time, and be servant with his children.

This is a wonderful spiritual interpretation. As Paul made Hagar out of Sinai above, so now he would have liked to make Sarah out of Jerusalem, but he does not dare to and cannot, but he must connect Jerusalem with Mount Sinai, because he says that it namely Jerusalem is the

572 Dri. Kai. II, 2S2-2S4. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 4, 25. 26. W. VIII, 2529-2532. 573

Hagar, since the mountain Hagar extends up to Jerusalem. And it is certainly true that there is a continuous mountain range from stony Arabia (Arabia petraea) to Kadeshbarnea in Judea. Therefore he says: The Jerusalem which is at this time, that is, the earthly and temporal, is not Sarah, but it belongs to Hagar, because in her the rule of Hagar is exercised. For in her is the law, which gives birth to servitude, in her is the worship, temple, kingdom, priesthood and everything, which is produced on Sinai from the Gefetz as a mother (ordinatum est), which goes to Jerusalem in the swing. Therefore I connect the same with Sinai and understand both under the same word, namely Sinai or Hagar.

I would not have dared to treat this spiritual interpretation in this way, but would rather have said that Jerusalem is Sarah or the New Testament, especially since in this city the preaching of the Gospel began, the Holy Spirit was given, and the people of the New Testament were born, and would have thought that I had made out a very appropriate spiritual interpretation. Therefore, not every art expert can play with spiritual interpretations, because some beautiful appearance easily deceives someone into going astray, so that here none of us would not have thought it very appropriate that Sinai be called Hagar, and Jerusalem Sarah. But Paul makes Jerusalem Sarah, but not this physical one, which he assigns to Hagar, but the spiritual and heavenly one, in which the law does not reign, nor even a carnal people, as in Jerusalem, which is servile with its children, but in which the promise reigns and is a spiritual and free people.

And so that the law and the whole kingdom, which was ordered on Hagar 1) would be completely taken away, the earthly Jerusalem with all its adornment, temple, worship 2c. was terribly destroyed under God's permission. But although there the New Testament took its beginning and from there went out into the whole world, it was not possible for the

1. from Hagar - on Mount Sinai.

Nevertheless, it belongs to Hagar, that is, it is a city of law, worship and priesthood established by Moses. In short, it is born of the handmaid Hagar and therefore servile with its children, that is, it walks in works of the law and never comes to the freedom of the spirit, but remains constantly under the law, sin, evil conscience, wrath and judgment of God, under the guilt of death and hell. It has indeed freedom according to the flesh, it has authority, wealth, possession 2c., but we are talking about the freedom of the spirit, where we, having died to the law, sin, death, live and reign freely in grace, forgiveness of sins, righteousness and eternal life. The earthly Jerusalem cannot achieve this, therefore it remains with Hagar.

V. 26. But the Jerusalem that is above is the free one, the mother of us all.

280 The earthly Jerusalem, he says, which is below and has a legal government (politiam), is Hagar, and is servant with her children, that is, is not freed from the law, from sin and from death. But the Jerusalem that is above, that is, the spiritual, that is Sarah (yet Paul does not add the proper name nomine proprio Sarah, but calls her by a generic name appellative "the free one"), that is, the right mistress and the free one and our mother, who gives birth, not to bondage, like Hagar, but to freedom. But it is the heavenly Jerusalem that is above, the Church, that is, the faithful scattered throughout the earth, who have the same Gospel, the same faith in Christ, the same Holy Spirit, and the same Sacraments.

281 Therefore you do not have to understand the word "above", as the sophists do, from the ultimate goal (άναγωγιχως), ^2^) from the trium

The church in heaven is said to be the church in heaven, but the church on earth is said to be the church on earth. And it is not to be wondered at that it is said of the godly that they have their walk in heaven, as it is said Phil. 3, 20.: "Our walk is in heaven"; not to the place

2. Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 52, § 5 at the beginning. Walch, St.. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 1341.

574 Kai. II, 254-257. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2532-2536. 575

after, but, inasmuch as a Christian believes, inasmuch as he takes hold of the unspeakable, heavenly, and eternal gifts, inasmuch is he in heaven, Eph. 1:3: "Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things through Christ."

Therefore, the spiritual and heavenly blessing must be distinguished from the earthly blessing, which consists in having a good world and house government, having offspring, peace, goods, food (fruges) and other bodily necessities. But the heavenly blessing is that one may become free from the law, from sin and death, become righteous and alive, have a reconciled God, have a confident heart, a joyful conscience, spiritual comfort, that one may have the knowledge of Christ, the prophecy and revelation of the Scriptures, that one may have the gifts of the Holy Spirit, rejoice in God 2c. These are the spiritual blessings that Christ bestows upon His Church.

283 Therefore, "the Jerusalem that is above," that is, the heavenly Jerusalem, is the church at this time; not that to which it shall eventually come (άναγωγικώς), the fatherland in the

future life or the triumphant church, as the idle and unlearned monks and the scholastic teachers have fooled.

284. They have taught that the Scriptures have four kinds of meaning: The literal, the moral (tropologicum), the allegorical (allegoricum) and the deeper (anagogicum) sense, 1) and according to this they have interpreted almost every word of Scripture in an inconsistent manner; as, Jerusalem in the literal sense meant to them the city of that name, in the moral sense a pure conscience, according to the spiritual interpretation the contending church, according to the deeper sense the heavenly fatherland or the triumphant church. By these tasteless and foolish fables, with which they led and tore apart the Scriptures in so many ways, they made it so that the consciences could not be properly instructed in any matter.

284 But Paul says here that the old and earthly Jerusalem belongs to Hagar and serves with its children and is finished, but the new and heavenly Jerusalem, which is the

1. Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 52, § 8. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1344, and ibiä. K 5, col. 1541.

Let our Mother, the Lady and the Free One, be appointed by God, not in heaven, but on earth, so that she may be the mother of all of us, from whom we were born and are still being born every day. Therefore, this mother of ours, as well as her offspring, must necessarily be on earth among men. But she gives birth spiritually through the service of the Word and the sacraments, not according to the flesh.

I say this so that we may not be led by our thoughts into heaven, but know that Paul contrasts the Jerusalem which is above with the earthly, not in place (localiter), but in spirit (spiritualiter). For there is a great difference between spiritual and bodily or earthly things; the spiritual are "above," the earthly below. Thus the Jerusalem which is above is distinguished in contrast to the carnal and temporal Jerusalem which is below, not according to place, as I have said, but spiritually. For the spiritual Jerusalem, which had its beginning in the physical Jerusalem, does not have a certain place, like the one in Judea, but is spread over the whole earth and can be in Babylon, in Turkey, in Tartary, in Scythia Russia, in India, in Italy, in Germany, on the islands of the sea, on mountains and in valleys, and everywhere on earth where there are people who have the gospel and believe in Christ 2c.

Therefore, Sarah or Jerusalem, our free mother, is the Church, Christ's bride, from whom we are all born. She gives birth to children without ceasing until the end of the world by carrying out the ministry of the Word, that is, by teaching and propagating the Gospel, for that is to give birth. She teaches the gospel in such a way that we are set free from the curse of the law, from sin, death and all evil, not through the law and works, but through Christ. So the Jerusalem that is above, that is, the Church, is not subject to law and works, but is free and a mother without law, sin and death. Of the same nature as she, the mother, is, so are the children she gives birth to.

This spiritual interpretation therefore teaches very beautifully that the church should do nothing but that.

576 Lri. Kai. II, W7-259. Explanation of Galatians 4, 26. 27. W. VIII, 2536-2539. 577

teach the gospel rightly and purely, and thus give birth to children. Thus we are all fathers and children among ourselves, for we are born one of another. I, who am born of others through the gospel, now give birth to others, who then give birth to others, and so this giving birth will continue until the end of the world.

But I speak of birth, not of Hagar, the maidservant, who through the law gives birth to servants, but of Sarah, the free woman, who gives birth to heirs without law, without works and own efforts. For that Isaac, not Ishmael (although both were sons of Abraham in the flesh), is heir, he has by the word of promise, namely [Gen. 17:19, 1: "Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac. "2c. And Sarah understood this very well, and for this reason says Gen. 21, 10., "Drive out this maid with her son" 2c., and Paul also cites these words afterwards Gal. 4, 30.

Therefore, just as Isaac has the inheritance of the Father by promise and birth alone, without law and works, so we are born heirs through the gospel, of Sarah the free, that is, of the Church. For she teaches, nurtures and cares for us, carries us in her womb, in her womb and in her arms, forms and perfects us into the likeness of Christ, until we grow into a perfect man 2c. This is how everything happens through the ministry of the Word. Therefore it is the duty (officium) of the free woman to bear children to her husband, God, without ceasing, that is, such children as know that they are justified by faith, not by law.

027 For it is written, Be thou merry, thou barren that bearest not, and break forth, and call, thou that conceivest not: for the lonely woman hath many more children than she that hath the man.

291 Paul quotes this saying from the prophet Isaiah, which is entirely figurative. Thus it is written, he says, that the mother of many children, and she that hath one husband, shall decrease and perish; but she that is barren, and she that beareth not, shall have many children. In the same way

Hanna also sings 1 Sam. 2, 4. f. in her song of praise, from which Isaiah took this prophecy: "The bow of the strong is broken, and the weak are girded with strength. They that were full were sold for bread, and they that famished hungered no more: until the barren woman bare seven, and she that had many children was diminished. "2c. It is a wonderful thing, he says, she who was fruitful will be barren, and she who was barren will be fruitful. Likewise, they that were strong, full, living, righteous, blessed, rich, and glorious, shall be weak, scanty, subject to death, sinners, damned, poor, and without glory; and again, the weak and hungry 2c. shall be strong and full 2c.

By this figurative speech of the prophet Isaiah, Paul shows the difference between Hagar and Sarah, that is, between the synagogue and the church, or between the Law and the Gospel. The law, the man of the fruitful, that is, the synagogue, begets very many children. For men at all times, not only the ignorant, but also all the exceedingly wise and the best of men (that is, the whole human race with the exception of the children of the free) do not see or recognize any other righteousness, much less a more excellent one, than that of the law (but I understand by the name "law" all laws, human and divine). Therefore, when they follow the law and outwardly do its works, they make themselves believe that they are righteous. Although these are fruitful, have many disciples, and can show much in righteousness and apparent works (floreant), they are not free, but servants, because they are children of Hagar, who gives birth to servitude. But if they are servants, they will not be able to share in the inheritance, but will be cast out of the house, because servants do not remain in the house forever, indeed, they are already cast out of the kingdom of grace and freedom. For he who does not believe is already judged. So they remain under the curse of the law, under sin, death and the power of the devil, under God's wrath and judgment.

But if even the moral law of God, or the holy ten commandments, are only servants

578 Lri. vai. II, 259-261. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2539-2543. 579

that is, does not justify, but only terrifies, accuses, condemns, and drives the consciences into despair, how, I pray you, could human statutes and the laws of the pope, which are doctrines of the devil, make righteous? Therefore, all those who teach human statutes or the law of God and insist on them as necessary for righteousness before God, do nothing but witness servants 2c. And yet such teachers are considered the best, they reap the applause of the world and are very fruitful mothers, for they have disciples without number. Since reason does not understand what faith and true godliness are, it neglects and despises them and naturally takes pleasure in superstition and hypocrisy, that is, in the righteousness of works. Because this shines the most and goes in the swing, she is the most powerful empress on earth. Thus those who teach the righteousness of works from the law beget many children who, though outwardly they appear to be exceedingly free and lean on various kinds of purity, are in conscience bound and servants of sin; therefore they must be cast out of the house and condemned.

On the other hand, the free Sarah, that is, the true church, seems to be unfruitful, because the gospel, which is a word of the cross that the church teaches, does not shine as brightly as the doctrine of the law and of works, and therefore it has few disciples who adhere to it. Then this title is attached to it, that it forbids good works, that it makes idle and sluggish men, that it stirs up heresies and sedition, and is a cause of all evil; and therefore it seems to have no success or prosperity, but is all full of barrenness, abandonment, and despair.

Therefore, the wicked are firmly convinced that the church cannot last long with its doctrine. The Jews were quite sure that the church, which the apostles had planted, would soon collapse, which they called by the hateful name "sect" Acts 28:22; for this is what they said to Rome against Paul: "Of this sect we know that it is contradicted at all ends."

296 So also nowadays our adversaries; Dear, how often have they made themselves with their

What hope did they have for the best, since they boasted that we would soon be oppressed at this time and soon at that time? Christ and the apostles were oppressed, but since they died, the teaching of the gospel spread further than when they lived. So the adversaries can also oppress us, but the word of the Lord will stand forever.

297. Therefore, as much as the Church of Christ seems to be barren and abandoned, weak and despised, and suffers persecution from without, and has to hear that its doctrine is heretical and seditious, it alone is the fruitful one before God, which through the ministry of the Word gives birth to innumerable children, the heirs of eternal righteousness and life, who suffer outward persecution, but are completely free in spirit, and are not only judges over all doctrines and works, but also glorious victors over the gates of hell.

Thus, the prophet Isaiah admits that the Church is struggling, otherwise he would not call her to be joyful. He admits that she is barren before the world, otherwise he would not call her a barren and lonely one who does not give birth; but before God, he says, she is fruitful, and for this reason he urges her to rejoice, as if to say: Though you are lonely and barren, and have not the law for a man, therefore you have no children. But rejoice, for although you are without the man, the law, like a manly virgin who has been abandoned (for he does not want to call her a widow), who would have a bridegroom if she had not been abandoned by him, or if the bridegroom had not been killed to her, - you lonely one, I say, and who are abandoned by your husband, the law, and are not subject to the marriage of the law, you will be a mother of innumerable children.

Therefore, the people or the church of the New Testament is entirely without law (as far as the conscience is concerned), and therefore it seems to be abandoned before the world. But as much as it is apparently barren, without law and works, it is exceedingly fruitful before God and bears children without number, and free ones at that. By what? Not

580 II, 261-264. Explanation of Galatians 4, 27, W. VIII, 2543-2S47. 581

by the man, the law, but by the word and the Spirit of Christ, which is given through the gospel, she conceives and bears children and raises them.

With this figurative speech Paul shows most clearly the difference between the law and the gospel; first, by calling Hagar the old testament, but Sarah the new; second, by calling the one the maidservant, the other the free woman; likewise, by saying that she who has a husband and is fertile will lose weight and be cast out of the house with her children, 1) whereas the barren and forsaken one will become fertile and bear children without number, namely heirs. These are the essential differences between the people of faith and the people of law. The people of faith does not have the law for a man, is not servant, is not born of Jerusalem, which is at this time, as its mother, but has the promise, is free and is born of the free Sarah.

301 Thus he separates the spiritual people of the New Testament from the people of the law, saying that it is not the offspring of Hagar who has the man, but of free Sarah, who knows nothing of the law, and thus creates a people of faith, which is far above and apart from the law. If it is above and apart from the law, it follows that it is not justified by law and works, but only by spiritual birth, which is nothing other than faith. But as the people of grace have no law, nor can they have it, so the people of the law have not grace, neither can they have it.

302 For it is impossible for the law and grace to exist at the same time. We must therefore either be justified by grace and forsake the righteousness of the law, or by the law and forsake grace and the righteousness of faith. It is a shameful and unfortunate loss if we lose grace and keep the law, but a blessed and salvific loss if we lose the law and keep grace.

1. The Jenaer and the Erlanger have erroneously "fielt instead of: "fiei in the Wittenberger.

We take all possible pains (because we see that Paul did this with the utmost diligence) that we may clearly indicate the difference between the Law and the Gospel. This is very easy as far as the words are concerned. For who does not see that Hagar is not Sarah, and that Sarah is not Hagar? Likewise, that Ishmael is not or has not what Isaac is or has? This can be easily distinguished. But in serious terror and in the battle of death, where the conscience has to wrestle with the judgment of God, that one can then say with firm confidence: I am not a child of Hagar, but of Sarah, that is, the law does not concern me, because Sarah is my mother, who does not give birth to servants, but to free ones and heirs, that is the most difficult thing.

Thus Paul proved with this testimony of Isaiah that Sarah, that is, the church, is the right mother, who gives birth to freemen and heirs, whereas Hagar, that is, the synagogue, gives birth to many children, but to servants, who must be cast out of the house 2c.

(305) Further, since this passage also speaks of the putting away of the law and of Christian liberty, careful attention must be paid to it. For as it is the highest and noblest article of Christian doctrine that we know that we are justified and saved through Christ, so it is important, in opposition to this (per anti-thesin), that the doctrine of the abolition of the law be held in the right way (probe). For this is very useful to fortify our doctrine of faith and to give our consciences a firm and reliable comfort, especially in serious terror, when we know that the law has been abolished.

306 I have often said above, and now I repeat it again (for this cannot be sufficiently emphasized), that a Christian who takes hold of the benefits of Christ in faith has no law at all, but that the whole law is taken away from him, with its terrors and plagues. The same is taught here in the passage from Isaiah. Therefore, this is a glorious and comforting passage, which calls upon the barren and lonely to be joyful, who, according to the law, should have been laughed at or rather mourned.

582 Lri. Kai. II, 264-266. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2547-2350. 583

For the barren were cursed according to the law. But the Holy Spirit reverses this judgment and proclaims that the barren should be praised and blessed, and on the other hand the fruitful, and she who gives birth, cursed, saying, "Be glad, barren," 2c., "for the barren has many more children than she who has a husband." Therefore, as much as Sarah, that is, the Church, appears forsaken and barren before the world, not having the righteousness of the law and works, she is nevertheless before God, as the prophet testifies, an exceedingly fruitful mother of innumerable children. On the other hand, although Hagar appears to have the most abundant fertility and multiple childbearing, there is no offspring, because the children of the maidservant are expelled from the house together with their mother, and do not receive the inheritance with the children of the free, as Paul says afterwards.

308 Because we are now children of the free, the law is done for us, our old husband, Rom. 7, 3. ff. While this was lord over us, it was impossible that we could have borne children in the Spirit who knew grace, but we remained servants with them. When the law rules, people are not idle, but they work hard, bear the burden and heat of the day, give birth and produce many children. But both the begetters and the begotten are bastards who do not belong to the free mother, therefore they are finally expelled with Ishmael from the house and inheritance, die and are condemned. It is therefore impossible for people to attain inheritance, that is, to become righteous and blessed, through the law, no matter how much work and childbearing there may be in it. Cursed, therefore, be every doctrine, life and religion that presumes to bring about righteousness before God through the law or through works. But we will continue to talk about the abhorrence of the law.

309 Thomas Aquinas and other scholastics, when speaking of the abdication of the law, say that the laws concerning judicial acts and ceremonies (judicialia et ceremonialia), after Christ's coming, are fatal and for that reason are now

but not equally the moral laws (morally These do not know what they are talking about.

(310) But you, when you speak of the abolition of the law, speak first of all of what is actually called the spiritual law, and understand by it the whole law at once, and make no distinction between the judicial, the ceremonial, and the moral law. For when Paul says that through Christ we are freed from the curse of the law, he is certainly speaking of the whole law and especially of the moral law, which alone accuses, curses, and condemns the conscience; the two other kinds of law do not do this in the same way.

Therefore we say that the law of the ten commandments has no right to accuse and terrify the conscience, in which Christ reigns by grace, because Christ has made that law obsolete (antiquavit), not as if the conscience did not feel the terrors of the law everywhere, for it certainly does, but that it can no longer be condemned by them and be thrown into despair, because, Rom. 8:1, "Now there is nothing condemnable in those who are in Christ", likewise, "If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed", John 8:36. Therefore, as much as a Christian is terrified by the law, which indicates sin, he does not despair because he believes in Christ, in whom he is baptized and has forgiveness of sins, cleansed by His blood. Since sin has been forgiven through Christ Himself, the Lord of the law (but forgiven in such a way that He gave Himself for it), the law, the handmaid, no longer has the right to accuse us of sin and to condemn us because of sin, since it has been forgiven, and we have now become free, since the Son makes us free. Therefore, for those who believe in Christ, the whole law is done away.

312 But you object I do nothing. You can do nothing to become free from the tyranny of the law, but hear this joyful message which the Spirit brings you in the prophet: "Be joyful, you fruitless one.

584 L7-I. 6ili.il, 266-268. Exec. Explanation of Galatians 4, 27, W. VIII, 2550-2554. 585

bare that you do not give birth" 2c., as if he wanted to say: Why are you so sad, since you have no cause to be sad? But I am barren and forsaken 2c. As much as this may be the case, since you do not have righteousness from the law, Christ is your righteousness. He became a curse for you and redeemed you from the curse of the law. If you believe in him, the law is dead to you, and as much greater is Christ than the law, so much better is your righteousness than the righteousness of the law. Then you are also fruitful, not barren, because you will have more children than the man has.

The other abdication of the law is external, namely, that the secular (politicae) laws of Moses do not concern us, and therefore we do not have to bring them back on track (revocare in forum), nor bind ourselves to them in a kind of superstition, as some in earlier years wanted, who did not know this freedom.

By the way, even though the gospel does not subject us to the judicial laws of Moses, it does not completely exempt us from obedience to all worldly laws, but subjects us in this bodily life to the laws of the government (politiae) under which we live, that is, it commands that each one obey his authorities and their laws, not only for the sake of punishment, but also for the sake of conscience. 13, 5. 1 Petr. 2, 13. f., and the emperor would not sin if he used some laws from the judicial laws of Moses, yes, he could use them freely. That is why the sophists are mistaken who say that the worldly laws of Moses are fatal according to Christ.

(315) Nor are we bound to the ceremonies of Moses, much less to those of the pope. But because this bodily life cannot be entirely without ceremonies or customs, for there must be a certain outward discipline (paedagogia), the gospel permits that ordinances be made in the church about feasts, about times, about places 2c., so that the people may know on what day, at what hour, in what place they are to come together to hear God's word 2c. It allows that

The lessons are arranged as in a school, primarily for the sake of children and the simple, so that they can be taught all the better.

But it the gospel allows this for the purpose that everything in the church may be done honorably and properly, 1 Cor. 14, 40, not that those who keep such ordinances may thereby earn forgiveness of sins 2c. Above this, they can also be omitted without sin, if only this is done without the annoyance of the weak. Therefore it is an error to say that the Mosaic ceremonies are fatal after Christ is revealed; otherwise the Christians would have sinned by keeping the Feast of the Feast of the Feast and the Feast of Pentecost, which the ancient church ordered to be celebrated according to the model of the Mosaic law (although in a completely different way and for a different purpose).

But Paul is speaking here primarily of the abhorrence of the moral law, to which one must pay attention. For he acts against the righteousness of the law in order to justify the righteousness of faith, and thus concludes: If grace alone, or faith in Christ alone, justifies, it follows that the whole law is utterly done away; and this he confirms with the testimony of Isaiah, in which he exhorts the barren and forsaken church to be joyful. For she seems to have no children born of her, nor any hope of having children, that is, she has no disciples, she is not applauded for preaching the word of the cross of Christ crucified, 2c. against all wisdom of the flesh.

(318) But this, says the prophet, should not move and grieve you who are barren, but rather rejoice and be glad, because the lonely one has many more children than the one who has a husband. That is, she who has a husband and is multiplied by numerous offspring will decrease, but you, barren and lonely, will have children in abundance.

319 But he calls the church barren, because her children are born, not by the law, works, or any human effort or power, but in the Holy Spirit through the word of faith. Since

586 Art- 6ai. II, 268-271. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2SS4-2SS7. 587

is nothing else than a mere birth (pascentia), no work (operativ). The fertile, on the other hand, exert themselves and toil too much with the labor of childbearing (parturiendo), and there is only labor, not birth. But because they strive to attain the right of children and heirs through the righteousness of the law or through their own righteousness, they are servants who never attain the inheritance, although they tire themselves to death with too much work, because they want to attain with their works, against the will of God, what God wants to give to the believers out of mere grace for the sake of Christ. The believers also do truly good works, but they do not become children and heirs through them, for this is granted to them by birth, but so that they, having already become children through Christ, may praise God and help their neighbor through their good works.

But we, brethren, are the children of the promise according to Isaac.

That is, we are not children according to the flesh like Ishmael and all Israel according to the flesh, who boasted that they were the seed of Abraham and the people of God, but had to hear about Christ, John 8:39 ff: "If you were Abraham's children, you would not seek to kill me who told you the truth"; likewise, "If God were your Father, you would love me and know my language", as if he wanted to say: Brethren born and raised in One House, knowing one another's language, "ye are of the Father the devil" 2c. Such children, he adds, we are not, like them, who remain servants, and are finally cast out of the house, but we are children of the promise, like Isaac, that is, of grace and faith, born of the promise alone. About this matter, see above Cap. 3, 8. in the words: "In your seed shall all the Gentiles be blessed". So it is not by the law, works or our own righteousness that we are declared righteous, but by pure grace. Paul insists on this promise, which can only be grasped through faith, and often emphasizes it, because he sees that it is highly necessary.

321 He has made it this far with the figurative

He had to do with the first speech, to which he added the saying of the prophet Isaiah as an interpretation. Now he uses the story of Ishmael and Isaac as an example and for comfort.

V. 29. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.

This passage contains a very important consolation. All those who are born of Christ and live in Christ, and who boast of this birth and that they are God's heirs, have Ishmael as their persecutor. This is what we learn from experience nowadays, because we see that everything is full of turmoil, persecution, mobs and uproar. Therefore, we would not be able to endure the power and cunning plots of Satan if we did not fortify our hearts with this comfort of Paul and the like, and hold fast the article of justification without wavering.

For who should not be offended by the cruel persecutions of the adversaries, and by the mobs and innumerable uproars which the zealots are stirring up today? It truly grieves us to hear that before the gospel began, everything was calm and at peace, but now that it has been proclaimed, everything is confused, the whole world is moved, and it collapses in on itself. When a man who does not have the Spirit hears this, he immediately becomes angry and judges that the disobedience of the subjects to the authorities, uprisings, wars, pestilence, famine, upheavals in the state, countries and kingdoms, mobs, upheavals and such like evils are without number and originate from the teaching of the Gospel.

324 Against this exceedingly great trouble we must align ourselves and strengthen ourselves by this exceedingly sweet consolation that the godly must bear this name and title in the world, that they are rebellious, cause division (schismatici) and cause innumerable misfortunes. Hence it is that the adversaries think they have quite just cause, indeed, they are doing God a service by hating, persecuting and killing us. Ishmael therefore cannot do otherwise, he must persecute Isaac; but Isaac does not repay Ishmael like with like. He who persecutes

588 Lri. Kai. II, 271-273. Explanation of Galatians 4, 29. W. VIII, 2SS7-2561. 589

If you don't want to suffer the punishment of Ishmael, don't pretend to be a Christian.

But, I beg you, let the adversaries, who exaggerate and exaggerate these evils today, tell us what good has followed the preaching of Christ and the apostles? Was it not followed by the destruction of the Jewish Empire, the disruption of the Roman Empire and disorder in the whole world? Not through the fault of the. Not through the fault of the Gospel, which Christ and the apostles taught for the salvation, not for the destruction of men, but, as the second Psalm says, through the fault of the Gentiles, the nations, the kings and the lords, who, because they were possessed by the devil, did not want to hear the word of grace, peace, life and eternal bliss, but abhorred and condemned it as a doctrine harmful to religion and the state. And that this would happen, the Holy Spirit, who was in David, prophesied long before, when he speaks Ps. 2, 1. ff.: "Why do the Gentiles rage" 2c.

326 Such unrest and disruption of things is also seen and heard today. The adversaries put the blame on our teaching. But the doctrine of grace and peace does not stir up these disorders, but the heathen, the nations, the kings of the land, and the lords, as the second Psalm says, rage, speak in vain, rebel, and counsel, not against us, as they think, and 1) against our doctrine, which they accuse of being erroneous and seditious, but against the Lord and his anointed, and therefore all their counsels and undertakings are in vain, and shall be so henceforth. "He that dwelleth in heaven laugheth at them, and the Lord mocketh at them.

327 Therefore, they may cry out as long as they want those movements to be stirred up by us, but the psalm comforts us and says that they themselves are the originators of such movements. They do not believe this, much less do they believe that they are raging, rebelling and counseling against the Lord and his anointed, but rather they make themselves believe that they are standing up for the Lord, defending his honor and rendering him a service by

1. Wittenberger: ant instead of: ae.

pursue. But the psalm does not lie, and the outcome of the matter will prove this. We do nothing here, but suffer only because our conscience bears witness to us in the Holy Spirit. Then the doctrine for the sake of which such disturbances and upsets are caused is not our doctrine, but Christ's. We cannot deny this doctrine. We cannot deny it nor refrain from protecting it (patrocinium ejus deserere), since Christ says Marc. 8, 38.: "But whoever is ashamed of me and my words among this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him" 2c.

328 Therefore he that will teach Christ, and confess that he is our righteousness, must straightway hear that he is a pernicious man, which destroyeth all things. "These, who have stirred up the whole world (said the Jews about Paul and Silas Apost. 17, 6. 7.), have also come here, and act contrary to Caesar's commandment"; and Cap. 24, 5: "We have found this man harmful, and the sedition aroused all the Jews on the face of the whole earth, and a chief of the sect of the Nazarenes" 2c. In the same way the Gentiles complain Apost. 16, 20: "These people are making our city go astray" 2c.

In this way they accuse Luther today of being a disturber of the papacy and the Roman Empire. If I were to keep silent, everything that that strong-armed man possesses would be at peace, and the pope would no longer persecute me. But in such a way the gospel of Christ would be obscured. But if I speak, the pope will be disgraced and fall away. I must lose either the pope, who is a mortal man, or the Lord Christ, who is eternal, and with him eternal life. But of two evils one must choose the least. Let the earthly and mortal pope fall rather than the heavenly and eternal Christ.

Since Christ saw in the spirit beforehand that a very great change of conditions and a shaking of the world would follow from his preaching, he comforted himself in this way Luc. 12:49: "I have come to light a fire on the earth; what would I rather, for it was burning already! Thus we see that today the preaching of the gospel will be followed by many evils, because of the persecution of the people.

590 "ru- II, 273-275. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2561-2564. 591

We are so afraid of the blasphemy of the adversaries and the contempt and ingratitude of our people. This frightens us so much that we often think, according to the flesh, that it would have been better not to preach the doctrine of godliness, because then peace would have remained, than that now, when it has gone out, the public peace is disturbed. But according to the spirit we speak fearlessly with Christ: "I have come to light a fire on earth; what would I rather, for it was already burning!"

331 But out of this kindled fire immediately arise exceedingly great movements, because not any king or emperor is challenged, but the God of this world, who is the most powerful spirit and the Lord of the whole world. This great opponent is attacked by this weak word that preaches Christ, the crucified. The Behemoth feels his divine power, stirs all his limbs, moves his tail and makes the deep sea boil like a pot, Job 41:23. This is where the raging and fury of the world comes from.

332 Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to be challenged by the fact that the adversaries are angry and cry out that nothing good comes from the preaching of the gospel. They are unbelieving, blind and obdurate, so it is impossible for them to see any fruit of the gospel. On the other hand, we who believe (even though for a time we are oppressed by innumerable evils: we are despised, we are robbed, we are blasphemed, we are condemned, we are the sacrifice of all people, we are killed; and inwardly we are troubled by the evil conscience about sin and are tormented by the devils) see the immense and innumerable benefits and fruits of the gospel. For we live in Christ, in whom and through whom we are kings and lords over sin, death, the flesh, the world, hell and all evil, through whom we finally trample underfoot that dragon and basilisk who is the king of sin and death. In what way? By faith, because our treasure (bonum) is not yet revealed, which in the meantime we await in patience, and yet we already possess it with certainty through faith.

333. that is why you have to change the article from the

Learn justification carefully. He alone can raise us up against those innumerable vexations and comfort us in all temptations and persecutions. For we see that it cannot be otherwise than that the world is vexed by the doctrine of godliness and constantly cries out that nothing good comes from it, for "the natural man hears nothing of the Spirit of God, for it is foolishness to him," 1 Cor. 2:14. He sees only outward evil, the overthrow of things, riots, murder, mobs 2c. He is angered by these spectres, becomes blind, and comes to despise and blaspheme the word.

We, on the other hand, must fortify ourselves, because the adversaries do not accuse and condemn us because of obvious shameful deeds, such as adultery, murder, robbery, 2c., but because of our teaching. What do we teach? That Christ, the Son of God, redeemed us from our sins and from eternal death by dying on the cross. So it is not life, but our doctrine, yes, not our doctrine, but Christ's doctrine that they contest. So it is Christ's fault that they dispute us, and the sin for which the adversaries persecute us was not committed by us, but by Christ. But whether they will cast Christ out of heaven because of this sin (yes, that would please God!), that he alone is our justifier and redeemer, and condemn him as a heretic and rebel, let them see for themselves. We command him this cause of his, and in the meantime we will cheerfully and safely watch which of the two will retain the victory, whether Christ or they.

Though it grieves us in the flesh that our Ishmaelites hate and persecute us so fiercely, yet in the spirit we glory in our tribulations, both because we know that we suffer them, not because of our sins, but for the sake of Christ, whose benefits and glory we praise, and also because Paul has here previously armed us against this, saying that Ishmael must mock Isaac and persecute him.

The Jews explain the passage of Ishmael, which Paul cites from the 21st chapter v. 9 of the first book of Moses, that he was a mocker and persecuted Isaac.

592 Li-1. 6 "I. II, 275-278. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 4, 29. W. VIII, 2554-2567. 593

in this way, namely, that Ishmael forced Isaac to idolatry. I do not reject this interpretation of theirs, but I do not believe that it was such a gross idolatry as the Jews dream, namely that Ishmael, after the manner of the pagans, made images of clay and forced Isaac to worship them; this Abraham would not have suffered in any way.

Rather, I believe that Ishmael was a holy man on the surface, like Cain, who also persecuted and finally killed his brother, not because of any physical matter, but because he saw that he was preferred to him by God. Thus Ishmael also diligently embraced religion, offered sacrifices and practiced good works, and therefore mocked his brother Isaac, and wanted to be better than him in two ways; first, in religion and worship, secondly, also in civil rule and inheritance. And he thought he had a right to these two things, because he thought that he, as the firstborn, was entitled to the priesthood and the temporal rule (regnum) according to divine right. Therefore, he persecuted Isaac spiritually, for the sake of religion, and physically, for the inheritance.

This evil is always found in the church, especially when the doctrine of the gospel is in progress, namely, that the children of the flesh mock and persecute the children of the promise. The papists and the fanatics persecute us today for no other reason than because we teach that righteousness is given to us through the promise. For it grieves the papists that we do not worship their idols, that is, that we do not preach that the man-made means of acquiring righteousness (justitias), works and worship, do not serve to obtain grace and forgiveness of sins, and therefore they seek to cast us out of the house, that is, they boast that they are the church, children and people of God, to whom belongs the inheritance. 2c. They banish us as heretics and rebels, and if they can, they kill us in order to serve God 2c. As much as there is in them, they reject us badly.

However, from this life and the life to come. The enthusiasts hate us in the most hostile way, because we dispute and detest their errors and heresies, of which they continue to sow new ones in the church, and for this reason they judge that we are far worse than the papists, and therefore hate us more bitterly than the latter. 2c.

Therefore, as soon as the word of God comes to light, the devil is enraged, and in his wrath he uses all power and deceit to persecute and completely eradicate it. Therefore, it cannot be otherwise, he must cause countless hordes and aggravations, also persecutions and murder. For he is a father of lies and a murderer. He spreads the lie in the world by godless teachers, by tyrants he kills the people. Thus he occupies both kingdoms, the spiritual and the corporal; the former by the lie of ungodly teachers (not to speak of the fact that he constantly incites each one in particular to heresies and ungodly opinions by his fiery darts), the latter by the sword of tyrants, and thus the father of lies and murder stirs up persecution on both sides, spiritual and corporal, against the children of the free.

The spiritual persecution that we have to suffer today from the enthusiasts is very burdensome and quite unbearable for us because of the aversions with which the devil defaces our doctrine. For we have to hear that the sects of the Anabaptists and the Sacramentarians and all evil has arisen from this teaching of ours. The bodily persecution, in which the tyrants stand against us according to good and life (corporibus), is more bearable, because it does not happen because of our misdeeds (peccata), but because we confess God's word.

We should learn from the title of the devil, "father of lies and murder", which Christ gives him Joh. 8, 44, that when the gospel is in progress and Christ reigns, corrupt sects inevitably arise and everything is full of the rage of murderers who persecute the truth. And Paul says [1 Cor. 11, 19.), "There must be sects." Whoever does not know this is very easily angered and falls to

594 6-n. II' 278-286. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2567-2571. 595

The people leave their old God and faith, but they leave the true God and right faith.

342 So Paul prepares the godly beforehand, so that they will not also be offended by these persecutions, sects, and aversions, by saying: "Just as at that time he was born according to the flesh," 2c. as if he wanted to say: "If we are children of the promise, born according to the Spirit, then we must in all certainty expect persecution from our brother who was born according to the flesh: If we are children of promise, born after the Spirit, then we must most certainly expect persecution from our brother who was born after the flesh, that is, not only the enemies who are openly ungodly will persecute us, but also those who were first our dear friends, with whom we were on intimate terms and lived in the same house, who received the teaching of the gospel from us, will later become our bitterest enemies, persecuting us most fiercely because they are brothers according to the flesh, who must persecute the brothers who are born according to the spirit. Thus Christ Ps. 41, 10. complains of Judas: "My friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, tramples me underfoot." But this is our comfort, that we have given no occasion to our Ishmaelites to persecute us. For the sake of the doctrine of godliness, the papists persecute us; if we recanted it, they would soon cease to persecute us. Likewise, if we approved the pernicious errors of the swarm spirits, they would praise us. But because we abhor the ungodly nature of both, they cannot help but hostilely attack and persecute us.

343 But against this persecution and these vexations not only Paul, as I have said, prepared us beforehand, but also Christ himself, John 15:19 ff, comforts us most sweetly: "If ye were of the world," he says, "the world would have loved its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you," 2c. as if he wanted to say, "I am the cause of all the persecutions which ye suffer: I am the cause of all the persecutions which you suffer, and if you are killed, I am to blame for your loss of life, for if you did not preach my word and confess me, the world would not persecute you. But this is how it is with you: "The servant is not greater than his master.

If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you for my name's sake" 2c. With these words, Christ lays all blame on Himself and frees us from all fear, as if to say: Not you, but my name, which you have preached and confessed, is the cause why the world persecutes you with violence and guile. "But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" Jn 16:33.

344 By this confidence we are sustained, not doubting that Christ is strong enough not only to endure all the violence of tyrants and all the wiles of heretics, but also to overcome them; and this he proved sufficiently in the case of the Jews and the Romans, whose tyranny and persecutions he endured for a time, and also endured the wiles of the heretics, but in his own time he overthrew and exterminated them all, and remained king and victor. Therefore, no matter how much the papists may rage nowadays, no matter how much the heretics may falsify and pervert the gospel of Christ, Christ will remain King forever, and the word of the Lord will endure forever, after all his enemies have been destroyed. Then, which is very comforting, the persecution of Ishmael against Isaac will not last forever, but only for a little while; when it is over, the verdict will be given as follows:

V. 30. But what does the Scripture say? Cast out the maid with her son; for the son of the maid shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.

345. This word of Sarah was very painful to Abraham, and when he heard this judgment, no doubt the fatherly love he had for his son Ishmael was very much opposed to it, because he was born of his flesh; and this is clearly testified by the Scripture Gen 21:11, when it says: "The word pleased Abraham very much, because of his son. But God confirmed the judgment that Sarah had made, and said to Abraham, "Do not let it displease you because of the boy and the maid. Obey all that Sarah has said to you. For in Isaac shall the seed be called unto thee."

346 Here the Ishmaelites hear the verdict,

596 Lri. Kai. II, 280-283. Explanation of Galatians 4, 30. W. VIII, 257I-2S74. 597

This judgment has destroyed the Jews, Greeks, Romans 2c. who persecuted the Church of Christ. It will also destroy the papists and all the works saints, whoever they may be, who today boast that they are God's people and the Church, and hope that they will certainly receive the inheritance, and consider us, who base ourselves on the promise of God, not only barren and lonely, but also heretical people who have been cast out of the Church, who could not possibly be children and heirs. But this judgment of theirs God reverses and passes judgment against them, that because they are children of the handmaidens and persecute the children of the free, they should be cast out of the house and have no inheritance with the children of the promise, to whom alone belongs the inheritance as children of the free.

This judgment is firm 1) and irrevocable, because the Scriptures cannot be annulled. Therefore it will certainly happen that our Ishmaelites will not only lose the worldly and ecclesiastical dominion they have, but also eternal life, because the Scripture has foretold that the children of the handmaid shall be cast out of the house, that is, out of the kingdom of grace, because they cannot be heirs with the children of the free.

348. But it is to be noted that the Holy Spirit, as it were, to shame, calls the people of the law and the doers of works "the son of the handmaid," as if to say: Why do you boast of the righteousness of the law and of works, and for this reason make yourselves out to be God's people and children? If you do not know from whom you were born, I will tell you: you were born of a slave girl as servants. What kind of servants? Servants of the law, therefore also servants of sin, death and eternal damnation. But a servant is not an heir, but is cast out of the house.

Therefore, the pope with his entire kingdom and all other saints of works, however holy they may appear to be, who have the confidence that they are governed by laws, whether they be human or divine,

1. rata - having become final.

Grace and blessedness obtain, children of the handmaid, who do not obtain the inheritance with the children of the free, but are cast out of the house. And now I am not talking about the godless popes, cardinals, bishops and monks who have worshipped the belly as their god and committed terrible sins, which I do not like to name, but about the best ones, such as I have been, and many others who have lived holy lives and strived with the greatest work and effort to appease the wrath of God by keeping their order and to earn forgiveness of sins and eternal life. These hear here the verdict that they are children of the handmaid and are to be cast out of the house with their mother, the handmaid.

(350) If we carefully consider such sayings, they make us certain of the doctrine and righteousness of faith and confirm us in it against the doctrine and righteousness of works, which the world accepts and esteems, while it despises and condemns the other doctrine of faith. This certainly moves and angers the faint of heart. Although they publicly see the impiety and unspeakable shameful deeds of the papists, they cannot easily be persuaded that so great a multitude, bearing the name and title of the church, should err, and only a few should stand right in the doctrine of the faith.

351. And if the papacy still had the holiness and severity of life that it had in the time of the fathers, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine and others, when the clergy (clerici) were not yet notorious for their trade in ecclesiastical offices (simoniam), for their splendor, their wealth, their treasures, their fornication, their sodomy and other sins without number, but lived according to the rules and regulations (canones et decreta) of the fathers, outwardly in a spiritual state (religiose) and holy, then also in a celibate state. Dear, what could we then do against the papacy?

The celibate state, which the clergy strictly observed in the times of the Fathers, is something exceedingly glorious in the eyes of the world, for it makes a man an angel.

598 All- (Zai. II, 283-285. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2574-2578. 599

Therefore, Paul calls it Col. 2, 18. "spirituality of the angels" and the papists sing about the virgins: She led a life in the flesh like the angels, since she lived without flesh. 1) Then also the life, which they called a contemplative one, to which at that time the clergy gave themselves before all things, and did not take care of all worldly and domestic affairs, has a great appearance of holiness. Therefore, if the papacy today still had the same outward form (facies) as the old papacy, we would perhaps accomplish very little against it with our doctrine of faith, especially since we accomplish little now, when the old apparent godliness and strict discipline has long since vanished and one can see nothing in the papacy but a veritable cesspool and dung puddle of all vices.

But even in the case that the old spiritual life (religio) and the discipline of the papacy still existed, we would still have to fight and speak against the works saints of the papal realm according to the example of Paul, who attacks the false apostles, who seem to be the holiest and best people: Even though you may lead a life of celibacy, and afflict your bodies with frequent mortifications, and even walk in the humility and spirituality of angels, you are still servants of the law, of sin, and of the devil, who must be cast out of the house, because you seek to attain righteousness and salvation through your works and not through Christ.

For this reason, we must not turn our eyes both to the shameful life of the papists and to their ungodly doctrine and hypocrisy, which we also primarily condemn. We want to shred altogether that the spiritual life (religionem) and discipline of the old papacy would still be going on, and would be kept with the strictness with which the hermits, Jerome, Augustine, Gregory, Bernard, Franciscus, Dominic and many others observed it, we must nevertheless say: If you have nothing else to oppose the wrath and judgment of God, but holiness and chastity, then you must not be afraid of the wrath and judgment of God.

1. Angelicam vitam duxerat in came, dum praeter carnem vixerat. As Menius indicates, sung "in sequence". On Sequenz, compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 657.

If you do not live a life of peace, you are clearly only children of the handmaid, who must be cast out of the kingdom of heaven and condemned.

Even they themselves do not now defend their shameful life, which those who are the more intelligent among them abhor, but they fight to defend and preserve the doctrine of the devils, hypocrisy and righteousness from works. Here they claim the prestige of the concilia and the examples of the holy fathers, of whom they claim to have been the founders of the holy orders and rules (statutorum) 2c.

Therefore, we do not fight against the papacy, which today is publicly ungodly and shameful, but against its most brilliant saints, who think that they lead a life like the angels, dreaming that they can not only keep the commandments of God, but also the counsels of Christ, and perform the works that they are not obliged to do, or superfluous good works (supererogationis). Of these we say that they lose effort and work if they do not take hold of the one thing that Christ says is necessary alone, and choose with Mary the good part that cannot be taken from them Luc. 10, 42.

This was done by Bernard, a very godly, holy and chaste man, so that I think he is rightly preferable to all monks. Once, when he was seriously ill and had already despaired of his life, he did not put his trust in his celibate state, which he had led in complete chastity, or in his good works and godly deeds, of which he had done many, but put these far out of sight, took hold of Christ's good deeds in faith, and said: I have lived condemned, but thou, O Lord Jesus Christ, hast the kingdom of heaven by a twofold right; first, because thou art the Son of God, and secondly, because thou hast obtained it by thy suffering and death. This you keep for yourself according to the right of birth; this you give to me, not according to the right of works, but by grace.

He St. Bernard's did not oppose the wrath and judgment of God with his monasticism and his angelic life, but rather he

600 Oai. II, 285-287. Explanation of Galatians 4, 30. 31. W. VIII, 2578-2586. 601

He took hold of the one thing that is necessary, and thus became blessed. I believe that Jerome, Gregory and other fathers and hermits were saved in the same way, and there is no doubt that also in the Old Testament many kings of Israel and other idolaters were saved in such a way, namely, they threw away their vain trust in idols at the hour of death and took hold of the promise of God in Christ, the future seed of Abraham, who would bless all nations. And if today some of the papists are to be saved, they must base themselves absolutely, not on their good works and merits, but solely on the mercy of God, which is offered to us in Christ, and say with Paul Phil. 3, 9.: "I have not my righteousness which comes from the law, but which comes through faith in Christ."

V. 31 So then, brethren, we are not the children of the handmaid, but of the free.

Here Paul concludes the figurative speech of the unfruitful church and the fruitful people of the law. He says: "We are not children of the bondwoman," that is, we are not under the law, which gives birth to bondage, that is, which terrifies, accuses and drives to despair, but we are free from it through Christ, so it cannot terrify and condemn us, 2c. of which enough has been said above § 31 ff. Then, as much as the children of the handmaid persecute us for a time, this is our consolation, that they are finally thrust out into the utter darkness and leave us the inheritance.

which is due to us as children of the free.

Thus, as we have heard, Paul took the opportunity from the words "maidservant" and "free" to refute the righteousness of the law and to strengthen the article of justification. And with special diligence he took this word "the free" before himself, which he also still drives and makes great in the beginning of the following chapter, and thereby gets the opportunity to deal with Christian freedom, the right knowledge of which is very necessary. For the pope has completely eradicated it, and subjected the church to the most miserable and shameful bondage through human statutes and ceremonies.

This freedom, which Christ has acquired for us, is today our strongest bulwark (praesidium), by which we defend ourselves against the tyranny of the pope. Therefore, the doctrine (locus) of Christian liberty must be carefully considered, both to fortify the doctrine of justification, and to raise and comfort consciences against so many turbationes and aversions, which, as the adversaries say, derive from the Gospel. But Christian liberty belongs to a great extent to spiritual things (est valde spiritualis res), which the natural man does not hear; indeed, those who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, and can teach about them in many words, hardly keep them in their hearts. Reason seems not to care much about it; therefore, unless the Holy Spirit makes it great and important, it is despised.

The fifth chapter.

Since Paul wants to close the letter soon, he speaks violently and fervently to defend the doctrine of faith and Christian freedom against its enemies and destroyers, the false apostles, against whom he hurls loud words of thunder to throw them to the ground.

At the same time he exhorts the Galatians that they should avoid the harmful teaching of the same as a pestilence, and in exhorting them he lets threats and promises flow in, leaving no stone unturned to preserve them in the liberty which Christ has purchased for them, saying:

602 Lri. 6-u. II, 287-28S. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2586-2S8S. 603

V. i. Stand therefore in liberty, that Christ may set us free.

2 That is, be firm. Thus Peter says 1 Ep. 5:8, "Be sober and watchful, for your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him firmly in the faith." He says, Be not sure, but firm; lie not down, or sleep, but stand, as if he would say: To this end watchfulness and constancy are necessary, that ye may keep the liberty wherewith Christ hath set us free; secure and snoring men cannot keep it. For Satan has a mighty hatred against the light of the gospel, that is, the doctrine of grace, liberty, comfort, and life. Therefore, when he sees it rising, he immediately opposes it with all winds and storms to dampen it. Therefore, Paul reminds us that the godly must not snore nor be secure, but must be well equipped to fight valiantly against Satan, lest he take away the freedom that Christ has purchased for them 2c.

But there is a special emphasis on every single word. "Stand firm," he says, as if to say: Vigilance is necessary here. "In freedom." In what? Not in the freedom by which the emperor, but Christ, has set us free. The emperor has given the Roman Pontiff the city of Rome and other lands freely, likewise freedom from services (immunitates), privileges (privilegia), freedom from taxes (indulta) 2c. This is also a freedom, but a civil one, by which the Roman pope with his clerics (clericis) is made free from public burdens.

4 Then there is also a freedom of the flesh, or rather of the devil, by which he rules primarily in the whole world. For those who have this freedom obey neither God nor the laws, but do as they please. This freedom is pursued nowadays by the rabble, and also by the enthusiasts, who want to be free in their opinions and in their actions, so that they may teach and do with impunity what they dream is right. These exist in the freedom with which the devil has freed them.

(5) We do not deal with this, although the whole world seeks it alone and chases after it. Nor do we speak of freedom in the worldly sense (politica,) but of another, which the devil hates and disputes beyond measure. It is that "that Christ might deliver us," not from any human servitude, or from Babylonian or Turkish captivity, but from eternal wrath. Where? In the conscience. Here our freedom stops and goes no further. For Christ has not made us civilly, not carnally free, but theologically or spiritually free, that is, he has made us so free that our conscience is free and joyful, and does not fear the wrath to come. This is the very real and inestimable freedom, against whose greatness and glory the other freedoms (the secular and the carnal), when compared to it, are hardly a droplet (stilla) or a stick (guttula).

(6) For who can say in words how great it is that someone can be sure that God will neither be angry nor ever be angry, but that He will be His gracious and kind Father forever for the sake of Christ? This is truly a great and incomprehensible freedom, that we have this supreme majesty for ourselves, that it graciously celebrates, protects and helps, and that it will finally also free us after the body in such a way that our body, which is sown in corruption, in shame and in weakness, will rise again in incorruption, in glory and power. Therefore it is an unspeakable freedom that we are free from God's wrath in eternity, which is greater than heaven and earth and all creatures.

(7) From this freedom follows another, in which through Christ we are made safe and free from the law, from sin, from death, from the power of the devil, from hell 2c. For just as the wrath of God cannot terrify us, since Christ has freed us from it, so the law, sin 2c. cannot accuse and condemn us; and although the law accuses us, and sin terrifies us, yet they cannot drive us into despair, because faith, which overcomes the world, immediately says, "These things are none of my business, for Christ has set me free.

604 All. Kai. II, 289-292. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 5, 1. W. VIII, 2S89-259I. 605

freed from the same. Thus, even death, the most powerful and terrifying tyrant in the whole world, lies down as a conquered one in the conscience, through this freedom of the spirit.

Therefore, this majesty of Christian freedom must be carefully considered and pondered. It is indeed easy to speak these words: Freedom from God's wrath, from the law, from sin, from death 2c., but to feel the greatness of this freedom and in the struggle, in the highest distress of the conscience, to put it into action so that one may appropriate the fruit of it, that is more difficult than one can say.

Therefore the heart must be accustomed, when it feels the accusation of the law, the terrors of sin, the horror of death, the wrath of God, to put these sad images out of its sight and to put in their place the freedom of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, life and the eternal mercy of God, and although the feeling of the opposite is present in a strong measure, it should nevertheless certainly think that this will not last long, as the prophet Isa. 54, 7. 8. says: "I have left thee a little while, but with everlasting mercy will I have mercy upon thee." But this is very difficult to do. Therefore this freedom, which Christ has brought about for us, cannot be believed as soon as it can be called by name. If it could be grasped with certain, firm faith, no rage or terror of the world, of the law, of sin, of death, of the devil 2c. could be so great that it should not be swallowed up by it at once, like a little spark from the sea. Certainly this freedom of Christ takes away the entire burden of all evil and lifts it out: the law, sin, death, the wrath of God and finally even the serpent with its head, and puts in its place righteousness, peace, life 2c. But blessed is he who understands and believes this.

(10) Let us therefore learn to esteem this freedom of ours, which was not purchased for us by an emperor, nor by a prophet, nor by an archangel, nor by an angel from heaven, but by Christ, the Son of God, through whom all things in heaven and on earth were created, by his death, not that he might free us from a bodily and temporal bondage.

We are not freed from the spiritual and eternal dominion of the cruelest and most insurmountable tyrants, the law, sin, death, the devil, 2c., and thus reconciled to God the Father. Now that these enemies have been completely defeated and we have been reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is certain that we are righteous before God, and all our deeds are pleasing to Him, and even though there is still some sin left in us, it is not imputed to us, but is forgiven for the sake of Christ.

(11) Paul uses weighty (significantibus) and emphatic words here, which must be carefully considered. "Stand," he says, "in liberty, that Christ may set us free." So this liberty is not given to us for the sake of the law or our righteousness, but freely, for the sake of Christ, which Paul here testifies and expatiates upon throughout the epistle. Christ also pronounces it John 8:36: "If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be justly free." He alone is placed between us and all evil that oppresses us; he overcomes it and removes it so that it can no longer oppress and condemn us. For sin and death he gives us righteousness and eternal life, and thus he changes the bondage and terrors of the law into freedom of conscience and consolation of the gospel, which says Matt. 9:2, "Be of good cheer, my son, thy sins be forgiven thee." Therefore, whoever believes in Christ has this freedom.

(12) Reason does not see what a great thing this is, which, when seen in the spirit, is exceedingly great and inestimable. For no one can grasp with his mind how great a gift this is, that instead of the law, sin, death, and the wrath of God, one has forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and eternal life, and an ever-gracious and favorable God. The papists and all hypocrites,' who pursue the righteousness of the law or their own righteousness, also boast that they have forgiveness of sins, righteousness, a gracious God 2c.; they also boast of freedom and promise it to others, but this is all without reason (egena) and uncertain. For

606 Dri. "Li. II, 292-294. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2591-2596. 607

In fact, they are servants of destruction 2 Petr. 2, 19, to whom all their futile trust vanishes in a moment during the challenge, because they base themselves on works and human satisfactions, not on God's word nor on Christ, and therefore it is impossible that they should know what freedom from sins is 2c.

(13) On the other hand, our freedom is based on Christ, who is the eternal High Priest, sitting at the right hand of God and representing us. Therefore, the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, life and freedom that we have through Him are certain, unchangeable (rata) and eternal, if only we believe it. Therefore, if we cling firmly to Christ in faith and stand firm in the freedom with which he has set us free, we will have these unspeakable goods. But if we will be secure and sleepy, we will lose them.

14 Not for nothing does Paul urge us to watch and stand firm, because he knows that the devil is working unceasingly to snatch from us that freedom which was so dear to Christ, so that he might again bring us under the yoke of bondage through his servants, as follows:

And do not let yourselves be caught again in the servile yoke.

(15) Paul spoke very strongly (gravissime) about grace and Christian liberty, exhorting the Galatians with the most glorious words that they should persevere in it, for it is easily lost. Therefore he urges them to stand firm, lest through their drowsiness or assurance they fall away again from grace and faith to law and works. But because reason, which prefers the righteousness of the law to the righteousness of faith, thinks that there is no danger in it, Paul indignantly attacks the law of God, calling it a "yoke" and a "servile yoke" with great contempt and disparagement. So also Peter says Apost. 15, 10: "What do you tempt GOD with putting on a yoke" 2c. And so in everything he sets the opposite of what reason teaches. For the false

The apostles diminished the promise and exalted the law and its works in this way: If you want to be free from sin and death and to attain righteousness and life, do the law, be circumcised, keep days, months, times and years, bring sacrifices 2c., then this obedience to the law will make you righteous and blessed. Paul says just the opposite. Those, he says, who teach the law in this way do not free the consciences, but entangle them, and put them under a yoke, and that under a bondage yoke.

(16) Thus he speaks of the law in an exceedingly contemptuous and disgraceful manner, calling it a rope of the hardest servitude and of the servile yoke. And he does not do this in vain. For the harmful delusion that the law makes righteous clings very tenaciously to reason, and the whole human race is so strongly taken up by it and entangled in it that it is very difficult to get rid of it. And Paul, as can be seen, compares those who seek to attain righteousness through the law to oxen forced under the yoke, so that he denies the law its honor, as if it made them righteous. For as the oxen, which with great difficulty draw the yoke, have nothing of it but their fodder, and when they are no longer able to draw the yoke, are slain, so those who seek to attain righteousness by the law are captives, and are pressed by the yoke of bondage, that is, the law. And when they have labored long with great toil and sorrow in the works of the law, they finally bear this reward, that they are wretched servants forever. Whose servants? Of sin, of death, of the wrath of God, of the devil 2c. Therefore there is no greater and harder bondage than that of the law. Not in vain, therefore, does Paul call it a bondage yoke, because the law, as we have often said above Cap. 3, § 447 ff., only indicates sin and makes it greater, accuses, terrifies, condemns, inflicts wrath, and finally, which is the most miserable and hardest bondage, drives consciences to despair. Rom. 3, 20. 4, 15. 7, 7.

17 So Paul uses very heated words.

608 Lri. 6ai. II, 294-296. Explanation of Galatians 5, 1. 2. W. VIII, 2596-2599. 609

For he would gladly bring them to repentance and persuade them not to let the false apostles put this unmistakable yoke on them and not to let them entrap them again in this servile yoke, as if he wanted to say: This is not a completely insignificant or trivial matter, but either infinite and eternal freedom or infinite and eternal bondage. For just as freedom from the wrath of God and from all evil is not a worldly or carnal freedom, but an eternal one, so the bondage of sin, of death, of the devil, 2c., by which those are oppressed who desire to be justified and saved by the law, is not a physical one that lasts only for a time, but an everlasting one. For such works saints, who pursue everything with earnestness (for of such Paul speaks), are never at rest and have no peace. In this life they always doubt God's gracious will, fear death, wrath and God's judgment, and after this life they will suffer the punishment of their unbelief, eternal ruin.

(18) Therefore, those who deal with works of the law are rightly called (to use a popular expression) the devil's martyrs, because they deserve hell with much more toil and trouble than Christ's martyrs deserve heaven. For they are tormented with twofold torture: first, while they live here, they do many and great works, tormenting themselves most miserably, but in vain; then, when they die, they receive eternal damnation and punishment as a reward. Thus they are the most miserable martyrs in the present life and in the life to come, and their bondage is eternal. In contrast, the godly have tribulations in the world, but peace in Christ, because they believe that he has overcome the world John 16:33.

(19) Therefore, we must stand firm in the freedom that Christ has purchased for us through His death, and be careful not to be entangled again in the bondage yoke, as has happened today to the enthusiasts who have fallen from the faith and this freedom, and have here temporal bondage that they inflict upon themselves.

They will be burdened with eternal bondage there. Of the papists, the greater and more prominent part is nowadays becoming more and more epicureans, therefore they make use of the freedom of the flesh wherever they can, and quite certainly sing: Let us now live in pleasure, for after death nothing will come of it. 1) But they are certainly servants of the devil, by whom they are held captive according to his will. Therefore eternal and hellish bondage awaits them. Up to this point Paul's exhortation is strong and serious, but the following one is even stronger.

V. 2. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that wheresoever ye be circumcised, Christ is of no profit unto you.

20 Paul is violently moved and speaks out of great zeal and fervent spirit loud thunderbolts against the law and circumcision, and to these so fervent words, the Holy Spirit, being enraged at the extraordinarily unseemly proceedings, penetrates him, so that he says: "Behold, I Paul" 2c. I, I say, who know that I have the gospel not from man, but by the revelation of JESUS CHRIST, who also know assuredly that I have command and authority from GOD to teach and to make determinations (definiendi), I tell you a judgment which, though new, is certain and true: that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ is of no use to you at all. This is a very hard saying, in which Paul says that to be circumcised is the same as to make Christ useless. Not as if Christ himself could become useless, but to the Galatians, who, seduced by the intrigues of the false apostles, believed that apart from faith in Christ, circumcision was also necessary for believers, and that without it they could not attain salvation.

(21) And this passage is the touchstone by which we may certainly and confidently test all the doctrines, works, services, and ceremonies of all men. All, whether they be Papists, or Jews, or Turks, or heretics 2c.

1. Menius has this rhyme. Latin: Ede, bibe, lude, post mortem nulla voluptas - Eat, drink, play; after death there is no pleasure.

610 Lri. 6ai. II, 296-298. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2599-2693. 611

Those who teach that, in order to attain salvation, something is > necessary apart from faith in Christ, or who establish some kind of > work or worship, or who keep some kind of rule, statute, or ceremony, > thinking that they will thereby attain forgiveness of sins, > righteousness, and eternal life: they hear here that the Holy Spirit, > through the apostle, passes judgment against them, that Christ is of > no use to them at all. And Paul, which is very surprising, dares to > pass this judgment against the law and the circumcision that God has > ordained, what should he not dare to do against the chaff of human > statutes?

Therefore, this passage is a terrible thunderclap against the whole realm of the pope. For all priests, monks, hermits 2c. (I am speaking of the best) have not trusted Christ, whom they have made an angry judge, accuser, and condemner with the greatest injustice and blasphemy, but their own works, righteousness, vows, and merits, and therefore here they hear their judgment that Christ is of no use to them. For if by their own righteousness and severity of life they can put away sins and merit forgiveness of sins and eternal life, of what use is it to them that Christ was born, suffered, shed his blood, rose again, overcame sin, death and the devil, since they themselves can overcome these monsters by their own efforts? But it cannot be said how great a disgrace (indignitas) it is to make Christ useless, and that is why Paul, out of great indignation of mind and movement of spirit, speaks these words: "If you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ is of no use to you," that is, of all his benefits no benefit at all will flow over to you, but for you he has done it all in vain.

23 From this it is sufficiently evident that there is nothing more harmful in the whole world than the teachings of human statutes and works, because they all at once pervert and nullify the truth of the gospel, faith, the right worship of God, Christ Himself, in whom God has decided everything, Col. 2:3: "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom.

The whole fullness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily. Therefore, whoever establishes or deals with works doctrines suppresses the gospel, makes the death and victory of Christ useless, obscures His sacraments and abrogates their true use, and is a denier, enemy and blasphemer of God with all His fine promises and benefits.

24. Whom Paul calls the law of God a servile yoke, that those who claim that keeping circumcision is necessary for salvation make Christ useless, is not deterred from the law and circumcision, but rather from human statutes, from trusting in one's own righteousness and works, and is not provoked to long for freedom in Christ, is harder than stone and iron.

(25) Now this is a very clear judgment: Christ is useless, that is, was born in vain, suffered in vain, 2c. for him who allows himself to be circumcised, that is, who puts his trust in circumcision. For Paul, as I said above, is not speaking of the work in and of itself, which does no harm if one does not trust in it and does not cherish the delusion that one will be justified by it, but of the custom of the work, that is, of the trust placed in the work and of the righteousness that is attached to it. For we must understand Paul's words according to the main subject with which he is dealing (secundum materiam subjectam), or according to the proof which he gives, which consists in this, that men are not justified by the law, works, circumcision 2c. He does not say that works in themselves are nothing, but that reliance on works and righteousness from works, for this makes Christ useless. Therefore, whoever receives circumcision thinking that it is necessary for justification, Christ is of no use to him.

(26) We should be mindful of this in the trials that each one of us must endure when the devil accuses and terrifies our conscience in order to bring it to despair. For he is the father of lies and an enemy of Christian freedom. That is why he plagues us with false terror every moment, in order to make the conscience reject this

612 Arr Oai. n, 2S8-30I. Explanation of Galatians 5, 2. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 5, 2. 3. W. VIII, 2603-2606. ßlZ

I will let go of my freedom, I will always be in fear, and I will feel guilt and terror. When, I say, the great dragon, the old serpent, the devil (who deceives the whole world and accuses our brothers day and night before God's face, Revelation 12:10) comes and reproaches you that you have not only done no good, but have also transgressed the law of God, then say: "You make it difficult for me by reminding me of my past sins, then you reproach me that I have done no good. I do not accept this. For if I either trust in the good works I have done or despair because of the works I have not done, Christ would be of no use to me on either side. So if you hold my sins against me or my good works, I will not turn to them, but put both out of sight and base myself solely on the freedom with which Christ has set me free. I know that he is useful to me, and therefore I do not want to make him useless to me, which would happen if I either failed to obtain grace and eternal life because of my good works, or despaired of my salvation because of my sins.

(27) Therefore we must learn diligently to distinguish Christ as far as possible from all works, whether good or evil, from all laws, whether divine or human, from all sorrowful consciences, for that is not where Christ belongs. He does belong to the sorrowful consciences, but not to frighten them more, but to raise and comfort the already troubled consciences. Therefore, if Christ appears under the guise of an angry judge or a lawgiver who demands an account of how we have spent our lives, we should know for certain that it is not Christ but the raging devil. For the Scriptures do not describe Christ in such a way that he is our reconciler, advocate and comforter. He is and always will be such and cannot become unlike himself.

(28) Therefore, if the devil accepts Christ's permission and disputes with us in this way, "You should have done this, as you were reminded by my word, and you failed to do it; you should have refrained from doing that.

and have done it: therefore thou shalt know that I will punish thee 2c., this shall not move us, but we should immediately remember: Christ does not speak in such a way to the despairing consciences; to those who are distressed about their sins he does not add new tribulation, for "he breaketh not the bruised reed, neither quencheth he the smoldering wick" Matth. 12, 20.. He speaks harshly to the hard, but he beckons the frightened to him in a most loving way, saying Matth. 11, 28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened" 2c. Matth. 9, 13.: "I have come, not to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners." Matth. 9, 2.: "Be of good cheer, my son, your sins are forgiven you." [Jn. 16, 33. "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the odds." Luc. 19, 10.: "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" 2c.

Therefore we must take care that we do not, deceived by the marvelous art and the innumerable wiles of Satan, take the accuser and destroyer for a comforter and savior, and so, under the guise of the false Christ, that is, of the devil, lose the true Christ, and we ourselves make him useless. Let this be said of the temptations that each one has for his own person, as we should have ourselves in them.

V. 3. Again, I testify to everyone who is circumcised that he still owes to do the whole law.

(30) The first harm is certainly immense, that Paul says Christ is of no use to those who are circumcised. This following harm is not less, that he says that those who are circumcised are guilty of keeping the whole law. These words he speaks with such earnestness that he also affirms them with an oath. "I testify" 2c., that is, I swear by all that is holy.

These words can be interpreted in two ways, negatively and affirmatively. In a negative way like this: I testify to every man who is circumcised that he is guilty of having the whole law, that is, that he has nothing of the law; even by the work of circumcision he is not

614 Lri. 6ai. II, 301-S03. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2606-2609. 615

circumcised, even though he fulfills the law, he does not fulfill it, but transgresses it. And this seems to me to be the simple and correct opinion of Paul at this point. For afterwards, Cap. 6, 13. he interprets himself, saying, "For even they themselves, who are circumcised, do not keep the law"; and so he said above, Cap. 3, 10. said, "They that deal with the works of the law are under the curse." As if he meant to say: If ye also be circumcised, ye are not therefore righteous and free from the law, but by that very fact ye have become only the more debtors and servants of the law. Precisely by striving to do enough for the law and to become free from it, you bring yourselves more and more under its yoke, so that it has all the more right to accuse and condemn you. This means going forward like a crab and washing dirt with dirt.

(32) And this, which I take from the words of Paul and speak, I have also learned from experience in the monastery, in myself and in others. I have seen many who, with the greatest zeal and in the best opinion (conscientia), did their utmost to satisfy their consciences; they wore hard shirts, fasted, prayed, tortured and afflicted their bodies with all kinds of pains, with which they would have had to destroy them in the end, even if they had been iron, and yet the more they struggled, the more despondent they became. And especially when the hour of death came, they were so full of terror that I have seen several murderers, who were sentenced to the death penalty, die much more confidently than these people, who had lived extremely holy lives. 1)

Therefore, it is absolutely true that those who do the law do not do it. For the more men strive to do the law enough, the more they transgress it. The same is true of human statutes. The more a man strives to quiet his conscience by them, the more he makes it restless. When I was a monk, I took the greatest care to live according to the prescribed rule; I used to do so, however, only after I had first seriously repented,

1. Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 30, s 32. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XXII, 907.

I often repeated my confession, 2) and faithfully performed the penance imposed on me. And yet my conscience could never become certain, but always doubted and said: You did not do that right, you were not penitent enough, you left that out in confession 2c. The longer I sought to heal my uncertain, weak and shattered conscience with human statutes, the more uncertain, weak and anxious I made it. And in this way, the more I sought to keep human statutes, the more I transgressed them, and as I pursued the righteousness of my order, I could never grasp it, because it is impossible, as Paul says, for the conscience to be pacified by works of the law, much less by human statutes without the promise and gospel of Christ.

(34) Therefore, those who want to be justified and alive by the law are further from righteousness and life than tax collectors, sinners and harlots. For these cannot base their confidence on their works, since these are such that they cannot have confidence that they will obtain grace and forgiveness of sins because of them. For if righteousness and works done under the law do not justify, much less can sins committed against the law justify. In this respect, therefore, they are better off than the saints of works, because they do not have confidence in their own works, which, if it does not entirely remove faith in Christ, nevertheless hinders it very much (maxime).

(35) On the other hand, saints of works, who outwardly abstain from sins and appear to live blamelessly and conscientiously (religiously), cannot avoid the delusion that they trust in themselves and their own righteousness, in which faith in Christ cannot stand, and therefore they are worse off than tax collectors and harlots, who do not hold their good works up to God in his wrath, so that he may give them the benefit of the doubt.

2. Namely, to make up for what had been forgotten. Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 18, § I., Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 556.

616 Li-I. Oru. II, 303-305. Explanation of Galatians 5, 3, W. VIII, 2609-2612. 617

give them eternal life in return (as the works saints do), because they have no good works, but desire to have their sins forgiven for Christ's sake 2c.

(36) Therefore, he who does the law, thinking that he will be justified by it, is still guilty of doing the whole law, that is, he has not yet fulfilled even one letter of the law. Nor was the law given for the purpose of making righteous, but for the purpose of denouncing, deterring, accusing, and condemning sin.

Therefore, the more one tries to counsel the conscience through laws and works, the more uncertain and restless he makes it. Ask all monks who earnestly strive to attain peace of conscience through their statutes whether they can be sure that their status is pleasing to God and that they are in God's grace for it? If they want to confess the truth, they will answer: I live blamelessly and keep my order with the greatest care, but I cannot say with certainty whether this obedience of mine pleases God or not.

38 In the biographies of the Fathers, one reads of Arsenius (whom I have also considered above): Although he had lived for a long time in the greatest holiness and abstinence, he nevertheless began, when he felt that death was no longer very far from him, to be very afraid and to become sad. When he was asked why he feared death, since he had lived his whole life in holiness and had served God without ceasing, he answered that he had lived blamelessly according to the judgment of men, but that God's judgment was quite different from that of men. This man, with the holiness and austerity of a fine life, has attained nothing other than that he feared and was terrified of death. When he was preserved, he had to abandon all his righteousness and base himself solely on God's mercy and say: I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Lord, who suffered, was crucified and died for my sins 2c.

(39) The other understanding see §31, the affirmative one, is that he who is circumcised is guilty of keeping the whole law. For he who accepts Moses in one piece,

He must also accept it in all respects. He who considers one part of the law necessary to salvation must also consider all the other parts of it, and it does not help to say that circumcision is necessary, but not the other laws of Moses in the same way. By the same reason that urges you to circumcision, you are also urged to the whole law.

(40) But to keep the whole law is nothing else than to indicate by the deed that Christ has not yet come. If this is true, then all Jewish ceremonies and laws of food, places and times must be kept, and Christ must still be expected, who, after the kingdom and priesthood of the Jews has been taken away, will establish a new kingdom on the whole earth. But all Scripture testifies, and fact proves it, that Christ has already come, that he has redeemed the human race by his death, has abolished the law, and has fulfilled all that all the prophets foretold about him. So he abolished the law and gave grace and truth. Therefore, neither the law nor its works justify, but faith in Christ, who has already come.

(41) Nowadays, some people have tried to bind us to some of the laws of Moses in the same way as the false apostles did at that time, which they liked. We must not suffer this at all. For if we allowed Moses to rule over us in any way, we would have to bear his whole rule. Therefore we do not tolerate being burdened with any of the laws of Moses. We allow that we must read and listen to Moses as a preacher and witness of Christ, and that we may learn from him examples of the best laws and customs, but in no other way do we allow him to rule over the conscience. Then he shall be dead and buried fine, and no one shall know where his grave is.

42. The first mind, namely, the negating one, seems to me to be most in accordance with the opinion of the Holy Spirit (spiritualior) and most fitting. But either of these two interpretations is good and condemns the righteousness of the law; first, it lacks so much

618 Lri. Kai. II, 3V5-307. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2612-2615. 619

Secondly, whoever wants to do a part of the law is guilty of doing the whole law; in short, Christ is of no use to those who want to be justified by the law. From this it follows that Paul indicates by all this that the law is a denial of Christ. But it is a strange thing that Paul dares to claim that the Law of Moses, which was given by God to the people of Israel, is a denial of Christ. Why then did God give the law? Before the coming of Christ, when it was still expected that he would come into the flesh, it was necessary. For the law is our disciplinarian for Christ. But now that Christ has appeared, we, if we believe in him, are no longer under the disciplinarian. We have spoken about this in sufficient detail at the end of the third chapter. Whoever therefore teaches that the law is necessary for righteousness, teaches the denial of Christ and all his benefits, makes God a liar, and even makes the law itself a liar. For the law is a witness of the promises of Christ and has proclaimed beforehand that Christ will be a king, not of the law, but of grace.

V. 4. Ye have lost Christ, who would be justified by the law, and have fallen away from grace.

(43) Here Paul explains himself that he is not speaking of the law or the work of circumcision as such, but of the confidence and delusion that justification is obtained through it, as if to say: I do not condemn circumcision or the law par excellence. For I may eat, drink, live with the Jews under the law, I may circumcise Timothy 2c. But to want to be justified by the law, as if Christ had not yet come, or, since he is already present, could not alone justify, that I condemn, for that is to lose Christ. Therefore he says, "Ye are stripped" (evacuati estis), that is, ye are pharaohs, 1) that is, free from Christ, Chri-

1. Luther derives the name Pharaoh from denude. Cf. Walch, old edition, Vol. Ill, 1042, s 70.

stus has ceased to be and to work in you. You no longer have anything of the knowledge, the spirit, the mind, the favor, the freedom, the life, the action of Christ, but are completely separated from him, so that he no longer has anything to do with you, nor you with him.

(44) Let this be well observed and firmly remembered, that Paul says that to be justified by the law is nothing else than to be separated from Christ, and that he becomes completely useless to us. What can be said against the law that is more powerful? What can be said against this thunderbolt? 2) Therefore it is impossible for Christ and the law to dwell in the heart at the same time; for either the law or Christ must depart.

45 But if you think that Christ and trust in the law can dwell together in your heart, then you must surely know that it is not Christ but the devil who dwells in your heart, accusing and terrifying you under the form of Christ, and requiring the law and the works of the law for righteousness. But the right Christ, as I also said shortly before, does not confront you about your sins, nor does he make you trust in your good works. And the right knowledge of Christ, or faith, does not dispute whether you have done good works for righteousness or evil works for condemnation, but simply holds that if you have done good works, you will not be justified; if you have done evil works, you will not be condemned.

(46) I do not take away the honor of good works, nor do I praise evil works, but I say that in the matter of justification I must see to it that I keep Christ, lest he become useless to me when I seek to be justified by the law. For Christ alone justifies me against my evil works, and without my good works. If I thus think of Christ, I take hold of the right Christ. But if I think that he will put away from me the law and works, then I will not be justified.

2. The following up to the end of § 45 has been used by Aurifaber (in the translation of Menius) for § 124 of the 7th chapter of the Table Talks. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

620 Ari. "Äi. II, 3Ü7-3I0. Exec. Explanation d. Galatians 5, 4. W. VIII, 26IS-26I8. 621

If I require him for righteousness, he has become useless to me and I have lost him.

These sayings and threats against the righteousness of the law and one's own righteousness are terrifying. Then there are also certain fundamentals (principia) that support the article of justification. So this is the final conclusion: Either you must lose Christ or the righteousness of the law. If you keep Christ, you are righteous before God. If you keep the law, Christ is of no use to you and you are guilty of keeping the whole law and have your verdict Gal. 3:10: "Cursed be everyone who does not abide" 2c.

(48) In the same way we say of human statutes, as we have already said of the law: Either the pope and his clergy abandon all that he has trusted in until now, or Christ will be of no use to him.

From this it is easy to judge how harmful and pernicious the papist doctrine has been. For it has led us far away from Christ and made him completely useless to us. For God complains in the prophet Jeremiah, Cap. 23, 26. f., that the prophets prophesy falsely and prophesy deceitfully of their hearts, and this because they want His people to forget His name 2c. Just as the false prophets left the right interpretation of the law and the doctrine of the seed of Abraham, the giver of blessings to all nations, standing by and preaching their dreams, so that the people would forget their God, so the papists have obscured and suppressed the gospel of Christ, so that there is no longer any use for it, and have insisted only on the doctrine of works, by which they have led the whole race as far as possible from Christ. Whoever seriously considers this must be appalled by it.

And have fallen from grace.

(50) That is, you are no longer in the kingdom of grace. For just as he who falls from a ship into the sea must drown, no matter from what part of the ship he has fallen, so he who falls from grace must also perish. Therefore, whoever wants to be justified by the law, suffers ship.

and plunges into the certain danger that he will have to suffer eternal death. But what greater nonsense and godlessness can there be than to throw away the grace and favor of God and want to keep the Law of Moses? If you keep it, you will inevitably incur wrath and all evil.

(51) But if those who want to be justified by the moral law fall from grace, dear one, where will the works saints fall who want to be justified by statutes and by their vows? Into the deepest abyss of hell. [Rather, they say, they will be lifted up to heaven. For thus they have taught: All those who walk in the rule of Franciscus 2c., upon them be peace and mercy of God; likewise: He who keeps chastity, obedience 2c. will have eternal life. But do not turn away from this vain and ungodly talk, and pay attention to what Paul teaches here, and also to what Christ says John 3:36: "He who believes in the Son of God has eternal life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of GOD abideth on him." Likewise v. 18., "He that believeth not is judged already."

As the doctrine of the papists, to mention this in passing, which has to do with human statutes, works, vows, merits, etc., was the most widespread in the world, it was also thought to be the best and most certain. Through it the devil also established his kingdom through the pope and fortified it in the most powerful way. Therefore, it is no wonder that today, through the power of the Word of God, we challenge it and scatter it like chaff before the wind, that Satan rages so horribly, fills everything with unrest and agitation, and arouses the whole world against us. Now someone might say: It would have been better to keep silent, then none of these great evils would have occurred. We must esteem the favor of God, whose glory we preach, higher than the rage of the world that persecutes us. For what is the pope and

1. This whole paragraph is missing in Menius' translation.

622 Lri. Okli. II, 316-312. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2618-2621. 623

the whole world against God, whom we must certainly esteem and prefer to all creatures? Then the wicked exaggerate the riots and uproars that Satan arouses in order to suppress or at least desecrate our teachings. We, on the other hand, praise the immeasurable benefit and fruit of this teaching, which we esteem far higher than all the pieties, sects and uproars. We are indeed small and weak and carry the heavenly treasure in earthen vessels. But however weak the vessels may be, the treasure is infinite and incomprehensible.

These words: "You have fallen from grace" must not be looked upon coldly and sleepily, for they are very emphatic. Whoever falls from grace loses reconciliation, forgiveness of sins, righteousness, freedom, life, which Christ earned for us through his death and resurrection, and again, instead of these goods, he receives God's wrath and judgment, sin, death, bondage to the devil, and eternal damnation. And this passage powerfully fortifies and strengthens our doctrine of faith or the article of justification, and wonderfully comforts us against the ravings of the papists, who persecute and condemn us as if we were heretics for teaching this article. This saying should reasonably frighten all enemies of faith and grace, that is, all those who deal in works, to stop persecuting and blaspheming the word of grace, life and eternal blessedness. But they are so hardened and obdurate that they do not see with their eyes, and even though they hear with their ears that the apostle passes this terrible sentence against them, they still do not hear. Therefore let us let them go, for they are blind men and leaders of the blind.

V. 5. But we wait in the Spirit through the faith of righteousness, which must be hoped for.

54 Paul concludes here with a beautiful summa (epiphonemate), saying: You want to be justified by the law, circumcision and works. In this way we do not seek righteousness, lest Christ become useless to us, lest we become guilty of keeping the whole law, and lest we

not fall from grace, but "we wait in the Spirit through the faith of righteousness that must be hoped for."

(55) Each word must be carefully considered, for the words are very weighty. He did not merely mean to say, as he usually does, "We are justified by faith," or, "in the Spirit by faith," but he added: "We wait for the righteousness that must be hoped for," at the same time including hope, so that he summed up everything concerning the matter of faith.

(56) Since he says, "We wait in the Spirit by faith," 2c., note the contrast that is in the word "Spirit," as if he meant to say: We do not seek to be justified in the flesh, but deal with it that we may be justified in the Spirit, and that in the Spirit in such a way that it may not be a swarming spirit and a master grown out of itself, as the heretics boast of the Spirit, but our spirit is by faith. Of the spirit and faith has been abundantly said above. But here he does not say only: We are justified by the Spirit through faith, but adds: "We wait for the righteousness that must be hoped for," which is a new addition.

(57) The word "hope", according to the Scriptures, can be taken in two ways: for the thing that is hoped for and for the heart that hopes. Of the thing hoped for, Col. 1:5: "For the hope that is set before you in heaven," that is, for the thing hoped for; of the heart that hopes, Rom. 8:24, 25: "But the hope that is seen is not hope; for how can we hope for that which is seen? But if we hope for that which we do not see, we wait for it through patience."

(58) So also in this passage "hope" can be taken in a twofold way, and accordingly a twofold mind arises. The first is: We expect in the Spirit through faith the hope of our righteousness, that is, the hoped-for righteousness, which must certainly be revealed in its time. The other: We expect in the spirit by faith in hope and desire the righteousness, that is, we are righteous, and yet our righteousness is not yet revealed,

624 Lri. Kai. II, 312-314. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 5, 5. W. VIII, 2621-2623. 625

but is still suspended in hope, Rom. 8:24: "We are blessed in hope." For as long as we live, sin clings to our flesh; the law remains in the flesh and in the members, which is contrary to the law in my mind, and takes us captive into the service of sin. Now when the affections (affectibus) of the flesh rage and we resist them in the spirit, there remains room for hope. We have indeed begun to be justified by faith, through which we have also received the firstfruits of the Spirit, and the slaying of the flesh has begun, but we are not yet perfectly justified. It still remains that we become perfectly righteous, and this we hope. So our righteousness is not yet in fact, but still in hope.

(59) This is a very weighty and exceedingly sweet consolation, by which the sorrowful and troubled hearts, which feel their sins and are terrified by every fiery dart of the devil, can be wonderfully uplifted. For in this battle of conscience, as we know from experience, the feeling of sin, of the wrath of God, of death, of hell and of all terrors prevails tremendously. Then one must say to the one who is challenged: Dear brother, you want to have a righteousness that is felt, that is, you wish to feel righteousness as you feel sin; this will not happen. But your righteousness must reach beyond the feeling of sin, and you must hope that you will be righteous before God, that is, your righteousness is not visible, is not tangible, but it is hoped that it will be revealed in its time. Therefore, you must not judge according to the feeling of sin, which frightens and worries you, but according to the promise and the teaching of faith, through which Christ is promised to you, who is your perfect and eternal righteousness.

(60) Thus, in my hopeful heart (affectu), in the midst of fear and the feeling of sin, my hope is stirred and raised up by faith, so that it can hope that I am righteous. Then hope, which is directed to the thing hoped for (pro re sperata), hopes that what it does not yet see will be accomplished and open in its time.

beard. Both understanding is good, but the former, from the heart that hopes, brings richer comfort. For my righteousness is not yet perfect, nor can it be felt, yet I do not despair because of it, but faith shows me Christ in whom I trust.

(61) When I have taken hold of Christ in faith, I fight with the fiery darts of the devil, and am strengthened by hope against the feeling of sin, holding fast that righteousness is prepared for me in heaven. So both are true, that I am justified here by the incipient righteousness, and in this hope am established against sin, and await the consummation of perfect righteousness in heaven. This is then rightly understood when it is brought into custom.

What a difference there is between faith and hope.

(62) Here the question arises, what is the difference between faith and hope? In this the sophists have labored much, but have not been able to indicate anything certain. For us, who are most diligent in dealing with the Scriptures, and who (without glory) treat them with a far higher spirit and understanding, it is difficult to find a significant difference. For faith and hope have such a close relationship with each other that they cannot be torn from each other. And yet there is some difference between them, which is to be derived from the work which they have to accomplish (ab officiis), from the opposites with which they have to contend (contrariis), and the goal toward which they are directed (finibus).

^1^(63) First. Faith and hope are distinguished according to the source from which they proceed (subjecto); for faith is in the understanding (in intellectu), hope in the will. But in substance they cannot be separated, for they look at each other like the two cherubim of the mercy seat.

1. The following five paragraphs are used by Aurifaber (this time not in the translation of Menius) for K 36 of the 13th chapter of the Tischreden. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

626 Lri. "Li. II, 314-316. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2623-2627. 627

Secondly, according to its work (officio), because faith prescribes, guides and teaches, and is notitia. Hope is an exhortation, for it provokes the heart to be strong and not to waver; to dare, to endure, to persevere in adversity, and in all this to expect things to get better.

(65) Thirdly, according to the object with which they are concerned; for faith has for its object the truth, to which, as it teaches, one must certainly and firmly adhere, and is directed to the word that proclaims the thing (verbum rei) or to the promises of things. Hope has for its object the goodness of God (bonitatem) and is directed to the thing which the word indicates (rem verbi), that is, to the promised thing or to the things which one should hope for, of which faith has prescribed (dictavit) that one should receive them.

Fourthly, according to their order, for faith is earlier than all tribulation; it is the beginning of life, Heb. 11:1, 3; hope is the later; it arises out of tribulations. Rom. 8, 3.

Fifth, according to the contraries against which they are judged (a contrariis); for faith is a teacher and a judge who fights against error and heresies and judges the spirits and doctrines. Hope is a commander or leader in war, fighting against tribulation, cross, impatience, sadness, faintheartedness, despair, blasphemy, and expecting good in the midst of calamity.

(68) Therefore, if I, informed by faith in God's word, take hold of Christ and believe in him with all the confidence of my heart (which, however, cannot happen without the will), I am justified by this knowledge. When I have thus become righteous by faith or by this knowledge, the devil, the father of lies, immediately comes and tries to extinguish faith by his cunning, that is, by lies, errors and heresies. Then, because he is a murderer, he also subordinates himself to suppress it by force. Then hope stands in battle and seizes the cause held out by faith, becomes stout-hearted and overcomes the devil, who looks at faith; when the

is defeated, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit follow. So in the matter itself faith and hope can hardly be distinguished, and yet there is some difference between them. To make it easier to see this, I will explain the matter with a parable.

In the world regiment, prudence and fortitude are different from each other, but these virtues are so closely connected that they cannot be easily separated. But fortitude is a steadfastness of heart that does not despair in adversity, but endures with confidence (fortiter) and expects a better turn (meliora). But if fortitude is not guided by prudence, it is temerity; and again, if fortitude is not added to prudence, prudence is void and useless. 1) Therefore, just as prudence without fortitude is useless in the worldly regime, so in theology faith without hope is nothing, for hope endures and perseveres in adversity and overcomes it. And again, just as bravery without prudence is foolhardiness, so hope without faith is presumption in spirit and a temptation of God. For it lacks the knowledge of the truth or of Christ that faith teaches; therefore, fortitude is blind and presumptuous. Therefore, a godly person must first of all have a right mind and an understanding that is instructed by faith, according to which in tribulation the heart is directed, so that in adversity it hopes for the best that faith has prescribed and taught.

(70) Faith, then, is dialectic, which conceives (concipit) all that is to be believed; hope is rhetoric, which magnifies it, urges it, exhorts it, and encourages it to endure, so that faith may not succumb to temptation, but may retain the word and hold fast to it. Just as dialectics and rhetoric are two different arts, and yet so related to each other that they cannot be separated from each other (for an orator is not a speaker, but a teacher).

1. The following in this paragraph and the beginning of the next paragraph are used by Aurifaber for § 36 of the 13th chapter of the Table Talks, in a very arbitrary revision. In our edition of the Table Talks, this section is omitted.

628 Lri. Ssi. II, 316-318. Explanation of Galatians 5, 5. W. VIII, 2627-2630. 629

Without dialectic, a dialectician cannot teach anything certain, and again, a dialectician without oratory makes no impression on the listeners; but if he combines both, he can teach and persuade), so faith and hope are different states of heart (affectus). For faith is something different from hope, and hope something different from faith, and yet they cannot be separated because of the great affinity they have to each other. Therefore, as dialectics and rhetoric serve each other, so do faith and hope. Therefore, there is such a difference between faith and hope in theology, as between reason and will in philosophy, between prudence and valor in the world regiment, between dialectics and rhetoric in a speech.

(71) In short, faith is obtained by being taught (docendo), for then the heart is taught what is truth, but hope comes from exhortation, because through exhortation hope is awakened in tribulations, which strengthens the one who has already been justified by faith, so that he does not give way to evil, but only opposes it all the more boldly. But if the torch of faith did not shine on the will, hope could not be persuaded. So we have faith, by which we are instructed in heavenly wisdom, understand and recognize it, take hold of Christ and abide in his grace. If then we through faith believe in Christ and confess Him, enemies will immediately rise up against us, the world, the flesh, the devil, who will most bitterly hate and persecute us in body and spirit. Therefore we who have been justified in such faith wait in the spirit through the faith of our righteousness, which must be hoped for. But we wait in patience, because we see and feel the opposite. For the world with its prince, the devil, attacks us inwardly and outwardly with every kind of evil. In addition, we are also afflicted by sin, which makes us sad again and again. Nevertheless, we do not grow weary in all this, nor do we fall away, but bravely uphold the will through faith, which is the

Will enlightens, instructs and governs us, and so we remain steadfast, overcoming all evil through Him who loved us, until our righteousness is revealed, which we believe and hope for.

Thus by faith we have begun, by hope we endure, by revelation we shall attain the whole. In the meantime, as long as we live, we teach the word because we believe, and bring the knowledge of Christ to others as well. If we do this, we must suffer persecution (according to the words Ps. 116, 10.: "I believe, therefore I speak. But I am greatly afflicted"); when we suffer, we are powerfully lifted up by hope, as the Scriptures admonish us with the sweetest and most comforting promises that faith has taught. And so hope arises and grows in us, Rom. 15:4: "That we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Therefore Paul connects not without cause patience with hope in the tribulations, Rom. 5, 3. 8, 25. and elsewhere, because by the same hope is awakened.

(73) Faith, on the other hand, as we have reminded you above, is earlier than hope, for it is the beginning of life and begins before all tribulations. For it learns and grasps Christ without suffering (cruce); but the knowledge of Christ is immediately followed by the cross and the struggle. Then the heart must be exhorted to be strong in spirit (for hope is nothing other than theological courage, and faith, on the other hand, is theological prudence), which proves itself in suffering, according to the words (Rom. 15:4): "That we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." "But now these three remain" [1 Cor. 13:13.); faith teaches the truth and defends it against error and heresies; hope endures and overcomes all evil, bodily and spiritual; love, as follows in the text, does all good. Thus it is with man inwardly and outwardly right (est integer), and he is perfect in this life until the righteousness is revealed, whose expectation is. This will be completely perfect (consummata) and eternal.

Furthermore, this passage contains a very important lesson and great comfort. The teaching is,

630 Ari. Kai. II, 318-320. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2630-2633. 631

that we are not justified by works, outward customs, sacrifices, and the whole service of the Mosaic law, much less by human works and statutes, but by Christ alone. All that is in us without him, whether it be law, works and suffering, or understanding, will 2c., is flesh, not spirit. For all that the world has apart from Christ as the best and holiest is sin, error, and the flesh. Therefore circumcision, the keeping of the law, likewise works, spiritual states, the vows of the monks and all works saints are carnal. But we, says Paul, walk in a much higher nature than all this, in the spirit, because we have Christ through faith, and in tribulation we wait for the righteousness that is to be hoped for, which we already possess in faith.

75 But the consolation is this: that in serious terror (in which the feeling of sin, sadness, despair 2c. is exceedingly great and strong, for this terror penetrates and takes hold of the innermost heart) you do not follow your feeling, for otherwise you would say: I feel very strongly the terrors of the law and the tyranny of sin, which not only fights against me, but takes me completely captive; I feel no comfort or righteousness, therefore I am a sinner, not righteous; but if I am a sinner, it follows that I am guilty of eternal death. Against this feeling strive and say: Although I feel that I am oppressed by sin and completely devoured, and the heart tells me that God is against me and is angry with me, this is not true in fact, only my feeling judges so. God's word, which I must follow in this terror, does not teach me to follow my feelings, but something completely different, namely Ps. 34:19 that God is near to those who are brokenhearted and helps those who have a broken spirit; likewise Ps. 51:19 that He does not despise a troubled and broken heart. Then Paul teaches here that those who are justified in spirit by faith do not yet feel the righteousness they hope for, but are still waiting for it.

76. therefore, if/the law accuses you and

sin terrifies you, and you feel nothing but the wrath and judgment of God, you should not therefore despair, but take hold of the armor of God, the shield of faith, the helmet of hope, and the sword of the Spirit, and try to be a good and valiant warrior. By faith, take hold of Christ the Lord over the law and sin and all things that accompany them. If you believe in Him, you are righteous (this is what the Word of God, not reason or the feelings of your heart, tells you when you are challenged); then, in these struggles and terrors that keep returning and plaguing you, patiently await, through hope, the righteousness that you now have in faith, but only as a righteousness that has begun and is imperfect, until it is perfectly and eternally revealed in its time.

(77) But I do not feel that I have righteousness, or at least I feel it very dimly. Thou shalt not feel, but believe that thou hast righteousness; and if thou believe not that thou art righteous, thou doest great dishonor and blasphemy unto Christ, who hath cleansed thee by the washing of water in the word, yea, who died upon the cross, having condemned and slain sin and death, that thou mightest obtain eternal righteousness and life by him. This you cannot deny (unless you want to be a publicly godless and blasphemous man and completely despise God, all divine promises, Christ and all his benefits), and therefore you cannot deny that you are righteous.

Therefore, in great and terrible troubles, when the conscience feels nothing but sin, and judges that God is angry and Christ is turned away from us, we should learn not to consult the feelings of our heart, but to listen to the word of God, which says that God is not angry, but looks at the miserable, and the brokenhearted, and those who fear His word Isa. 66, 2.; that Christ does not turn away from the weary and the burdened, but restores them 2c. [For this passage clearly teaches that the law and works do not bring righteousness and comfort,

632 L7-I. Kai. II, 320-322. Explanation of Galatians 5, 5. 6. W. VIII, 2633-263S. 633

But this is done by the Spirit through faith in Christ, which awakens the hope that bears and overcomes evil, especially in terror and affliction.

Very few people know how weak and small faith and hope are in the cross and struggle. For then they seem to be a smoldering wick, which the strong wind will extinguish immediately. But those who believe in hope in these struggles and terrors, since there is nothing to hope for, that is, who fight in faith in the promise of Christ against the feeling of sin and the wrath of God, experience afterwards that this very small spark of faith, as it seems to reason because it hardly feels it, becomes, as it were, a world fire (elementarem ignem 2 Petr. 3:10, 12), which fills the whole heaven and consumes all terrors and sins.

(80) Truly godly people in the whole world have nothing dearer and more delicious than this doctrine, because, holding it, they know what the whole world does not know, namely, that sin and death and other misfortunes and evils, bodily and spiritual, serve the elect for the best. Likewise, they know that God is closest when He seems to be farthest away, that He is most merciful and a Savior when He seems to be most angry, to destroy and to ruin. They know then that they have eternal righteousness, which they wait for in hope as their very certain possession, which is apportioned to them in heaven, when they most feel the terrors of sin and death; that they are then lords over all things, when they are most destitute, according to the saying 2 Cor. 6:10., "As having nothing in themselves, and yet having all things." This is what Scripture calls receiving comfort through hope. But this art cannot be learned without frequent and great trials.

V. 6 For in Christ neither circumcision nor foreskin counts for anything, but faith working through love.

(81) The sophists apply this saying to their opinion, since they teach that we must be justified by love or by works.

For they say that faith, even though it is infused by God (I am silent about faith obtained by one's own ability de acquisita), does not make one righteous if it has not received its proper form through love, because they call love the grace that makes man pleasing before God (gratiam gratum facientem), that is, justifies (justificantem) (to speak with our word, or rather that of Paul); then (they say) that love is obtained through our merit, which God must reward according to equity (nostro merito congrui) 2c. Yes, they also claim this, that the admitted faith can exist in the case of mortal sin. Thus they take justification completely away from faith and attribute it (in this way) to love alone, and this they want to have proven with this passage by St. Paul: "Faith that works through love", as if Paul wanted to say: Behold, faith does not make righteous, yes, it is nothing, if love is not added, which does the works (operatrix), which gives faith its right form.

But all these are strange and horrible things, invented by spiritless men. For who could suffer it to be taught that faith, God's gift poured into the heart by the Holy Spirit, could exist in mortal sin? If they were talking about the acquisita or historical faith, and about the natural opinion drawn from history, they could be tolerated; indeed, they were right in talking about the historical faith. But since they teach about the infused faith in this way, they clearly confess that they do not understand anything at all about faith.

Then they read this saying of Paul (as they say) through a colored glass and turn the text upside down and interpret it to their dreams. For Paul does not say: Faith that justifies by love; nor does he say: Faith that makes pleasant by love. They invent such a text and force it into this passage. Much less does he say: Love makes pleasant. Paul does not speak like this, but he says: "The faith that works through love. He does not say that the works of faith are done through love,

634 Lri. 6ai. II, 322-324. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2636-2639. 635

that man is justified by love. But who is such an unlearned grammarian that should not understand from the meaning of the words that to be justified is something different from doing works? For Paul's words are plain and clear: "Faith worketh by love." Therefore it is an obvious theft that those take away the true and right understanding of Paul and instead of "doing works" understand "being justified" and that works are righteousness, while they must also admit in moral philosophy that works are not righteousness, but that works come from righteousness.

84. Furthermore, Paul does not make here a shapeless (informem) faith and as it were a desolate chaos, which neither is nor can do anything, but he ascribes just to faith the activity in works, and not to love, in that he does not invent a crude and shapeless nature (informem qualitatem) of faith, but asserts that it is something active and effective (efficacem et operosam quidditatem) and, as it were, a being (substantiam) or (as they call it) a substantial being (formam substantialem). For he does not say, "Love is active," but, "Faith is active"; he does not say, "Love does works," but, "Faith does works." But he makes love, as it were, an instrument of faith, through which he performs his works. But everyone knows that an instrument does not derive its power, motion, and action from itself, but from the craftsman, worker, or wielder of it. For who would say: The axe gives the carpenter the power and movement to hew? The ship gives power and movement to the skipper to ship? Or to take the example of Isaiah Isa. 10, 15., who would say: The saw draws the carpenter, and the stick lifts up the hand? It is no different when these people say that love is the very essence of faith (formam fidei), or that it imparts power and activity to faith, or that it makes one righteous. Since Paul does not even concede works to love, how should he concede justification to it? Therefore it is certain that with great injustice, not only Paul, but also

against faith and love itself has perverted this passage for love against faith.

(85) But so it is with those who read carelessly, and who put forth their own thoughts in reading the sacred Scriptures, whereas they should be added as such people who know nothing (vacui) and should take their thoughts from the sacred Scriptures, then carefully ponder the words, compare the preceding with the following, and be anxious that they may attain the right (integrum) understanding of some passage, but not invent their dreams by mutilating the words or by tearing out the words.

In this passage, Paul is not talking about what faith is or what it can do before God. He does not discuss (I say) justification. For this he has done in detail above in the whole epistle (per totum). But he concludes, as it were, with a short summary (epiphonemate) 1) of what a right Christian life is, by saying: "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor foreskin counts for anything, but the faith that is active through love," that is, the faith, not a fictitious nor a hypocritical one, but the true and living faith, that is, which practices good works through love and presses for the same. This is nothing else than saying: Whoever wants to be a Christian in truth or in Christ's kingdom must be a believer in truth. But he does not have a true faith, in whom the works of love do not follow faith.

87. And so, on both sides, on the right and on the left, he excludes the hypocrites from the kingdom of Christ; on the left, the Jews and operarios, saying: In Christ neither circumcision, that is, no works, no worship, certainly no standing (vitae genus), but faith alone, without all reliance on works, is valid; on the right, the lazy and idle and idle, for they say, If faith without works justifies, let us do no works, but only believe and do what we will. Not so, ye ungodly, saith Paul. It is true,

1. For Dreser's translation, cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. VII, 2350, § 356; cf. § 54 of this chapter.

636 Lri. Ski. II, 324-326. Explanation of Galatians 5, 6. 7. W. VIII, 2639-2642. 637

that faith alone justifies without works, but I am talking about true faith, which, after it has justified, does not snore idly, but is active through love.

For this reason, as I have said, Paul depicts the entire Christian life in this passage, namely, that faith toward God is internal, and love or works toward one's neighbor is external, so that in this way a man is completely (absolutely) a Christian, internal through faith before God, who has no need of our works, external before men, to whom faith is of no use, but works or love are. Therefore, when one hears or knows of this essence of the Christian life, namely, that it is faith and love, as I have said, this does not yet say what faith is and what love is, for that is another trade (disputatio). For of faith, or the inward nature (natura), power, and usefulness of faith, he has dealt above, where he taught that it is righteousness, or rather justification before God. Here he connects it with love and works, that is, he speaks of its outward office. Here he says that it is the stimulus to good works or to love for one's neighbor and the cause of the same.

Therefore, no one who has a right mind can understand this passage about trade, how to become righteous before God, since Paul is talking about the whole life of Christians, and it is quite a false art of conclusion, or rather a deception in composition and division (fallacia compositionis et divisionis), if one understands from a part what is said of the whole. For dialectics should not suffer from figurative speeches, synecdoches, and hyperboles, as rhetoric does, since it is the master of teaching, describing, dividing, 1) and summarizing as actually as is possible. For what kind of an art of deduction (dialectica) would this be: Man is soul and body and cannot be without soul and body; therefore the body has understanding, the soul alone has no understanding? It is exactly the same art of deduction: The Christian life is faith and love, or

1. aividendl is missing in the Wittenberger.

faith, which is active through love; therefore, love justifies, not faith alone. But away with the human dreams.

90 At the same time we can learn from this passage how terrible darkness is in these Egyptians, who not only despise faith but also love in Christianity and instead toil away with works of their own choosing, with plates, clothes, food and other innumerable masquerades (personatibus) and larvae, for the sake of which they want to be considered Christians. But here Paul stands extremely free and says with clear and distinct words: A Christian is made by faith which is active through love. He does not say: A Christian is made by the cap, the fasting, the clothing, the customs (rite), but by the true faith towards God, which loves the neighbor and does good to him, may he be servant or lord, king or bishop, man or woman, may he be clothed in purple or in rags, may he eat meat food or fish. Nothing, nothing of these things makes a Christian, but faith and love. Everything else is a lie and nothing but idolatry.

And yet, nothing is more despised than faith and love among those who want to be the most Christian and in fact (plan) an even holier church than the holy church of God Himself. Again, they admire and praise their larvae and the fictitious nature of their self-chosen works, but underneath they cherish and cover their terrible idolatries, impieties, avarice, impurity, hatred, murder and the whole kingdom of hell and the devil. So powerful is the power of hypocrisy and superstition at all times from the beginning to the end of the world.

V. 7. You were running fine. Who stopped you from disobeying the truth? 2c.

This is clear. Paul assures that he teaches rightly now and teaches the same as he taught before, but that they would have run before, since they obeyed the truth, that is, they would have believed and lived rightly, but not now, after they were deceived by the false apostles. Furthermore, here he uses a new way of speaking (phrasi), since he calls the Christian life a race.

638 Ari. Kai. II, 327-32S. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2642-2645. 639

is called. For among the Hebrews, to run or walk is as much as to live and walk. Teachers and disciples walk when the former teach purely, but the latter receive the word with joy, and the fruits of the Spirit follow on both sides. This happened when Paul was present, as he testified above in the third and fourth chapters, and here: "You were doing well," that is, everything was going well with you: you were living in the best way, you were striving on the right path toward eternal life, which the Word promised you 2c.

These words: "You walked well" contain a great consolation. The godly are tormented by this challenge, that their life seems to be lazy and more a kind of crawling than a running. But if they remain steadfast in the wholesome teaching and walk in the spirit, they should not be troubled that their activity seems to progress slowly, or rather to crawl. God judges much differently. For what seems to be slow to us, or hardly creeping, runs swiftly for him. Likewise, what in our eyes is sadness, suffering, death, with God is joy, laughter and bliss. Therefore Christ says: Blessed are you who mourn, weep 2c. for you shall be comforted, laugh 2c. Matth. 5, 4. Luc. 6, 21. To those who believe in the Son of God, everything is for the best, be it sadness or death. So they are real runners, and everything they do runs and has happy progress, because the spirit of Christ promotes it, who does not know slow success of his efforts.

Who stopped you from disobeying the truth?

94. in this course are stopped those who fall away from grace and faith to the law and works, as happened to the Galatians, who were persuaded and deceived by the false apostles, whom he covertly heckled with these words, "Who stopped you?" 2c. Similarly, he said above Cap. 3, 1. "Who hath bewitched you, that ye obey not the truth?"

95 In passing, Paul also indicates here that people are so powerfully deceived by false doctrine that they believe lies and heresies.

for the truth and spiritual doctrine, and again swear that the wholesome doctrine which they first loved is erroneous, and that their error is the wholesome doctrine, and that they will defend it with all their strength.

96 Since the Galatians first walked in the best way, the false apostles led them to believe that before they had Paul as their teacher, they were in error and walked slowly. But later, when they were seduced by the false apostles and strayed far from the truth, they were so charmed by their false persuasion that they thought that all their things were going well and were in full swing. The same happens today to those who have deceived the spirits of the imagination 2c. That is why I often say that a fall in doctrine is not a human but a devilish fall, namely from the highest heaven into the deepest abyss of hell. For people who persist in their error lack so much that they should recognize their sin, that they even defend it as the highest righteousness. Therefore, it is impossible for them to obtain forgiveness.

V. 8 Such persuasion is not from him who called you.

97 This is an excellent comfort and teaching by which Paul teaches how to make false persuasion ineffective in those who are deceived by ungodly teachers. For the false apostles were great men who, as far as outward appearance was concerned, far surpassed Paul in doctrine and godliness. Since the Galatians, deceived by this appearance, heard them, they thought they heard Christ and therefore judged that their persuasion was from Christ. On the other hand, Paul indicates, though somewhat obscurely and with some reserve (verecunde), that this persuasion and teaching was not from Christ, who had called them to grace, but from the devil; and so he has removed this false persuasion from the hearts of many. So today we bring many who have been seduced by heretics out of their error again, when we show them that their opinions are fanatical and ungodly.

640 Lri. Kai. II, 32S-331. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 5, 8, W. VIII, 2646-2649. 641

This consolation also applies to all the afflicted who, in the midst of their temptation, have a false opinion of Christ. For the devil is astonishingly good at persuasion, since he knows how to make the smallest and almost ridiculous sin so great that the challenged person thinks it is the most horrible crime, worthy of eternal punishment. Here a heart that is challenged in such a way must be set straight, just as Paul set straight the Galatians, namely, that such a thought or such a persuasion is not from Christ, since it goes against the word of the Gospel, which does not portray Christ as an accuser, as a hard driver, but as a gentle, heartily humble, merciful Savior and Comforter. But if Satan turns this around (for he is a thousand-fold artist) and holds the word and example of Christ against you in this way: Christ is indeed meek, kind 2c., but against the righteous and the saints; against sinners he threatens wrath and destruction, Luc. 13, 5.; likewise he proclaims that unbelievers are already condemned, Joh. 3, 18.; further, Christ has done much good, endured much evil, and commands us to follow his example; but your life corresponds neither to the word nor to the example of Christ, because you are a sinner and an unbelieving man; in short, you have done nothing good 2c. Therefore, the sayings that portray Christ as a judge 2c. belong to you, but not the comforting ones of Christ the Savior 2c. This is the way in which the afflicted should comfort themselves:

The Scriptures present Christ to us in two ways; first, as a gift. If I take hold of him in this way, I can lack nothing at all. For in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2, 3). As immeasurably great as he is, he was made for me by God for wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1, 30). Therefore, even though I have committed many and great sins, if I believe in him, all will be swallowed up by his righteousness 2c. Secondly, Scripture also holds Christ up to us as an example to follow. But this Christ, who is to serve as an example (exemplarem Christum), I will not let him hold up to me, except on a happy day.

I want to have a mirror in which I can look at how much I still lack, so that I do not become secure. But in the time of tribulation I will only hear and accept Christ, who is my gift, who died for my sins and shared his righteousness with me, and who has done and fulfilled for me what I lack in life. For "he is the end of the law, he who believes in him is righteous" (Rom. 10:4).

It is useful to know this, not only so that we, each one of us, may have a reliable means in time of temptation by which to avoid that poison of despair by which Satan intends to poison us, but also so that we may resist the raging mobs of our time. For the Anabaptists have nothing in their whole teaching that has a more beautiful appearance than that they insist so much on the example of Christ and the cross, especially since the sayings are clear in which Christ praises the cross to his disciples. Therefore, we must learn how to resist this Satan who disguises himself in the form of an angel, namely in this way, that we make a distinction between Christ, who is sometimes preached as a gift, sometimes as an example. Each of these two sermons has its appropriate time; if it is not kept, the sermon to blessedness becomes a ruin.

Therefore, to the people who are fearful and already terrified by the burden of their sins, Christ must be held up as a savior and a gift, not as an example and a lawgiver. But to the secure and hardened, the example of Christ and his harsh sayings and the terrifying examples of the wrath of God, as the flood, the destruction of Sodom 2c. should be held up, so that they will repent.

Therefore let every Christian learn that when he is frightened and distressed, he can put out of his mind the false persuasion that has come to him about Christ, which Satan puts into him, and say, "Satan, what are you disputing with me about what I should do? Since I am already sufficiently frightened and troubled beforehand

642 Lr-I. OLi. II, 331-334. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2649-2652. 643

because of my doings and my sins, yes, since I am already weary and burdened, I will not hear you, who are an accuser and a corrupter, but Christ, the Savior of the human race, who says that he came into the world to make sinners blessed, to comfort the despairing, to preach salvation to the captives 2c. This is the true and rightly so called Christ, and besides him no other.

I can find the example of a holy life in Abraham, Isaiah, John the Baptist, Paul and other saints, but they cannot forgive my sins, free me from your power, O devil, and from death, make me blessed and give me life, for this belongs to Christ alone, whom the Father has sealed. Therefore I will not hear you as a teacher, but Christ, of whom the Father said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; him shall you hear" Matt. 3:17, 17:5. In this way, we should learn to be faithful in the face of temptation and the persuasion of false teaching, otherwise the devil will either seduce us with his servants or kill us with his fiery arrows.

V. 9. A little leaven leavened the whole dough.

Jerome and those who follow him blame St. Paul for converting many sayings of the Scriptures to another opinion that is not in them. Therefore, they say that what is contrary to one another in St. Paul is not contrary to one another in his original passage. But they unjustly accuse the apostle, who in a correct manner and with good forethought (prudenter) either makes general sayings into special ones, as he does above in the 3rd chapter [v. 13.He makes the general sentence: "Cursed is everyone who hangs on the wood" into a special one, because he applies it in the most appropriate way to Christ, or he makes special sayings into general ones, as he takes this special sentence: "A little leaven" 2c. in a general way, because he uses it to refer to doctrine, as in this passage where he speaks of justification, as well as to life and evil customs, as in 1 Cor. 5, 6.

The whole letter testifies sufficiently how painful the fall of the Galatians had been for Paul, and how often he had impressed upon them, sometimes by scolding, sometimes by pleading, how great and immeasurable evils would follow their fall if they did not turn back. This fatherly and right 1) and apostolic concern and reminder did not move some at all, for many already no longer recognized Paul as their teacher, but preferred him far above the false apostles, from whom, as they dreamed, they had received the right teaching, not from Paul.

Furthermore, the false apostles undoubtedly disparaged Paul among the Galatians in this way: that he was a stiff-necked and quarrelsome man who separated the unity of the churches for the sake of an exceedingly trivial matter, for no other reason than because he alone wanted to be wise, alone to be highly respected 2c. By this false accusation they made Paul hateful to many. Others, who had not yet entirely fallen away from Paul's teaching, thought there was no danger in departing a little from him in the doctrine of justification -and of faith; and therefore, hearing that Paul was making so tremendously great a thing of so little importance as it seemed to them, they wondered and thought: It may be, after all, that we have departed a little from Paul's teaching, and that something has been missed by us, but it is only a very little thing. Therefore, he should reasonably close his eyes to it, or at least not make it so great, so that the unity of the churches would not be torn apart by this small occasion. He answers them with this very beautiful proverbial saying: "A little leaven leaveneth the whole dough", and this is a warning which Paul respects greatly.

(107) We too must pay great attention to this warning in this day and age. For the Sacramentarians, who deny the bodily presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, nowadays also accuse us of being quarrelsome, harsh and intractable, because we disrupt Christian love and the harmony of the churches because of the one article of the Sacrament. We are supposed to be

1)' vera is missing in the Jenaer and in the Erlanger.

644 Lri. 6Li. n, 334-336. Explanation of Galatians 5, 9, W. VIII, 2632-2685. 645

We do not attach so much importance to this minor article, which, moreover, is uncertain and has not been sufficiently explained by the apostles (especially since they otherwise agree with us on the other articles of Christian doctrine, which are more necessary and more important), that for the sake of this article alone we do not take into consideration either the whole Christian doctrine or the general unity of all churches.

(108) With this very apparent (plausible) reason, they not only make us hated by their own, but also mislead many good people, who judge that we deviate from them out of mere obstinacy or for some selfish (privato) motive. But these are the devil's ploys, by which he tries to overthrow not only this article, but the whole Christian doctrine.

To this reason of theirs we answer with Paul: "A little leaven leaveneth the whole dough. In philosophy, if a small error is made at the beginning, a very great error comes out at the end. So in theology, a small error overturns the whole doctrine. Therefore, doctrine and life are to be separated from each other as far as possible. Doctrine is not ours, but God's, whose appointed servants we are only. That is why we cannot let up or change even one tittle of it. Life is ours, therefore, as far as it is concerned, the sacramentarians cannot demand anything from us that we do not want to and should not gladly take upon ourselves, take credit for and suffer, if only doctrine and faith remain unharmed; with regard to this, we always have this word of Paul in our mouths: "A little leaven" 2c. In this piece we cannot give way even a hair's breadth. For doctrine is like the mathematical point, and therefore cannot be divided, that is, it cannot suffer anything to be taken away or added. On the other hand, life, which is like the physical point, can always be divided, can always yield something.

110. the smallest splinter in the eye damages the eye. Therefore the Germans say of the eye medicine: Nothing is good in the eyes, and Christ says Matth. 6, 22.: "The eye is

of the body light. If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be light" 2c. Luc. 11, 34., and after that v. 36.: "If your body has no bit of darkness, it will be completely light" 2c. With this figurative speech Christ indicates that the eye, that is the doctrine, must be pure, clear and pure, so that it has absolutely no piece of darkness, no little cloud 2c., and Jacobus, not from his own spirit, but no doubt because he heard it from the apostles, said very beautifully [Jac. 2, 10.): "Whoever sins against One, is wholly guilty." Therefore the doctrine must be an uninterrupted (perpetuus) and round golden circle, in which there must be no crack. For as soon as even the smallest crack enters, the circle is no longer whole 2c. What does it profit the Jews that they believe in One God, namely the Creator of all things, that they also believe in other articles and accept the whole holy scripture, while they deny Christ? Therefore, whoever sins in One is entirely guilty.

Therefore, this passage must be well noted against this argumentum, with which they slander us, that we violate love to the greatest harm of the church. We are certainly willing to keep peace with all and show them love, if only they will let us keep the doctrine of faith whole and unharmed. If we cannot obtain this, they demand love from us in vain. Cursed be the love which is kept to the detriment of the doctrine of faith, to which everything must give way, love, apostles, angels from heaven 2c.

(112) Therefore, they sufficiently show how great they consider the glory of the word, since they slanderously belittle this matter. If they believed that it was the word of God, they would not play with it in this way, but would hold it in the highest esteem and ascribe faith to it without all disputation and doubt, 1) and would know that one word of God is all, and all words of God are one; likewise they would know that one article is all, and all articles are one, and that when one is lost, all are lost. For they hang

1. et dubitatione is missing in the Wittenberg.

646 I?ri. "Li. II, 336-S38. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2655-2658. 647

together and are embraced by a common bond.

Therefore, let us let them glory in concord and Christian love, but let us exalt the glory of the word and faith. Love can be neglected at times (in loco) without danger, but not in the same way the word and faith. The task of love is to tolerate everything, to yield to all. On the other hand, it is the duty of faith to suffer nothing, to yield to no one. Love, which gladly yields, believes, accepts, and suffers all things, is often deceived; but when it is deceived, it does not receive such harm as might in truth be called harm, that is, it does not lose Christ, and is not angry because of it, but retains its way of always doing good, even to the ungrateful and unworthy. On the other hand, where blessedness is concerned, when false teachers teach lies and error under the appearance of truth and deceive many, one must certainly not let love prevail, nor approve of error. For here not a benefit is lost, which was done to an ungrateful person, but one loses the word, faith, Christ, eternal life 2c.

Therefore, if you deny God in one article, you have denied Him in all, because God is not divided into many articles, but all is in each article, and One is in all articles. Therefore, we constantly answer the sacramentarians who accuse us of not respecting love with this saying of Paul: "A little leaven leavens the whole dough"; likewise: Discipline and honor, faith and eye suffer no jest. 1)

(115) I have said this in many words in order to strengthen our people and to instruct others who may be annoyed by our constancy and think that we have no valid (certas) and important causes for this constancy. Therefore, let us not be moved by their boasting so much about their efforts for love and unity. For who^GOtt

1. Cf. the note Col. 139, Cap. 2, s 78.

and does not love his word, with him there is nothing in what or how much he loves.

With this saying, Paul reminds both teachers and listeners not to think that the doctrine of faith is something small or trivial that we can play with as we please. It is the ray of sunshine that comes from heaven and enlightens, ignites and guides us. But just as the whole world, with all its wisdom and power, cannot bend the rays of the sun that descend straight from heaven to earth, so also nothing can be taken away from the doctrine of faith, nor can anything be added to it, or it will be completely perverted 2c.

V. 10. I promise myself to you in the Lord.

117 As if to say: I have reminded, fortified and chided you enough, if only you would listen. But I have good confidence in you in the Lord.

118 Here the question arises whether Paul was right in saying that he had good confidence in the Galatians, especially since the Scriptures forbid trusting in men.

Both faith and love believe, but they are different objects to which they are directed. Faith believes God, therefore it cannot be deceived; love believes man, therefore it is often deceived. But the confidence that love has is so necessary for the present life that life in the world could not exist without it. For if a man did not believe and trust another, what kind of life would we have on earth? Christians, because they have love, believe more easily than the children of this world. For good confidence in people is a fruit of the Spirit or Christian faith in the godly. Therefore Paul also has good confidence in the fallen Galatians, but in the Lord, as if he wanted to say: As far as I trust you, as the Lord is in you and you in him, that is, as far as you remain in the truth. If you fall away from it, deceived by the servants of Satan, I will no longer trust you either. In this way, the godly may believe and trust men.

648 AN- dai. II, 338-341. Explanation of Galatians 5, 10. W. VIII, 2658-2661. 649

You will not be of a different mind.

(120) Namely, as to the doctrine and faith as you have heard and learned from me, that is, I promise myself to you that you will not accept any other doctrine that differs from mine.

But he that deceiveth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

121 With this statement Paul condemns the false apostles like a judge sitting on the judgment seat and calls them by a very hateful name people who confuse the Galatians, who they thought were exceedingly godly people and much better teachers than Paul.

122 At the same time, by this terrible judgment, with which he condemns the false apostles with such certainty, he wants to persuade the Galatians to avoid them as the most harmful pestilence, as if he wanted to say: What do you hear those harmful men who do not teach but only mislead you? The doctrine they teach you is nothing else than misleading the conscience. Therefore, however great they may be, they will receive their condemnation.

But from these words: "Let him be who he will" it can be understood sufficiently that the false apostles were very good and extremely holy people according to the outward appearance, and perhaps there was among them some outstanding disciple of the apostles who was a man of great name and important reputation. For it is not in vain that he uses such great and significant words. In the same way he speaks Cap. 1, 8: "But if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed: Why does Paul violate love? Why is he so obstinate in so trifling a matter? Why is he so hasty in pronouncing the sentence of eternal damnation against those who are as much servants of Christ as he is? He cares nothing about all this, but curses and condemns in the most certain and certain way those who violate the doctrine of the faith, such as holy, learned and high

respected people they may be in terms of outward appearance.

In the same way, today we also consider as banished and condemned those who say that the article of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord is uncertain, or who do violence to the words of Christ in the Lord's Supper. We want to have all articles of Christian doctrine, large and small (although for us none is small), pure and certain with the greatest rigor, and this is most necessary. For doctrine is our only light, which enlightens and guides us and shows us the way to heaven; if it has been made unstable in one piece, it must necessarily become completely unstable. Where this happens, love can help us nothing. We can be blessed without love and harmony with the sacramentans, but not without pure doctrine and faith. Otherwise, we will gladly show love to those who agree with us in all the articles of Christian doctrine (pie sentiunt), and we will keep unity with them. Even, as much as is in us, we want to keep peace with our enemies and pray for them who, out of ignorance, blaspheme our doctrine and persecute us. But let us not do the same to those who knowingly and against their conscience violate one or more articles of Christian doctrine.

(125) And Paul teaches us here by his example to be so persistent, since he predicts with the utmost certainty that they will bear their judgment, because of a matter which, as it seemed to the false apostles and their disciples (for both thought, the former, that they taught rightly and godly, the latter, that they believed rightly and godly), was not only quite trivial, but also exceedingly unreasonable. Therefore, as I often remind you, doctrine must be carefully distinguished from life. Doctrine is heaven, life is earth. In life, sin, error, impurity and misery, as they say, are in vinegar. There, love should be able to endure, to suffer, to be deceived, to believe, to hope, to endure everything; there, the forgiveness of sins should be at its greatest, if only sin and error are not denied. But in the

650 Ar!. vLi. II, 341-343. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2661-2664. 651

Doctrine, as there is no error in it, does not require forgiveness of sins.

That is why doctrine and life cannot be compared to each other. A bag of doctrine is worth more than heaven and earth, so we do not suffer it to be violated in the slightest. But with the errors of life we can overlook a great deal (egregie). For we too are daily lacking in life and conduct (moribus), all the saints are also lacking, and they earnestly confess this in the Lord's Prayer and in the holy Christian faith. But our doctrine is pure by God's grace; we have all articles of faith firmly and well founded in the holy Scriptures. The devil would like to defile and pervert them. That is why he attacks us so cunningly with this apparent reason of love and unity of the churches, which must not be violated 2c.

But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I suffer persecution? Then the anguish of the cross would have ceased.

In order to leave no stone unturned to bring the Galatians back into line, Paul now brings a proof taken from his own example. He says that by denying the righteousness of circumcision, I have incurred the bitterest hatred and persecution of the chief priests, the elders of the people, and all my fellow-citizens. If I were to attribute righteousness to circumcision, the Jews would not only not persecute me, but would also praise and love me. But now, because I preach the gospel of Christ and the righteousness of faith, since the law and circumcision have been done away, I suffer persecution.

On the other hand, the false apostles, in order not to suffer the cross and this bitter hatred of the Jewish people, preach circumcision, and so they put themselves in favor with the Jews and keep them as friends. Thus he says below, Cap. 6, 12: "They compel you to be circumcised" 2c. Moreover, they would have liked to bring about that there would be no discord at all, but the highest peace and unity between Gentiles and Jews. But it is impossible

It is essential that this be done without harming the doctrine of faith, which is a doctrine of the cross and full of anguish.

Therefore, when he says, "If I still preach circumcision, why do I suffer persecution? If I still preach circumcision, why do I suffer persecution?" he means to indicate that it would be a great inconsistency and something quite wrong (indignitatem) if the persecution of the cross had ceased. In the same way he speaks 1 Cor. 1, 17: "Christ sent me to preach the gospel, not with wise words, lest the cross of Christ should come to nothing", as if he wanted to say: I would not like the trouble and the cross of Christ to be taken away.

Here someone would like to say: According to this, the Christians are extremely nonsensical that they expose themselves to dangers of their own free will. For by their preaching they accomplish nothing but to invite the wrath and hatred of the world upon themselves and to arouse vexation. That is, as he says, to labor in vain and to strive for nothing but hatred. This, says Paul, is not offensive to us and gives us nothing to strive for, but only makes us stout-hearted and urges us to have good hope for the prosperity and growth of the church, which flourishes and grows under the cross. For Christ, the head and bridegroom of the church, must reign in the midst of his enemies, Ps. 110:2. On the other hand, when the cross is taken down, and the rage of the tyrants and heretics, as well as the arousal, has ceased, and the devil keeps his palace, and all is at peace, it is a sure sign that the pure doctrine of the Word is gone.

This was also noted by Bernard, who said that the church is at its best when it is attacked on all sides by Satan with violence and cunning, and at its worst when it lives in the highest peace. And in a beautiful way he draws by a somewhat hard trope (per catachresin) this word from the song of Hezekiah Is. 38, 17. according to the Vulgate: "Behold, in peace my bitterness is most bitter", which Hezekiah lives in the person of the church in security and peace.

132. that is why Paul considers this to be a very

652 Lri. Oai. II, 343-343. Explanation of Galatians 5, 11. W. VIII, 2664-2368. 653

This is a sure sign that the gospel is not one in which peace remains when it is preached. On the other hand, the world takes this for a certain sign that the gospel is a heretical and seditious doctrine, because it sees that the preaching of it is followed by great unrest, disruption, uproar, sectarianism. Thus God puts on the larva of the devil, and the devil the larva of God, and God wants to be recognized under the larva of the devil and wants the devil to be rejected under the larva of God.

The agony of the cross" can be understood in an active and in a passive way^1^. The cross immediately follows the teaching of the word, according to the saying Ps. 116, 10: "I believe, therefore I speak. But I am greatly afflicted."

But the cross of the Christians is their persecution, because they suffer shame, and yet no one has compassion on them, and therefore it is very annoying. First, they suffer as if they were the most wicked of evildoers, and this is what the prophet Isaiah himself foretold of Christ, Cap. 53:12: "He is numbered with the transgressors. Then the punishments of murderers, thieves, 2c. are lightened, and men are moved by compassion toward them; there is no anger connected with the punishment. On the other hand, the world thinks, as it judges, that Christians are harmful people, that no punishment severe enough can be inflicted on them for their misdeeds, and is not moved by pity, but inflicts on them the most disgraceful death penalty, and thinks that it derives a twofold advantage from it, first, that it does God a service by killing them, and second, that it hopes that public peace will be restored when these harmful people are done with. Therefore, the cross and the death of the blessed are full of aversions.

135 But, says Paul, let not this shameful treatment (indignitas) and the long duration of the cross of Christ and the aversion move you, but rather let this move you

1. "The aggravation of the cross" in an active way is the aggravation which the preaching of the cross causes to the unbelievers; in a suffering way the annoying suffering which the believers, the confessors of the gospel, have to endure.

For as long as this lasts, Christianity (res christiana) is very well off. In this way, Christ also comforts his followers, Matth. 5, 11. 12: "Blessed are you," he says, "when men revile and persecute you because of me, and speak all kinds of evil against you, if they lie about it. Be glad and of good cheer, for you will be well rewarded in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you." The Church will not let this joy be snatched away from her. That is why I would not like the pope, bishops, princes, and gushers to be united with us. Because such unity would be a certain sign that we have lost the right doctrine.

In short, as long as the church teaches the gospel purely, it must suffer persecution. For the gospel praises the mercy and glory of God and exposes the wickedness and wiles of the devil and paints him with his proper colors, stripping him of the robe of divine majesty with which he deceives the whole world, that is, it shows that all worship, religiones, orders, devised by men, likewise the statutes of celibacy, of food, 2c., by which men think they can earn forgiveness of sins and eternal life, are ungodly things and doctrines of the devils. Therefore, the devil is tempted by nothing more than by the preaching of the gospel. For it takes away the guise of God and reveals him for who he really is, namely the devil, not God. Therefore, it is impossible that the anger of the cross does not follow when the gospel blossoms, or surely the devil is not really hit, but only gently stroked. When he is struck, he does not rest, but begins to rage terribly and to shatter everything.

137 Therefore, Christians (if they want to keep the word otherwise) should not be angry or frightened when they see the devil loose and raging (ruptis habenis furere), that the whole world is stirred up, that tyrants show their cruelty, that sects arise, but should certainly know that these are signs of which one should not be frightened, but of which one should rejoice, as Christ interprets it Matth. 5, 12.

654 Lri. Kai. II, 345-347. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2668-2675. 655

joyful and confident" 2c. Far be it, therefore, that the vexation of the cross be lifted, which would happen if we preached what the prince of this world and his members gladly heard, namely, the righteousness of works, and then we would have a gracious devil, a favorable world, an inclined pope and prince. . But because we praise the benefits and glory of Christ, they persecute us and take away our goods and our bodies.

V. 12. Would to God that they also were cut off who disturb you.

Is this apostolic, then, that he not only declares that the false apostles are destroyers, that he condemns them and hands them over to the devil, but also wishes them to be completely cut off and perish, which is clearly cursing? But I think that Paul alludes to circumcision, as if he wanted to say: They force you to be circumcised, but God wanted them to be cut out from the roots.

Here the question arises whether a Christian may curse. He may, but not always and for any reason. If it has come to the point that the word is to be cursed or the teaching blasphemed, and consequently God Himself, then reverse the judgment and say: Praise be to God and His word, and cursed be everything that is besides the word and God, be it an apostle or an angel from heaven. Thus he said above, Cap. 1, 8. "So also we or an angel from heaven," 2c., "let him be accursed." There you can see that Paul respects "a little leaven" so great, that he also presumes to curse the false apostles, who according to outward appearance were men of great renown and great holiness. Therefore, we should not disregard the leaven of doctrine, for however little it may be, if it is despised, it is the cause that one gradually loses truth and blessedness, and denies God. For if the word is falsified and (what must necessarily follow) God is denied and blasphemed, there remains no hope of salvation. But if we are blasphemed, cursed and killed, nevertheless He is still present who

can resurrect us, free us from the curse, death and hell.

Therefore, we should learn to make the majesty and prestige of the Word great and glorious. For it is not something small, as the enthusiasts think nowadays, but a tittle is greater than heaven and earth. Therefore, we do not take love or Christian unity into consideration, but use the judgment seat, that is, we curse and condemn all who in the slightest way pervert or violate the majesty of the divine Word, for a little leaven leaveneth the whole dough. But if they leave us the word whole and unharmed, we are ready not only to maintain love and unity with them, but also to offer to be their servants and to do everything. But if they do not want this, they may perish and be cast into hell, not only they, but also the whole world with the pious and the ungodly, only that God may remain. If he remains, life and blessedness also remain, and the godly will also remain.

Therefore Paul is right in cursing these destroyers and pronouncing the sentence that they are cursed with all that they are, teach and do, and that he wishes them to be cut off from this life and especially from the church, that is, that God will not give prosperity and happiness to their teachings and all their activities, and this curse came from the Holy Spirit. Thus Peter curses Apost. 8, 20 to Simon. He says: "That you be damned with your money" 2c. And in the Holy Scriptures there are many curses against such destroyers of consciences, especially in the Psalms, such as Ps. 55:16: "Death overtakes them, and they must go to hell alive"; likewise Ps. 9:18: "Oh, that the wicked should be turned to hell."

Up to this point, Paul has fortified the article of justification with the strongest grounds of proof. Then, in order to leave nothing to be desired, he has added here and there to this discussion (disputationi) words of reproach, praise, exhortations, threats 2c. At the end he has also cited his own example that he suffers persecution

656 kri. Kai. II, 347-350. elaborates. Explanation d. Galatians 5, t2. 13. W. VIII, 2675-2679. 657

because of this doctrine, and thereby admonishes all the godly not to be angry and frightened if they should see that in the time of the gospel turmoil, agitations, sects 2c. arise, but rather to rejoice and be confident. For the more the world rages against the gospel, the better is the cause (negotium) of the gospel.

This should be the most pleasant comfort for us today. For it is certain that the world hates and persecutes us for no other cause than because we confess the truth of the gospel. It does not accuse us of being thieves, adulterers, murderers, etc., but abhors only this one thing about us, that we teach Christ in a godly and pure way and do not want to stop protecting the truth. Therefore we can already see from the fact that our teaching is holy and divine that the world hates it so bitterly. For otherwise there is no doctrine so ungodly, foolish, ridiculous, corrupt, which the world does not gladly accept, admire (exosculatur) and defend, then also treat reverently, favor, flatter and do everything to will to the professors of it. But the doctrine, which serves for godliness, life and blessedness, and the servants of the same it detests to the highest degree, does it all dishonor 2c. This, then, is a striking proof that the world is so to us only because it hates the Word.

(144) Therefore, when the adversaries reproach us that nothing else arises from this teaching but wars, riots, agitations, mobs, and innumerable other evils, we should answer: Blessed be the day when we may see this. But they say the whole world will be aroused. Quite so; if it were not agitated and the devil did not rage so and put everything into unrest, we would not have the pure doctrine, which must be followed by this unrest and raging. Therefore we take this as a very great good, which you believe to be something evil.

Doctrine of good works.

145 Now follow exhortations and commandments concerning right conduct (de bonis moribus). For the apostles have this habit, that after they have taught the doctrine of the

The first part of the doctrine, which they have presented to the faith and taught to the consciences, also adds commandments concerning conduct, by which they exhort the faithful to perform the Christian duties (officia pietatis) on one another, and this part of the doctrine is also understood and taught to some extent by reason, but of the doctrine of faith it knows nothing at all.

So that it does not appear as if the Christian doctrine abolishes a good conduct and disputes against the orders of the world regime, the apostle also exhorts to good works 1) and honorable outward conduct, to observe love, harmony 2c. Therefore the world cannot justly accuse Christians of abolishing right conduct, of destroying public peace, respectability 2c., because they teach right conduct and all virtues better than anyone else, whether philosophers or persons in authority, because they accept faith in doing so. 2)

But you, brethren, are called to freedom. But see to it that through freedom you do not give place to the flesh, but through love serve one another.

147 As if he wanted to say: You have already attained freedom through Christ, that is, you are above all laws according to conscience and before God, you are happy (beati) and blessed (salvi), Christ is your life. Therefore, although the law, sin and death terrify you, they can neither harm you nor plunge you into despair. This is your glorious and inestimable freedom. Now it behooves you to be careful that you do not give place to the flesh through freedom.

This evil is extremely widespread, and it is the worst thing that Satan instigates in the doctrine of faith, namely, that he immediately draws this freedom, with which Christ has set us free, in many to give place to the flesh. This is what Jude complains about in his epistle, saying v. 4: "Some people have crept in next to us who are ungodly and deprive the grace of our God.

1. Wittenberg: operibus. Jenaer and Erlanger: moribus.
2. This paragraph takes up an entire column in Menius' translation.

658 Lri. 6üi. II, 3S0-V2. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2679-2682. 659

tes on the will of God." For the flesh understands nothing at all of the doctrine of grace, namely, that we are not justified by works but by faith alone, that the law has no right over us. Therefore, as soon as it hears this doctrine, it draws it upon itself, and immediately makes this conclusion: "If we are without law, let us live as we please; let us do nothing good, let us give nothing to the poor, much less let us suffer anything evil. For there is no law to compel or bind us.

Therefore there is danger on both sides, but one is more bearable than the other. If grace or faith is not preached, no one is saved, for faith alone makes one righteous and saved. On the other hand, when faith is preached, as it must necessarily be preached, the greater part of men understand the doctrine of faith carnally, and prefer the freedom of the spirit to the freedom of the flesh. This can be seen today in all classes, high and low. All boast that they are evangelical, boast of Christian freedom, and yet follow their lusts, turn to avarice, pleasure, pride, envy 2c. No one does his duty faithfully, no one serves others through love 2c. This shameful behavior (indignitas) sometimes makes me so impatient that I often wish that such sows, who trample the pearls with their feet, were still under the tyranny of the pope. For it is impossible that this people of Gomorrah should be governed by the gospel of peace.

150 Then we ourselves, who teach the word, do not do our duty in the light of truth with such diligence and zeal as we did before in the darkness of ignorance. For the more certain we are of this liberty which Christ has acquired for us, the colder and more indolent we are in dealing with the word, in praying, in doing good works, in suffering evil, 2c., and if Satan did not afflict us inwardly with spiritual temptations, and outwardly with persecutions of the adversaries, and likewise with contempt and ingratitude from our own people, we would become quite sure, lazy, and unskilled in every good work, and thus in time lose the knowledge of the truth.

Those who do not believe in Christ and faith in him would leave the ministry of the word and seek a way of life that is more comfortable for the flesh. Many of our people are already beginning to do this, moved by the fact that, while working in the Word, they not only cannot earn their living from it, but are also treated most shamefully by those who, through the preaching of the Gospel, have freed them from the most miserable bondage of the pope. They leave the poor and annoying Christ, involve themselves in the affairs of this life and serve their belly, not Christ, but what they will gain from it (quo fructu), they will learn in time.

151. Since we know that the devil is after us, who have the word, in the strongest way (for he holds the others captive according to his will) and is eager to take this freedom of the spirit from us, or at least to cause us to take it by force, Therefore, following the example of Paul, we teach and admonish our people with the greatest diligence and care, that they should not believe that this freedom of the Spirit, which Christ acquired through his death, was given to them for the purpose of giving place to the flesh, or, as Peter says 1 Pet. 2:16, that they might have it to cover wickedness, but that they might serve one another through love.

So that, as we have said, Christians do not abuse this freedom, the apostle imposes a bondage on their flesh through the law of love among one another; therefore let the godly remember that for Christ's sake they are free in conscience before God from the curse of the law, from sin, and from death, but that they are servants in body. Here, according to this commandment of Paul, one should serve the other through love. Therefore, let each one strive to do his duty carefully in his profession and to help his neighbor in whatever way he can. This is what Paul demands of us in these words: "By love serve one another," which do not let the saints be free according to the flesh, but subject them to bondage 2c.

But this doctrine, that we should show love to one another, cannot be applied in any way.

660 Lri- ttai. Il, 352-355. Explanation of Galatians 5, 13. 14. W. VIII, 2682-2685. 661

The Christians are happy to obey them in this. Christians are happy to obey this. But others, when this freedom is preached, immediately conclude: "If I am free, I may do what I want. This thing is mine, why should I not sell it as dear as I can? Likewise: Since we are not blessed because of our good works, why should we give to the poor? 2c. These surely shake off this yoke and bondage of the flesh, and draw the freedom of the spirit upon licentiousness and wantonness of the flesh. To these sure despisers we proclaim for certain (although they do not believe us, but ridicule us) that if they use their bodies and goods according to their will (as they certainly do, because they do not help the needy, do not give right goods in trade non mutuum dant, but defraud the brethren, usurp them with right and wrong 2c.) that they, I say, are not free, however much they may boast of it, but that they have lost Christ and freedom and are servants of the devil, and that they are now seven times worse under the name of Christian freedom than before under the tyranny of the pope. For the devil, who had been cast out, has again entered into them, having taken with him seven other spirits more wicked than he 2c. Therefore it became worse with them afterwards than it was before Matth. 12, 45.

We have the divine command to preach the gospel, which proclaims to all men that they are free from the law, from sin, from death, from the wrath of God by grace for Christ's sake, if only they believe. 2c. It is not in our will or power to hide this freedom, which has already been made known through the gospel, from men or to revoke it, because Christ gave it to us and brought it about through his death, and we cannot force even those sows who fall by force into the unbridled nature of the flesh to serve others with their bodies and goods. Therefore, we do what we can, that is, we diligently exhort them to do so. If we do not achieve anything with our exhortations, then we order the matter to be settled.

GOtte; who in his time will inflict the deserved punishments on these despisers.

In the meantime, we are comforted by the fact that our work and diligence on the blessed is not in vain, many of whom have undoubtedly been torn out of the bondage of the devil through our service and brought into this freedom of the spirit. These few, who recognize the glory of this freedom of the spirit and are again ready to serve others through love, and know that they are debtors of the brethren according to the flesh, please us more than the countless multitude of those who abuse this freedom can grieve us.

156 Paul speaks with quite proper and clear words when he says: "But you, dear brethren, are called to freedom. Now lest anyone dream that he is speaking of the freedom of the flesh, he himself explains what kind of freedom he means by saying, "Only see to it that through freedom you do not give place to the flesh, but through love serve one another." Therefore let every Christian know that through Christ he has been made Lord in his conscience over the law, sin, death 2c. so that these have no right over him 2c. On the other hand, he should also know that this outward bondage is laid upon his body, that he should serve his neighbor through love. But he who understands Christian liberty differently uses the goods of the gospel to his own destruction, and is a worse idolater under the name of a Christian than he was before under the pope. Now Paul goes on to make clear from the holy ten commandments what it means to "serve through love".

For all the laws are fulfilled in one word: Love your neighbor as yourself.

After Paul laid the foundation of the Christian doctrine, he used to build gold, silver and precious stones on it. But the foundation is none other, as he says in the first letter to the Corinthians Cap. 3, 11, than Jesus Christ himself or the righteousness of Christ. On this foundation he builds good works, and indeed truly good works, which he summarizes in this short commandment: "Love your neighbor as your neighbor.

662 Ari. 6ai. II, 355-357. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2685-2688. 663

yourself," as if to say: When I say that you shall serve one another by love, I mean the same thing that the law says elsewhere Deut. 19:18., "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." This means to interpret the Scriptures and the commandments of God correctly.

The thought that the Sophists have of the word "love" is quite cold and null. For they say that to love is nothing other than to grant good to someone, or that love is a quality (qualitatem) inherent in the mind (inhaerentem animo) by which man produces (elicit) a movement of the heart or an action that is called "granting good" (bene velle). This is a quite naked, meager and mathematical 1) love, which, that I say so, has not taken on flesh and blood (non est incarnata), nor does it come to action. On the other hand, Paul says that love must be a servant, and if it is not in the exercise of service, it is not love.

159. But by citing the commandment of love, he attacks in passing (oblique) at the same time the useless (vanos) teachers, against whom he directs his arrows, in order also to defend and fortify his doctrine of works against them, as if to say: Hitherto I have taught you, dear Galatians, the right and spiritual life; now I will also teach you truly good works, and that for this reason, that ye may know that those ridiculous and raving works of ceremonies, which the false apostles alone insist upon, are far inferior to the works of love. For this is the folly and the rage of all godless teachers and enthusiasts, that they not only leave the right ground and the pure and well-founded doctrine, but also, because they cling to their superstition, do not touch the right good works, and therefore, as Paul says 1 Cor. 3:12, build on the ground only wood, hay and stubble. Thus the false apostles, who were the most vehement defenders of works, did not teach or insist that works of love should be done, that Christians should love one another, that they should be ready to help their neighbor in any way.
160. mathematica, that is, that exists only in the imagination, like the mathematical point.

They insisted only on the need to keep circumcision, to observe days, months, etc. They could not teach other good works, because if Christ is destroyed and the doctrine of faith is darkened, it is impossible that the right custom, the right practice, the right understanding of good works should be kept. Nor could they teach other good works, for when the foundation, Christ, is destroyed, and the doctrine of faith is darkened, it is impossible for the right custom, the right practice, the right understanding of good works to remain. For when the tree is taken away, the fruit must necessarily be taken away also.

(160) In the same way, nowadays, the spirits of the pagans talk about the doctrine of good deeds. Therefore, it is necessary for them to teach only fanatical and superstitious works. They have taken away Christ, they have cut down the tree, they have overturned the foundation, therefore they build on the sand and can build on nothing but wood, hay and stubble. They pretend to love masterfully, humility 2c., but in reality they do not love with action and with truth, as John says 1 Ep. 3, 18, but only with words and with the tongue 2c. They feign great holiness, and by this feigned holiness they deceive men into thinking that their works are delicious and pleasing to God. But if you look at this in the light of the Word, you will find that they are only juggleries with ridiculous and trivial things that only concern place, time, clothes, reputation of the person 2c.

For this reason, it is just as necessary for godly teachers to insist as diligently on the doctrine of works as on the doctrine of faith. For Satan is opposed to both doctrines and resists them most fiercely. But faith must be planted first, for without it it is impossible to understand what is a good work that pleases God.

162. That Satan also hates the doctrine of true good works is evident from this. For although all men have a certain natural knowledge implanted in their hearts, by which they are naturally convinced that one must do to another as he would have him do to him, that he must not be made to feel that he is being made a fool.

664 II, 357-3S9. Explanation of Galatians 5, 14. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 5, 14, W. VIII, 2688-2691. 665

(this sentence and similar ones, which we call the natural law, are the basis of human law and all good works), but human reason is so corrupted and blind by the devil's guilt (vitio) that it does not understand this innate knowledge, or even if it understands it, reminded by God's word, it still knowingly neglects and despises it (so great is the power of Satan).

163. Then there is the evil that the devil so listens to all those who deal with their own righteousness (justitiarios) and to all heretics that they leave the doctrine of truly good works undone and only insist on childish ceremonies or whimsical (portentosa) works that they themselves have devised. Reason, which does not understand anything about faith, regards these as great and delights in them extraordinarily. Thus, the people in the papacy did many such foolish and futile works, which God neither commands nor demands, with great pleasure, diligence, zeal, and at great cost.

164 We see the same zeal for futile things today among the "Rottirer" and their disciples, but especially among the Anabaptists. But in our churches, where the right doctrine of good works is most diligently practiced, one cannot be too surprised to see that there is a great deal of sluggishness and sleepiness. The more we exhort and incite people to do good works, to show love for one another, to lay aside their belly care, etc., the more sluggish and cold they become to all exercises of godliness. Therefore Satan with all his might hates and hinders not only the doctrine of faith, but also of good works; here, that our people should not learn them, or, if they know them, do not put them into practice; there, the hypocrites and heretics neglect them altogether, and in the meantime teach foolish ceremonies, or ridiculous and fanciful works, instead of them, by which people are taken in and delight in them. For the world is not ruled by the gospel and faith, but by the law and superstition.

The apostle therefore earnestly exhorts Christians that after they have heard and accepted the pure doctrine of faith,

should also perform righteous works. For even in the justified there remain remnants of sin, which strive against faith as well as against right good works, and draw away from them. Then human reason and the flesh, which in the saints is opposed to the Spirit (but in the ungodly it reigns with all its might), is naturally moved (afficitur) by Pharisaic superstition, that is, it takes more pleasure in God being measured according to the thoughts of reason and the flesh than according to fine words, and does with much greater zeal the works that it has chosen for itself than those that God has commanded. Therefore, godly teachers must take as much trouble to teach and inculcate love that is not feigned, or to insist on truly good works, as they take trouble to teach faith.

Therefore, let no one think that he knows this commandment perfectly: "Love your neighbor" 2c. It is indeed very short and quite easy, as far as the words are concerned, but where are teachers and listeners who "practiced" and performed this rightly with teaching, learning and living? Therefore these words: "By love serve one another," are the same: "Love thy neighbor as thyself," are eternal words, which no godly person sufficiently considers, insists upon, and practices, and, what is to be wondered at, the godly have this challenge, that their conscience immediately afflicts them, if they omit even a very slight thing, which they should have done, but not also if they neglect love (which happens daily), and their heart is not pure and brotherly-minded toward their neighbor. For they do not regard the commandment of love as great as their superstition, from which they are not completely free in this life 2c.

Therefore Paul accuses the Galatians with these words: "For all the laws are fulfilled in one word", as if he wanted to say: You are lovely people, drowned in superstition and your ceremonies of place, time, food 1) which benefit neither you nor others, and meanwhile you neglect love, which should have been practiced alone.

1. ei to is missing in the Wittenberg.

666 Lri. Kai. II, 3S9-362. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2691-2694. 667

What folly this is! Jerome also says: "We hurt our bodies with vigilance, fasting, work 2c., and we neglect love, which alone is the mistress and master of works. And this is seen in a particularly conspicuous way (egregie) in the monks, who most strictly observe their statutes of ceremonies, food, clothing 2c.. If they omit anything, even the slightest thing, they commit a mortal sin. But if they not only neglect love, but also hate each other most bitterly, they do not sin or transgress against God.

Therefore, with this commandment, Paul not only teaches good works, but also condemns foolish and superstitious works. For he not only builds gold, silver and precious stones on the ground, but also destroys the wood, burns the hay and the stubble.

God did well to give the Jews many ceremonies, for by doing so He wanted to show that the naturally superstitious heart of man does not ask anything about love, but is inclined to ceremonies and takes pleasure in carnal righteousness. But in the meantime, God also testified by example in the Old Testament how highly He had always esteemed love and wanted even the law with its ceremonies to give way to it. Since David was hungry and those with him had nothing to eat, they ate the holy bread, which according to the law only the priests were allowed to eat, but not the laity 2c. The disciples broke the Sabbath by plucking ears of corn. Christ himself also broke the Sabbath, as the Jews interpreted it, by healing the sick on the Sabbath. All this indicates that love must be given priority over all laws and ceremonies, and that God requires nothing from us so much as love for our neighbor. Christ also testifies to the same when he says Matth. 22, 39: "The other is equal to it" 2c..

V. 14. For all the laws are fulfilled in One Word, in which: Love your neighbor as yourself.

170 As if to say: Why do you burden yourselves with the law? Why do you bother

you anxiously and torment yourselves with the ceremonies of the law of meals, days, places 2c. ? that one must eat, drink, keep holidays, sacrifice 2c. in such a way? Leave off these useless things (ineptiis) and hear what I say. All laws are fully comprehended in this One Word: "Love your neighbor as yourself." God certainly has no pleasure nor need of this observation of legal customs, but now requires this of you, that you believe in Christ, whom He Himself sent; then you are perfect in Him and have everything. But if you want to add laws to faith, which is the most pleasing service of God, then you should know that all laws are included in this very short commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself. Strive to keep this commandment, and if it is kept, you will be able to

If you have done this, you will have fulfilled all the laws.

And Paul is the best interpreter of the commandments of God, for he sums up the whole of Moses in a very short sum, and shows that in all his laws, which are almost innumerable, nothing else is contained in a short epitome than this exceedingly short word: "Love thy neighbor as thyself. Reason is annoyed by these small and few words, because it says so briefly: "Believe in Christ", and likewise: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Therefore it despises both, the doctrine of faith and of truly good works. But in the meantime, this very small and exceedingly short 1) word of faith: "Faith in Christ" is for the believers a power of God, by which they overcome sin, death, devil 2c., by which they attain blessedness.

172 Thus, as reason judges, the works of serving one another through love are of no consequence, namely, that one teaches the erring, comforts the afflicted. The works, as one serves others through love, are of no importance, namely, that one teaches the erring, comforts the afflicted, straightens out the weak, helps one's neighbor, with which one can only always, that one credits him for his coarse nature (agrestes mores) and his unmannerliness, that one in the church and in the world regiment bears with equanimity complaints, labors, the ingratitude and contempt of the people, obeys the authorities, honors one's parents, and is at home.

1. brevissima is missing in the Wittenberg.

668 Lri. Oai. II, 362-364. Explanation of Galatians 5, 14, W. VIII, 2694-2698. 669

Be patient with a quarrelsome wife, with troublesome servants 2c. But believe me, they are such glorious and delicious works that the whole world cannot comprehend their usefulness and dignity (for it does not measure the works or any other things by God's word, but by the judgment of the godless, blind and foolish reason), yes, it cannot even duly appreciate the value of a single, even the smallest truly good work.

Men are therefore far wrong if they dream that they understand the commandment of love. They have it written in their hearts, because they judge by nature that one should do to another what he wishes to be done to him, but from this it does not follow that they understand it, otherwise they would also prove it by deed and prefer love to all works, and would not esteem their water bubbles so highly and make so much fuss about them, that is, their antics and superstitions, as there are: Walking with a sad face and head hanging, being celibate, living on water and bread, living in the desert, using little clothing, and the like. These strange (prodigiosa) and superstitious works, which they choose themselves, while God neither commands nor approves them, they consider so glorious and holy that they far surpass and obscure love, which is the sun of all works. The blindness of human reason is so incomprehensible and boundless that it cannot judge correctly not only about the doctrine of faith, but also about life and works.

174. Therefore, we must fight with all our might, not only against the opinions of our heart, on which we would naturally rather base ourselves in matters of salvation than on the word of God, but also against the shell and the holy appearance of self-chosen works, and thus learn to esteem the works that each one does in his profession as great, even though they seem small and contemptible when they have only God's command, to esteem great the works that each one does in his profession, even though they seem small and contemptible in appearance, if they have only God's command, and on the other hand to despise the works that reason chooses without God's command, no matter how glorious, important, great and holy they may seem.
175. this commandment I have elsewhere diligently

and abundantly covered, so I will just run through it briefly now. It is a short word and beautifully and powerfully spoken: "Love your neighbor as yourself." No one can give a better, more certain and more real example than himself. And there can be no nobler and more highly esteemed virtuous conduct (profundior habitus) than love, and no more excellent object to which love is directed than one's neighbor. Therefore, the example, the behavior and the object (objectum) are the noblest.

Therefore, if you wish to know how to love your neighbor and have a clear example of it, pay careful attention to how you love yourself. Surely, in distress and danger, you would most heartily desire to be loved and to be helped with all the counsel, goods and strength of all men and creatures. Therefore, you do not need a book to instruct and admonish you on how to love your neighbor, for you have the most beautiful and best book, which contains all laws, in your heart. You do not need a teacher in this matter, but only consult your own heart, which will teach you abundantly that your neighbor should be loved as you love yourself.

Furthermore, love is the highest virtue, which is not only ready to serve with tongue, hand, money and goods, but also with the body and even the life, and is not induced to do so by merit or anything else, nor is it hindered by any indebtedness, ingratitude 2c. of the neighbor. A mother nurtures, cares for 2c. her child because she loves it 2c.

Finally, no living creature toward which you should practice love is more noble than your neighbor. He is not a devil, not a lion, bear, wolf, not stone, wood, etc., but a being that is quite like you, and there is none living on earth that is more lovely, more amiable, more useful, more kind, more comforting, and more necessary, and that is created by nature for friendly intercourse and social life. Therefore, in the whole wide world, nothing could be presented to us that would be more worthy of our love than our neighbor.

179 But that is the wonderful art of the

670 Lri. 6^1. 11, 364-368. ill, 1. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2698-2761. 671

Devil, that he can not only darken this noblest object of our love most strongly and tear it out of the heart, but also persuade the heart of the completely opposite opinion, so that it thinks that the neighbor is not worthy of love, but of the bitterest hatred, and this he can do very easily. He only reproaches you: Behold, this man has such a fault in himself, he has reviled you, he has harmed you 2c. Then this lovable object immediately becomes contemptible, so that he is no longer recognized as the neighbor whom one should love, but is taken for an enemy who is worthy of the greatest hatred. In this way, Satan can wonderfully change the habitum of love in our hearts, so that we turn from lovers of our neighbor into people who belittle, hate and persecute him, and from this commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself," nothing remains in us but the mere and empty letters and syllables.

But our neighbor is every human being, especially the one who needs our help, as Christ interprets Luc. 10:30 ff. Even if he has offended me or harmed me in some way, he has not taken off his human nature (humanitatem) or ceased to be flesh, blood and a creature of God that is completely equal to me; in short, he does not cease to be my neighbor. As long as the human being remains in him, so long does the commandment of love remain, which demands of me that I do not despise my flesh, that I do not repay evil with evil, but overcome evil with good, otherwise love will never tolerate everything, endure everything 2c., 1 Cor. 13, 7.

181 One does not cut off a sick limb, but nurses and heals it, and Paul says that the most dishonest members should be given the most honor 1 Cor. 13:23. But nature is so blinded and corrupted by the poison of the devil, that even if the children of this world know that someone is gifted with many excellent gifts and virtues, still, when they perceive even one spot or blemish in him, they look at it alone, forgetting all his gifts and the good he has in himself. You will also find many such inhuman, bitter scoffers,

who do not call those whom they wish ill by their proper name, but identify them by a vituperative paraphrase, like the one in Terence: He with the squinting eyes, he with the hawk nose, he with the face full of freckles 2c. In short, the world is the devil's kingdom, which most certainly despises faith and love and everything that God says and does.

So Paul commends love to the Galatians and to all the godly (for these alone love), and exhorts them that by it they may serve one another, as if to say, "There is no need to burden yourselves with circumcision and the Mosaic customs (ritibus), but first of all persevere in the doctrine of faith which you have received from me. After this, if ye will do good works, I will show you in one word the highest and greatest works, and how ye may fulfill all the laws: Love one another with right love (per caritatem). You will not lack people whom you can help, for the world is full of people who need the help of others.

This is the perfect doctrine of faith and love and the shortest and longest theology. The shortest in terms of words and sentences (sententias), but in terms of custom and the thing itself, it is broader, longer, deeper and higher than the whole world.

V. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, see to it that you are not consumed one by one.

With these words Paul testifies that peace and harmony cannot exist in the churches, neither in doctrine nor in life, if the foundation is overthrown by ungodly teachers, that is, the faith in Christ, but that other and again other opinions and divisions arise concerning doctrine and life. But once the unity of a congregation is disturbed, there is no end to discord. For since the authors of the divisions (schismatum) disagree among themselves, one teaches this work and the other that it is necessary for salvation. Each holds his own opinion and superstition to be good and wrong.

672 Lri. ttai. Ill, 1-4. Explanation of Galatians 5, 15, W. VIII, 2701-2704. 673

throws those of the other. Inevitably, then, discord and mobs must arise. That is why they bite and devour each other, that is, judge and condemn each other, until they finally perish.

This is attested not only by the Scriptures, but also by the examples of all times. When Africa was turned by the Manichaeans, they were soon followed by the Donatists, who, also divided among themselves, were divided into three sects 2c. In our time, first the Sacramentarians fell away, then the Anabaptists, both of whom are not united among themselves. Thus one sect always gives birth to another, and one condemns the other. When the unity (unitate) ceases, the number, as the mathematicians say, goes to infinity. In the same way, when the unity of the spirit has been violated or destroyed, it is not possible for unity to remain in doctrine and in life, but errors continue to arise on both sides ad infinitum.

We have seen this also in the papacy, in which, since the doctrine of faith lay neglected, it was impossible for unity of spirit to remain. When this was gone, the doctrine of works gave rise to almost innumerable sects of monks. Those who disagreed among themselves measured holiness according to the hardness of the orders and the difficulty of the superstitious works they themselves had devised. Therefore, some wanted to be considered holier than others. Similarly, not only the monks of different orders, but also those who belonged to the same order (professionis) were at odds among themselves; as one potter hated another, so one barefoot (Minorita) hated another 2c. Finally, in each monastery there were as many different opinions as there were monks. So long they had envy, discord, strife, poisonous behavior, biting and eating among themselves, until, as Paul says here, they have now been consumed 2c.

But those who hold to the doctrine of faith and love one another according to this commandment of Paul do not blame one another's status and works, but each approves of the other's status and the service he performs in his profession. No godly person prefers before God the office of the

He does not distinguish between the position (officio) of a subordinate, because he knows that both are God's order and have God's command. He makes no distinction between the position or work of a father and a son, a schoolteacher and a pupil, a master and a servant, but confesses that both are pleasing to God if they are done in faith and obedience to God. It is true that in the eyes of the world these ranks and their offices are unequal, but this outward inequality does not hinder the unity of the Spirit, by which all have the same opinion and the same faith in Christ, namely, that through him alone we are granted forgiveness of sins and righteousness. Then, as regards outward conduct and ministry, one does not judge another, nor reprove his works, nor praise his own, though they far surpass them, but they confess with one mouth and in one spirit that they have the same Christ as Savior, in whom is no respect of person or works 2c.

It is impossible for those who neglect the doctrine of faith and charity and teach superstitious works to do so. A monk does not admit to a layman that the works he does in his profession are as good and as pleasing to God as his own. A nun prefers her status and works to the status and works of a respectable woman who has a husband. She judges that her works are meritorious and serve to obtain grace and eternal life, but a wife does not perform such works. And hence it is that these unholy people, as avarice is wont to adorn itself (ut auri fames), have fiercely insisted and also persuaded the whole world that their status and works are far greater and holier than the status and works of the laity, and if they did not still have and defend this delusion of the holiness of their works among some people today, they would not long retain their prestige (dignitatem) and their wealth. Therefore, you will not be able to persuade any monk or any other saint of works, whoever he may be, that the works of a husband, a wife, a servant, a

674 Lri. Kai. Ill, 4-6. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. Vlll, 2704-2707. 675

Maid 2c. that are done in faith and obedience to God are better and more pleasing to God than those superstitious and strange works of their own choosing that they do. For if the cornerstone Christ is rejected, the builders cannot judge otherwise than that they alone are pleasing to God, especially since they do such excellent and great works. So today the Anabaptists dream that they who suffer poverty, hunger, cold and wear little clothing 2c. are holy, but others who have property 2c. are not equally. Therefore, it is impossible for the works saints and the originators of sects to be at peace with those who do not agree with their opinion, but bite and devour them.

Paul, on the other hand, teaches that such occasions of discord must be avoided and shows how they can be avoided. This, he says, is the way to harmony. Let each one do his duty in the position to which God has called him. He does not exalt himself above others, does not reproach the works of others, and does not praise his own as if they were better, but through love one serves the other. This is the right and simple doctrine of good works.

(190) This is not done by those who have been shipwrecked in the faith, and have imbibed enthusiastic opinions about faith and life or good works, but immediately disagree among themselves about the doctrine of faith and good works, and bite and devour one another, that is, they make accusations and condemn, as Paul says here of the Galatians: "But if you bite one another," 2c. as if he wanted to say: Do not accuse and condemn one another for circumcision, for keeping holidays, or for other ceremonies, but rather judge that you serve one another through love. Otherwise, if you continue to bite and devour one another, see to it that you are not consumed, that is, that you perish completely in body. This almost always happens, especially with the founders of sects, as with Arius and others, and in our time with some. For he who lays the foundation on the sand and builds wood, hay and stubble on it must inevitably perish and be burned. For

All this is ready for the fire, not to mention that such bites and devours are also followed by devastation, not only of a city but of whole countries and kingdoms 2c. Now he explains what it means to serve one's neighbor through love.

It is difficult and dangerous to teach that we are justified by faith without works, and yet to require works at the same time. If here the servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries, who rightly divide the word of truth, are not faithful and wise, then faith and works are immediately mixed together. Each of these two articles, both of faith and of works, must be carefully taught and inculcated, but in such a way that each remains within its proper limits. Otherwise, if works alone are taught, as happens in the papacy, faith is lost. When faith alone is taught, carnal men soon dream that works are not necessary 2c.

192 The apostle had begun above v. 14 to exhort to good works and to say that all laws are fulfilled in one word, namely in this: "Love your neighbor as yourself. Here it might occur to someone: Paul in the whole epistle denies righteousness to the law, because he says: "By the works of the law no flesh is justified" Cap. 2, 16.; likewise Cap. 3, 10.: "Those who deal in the works of the law are under the curse" 2c. But now, since he says that all the laws are fulfilled in One Word, he seems to have forgotten the matter which he treated in this whole epistle, and to have come to an entirely different opinion, namely, this, that those who do the works of love fulfill the law and are righteous. To this objection he answers with these words:

V. 16 But I say, walk in the Spirit.

193 As if to say: I have not forgotten my previous discussion (disputationis) of faith, nor do I now revoke it, since I exhort you to love one another and say that all laws are fulfilled through love, but am completely of the same opinion as before. Therefore I add, so that you may understand me correctly: "Walk in the Spirit" 2c.

676 Lri. 6ai. Ill, 6-8. Explanation of Galatians 5, 16, W. VIII, 2707-2710. 677

Refutation of the Sophists' reason for proof: Love is the fulfillment of the law, therefore the law justifies.

194 Although Paul has spoken here actually and clearly, it has not been of any use. For the sophists drew this conclusion from Paul's saying Rom. 13:10: "Love is the fulfillment of the law," which they did not understand correctly: If love is the fulfillment of the law, then love is righteousness, so we are righteous when we love. These lovely people infer from the word to the work, from the teaching or the commandments to the life in this way: The law commands love, so it immediately follows that it is also put into practice. It is an extremely inconsistent conclusion if someone wants to prove the works from commandments and conclude the works.

We should fulfill the law and be justified by its fulfillment, but sin stands in the way. The Law prescribes and commands that we should love GOD with all our heart 2c. and our neighbor as ourselves, but therefore it does not follow: This is written, therefore it is done; the Law commands love, therefore we love. You cannot muster a man in all the earth who will love GOtt and neighbor as the Law demands. In the life to come, when we will be completely cleansed from all infirmities and sins and be pure as the sun, we will love perfectly and be righteous through perfect love. In this life, however, the flesh prevents this purity, since as long as we live, sin still clings to it. Therefore, sinful self-love is so powerful that it is far stronger than love against GOD and against the neighbor. But in the meantime, so that we may be righteous even in this life, we have the mercy seat and throne of grace, Christ; if we believe in Him, sin will not be imputed to us. So faith is our righteousness in this life. But in the life to come, when we will be thoroughly pure and completely free from all sins and evil lusts, we will no longer need faith and hope, but will love perfectly.

196. that is why it is a great mistake that

Justification is attributed to love, which is nothing, or if it is something, it is not so great as to reconcile God, because even the saints, as I have said, love imperfectly and not purely in this life. However, nothing impure will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But in the meantime we are kept upright by this confidence that Christ, who alone has done no sin, and in whose mouth no deceit has been found, overshadows us with his righteousness. By this screen, the heaven of forgiveness of sins and throne of grace, covered and protected, we begin to love and fulfill the law. But because of this fulfillment we are not justified, nor are we therefore pleasing before God, as long as we live here. But when Christ shall have delivered the kingdom to the Father, and all dominion 2c. shall be done, and GOD shall be all in all, then faith and hope shall cease, and love shall be perfect and everlasting, 1 Cor. 13, 8. This the sophists do not understand. Therefore, when they hear that love is the summa of the law, they immediately conclude: Therefore love justifies. Or again, when they read in Paul's writings that faith justifies, they add: namely, faith that has received its right form through love. This is not the opinion of Paul, as has been said above in detail.

If we were pure from all sins and completely on fire with love for God and neighbor, then we would surely be righteous and holy through love, and there would be nothing else that God could require of us. This does not happen in the present life, but is postponed until the future. We do receive the gift and the firstfruits of the Spirit here, that we begin to love, but very weakly. But if we loved God rightly and completely, as the law Deut. 6, 5 demands: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart" 2c., then lack would be as pleasant to us as riches, pain as pleasure, death as life 2c. Yes, one who loved God rightly and perfectly could not live long, but would soon be consumed by love.

678 Li-I. Kai, III, tz-11. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2710-2713. 679

But now human nature is so corrupt and drowned in sins that it can think nothing right of God or have a right opinion of Him; it does not love God, but hates Him very much. 2c. Therefore, "we," as John 1 Ep. 4, 10. says, "have not loved GOD, but He has loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins"; and above Cap. 2, 20. Paul says, "Christ loved me, and gave himself for me"; and Cap. 4, 4. 5. "God sent His Son, put under the law, that He might redeem the" 2c. Redeemed and justified by this Son, we begin to love, as Paul says in Rom. 8, 3, 4: "That which was impossible for the law" 2c., "that righteousness, required by the law, might be fulfilled in us," that is, begin to be fulfilled. Therefore, what the Sophists taught about the fulfillment of the law is nothing but dreams.

For this reason Paul indicates with these words: "Walk in the Spirit" 2c. how he wants his statement to be understood, since he had said: "Through love serve one another"; likewise: love is the fulfillment of the law 2c. as if he wanted to say: Since I command you to love one another, I require this of you, that ye walk in the Spirit. For I know that you will not fulfill the law. Because sin clings to you as long as you live, it is impossible for you to fulfill the law. But in the meantime, be diligent to walk in the spirit, that is, to fight in the spirit against the flesh, and to follow what the spirit impels you to do 2c.

200 So he has not forgotten the matter of justification. For since he calls them walking in the Spirit, he evidently denies that works justify, as if to say: When I speak of the fulfillment of the law, it is not my opinion that you are justified by the law, but I say this, that there are two different guides in you, which are contrary to one another, the spirit and the flesh. God has stirred up strife and battle in your body, for the spirit fights with the flesh, and again, the flesh with the spirit. Here I ask nothing more of you, for you can do no more than follow the spirit as your leader and resist the other leader, the flesh. Follow the one, against

fight against this. Therefore, when I teach the law and exhort you to love one another, do not think that I am revoking the doctrine of faith and now ascribing justification to the law or to love, but this I want you to do, that you may walk in the spirit, so that you may not carry out the lusts of the flesh.

But Paul actually uses taken words as if he wanted to say: We have not yet come to fulfill the law, therefore we must walk in the Spirit and exercise ourselves to think, speak and do the things of the Spirit, and to resist the things of the flesh. Therefore he adds:

Thus you will not accomplish the lusts of the flesh.

As if he wanted to say: The desires of the flesh are not yet dead, but sprout up again and again, grumbling and fighting against the spirit. The flesh of no saint is so good that, when it has been offended, it would not gladly bite and devour, or at least let something of the commandment of love stand in the way. Indeed, in the first impetuosity it cannot refrain from turning away from its neighbor, desiring revenge and hating him as an enemy, or at least loving him less than it should according to this commandment. This happens to the saints.

This is why the apostle established this rule for the saints, that they should serve one another through love, that they should bear one another's weakness and burden, that they should forgive one another's faults, and without this gentleness it is impossible for peace and harmony to exist among Christians. For it is impossible that you should not often be offended, and in turn, offend others. You see in me many things that annoy you, and I in turn see in you many things that displease me. If here one does not give way to the other through love, there will be no end to strife, discord, envy (aemulationum), enmity 2c.

204. Therefore Paul wants us to walk in the Spirit, so that we do not carry out the lusts of the flesh, as if to say: Although you should be moved by anger, envy 2c.

680 2ri. 6ai. Ill, 11-13. Explanation of Galatians 5, 16, W. VIII, 2713-2716. 681

against a brother who should offend you or do something in a hostile way against you, nevertheless resist through the spirit and do not leave room for these impulses; bear his weakness and love him, as this word prescribes: "Love your neighbor as yourself. For the brother does not cease to be your neighbor because he falls into a trap or offends you, but then he has the greatest need of you to love him. And this commandment, "Love thy neighbor," 2c. demands the same thing, namely, that thou obey not the flesh, which, when it has been offended, hates, bites, devours, 2c., but fight against it in the spirit, and persevere through the spirit in love toward thy neighbor, even if thou shouldest find nothing in him worthy of love.

The Sophists interpret "the lusts of the flesh" as unchastity. It is true that even the godly, especially young people, are challenged by unchastity; indeed, married couples (so corrupt and poisoned is the flesh) are not without unchastity. Now let each one (I am speaking now to godly husbands and wives of both sexes) carefully examine himself, then he will undoubtedly find that he likes the attitudes or manners of another's wife more than his own (and again). The woman to whom he has a right he is weary of, the woman who is denied him he loves. Yes, this tends to happen in all things: what someone has, he despises; what he does not have, he loves. We love what is forbidden and always desire what is denied 2c.

Therefore I do not deny that the lusts of the flesh also include unchastity, but not only because they include all the sinful inclinations with which the godly are challenged, some more, others less, as there are pride, hatred, avarice, impatience, unchastity 2c. Yes, Paul then includes among the works of the flesh not only those gross sins, but also idolatry, heresy 2c. It is therefore evident that he is speaking of all the lusts of the flesh and of the whole realm of sin, which is in the godly, who are the first to be sinned against.

1. We have adopted lohnor with the Wittenberg edition and Menius instead of lo^iiur in the Jena and in the Erlangen.

The one who has received the spirit is fighting against the kingdom of the spirit. So he does not only speak of unchastity, hopefulness 2c., but also of unbelief, distrust, despair, hatred, contempt of God, idolatry, heresies 2c., because he says: "Thus you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. As if to say, I write unto you to love one another; which ye do not, neither can ye do, because ye have the flesh, and that which is corrupted by the evil lust, which not only maketh sin in you, but is the very chief sin. Otherwise, if you had perfect love, no sadness, no misfortune could be so great that it could disturb this love, because it would be spread through the whole body. No wife would be so ugly that her husband should not love her fiercely and spurn all other wives, however beautiful they might be 2c. This does not happen. Therefore, it is impossible that you should be justified by love.

(207) Therefore, do not think that I am revoking the doctrine of faith. For faith and hope must remain, so that through faith we may be justified, and through hope we may be raised up in adversity and remain steadfast. Then we serve one another through love, because faith is not idle, but love is small and weak. Therefore, when I tell you to walk in the Spirit, I am making it sufficiently clear that you will not be justified by love.

208. And in saying that you should walk in the spirit, so that you do not obey the flesh, or so that you do not carry out the lusts of the flesh, I do not require of you that you completely strip off or kill the flesh, but that you keep it in check. For God wants the human race to last until the last day. This cannot happen without parents who beget and raise children. Where these means remain, the flesh must also remain and consequently sin, because the flesh is not without sin.

Therefore, if we look to the flesh, we are sinners; if to the Spirit, we are righteous, and so we are partly sinners,

682 Ari- 6ai. Ill, 13-IS. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2716-2719. 683

righteousness in part. But our righteousness is greater than sin, because the holiness and righteousness of Christ our Reconciler is far greater than the sin of the whole world, and the forgiveness of sins that we have through Him is so great, rich and infinite that it easily consumes all sins if we only walk in the Spirit 2c.

It should also be noted that Paul does not write this only to the hermits and monks who live celibate, but to all Christians. This I say, lest we be deceived with the papists, who have dreamed that this commandment concerns only the clerics, whom the apostle exhorts to walk in the spirit, that is, to tame and subdue the flesh by watching, fasting, working, 2c.., and live chastely, then they would not accomplish the lusts of the flesh, that is, unchastity; as if all lust of the flesh were thereby overcome, if unchastity were subdued and suppressed, which alone they could not suppress by any subjugation of the flesh.

This is what Jerome freely confesses, not to mention others, who was an extraordinary lover and defender of chastity. O how often, he says, when I was in the desert and in that vast wasteland, which, burned by the heat of the sun, gives the monks an uncanny dwelling, I thought that I was with the Roman delights 2c. Likewise: I, who for fear of hell had condemned myself to such a prison, who was only in the company of scorpions and wild animals, was often present in my dreams 1) at the round dances of the young girls. The face was pale from fasting and the mind burned with lusts in a cold body, and while the flesh alone had died sooner than the man to whom it belonged, the conflagrations of the pleasure 2c. If Jerome felt such great ardor of unchastity, feeding on water and bread in the desert, what do you think our clergy will feel, the servants (cultores) of the holy belly, who so fill and expand themselves with delicious morsels,

1. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. VII, 1838 f., § 126.

that it is surprising that they do not burst in two in the middle.

Therefore, this is written not only to the monks, nor to the sinners of the world, but to the whole Christian Church and to all the godly, whom Paul exhorts to walk in the spirit, so that they do not carry out the lusts of the flesh, that is, that they not only restrain the gross impulses of the flesh, unchastity, anger, impatience 2c. but also the spiritual ones, such as doubt, blasphemy, idolatry, contempt and hatred of God 2c.

Also, as I have said, Paul does not require the godly to completely cut off and destroy their flesh, but to keep it in check so that it may be subject to the spirit. Rom. 13, 14. He commands us to wait for the body. For just as we must not be cruel to the bodies of others, nor afflict them with excessive labor, so also we must not be cruel to our own bodies. Therefore, according to Paul's commandment, we must care for our bodies, that they may bear the labors of the spirit and of the body; but only for necessity; not for the nourishment of evil desire, he would have us care for his. Therefore, when the flesh begins to get horny, restrain it by the spirit. If it persists, go into matrimony, for it is better to be free than to suffer heat. When you do this, you are walking in the spirit, that is, you are following the word of God and doing His will.

By the way, as I have said, this commandment to walk in the spirit 2c. concerns not only the hermits and monks, but all the godly, even though they do not live in unchastity. A prince does not commit the lusts of the flesh when he carefully executes his office, when he presides well over his subjects, punishes the guilty and protects the innocent. Against this the flesh and the devil argue and provoke him to start an unjust war, to obey fine lusts 2c. If he does not follow the spirit as a fine guide and the word of God, which reminds him of his duty in a right and Christian way, then he fulfills the lusts of the flesh. So let each one walk in a fine profession in the spirit, and not only not perform unchastity, but also other works of the flesh.

684 Lri. Kai. Ill, 16-18. Explanation of Galatians 5, 17, W. VIII, 2719-2722. 685

V. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

When Paul says that the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, he reminds us that we would feel the lusts of the flesh, that is, not only unchastity, but also hopefulness, anger, sadness, impatience, unbelief. 2c. But he wants us to feel them in such a way that we do not give our consent to them or carry them out, that is, that we should not think, speak and do what the flesh puts us up to and what it provokes us to do, but if it moves us to anger, we should still be angry, as the 4th Psalm, v. 5, teaches, so that we do not sin, as if Paul wanted to say this: I know that ye shall be provoked of the flesh to anger, envy, doubt, unbelief 2c. but resist it in the spirit, that ye sin not. But if you leave the Spirit as your guide and follow the flesh, you will fulfill the lusts of the flesh and die, Rom. 8:13. So this saying is not to be understood of unchastity alone, but of the whole realm of sin 2c.

These are against each other, that you do not do what you want.

These two leaders, he says, in your body, the flesh and the spirit, are against each other, so that you do not do what you want. These words I understand to be said of the faculty (potentialiter), that is, that you cannot do what you will. And this passage clearly testifies that Paul writes this for the saints, that is, for the church that believes in Christ, that is baptized, justified, regenerated, and has perfect forgiveness of sins, and yet he says that it has flesh that contends against the Spirit. In the same way he speaks of himself Rom. 7, 14: "I am carnal, sold under sin"; and then v. 23: "I see another law in my members, which is contrary to the law in my mind" 2c.; likewise v. 24: "I wretched man" 2c.

217 Here not only the sophists are anxiously struggling, but also some of the fathers, how they would excuse Paul. For they consider it shameful that

It is said that this chosen armor of Christ should have sin. We believe the words of Paul, in which he openly confesses that he is sold under sin, that he is taken captive by sin, that he has a law that contends against him, that he serves the law of sin according to the flesh. Here again they answer that the apostle speaks this in the person of the ungodly. The ungodly do not complain about the opposition (rebellione), the struggle and the captivity of sin, because sin reigns powerfully in them. Therefore, this complaint is quite actually that of Paul and all the saints 2c.

Therefore, those who excused Paul and other saints and said that they had no sin, not only acted unwise but also ungodly. For with this pretense (persuasione), which arose from ignorance of the doctrine of faith, they deprived the church of the greatest comfort, eliminated the forgiveness of sins, and made Christ superfluous (otiosum).

Therefore Paul does not deny that he has flesh and the infirmities of the flesh, since he says: "I see another law in my members" 2c. Therefore, it is believable that at times he felt heat, but I believe that it was well suppressed by the heavy and great spiritual and bodily temptations with which, as his letters indicate, he was almost constantly afflicted and plagued, or even if at times, when he was joyful and strong, he felt heat, anger, impatience 2c., he nevertheless resisted in spirit and did not allow those impulses to rule over him. Therefore we do not have to suffer in any way that such passages, which are very full of consolation, in which Paul describes the struggle of the flesh against the spirit in his own body, are perverted with such inconsistent glosses. The Sophists and the monks did not experience spiritual trials, therefore they only made war with unchastity in order to suppress and overcome it, and puffed up by this victory, which, however, they never achieved, they thought that they were far better and holier than married couples, not to say, however, that under this pretense, which is a beautiful

686 Lri.sai. Ill, 18-20. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2722-2724. 687

They have committed and confirmed all kinds of abominable sins (confirmaverint), disunity, arrogance, hatred, contempt for their neighbor, trust in their own righteousness, presumption, neglect of godliness and the word of God, unbelief, blasphemy 2c. They did not fight against these sins, they did not even consider them sins, but thought that only that was righteousness if they kept their foolish and ungodly vows, but sin if they did not keep them.

But we must certainly believe that our primary, complete (rotundam) and perfect righteousness is Christ. If there is nothing on which we can base ourselves, there remain, as Paul says, these three: faith, hope and love. So one must always believe and hope, always take hold of Christ as the head and source of our righteousness. Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. Then we must make every effort to be outwardly righteous, that is, not to give in to the flesh, which always brings evil, but to resist it through the spirit, not to grow weary because of the ingratitude and contempt of the great multitude who abuse Christian liberty, but to overcome in the spirit these and all other temptations. Thus, as far as we fight against the flesh in the spirit, we are also outwardly righteous, although this righteousness does not make us pleasing before God.

Let no one therefore despair when he feels that the flesh is continually stirring up new warfare against the spirit, or when he cannot immediately force the flesh to be subject to the spirit. I, too, wish that I had a firmer and more constant courage, which could not only freshly despise the threats of tyrants, the heresies that the spirits sow, and the agitations and turmoil that they arouse, but which could also immediately shake off the fear and anguish of the heart, which finally would not shun even bitter death, but would receive it as the most pleasant guest. But I find another law in my members, which contradicts the law in my heart.

Mind 2c. Others have to struggle with lesser temptations, such as poverty, shame, impatience 2c. Therefore, let no one be surprised or frightened when he feels in his body this struggle of the flesh against the spirit, but let him be uplifted by these words of Paul: "The flesh lusts against the spirit," and likewise: "These are contrary to one another, that ye do not do according to your will. For with these sayings he comforts the challenged, as if to say, "It is impossible that you should follow the Spirit as your guide in all things without feeling the flesh and being hindered by it. Yes, the flesh will resist, and resist in such a way that you will not be able to do what you would like to do. Here it is enough that you resist the flesh, that you do not carry out its lusts, that is, that you follow the spirit, not the flesh, which easily becomes impatient, desires revenge, bites, doubts, grumbles, hates God, is angry with Him, despairs 2c. Therefore, when someone feels this struggle of the flesh, he should not lose heart, but resist in spirit and say: I am a sinner and feel sin, because I have not yet been stripped of the flesh, to which sin clings as long as it lives. But I will obey the spirit, not the flesh, that is, I will take hold of Christ by faith and hope, and I will build myself up by his word, and when I am thus built up, I will not accomplish the lusts of the flesh.

It is of great benefit to the godly to know and consider this teaching of Paul, for it is of great comfort to those who are troubled. As I was a monk, I thought that if I felt any lust of the flesh, that is, any evil impulse, unchastity, anger, hatred, envy, 2c. against any brother, it would immediately destroy my blessedness. I tried many things, I confessed daily 2c., but I achieved nothing. For the lust of the flesh always returned, so I could not be satisfied, but was constantly tormented by these thoughts: You have committed this and that sin, likewise, you have been guilty of envy, impatience 2c. Therefore

688 Lri. Kai. Ill, 20-23. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 5, 17, W. VIII, 2724-2727. 689

you have entered the holy order in vain and all your good works are useless. If I had rightly understood Paul's sayings at that time: "The flesh lusts against the Spirit" 2c. "The same are contrary to one another" 2c., I would not have martyred myself in this way, but would have thought, as I am wont to do nowadays: Martin, you cannot be entirely without sin, because you still have the flesh in you, you will therefore feel its struggle, as Paul says: "The flesh strives against the Spirit." Therefore, do not despair, but fight against it so that you do not fulfill its lusts, and then you will not be under the law.

^1^I remember that Staupitz used to say: I have vowed to God more than a thousand times that I want to become more righteous, but I have never carried out what I vowed. Furthermore, I do not want to vow such things anymore, because I have now learned from experience that I cannot do it. Therefore, if God is not reconciled and merciful to me for Christ's sake, and will grant me a desired and blessed hour when I must depart from this miserable life, I will not be able to stand with my vows and what I have done well.

This was not only a true, but also a Christian and holy despair, which all those who want to be saved must confess with heart and mouth. For the saints do not base themselves on their righteousness, but cry out with David Ps. 143:2, "O Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant, for before thee no living man is righteous"; likewise Ps. 130:3, "If thou wilt, O Lord, impute sin, O Lord, who shall stand?" But they look upon Christ their propitiator, who gave his life for their sins. Then, what sin is left in the flesh, they know that it will not be imputed to them, but forgiven them through the forgiveness of sins. But in the meantime they fight in the spirit against the flesh, not that they should not feel its pleasure at all, but that they should not accomplish it. Therefore, although they feel that

1. The same narrative is found in § 5 of the 18th chapter of the Table Talks and in § 42 of the 14th chapter. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 560 f. and Col. 507.

If the flesh rages and rebels against the Spirit, and if they sometimes fall into sin through weakness, they do not lose heart because of this, nor do they immediately think that their position and office and the works they do in their profession are displeasing to God, but they straighten themselves up through faith.

(225) So believers have great comfort from this teaching of Paul, that they know that they are partly of the flesh and partly of the Spirit, but in such a way that the Spirit rules, the flesh is subdued, righteousness rules, and sin serves. Therefore, whoever does not know this doctrine, and thinks that the godly must be completely without all lack, and yet feels the opposite, is finally consumed by the spirit of sadness and despairs. But whoever knows this teaching and uses it rightly, even evil will serve him for the best. For if the flesh tempts him to sin, he is provoked and urged by this occasion to seek forgiveness of sins through Christ, to take hold of the righteousness of faith, which otherwise he would not esteem so highly, nor long for with so great a desire.

Therefore it is very useful that we sometimes feel the wickedness of our nature and our flesh, so that we may be encouraged and provoked to faith and to call upon Christ, and on that occasion the Christian becomes a mighty artist and a wonderful creator, who can turn sorrow into joy, terror into consolation, sin into righteousness, death into life, thus keeping the flesh in check, subduing it and subjecting it to the spirit.

Therefore, those who feel the lusts of the flesh should not immediately despair of their blessedness. They may still feel them, but they must not consent to them; they may still be moved by anger, unchastity, 2c., but they must not be governed by them; they may be provoked by sin, but they must not accomplish it. Yes, the more godly someone is, the more he feels this struggle. Hence the great lamentations of the saints in the Psalms and in all the Scriptures. The hermits, the monks, the sophists and all the saints of works know nothing at all about this struggle.

690 Lri. "Li. Ill, 23-25. interpretations On the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2727-2730. 691

But here someone would say that it is dangerous to teach this, that someone would not be condemned if he does not immediately overcome the temptations of the flesh, which he feels, because if this teaching were to be spread among the people, they would become safe, lazy and inactive 2c. This is what I said above, if we teach faith, carnal people neglect works; if works are taught, faith and the consolation of consciences are lost. Here no one can be forced, nor can a certain rule be prescribed, but let each one carefully examine himself to see by what temptation of the flesh he is chiefly afflicted, and where he finds it out, do not be sure, do not flatter yourself, but be watchful and fight against it by the spirit, so that, even if he cannot completely suppress it, at least he will not accomplish it.

229 All the saints have had and felt this struggle of the flesh with the spirit, and we also experience it. Whoever examines his conscience, if he is not a hypocrite, will surely find that it is as Paul describes here, namely, that the flesh lusts against the spirit. Therefore, every saint feels and confesses that his flesh is opposed to the spirit, and that these two are fighting against each other in him in such a way that he cannot do what he wants, no matter how hard he tries and exerts himself. Therefore, the flesh prevents us from keeping the commandments of God, from loving our neighbor as ourselves, much less from loving God with all our heart. 2c. Therefore, it is impossible for us to be justified by the works of the law. The good will is there, which must be there (for it is the spirit that contends against the flesh), which would like to do good, to fulfill the law, to love God and one's neighbor, but the flesh does not obey this will, but resists it. But God does not impute this sin, for He is gracious to believers for Christ's sake.

However, it does not follow that you should disregard or despise sin because God does not impute it. He does not impute it, but to what people and why? Not the stubborn and secure, but

Those who repent and accept Christ, their reconciler, in faith, have all their sins forgiven and the remnants of sin not imputed to them. These do not make their sin small, but rather great, because they know that it cannot be blotted out by any atonement, by any works, or by any righteousness, except through the death of Christ. Nevertheless, they do not despair because of the greatness of their sin, but believe that it will be forgiven them for Christ's sake.

I say this so that no one may think that sin, after one has come to faith, is not to be regarded as great. Sin is truly sin, whether it is committed before Christ is known or afterwards, and God always hates sin; indeed, every sin is a mortal sin as far as the essence of the act is concerned (quoad ad substantiam facti). But that it is not a mortal sin for the believer is because of the Atonement of Christ, who atoned for sin by His death. For the one who does not believe in Christ, not only are all sins mortal sins, but also his good works are sins, as it is written [Rom. 14:23.j: "Whatever does not come from faith is sin."

232 Therefore this is a pernicious error of the sophists, who make a distinction between sins according to the essence of the act (penes substantiam facti), not according to the person. He who believes has the same sin and just as great a sin as an unbeliever, but it is forgiven and not imputed to the believer. But to the unbeliever it is retained and imputed. For the latter it is a sin that can be forgiven (venial), for the former it is a mortal sin, not because of the difference of sins, that the sin of the believer is less, that of the unbeliever greater, but because of the difference of persons. For the believer, through faith, certainly believes that his sin is forgiven him for Christ's sake, since he gave himself up for it. Therefore he remains godly even though he has sin and sins, whereas the unbeliever remains godless. And this is the wisdom and comfort of the true believer, that though they have and commit sins, yet they know that they are forgiven.

692 Ari. 6-a. Ill, 25-28. Explanation of Galatians 5, 17. 18. W. VIII, 2730-2733. 693

not be imputed to them because of their faith in Christ.

I say this for the comfort of the godly. For these alone truly feel that they have and commit sins, that is, that they do not love God fervently enough, that they do not trust in Him from the heart, yes, that they continually doubt that He will take care of them, that they are impatient in their misfortune and are angry with God 2c. Hence come the great lamentations of the saints in Scripture, especially in the Psalms, and Paul complains that he is sold under sin, and here he says that the flesh resists the Spirit. But because (as he says elsewhere Rom. 8, 13) they kill business through the spirit of the flesh and (at the end of this chapter v. 24) crucify the flesh together with the lusts and desires, these sins do not harm them, nor do they condemn them.

234 But if they obey the flesh to fulfill its lusts, they lose the faith and the Holy Spirit, and if they do not abhor sin and return to Christ, who gave the keys to the church to receive and restore fallen ones, and thus regain the faith and the Holy Spirit, they die in their sins. Therefore he does not speak of those who dream that they have faith, and yet live in sins. These have their judgment Rom. 8:13, "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die," likewise Gal. 5:19, 21, "manifest are the works of the flesh, fornication," 2c., "of which I have foretold you, and say yet before, that they which do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

From this it can also be understood which are the true saints. They are not lumps and stones, as the sophists and the monks dream, who are not moved by any thing at all, or never feel the lust of the flesh, but, as Paul says, "their flesh lusteth against the Spirit. Therefore they have sin and can sin, and the 32nd Psalm, v. 5. 6. testifies that the saints confess their unrighteousness and ask forgiveness for the iniquity of their sin, since it says: "I said: I will confess my transgression unto the Lord. Then you forgave

me the iniquity of my sin. For this all the saints will ask you" 2c. Further, the whole Church, which is certainly holy, prays that her sins may be forgiven, and believes the forgiveness of sins, and in the 143rd Psalm, v. 2. David prays, "Go not into judgment with thy servant, for before thee no living man is righteous"; and Ps. 130:3, 4. "If thou wilt, O Lord, impute sin, O Lord, who shall stand? For with thee is forgiveness" 2c.

This is how the greatest saints speak and pray, David, Paul 2c. Thus all the saints speak and pray in the same spirit. The sophists do not read the Scriptures, or if they do read them, they read with a cover hung over their eyes; therefore they cannot judge rightly of any thing, neither of sin nor of holiness.

V. 18 But if the Spirit governs you, you are not under the law.

237 Paul cannot forget his doctrine of faith, but always repeats it and also inculcates it when he speaks of good works. Here someone would like to object: How can it be that we are not to be under the law? You, Paul, teach that we have flesh that lusts against the Spirit, which strives, afflicts and captivates us, 2c., and indeed we feel sin and cannot be free from this feeling, however much we may want to. That is certainly being under the law! Why then, dear Paul, do you say that we are not under the law?

This, he says, should not move you, but only seek to be led by the Spirit, that is, to hold fast that will which is set against the flesh and does not carry out its lusts (for this is to be governed or drawn by the Spirit), then you are not under the law. Thus Paul speaks of himself Rom. 7, 25: "With the mind I serve the law of God," that is, according to the spirit I am not subject to sin, "but with the flesh I serve the law of sin." Therefore, the godly are not under the law, that is, according to the spirit, because the law cannot accuse them and pronounce the sentence of death against them,

[694 ri- Kai. Ill, 28-3". Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2733-2736. 695

although they themselves feel the sin and confess that they are sinners, because the law was deprived of its right by Christ, who was put under the law, so that he redeemed those who were under the law. Therefore, the law cannot accuse as sin what is in truth sin against the law in the case of the godly. So great, then, is the power of the rule of the Spirit that the law cannot accuse what is truly sin. For our righteousness, Christ, whom we take hold of in faith, is blameless, therefore the law cannot accuse him. As long as we cling to him, we are governed by the Spirit and are free from the law. So the apostle, even when he teaches good works, does not forget the trade of justification, but always indicates that it is impossible for us to be justified by works. For the remnants of sin still cling to the flesh, so as long as it lives it does not cease to lust against the Spirit. However, we run no danger, because we are free from the law, if we only walk in the spirit.

239 And with these words, "But if the Spirit governs you, you are not under the law," you can gloriously comfort yourself and others who are suffering from severe temptations. For it often happens that a person is so strongly challenged by anger, hatred, impatience, unchastity, the spirit of sadness, or other lusts of the flesh that he cannot get rid of them completely, no matter how much he wishes to do so. What should he do here? Should he therefore deny? No, but he should say: Your flesh is now fighting and raging against the spirit. Let it rage as long as it wants. Only do not agree with it, but walk in the spirit and let it rule you, so that you do not carry out its lusts. If you do this, you are free from the law. It accuses and terrifies you, but in vain 2c. Therefore, in such a battle of the flesh against the spirit, nothing is better than to have the Word before thee, and from it to get comfort of the spirit.

240 Neither should he who suffers this temptation be moved by the fact that the devil can make the sin so great that it seems to him that he must immediately, when this temptation comes upon him

(in paroxysmo), completely succumb, and feel nothing but pure anger of God and despair. Here, however, let him not follow his feelings, but take this word of Paul: "But if the Spirit governs you," that is, if you align yourselves through faith in Christ, 2c., "you are not under the law." Thus he will have the most powerful protection with which to quench all the fiery darts with which that wicked one shoots at him. So, as much as the flesh may flare up and rage, all its impulses and rages cannot harm it nor condemn it, because, following the spirit as its guide, it does not give its consent to the flesh, nor does it carry out its lusts.

Therefore, the only remedy is that when the impulses of the flesh rage within us, we take up the sword of the spirit, that is, the word of salvation, namely, that God does not want the death of the wicked, and fight against them, then we will undoubtedly be victorious, although as long as the battle lasts, we will feel completely the opposite. But if the word is put out of sight, then neither counsel nor help is 2c. I speak this as one who has experienced it. I have suffered many and many trials, and very severe ones at that. But as soon as I took hold of any word of Scripture and relied on it as a sacred anchor, the temptations soon lost their fierceness, which I could not possibly have endured for even a short time, much less overcome, without the Word.

242 So this is the brief epitome of what Paul teaches in this discussion of the battle of the flesh and the Spirit, that the saints or believers cannot accomplish what the Spirit wants. For the Spirit would like to be completely pure, but the flesh, which is connected with it, does not allow it. Nevertheless, they are blessed through the forgiveness of sins that is in Christ. Then, because they also walk in the spirit and are governed by it, they are not under the law, that is, the law cannot accuse them and frighten them, or even if it does so, it cannot drive them into despair.

696 Dri. "Li. in, 30-32. Ex. Explanation d. Galatians 5, 19. W. vm, 2736-2739. 697

V. 19. But the works of the flesh are evident, as they are 2c.

This passage is not unlike the saying of Christ Matth. 7, 16. 17.: "By their fruits you shall know them. Can you also gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? So every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. "2c. Paul teaches in this passage quite the same thing that Christ teaches there, namely, that the works and fruits sufficiently testify whether the trees feast well or evil, whether men follow the flesh or the Spirit as their guide, as if to say: Lest some of you pretend not to understand what I am about to say about the warfare of the flesh and of the Spirit, I will set before you first the works of the flesh, most of which are known even to the ungodly; then the fruits of the Spirit.

244 And Paul does this because there were many hypocrites among the Galatians, as there are among us today, who claimed to be godly, boasted of the Spirit, and, as far as words were concerned, knew the doctrine of godliness well. Yet they did not walk in the Spirit, but in the flesh, performing the works of the same. And just by this Paul obviously convicts them that they were not the people they claimed to be, and so that they would not also despise this admonition of his, he passes a terrible judgment against them that they will not inherit the kingdom of God, so that they, reminded by this, would improve themselves.

People of all ages, even among the godly, have their particular temptations; youthful age is mainly tempted by unchastity, male age by ambition and vain honor, and old age by avarice. Therefore I have said above that there never was a saint whom the flesh did not often provoke to impatience, anger 2c. in his life. Therefore Paul, speaking of the saints, says that in them the flesh lusted against the Spirit 2c.

246 Therefore, the lusts and struggles of the flesh will not be lacking, but they do not immediately harm those who feel them.

If one is tempted by the flesh and does not give room to the lusts of the flesh, but walks in the spirit and opposes it 2c., and something else if one agrees with the flesh and performs his works safely, continues in them, and yet pretends to be godly and boasts of the spirit 2c. The former he comforts by saying that they are governed by the spirit and are not under the law; the latter he threatens with eternal destruction.

Yes, it sometimes happens that the saints fall and commit the lusts of the flesh, as David did a great and terrible fall, committing adultery, and also causing the murder of many, because he wanted Uriah to perish in battle, and thereby also gave the enemies an opportunity to boast against the people of God, to worship their idol, and to blaspheme the God of Israel. Peter also fell horribly by denying Christ. But however great these sins may be, they were not committed out of contempt for God or deliberate wickedness, but out of weakness. Then, too, when they were admonished, they did not stubbornly persist in their sins, but repented 2c. Of such he commands later, Cap. 6, 1, that they should be received, instructed and restored, saying: "If a man is overtaken by error" 2c.

Therefore, grace is not denied to those who sin and fall out of weakness, if they only get up again and do not persist in their sins. But persisting in them is exceedingly evil 2c. 1) But if they do not repent, but continue to persist in the lusts of the flesh, it is a sure sign that their minds are full of falsehood. Therefore no one will be without lusts as long as he lives in the flesh, therefore no one will be without temptations. But one is challenged differently from the other, according to the difference of the persons. One is challenged by more important emotions, such as sadness of the spirit, blasphemy, misconduct, and the like.

1. The following up to the end of this paragraph is missing in Menius.

698 Lri. Kai. Ill, 32-35. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2739-2741. 699

another with greater sins, as unchastity, anger, hatred 2c. But there Paul demands of us to walk in the spirit and resist the flesh. But he that obeys the flesh, and safely continues to perform his lusts, let him know that he is not Christ's, and however much he may adorn himself with the name of a Christian, yet he deceives himself. For "those who belong to Christ crucify their flesh along with their lusts and desires" (Gal. 5:24).

What people are truly called and are holy.

This passage, as I have also mentioned above, contains an extremely important consolation, because it reminds us that the saints cannot live without lusts and temptations of the flesh, and even without sins. It exhorts us, then, not to do as some of those of whom Gerson writes, who relied on the fact that they felt nothing at all of temptations and sins, that is, that they were entirely stones. The sophists and the monks had such a conceit of the saints, as if they were all sticks and blocks and completely without any emotions. Certainly, Mary felt great pain in her soul when she lost her son, Luc. 2, 35. David complains in the Psalms that he was almost consumed by the great sorrow that came over him because of the greatness of his temptations and sins. Paul also complains that he feels strife outwardly, fear inwardly 2 Cor. 7:5, that he serves the law of sin with the flesh Rom. 7:25; he says 2 Cor. 11:28 that he cares for all the churches, and Phil. 2:27 that God had mercy on him, that he brought Epaphroditus, who was near death, back to life, so that he would not have one sorrow over another. Therefore, the saints of the Sophists are equal to the wives of the Stoics, who have invented such ways that have never existed in the whole world, and with this foolish and godless opinion, which arose from ignorance of this teaching of Paul, the Sophists have brought themselves and countless others to despair.

Since I was a monk, I often wished with all my heart that I would be fortunate enough to see the life of some holy man. But I dreamed of such a saint, who lived in the desert, abstained from food and drink, and lived only on the roots of herbs and cold water, and this delusion of such strange saints I had not only drawn from the books of the Sophists, but also from those of the Fathers. For somewhere St. Jerome writes: "But of food and drink I am silent, because it is more than enough that even the sick use cold water and take some cooked food 2c.

But now that the sun of truth shines, we see clearly that Christ and the apostles call saints, not those who lead an unmarried life, abstain from wine, or do other seemingly conspicuous works, as one reads of many in the descriptions of the lives of the fathers, but those who are called and baptized by the gospel, and believe that they are sanctified and cleansed by Christ's death and blood. Thus, wherever Paul writes to Christians, he calls them saints, children and heirs of God 2c. Saints, then, are all who believe in Christ, however many they may be, whether men or women, servants or free 2c., not by their works, but by the works of God, which they receive through faith, such as: the Word, the sacraments, Christ's suffering, death, resurrection and victory, the sending of the Holy Spirit 2c. In short, they are saints by suffering, not by active holiness (sanctitate passiva, non activa).

The ministers of the word, the worldly authorities, parents, children, masters, servants, 2c. are truly holy, if they first of all certainly believe that Christ is their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and salvation; then if each one does his duty in his profession according to the precepts of the word of God, not obeying the flesh, but subduing its desires and lusts through the Spirit. Now that not all are equally strong 1) but in most there are still many weaknesses

1. In the Wittenberg: inürrru instead: Urim.

700 Lri. 6ai. Ill, 35-37. Explanation of Galatians 5, 19, W. VIII, 2741-2744. 701

The fact that they are seen as evil and evil-doers does not hinder their holiness, if they sin not out of deliberate wickedness but out of weakness. For, as I have said several times, the godly feel the lusts of the flesh, but fight against them, so that they do not carry them out. Likewise, though they fall into sin unawares, they obtain forgiveness when they are raised up again through faith in Christ, who does not want us to cast them away, but to seek the lost sheep 2c. Far be it, therefore, that I should immediately judge those who are weak in faith or life to be godless people, when I see that they love and honor the Word and partake of the Lord's Supper 2c. For God has accepted these and counts them righteous through the forgiveness of sins. To Him they stand and fall 2c.

Therefore, I thank God with joy that He has given me abundantly what I once asked for as a monk, that I have seen not one saint, but many, yes, countless true saints, not such as the sophists invent, but such as Christ Himself and the apostles paint and describe, of which I am also one by God's grace. For I have been baptized and believe that Christ, my Lord, has redeemed me from sins by his death and has given me eternal righteousness and holiness. And cursed be he that giveth not this glory to Christ, that he believeth that he is justified and sanctified by his death, word, sacraments 2c.

Let us therefore cast off this foolish and impious delusion concerning the name "saints" (which we thought belonged only to the saints in heaven and on earth to the hermits and monks who performed certain strange works), and let us now learn from sacred Scripture that all who believe in Christ are saints. The world admires the holiness of Benedictus, Gregory, Bernard, Franciscus, and their like, because it hears that they did glorious and unusual works. Certainly, Hilarius, Cyril, Athanasius, Ambrose, Augustine and others were also holy, who lived such a hard and

They did not lead an austere life like those, but lived among people, ate common food, drank wine, and wore dainty and appropriate clothing. And as far as the ordinary way of life is concerned, there was almost no difference between them and other respectable men, and yet they are far preferable to the above-mentioned. For they taught the faith in Christ purely without any superstition, resisted the heretics and purified the church from countless errors. The intimate contact with them was very pleasant for many people and especially for the sad and afflicted (for they did not avoid contact with people, but judged their ministry publicly among the whole crowd), whom they lifted up and comforted with their words. They, on the other hand, not only taught many things against the faith, but were also the originators of many superstitions, errors and false worship. Therefore, if they did not take hold of Christ in their last hour and trust in his death and victory alone, their strict life was of no use to them.

This shows sufficiently who the true saints are, and what should be called a holy life, namely, not those who hide in nooks and caves, weaken their bodies by fasting, wear hard shirts, 2c., in the opinion that they want to have a special reward in heaven before the other Christians, but those who are baptized and believe in Christ, 2c, who do not take off the old man and his doings at once; but as long as they live, the evil desire remains in them, and it does them no harm to feel it, if only they do not let it reign, but submit it to the Spirit.

This teaching gives comfort to godly hearts, so that they do not despair when they feel these spears of the flesh with which Satan fights against the spirit, as has happened to many in the papacy who thought that they should not feel any lust of the flesh at all, while neither Jerome, nor Gregory, nor Benedictus, nor Bernard and others (whom the monks consider perfect examples of chastity and of all Christianity) have been able to do so.

702 Lri. 6ai. Ill, 37-40. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2744-2747. 703

The first two books of the Bible, the first two books of the Bible and the second book of the Bible, were written in the same style as the first book. Rather, they felt it, and they felt it intensely, which they openly confess in more than one place in their books. Therefore, God has not only not imputed these slight transgressions to them, but also not the harmful errors that some of them have introduced into the Church. Gregory was the originator of the private mass, which was the greatest abomination that ever entered the Church of the New Testament. Others have devised monasticism, godless worship and self-chosen clergy (voluntarias religiones). Cyprian insisted (disputabat) that those baptized by heretics must be rebaptized.

Therefore, in the holy Christian faith, we rightly confess that we believe in a holy church. For she is invisible, dwelling in spirit in a place where no one can approach, therefore her holiness cannot be seen. For God has so hidden it and showered it with infirmities, sins and errors, with various forms of the cross and aversions, that it never comes to light as far as feeling is concerned. When those who do not know this see the infirmities, sins, and errors in those who have been baptized, have the word, and believe, they immediately become angry and judge that they do not belong to the church, and meanwhile dream that the hermits and monks are the church, who honor God only with their lips and serve him in vain, because they do not follow the word of God, but the teachings and commandments of men, and teach others such things. But because they do superstitious and strange works, which reason holds in high esteem and admiration, they judge that they are holy and the church. They reverse the article of faith: "I believe a holy church," and substitute for "I believe": I see. Such human righteousness and self-chosen holiness is in truth spiritual sorcery, by which the eyes and minds of men are blinded and led away from the knowledge of true holiness.

But we teach that the church has neither spot nor wrinkle, but is holy.

but by faith in Jesus Christ; then in life by abstaining from the lusts of the flesh and practicing spiritual fruits; but it is not yet holy because all evil desires are taken away from it and it is freed from them, nor because it is cleansed from all ungodly opinions and errors. For the church always confesses its sin and asks that its guilt be forgiven. Likewise, she believes in forgiveness of sins. Therefore, the saints sin, fall and also err, but out of ignorance, because they did not like to deny Christ, lose the gospel, revoke baptism 2c. They therefore have forgiveness of sins, and even if they err in doctrine out of ignorance, this is forgiven them, because they finally recognize their error and base themselves solely on the truth and grace of God in Christ, as Jerome, Gregory, Bernard and others have done. Therefore, Christians should strive to avoid the works of the flesh, to completely abstain from lusts; they are not able to do this.

The fact that the godly feel the impurity of their flesh is therefore useful to them, so that they are not puffed up by the vain and godless delusion of the righteousness of works, as if they were in grace with God because of them. Inflated by this delusion, the monks thought that they were so holy because of their self-chosen way of life that they sold their righteousness and holiness to others, even though they had the conviction in their own hearts that they were impure. Such a harmful corruption is the confidence in one's own righteousness, and that one lets oneself dream that one is pure.

But because the godly feel the impurity of their heart, they cannot trust in their righteousness. This feeling humbles them so that they abandon pride (ut demittant cristas) and cannot trust in their good works, and it drives them to run to Christ, their reconciler, who does not have a corrupt or frail flesh, but a completely pure and completely holy one, which he gave for the life of the world. In him they find a reliable and fully

704 Oai.Ill, 40-42. Explanation of Galatians 5, 19. 20. W. VIII, 2747-2750. 705

righteousness that has come. Thus they remain in humility, not a fictitious or monkish humility, but a true humility, because of the impurity and the infirmities of their flesh, for which they would be guilty of eternal death if God were to judge them severely. But because they are not proud of God, but humble and brokenhearted, they recognize their sins and desire forgiveness, and trusting in the beneficence of the mediator Christ, they come before the face of God and ask that their sins be forgiven for His sake, so God extends His immense heaven of grace over them and does not impute their sins to them for Christ's sake.

I say this so that we may beware of the harmful errors of the sophists concerning the sanctity of life, by which our minds have been so taken that we have not been able to shake them off without great difficulty. Therefore, take great care to distinguish between true righteousness or holiness and hypocrisy. Then you will be able to look at the kingdom of Christ with eyes other than reason, that is, with spiritual eyes, and will certainly judge that he who is baptized and believes in Christ is holy; and then in this faith, by which he is justified and forgiven his past and present sins, he abstains from fleshly lusts. But he is not entirely cleansed from them, for the flesh lusts against the Spirit. But this uncleanness remains in him, so that he may be humbled, and the grace and good deeds of Christ may become sweet to him who is thus humbled. So this impurity, and what is left of sin, does not harm the godly, but is very useful to them. For the more they feel their weakness and their sins, the more they take refuge in the throne of grace, Christ, and call upon him for help, that he may adorn them with his righteousness, that he may increase their faith, give them the Holy Spirit, under whose guidance they may overcome the lusts of the flesh, that they may not reign but be servants. Thus, a Christian constantly struggles with sin, and yet he does not succumb in the battle, but gains the victory.

I have said this so that you may understand, not from human dreams, but from the word of God, which people are truly holy. We see, then, that Christian doctrine is exceedingly useful for edifying consciences; then, that it is a doctrine that does not deal with caps, plates, rosaries, and such trifling things, but with important and exceedingly great things, namely, how we are to overcome the flesh, sin, death, and the devil. As this doctrine is unknown to the saints of works, it is impossible for them to instruct even an erring conscience or to comfort and satisfy a frightened and despairing one.

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, fornication 2c.

Paul does not list all the works of the flesh, but uses a definite number instead of an indefinite number. First, he lists the kinds of unchastity, namely adultery, fornication, uncleanness, fornication 2c. But not only is unchastity a work of the flesh, as the papists dreamed (who also called marriage - so chaste are these people - which God Himself instituted, and which they themselves count among the sacraments, a work of the flesh), but among the works of the flesh he also includes idolatry 2c., as we have already said several times above. Therefore, this passage already shows sufficiently what "flesh" means for Paul. But these words are too well known to need any explanation. Whoever wishes to know what each individual word means, should read, if he wishes, the old interpretation, 1) which we published in the year 19. There, to the best of our ability, we have sufficiently indicated the meaning of each individual word of the entire register of the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. For this was primarily our intention, in interpreting the Epistle to the Galatians, to set forth the article of justification as clearly as possible 2c.

V. 20. Idolatry.

264. the highest spirituality (religiones), sanctity and the most fervent worship.

1. This "shorter interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians" is found in the eighth volume of our edition, Col. 1352.

706 Lri. Ssi. Ill, 42-44. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2750-2784. 707

Devotiones of those who serve God with the exclusion of the mediator, Christ, and without the word and command of God, are idolatry, as it was considered the most spiritual act in the papacy, when the monks, sitting in their cells, And his works, when, inflamed with the most fervent devotion, they bent their knees, prayed and contemplated heavenly things with such delight that they wept with exceeding joy. There was no thought of women or any other creature, but only of the Creator and his wonderful works, and yet what reason considers the most spiritual work is, according to the words of Paul, a work of the flesh. Therefore, all such worship by which one serves God without His word and command is idolatry, and the more holy and spiritual it is in appearance, the more harmful and corrupt it is. For it turns people away from faith in Christ and causes them to base themselves on their own strength, works and righteousness, as is also the case today with the Anabaptists, although they are making it more evident every day that they are possessed by the devil and are rebellious and bloodthirsty people.

Therefore, the fasting, the hard shirt, the most holy actions, the rule and the whole life of the Carthusians, whose order is the strictest, are works of the flesh, yes, idolatry, because they imagine that they are holy and become blessed, not through Christ, whom they fear as a strict judge, but if they keep their rule. They do indeed think about God, Christ and divine things, but not according to the word of God, but according to their reason, namely that their clothing, food and their whole conduct is holy and pleasing to Christ, whom they hope not only to reconcile through this their strict life, but that he will also be a retributor for their good works and their righteousness 2c. Therefore their (as they dream) most spiritual thoughts are not only completely carnal, but also exceedingly ungodly, because with exclusion and contempt of the word, of faith, of Christ 2c. by trusting in their own righteousness they blot out sins and attain grace and eternal life.

want. Thus all worship and all spiritual being apart from Christ is idolatry. Only in Christ is the Father well pleased; he who hears him and does what he commands is loved for the sake of the Beloved Eph. 1:6. But he himself commands us to believe his word, to be baptized 2c., not to choose new worship 2c.

I have said above that the works of the flesh are manifest, as surely adultery, fornication, and the like are known to all. But idolatry has such a beautiful appearance and is so spiritual that it is known only to a few, namely those who believe in Christ. For if a Carthusian lives chastely, fasts, prays, reads his seven times of prayer (horas canonicas), says mass, etc., there is so much lacking in his believing that he is an idolater, or that he performs the works of the flesh, that he is rather certainly convinced that he is driven and governed by the spirit, that he walks in the spirit, that he thinks, speaks, and does nothing but spiritual things, and that he renders God the most pleasant service. No one will be able to persuade the papists today that the corner mass is the highest blasphemy and idolatry, as it has never been more frightening in the Church since the time of the apostles. For they are blinded and stiff-necked, therefore they judge wrongly of God and divine things, thinking that their idolatry is the right and highest worship of God, whereas faith is idolatry 2c. But we, who believe in Christ and have his mind, judge everything, and can be judged with truth and before God by no one.

From this it is sufficiently evident that Paul calls all that is in man the flesh, in that he groups together all three powers of the soul, namely, the will inclined to evil desire (concupiscibilem), the will inclined to anger (irascibilem), and the mind. The works of the will inclined to evil lust are adultery, fornication 2c.; the works of the will inclined to anger are quarreling, strife, murder 2c.; those of reason or understanding: Error, false clergy or worship, superstition, idolatry, heresies, that is, rottenness 2c.

268 It is very useful to know this, because the word "flesh" is used throughout the papacy in such a

708 All- Oai. Ill, 44-47. Explanation of Galatians 5, 20, W. VIII, 2754-2757. 709

The fact that a work of the flesh meant nothing to them but the work (concubitum) or performance of unchastity is obscured. From this it necessarily followed that they could not understand Paul. But here we see clearly that Paul includes among the works of the flesh idolatry and heresy, which, as we have said, reason considers to be the highest virtues, wisdom, godliness, holiness and righteousness. Paul calls it Col. 2, 18. the "spirituality of angels". But no matter how holy and spiritual idolatry may seem to be, it is nothing but a work of the flesh, an abomination and idolatry against the gospel, faith and right worship. This is seen by the godly and the faithful who have spiritual eyes, but the saints of works judge differently. Just as a monk cannot be persuaded that his vows are works of the flesh, so a Turk believes nothing less than that his keeping of the Alkoran, the ablutions and the other customs he observes are works of the flesh. It is truly a great thing to count idolatry among the works of the flesh 2c.

Magic.

I have spoken of sorcery in the third chapter above. This was a common sin in our time before the gospel came forth. When I was a child, there were many sorceresses who bewitched cattle and people, especially children. They also damaged the crops by storms and hailstorms, which they caused by their sorceries. Now that the gospel has come to light, such things are not heard, because the gospel pushes the devil from his throne with his dazzling work. But he now charms people with more frightening, namely spiritual sorceries.

270 Paul lists sorcery among the works of the flesh, which, as everyone knows, is not a work of unchastity, but an abuse or imitation (aemulatio) of idolatry. For sorcery (magia) makes a covenant with devils, superstition or idolatry with gods, but not with the right god, but with a made god. Therefore

idolatry is in truth spiritual sorcery. For as enchantresses enchant cattle and men, so the idolaters, that is, all works saints, want to enchant God that he is such as they invent him in their thoughts. But they invent him as one who does not justify them by grace and faith in Christ, but who should look upon their self-chosen worship and works and give them righteousness and eternal life for their sake. But they charm themselves, not God, because if they persist in this ungodly opinion of God, they will die in idolatry and be condemned. Most of the works of the flesh are sufficiently known, therefore they do not need any interpretation.

Rotten.

Here he does not call the divisions that arise in the household or in the worldly government because of bodily and worldly things, but which arise in the church for the sake of doctrine, faith and works. Heresies, that is, rottenness, have always existed in the church, as has been said above in several places, but the pope is the supreme arch-heretic (generalis haeresiarcha) and the head of all heretics. For he has filled the whole world, as it were, with a flood of sin with innumerable mobs. No monk agrees with the other, because they measure holiness according to the difficulty of the orders. Therefore, a Carthusian wants to be considered holier than a Franciscan 2c. Therefore, in the papist church there is no unity of spirit, no harmony of minds, but the greatest discord. It is not one and the same doctrine, faith, religion, worship and attitude, but everything is completely different.

In contrast, among Christians everything is the same and common, the Word, faith, worship, religion, the sacraments, Christ, God; the same heart, mind, soul, will, and this spiritual unity is not hindered by the difference of status and position in outward conduct, as has been shown above a few times. And those who have this unity of spirit possess

1. Wittenberger: "Errtinntur instead of: wstiuntur.

710 kii. Ill, 47-49. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. 1'111, 2757-2760. 711

also a certain judgment on all the rotten ones, which no one else quite recognizes, as certainly no theologian in the papacy has understood that Paul in this passage condemns all worship and spiritual states (religiones), false chastity (continentiam) and the seemingly honorable conduct and holy life of all papists and rotten spirits, but meant that he is talking about the gross idolatry and heresies of the pagans and the Turks, who obviously blaspheme the name of Christ 2c.

V. 21. Drinking and eating.

Paul does not say that eating and drinking are works of the flesh, but drinking and eating, which is very common in our country. Those who indulge in this more than animalistic indulgence should know that they are not spiritual people, however much they may boast of it, but that they follow the flesh and do its works; therefore they must hear the terrible judgment that they will not inherit the kingdom of God.

So Paul wants Christians to avoid drinking and gluttony (crapulam) and to live soberly and moderately, so that they are not provoked to lust by the well-fed meat, since after gluttony, and when one fills the stomach too much, the meat tends to rage violently. But it is not enough to curb only this raging lust, which gluttony entails, but also, when one is sober, one should keep the flesh in check, so that it does not carry out its lusts. For it often happens that those who are exceedingly sober are the most challenged, as Jerome writes of himself. The face, he says, was pale from fasting, and the mind burned with lusts in a cold body, and while the flesh alone had died sooner than the man to whom it belonged, the fires of lust were kindled 2c. 1) I have also experienced this myself, since I was a monk. Therefore, fasting alone will not extinguish the fires of unchastity, but the spirit must be added, that is, the diligent handling of the word, faith and the

1. Cf. § 211 of Chapter 5.

Prayer. While fasting overcomes the grosser beginnings of unchastity, the lusts of the flesh themselves are not overcome by partaking of food and drink, but by earnestly attending to the word and calling upon Christ.

And the like.

275 For it is impossible to enumerate all the works of the flesh.

Of whom I have told you before, and still say before, that those who do these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

This is a very harsh judgment, and yet extremely necessary against the false Christians and sure hypocrites, who boast of the Gospel, faith and the Spirit, and yet quite surely perform the works of the flesh. But especially the heretics, puffed up by their false delusion (as they dream themselves to be) of exceedingly spiritual things, are people possessed by the devil and wholly carnal, and therefore they perform the lusts of the flesh with all the powers of their souls. Therefore, it was most necessary that the apostle passed such a frightening and fearful sentence against such sure despisers and stiff-necked hypocrites, that those who perform such works of the flesh, which Paul listed, do not attain the kingdom of God, so that some of them, frightened by this severe sentence, might begin to fight against the works of the flesh through the Spirit, so that they do not perform them.

V. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is.

277. He does not say: The works of the spirit, as he said: "Works of the flesh", but adorns these Christian virtues with a more dignified name, calling them "the fruit of the spirit". For they have exceedingly great benefit and fruit, for those who are adorned with them give glory to GOD, and with these virtues they attract others to the teaching of Christ and to faith in Him.

Love.

It would have been enough if he had mentioned love alone. For love extends to all the fruits of the spirit, and

712 Li-I. Oai. Ill, 49-52**. Explanation of Galatians 5, 22,** W. VIII, 2760-2763. 713

Paul attributes to it all the fruits of the spirit in 1 Cor. 13:4 when he says: "Love is longsuffering and kind" 2c. But here he has especially included it among the fruits of the Spirit and placed it in the first place, in order to remind Christians that they should love one another above all things, that through love one should precede the other with reverence, and that each should esteem the other more highly than himself, for the sake of Christ and the Holy Spirit who dwells in them, for the sake of the word, baptism, and other divine gifts that Christians have.

Joy.

This is a word of the bridegroom and the bride, that is, sweet thoughts of Christ, wholesome exhortations, joyful songs, hymns, thanksgivings, by which the godly admonish, exercise and cheer up one another. For God has no pleasure in sadness of spirit, He hates sad teaching, sad thoughts and words, and delights in gladness. For he did not send his Son to make us sad, but to make us glad. Therefore the prophets, the apostles, and Christ Himself everywhere enjoin, yea, command, that we should rejoice and be glad. Zechariah Cap. 9, 9. says, "Be glad, O daughter of Zion, and rejoice, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee," and in the Psalms we often read Ps. 32, 11. 33, 1., "Be glad in the Lord." Paul says Phil. 4, 4., "Rejoice in the Lord always," 2c., and Christ Luc. 10, 20., "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Where there is this joy of the Spirit, the heart is inwardly joyful through faith in Christ, believing that he is our Savior and High Priest, and shows this joy by heart in words and gestures. Likewise, the godly rejoice when the gospel is spread far and wide and many come to faith, and thus the kingdom of Christ is increased.

Peace.

280. peace with God and with men, so that Christians may be quiet and peaceful and not persecute one another with hatred, but

Bear one another's burdens with patience, for without patience peace cannot stand. That is why Paul puts it immediately after peace.

Patience.

I believe that "patience" (μαχροΰυμία) here is the persevering patience (assiduitatem patientiae) with which one not only suffers adversities, misfortunes, insults 2c. but also long-sufferingly expects that those who have done him harm will mend their ways. For the devil cannot overcome the afflicted by force, but he overcomes them by perseverance; for he knows that we are earthen vessels, which cannot bear frequent and long-continued blows and attacks. Therefore, he overcomes many by long perseverance. To overcome his perseverance, longsuffering is necessary. This patiently awaits both the improvement of those who use violence and the end of the temptations that the devil arouses.

Friendliness.

282. kindness (χρηστότης) is a ge

The Christian must be gentle and pleasant in manners and in all of life. For the Christians must not be rough and sullen, but mild, affable, accessible, friendly, who like to deal with others, who overlook the errors of others or at least interpret them for the best, who like to yield to others, who bear the miraculous 2c., as also the pagans said: The infirmities (mores) of a friend you may know, but do not hate him. Such a man was Christ, as can be seen everywhere in the Gospel. Of St. Peter it is read that he wept as often as he remembered the kindness of Christ, which he showed in his daily intercourse. This is a very great virtue and necessary in every state.

Kindness.

That is, to gladly supply the want of others, to be munificent (largiri), to lend 2c.

Faith.

Since Paul lists faith among the fruits of the spirit, it is obvious that he does not mean faith in Christ, but honesty or sincerity. Therefore he says in 1 Cor. 13:7 that love believes everything. Whoever therefore has this faith

714 Lri. 6ai. Ill, 52-54. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2763-2766. 7 15

He is not a suspicious man, but a man of one-stringed and sincere heart, who, although he is deceived and learns something other than what he believes, is so gentle that he gladly gives credit for it; in short, he believes everyone, but puts his trust in no one.

On the other hand, people who do not have this virtue are suspicious, it is difficult to get along with them, they are grumpy and poisonous. They yield to no one, believe no one, cannot bear anything that others say and do good, slander and misrepresent them, and hate those by whom they are not praised and held in high esteem. Therefore it is impossible for them to show love and friendship, to keep unity and peace with people. But when they are gone, this present life is nothing but biting and eating. "Faith" in this place, then, is one keeping faith with the other in the things that belong to the present life. For what would this life of ours be if one did not believe the other?

Sanftmuth.

This is the virtue that one is not easily moved to anger. In this life, however, there are countless incidents that provoke anger, but the godly overcome them through meekness.

Chastity.

This is sobriety, temperance or moderation in the whole life, which Paul contrasts with the works of the flesh. So he wants Christians to live chastely and soberly, so that they are not adulterers, fornicators or lewd people. If they cannot live chastely, they are to become conjugal. Likewise, they are not to be quarrelsome and vicious, 2c. not to get drunk, not to give in to gluttony, but to abstain from all these things. All this includes chastity or abstinence. Jerome interprets it to refer to virginity alone, as if husbands and wives could not be chaste, or the apostle wrote this to virgins alone. It is certain that he admonishes the bishops and the young women, both of whom were married, to be chaste and pure.

V. 23. The law is not against such.

288. It is indeed a law, but not against such. Thus he says elsewhere 1 Tim. 1, 9.: "No law is given to the righteous." For the righteous lives in such a way that he has no need of a law to admonish, urge and compel him, but without all compulsion of the law he does voluntarily what the law demands. Therefore the law cannot accuse those who believe in Christ and convict them of their guilt, 1) nor can it frighten their consciences. It does indeed frighten and accuse, but Christ, taken in faith, drives it away with his terrors and threats. That is why the law is absolutely abolished for them. Therefore, it has no right to accuse them, because they voluntarily do what the law demands. For through faith they have received the Holy Spirit, who will not let them be idle. If the flesh resists, they walk in the spirit 2c. Thus a Christian fulfills the law inwardly by faith, for Christ is the end of the law; he who believes in him is justified outwardly by works and by the forgiveness of sins. But those who perform the works and lusts of the flesh, the law accuses and condemns, civilly and theologically.

V. 24 But those who belong to Christ crucify their flesh along with their lusts and desires.

This whole passage about works shows that true believers are not hypocrites, so let no one deceive himself. All those, he says, who belong to Christ crucify their flesh together with infirmities and sins. For the saints, who have not yet completely taken off the corrupt flesh, are inclined to sin, do not fear and love God enough 2c., likewise they are provoked to anger, envy, impatience, unchastity and other evil impulses, which, however, they do not accomplish, for, as Paul says here, they crucify their flesh with its lusts and sins, which happens not only by suppressing the will of the flesh with fasting or other exercises, but, as Paul said above v. 16, because they walk in the spirit, that is,

1. 6t reos ÄA6r6 is missing in the Wittenberg.

716 lri. OL>. Ill, 54-56. Explanation of Galatians 5, 24. 25. W. VIII, 2766-2772. 717

since, reminded by the divine threats by which God threatens that He will punish sin severely, they are deterred from sinning, likewise, being equipped by the Word, faith and prayer, they do not obey the lusts of the flesh.

By resisting the flesh in this way, they nail it to the cross with its lusts and desires, so that the flesh, though still alive and stirring, cannot accomplish what it wants, since it is bound to the cross with hands and feet. Thus, the godly crucify their

Flesh, as long as they live here, that is, they feel its lusts, but they do not obey them. For clothed with the armor of God, faith, hope and the sword of the spirit, they fight against the flesh, and with these spiritual weapons they fasten it to the cross as with nails, so that it is forced to be subject to the spirit even against its will. After that, when they die, they strip it completely, and when they are raised again, they will have a pure flesh, without lusts and desires.

The sixth chapter.

Cap. 5, 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

(1) Paul has expressly included heresy and hatred among the works of the flesh, and has judged those who stir up hatred and sectarianism that they will not inherit the kingdom of God. Now, as if he had forgotten what he had done just before, he again, in a new speech, singles out those who are indignant and hateful among themselves. Why does he do this? Was it not enough that he did this once? Paul does this on purpose, because he wants to attack the most abominable vice, which is called "vain glory", because it was the cause of the disruption of all the churches in Galatia, and has always been harmful and corrupting to the Christian church. Therefore, as he writes to Titus Cap. 1, 7., he does not want a haughty bishop to be appointed. For arrogance, as Augustine rightly says, is the mother of all heresies, indeed, the source of all sins and all ruin (ruinae), as the sacred and secular histories testify.

But vain honor is at all times an extremely widespread corruption in the world, which even the pagan poets and historians have severely rebuked. There is no village in which one or the other does not want to be respected as clever and great above all others.

(3) But it is mainly gifted people who suffer from this vice, who quarrel because of their learning and wisdom. Here no one wants to give way to the other, and it goes according to this word: He who would give way to a wise head would be nothing (Qui volet ingenio cedere, nullus erit). It does people good to point fingers at them and say: That is the man. Nowadays Italy suffers from vain honor in a very special way, as Greece once did. But with private people, yes, even with those who hold a magisterial office, it is not so harmful as with those who preside over the church, although it also becomes in the world regime, especially when it affects the highest-ranking people, not only a cause of disruption and overthrow of the commonwealth (rerum publicarum), but also of disruption and change of kingdoms and empires, which all histories of the holy Scriptures and the pagans testify.

(4) But when this pestilence creeps into the church or the spiritual kingdom, it cannot be said how harmful it is. For there is no dispute about learning, intellect, beauty, treasures, kingdoms, empires, etc., but either about salvation and life, or about damnation and eternal death.

5 Therefore Paul most earnestly exhorts those who are in the ministry of the Word from this vice, saying, "If we live in the Spirit," 2c. as if to say: If

718 Dri. "ai. in, 56-59. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vin, 2772-2774. 719

it is true that we live in the spirit, let us also remain in order and walk in the spirit. For where the spirit is, it renews people, produces new emotions in them, that is, from people who are stingy for vain honor, angry, spiteful 2c., it makes humble, gentle, patient people 2c. Such do not seek their own honor, but God's; they do not indignantly hate one another, but yield to one another, and one precedes the other with reverence. On the other hand, those who are avaricious of vain honor, who are indignant and hateful toward one another, may boast that they have the spirit, that they live in the spirit, but they deceive themselves; they follow the flesh and do its works, and have their judgment that they will not inherit the kingdom of God.

(6) As there is nothing more pernicious, so there is nothing more common in the church than this abominable vice. For where God sends laborers into His harvest, Satan soon awakens his servants, who do not want to be considered inferior in any respect to those who are duly called. Here the quarrel soon arises. The wicked do not want to give way to the godly even by a hair's breadth, for they dream that they far surpass them in intellect, in doctrine, in godliness and in spirit (much less must the godly give way to the wicked, lest the doctrine of faith be endangered). In addition, this is the way of Satan's servants, that they do not only know how to pretend love, unity, humility and other fruits of the spirit to their own, but also praise each other, give preference to one over the other and say that others are better than they are. Therefore, they do not want to be regarded as anything less than people who are avaricious of vain honor; indeed, they swear that they seek nothing but the honor of God and the salvation of souls, and yet they are exceedingly eager for vain honor, and do everything to attain high esteem and praise among men before others. In short, they think that godliness is a trade, and that the ministry of the word is given to them so that they can become famous through it, and therefore it cannot be lacking that they cause trouble and mobs.

7 Therefore, because the vain glory of the false apostles had been the cause of the churches

In Galatia, when the people were disturbed and fell away from Paul, he wanted to attack this pernicious vice in a special speech and a chapter of his own. Yes, this vice caused Paul to write this whole epistle, and if he had not written it, all the effort he had put into preaching the gospel to the Galatians would have been in vain. For since he was absent, the false apostles held sway in Galatia, people who, it seemed, held great prestige, who, besides claiming that they sought the glory of Christ and the salvation of the Galatians, also kept company with the apostles, boasting that they followed in their footsteps in teaching. Then, because Paul had not seen Christ in the flesh, nor had he had intercourse with the apostles, they despised him in comparison with themselves, rejected his teaching, and boasted that their teaching was the true and genuine one. And so they misled the Galatians and stirred up divisions among them, so that they were indignant and hated one another, which was a sure sign that neither teachers nor disciples lived and walked in the Spirit, but followed the flesh and performed its works, and consequently that they had lost the right doctrine, faith, Christ, all the gifts of the Spirit, and were now worse than the Gentiles. 2c.

(8) Not only does he attack the false apostles who confused the churches in his time, but he foresaw in the spirit that until the end of the world there would be countless such people who, tainted with this extremely harmful vice, would break into the church without a profession, boast of the Spirit and heavenly doctrine, and under this pretext overthrow the right doctrine and faith. In our time, too, we have seen many such people who have forced their way into the realm of the spirit, that is, into the ministry of the word, without a profession, and wanted to be respected for a time for teaching the same as we do, and by this pretense they have made a name for themselves and the reputation that they were teachers of the gospel who lived in the spirit and walked according to the order. But as soon as they had attracted the great multitude to themselves by their flattering speeches, they departed from the

720 Lri. OLi. Ill, p-61. Explanation of Galatians 5, 25, W. VIII, 2774-2777. 721

They began to teach something new, so that they would become famous in this way and be praised by the people, that they had been the first to denounce the errors in the church, had stopped and improved the abuses, had overthrown the papacy, and had found a new, glorious doctrine, and therefore they would rightly have the first place 1) among the evangelical teachers. But because their fame was not based on God, but on the talk of men, it could not be firm and lasting, but, as Paul prophesied, it has come to shame, and their end is damnation. For the wicked do not stand in judgment, but like chaff they are carried away and scattered by the wind. The same judgment awaits all who seek their own with the teaching of the gospel, not that which is of Christ.

(9) For the gospel was not given for us to seek our own praise and glory, or for the people to revere and magnify us as ministers of the gospel, but that through it Christ's good deeds and glory might be glorified, that the Father might be glorified in his mercy, which he showed us in Christ his Son, whom he gave up for us all, and with him gave us all things. Therefore, the gospel is such a doctrine in which we must seek nothing less than our glory. It holds out heavenly and eternal things which are not ours, which we have neither made nor earned, but it offers them to us, who are not worthy of them, out of the pure goodness of God. Why, then, should we arrogate honor to ourselves for their sake? Therefore, he who seeks honor in the Gospel speaks of himself. But he who speaks of himself is a liar, and there is unrighteousness in him. On the other hand, "he who seeks the glory of Him who sent Him is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him," John 7:18.

10 Paul therefore very earnestly exhorts all ministers of the Word, saying, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit," that is, let us abide in the right order, that is, in the doctrine of the

1. In Latin: primas; this should be woyl prinaatuin. Menius did not translate this; about half of this paragraph is missing in his translation.

Truth, as it is once preached, in brotherly love and unity of spirit. Let us preach Christ and the glory of God with a simple heart and ascribe everything to him; let us not want to be better than the other, let us not create mobs. For this does not mean to walk rightly, but to leave the right order and to establish something new and wrong.

From this it can be understood that God, by special grace, subjects the teachers of the Gospel to the cross and to all kinds of tribulations for their own good and for the good of the people, for otherwise He could not in any way suppress and destroy this beast, which is called vain glory. For if the doctrine of the Gospel had nothing but praise, admiration and honor among men, and by all means no persecution, cross, disgrace 2c. followed, then surely all its confessors would be infected by the plague of vain honor and perish. Jerome says somewhere on this opinion that he had seen many who could endure many accidents to body and goods, but none who had been able to despise his praise. For it is impossible that any should not be puffed up by the praise of him. Paul, who has the Spirit of Christ, says 2 Cor. 12:7 that Satan's angel, who beat him with fists, was given to him for this reason, that he might not exalt himself to high revelation. Therefore Augustine rightly says: If a minister of the word is praised, he is in danger; if a brother despises him and does not praise him, the brother is in danger. He who hears that I teach God's word is guilty of honoring me for the word's sake; if he honors me, he does well; but if I become arrogant thereby, I am in danger; on the other hand, if he despises me, I am without danger, but he is not.

(12) Therefore we are to put this into practice in every possible way, that we honor our treasure, that is, the ministry of preaching, the sacraments, 2c. likewise, that we give honor one to another, the hearers to the teachers, and again, according to the saying Rom. 12:10., "One come before the other with reverence." But where this happens, the flesh is immediately tickled by these praises and becomes hopeful. For there is no one.

722 Lri. Kai. Ill, 62-64. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. Vlll, 2777-2780. 723

not even among the godly who would not rather desire to be praised than rebuked, unless someone is so well fortified in this respect that he is not moved by either praise or reproach, as that woman said of David, 2 Sam. 14, 17. "My lord the king is like an angel of God, that he may hear good and evil"; likewise Paul 2 Cor. 6, 8.: "By honor and dishonor, by evil rumors and good rumors" 2c. Such people, who are neither proud by praise nor depressed by reproach, but simple-mindedly strive to preach the benefits and glory of Christ and to seek the salvation of souls, walk in the right order. On the other hand, those who become proud by the price of their glory, seeking their own honor rather than Christ's, or those who are moved by reviling and shame, may give up the preaching ministry; both are not walking according to the order 2c.

013 Therefore let every one that glorieth in the Spirit take heed that he abide in the right order. When you are praised, know that it is not you who are praised, but Christ, to whom all praise and glory is due. For that you teach godly, live holy, these are not your gifts, but God's gifts, so you are not praised, but God in you. If you recognize this, you will remain in the right order, will not become proud through glory (for "what do you have that you have not received?" 1 Cor. 4, 7.), but will bring it home to God again, will not be moved to give up your profession even through revilings, disgraces and persecutions 2c.

So, God, out of special grace, is today showering our honor with shame, the most bitter hatred, persecutions and blasphemies of the whole world, then with contempt and ingratitude on the part of our own, the peasants, burghers and nobility (whose enmity and persecution against the Gospel is hidden and internal, but more harmful than that of the enemies who persecute it publicly), so that we do not become proud because of our gifts. This ass's burden (molam asinariam) must be hung on our necks, lest we be infected by this plague of vain glory.

(15) Though there are some of our own who honor us for the preaching ministry, where is one who honors us? But there are a hundred who hate, despise and persecute us 2c. Now these blasphemies and persecutions of the adversaries, and the exceedingly great contempt, ingratitude, and very bitter secret hatred of those among whom we live, is, of course, such a lovely sight (spectra), which so exhilarates us that we easily forget the vain honor. Therefore we are joyful in the Lord and remain in the right order. We surpass others in spiritual gifts, but because we recognize that they are gifts of God, not our own, given to us for the edification of the body of Christ, we are not arrogant because of them, for we know that more is demanded of those who are commanded much than of those who are commanded little; moreover, we know that before God there is no respect for the person. Therefore, a doorkeeper (aedituus) who is faithful in what he is given is no less pleasing to God than a teacher of the Word, because he serves God in the same faith and spirit. Therefore we should honor the least Christians no less than they honor us, and in this way we remain free from the plague of vain honor, and walk in the spirit. 1)

(16) On the other hand, because the enthusiasts seek their own honor, the favor and applause of men, peace with the world and rest of the flesh, not the honor of Christ and the salvation of souls (although they constantly swear that they do so), they cannot refrain from breaking forth and praising their doctrine and work, blaming and perverting that of others, having only this one thing in mind, that they may gain a great name and praise before others. No one, they say, has known this before me, I am the first who has seen and taught this 2c. Such people, who are stingy of vain honor, do not boast themselves in glory, but they boast themselves, are courageous and bold, when the great crowd applauds them, which they attract with wonderful art. For they know how to pretend with words, gestures and writings.

1. In this and the preceding paragraph, Menius' translation offers only a few words of the Latin original, but other explanations.

724 Li-1. vsi. Ill, 64-66. Explanation of Galatians 5, 26. 6, 1. W. VIII, 2780-2783. 725

and hide everything. Without the applause of the mob, they are exceedingly fearful, for they hate and flee the cross of Christ and persecution. On the other hand, where they have the great crowd to themselves, who applaud them, there can be nothing more proud and daring: no Hector, no Achilles is as brave and bold as they are.

(17) So deceitful is the flesh, that for no other cause doth it forsake the right order, pervert and corrupt the right doctrine, and divide the concord of the churches, than because of this accursed vain glory. That is why Paul attacks them so sharply here and elsewhere. Above in the fourth chapter v. 17. he says: "They do not jealousy for you fine, but they want to make you disparaging of me, that you should jealous for them", that is, they want to obscure me, so that they themselves become famous. They seek not the glory of Christ and your blessedness, but their own glory, my dishonor, and your bondage.

Cap. 5, 26.

Let us not be stingy with vain honor.

That is, let us not become ambitious people, which, as I have said, is done by boasting, not in goodness and in truth, but in lies, by the opinion, speech and applause of the mob. There is not a firm foundation for fame, but a lying one, therefore it is impossible for it to last long. He who praises a man as a man lies, because there is nothing in him worthy of praise, but everything is condemned. Therefore, as far as our person is concerned, our glory is this: All have sinned and are guilty of eternal death before God. But it is something else when our ministry is praised. Therefore, we must not only desire, but also strive with all our might to bring about that men will esteem it highly and hold it in all honor, for this will be their blessedness. Paul exhorts the Romans that they give no one offense, saying, "See to it that your treasure is not blasphemed" Rom. 14:16, and elsewhere 2 Cor. 6:3, "That our ministry be not blasphemed." So when our ministry is commended, we are not commended for our person

praised, but we are praised, as the Psalm says, in GOD and His holy name. 1)

To outrage and hate among themselves.

Here he describes the effects of vain honor. The teacher of an error and the founder of a new doctrine cannot help being indignant to others. If they do not approve and accept his teaching, he immediately begins to hate them bitterly.

20 We have seen in our time how irreconcilable hatred was kindled against us by the enthusiasts, because we did not want to give way to them and did not want to approve of their errors. We certainly did not outrage them first, nor did we spread ungodly doctrine in the world, but since we punished the abuses in the church and faithfully taught the article of justification, we remained in the right order. Those left the same and taught in an ungodly way many things that are against God's word, about the sacraments, about original sin, about the oral word 2c. Then we stood against them, lest we should lose the truth of the gospel, and condemned their pernicious errors. Since they did not want to suffer this, they not only outraged us at first, through no fault of our own, but are still hostile to us and hate us bitterly, incited to this by nothing other than vain honor. For they would have liked to put us in the shade and have the kingdom alone. For they dreamed that it was a great honor to confess the gospel, when in fact there is no greater shame before the world 2c.

Chapter 6, 1.

Dear brethren, if a man be overtaken in any fault, restore him with a gentle spirit, ye that are spiritual.

This is another beautiful commandment concerning life (morale), and very necessary at this time. The Sacramentarians interpret this passage for themselves and draw from it this conclusion, that we have to give to fallen brothers

1. Of this paragraph Menius brings less than half; the following paragraph is brought to double.

726 Li-1. 6ai. Ill, 66-69. interpretations On the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2783-2786. 727

The reason for this is that the Christians have to be patient and cover their error with love, which believes everything, hopes everything, bears everything, especially since Paul teaches here in clear words that those who are spiritual help the erring again with a gentle spirit. The matter is not of such great importance that one should tear apart Christian unity because of this one article, which is the most beautiful and useful thing that the Christian church has 2c. In this way they admonish us very strongly that we should forgive sins (amplificant nobis remissionem peccatorum), and accuse us of being obstinate, since we do not yield to them even a hair's breadth, nor do we want to bear their error (although they do not want to confess it openly), much less punish and restore them with a gentle spirit. Thus the lovely people adorn themselves and their cause, and make us very hated by many 2c.

No matter Christ is my witness has tormented me now for a number of years as much as this disagreement in doctrine, which I did not cause, which the Sacramentarians also know very well, if they only want to confess the truth. For the same things that I have believed and taught from the beginning of this matter, concerning justification, the sacraments and all other articles of Christian doctrine, I still believe and confess today, and with even greater certainty (for this has become greater through study, practice and experience, then also through great and frequent temptations), and daily I pray Christ to keep and strengthen me in this faith and confession until the day of his glorious future, amen.

Furthermore, it is well known throughout Germany that the doctrine of the Gospel was first challenged by no one but the papists alone. But among those who accepted it there was the greatest unanimity in all the articles of Christian doctrine, which lasted until the sectarians came forth with their new opinions, not only of the sacraments, but also of other articles. From that time on, as it could not be otherwise, more and more

The result of this is that we have become the subject of a great unrighteousness. Therefore, they do us this great injustice against their conscience, and without our having deserved it, they impose this unbearable disgrace on us before the whole world. It is very painful when an innocent person has to bear the punishment that another deserves, especially in such an important matter.

(24) But we could easily forget this wrong and receive them and help them with a gentle spirit, if they would only return to the right course and walk with us in the right order, that is, if they would godly keep and teach the Lord's Supper and other articles of Christian doctrine, and be of the same mind with us, preaching not their opinions but Christ, so that the Son of God might be glorified through us, and through him the Father. But that they only exalt love and unity, and belittle the matter of the sacrament, as if it were something quite insignificant, as much as we think of the Holy Communion, which our Lord Christ instituted, is not ours to suffer. But as highly as they praise the unity of life, so much must we praise the unity in doctrine and faith. If they leave us these unharmed, let us also at the same time exalt with them the unity of love, which is far from being equal to unity in faith or in spirit. For if you have lost this, you have lost Christ; but if he is lost, love can profit you nothing.

(25) On the other hand, if you keep the unity of the Spirit and of Christ, there is no harm in not being of one mind with those who corrupt the word and thereby separate the unity of the Spirit. Therefore I would rather that they and the whole world should depart from me and be with them, than that I should depart from Christ and have him for an enemy, which would happen if I were to leave his clear and manifest word and adhere to their vain dreams, with which they pervert Christ's words to their opinion. The One Christ is greater to me than innumerable unities in love.

728 Dri. ttai. Ill, 69-71. Explanation of Galatians 6, 1. W. VIII, 2786 ff. 729

(26) Moreover, we beseech ourselves that we will not only keep peace and unity with those who love Christ, and teach and believe his word godly, but also bear their infirmities and sins, and, if they have fallen, restore them with a gentle spirit, according to this commandment of Paul. Thus Paul bore the weakness and fall of the Galatians and others who had perverted the false apostles, because they repented from the heart. Thus he again accepts the incestuous man at Corinth with grace 2 Cor. 2:5 ff. Likewise Onesimus, the runaway slave, whom he had begotten to Christ in his bonds at Rome Philem. v. 10., he reconciled again to his Lord. Therefore he proved by deed what he teaches here and elsewhere, that one should receive the weak and restore the fallen, but only against those who could be helped, that is, those who from the heart recognized their sin, their fall and error and repented. In contrast, he dealt very harshly with the stubborn false apostles who defended their doctrine and said that it was not erroneous but true. He says Cap. 5, 12: "Would to God that they also were cut off who disturb you", further Cap. 5, 10: "But whoever causes you to err, he shall bear his judgment, whoever he will"; likewise Cap. 1, 8: "But if we also, or an angel from heaven" 2c., "let him be accursed."

27 And there is no doubt that many have defended the false apostles against Paul, saying that they also had the Spirit, were also servants of Christ, and taught the gospel, as Paul did. Even though they did not agree with Paul in all respects, he did not have to pass such a terrible judgment against them; with such obstinacy he was doing nothing but confusing the congregations and disrupting their beautiful unity. Paul was not moved by such speeches, but confidently cursed and condemned the false apostles, calling them destroyers of the churches and perverters of the gospel of Christ. On the other hand, he exalts his teaching so high that he wants everything to give way to it, the unity of love, the apostles, an angel from heaven 2c.

^1^(28) We also do not allow this thing to be made small, because he to whom this thing belongs is great. Once, of course, he was small when he lay in the manger, and yet at that time he was so great that he was worshipped by the angels and praised as the Lord of all things. Therefore, we will not suffer his word to be violated in any article. In the articles of faith nothing must seem small or slight to us, which we should or could slacken. For the forgiveness of sins belongs to those who are weak in faith or life, who recognize their sins and desire mercy, not to those who pervert the doctrine, who do not recognize their error and sin, but hostilely argue that these are truth and righteousness, and by this they cause us to lose the forgiveness of sins, for they pervert and deny the word that preaches and brings forgiveness of sins. Therefore they must first be in harmony with us in Christ, that is, they must recognize their sins and renounce their error. If we then lack the gentleness of the Spirit, they may justly accuse us.

(29) And he who carefully considers the words of the apostle sees clearly that he is not speaking of heresies or sins against doctrine, but of far lesser sins, into which a man falls not out of deliberate malice or willfulness, but out of weakness. Hence he uses such kind and fatherly words, calling it not an error or a sin, but a fault. Then, in order to make the sin small and, as it were, to excuse it, and to shift all the blame from man, he adds: "If a man were hasty," that is, deceived by the devil or by the flesh; and the word "man" also serves to make the matter small, as if he wanted to say: Surely what is so near to a man as that he should fall, be deceived, and err? Thus Moses says in the third book Cap. 5, 3. according to the Vulgate, "As men are wont to sin." This, then, is an exceedingly comforting saying, which makes me

1. Here Menius has allowed himself a significant rearrangement, in that he already lets follow here the two paragraphs, which are designated with the numbers 34 and 35 with us.

730 Lri- osi. m, 7i-73. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. vin, 2786 fs. 731

once in the highest emergency (certamine) from death.

30 Because the saints in this life not only live in the flesh, but also sometimes, under the impulse of the devil, perform the lusts of the flesh, that is, fall into impatience, hatred, anger, error, doubt, distrust 2c. (For Satan constantly challenges both the purity of doctrine, which he seeks to abolish by mobs and discord, and the blameless walk of life, which he sullies by daily offenses and distractions), Paul teaches how to deal with those who have fallen, namely, that those who stand firm should restore them with a gentle spirit.

It is very useful that those who are in charge of the churches know this, so that they do not forget this fatherly and motherly affection, which Paul demands from those who are responsible for the care of the souls, while they are trying to cut out everything completely purely (ad vivum resecare). And of this commandment of his he has given an example in the second letter to the Corinthians, Cap. 2, 6-8, where he says that it is enough that the banished man has been punished by many, now they must forgive him and comfort him, so that he does not fall into too much sadness, and says: "Therefore I admonish you that you show love to him" 2c. Therefore, the pastors are to punish harshly those who have fallen, but when they see that they have fallen into sadness, they are to begin to raise them up and comfort them, and to minimize their sins as much as they are able, but only by the mercy of God which they must oppose to the sins, so that the fallen may not be consumed by excessive sadness. As persistent as the Holy Spirit is when it comes to holding on to and defending the faith, as willing and kind is he to bear the sins and to make them small, if only those who have committed them suffer over them.

(32) But here, as in all other things, the synagogue of the pope taught and did something quite different from what Paul commanded and showed by his example. The Roman pope and the bishops have been real tyrants and torturers of consciences, for they have continued to teach the same things.

They have loaded the consciences with new statutes, and for the most trifling causes have cast them into perdition (perdiderunt), and in order that the consciences might the more easily obey their vain and unjust threats, they have cited these sayings of Pope Gregory: Pious hearts should fear guilt, even where there is no guilt; likewise: Our judgments are to be feared, even if they are unjust. By these sayings, which the devil brought into the church, they have strengthened the ban and the majesty of the papacy, which is terrible for the whole world.

Such kindness is not necessary, but it is enough to acknowledge guilt where there is guilt. Who has given you, you Roman Satan, the power to frighten and condemn with unjust judgments the hearts that were frightened before, which should rather have been raised up, freed from false terrors, and led back from the lie to the truth? This you neglect and (as your title says: The man of sin and the child of perdition) invent guilt where there is no guilt. This is actually the cunning and deceit of the Antichrist, with which the pope has most powerfully strengthened the ban and his tyranny. For no one could despise his unjust judgments, unless he had been obdurate and particularly wicked, as some princes despised them, but against the testimony of their conscience, because in the darkness of that time they did not understand that the curses of the pope were void.

(34) Therefore, those who are charged with the care of governing consciences may learn from this commandment of Paul how to treat the fallen. He says: "Dear brothers, if a man is overtaken by a fault," do not grieve or afflict him any more, do not reject or condemn him, but correct him, refresh him, or "restore him" (for this is what the Greek word means), and what is corrupt in him through the deceit of the devil or the weakness of the flesh, heal it by your gentleness. For the kingdom to which you have been called is not a kingdom of fear and sorrow, but of good confidence and joyfulness.

732 Lri. "AI. Ill, 73-76. elabor. Explanation d. Galatians 6, 1. W. VIII, 2787-279S. 733

lity. Therefore, if you see any brother who is frightened because of a sin he has committed, run and reach out to him who has fallen, comfort him with kind words and welcome him with motherly arms. But the hard and hardened, who without fear remain secure in their sins and continue, punish severely. On the other hand, those who are precipitated by error and grieve because of their fall must be raised up and instructed by you who are spiritual, with a gentle spirit, not with a spirit of zeal, justice or severity, as some confessors have done, who, when they should have refreshed thirsty hearts with sweet consolation, watered them with gall and vinegar, as the Jews did with Christ on the cross.

(35) From this we understand sufficiently that the forgiveness of sins should not take place in doctrine, as the Sacramentans claim, but in that which concerns life and our works. Let no one condemn another, let no one rebuke with anger and severity, as Ezekiel says of the shepherds of Israel, that they ruled harshly and severely over the host of God, but let a brother comfort his fallen brother with a gentle spirit, and again, let the fallen one hear the word of the one who is delivering him, and believe him. For God does not want us to reject the brokenhearted, but to raise them up, as the Psalm Ps. 146:8 says, for he has offered more for them than we have, namely his life and his blood. Therefore, we too should receive such people with the utmost gentleness, heal them and help them. Therefore we do not deny grace to the Sacramentarians or to the founders of other godless sects, but will heartily forgive them their revilings and blasphemies against Christ, and never remember the insults with which they have heaped upon us, if they will only repent, give up the godless doctrine with which they have confused the churches of Christ, and thereafter walk with us in the right order. But if they persist in error and destroy the order, it is in vain that they demand forgiveness of sins from us.

And look to yourself, lest you also be tempted.

(36) This is a very serious admonition, to restrain the severity and hardness of those who do not lift up and help the fallen. St. Augustine says: "There is no sin that one man has committed that another could not commit. We are still walking on a slippery slope, therefore nothing happens more easily than that we fall, if we are arrogant and leave the right order. That is why he, in the biographies of the fathers, when he was told that one of the brethren had fallen into fornication, said correctly: "Yesterday that one, today I".

37. So Paul adds this serious admonition, so that the pastors may not be harsh and rough with the fallen, nor, as the Pharisee does, measure their holiness by the sins of those people, but be moved by motherly affection toward them and think: This one has fallen, it can easily happen that you also do a much more dangerous and shameful fall than he; and if those who are so inclined to judge and condemn others would look at their sins rightly, they would realize that the sins of the fallen are splinters, but their sins are exceedingly great beams.

38 "Therefore he that standeth may take heed that he fall not" 1 Cor. 10:12. When David, such a holy man, full of faith and of the Spirit of God, and who had such glorious promises, and had led the greatest things for the Lord, falls so shamefully, and, since he was already quite advanced in years, is carried away by the heat of youth, after he had suffered so many and so manifold temptations, through which God exercised him, what would we be presumptuous about our steadfastness? But by such examples God shows us first of all our weakness, so that we do not rise up but stand in fear, secondly His judgment, which nothing can suffer less than hopefulness, whether against Him or against a brother. Paul therefore says not in vain, "And look to thyself, lest thou also be tempted."

39. those who are exercised through temptations know,

734 Lri. Kai. Ill, 76-78. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2795-2798. 735

how necessary this commandment is. On the other hand, those who are not tested by it do not understand Paul and are therefore not moved by compassion for the fallen, as could be seen in the papacy, where nothing but tyranny and cruelty prevailed.

V. 2: Bear one another's burdens, and you will fulfill the law of Christ.

40. a very kind (humanissimum) commandment, to which he added the highest praise, as it were, as a summa (epiphonema). The law of Christ is the law of love. After Christ redeemed us, renewed us and made us his church, he gave us no law except that we should love one another. John 13:34 says, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you." Likewise v. 35, "By this shall every man know that ye are my disciples. "2c. "To love," however, is not, as the sophists fool, to grant good to another, but to bear another's burden, that is, to bear that which is burdensome to you, and you do not like to bear.

41 A Christian must therefore have strong shoulders and strong bones, which can bear the flesh, that is, the weakness of the brethren, for Paul says that they have burdens and burdensome things. Therefore love is kind, gracious, patient, not in taking but in giving. For it must overlook and bear with many things. In the church, godly teachers see many errors and sins that they must bear. In the worldly regime, the obedience of the subjects never corresponds to the laws of the authorities. If, therefore, a person in authority cannot overlook, he will not be competent to govern a community. In the household, many things happen that are displeasing to the head of the household. But if we can bear our infirmities and sins, of which we commit many daily, and overlook them very easily (egregie), let us also bear those of others, according to the word: "Bear one another's burdens" 2c.; likewise: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

(42) Therefore, since there are infirmities in every state and in all men, Paul holds up to the Christians the law of Christ, by which

He exhorts them to bear one another's burdens. Those who do not do this testify sufficiently that they do not understand even a shred of the law of Christ, which is the law of love, which, as Paul says in 1 Cor. 13:7, believes all things, hopes all things, bears all the burdens of the brethren, but always without prejudice to the first order. 1) Those who sin in this do not transgress the law of Christ, that is, love, do not violate their neighbor, but Christ and his kingdom, which he established by his own blood. This kingdom is not maintained by the law of love, but by the Word, faith and the Spirit.

(43) Therefore, this commandment that we bear their burdens does not apply to those who deny Christ and not only do not recognize their sin, but also deny it; nor does it apply to those who persist in their sins (who also partially deny Christ), but they are to be let go, so that they will not be made partakers of their evil works. On the other hand, those who believe and gladly hear the word, and yet fall into sin against their will, and when they are admonished, not only hear, but abhor their sin, and strive to amend themselves, have been hurried, and have a burden which Paul commands us to bear. Here we are not to be unkind and severe, but after the example of Christ, who tolerates and bears such people, we also are to tolerate and bear them. If he does not punish such people, which he could justly do, much less should we do so 2c.

V. 3 But if anyone lets himself think that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

44 Here he aims again at the authors of the mobs and paints them with their right colors, that they are hard and without any movement of mercy, because they despise the weak, do not bear their burdens, but (like some strange husbands and strict teachers) want to have everything according to the string. Nothing pleases them but what they themselves have done, and you will always make them your most bitter

1. The "first order" is not to depart from the word of God and the faith, not to let up on it, and not to allow a deviation from it.

736 "-N. Ill, 78--8I. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 6, 3. 4. W. VIII, 2798-2800. 737

You will have enemies if you do not approve of everything they say and do, and if you do not submit to their ways (moribus) in all things. So these are very hopeful people who dare to presume everything, that is, what Paul says here, they make themselves believe that they are something, that is, that they have the Spirit, that they understand all the mysteries of Scripture, that they cannot err and fall, that they do not need forgiveness of sins.

45 Therefore Paul rightly adds that they do not celebrate anything, but deceive themselves with their foolish imaginations of their wisdom and holiness. Therefore they understand nothing of Christ nor of the law of Christ. Otherwise they would say: Dear brother, you suffer from this infirmity, I suffer from another. God has forgiven me ten thousand pounds (talentorum), I will also forgive you a hundred pennies 2c. But since they demand everything most severely and do not want to suffer and bear the burden of the weak, they annoy many by this harshness of theirs, who begin to despise them, to scorn and flee, not desiring advice and comfort from them, not caring about them, what they teach or how they teach it, whereas, on the contrary, pastors should behave toward the people over whom they preside in such a way as to honor and admire them, not for the sake of their person, but because of their office and their Christian virtues, which should shine forth most in them. Therefore, in this passage, Paul has beautifully painted such stern and unmerciful saints, saying, "They make themselves believe that they are something, that is, puffed up by their foolish delusions and vain dreams, they have a wonderfully high opinion of themselves about their knowledge and holiness, and yet in truth they are nothing, but only deceive themselves. For it is a manifest deception when someone is convinced that he is something, and yet he is nothing. Such people are described in the Revelation of John Cap. 3, 17. with these words: "You say, 'I am rich, and have plenty, and have no need,' and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

But let every man examine his own work, and then he shall have glory in himself, and not in another.

He continues to punish the despicable people called ambitious people. For covetousness for vain honor is a hateful and cursed vice, which gives rise to all evil, and at the same time confuses the government of the world and the conscience, and in spiritual matters it is a completely incurable evil. Although this passage could be understood in terms of works in life or walk, the apostle mainly emphasizes the work of preaching and attacks those who are ambitious.

who confuse the rightly informed consciences with their enthusiastic opinions.

(47) It is characteristic of those who suffer from vain honor that they do not care whether the work, that is, the direction of the ministry, is pure or not, but have only one thing in mind, that they may win the applause of the people. This is what the false apostles did. When they saw that Paul had preached the gospel purely to the Galatians, and that they could come up with nothing better, they began to slander what he had taught rightly and godly, preferring their teaching to Paul's, and by this art they put themselves in favor with the Galatians and made Paul hateful to them.

(48) Therefore, those who are avaricious of vain honor have these three vices combined: first, they are extremely eager for vain honor; second, they are wonderfully skilled in slandering what others speak and do rightly in order to gain popular acclaim; third, when they have become famous among the great multitude, but at other people's expense and risk, they become so brave and courageous that there is nothing they should not dare to do. So they are harmful and curse-worthy people, whom I hate in the strongest possible way (cane pejus et angue). For they seek what is theirs, not what is Christ's.

49 Against such people Paul acts here as if he wanted to say: Such ambitious people direct their work for the purpose, that is, to teach the gospel, so that they may gain honor and acclaim among men, that is, that they may be praised by them as excellent and splendid teachers, with whom Paul and others may compare

738 Lri. 6si. Ill, 81-83. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2800-2804. 739

could not endure. As soon as they have gained this reputation, they begin to slander what others have worked, said and done, and to praise their own gloriously; And by this cunning they beguile the hearts of the mob, who, because their ears itch, not only delight in new doctrines, but also take pleasure in seeing those whom they had before for teachers eclipsed and oppressed by these new delicious (as they dream) teachers, because they are weary of the word and disgusted with it.

50 This, he says, should not be, but let each one be faithful in his office, not seeking his own honor, nor trusting in the great multitude, which carelessly (temere) gives applause, but only let it be his concern that he may carry out his office honestly, that is, teach the gospel purely. If his work is done rightly, he should know that he will not lack honor with God, nor with the godly. The fact that in the meantime he cannot earn praise from the ungrateful world should not move him. For he knows that this is the purpose of his ministry, not that he, but that Christ may be glorified through it. Therefore, armed with weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left, he should speak with a steady mind: I did not begin to teach the gospel in order that the world should show me honor, therefore I will not desist from it because of the shame it does to me. Such a one teaches the word and directs his ministry without any regard for men, without caring in any way for praise, honor, power, wisdom 2c. He does not rely on the praise of others, but has it with himself.

51 Therefore, he who administers his ministry rightly and faithfully does not care what the world says about him, he does not care if it praises or blames him, but has his glory in himself, which is the testimony of his conscience and the glory before God, and therefore he can speak with Paul 2 Cor. 1, 12: "Our glory is this, that is, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly integrity, not in carnal wisdom, but in the grace of God, we are built up in the faith of God.

of this world" 2c. This glory is pure and lasting, because it does not depend on the judgment of others, but on our own conscience, which gives us the testimony that we have taught rightly, administered the sacraments rightly, and done everything rightly, therefore it cannot be stained or taken away.

The other honor that the ambitious have is an uncertain and extremely dangerous honor, for they do not have it in themselves, but it depends on the speech and opinions of the great crowd, and therefore they cannot have the testimony of their own conscience that they have done everything out of a simple and pure heart, only to praise the glory of God and to promote the blessedness of souls. For they seek only that they themselves may become famous and praised by men through the work or labor of preaching. Thus they have an honor, a confidence, and a testimony, but with men, not with themselves nor with God. In this way, the godly do not desire to have honor. If Paul had had praise and honor with men and not with himself, he would have despaired when he saw that many cities, countries and all of Asia were falling away from him, when he saw that so many arouses and mobs followed his preaching. Since Christ was alone, that is, since the Jews were not the only ones who sought to put him to death, since he was abandoned by his disciples, he was not alone, but the Father was with him, because he had his glory in himself.

Likewise, if today our confidence and honor depended on the judgment and favor of men, we would soon perish with sadness of heart. For there is so much lacking that the papists, the enthusiasts and the whole world should consider us worthy of any honor and praise, that they even hate and persecute us most bitterly, yes, they would like to blaspheme our ministry and our doctrine to the utmost and exterminate them completely. So we have nothing among men but pure shame. But we are joyful and glory in the Lord. Therefore, with the greatest faithfulness and care, we safely and cheerfully administer the ministry in which God has placed us, which we know is good for Him.

740 Ari. 6iU. Ill, 83-86. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 6, 4, W. VIII, 2804-2807. 741

be pleasing. Since we do this, we do not care whether the devil likes or dislikes our work, whether the world is favorable to us or hates us. For since we know that our work is honestly directed, and we have a good conscience before God, we walk in righteousness, through honor and dishonor, through shame and praise 2c. This is what Paul calls "having glory in oneself".

(54) And this is a very necessary admonition against this very harmful vice, because the gospel is such a doctrine, which by its nature, and then also by the wickedness of Satan, brings with it the cross. Therefore Paul used to call it a word of the cross and of offense 1 Cor. 1:18, 23. It has not constant steadfast disciples, but also those 1) who today come and confess it, but tomorrow, vexed by the cross, again fall away and deny it. Therefore, those who teach the gospel in order to gain applause and praise from the people must necessarily perish and their honor be disgraced if the people cease to applaud them.

(55) Therefore let every teacher learn that he should not have his glory in the mouth of others, but in himself. If there are some who praise him, as the truly godly are wont to do ("by honor and dishonor" says Paul 2 Cor. 6:8), let him accept this honor, but as something incidental to the right honor (accidens). But for the right, essential honor (substantiam gloriae) he should hold the testimony of his conscience. He then examines his own work, that is, he is not concerned about his honor and has only one thing in mind, that he may conduct his ministry honestly, that is, that he may teach the Gospel purely and show the right use of the sacraments to the people 2c. Since he thus examines his work, he has glory in himself, which no one can snatch from him, because he has planted it well in his heart, fixed it and kept it, not by the speech of others, which Satan can easily turn away, and make of their mouth and tongue, which shortly before spoke well of him, such a one as reviles him most grievously.

1. "but also such" is inserted by us.

(56) Therefore, says Paul, if you are eager for glory, seek it in a right way and in such a way that it endures, not that it is based on the speech of others, but that it is in your heart. This will happen if you do your work honestly. In this way it will also be found that the honor you have with yourselves will finally be followed by honor with others. But if you have glory only in others and not in yourselves, then the shame and dishonor that you have inwardly in your heart will also be followed by outward dishonor in others. We have seen this in our time in the case of some fanatics who did not check their work, that is, did not take care that they taught the gospel purely, but misused it so that they received the applause of the great crowd, contrary to the second commandment, and therefore their inward disgrace was also followed by outward disgrace, according to the words 2 Mos. 20:7, "The Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain," and likewise 1 Sam. 2:30, "He that despiseth Me shall be despised again."

If we first seek the honor of God through the service of the Word, our honor will surely follow, according to the saying: "Whoever honors me, I will also honor. In short, let every one examine, that is, let it be diligently applied to him that his service may be faithful, for this is required above all things of the ministers of the word, 1 Cor. 4:2, as if to say: Everyone seeks to accomplish this one thing, that he teach the word purely and faithfully, looking to nothing but the glory of God and the salvation of souls, then his work is faithful and well founded, and he has honor in his conscience, namely, that he can confidently say: This teaching and my ministry is pleasing to God, which is truly an excellent and delicious glory 2c.

58. But this saying can also be applied appropriately to the works that the godly do in any profession, as if he who is a person in authority, a householder, a servant, a schoolteacher, a pupil, 2c., were to remain in his profession and carry out his office in it honestly and faithfully, and not worry about the works that are not in his profession. He who does this has glory in himself. For he can say,

742 Li-1. 6ai. Ill, 86-88. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. Vlli, 2807-2810. 743

I have carried out the work of the profession that God commanded me to do as faithfully and diligently as I could, so I know that this work, which is done in faith and obedience to God, is pleasing to God. If others slander it, it is of little consequence. For there are always people who despise and slander the teaching and life of the godly. But God has seriously threatened that He will put the slanderers to shame. Therefore, since such people anxiously pursue vain honor for a long time, and seek to put the truly godly in the shade by their slander, what Paul said Phil. 3, 19. befalls them:. "Whose honor will be put to shame," and in another place 2 Tun. 3, 9.: "Their foolishness will be revealed to everyone." By whom? Through GOD, the righteous judge, who, as He will put the slander of those people in the pillory, so will bring forth the righteousness of the godly as the noonday, Ps. 37, 6.

The word "in itself," in order to mention this in passing, must be taken in such a way that one does not exclude God, namely, that each one should know that his work, in whatever godly state he may be, is a divine work, because it is a work of a divine profession, which has God's command.

V. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

(60) This is, as it were, the reason (ratio) for the previous saying, that no one should base himself on the judgment of others about him, as if to say, "It is utter folly that you seek glory in others and not in yourself. For in the battle of death and in the last judgment it will be of no use to you that others have praised you, for others will not bear your burden, but you will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and bear your burden alone. There your praisers will not be able to help you. For when we die, these voices of praise will cease, and on that day when the Lord will judge the hidden things of men, 2) the testimony of the Lord will not be heard.

1. Instead of the following to the end of the paragraph, Menius has introduced other thoughts,
2. Wittenberger: aorüiuM instead of: Noruinum, as it should read according to Rom. 2, 16.

knowledge either for you or against you. Against you, if you have glory in others; for you, if you have glory in yourself, that is, if your conscience gives you testimony that you have administered the ministry of the word honestly and faithfully, looking only to the glory of God and the salvation of souls, or have directed your ministry rightly, as your profession requires.

61 And those words v. 2, "Bear one another's burdens," are mighty words, so that they should certainly frighten us, lest we be stingy with vain honor.

(62) It should also be noted that we are not dealing here with the article of justification, where nothing is valid but pure grace and forgiveness of sins, which is taken by faith alone, where all works, even those that are the best and done according to the divine calling, need forgiveness of sins because we do not do them fully; but here we are dealing with a different matter. For Paul does not speak here of the forgiveness of sins, but holds up right and hypocritical works against one another. Therefore this is to be understood in such a way that, although the work or ministry of a godly pastor is not so perfect that it should not need the forgiveness of sins, it is nevertheless righteous and perfect in itself, if it is held against the work of those who are stingy with vain honor.

Thus, our preaching ministry is righteous and endures because we seek the glory of God and the salvation of souls. On the other hand, that of the spirits is not such, because they seek their own glory. Therefore, although no work can satisfy the conscience before God, it is necessary that we can be certain that we have done our work in purity, truth and in a godly profession, that is, that we have not corrupted God's word, but have taught it purely. 2c. This testimony of conscience, that we have administered our preaching ministry correctly and have led a Christian life, is necessary for us. So far we may boast of our works, as far as we know that they are approved by God and pleasing to Him. For each one will bear his burden in the last judgment, therefore others who praise us will be of no use to us there.

744 Di'i- Os-I. Ill, 88-90. Explanation of Galatians 6, 5. 6. W. VIII, 2810-2815. 745

Up to this point he has attacked the extremely harmful vice of vain honor; no one is so capable of rejecting it that he does not need constant prayer to do so. For what man, even if he is godly, does not delight in the praise that is bestowed upon him? Only the Holy Spirit can protect us from being infected by this plague.

V. 6 But he that is instructed in the word divideth all good things to him that instructeth him.

Here he preaches to the disciples or hearers of the word that they should give all kinds of good things to their teachers. In the past, I often wondered why the apostle so diligently commanded the churches to feed their teachers. For I saw in the papacy that all gave everything with wonderful generosity to build magnificent churches, to make the salaries large and to increase the income of those who were in the spiritual state (qui sacra tractabant). Therefore the dignity and the wealth of the bishops and other clergymen grew in such a way that they possessed everywhere the most beautiful (cultissimas) and best lands. I therefore thought that Paul had commanded this in vain, since all kinds of good things were not only given to the clergy superfluously, but also flowed abundantly, and therefore I thought that people should rather be admonished so that they do not give more, than admonished so that they should give. For I saw that through this excessive generosity of the people the stinginess of the clergy grew 2c. But now we see the reason why they used to have an abundance of all goods, but now the pastors and ministers of the word are starving 2c.

In the past, when false and ungodly things were taught, everything flowed so superfluously that from the patrimony (patrimonio) of Peter (who says that he has neither silver nor gold) and from the so-called spiritual goods the pope became an emperor, cardinals and bishops 2c. Kings and princes of the world have become. But now that they have begun to teach the Gospel, its preachers (professores) are as rich as once Christ and the apostles were. So we learn how well this commandment has been fulfilled.

that one should feed the teachers of the Word, which Paul so diligently urges and inculcates in the hearers here and elsewhere.

67. Now there is no city, at least as far as we know, which feeds its teachers itself, but all have their sustenance from the goods, not which Christ, for to him no one gives anything (for at his birth he uses the manger instead of a bed, since he has no room in the inn; When he walks on earth, he has no place to lay his head; finally, he is stripped of his clothes and dies in the most miserable way, hanging naked on the cross between two murderers), but which were given to the pope for fine abominations, because, after the gospel was suppressed, he taught human statutes and established ungodly services.

68 And as often as I read Paul's exhortations, in which he preaches to the churches both that they should feed their teachers and that they should contribute something to the lack of the saints in Judea, I tend to be very surprised and filled with shame that such a great apostle had to use so many words to obtain this benefit from the churches. In the second letter to the Corinthians he deals with this matter in two whole chapters [Cap. 8 and I would not like to bring Wittenberg, which is nothing at all against Corinth, into such a bad reputation as he did to the Corinthians by such urgent (anxia) and distressed begging for the livelihood of the poor. But this is the fate of the Gospel when it is taught, not only does no one want to give anything to feed the servants of it and to maintain schools, but all begin to rob, steal, cheat each other with various artifices, in short, people suddenly seem to degenerate into abominable beasts. On the other hand, when the doctrines of the devils are preached, people become very extravagant and willingly offer everything to their seducers. The prophets also accuse the Jews of the same sin, that they hardly gave the godly priests and Levites a living, but gave everything in abundance to the godless ones.

746 Ari. Kai. Ill, 90-93. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2815-2819. 747

69 Therefore, only now do we understand how necessary Paul's commandment is that the servants of the churches should be fed. For Satan can suffer nothing less than the light of the gospel. Therefore, when it shines, he flares up and tries to extinguish it with all his might, and tries to do so in two ways: first, by lies of the heretics and force of arms of the tyrants, then by lack and hunger. But since, by the grace of God, he has not been able to suppress the gospel in our lands through heretics and tyrants, he seeks to do so in another way, namely, by depriving the ministers of the word of food, so that they, forced by lack and hunger, may leave the ministry of preaching, and thus, in time, the wretched people, deprived of the word, will become completely cattle. And in order that this most terrible evil may come all the more swiftly, Satan hastens (urget) it greatly through godless authorities in the cities and the nobles in the countryside, who steal the church goods, on which the ministers of the Gospel should live, and use them for an evil custom. The prophet Micah says Cap. 1, 7., "Of whoredoms they are gathered, and shall become whoredoms again."

Then Satan leads men away from the gospel, even the good ones, individually (privately) through excessive satiety. For the diligent and daily practice of the Word produces in many a disgust and contempt for it, who then gradually become negligent in the practice of all the duties of godliness. Likewise, no one now gives his children to the study of good sciences, much less the Scriptures, but only to profitable arts. All this the devil does for the purpose of suppressing the gospel in our lands, even without the violence of tyrants and the wiles of heretics.

So it is not for nothing that Paul exhorts the hearers of the Word to share all kinds of good things with their teachers. In the first letter to the Corinthians Cap. 9, 11 he says: "If we sow spiritual things to you, is it a great thing if we reap your bodily things?" So the hearers must serve those with their bodily goods from whom they have received the spiritual. But farmers, citizens

and noblemen today abuse our teachings only to accumulate wealth.

Before, when the pope reigned, there was no one who did not pay the priests annually for the so-called anniversariis, likewise for masses, vigils 2c. The mendicant monks also received their share. Thus the Roman fair with the indulgence and the daily sacrifices also took away something considerable 2c. From these and other innumerable extortions our people are freed by the gospel. But so much is lacking in them that they should be thankful for this freedom, that they have become outright thieves and robbers from profligate people, who give neither to the Gospel, nor to its servants, nor to the poor saints even a farthing. This is a sure sign that they have already lost the Word and the faith, and in short, have nothing of spiritual goods, because it is impossible for truly godly people to admit that their ministers are lacking. But because nowadays they rejoice and laugh when their ministers suffer adversities, and deny them their sustenance, or do not give as faithfully as they should, it is certain that they are worse than heathens.

But what misfortune will follow this ingratitude, they will experience in a short time. For they will lose both the physical and the spiritual. For this sin must necessarily be followed by the most severe punishments, and I truly believe that the churches in Galatia, Corinth 2c. have been so destroyed by the false apostles for no other reason than because they neglected their true teachers. It is quite right that he who denies a penny to God, who offers him all good things and eternal life, should give a gold florin to the devil, from whom all evil and death come. He who does not want to serve God in a small matter 1) to his greatest benefit, let him serve the devil in the greatest matter to his greatest harm. Now that the word shines, we see what the devil and the world are.

1. Wittenberger: inanioäieo instead of: inrnoäloo.

748 6ai. Ill, 93-9S. Executed. Explanation of Galatians 6, 6. 7. W. VIII, 2819-2822. 749

But that he says: "All kinds of good things" (in omnibus bonis), this is not to be understood in such a way that everyone should share all his goods with his teachers, but that they should feed them abundantly (liberaliter), as much as is enough to maintain life in a sufficient way (commode). The word κατηχούμενος is used to those

known, who understand the Greek.

V. 7. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.

The apostle is so serious about this doctrine of feeding the teachers that he adds a threat to his rebuke (increpationi) and admonition, saying: "God is not mocked. But he has exactly met the manner of ours, who certainly despise our preaching ministry. For they think it is a joke or a game, and therefore they (especially the nobles) deal with it by subjugating their parish lords as if they were lowly slaves, and if we did not have such a godly prince who loves the truth, they would have driven us out of these lands long ago. They cry out (when the parish priests demand their pay or complain that they are in want): The priests are stingy; they want to have an abundance of all goods; no one can satisfy their insatiable avarice. If they were truly evangelical, they should have nothing of their own, but as poor follow the poor Christ and suffer every hardship 2c.

To such tyrants and mockers of God, who with the greatest certainty ridicule the poor pastors, and yet want to be considered evangelical, and that they do not mock God, but serve Him with the greatest reverence, Paul threatens here in a frightening manner. He says: "Do not be mistaken, God does not allow Himself to be mocked", that is, He does not suffer Him to be mocked in His servants. Christ says Luc. 10, 16.: "Whoever despises you despises me", and to Samuel 1 Sam. 8, 7. God says: "They have not rejected you, but me" 2c. Therefore, even though He may postpone vengeance for a time, in His time He will find you and punish the contempt of His word and your exceedingly bitter hatred of His servants. Therefore, you are not deceiving God, but

yourselves. You will not laugh at God, but God will laugh at you Ps. 2:4. And the verse: Non me doctorem, sed te deluseris ipsum If you deceive the teacher, you have deceived yourself is well known.

But the defiant nobility, burghers and peasants are not moved at all by this terrifying threat, but they will realize, when the need for death is present, whether they have mocked us (yes, not us, but as Paul says here, God Himself) or themselves. Meanwhile we say this, because they arrogantly despise our admonitions, for our comfort, that we should know it is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong. For he who suffers (patientia) is always innocent. Furthermore, God will not let us, his servants, die of hunger, but when the rich are starving and hungry, he will feed us, and in the days of famine he will satisfy us.

For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

78 All this belongs to the doctrine (locum) of the maintenance of preachers. I do not like to interpret such sayings. For they seem to boast us, as indeed they boast us. Then it has an appearance of avarice when one tries to impress this on the listeners with great diligence. But people must be taught about this too, so that they know that they owe reverence and sustenance to their teachers. Christ teaches the same, Luc. 10, 7. by saying, "Eat and drink what they have, for a laborer is worth his wages." And Paul in another place 1 Cor. 9:13, 14, "Know ye not that they which sacrifice eat of the sacrifice? And they that minister of the altar, enjoy of the altar? So also the LORD commanded that they which preach the gospel should feed of the gospel."

It is also useful for us, who are in the ministry of preaching, to know this, so that we do not take the wages for our work, which are paid to us from the goods of the pope, with an evil conscience. Although these are gathered together by pure fraud, God, by depriving the Egyptians, that is, the papists, of their goods, nevertheless sets them up in our countries for my godly and good use, not when the nobles steal and abuse them, but when they are used by the pope.

, 750 Ari. 6ai. Ill, 95-97. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. Vlil, 2822-2825. 751

if those who proclaim God's glory and teach the youth godly are fed by it. For it is impossible for a person to have time for domestic work day and night in order to earn a living, and at the same time to study the Holy Scriptures diligently, as the office of a teacher requires. Therefore we should know that we can enjoy with a good conscience the goods (for God has commanded and ordained this) which are presented to us from the church goods in order to maintain our life sufficiently (commode), so that we have time for our ministry. Therefore, no one should make a conscience about it, as if he were not allowed to use these goods.

V. 8 He who sows to the flesh will reap corruption from the flesh. But he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

80 He adds a simile and a figurative speech. But he applies this general saying about sowing to the particular matter of feeding the preachers, saying, "He who sows to the Spirit," that is, who gives the teachers of the Word their sustenance, is doing a spiritual work, and "will reap eternal life." Here one would like to ask whether we earn eternal life by good works, for it seems that Paul is asserting this here. Of the sayings that speak of works and reward, we have dealt diligently and abundantly enough above in the fifth 1) chapter. But it is highly necessary that, following Paul's example, believers be exhorted to do good, that is, to exercise their faith in good works. For if these do not follow faith, it is a sure sign that faith is not true faith.

The apostle says: "Whoever sows to the flesh" (some read: "to his flesh"), that is, whoever does not share anything with the servants of the Word, but only feeds and provides for himself (to which the flesh drives), "will reap destruction from the flesh", not only in the life to come, but also in the present. For the goods of the wicked perish, and at last they themselves come to a shameful end.

1. Jenaer and Erlanger: "third".

Wise at 2c. The apostle wanted to admonish his listeners to be generous and charitable to their teachers. But it is a very unfortunate thing that the "wickedness and ingratitude" of men is so great that it is necessary to do this in the churches.

The Encratites have misused this saying to confirm their enthusiastic opinion against marriage and have interpreted it in this way: He who sows to the flesh shall reap corruption, that is, he who takes a wife shall be damned. So a woman is something damnable and marriage is evil because in it sowing to the flesh takes place. Those shameful beasts had so little judgment that they did not see what the apostle was talking about. I mention this for this reason, so that you may see that the devil can very easily turn simple hearts away from the truth through his servants. Germany will have innumerable such people in a short time, yes, it already has many, because in some places it persecutes and kills the godly, in other places it neglects them and lets them live in the greatest lack. Against these and similar errors we want to fortify ourselves and learn to grasp the right understanding of the Scriptures. But Paul, as every man of sound mind can see, speaks not of marriage, but of the entertainment of the ministers of the church, and though this entertainment is a bodily thing, yet he calls it "sowing to the spirit. On the other hand, he calls gathering together and seeking one's own: "sowing to the flesh". Of those he proclaims that they will be blessed in this life and in the life to come, of these, on the other hand, that they will be cursed in this life and in the life to come.

V. 9 But let us do good and not grow weary, for in his time we will also reap without ceasing.

When he concludes the letter, he moves from the specific to the general, exhorting to all good works in general, as if to say: Not only toward the ministers of the word, but also toward all men, let us be generous and charitable, and that without weariness.

752 Lri. ttai. Ill, 97-100. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 6, 9-12. W. Vlll, 2825-2829. 753

For it is easy to do good once or twice, but to persevere and not be overcome by the ingratitude or malice of those to whom one has done good, that is trouble, that is need. Therefore he not only exhorts us to do good, but also not to grow weary in doing good, and in order to persuade us all the more easily, he adds: "For in his time we will also reap without growing weary" (non defatigati), as if he wanted to say: "Look on and expect a harvest without ceasing, which will come, then no ingratitude or malice of men will be able to keep you from doing good, for in the time of harvest you will obtain abundant fruit from your sowing. Thus he exhorts the faithful with the sweetest words to do good.

V. 10: Now that we have time, let us do good to everyone, but most of all to our fellow believers.

• This is the end of the exhortation to give generously to the church servants for their sustenance, and to give abundantly to all who are in need, as if to say: Let us do good while it is day, for when night comes we can work no more. When the light of truth is gone, people do many things, but in vain, because they walk in darkness and do not know where they are going. Therefore, their whole life, works, suffering and death is in vain. But covertly he aims these words at the Galatians, as if to say: If ye abide not in the wholesome doctrine which ye have received of me, it profiteth you nothing that ye do many good works, suffer many things 2c. Thus he says above Cap. 3, 4: "Have ye then suffered so much in vain?"

But "comrades in the faith" he calls with a new expression (phrasi) those who are in our faith community, among whom are first the ministers of the Word, then also all other believers.

V. 11. Behold, with how many words have I written to you with my own hand!

86 He closes the epistle with an exhortation to his own and with a severe rebuke.

Or an attack on the false apostles. "Behold," he says, "with how many words have I written unto you with mine own hand!" This he says to move them, and to show them his motherly affection which he has toward them, as if to say: Never have I written to another church with my own hand a letter containing so many words as I have written to you. For he dictated the others and only signed the greeting and his name with his own hand, as can be seen at the end of his epistles. In these words, however, he has the length of this epistle in mind, as I believe; but others interpret it differently.

V. 12. Those who want to make themselves pleasing according to the flesh force you to circumcise, only that they may not be persecuted with the cross of Christ.

Above he had cursed the false apostles and declared them to be banished people (anathema fecerat). Now, repeating the same thing, as it were, but in different words, he again accuses them severely in order to deter and draw the Galatians away from their teaching, however much they had the reputation of being people of great importance. He says, "You have such teachers who, first, do not care for the glory of Christ and the blessedness of your souls, but seek only their glory; second, flee the cross; third, do not understand, much less do, what they teach.

If someone, especially an apostle, praised a teacher for these three virtues, he should be shunned by all; but not all Galatians obeyed Paul's admonition. Also, Paul does not disgrace the false apostles by attacking them so harshly, but he pronounces their sentence by apostolic authority. Thus, when we call the pope the antichrist and say that the bishops and the spirits are cursed people (anathema), we do not revile them, but judge by divine authority that they are cursed, according to this word Gal. 1:8: "So are we, or an angel from heaven," 2c. because they follow the teaching of Christ, but these overthrow it.

89. but he uses the significant word εκπροσώπησα^ which we find in > German again-.

754 -Uri. o-n. Ill, 100-102. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2829-2833. 755

give by "well-doers, to put themselves in fine taste". Their first virtue, he says, is that they flatter the nobles (magnatibus) and the high priests. In order that they may make themselves agreeable to them, and that they themselves may preserve their honor unharmed, they compel you to be circumcised. For the nobles among the Jews stubbornly resist the gospel and defend Moses. They strive to submit to the will of these people and to live outwardly in such a way and to arrange the behavior (gestus) in such a way that they please them. Therefore, in order to remain in grace with them and not to suffer the persecution of the cross, they teach that circumcision is necessary for salvation.

90 There are also some such sycophants today, who cry out against us to please the pope, the bishops, and the princes, and maliciously slander our writings, not for the love of the truth, to protect it, which they dispute and blaspheme against their conscience, but to please their idols, the pope, the bishops, the kings and princes of the world, and also not to suffer the persecution of the cross of Christ. But if they would have those carnal benefits from the gospel that they have from their idols, likewise, if the confession of the gospel would bring wealth, pleasure, peace, and carnal rest, they would immediately come to us.

(91) Paul says that your teachers are utterly worthless (vanissimi) people who care nothing for the glory of Christ and your salvation, but seek only their own glory. Then, because they fear the cross, they preach circumcision and the righteousness of the flesh, lest they incur the hatred and persecution of the Jews. Therefore, even though you hear them with great zeal for a long time, you still hear only such people who serve the belly, seek their honor and flee the cross.

(92) But there is an emphasis on the word "compel. For circumcision is nothing, but if circumcision is compelled and righteousness and satisfaction for sin are made from receiving it, on the other hand, if it is neglected, sin is made, that is, dishonor to Christ. Enough has been said about this above.

V.13. For even they themselves, who are circumcised, do not keep the law; but they desire that ye should be circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

Here Paul is a heretic because he says that the false apostles and all the people of the Jews, who were circumcised, do not keep the law, even that the circumcised, when they fulfill the law, do not fulfill it. This is contrary to Moses, who says: if one is circumcised, he keeps the law; if one is not circumcised, he forsakes the covenant of God, Gen. 17:10, 14, and the Jews were circumcised for no other reason than to keep the law, which commanded that everything male should be circumcised on the eighth day 2c. This has been abundantly covered above, so there is no need to repeat it here.

94 This is why he condemns the false apostles, so that he may deter the Galatians and they may not hear them, as if to say, "Behold, I paint before your eyes and show you what kind of teachers you have, first, people who are greedy for vain honor, who seek only their own and provide for their bellies; second, who flee from the cross; finally, who teach nothing that is true or certain, but all their speaking and doing is hypocritical. Therefore, even if they outwardly keep the law with gestures and ceremonies, they do not keep it by keeping it. For the law cannot be fulfilled without the Holy Spirit. Without Christ, however, one cannot receive the Holy Spirit; where this is not received, there remains an unclean spirit, that is, one who despises God and seeks his own glory. Therefore, everything he does from the law is hypocritical and a twofold sin. For an unclean heart does not fulfill the law, but only pretends outwardly that it fulfills the law, and is thus strengthened even more in its ungodliness and hypocrisy.

95 This saying is well to be remembered, "They that are circumcised keep not the law," that is, the circumcised are not circumcised 2c. and it may be applied to other works also. Whoever does works apart from Christ, prays, suffers, does works in vain, prays and suffers in vain 2c., for "whatsoever is not of faith is sin".

756 Drl- Oai. Ill, 102-105. Exec. Explanation d. Galatians 6, 13. 14. W. vm, 2833-2836. 757

[It is therefore of no use that someone is circumcised by heart, fasts, prays 2c., if he nevertheless inwardly remains a despiser of grace, of the forgiveness of sins, of faith, of Christ 2c., and is proud in trusting in himself, and is presumptuous because of his own righteousness, which are terrible sins against the first table. In addition to this, sins against the second table also arise, such as disobedience, lust, anger, wrath, hatred 2c. So he says rightly: The circumcised do not keep the law, but only pretend and give themselves the appearance of keeping it. But hypocrisy is a twofold sin before God.

(96) What do the false apostles mean by wanting you to be circumcised? They want you to be circumcised, not so that you will be righteous, although they pretend to be, but "so that they may boast of your flesh. But who should not utterly abhor that exceedingly injurious vice, ambition, or the seeking of glory, which is sought after with so great danger of souls? They are, he says, quite worthless people who serve the belly and hate the cross. Then, what is most serious, they force you to be circumcised according to the law, so that they can abuse your flesh for their glory, to the eternal harm of your souls. For the benefit that you receive from this is your condemnation before God, before the world, so that the false apostles can boast that they are your teachers, but you are their disciples; but they teach you what they themselves do not do. In this way he makes the false apostles odious and hateful enough to the Galatians.

97 These words, "That they may boast of your flesh," are to be read emphatically, as if to say, "They have not the word of the Spirit, therefore it is impossible for you to receive the Spirit from their preaching. They only exercise your flesh, making carnal works saints of you, who outwardly, without the Spirit, had days, times, sacrifices 2c. according to the law. These are purely carnal things, from which you have nothing but useless toil and condemnation. They, on the other hand, have this, that they can boast that they are teachers of the Galatians, whom they have removed from the doctrine of the heretic

They would have brought St. Paul back to the mother, the synagogue. Thus the flatterers of the papists boast today that they bring back into the fold of the church those whom they traffic in. We, on the other hand, do not boast of your flesh, but of your spirit, because you have received the spirit from our preaching, as was said above Cap. 3, 2.

V. 14. But let it be far from me to boast, but only of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostle is now quite indignant and breaks out of an agitated mind into these words: "But let it be far from me to boast," 2c. as if he wanted to say: "The carnal boasting of the false apostles is such a harmful pestilence that I would like it to be buried in hell, because it brings ruin to many. But let him of the flesh boast who will, and perish with his accursed glory. But let this be my only glory, which is to glory in the cross of Christ. In the same way he also speaks Rom. 5, 3: "We boast of tribulations" 2c.; likewise 2 Cor. 12, 9: "I will most gladly boast of my weakness" 2c. So Paul shows here which is the right glory of Christians, namely that they boast, rejoice and are proud in tribulations, shame, weakness 2c.

The betting world judges that Christians are not only the most despicable people, but also hates them bitterly, as it should, out of a just zeal; it persecutes, condemns, and kills them as if they were the most harmful ruin for the spiritual and temporal kingdoms, that is, as heretics and rebels. But because they suffer these things, not for murder, theft and other such crimes, but for the sake of Christ, whose glory and honor they proclaim, they boast in the tribulation and cross of Christ and rejoice with the apostles that they are counted worthy to suffer reproach 1) for the name of Christ Acts 5:41.

100 So too, today, when the pope and the whole race are persecuting us, we should be gray.

1. In the Jena and Erlangen "Christi" is repeated here.

758 Ari. Kai. Ill, 103-107. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2836-2839. 759

We should boast and rejoice because we suffer these things, not for our own iniquities, as thieves, murderers, etc., but for the sake of Christ, our Savior and Lord, whose gospel we teach purely. But by these two things our boasting is especially great and firm: first, that we are sure that we have the pure and divine doctrine; secondly, that our cross or suffering is Christ's suffering. Therefore we have no cause to lament and weep when the world persecutes and kills us, but to rejoice and be glad in the highest. The world judges us to be wretched and accursed people, but Christ, who is greater than the world, for whose sake we suffer, declares us blessed and calls us to rejoice 2c. He says Matt. 5:11, 12, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you, because they lie against you. Be glad and of good cheer" 2c. Therefore our boasting is quite different from that of the world, which does not boast in tribulation, shame, persecution, death 2c., but of its power, riches, peace, honor, wisdom and righteousness. But the end of their glory and joy is mourning and shame.

101 Furthermore, the cross of Christ does not mean the wood that Christ carried on his shoulders and on which he was nailed afterwards, but it generally means all the tribulations of all the blessed, whose sufferings are Christ's sufferings. 2 Cor. 1, 5: "We have much of the suffering of Christ," and Col. 1, 24: "I rejoice in my suffering for you, and in my flesh I make up for the lack of afflictions in Christ for his body, which is the church" 2c. Thus the cross of Christ is called in general all the tribulations of the church, which it suffers for Christ's sake, to which Christ himself testifies, in the Acts of the Apostles, Cap. 9, 4, where he says, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Saul did not do violence to Christ, but to his church. But he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Zech. 2:8. There is a more tender and sensitive (velocior) feeling in the head than in the other members of the body; this we see in experience. For when a toe of the foot is wounded, or another even so

If a small part of the body is affected, the head immediately shows in the face that it feels this. For the nose is wrinkled, the eyes are used 2c. Thus Christ, our head, makes our afflictions his own, and suffers when we, his body, suffer.

It is useful to know this, so that we do not grieve too much or despair completely when we see our adversaries persecuting us, condemning us, and killing us, and also that the heretics hate us with such a hostile spirit, but remember after the example of Paul that we must then, in the cross, boast most of all that we have taken upon ourselves not because of our sins but for the sake of Christ. If we consider the sufferings we endure only in themselves, they are not only burdensome to us, but also unbearable. But when the pronoun of the second person "thine" is added, that we may say: 1) Thy sufferings, O Christ, are many upon us; likewise, as it is said in the 44th Psalm v. 23., "For thy sake we are daily strangled," then the sufferings become not only light, but also sweet, as [Matt. 11:30.) it is written, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

It is obvious that today we suffer the hatred and persecution of the adversaries for no other reason than because we preach Christ purely. If we denied this 2) and approved of their harmful errors and unchristian (impios) worship, they would not only cease to hate and persecute us, but also offer us positions of honor, riches 2c. Because we suffer these things for the sake of Christ, we can boast with full truth with Paul of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, not of power, favor, riches 2c., but of tribulations, weakness, sorrow, afflictions (pugnis) of the body, terrors of the spirit, persecutions, and all kinds of evils. Therefore we hope that it will also happen in a short time that Christ will say to us (what David said to the priest Abiathar, 1 Sam. 22, 22.): "I am guilty of all of your

1. Instead of possumus in the Erlanger is possimus to. read.
2. Jena and Erlangen: nnne instead: Unna.

760 All. Oai. Ill**,** 107-110. Explanation of Galatians 6, 14, W. vill, 2839-2842. 761

Souls"; likewise Zech. 2, 8: "Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye", as if he wanted to say: Whoever wounds you wounds me, for if you did not preach my word and confess me, you would not have to endure this 2c. So it is said John 15:19, "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: because I have chosen you of the world, therefore the world hateth you." This is also discussed above.

Through whom the world is crossed to me, and I to the world.

This is a Pauline way of speaking: "The world is crucified to me," that is, I pronounce the judgment that the world is damned, and "I am crucified to the world," that is, the world again judges that I am damned. Thus we crucify and condemn each other. I curse all the doctrine, righteousness and works of the world as the poison of the devil. Again the world curses my teaching and my deeds, judges that I am a harmful man, a heretic, a rebel 2c.

Today the world is crucified to us, and we to the world. We curse and condemn the human statutes of masses, orders, vows, services, works and all the abominations of the pope and heretics as the devil's filth. They, on the other hand, persecute and kill us as religion's trafficers and disturbers of the public peace.

The monks dreamed that the world would be crucified to them when they entered the monastery. But in this way not the world, but Christ is crucified; indeed, the world is freed from crucifixion and made more alive by the delusion of its own holiness and the confidence in its own righteousness, which those have had who have entered a spiritual order (religionem), and therefore this saying of the apostle has been drawn in quite an inconsistent way to the entering of an order. But he speaks of a far higher matter, namely that Paul and every saint or Christian considers as divine wisdom, righteousness and power what the world considers as the greatest tyority, godlessness and weakness and condemns, and again what the world considers as the highest religion and godliness, of which

Christians know with certainty that it is the highest blasphemy.

Thus the godly judge the world, and again, the world judges the godly. But with the godly is the right judgment, because a spiritual man judges everything 2c. [Therefore, the world's judgment of religion or righteousness before God disputes with the judgment of the godly, as the devil and God dispute with each other.

108. but as God is crucified to the devil, and again, the devil is crucified, that is, as God condemns the doctrine and works of the devil ("for the Son of God," says John 1 Ep. 3, 8., "has appeared to destroy the works of the devil"), and again, as the devil condemns and reverses the word and works of God (for he is a murderer and a father of lies Joh. 8, 44), so the world condemns the doctrine and life of the godly, calling them the most harmful heretics and disturbers of the public peace, whereas the godly call the world a child of the devil, who follows the footsteps of his father most faithfully (egregie), that is, who is as much a murderer and a liar as his father. This is what Paul means when he says, "By whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world." But "world" in the holy scripture means not only the publicly ungodly and wicked people, but also the best, wisest, holiest 2c.

1'09. But at the same time he aims covertly at the false apostles, as if he wanted to say: I utterly hate and abhor all glory that is apart from the cross of Christ, as an utterly accursed thing, and not only hold it to be dead, but hold that it died most ignominiously, as he dies most ignominiously who is nailed to the cross. For the world with all its glory is crucified to me, and I to the world. Therefore let all those be accursed who boast of your flesh and not of the cross of Christ. So Paul testifies with these words that he hates the world with the whole (perfecto) hatred of the Holy Spirit, and again, the world hates him with the whole hatred of the evil spirit, as if he wanted to say: It is impossible that any unity can come about between me and the world. What shall I do now? Should

762 Lri.vs. 1. ill, 110-112. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2842-2845. 763

I give way, and teach what pleases the world? No, but unbowed spirit I will only appear bolder against them and despise and crucify them as thoroughly (egregie) as they despise and crucify me 2c.

110. Finally, St. Paul also teaches here how to fight against Satan, who plagues us continually with ever different bodily evils, and inwardly strikes our hearts with his fiery darts without ceasing, so that by this stopping, if he cannot do it in any other way, he may overthrow our faith and turn us away from the truth and Christ: That in the same way as we see that St. Paul proudly despised the world, we also despise the devil, its prince, with all his violence, cunning and infernal raging, and in this way, trusting in the assistance of Christ, offer him defiance: The more you harm and desire to harm, Satan, the more proud I am and ridicule you. The more you terrify and seek to throw me into despair, the greater my confidence becomes, and I boast in the midst of your raging and wickedness, not by my power, but by Christ my Lord, whose power is mighty in my weakness 2 Cor. 12:9.. Therefore, when I am weak, I am strong 2c. On the other hand, when he sees that his threats and terrors are magnified, he rejoices and terrifies more and more those who have already become fearful 2c.

V. 15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor foreskin counts for anything, but a new creature.

Paul speaks strangely when he says that in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor foreskin counts for anything 2c. He should rather have said: Either circumcision or foreskin counts for something, since these two things are opposed to each other. Now he says that neither counts for anything, as if to say: We must come higher, for circumcision and foreskin are far too minor things to serve to attain righteousness before GOD. They are indeed opposed to each other, but this has nothing to do with Christian righteousness, which is not earthly but heavenly. Therefore it does not exist

in bodily things. Therefore, whether you are circumcised or have foreskin, it is all the same, for both are of no value in Christ.

The Jews were very angry when they heard that circumcision was not valid. They easily admitted that the foreskin was not valid, but when the same was said of the Law and of circumcision, it was unbearable for them to hear it. For, in order to defend the law and circumcision, they fought to the death. The papists today also fight fiercely to maintain their human statutes of meat-eating, celibacy, holidays, etc., and they banish and curse us, who teach that these are not valid in Christ Jesus. Likewise, some of ours are no less tasteless than the papists, for they consider freedom from the statutes of the pope to be something so necessary that they fear to sin if they do not immediately violate and abolish them all with one another. But Paul says that we must have something far greater and more delicious to attain righteousness before God than law or circumcision, than keeping or transgressing the papal statutes. In Christ JEsu he says- neither circumcision nor foreskin, neither celibacy nor marriage, neither food nor fasting applies 2c. "Food does not promote us before GOD. If we eat, we shall not be better because of it; if we do not eat, we shall be nothing less because of it" 1 Cor. 8:8. These things are far too subordinate; indeed, the whole world with all its laws and righteousnesses is far too small to be included in the doctrine of justification.

Reason and carnal wisdom does not understand this, because it does not hear anything from the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2:14. Therefore it claims that righteousness is in external things. But we are so informed by God's Word that we can declare as certain that in the whole world there is absolutely nothing that can serve for righteousness before God, but the one and only Christ, or, as he says here: "a new creature". But worldly laws, human statutes, church ceremonies, even the law of Moses are things that are apart from Christ. They do not serve for righteousness before

764 Lr. Sai. m, 11L-11S. Executed. Explanation d. Galatians 6, 15. W. VIII, 2845-2647. 765

God. They may well be used as good and necessary things, but in their place and time. But if they are used in the business of justification, they are of no value at all, but do much harm, because in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor foreskin is of any value, but a new creature.

114 And Paul excludes by these two parts, circumcision and foreskin, everything that exists in the whole world, and says that it is not valid in Christ Jesus, that is, in matters of faith and salvation. For by the figurative speech of the synecdoche he takes the part for the whole, that is, by "foreskin" he understands all Gentiles, by "circumcision" all Jews, with all their powers and all their glory, as if he wanted to say: All that the Gentiles can accomplish with all their wisdom, righteousness, laws, power, kingdoms, empires, counts for nothing in Christ JEsu. Likewise, everything that the Jews are and can do with all their Moses, law, circumcision, worship, temple, kingdom, priesthood, counts for nothing. Therefore, in Christ Jesus or in the matter of justification, one should not argue about the laws of the Gentiles or the Jews, whether the ceremonial law or the moral law makes righteous, but one must simply make the negative statement: "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor foreskin counts for anything.

So the laws are evil? No, rather they are good and useful, but in their order and in the right place, that is, in physical and civil matters, which cannot be administered without laws. Then also in the churches we observe certain ceremonies and laws, not because their observance is for righteousness, but for good order, example, tranquility, and unity, according to the saying 1 Cor. 14:40., "Let all things be done honestly and orderly." But if the laws are so laid down, and their keeping so required, that the keeping of them shall make righteous, and the not keeping of them shall condemn, then they must be utterly done away with and abolished, because then Christ loses his office and glory, who alone makes righteous, who alone gives the Spirit 2c. Paul therefore says with these words most clearly

that neither circumcision nor foreskin is valid, but a new creation 2c. But since in Christ neither the laws of the Gentiles nor of the Jews are valid for anything, the pope has acted exceedingly ungodly by forcing us to keep his laws as if we would thereby become righteous 2c.

But "a new creature", by which the image of God is restored, does not come into being through the appearance or hypocrisy of any outward works ("for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor foreskin counts for anything"), but through Christ it is created in the image of God in righteousness and holiness. When works are done, they produce a new appearance by which the world and the flesh can be bribed (capiuntur), but not a new creature. For the heart remains godless as before, full of contempt for God, unbelief 2c. Therefore a new creature is the work of the Holy Spirit, who purifies the heart through faith, and works godliness, love, chastity 2c. and gives the power to keep the flesh in check and to flee the righteousness and wisdom of the world 2c. Here is not an appearance or only a new outward form, but the thing itself is carried out. In fact, there arises another sense and another judgment, namely, a spiritual one, which thereafter abhors what it formerly held in high esteem. Formerly our hearts were so taken up with the monastic life that we considered it the only way to blessedness; now we judge it far differently. What we worshipped as extremely holy things before we became this new creature, we are ashamed of now when we think of it.

Therefore, a change in clothing and other outward things is not a new creature, as the monks dream, but the renewal of the mind by the Holy Spirit, which is followed by a change in the members and senses of the body. For where the heart receives new light, a new judgment, and new impulses through the gospel, it happens that the outward senses are also renewed. For the ears delight in hearing God's word, no longer human statutes and dreams. The mouth

766 Li-I. Oai. Ill, 115-117. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2847-2850. 767

and the tongue does not praise their works, righteousness and rule, but with joy only praises the mercy of God, which has been shown to us in Christ 2c. These are changes, which, I say, are not in words (verbales), but in deeds (reales), which bring with them a new mind, will, sensations, and actions, even of the flesh; so that the eyes, ears, mouth, and tongue not only see, hear, and speak differently than before, but also that the mind itself approves and follows another.

For formerly, when our heart was blinded by papist error and darkness, it dreamed that God was a merchant who sold His grace to us for our works and merits. But now that the light of the Gospel has dawned, it certainly believes that we are counted righteous by faith in Christ alone, and therefore now casts away all works of its own choosing, and does the works of its calling and love that God has commanded, praising and extolling God, and boasting and being joyful in trusting in the mercy of God in Christ alone. If there is any misfortune or danger to suffer, it suffers it gladly and with joy (even though the flesh grumbles against it). This is what Paul calls a new creature.

V.16. And as many as walk according to this rule, upon them be peace and mercy.

This he added as a summa (epiphonema). This is the only and right rule according to which we must walk, namely the new creature. The Franciscans interpret this saying in the most godless way to their rule. That is why these blasphemous and robber people have boasted that their rule is much more holy than others, because it is founded and confirmed by the apostolic testimony and reputation. Surely Paul is not talking here about the caps, plates on the head, rope, wooden shoes, whistling in the church, and similar quite trivial antics, which are included in their rule, but about the new creature, which is neither circumcision nor foreskin, but a new man, created in the image of God in righteousness and holiness.

Righteousness and holiness, who is inwardly righteous in spirit, and outwardly holy and pure according to the flesh. The Franciscans and all monks have a righteousness and holiness, but a hypocritical and godless one, because they do not hope to become righteous by faith in Christ alone, but by keeping their rule. Then, although they pretend to holiness outwardly, keeping their eyes, hands, tongue and other limbs in check, they nevertheless have an unrighteous heart, which is full of evil air, hatred, anger, unchastity, idolatry, contempt and hatred of God, blasphemy against Christ 2c. For they are exceedingly bitter enemies of the truth.

Cursed be the rule of Franciscus, Dominic and other monks, because by it, first of all, Christ's good deeds and glory have been obscured and buried, and the gospel of grace and life has been completely suppressed, and secondly, the world has been filled by it with innumerable idolatries, false worship of God, godless false spirituality (religionibus), self-chosen works 2c. But this rule, of which Paul speaks here, is the only one given, since by it we live in faith in Christ and become a new creature, that is, truly righteous and holy through the Holy Spirit, not through an empty pretense or hypocrisy. To those who walk according to this rule belongs peace, that is, God's pleasure, forgiveness of sins and a quiet conscience, and mercy, that is, help in tribulations and forgiveness of the sin that is still left in the flesh. Yes, even if those who walk according to this rule are overtaken by a fault or a fall, mercy comes to their aid because they are children of grace and peace, so that their sin and fall is not imputed to them 2c.

And about the Israel of GOD.

121 Here he aims at the false apostles and the Jews, who boasted of the fathers, of being the chosen people, of the law 2c., Rom. 9, 3-5. as if he wanted to say: "The Israel of God" are not those who are begotten according to the flesh of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, but those who, with the believing Abraham, follow the promises.

768 Nri. Oai. Ill, 117-120. Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 6, 16-18. W. VIII, 28S0-2852. 769

God, who are now fulfilled in Christ, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. This subject is abundantly dealt with above in the third chapter.

V. 17. From now on, no one will give me any more trouble.

With displeasure (stomacho) and indignation he closes the epistle, as if to say: I have faithfully taught the gospel as I received it from Christ by revelation. Whoever does not want to follow, may follow whom he likes, but may he not trouble me any more. In short, this is my opinion in a few words: that Christ, whom I have preached, is the only High Priest and Savior of the world. Let the world therefore walk according to this rule, of which I have spoken here in the whole epistle, or be eternally lost.

V.18. For I bear the marks of the Lord JEsu on my body.

(123) As the Minorites Franciscans interpret the above saying, "As many walk according to this rule," to mean that it is said of their rule, so they invent that it is to be understood of the marks of their Franciscus. I consider it a mere fiction and mockery what they said about this. But it may be that Franciscus had the marks on his body, as he is painted, but they were not given to him for the sake of Christ, but he had them himself out of foolish devotion, or rather out of vain honor, with which he could tickle himself that he loved Christ so much that he also marked his wounds on his body.

The correct understanding of this passage is this: The scars (notae) that I bear on my body show sufficiently whose servant I am. If I sought to please men and insisted that circumcision and the keeping of the law were necessary for salvation, and boasted of your flesh, as the false apostles do, it would not have been necessary for me to bear these marks on my body. But because I am the servant of Jesus Christ and walk according to the right rule, that is, publicly.

I teach and confess that no one can obtain grace, righteousness and salvation apart from Christ, therefore I must also bear Christ's marks (insignia), which are not marks that I have acquired of my own free will, but which are inflicted on me against my will by the world and by Satan for no other reason than because I preach that Jesus is the Christ.

So he calls the marks of the wounds that are marked on his body and his suffering, then also the fiery darts of the devil, the sorrow and terror of the heart. These sufferings he commemorates everywhere in his epistles, and Lucas in the Acts of the Apostles. In the first letter to the Corinthians, cap. 4, 9, 11-13, he says: "But I think that God has presented us apostles as the very least, as given over to death. For we have become a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men"; likewise: "Until this hour we suffer hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are beaten, and have no certain place, and work and labor with our own hands. We are scolded, we are persecuted, we are blasphemed. We are always as a curse of the world, and a sweep offering of all men." Likewise 2 Cor. 6, 4. 5.: "In great patience, in tribulations, in distresses, in beatings, in prisons, in riots, in labor, in watchings, in fastings" 2c., and Cap. 11, 23-26. and Cap. 12, 10. 11.: "I have suffered more beatings, I have been imprisoned more often, often in mortal distresses. From the Jews I have received five times forty strokes less one. I have been beaten three times, stoned once, shipwrecked three times, spent day and night in the depths of the sea. I have traveled often; I have been in peril on the sea, in peril among murderers, in peril among the Jews, in peril among the Gentiles, in peril in cities, in peril in deserts, in peril on the sea, in peril among false brethren" 2c.

(126) These are the right marks, that is, the notae impressae, of which the apostle speaks here, which we also have today by the grace of God on our bodies.

770 6ai. Ill, 120. 1, 10. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. VIII, 2852-2854. 771

We must bear them in our bodies for the sake of Christ. For the world persecutes and kills us, false brethren hate us bitterly, Satan terrifies us inwardly in our hearts with his fiery darts for no other reason than because we teach that Christ is our righteousness and our life. These marks we do not choose for ourselves out of sweet devotion, nor do we suffer them gladly; but because the world and Satan bring them upon us for Christ's sake, we must suffer them, and boast with Paulo in spirit (who is always willing, boasting, and rejoicing) that we bear them in our bodies. For they are the seal and most certain testimony of right doctrine and true faith. Paul said this, as I reminded you above, with a certain indignation.

The grace of our Lord JEsu Christ: be with your spirit, dear brothers, Amen.

This is the last farewell. Concludes the letter with the same words with which he

started him, as if he wanted to say: I have taught you Christ purely, I have pleaded with you, I have scolded you, 2c. and I have omitted nothing which, in my opinion, would be useful to you. There is nothing more that I could add, except that I pray from the bottom of my heart that our Lord Jesus Christ may bless and prosper my work, and govern you with his Spirit forever.

Now I am finished (hactenus) with the interpretation of the epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. The Lord Jesus Christ, our Justifier and Savior, who has given me grace and ability to interpret this epistle, and you to hear it, sustain and strengthen me and you (this I implore from the bottom of my heart), so that we may grow more and more every day in the knowledge of his grace, and be found blameless and blameless in an unfeigned faith on the day of our redemption. To Him be glory forever with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Fifty boasts and virtues of one's righteousness, which one seeks to attain by works;

from the apostle Paul's epistle to the Galatians.

One's own righteousness, which one seeks to attain through works.

Cap. 1.

1. turns away from the call to the grace of Christ.
2. accepts another gospel.
3. confuses the believing hearts.
4. perverts the gospel of Christ.
5. is cursed.
6. preaching people to service.
7. is pleasing to people.
8. He who teaches them is not Christ's servant.
9. comes from people, not through revelation.

10 Is nothing; even the highest righteousness from the law is nothing.

11. Disturbs the community of God.

Cap. 2.

12. will be justified by that by which it is impossible to be justified (ex impossibili), namely by the works of the law.
13. make sinners of those who are justified by Christ.
14. makes Christ the minister of sin.
15. rebuilds the sin that was already broken.

772 Lri. 6ai. 1, 10-12. Fifty boasts and virtues of one's own righteousness. W. VIII, 2881 f. 773

16. becomes a transgressor.
17. throw away the grace of God.
18. holds that Christ died in vain fei.

Cap. 3.

19 Causing the Galatians to become unintelligent,

20. That they will be charmed,
21. That they do not obey the truth,
22. that they crucify Christ,
23. That they attribute the spirit to works,
24. That they may leave the spirit and be perfected in the flesh,
25. That they have suffered and labored all in vain. 1)
26. is under the curse.
27. add to the testament of God and throw it away.
28. Makes the sins exceedingly great.
29. power that people are decided under sin.

Cap. 4.

30. make people serve the meager statutes,
31. That the gospel is preached in vain,
32. That the people become servants and children of the handmaid,
33. That they may be thrust out of the inheritance with the son of the maidservant.

Cap. 5.

34. that Christ is not useful to them, 2)

1. This sentence, Gal. 3, 4, is erroneously placed in the fourth chapter as No. 31 in the editions.
2. This sentence, Gal. 5, 1, is still included in the previous chapter in the editions. The following sentence,

35. That they still owe to do the whole law,
36. that they lose Christ,
37. That they fall from grace,
38. That they can be endured in the good course of virtue 3),
39. That what they are persuaded of is not of God,
40. That they have the leaven of corruption.

He who teaches his own righteousness will receive his judgment.

42. it makes people bite and eat each other.
43. is counted among the works of the flesh.

Cap. 6.

44. power to make people think they are something, while they are nothing,
45. That they boast of other things than God,
46. To make themselves pleasing to carnal people according to the flesh,
47. That they hate the persecution of the cross,
48. That they do not keep the law,
49. That they may boast of the teachers of carnal things.
50. power that everything is of no use, and everything is of no use.

End.

Gal. 5, 3, only the Erlangen edition has correctly placed it under the fifth chapter.

3. Instead of virtutik in the Latin editions, according to Gal. 5, 7. and the translation of Menius, perhaps veritutis should be read.

774 Erl. (P.) LOS. 145-148. interpretations On the epistle to the Galatians. W. IX, 378-381. 775

C. D. Martin Luther's explanation of the saying St. Paul Gal. 1, 4. 5.

Christ gave himself for our sins 2c.*)

Preached Anno 1538.

Gal. 1, 4. 5. Christ gave Himself for our sins.

There is not a single word in the entire epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, especially in the first three chapters, in which the apostle does not deal with the main point of Christian doctrine, namely, how we are to be redeemed from sin and death and come to grace, eternal life and salvation before God. He freely says that it is not by the works of the law, much less by works or worship services devised and chosen by men, but that Christ alone must and can accomplish this. Therefore nothing else comes out of his mouth, except always for and for: Christ, Christ; that all his words are full of the spirit, everything burns and lives especially when he speaks.

2 But notice, dear one, and pay attention to how clearly and precisely he uses all the words. He does not say: Christ was pleased with our righteousness and good works. No, no! Nor does he say, "He has accepted from Iins the sacrifices commanded in the law of Moses, much less our chosen services, masses, vows, pilgrimages," but rather, "He himself has given. Dear, what has he given? No gold nor silver, no ox nor paschal lamb, no kingdom, empire or world, yes, not even an angel. What then! Something much higher and more precious than anything created in heaven and earth. Dear, what is it? "Himself." For what?

Certainly not for a crown or a kingdom, certainly not for our righteousness or holiness, but "for our sin".

(3) Are not all these words like mighty thunderbolts from heaven, against all men's righteousness, hardness, and holiness, that it may have appearance and name, as great and glorious as it may be? As then such mighty thunderbolts, against all men's holiness and wisdom, are also in all the words of this saying Joh. 1, 29: "Behold, this is the Lamb of God, which bareth the sin of the world." Therefore, all the words in this and similar sayings, each one in particular, should be considered most diligently, and not be fluttered over so carelessly and badly 1). For it is exceedingly rich comfort to the poor, frightened and stupid consciences, when they grasp them by faith.

(4) If then thou art grieved for thy sin, and wouldest be rid of it, and have a gracious God in heaven, take not this or any other thing to gain such treasure by it, for it is in vain; but hear what St. Paul saith unto thee concerning God. He says that there is a man called Jesus Christ who gave himself for all our sins. These are rich, important, glorious and comforting words.

1. Thus the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers; Erlanger: carelessly badly and overhin fladdern.

*This sermon was first published in a single edition by Hans Weiß in Wittenberg in 1538 under the title: "The saying of St. Paul Gal. 1. 'Christ gave himself for our sin, that he might save us from this present evil world' 2c. Salvific and comforting to all afflicted and anxious consciences. By D. Mart. Luther." After that, together with the sermon, which is found in the St. Louis edition vol. X, 1088 ff., it was published in 1551 by D. Bernhard Ziegler in Leipzig, provided with a preface, and printed in Leipzig by Georg Hantzsch. The latter edition had D. Rambach had the latter edition reprinted in 1721 under the title: "Des Mannes Gottes M. Lutheri lauteres und apostolisches Zeugniß von Christo für uns. In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1553), vol. IV, p. 328d; in the Jena (1568), vol. VII, p. 22; in the Altenburg, vol. VII, p. 23; in the Leipzig, vol -XI, p. 404, and in the Erlangen, I. ed., vol. 19, p. 210; 2nd ed, We give the text after the second edition of the Erlanger, which brings the first pressure, under comparison of the Wittenberger and the Jenaer edition, however without noting each time, where we do not follow the Erlanger.

776 Erl.(2.)soa,i48-iso. Explanation of Gal. 1, 4. 5. W. IX. 381-384. 777

(5) Both Moses in the Law and the prophets in their writings prophesied of such redemption and atonement for our sins; and all who were godly before the future of Christ 1) had the understanding and faith that they could not be saved by circumcision, nor by the works commanded in the Law, but by Christ, who was promised to Abraham.

Therefore, this is one of the most noble and comforting sayings in St. Paul, and a true carthorse, emergency snake and main piece, so that the unholy papacy with all its supposed religion, holiness, self-chosen ecclesiastical statuses and services, may be turned to ruin and ground. For where our sins could be redeemed by our own works, merits, satisfaction: Dear, what would have been necessary for God's Son to give Himself for this? But because He gave Himself for this purpose, we will certainly leave them unredeemed by our works.

(7) Furthermore, we should learn from these words, "Who gave Himself for our sins," that our sins are so great, inordinate, and insurmountable that it is impossible that even the whole world, gathered into one heap, could do enough for them. For since it cost God such a precious, unspeakable treasure, namely His only Son, who had to give Himself for it, it is good to assume that we cannot atone for it nor overcome it with all our piety and righteousness, even if we had the merit of all the saints. Therefore, with these words: "He who gave Himself for our sins", truly the power and authority of sins is made very great.

(8) Most of the people on earth are good fellows, they go along in the safest way, and they put sin to the wind as a bad, little thing that has little meaning; indeed, when it comes to the point that sin begins to bite the conscience, one does not consider it great, but thinks: "There is no need, I will counsel the matter well, I will do this or that to atone for the sin, and thus please God. We should

1. Erlanger: godly.

But if we consider the magnitude of the great, inordinate treasure that is given for it, we would realize that the burden of sins is so exceedingly great and heavy that it is inestimable to all the world: how then could they pay for it with their strength and works and be able to do enough for it? Dear one, take these words: "He Himself" 2c. to heart, and consider them with seriousness and diligence, then you will learn to understand that the word "sin" contains the eternal wrath of God, together with all the power and might of the sorrowful infernal Satan. For the fact that he causes so much misery and heartache on earth, that 2) we are not safe from him for a single moment of our lives, and have to be constantly aware of all misfortune, is all the fault of sins. Therefore it is not such an easy and small thing, as the blind, sure reason lets it dream and think.

(9) Therefore, this saying is most powerful: that all men are prisoners of sin, even (as St. Paul says elsewhere) sold under sin as bond servants, Rom. 7:14, and further: that sin is a mighty, cruel lord and tyrant over all men on the whole face of the earth, whom no one can resist, no matter how high, wise, learned, powerful he may be. Even if all people under the wide sky were united, they would still not be able to overcome this tyrant with all their power, but all would have to hold out and let themselves be strangled and devoured by him. Jesus Christ alone is the hero who can control the cruel, insurmountable enemy. But it costs him a lot, the dear Lord, because he has to give his life for it.

(10) Again, this saying gives a very great, rich comfort to all those who have a stupid, despondent conscience because of their sin. For although sin, as I said, is a cruel and insurmountable tyrant, but because Christ takes our place, takes all our sin upon Himself, sacrifices Himself for it on the cross, and lets the judgment pass over Him as if He were accursed before God, and the greatest sinner that ever came on earth, sin loses all its right, strength and power to

2. Erlanger: "and that".

778 Erl. (S.) so," 156-152. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. IX, 384-387. 779

and must now lie under his feet. But all these things he has done for us, for he would not have been able to do them for himself, because he has not committed any sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth, Isa. 53, 9. 1 Petr. 2, 22. Therefore, whoever believes these things and accepts them with joy and thanksgiving, sin cannot harm him, much less condemn him. For Christ paid a high enough price, gave himself for it, and in its place gave him his innocence and righteousness. It is true that sin does much harm to the pious, because they still live in the flesh; it frightens and grieves them heartily, but it can do no more. For when they regain their composure and grasp with faith this sentence: "Christ gave himself for our sins," sin is no longer terrible to them, for it is now bound and imprisoned, and indeed already condemned. What can it do? The wild, raw, great crowd knows nothing of this; Christians know something of it, if sin presses, and yet resist it with faith and comfort of such sayings.

(11) When you thus learn Christ from this and similar sayings in St. Paul, that he alone is the subjugator of sin, you can freely judge and pass sentence on all kinds of doctrine and life, and say: If sin is such an abominable tyrant that it is superior to the whole world with its power, then the teaching of the pope and of all works saints must be false and forged, who pretends that we can overcome sin by our ability and powers. Item, you can also pass judgment on the life of all works saints, and say: If one cannot get rid of sin in any other way, Christ gives himself for it, then it is all in vain and for nothing what all papists and religious boast of their spiritual state, service, hard and sour life, as if they should thereby atone for sin, acquire grace and blessedness. Yes, it is an abominable blasphemy, so that they obscure and cover up Christ's highest love and good deeds towards us, and preach, honor and worship their filth and filthiness, that is, humanity and doctrines of the devil, instead of them.

12. whoever now wants to be a Christian in earnest, and remembers this saying of St. Paul, will benefit from it.

Let him see to it that he makes it right in his mind, and that he moves every word with all diligence, and that he pays special attention to the little word "for ours. For in this all power lies, that we may well perceive everything that is said of us in the holy Scriptures by such words, for me, for us, for our sin, and the like, and that we may actually know how to interpret it to ourselves, and to hold fast to it with faith, and to live and die on it. For there is never a lack of something great and excellent hidden underneath, to which one should pay special attention and take good note. You have easily and quickly put it into your heart that you say yes to the fact that Christ, the Son of God, was given for the sins of St. Peter, St. Paul and other saints who were worthy of such grace. On the other hand, it is extremely difficult for you, as a poor, unworthy, condemned sinner, to believe with all your heart, to hold, and to say without any doubt: Christ, the Son of God, was given for your sins, many of which are also great and grave, and yet you have never been worthy of such grace. This, I say, is certainly difficult, and great toil and labor 2c.

(13) Therefore it is a bad thing to praise and extol the kindness and good deeds of Christ in general, as if he had given himself for sin, but for those who were worthy of it, and deserved it by their holy lives. But if one should direct the tongue and say that he died for all our sins, for mine and yours and for the sins of the whole wager, then the human being recoils and recoils and is not allowed to come face to face with God. For he cannot bring himself to believe that such a treasure is given to him out of pure grace, through Christ, without his own merit and worthiness. That is why he does not want to have anything to do or to send with God, unless he is completely pure and sinless beforehand. And even if he reads or hears this saying: "Christ, the Son of God, gave Himself for our sins," or other such things, he still does not understand and interpret the word "our" to mean his own person, but thinks that it is said of others who are holy and worthy of such graces: for this reason, he thinks that he can have such graces.

780 Erl. (2.) 2OÄ, 152-154. explanation of the saying Gal. 1, 4. 5. W. IX, 387-389. 781

He cannot be granted mercy until he has 1) first earned it through his good works and made himself worthy of it. This is a foolish and harmful attitude, and stems from the fact that man neither understands nor recognizes the greatness and power of both sin and God's mercy. Therefore, he would like sin not to be as great and terrible as the Scriptures make it out to be and speak of it, but rather a badly minor harm that could easily be dealt with without Christ's help; just as in truth people do not have different thoughts about sin. This is evident from the fact that they sin so grievously without any fear or hesitation, and live and persist in sins so surely. And if at times their conscience is stirred, they turn a deaf ear to it, thinking it will have no need. Because they neither know nor feel what and how great, heavy, even unmistakable a burden it is for sin, it is impossible that they should understand what is said: "Christ gave himself for our sins"; and if they repeat it at once, it is no real earnestness to them, but an outright joke, or, if it comes to the top, a hypocrisy and false humility, so that they let themselves be heard outwardly with words, as if they were sinners in need of Christ's help. But basically our blind reason is so minded that it would like to present such a sinner to our Lord God, who would say with his mouth: I am a sinner; and yet in his heart he would think that he was pious and righteous; who also felt no sin, nor the terror of death, but who was healthy, pure and fresh in all things, and had no need of a physician. And if such were to be the case, then it would gladly be believed that Christ, the Son of God, was given for our sins.

(14) All men are like this, especially those who want to be the best and holiest in the world. For all monks and saints of works confess with their mouths that they are sinners and commit sin every day, but not so great and so much that they cannot redeem and pay for it with their holy lives and good works. 2) They do not confess that they have sinned so much.

1. Thus the Wittenbergers; the other editions: themselves. 2) > Erlangers: shall.

Indeed, they still intend to bring the other merits of their hard order before the judgment seat of Christ, and to expect a special reward from him before other common Christians. But lest they whiten and purify themselves of all things, they speak with their mouths, but with unequal hearts, with the publican Luc. 18:13: "God be merciful to me a poor sinner!" All this comes from this ignorance and error, that they think that sin is such a bad and small thing that it can be atoned for and reconciled by human laws and works, or, if it comes to it, by works of God's commandments. Therefore, it is impossible for such hypocrites to understand these or similar words of St. Paul or Christ, much less that they should console themselves with them when they feel their sin rightly in mortal distress or otherwise in terrible temptations, but must despair terribly.

(15) For this reason, of course, it is the highest art and right wisdom of Christians that these and similar words of St. Paul, or of the Scriptures, should be taken seriously and believed to be true, namely, that Christ was given into death, not for our righteousness or holiness, but rather for our sins, which are real, great, great, many, even innumerable and insurmountable sins. Therefore let no man dream, as the hypocrites do, that our sins are so small and trifling, that we can blot them out with our own works. And again, let no one despair whether, as has been said, they are so great and grievous, but let every one understand here from St. Paul, and only firmly believe that Christ gave himself, not for sins dreamed of or painted, but for sins that are true, not for sins that are small and little, but for sins that are exceedingly great and gross, not for one or two, but for all, not for sins that have been overcome and blotted out, but for sins that are unconquered, great and mighty. For indeed no man, yea, no angel, can overcome a few, even the very least sin. And where thou art not found in the number that say, "For our sin," that is, among those who follow the doctrine of the

782 Erl. (2.) 20", 154-156. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. IX, 389-392. 783

If you have faith, hear, learn, do, love and believe, you may well freely consider that your salvation is over and all things are finished.

16. Remember therefore, and prepare thyself diligently, that thou mayest be skillful, not only when thou art well satisfied with thy conscience out of temptation, but when thou hast to fight with sin and death in the highest distresses and perils, when thy conscience is mindful of the sins thou hast committed 1), and is frightened, and Satan comes under your eyes with real earnestness, and with all his power subdues you with the great burden of your sins, as with a flood of sin, to assail you, to frighten you away from Christ and to chase you away, and finally to bring you to despair. Then think (I say) that with a courageous heart and strong faith you may say, "Christ, God's Son, is given," not for the saints' righteousness, nor for the angels' innocence, but for the poor sinners' unrighteousness. If I were righteous and had no sin, I should have nothing of Christ, the Mediator, who reconciled me to God. Why then do you want to make me a saint in such a wrong way, you unholy Satan, and demand vain righteousness from me, who have nothing but vain sin. Not imaginary sins, but real, true ones; not bad and small ones, but great, gross and exceedingly grave ones, such as not fearing God, not believing in him, doubting his goodness, not praising and glorifying him for all his unspeakable goods and benefits, which he has shown me both in soul and body; not calling on his name in times of need, even though he has commanded such, and promised that he would hear and help; but I do just the opposite: I grumble against him, become impatient, even angry and curse when things do not go my way; I do not hear, read and study his holy, precious word with earnestness and diligence, but neglect it without need, soon become weary and tired of it, and despise it 2c. Which of course are great, gross, grave sins against the first tablet.

017 Wherefore also I sin daily against the other table, namely, that I do not honor

1. In the old editions: "to think in".

my dear parents, do not raise my children to godliness and respectability, am not obedient to the authorities, covet my neighbor's goods and wife 2c. And let it be so, that I have not murdered, have not broken marriage, have not stolen, and have not done such other gross things against the other table by deed, nevertheless I have done it with the heart and thought. I am therefore a transgressor of all God's commandments, and my sins, alas, are so many that they could not all be written on a large cowhide; indeed, it is impossible that they should be counted, for they are more than the sand of the sea. Therefore cease, thou wicked false spirit, and tell me not much of my piety and good works, as if thereby I could and should obtain forgiveness of sins; there is nothing gained: For to obtain forgiveness of sins is not man's work, nor angel's; but thou art such an excellent artist and master, that thou canst make even my very best works and righteousness the very greatest sins.

(18) Therefore, because my sins are so serious, namely, that they are real, true, great, horrible, innumerable and insurmountable sins, and my own righteousness is of no use to me at all, but rather can be harmful, I follow the words of St. Paul, the dear and faithful apostle of Christ, who teaches me: Christ gave himself for this according to the will of God the Father, so that he might do enough for it, and thus save me and all who believe it from it 2) and make them blessed. To Him be praise and glory for such His unspeakable love, amen.

(19) Therefore, all the power and might of blessedness is involved in these words being considered serious and true. I do not say this in vain, for I have experienced it many times, and still experience it every day, the longer the more it becomes difficult, especially when the conscience feels the burden of sins, the terror of death and God's wrath, that he should then certainly believe that Christ was given, not for those who are holy, righteous, worthy and worthy of God.

2. Erlanger: save.

784 Erl. (s.) 29a, 156-159. explanation of the saying Gal. I, 4. 5. W. IX, 392-WS. 785

but for those who are ungodly, sinners, unworthy and enemies of God, who rightly deserve God's wrath, eternal death and damnation. Therefore we should prepare our hearts with these and similar sayings, of which the Scriptures are full, so that when the devil comes and accuses us (as he is wont to do to all the godly) and says, "You are a sinner, therefore you are my own and a child of eternal damnation," we may then, I say, be able to meet him and answer him: Yes, dear devil, for this very reason that you accuse me of being a sinner and therefore want to condemn me, I will believe all the more confidently that I am holy and righteous and will certainly be saved.

20 And whether he will stop yet, as indeed he is wont to do; for he walketh about as a roaring lion, 1 Peter 5:8, saying, In short, thou art lost; that thou knowest how to stop thyself, and to stand fast, and to say, Not so; for I cleave unto Christ, who gave himself for my sin. Therefore you, wretched Satan, will not succeed at all in reproaching me with the greatness of my sins, and thus frighten me, distress me and lead me into despair, and make me forget God's unspeakable grace and mercy, shown to me and all sinners through Christ, and look upon him as a severe, wrathful judge who wants to condemn me eternally, and thus not only be like him, but also blaspheme and disgrace him. But just by telling me that I am a poor, great sinner, you give me sword and weapons in my hand, so that I can overcome you mightily, yes, strangle you with your own weapons and put you down. For if you can tell me that I am a poor sinner, I can tell you again that Christ died for sinners and is their advocate. Then you yourself proclaim to me God's glory and honor by reminding me of God's fatherly love and faithfulness toward me, namely, that he so loved me, a poor, great and condemned sinner, that he did not spare his only begotten Son, but gave him for my sin and for the sin of all the world. Further, so exhort

You, too, can thank me for the overwhelmingly great faithfulness and benevolence of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who willingly took upon his shoulder the burden of my sins and all the sorrow and misery that should have pressed upon me forever, and for this suffered the bitter death on the cross. To this I direct you; you may therefore accuse and condemn him. But me you shall leave satisfied; for on his shoulders, not on mine, are all my sins and the sins of the whole world. For God the Father has laid on him all our sins and iniquities, says Isaiah, Cap. 53, 6. Item v. 8: "For the iniquity of his people he hath smitten him." Therefore you do not frighten me by calling me a sinner, but rather comfort me.

(21) Dear God, whoever could do this art, it would be easy for him to show the devil the cowards, with all his terrors and fears, with all his wiles and wiles, who otherwise, by holding up their sin to people, makes them grieve to death and go to hell in despair, unless they are well equipped with this divine art and wisdom, which is to hold fast through faith in Christ, and resist him. For with this alone sin, death and the devil are overcome. But he who cannot put sin out of his mind, but keeps it in his memory, torments and afflicts himself with it, and thinks how he may counsel and help himself with his own powers and works, or wants to wait so long that his conscience may be satisfied for itself and have rest: he first of all comes right into the devil's snares, torments himself miserably, and in time, when the temptation becomes greater, falls into despair. For the devil does not cease to accuse and terrify the conscience until he has accomplished his work, that is, brought man to despair.

(22) Therefore, there is nothing better than for a man, to whom the devil puts such sad and poisonous thoughts into his heart, to imagine this or such sayings of St. Paul, in which Christ is rightly and actually depicted as who and what he is, namely, the Son of God and of the Virgin Mary, for our sake.

786 Erl. (2.) 20a, 159-161. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. IX, 395-397. 787

Sin given and died. If then the devil puts it into your heart that Christ is a different man than St. Paul paints him here, just say freely alfo: he did not hit it right, but lied in all his words and letters, therefore you would not accept them either.

(23) I do not speak so many words in vain and without cause, for I know very well what cause I have for urging so strongly that Christ be rightly and truly recognized from St. Paul's words. For Christ is not such a man who demands or wants something from us, but is rather a reconciler who has reconciled all people in the whole world to God. Therefore, if you are a sinner (as we all are in truth, and greater than we think and understand), do not make of him, in body and in life, a severe judge, sitting on the rainbow, angry with sinners and wanting to condemn them, as Christ was not viewed and recognized in any other way in the papacy, otherwise you will have to be frightened and despair before him, but grasp him in his right and own image, namely, that you view and recognize him as the Son of God and of the Virgin Mary, who gave himself for the sins of all the world: Not to frighten the sorrowful and despairing consciences, much less to cast them out and condemn them, but to save them from sin and death, to strengthen and comfort them in all anguish and distress, and to make them righteous and blessed,

(24) In this way, learn to know who and what Christ is. And especially take heed that you make good use of this little word: ours, and be most certain that Christ has borne and atoned not only for the sins of some, but for all of us, that is, for the whole world. For he certainly and truly gave himself up to die for the sins of the whole world, even though the whole world does not believe it. Therefore you must not only consider your sins to be real, grave, great 2c. sins. sins, but also that they are your own and no one else's sins; that is, you must know and believe that Christ is not only responsible for other people's sins, but also for yours.

be given. Hold fast to this, and do not let yourself be turned away from this most lovely image of comfort, in which even the dear angels in heaven delight, 1 Pet. 1, 12, namely, that Christ, according to his right counterfeit and image, is ever no Moses, no cane-master nor executioner, but such a mediator, who gave himself, not for our merits, holiness, righteousness, honor and good life 2c., but for our sin, and thereby reconciled us poor sinners to God, earning grace, righteousness, eternal life and blessedness. Although Christ sometimes interprets the law, it is not his own and proper office to do so, for which the Father sent him 2c.

(25) These words, "Christ gave himself for our sins," are soon grasped and learned, so that we can repeat them, and some people are serious enough to hold fast to them; but when it comes to the point where the devil, in his temptation, hides Christ from us and takes him away from our eyes, and tears the word of grace from our hearts, then we find out that we are still far short of it, and have not yet learned it properly, or even know anything about it. But whoever could then know Christ rightly and truly, make Him great, and not regard Him as a severe judge, but as our most kind and loving Savior and High Priest, would have already overcome all fear, distress and death, and would already be in eternal life, John 17:24. But there is nothing more difficult on earth than to be able to do this in the midst of temptation.

26. What I say, I have experienced in part, for I know very well the devil's cunning and nimble tricks, that he not only holds the law against us and inflates it to frighten us, and from small splinters makes many large beams, that is, from what is probably no sin at all, or even a small minor sin, a real hell, so that the wide world becomes too narrow; But he also uses the person of Christ, our most faithful high priest and savior, as if he were angry with sinners and wanted to push them into the abyss of hell. For he takes hold of

788 Erl. (2.) Lüa, 161-183. Explanation of the saying Gal. 1, 4. 5. W. IX, 397-400. 789

A saying from the holy scriptures, or a preaching word of Christ, does such a hard blow to our hearts in a flash, before we are aware of it, that not only do we lose all faith and confidence in Christ, but we are also heartily frightened of him, and think that it is the right Christ who gives us such thoughts, when in fact it is the wretched devil himself. And with such a disguise he can endure us for a long time, frighten us with it, and make us stay in our minds and delusions, so that our conscience may swear on it a thousand oaths that it is the right Christ himself, whose words he says.

27. Finally, this is also one of the right handles of this evil-doer's cunning and trickery, that he holds up to us only a piece of Christ, not the whole of Christ, namely, that he admits that he is the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, but that he gave himself for our sin, so that he does not let one come to him, breaks it off, and tears it out of one's heart, mends and adds something strange that does not rhyme with the matter at all, namely: Holds up for us some threatening word of Christ, that he may terrify the wicked; as dangerous this, Luc. 13:3: "Except ye repent, ye shall all perish and perish." So this poisoning of the pure and certain knowledge of Christ makes us believe that Christ is our mediator and savior, but he still remains in our hearts a terrible and cruel tyrant and master of the rod. We are thus deceived by the evil one, so that we lose and abandon the most friendly and lovely comforting image of our high priest and sin-bearer, Jesus Christ, of all things, and become as fearful and timid before him as before the wretched devil himself.

(28) This alone would be cause enough for diligent and earnest exhortation and urging, that from these words of St. Paul, "Who gave himself for our sin," Christ should be rightly and truly learned. For since He gave Himself to be put to death for our sins (as is certainly true), He is never a tyrant or a judge who condemns us for sins, and those who do so are never condemned.

1. but who rather helps those who have fallen, comforts those who are frightened and takes them into grace, reconciles them to God 2c.; otherwise St. Paul would have to lie when he says that he gave himself for our sin. If I thus imagine Christ, I paint him rightly and actually, grasp and have the real Christ as he paints himself, and then leave all thoughts and speculations of the divine majesty and glory of all things, cling and cling to the humanity of Christ; since there is no terror at all, but only friendliness and joy, and thus learn to know the Father through him. Thus such light and knowledge dawns upon me that I know for certain what God is and how he is minded, what I myself am, what all creatures are, what wickedness and malice there is in the devil's kingdom.

(29) What I teach here is nothing new, but just what the dear apostles and their successors, the holy fathers, taught before us. But we are so diligent in our perseverance that we would like to see people take it seriously and always practice learning such Christian art and wisdom, for it can never be learned sufficiently. For this purpose, the devil is exceedingly hostile to it; therefore, he hinders as much as he can that it should not remain pure for long, or that it should snatch us away from it through weariness and laziness. Therefore, God wanted us to be able to present the doctrine of faith to the people, so that they would not only be able to wash their mouths of it, but would also hold on to it firmly in their hearts, especially in times of death.

That he saved us from this present evil world.

30 St. Paul also acts in these words the main part of this epistle, calling this whole world, which has been, still is, and hereafter will be, a "present world". First he calls it "present", against the world that is to come and will be eternal. Then he also calls it "bad," because everything that is in this present world is of the evil one.

1. In the old editions: "jarnerig."

790 Erl. (2.) 20", 163-468. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. IX, 400-402. 791

It is called the devil's kingdom because it does not recognize God, even despises him, hates him, blasphemes him and disobeys his words and works. Therefore it is also called the devil's kingdom, because it does not recognize God, even despises, hates, blasphemes and disgraces him, and acts disobediently against all his words and works 2c. In such a kingdom all Adam's children are subject to his lord and king, that is, the devil.

(31) Here you see once again that no one can erase sin by his own work or powers. For "this present world", says St. Paul, "is in trouble". And 1 John 5:19, 1) it is written: "it is in trouble. Now as many as are in the world, they are all of the sins and members of the devil, yes, bond servants; because as he speaks 2 Tim. 2, 26. he has captured all men under his tyranny and power, according to all his will. What good has it been, then, that so many orders have been established and founded, so many great and difficult works have been invented, to destroy sin with them, and to escape the devil's power? Such as: wearing hard shirts, flogging the body with scourges so that the blood is gone afterwards, walking in full armor to St. Jacob 2c. For, let it be that you do all these things and more, nevertheless it remains true that you are still in this present evil world and not in Christ's kingdom. But if you are not in Christ's kingdom, it is certain that you are still in the devil's kingdom, which St. Paul here calls "the evil world. As long as you are not saved from it through faith in Christ, "who gave himself for your sin," you must always remain in it, and in short no one can save you from it. Moreover, all the gifts you have, whether spiritual or bodily, such as wisdom, outward righteousness and holiness, skill of speech, power, beauty, riches, and the like, are nothing else but a proper instrument of diabolical and infernal tyranny, so that you must serve Satan and promote and increase his kingdom.

1. Here the Erlangen edition, first and second edition, reprinted from Walch: 1 John 5:20.
2. Thus the Wittenbergers. In the other editions: hypocritical.

32. For the first: The wiser and more pious you are, without the knowledge and faith of Christ, the more vehemently you persecute the right doctrine, blaspheme and condemn it for heresy and lies of the devil; on the other hand, you accept error and lies for God's word, and defend them for truth, hate and will be heartily against all those who teach, hear and confess God's word purely, yes, condemn them as deceivers and heretics, and think you are doing right and well. After that, you dare to darken and obscure divine truth and knowledge with your lies and deceitfulness, seduce people with false teachings so that they cannot come to the knowledge of Christ. Item, you praise and extol your own holiness and righteousness, but the holiness of Christ, by which alone we become holy and righteous, you curse and condemn 3) in the worst way, as if it were a completely ungodly and devilish thing. Finally, by thy power thou destroyest the kingdom of Christ, abusing it to cut off and destroy the gospel with it, to persecute and murder Christ's servants with it, together with all those who hear and love it 2c. Therefore thy wisdom, if thou be apart from Christ, is twofold foolishness; thy holiness and righteousness twofold sin and blasphemy. Not only do you know nothing about God's wisdom and righteousness, but you also obscure, hinder, blaspheme, and persecute them in a most glorious way.

For this reason St. Paul may well call the world a bad world, for where it wants to be most pious and best, there it is most evil. In the saints of works, sensible and learned people it wants to be most pious and best, and yet there it is doubly evil. I will not now think of the gross carnal vices that go against the other table, in which the world is completely drowned, such as these: Disobedience to parents and authorities, all kinds of fornication, whoredom, adultery, avarice, robbery, stealing, misappropriating, scratching, envying, hating, lying, deceiving, murdering, running high, indulging, oppressing others 2c. Which probably great and cruel

3. "du", which is missing in the other editions, we have taken from Walch.

792 Eil. (2.) 20", 165-167. Explanation of the saying Gal. 1, 4. 5. W. IX, 402-405. 793

These are vices and sins, but they are still small sins when they are held against the ones mentioned above, namely, against the righteousness and wisdom of hypocrites and saints of works, so that they sin against the first table. The white devil, who drives people to spiritual sins, which are not considered to be sins, but righteousness, is the one who does the most harm, much more than the black devil, who only drives people to gross carnal sins, which are so recognizable that even Turks and pagans may recognize them as sins.

34 By these words, "That he might save us from this present evil world," St. Paul finely indicates what the whole content and main point of this epistle is, namely, that if we are to be saved from sin, death, and the power of the devil, it must be through faith in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who gave himself for our sin, so that he might save us from the devil's kingdom, which he here calls "the present evil world. Otherwise no creature, no man, be he ever holy and righteous as he can, no angel 2c. is able to accomplish this. For the eradication of sin and salvation from the devil's tyranny and kingdom is, of course, not the work of some creatures, human or angelic, but of the high divine Majesty alone. Therefore this title alone is due to Christ, reconciling sin, saving from the devil's power 2c. For his own person he did not do this, nor did he need it. Therefore pay attention to this little word: "for our sin he saved us"; whoever believes it has it, and will praise and glorify God eternally in Christ Jesus.

(35) He calls, as partly said above, "this present world" an evil evil world, because it is a dear, faithful, willing and obedient servant and servant of its god, the devil. Everything that this death-beater and father of lies does and says, his pious child and dear obedient little son, the world, imitates him in the most masterly way, and only executes it in the best way. She hears and loves nothing more highly of a kind, 1) than

1. In the editions: höhers.

Lies, error, false worship, hypocrisy 2c. To this she is mild and devout. Again, she is opposed to the truth, persecuting and strangling those who teach it as heretics, evildoers; not to mention that she should give them something 2c. Therefore, she is full of sin and unrighteousness, knows nothing of God, is opposed to Him, blasphemes and despises Him and His word 2c. Above this she is also drowned in carnal sins, in murder, adultery 2c. For she is after her father, the devil, who is a liar and a murderer from the beginning 2c., Joh. 8, 44. Therefore, the wiser, righteous and holier people are, apart from Christ, the more hostile they are to the gospel and only do more harm. In sum, the bet is a double mischief, since it is the very best and most pious. Such twofold and godless scoundrels we were under the papacy, especially we religious, before the dear gospel was revealed to us by the grace of God, and yet we had the title and name as if we were holy and spiritual persons, much higher in rank and merit than the common man.

Let these words of St. Paul be spoken in earnest and be true, and do not think that they are a fictitious dream, when he says that this world is bad, regardless of whether many people in it have many beautiful, glorious virtues; even if, according to the outward appearance and appearance, there is much holiness and glittering being in it. Do not be misled by all this, but listen and pay attention to what the Holy Spirit says through St. Paul, from which words you can freely and truly recognize and judge the whole world: namely, that it, with all its wisdom, righteousness and power, is the evil devil's own kingdom, from which no one but our Lord God alone, through His only begotten Son, can save us.

Therefore we should praise and thank God, our dear Father, for this unspeakable mercy of His, that He has redeemed us from the devil's kingdom, in which we were all imprisoned and could not be delivered from it by our own strength, through His dear Son. And let us freely confess with St. Paul Phil. 3:8, without any hesitation, that all our works and righteousness, which we have done in the past, are worthy of our gratitude.

794 Erl. ls.) 20a, 167-16p. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. IX, 405-408. 795

The first thing is that all the sins that we want to atone for and escape from the devil's power are nothing but filth and dung, so that even if we melt them all together in one pile, we still won't be able to bend a single hair on the devil's head. Let all such powers of free will, all hypocritical righteousness, all monasticism, masses, services, vows, hard shirts 2c. and other abominations of the antichristian empire, by which the pure doctrine is suppressed, should only be freely trampled underfoot and spat upon as the most poisonous pestilence of the devil, but on the other hand exalt and magnify the glory and unspeakable good deed of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, who saved us by his death, not from a silly, bad and good, but from the wicked and damned world.

38 By this title St. Paul indicates that the world is a kingdom of unrighteousness, blindness, error, sin, death, blasphemy, despair, and eternal damnation; in sum, that it is the kingdom of the devil. And on the other hand, that the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of righteousness, light, grace, forgiveness of sins, peace, comfort, eternal life and blessedness, into which we have been translated from this evil world through our dear Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and glory together with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever, amen.

According to the will of God and our Father.

(39) St. Paul sets forth and arranges all his words with great and special diligence, so that he may defend the doctrine of his gospel, and especially the main part of justification, against the false, deceiving teachers. Christ, he says, has saved us from the wicked kingdom of the devil and this world; and that he has done this has pleased the Father, who has so willed and ordained it. From this it must ever follow that we are not saved by our own will or running, not by our own counsel, will or ability, work or merit, but by God's mercy and gracious will 2c. There you can see how powerfully and abundantly St. Paul explains the teaching of the

He knows how to sharpen all his words finely and to direct them at the false apostles, that he would like to keep the Galatians and all Christians in the truth and pure doctrine, and to beat the lies of his opponents to the ground. But it did not help, and still does not help, because the world is and remains the world.

40 We should take this teaching and comfort from these words: "According to the will of God" 2c. that God's gracious will is that no one should be lost, but that everyone should be saved, as He also teaches in 1 Timothy 2:4, and Christ Himself says, John 6:39: "This is the will of the Father who sent me, that I should not lose anything" 2c. But because our misery and sorrow could not be helped by our works, merits, sacrifices, law-keeping, as the Scriptures testify from time to time, as Psalm 40, 7: "Sacrifice and meal offering are not pleasing to thee"; Psalm 51, 18: "Thou hast no pleasure in sacrifice"; Psalm 143, 2: "Before thee no living man is righteous"; Gal. 2, 16: "By the work of the law no flesh is justified": God, who is rich in mercy, so loved this present, evil and damned world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that He might take their sin upon Himself, die on the cross, and thus do enough for it. Whoever then believes in him shall not only be saved from sin and death, but also have grace, righteousness and eternal life.

41. If the devil now creeps in unawares, and puts these words out of your sight, and tells you that you should worry whether you have been provided by God for eternal blessedness or not; holds before you the terrible examples of God's wrath and judgment, and that the number of the elect is small, the number of the damned is great: Be wise then, and by all means do not let yourself be led into such perilous thoughts and disputations, or you will surely get lost and break your neck; but resist, and say: I am not commanded to be concerned about such things, which are too high and incomprehensible for me to investigate; I stick to the words of St. Paul, who says: Christ is the only one who knows the truth. Pauli, who says: that Christ gave himself for our sin, that he might save us 2c., and has done this according to the will of God, and

796 Erl. (S.) SSL, 169-171. explanation of the saying Gal. 1, 4. 5. W. IX, 408f. 797

of our Father. From this I can certainly conclude that before God would allow us to be lost, Christ, His only Son, our Lord, must become the servant of us all, take upon Himself and bear all our sin and shame, suffer the temptation of the devil, be forsaken by God for a little while, Ps. 8:6, wrestle with death, sweat blood over it, and finally die the most humiliating death on the cross. I can neither see nor recognize anything else in God, but only grace, mercy, patience, compassion 2c. with us miserable, afflicted sinners. The Scriptures testify to this, that God does not respect the reputation of man, but that all, no one excluded, who call upon His name shall be saved. If many are lost, it is the fault of the devil and our evil will, for God the Father's will, says St. Paul, is a good, gracious will; and John 6:40, Christ Himself says: "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that whoever sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life.

God and our Father.

The little word "Our" should be interpreted to both words "God" and "Father", so that this is the opinion: By the will of our God and our Father. For it is He who is our Father, who is Christ's Father, as Christ says John 20:17 to Magdalene: "Go to my brothers and tell them: I ascend to my Father, and to your Father, to my GOD, and to your GOD." Of it further in the Easter sermon.

To whom be glory forever and ever, Amen.

(43) The Jews, according to their peculiar custom, commonly include much praise and thanksgiving in their writings; which custom and manner the apostles, being Jews themselves, also observe, as may be seen in many instances in St. Paul's writings. For one should ever honor the name of the Lord, and never mention it without praise and thanksgiving. And this way is a fine reverence and service to our Lord God. Just as in the regiment of the world, when great kings or princes are called by their names, it is customary to show reverence to them by bowing the head and bending the knees 2c. Now rather, when we speak of God, we should bow our hearts to him with reverence, and call his name with gratitude and all reverence; especially because we hear here that he is our God and Father through Christ, who not only will not be angry with us from now on, nor punish and condemn us eternally because of our sin, as he might justly do: But also counts us righteous and just, because of faith in Christ, who is our adornment, whom we put on in baptism, and also wants to give us the heavenly inheritance, namely eternal life, joy and blessedness. He does all this out of pure grace and mercy: therefore we can do or give him nothing in return, but sing an alleluia or Te Deum laudamus, and say with St. Paul: To him be praise, honor and glory, from everlasting to everlasting, Amen.

798 Erl. (2.) 18, 116 f. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. ' W. IX, 410-413. 799

*D. D. Martin Luther's Sermon on the Difference between the Law and the Gospel on Gal. 3, 23. 24. )

Held the 1st of January 1532.

Gal. 3, 23. 24. But before faith came, we were kept under the law and closed to the faith that was to be revealed. So the law was our disciplinarian unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith 2c.

1 St. Paul's opinion is this: That in Christianity both preachers and hearers should teach and grasp a certain distinction between the law and the gospel, between works and faith; as he also commands Timothy to do, when he exhorts him, 2 Ep. 2, 15, to rightly divide the word of truth 2c. For this distinction between the law and the gospel is the highest art in Christianity, which all and every one who boast or accept the Christian name should be able and know. For where this part is lacking, a Christian cannot be recognized before a Gentile or a Jew; so much so is it due to this difference.

2 For this reason, St. Paul insists that these two teachings, namely the Law and the Gospel, be well and truly separated from one another among Christians. Both are the Word of God, the Law or the Ten Commandments, and the Gospel; the former initially in Paradise, the latter on Mount Sinai, given by God. But in this lies the power to distinguish the two words correctly, and not to mix them together, otherwise one will neither know nor be able to keep the right understanding of this nor of that; indeed, if one thinks that one has both of them, one will have neither.

3. Under the papacy it has happened 1) that neither the pope nor all his scholars, cardinals, bishops and high schools have never known what gospel or law is; indeed, they have never tasted it or reported in all their books how one is to be distinguished from the other, how the teaching of the law should or could be separated from the gospel. Therefore their faith, though they come to the highest, is a mere Turkish faith, which stands only on the mere letter of the law and outward doings, as: Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal 2c.; thus they think that the law has been done enough, if one only does not kill with the fist, nor steal someone's own, and so on. Yes, they think that such outward piety is a righteousness that is valid before God 2c. But such teaching and faith, even though the works are good and commanded by God, is wrong and unjust. For the law demands much higher righteousness than that which is based on outward virtues and piety. In addition, the gospel of grace and the forgiveness of sins is even thereby defeated. For though not stealing, not killing, is right, and is required by the law, yet it is no more than a heathen piety, which does not attain to the righteousness of the law; much less is it forgiveness of sins, of which the gospel teaches and preaches.

4 It is therefore highly necessary that these two words be properly and well distinguished;

1. Jenaer: hats.

*This sermon was first published in 1532 in Wittenberg by Hans Weis under the title: "Wie das Gesetz und Evangelium recht gründlich zu unterscheiden sind D. Mart. Luther's sermon. Item, what Christ and His Kingdom are, preached from the prophet Micah Cap. 5." Then at Nuremberg by Kunigund Hergotin in the same year under the same title. In the "Gesammtausgabe": in the Wittenberg (1553), vol. IV, p. 509; in the Jena (1566), vol. V, p. 472k; in the Altenburg, vol. V, p. 947; in the Leipzig, vol. XI, p. 414; in the Erlangen, 1st edition, vol. 19, p. 234 and 2nd edition, vol. 18, p. 136. The latter edition, because the texts differ significantly from each other, has three different redactions, namely the text of the Nuremberg single edition, that of the Jenaer Gesammtausgabe and that of the Wittenberger Gesammtausgabe. However, like Walch, we print only the text of the Jena edition (which he, as he says in the preface to the 9th volume, p. 12, "held against the original edition"), because the text of both the Nuremberg printing and the Wittenberg collective edition, almost word for word, is completely contained in that of the Jena edition. To us, the triple reproduction of this sermon would seem to be an unnecessary? burden on our edition.

800 Erl. <L.) i8, i47-i4s. Sermon on Gal. 3, 23. 24. W. ix'413-415. 801

that where this does not happen, neither the law nor the gospel can be understood, and consciences must perish in blindness and error. For the law has its purpose, how far it is to go and what it is to accomplish, namely, up to Christ, to frighten the impenitent with God's wrath and displeasure. Likewise, the gospel has its special office and work, to preach forgiveness of sins to the afflicted conscience. Therefore, let these two not be mixed together without distorting the doctrine, nor let one be taken for the other. For the Law and the Gospel are both the Word of God, but not the same doctrine. Just as this is God's word, Ex. 28, 12: "You shall honor your father and your mother." And again Eph. 6, 2. 3. 4.: "Fathers, bring up your children in the fear of God" 2c. But because it is not spoken of one office and person, what disorder would result if it were to be thrown together with the appearance that it was all God's word? Then the son would want to be father, the father would want to be son; the mother daughter, the daughter mother. But this rhymes badly and is not to be suffered. Therefore, the father should do what he is commanded by God to do; likewise, the son should keep to his profession. So also it behooves a housemother to bear, nurse and rear children; a husband to care for his house and servants, and to be faithful to them; not to bear children, 1) clean, wipe and wait 2c. Now if one wanted to take hold of the other's commanded office, or if one of them wanted to be both, what kind of wild, desolate being would this become? Therefore the word must be rightly distinguished, so that each one may preside over his profession and office, 2) stay with it, and not go further, so that he will not err.

(5) What else did Thomas Muenzer bring to the terrible lamentation, except that he read in the books of the kings how David slew the wicked with the sword, how Joshua slew the Canaanites, the Hittites and other wicked nations in the land of Canaan?

1. The Wittenberg offers here: "zeugen" for which "sengen" (to suckle) should be read.
2. Jenaer: I see.

2c. He found the word and concluded from it: We must do the same to him, suppress the kings and princes in the regiment, for here we have an example of this. What else was lacking here in Muenzer, but that he did not distinguish the word correctly, and made his calculation thus: David has indeed received. But am I also David? The word that David has received is not my business; if he is commanded to receive, to slay the kings, then I am commanded to preach. If Muenzer had left it at that, and taught the gospel purely in the pulpit, according to Christ's command: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," 2c., then he would not have gotten into such terrible teaching and turmoil. For to David, and not to Muenzer, it is said: You shall protect the pious, punish the wicked with the sword and keep peace 2c. But if David were to leave such a thing, and subvert himself to the priestly office, and I were to leave off preaching, and wield the sword, and so mix all things together: what a praiseworthy rule and great art would that be? which even sows and cows could well do!

(6) Therefore I say again, that it is a very great art to separate the law and the gospel rightly from one another, because it is necessary to do so also in the commandments (which are all comprehended under the one word "law"), and to separate one from the other, where one does not want everything to go through one another, yes, over and over, because it still has defects and deficiencies, since everything is distinguished rightly and well.

Therefore, it is great foolishness to pretend that it is God's word, God's word, therefore it is right 2c. Yes, God's word is not one, but distinct. The law is another word than the gospel; so the laws or commandments are also not one. For this word of God: Protect the pious, punish the wicked, does not concern me, just as this word: You shall bear children, suckle, wipe, wait 2c., concerns women alone. Again: You shall preach, administer the sacraments, belongs not to women, but to men, who are called to do so.

8. our people know about this difference.

802 Erl. (2.; 18, 14S-IS1. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. IX, 415-418. 803

The same is true of the law and the gospel, but if it is necessary in laws to distinguish them from one another and to look at the persons to whom they are directed, how much more is there a distinction between the law and the gospel? But if it is necessary in laws to distinguish them from one another, and to look rightly at the persons to whom they are directed, how much more is the distinction to be made between the law and the gospel! Therefore, let him who is well able in this art of separating the Law from the Gospel, set him first, and call him a Doctor of the Holy Scriptures. For without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to make this distinction. I experience it in myself, and see it daily in others, how difficult it is to distinguish between the teaching of the Law and the Gospel. The Holy Spirit must be master and teacher here, or no man on earth will be able to understand or teach 1). Therefore, no pope, no false Christian, no fanatic will be able to separate these two, especially in causa materiali et in objecto.

2. By the law nothing is to be understood other than God's word and commandment, in which he gives us what we are to do and not to do, and demands our obedience or work from us. This is easy to understand in causa formali, but very difficult in causa finali. The laws or commandments that speak of works that God requires of each one in particular, according to nature, status, office, time, and other circumstances, are many and varied. Therefore, they also tell every man what God has commanded and requires of him according to his nature and office; as, the wife shall keep the children, the householder shall rule 2c. This is her commandment. A servant shall be obedient to his master, and what more belongs to a servant's office. Similarly, a maid also has her command. The common law that applies to all of us is this, Matth. 22, 39: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," advise and help him in his need as it arises: if he is hungry, feed him; if he is naked, clothe him, and what is more. That is to say, to circumscribe the law properly, and to measure it out from the Gospel, namely-
3. Wittenberger: learn.
4. The following two paragraphs were erroneously given the numbers 7 and 8 in Walch's old edition, so we have omitted them.

The law is called and is that which presses upon our works.

On the other hand, the gospel or faith is such a teaching or word of God that does not demand our works, nor does it command us to do anything, but tells us to badly accept the offered grace of forgiveness of sins and eternal blessedness and to let it be given to us. We do nothing, but only receive and let ourselves be given what is given and offered to us through the word that God promises and lets you say: I give you this and that 2c. When, in baptism, which is not my making, nor my work, but God's word and work, he saith unto me, Hold, I baptize thee, and wash thee from all thy sins; receive it, it shall be thine. If then you are baptized in this way, what more do you do than to receive and accept such a gift of grace? Now the difference between the Law and the Gospel is this: by the Law we are required to do what we want to do, urging our work against God and our neighbor; but in the Gospel we are required to make a donation or rich alms, since we are to receive God's grace and eternal blessedness.

9 This difference is easy to notice from this: The gospel gives us God's gift, help or salvation, and only tells us to hold out our sackcloth and let God give us something; the law, however, gives nothing, but takes and demands something from us. Now the two, giving and taking, are very far apart. For if something is given to me, I do nothing to it, but take and receive it, and let it be given to me. Again, when I do in my profession what I am commanded to do, item, counsel and help my neighbor, I receive nothing, but give to another whom I serve. Thus the law and gospel are distinguished formali causa; the one promises, the other gives. Gospel gives and means to take; law demands and says: You shall do this. Just as when a prince or feudal lord gives or lends his property to a nobleman, the nobleman does nothing, it is not his work, but the prince's gift; but when he rides to serve his lord or to court, 3) then he does something.

3. Wittenberg and Nuremberg: reiset.

804 Erl. (s.) is, isi-153. sermon on Gal. 3, 23. 24. w. ix, 418-420. 805

(10) So these two doctrines are far apart from each other, but in the spirit. For the devil has the heartache to inflict, does not allow us to remain in material and final causa; allows it to happen that one does or works something, but leads from that of which we are commanded to another, as a higher and better one. He does the same in causa finali, always pointing from the right goal to the wrong one, as the law should be given for this purpose. The law means to do this and that (as, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not murder 2c., and speaks of such doing, which proceeds from the heart and spirit), that is formalis causa. Now if such a work is not done, then either hypocrites (who understand the law from outward deeds, and if they have such deeds or works, they consider themselves innocent and righteous), 1) or even despair. But the gospel comforts and says: Behold, Christ is your treasure, your gift, your Savior, help and comfort! When the heart comes to this crossroads between the law and the gospel, and sees here grace, there guilt, here promise, there commandment, here giving, there demanding: it does not want to go there, but recoils, can neither overcome the law, nor grasp grace. Cause, it cannot separate these two words, law and gospel, from each other.

(11) When the conscience is struck so that it feels sin, is in mortal distress, is burdened with war, pestilence, poverty, shame and such misfortunes, and then the law says, "You are condemned to death, I demand this and that of you, you have not done it, nor have you been able to do it. Where the law (I say) thus strikes in and terrifies man with the fear of death and hell and despair, then it is high time to know how to separate law and gospel from each other, and to direct each to its place. Let him who is able to separate separate, for here is the time and the need for separation.

12. Now it belongs to this that St. Paul says: "Before faith came, we were kept and shut up under the law," 2c. that a Christian knows to make a distinction between
13. These brackets are set by us. These enclosed words are found only in the Jena.

The law and the gospel, works and faith, especially in finali and materiali causa, and meet the law thus: Thou dost indeed demand much and put in heavy condemnation those who cannot give; but dost thou also know how far thy rule shall go? hast thou forgotten that it has a definite time, as St. Paul says: When faith comes, it shall cease, no longer demanding, terrifying, nor condemning?

(13) He that knoweth not these things, and will have respect unto them, loseth the gospel, and cometh not to faith. How then the devil, by means of the fanatics, mixes together law and promise, faith and works, and harrows the poor consciences, makes them look at neither law nor gospel in the right way, drives and chases them into the law, and spreads a net, saying, "This is what I should do, and this is what I should not do. If I do not distinguish between Moses and Christ, then I am trapped and remain trapped; I cannot be free and released, but must despair.

(14) If I knew how to divide the Law and the Gospel, I would not need to say, "Did God give only one word, namely, the Law? Did he not also preach the gospel of grace and forgiveness of sins? Yes, says the conscience, where there is no faith in the promise, the law soon insists: "This and that is commanded you, you have not done it, therefore you must serve. In such a struggle and fear of death, it is high time and need for faith to arise and burst forth with all its might, and to meet the eyes of the law and confidently declare to it: "Dear law, are you alone the Word of God? Is not the Gospel also the Word of God? Is there an end to the promise? Has God's mercy ceased? Or have the two, law and gospel, or merit and grace, now blended and boiled into one another. Become one thing? We do not want to have the God who can give nothing more than law, that is for sure; so we also want to have the law unmixed with the gospel. Therefore let us make this distinction freely and without hindrance: that thou mayest press for duty and right, and that the gospel may be consecrated to grace and gift.

15 Therefore, if the law accuses me:

806 Erl. (s.) i8, 153-188. interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. ix, 420-423. 807

I have not done this and that, I am unjust and a sinner written in God's register of guilt, I must confess that it is all true. But I must not concede the implication: Therefore you are condemned, but I must defend myself with strong faith and say: According to the law, which reckons my guilt to me, I am indeed a poor, condemned sinner, but I appeal from the law to the gospel, for God has given another word above the law, that is, the gospel, which gives us His grace, forgiveness of sins, eternal righteousness and life, and also sets you free from your terror and condemnation, and comforts me that all guilt has been paid by the Son of God, Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore, it is highly necessary to know how to direct and act both words, and to diligently see that they are not mixed up with each other.

For God has given these two words, law and gospel, one as well as the other, and each with its command: the law, which demands perfect righteousness from everyone; the gospel, which gives the righteousness required by the law to those who do not have it (that is, to all men) by grace. Whoever, then, has not done enough for the law, and lies imprisoned in sin and death, let him turn from the law to the gospel, believing the preaching of Christ, that he is truly the little lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world, reconciles his heavenly Father, and gives eternal righteousness, life and blessedness to all who believe him, purely free of charge and by grace. To this sermon alone he adheres, calls on Christ, asks for grace and forgiveness of sins, believes firmly (because only with faith this great gift is grasped), then he has, as he believes.

(17) This is the right distinction, and the whole power lies in making it right. It can be preached or separated with words, but to bring it into practice is a high art and difficult to achieve. The papists and enthusiasts do not know it at all; so I see it also in myself and others who know best how to talk about how difficult this difference is. The art is common: soon it is spoken how the law is another word and doctrine than the gospel;

but to distinguish practice and to put the art into work is effort and work. St. Jerome also wrote much of this, but like a blind man of color. They call the law that one must circumcise, sacrifice, not eat this and that 2c. Then they make a new law out of the Gospel, which teaches how to pray and fast, how to become a monk or a nun, or to go to church 2c. And this is called distinguishing them. Yes, it rather means thrown into each other. For they themselves know not what they wash. Therefore hear St. Paulum, who teaches thee that thou must come higher than how to be circumcised or not to be circumcised 2c. (for that is all, to be kept and shut up under the law), namely, to faith in Christ, by which we become the children of God and eternally blessed; or remain under the prison and wrath of God.

(18) It is true that the law or the ten commandments have not been abolished in such a way that we are now free from them in all things, and may not have them. (For Christ has delivered us from the curse, not from the obedience of the law.) No, he does not mean that, but that we should keep them with all earnestness and diligence; but, where we have done so, not to trust in them, nor, where we have not done so, to despair. Therefore see to it that you discern the two words aright, not giving more to the law than is due to it, or you will lose the gospel. Neither should you regard the gospel and think about it in such a way that the law perishes, but let each remain in its circle and circle. Just as one must not preach that there should be no authority or no preaching chair, but should distinguish between the two persons and offices, so that each remains in its office and provides for it: the authority according to its land law, as far as that extends; the preacher according to his teaching office. In the mayor's office I do not take part, but separate myself from him, as winter and summer. For my office is to preach, to baptize, to bring souls to heaven, and to comfort poor, afflicted hearts 2c. But it is the duty of the authorities to keep the peace, so that the dear youth may be brought up in the fear and discipline of God.

808 Erl. (2.) 18, 155-157. sermon on Gal. 3, 23. 24. W. IX, 423-426. 809

study, or comfort people with God's word.

19 So it is necessary to distinguish rightly. Not as the pope does, who is neither dog nor dog, neither prince nor bishop, and yet wants to have both under him, wears caps and plates 1) for his own cover of shame; likewise do his bishops/ who are also neither bishops nor princes. But thus shalt thou do unto him: If thou find thyself in the meeting that the law would condemn thee, know that not only the law is given of God, but also, which is much higher word, the dear gospel of Christ. Now if both, law and gospel, come up against each other, and the law finds me a sinner, accuses and condemns me; but the gospel says, Matth. 9, 2: "Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you", you shall be blessed; both are God's word; but which one should I follow here? This is what St. Paul teaches you: "When faith comes (he says), we are no longer under the disciplinarian", then the law ceases. For it should and must, as the lesser word, give place and room to the Gospel. Both are 2) God's word, the law and the gospel; but they are not both equal. One is lower, the other higher; one weaker, the other stronger; one lesser, the other greater. Now when they wrestle with each other, I follow the gospel, and say, Good-bye, law! It is better not to know the law than to forsake the gospel.

20. for as it is in the law, when GOD commands Ex 20:7: "You shall not take my name in vain," 2c. and your ruler or your parents command you: You shall deny GOD or his gospel. Here GOD says: Honor my name; and the law: You shall love GOD more than your neighbor. Here I am to leave the least commandment (obedience to men) and let it perish, and keep the highest commandment of the first tablet (which is to be the other of all masters), and be obedient to that alone. Rather, these things must be kept when the law urges me to keep Christ,

1. The Jena version. In the two other redactions: carries a plate and flask" 2c. - Kolde and plate are synonymous. >
2. Jenaer: ares, i.e. they are.

I will rather leave the law and say, "Dear law, if I have not done the works, you do them; I will not be tortured to death, imprisoned or held under you for your sake, and so forget the gospel. If I have sinned, done wrong, or not done wrong, I will let you, the law, take care of it. Roll thou over, and let my heart be content; I will not know thee therein. But if you demand and want me to be righteous here on earth, I will gladly do it; but if you want to climb in and break my heart, so that I lose what has been given to me, I would much rather not know you at all than let the gift go.

21 Paul wants to teach us this difference when he says: The law has served to imprison us 2c. For it must also have it to imprison and compel the children and brute people with it, as it is, Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother; thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill 2c. For the old man must be bound and imprisoned under the law, so that it keeps us inside, drives us and demands of us, so that we do not live wantonly. But such constraint and imprisonment shall not last long, 3) until the gospel is made manifest and known, how we are to believe in Christ. Then I say: Law, lift yourself up, I do not want to be captivated by you in my heart any longer, that I should trust that I have done this and that, or despair that I have not done it. Faith gives me here a heavenly sermon, which is the gospel, that the law may no more hurt the afflicted and bruised heart; it hath martyred and staggered enough. Therefore, you should now give room to the gospel, which gives us the grace and mercy of God.

(22) St. Paul intends this in Christianity, and it can soon be distinguished by the words and their nature, and also by the fruits (what each of these two works or accomplishes). For it is twofold, to take and to give, to terrify and to make glad. The law requires of us and terrifies; the

3. Jenaer: become.

810 Erl. (p.) 18, 157 f. 2LV f. Interpretations on the epistle to the Galatians. W. IX, 426-430. 811

But the gospel gives us and comforts us. But to separate these things in usu, or to bring them to work, when these two words, law and gospel, come together in the conscience, so that you can then rightly separate them and say: I want to have the two words unmixed, but each assigned to its place, in sua materia, the law for the old Adam, the gospel for my stupid, frightened conscience (for I now have no need of a driver to good works, much less can I suffer its accusation, after I have been all too harshly accused by my own conscience, not only accused, but convicted, but need comfort and help from the gospel of Jesus Christ); 1) Now to do this is very difficult, especially when the law wants to take over the conscience. See then that you take hold of the promise, and do not let the law gain the upper hand, nor rule in your conscience, and thereby come into judgment, for then the gospel would be denied. But you must cast yourself about, and take hold of the word of grace or gospel of the forgiveness of sins,

1. These words, which we have placed in brackets, are found in the Jena edition alone.

that God has also commanded to preach the gospel to the poor, in which He will not play by the rules with you, but will act according to His grace as a kind father toward His poor child, that He will forgive by grace all that you have not done, and what you cannot do, He will give all to you.

023 So the law alone is to press for outward discipline, and to leave the chamber wherein the gospel is to dwell satisfied; as he saith, "Before faith came, we were determined under the law." Therefore, in addition to the law, and above the law, another word must come, namely, the gospel, which sets us in a strange godliness, which is apart from us in Christ alone. For this reason it is impossible that we should be justified by the law, for it has been tried before more than it can do. Therefore it is undeniable that no man shall be justified by the work of the law. For if it were possible, it would have happened long ago. Therefore another and higher word belongs to this, which is the gospel and faith in Christ, as has been said. God grant us grace and strengthen our faith, amen!

VII Interpretation on the Epistle to the Ephesians.

*D. Martin Luther's sermon on the armor and weapons of Christians, on Eph. 6, 10-17. )

Held on 20 October 1532.

Eph. 6, 10-17. Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the crafty attempts of the devil. For we have not with flesh and

blood, but with princes and mighty men, namely with the lords of the world who rule in the darkness of this world, with the evil spirits under heaven. For this reason, take hold of the armor of God, so that

*The old editions place this sermon on the epistle of the twenty-first Sunday after Trinity in the year 1532, but the first single print of it was published only in 1533 by Georg Rau (Rhaw) at Wittenberg under the title: "The sixth chapter of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, about the Christians' armor and weapons, preached by D. Mart. Mart. Luther." In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1556), vol. I, p. 4131"; in the Jena (1566), vol.V, p. 5091"; in the Altenburg, vol. V, p. 985; in the Leipzig, vol. XI, p. 419; in the Erlanger, 1st edition, vol. 19, p. 248 and 2nd edition, vol. 18, p. 220. We give the text according to the Jenaer, comparing the Wittenberger and the Erlanger.

812 EU. (s.) i8, SL1-SL3. Sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. ix, 430-433. 813

You may resist in the evil day, and do all things well, and keep the field. Stand therefore, having your loins girded with truth, and clothed with the cancer of righteousness, and your legs booted, as ready to advance the gospel of peace, that ye may be prepared. Above all, take hold of the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

(1) This is the last part of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, and not a doctrine how they should believe and live (which he did before through the whole epistle), but an exhortation that they take heed, because they have the doctrine of faith, and know what every man ought to do in his state as a Christian, that they abide in the same, and not turn from it to any other thing. And do as a pious, righteous captain of the field who serves his people in battle order. He preaches a sermon to his people in battle order, exhorting them to stand firm and defend themselves boldly and confidently, so that it may well be called a sermon to the Christians. For he shows that those who have been baptized into Christ and want to cling to him must and should be warriors, always armed with their weapons and armor, and that the Christian state is not an idle state, nor a state of peace and security, but that it is a matter of always being in the field and fighting, and stretching the man to it. For we do not sit here in peace, like a farmer, citizen or craftsman in a city, where he lives in peace and may fear nothing, but lie in a yearly place, in the midst of enemies and murderers, who mean us seriously, and want to take our treasure wherever we can, and are not safe from them for a moment. Therefore, whoever wants to be a Christian must think that he should join his Lord's ensign and, because he lives here, be at the forefront without ceasing, and be aware of the enemies on all sides.

2 Because we are and live in such a journey every day, it is necessary that we be awakened by the Word of God, as by our kettledrums and trumpets, and that we be urged and encouraged that

We do not snore, nor become lazy and sluggish, but are and remain always watchful and prepared. For it is not enough that we have the word and knowledge of faith and life, but it requires constant care and diligence how we keep both, so that the devil does not snatch away the doctrine, nor pervert and counterfeit it, nor lead you away from your position, nor incite and entice you away from it by wicked mouths and examples of the competition, yes, even by your own flesh. For it is a great art (as the wise say), and requires no less effort and diligence, how one keeps the good gained, than that one first gains it. Just as a good householder must not only acquire money and goods and bring them home, but must also be able to keep them and keep them in safe custody, if he is able to do so. These two virtues must be in harmony, otherwise everything is lost, effort, food and work, if one tries to acquire it.

3 In this text St. Paul wants to say as a summary: "Since you have become Christians, have been beaten off by the devil, and have been brought back to your right Lord, and know and have received everything that belongs to a Christian being, see and let this be your only concern from now on, how you stay with it, and do not let yourselves be taken away from it again, neither by force nor by trickery, nor make yourselves tired and lazy about it. For you have an evil, mischievous enemy against you, who neither sleeps nor celebrates for a moment, who tries every trick and art, as he hinders you from your faith and ministry, and prevents you from being caught again and brought under himself: so he has for help the evil world, and your own flesh, which you carry by the neck, and always draws you back, so that you may become safe and careless, and refrain from watching and fighting. Therefore he began with such vain words as are used to address and exhort men of war, that they stand and fight chivalrously, saying:

V. 10. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

004 This much is said, Think ye to hold fast, and abide in that which ye have received, and every man of fine faith.

814 Erl. (2.) 18, 223-226. interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 433-435. 815

and do his office well, and do not follow or give in to the devil's promptings, or to his own flesh, or to the world's irritation, and beware that you do not let yourselves be hindered, or made weary and faint, or become lazy and sluggish. For there it is necessary to be strong and to fight, because we have such an enemy (as we shall hear), who attacks and assails us at every turn with all his power and strength, and stirs us up without ceasing, with evil thoughts and poisonous, harmful tongues, filling both our ears and our hearts, that we should not heed the good word, nor pursue it with earnestness, and in our position or office become careless, heedless, unenthusiastic and impatient, until he brings it about that you no longer stand firm, but sway loosely and unsteadily to and fro, and fall from one to the other, both in doctrine and life.

5 For "to be strong in the Lord" means to stand firm and steadfast in the doctrine received from the Lord, which teaches us how to believe in Christ, and to live according to it, so that each one may serve his neighbor in his position and profession, and wait for him faithfully and diligently. So, whoever wants to be a pious preacher or pastor, he has his hands full, so that he conducts his office rightly, preaches purely and loudly, exhorts, prays and watches, so that the devil does not secretly cause sectarianism and hinder him in his office, or let himself be made disgruntled and impatient by the ingratitude of the world and evil mouths, without which he has to fight with the devil and flesh for his person, so that he remains in the faith 2c. So also in other ranks, that each one first learns God's word, and does not despise it (as the worldly crowd does), and then sees what his rank demands; there you will find enough that hinders and resists you, both against your faith and against your office. Therefore you must arm yourself against it, and think: So it behooves me to believe and to live as a husband, or wife, son, daughter, mayor, master, servant, maid 2c. Then will I stand by, and let nothing hinder me, nor provoke me, nor terrify me.

See, that is why St. Paul needs the very word: "Be strong in the Lord" 2c. Otherwise he would have used bad words

says as he usually speaks, and as we are wont to speak when we deliver the doctrine: Let every man take heed that he believe aright, and do that which he is commanded. But here he speaks with diligence and for a reason such powerful words: Strengthen yourselves or be strong. Namely, as has been said, that he who is to abide by this teaching and his ministry must equip himself and need strength for it. For it is not a thing that comes so easily, and does itself without hindrance and resistance, but does not go without challenge. Therefore it is necessary to wake up and be courageous, not to hear anything else, nor to be misled by what lies in the way, and to pull through it freshly, always stopping and continuing. For he does not want such loose Christians, who bring nothing more from it than knowledge and washing, and do not think how they bring it into life; but that they think that it must be lived and done. Therefore a strength belongs to it, and such strength that is of God, not of the world, nor of flesh and blood; namely, as I have now said, that each one (who is instructed by God's word, so that he knows how he should stand before God and live rightly) think to himself: I will remain in this, and know no other, nor hear and follow any other; so that he may be able to stand, if some spirit of the wicked should come, and want to dislodge from him the doctrine and understanding of Christ, or to draw and provoke a useless mouth from his commanded office and works. Just as the devil leaves no one unchallenged, if not by the world, then inwardly in the heart by his input and false thoughts and by our own flesh. For he has nothing else to do, except that he should hinder and prevent you from abiding in such pure doctrine, and fear lest the little thing become a tree.

7 Therefore it is necessary above all things, as soon as thou hast begun to believe, that thou strengthen thyself, and be established, not otherwise than by the Lord, or in the Lord: that it may be the Lord's strength. For in your bosom, nor in the world, you will not find it. For it must be strength and power, not only against the power and might of all the world, but also against the devil, who is a mighty lord and emperor of the whole world, as we shall hear hereafter.

816 Erl. (2.) 18, 226-228. sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. IX, 435-438. 817

(8) But it is a strange strength and nothing at all in the sight of the world, because it has no more and can do no more than to be founded on the word and to hold it. I wept, if it were to be such a great strength, it would have to have another foundation, be built on a strong rock, or lie in a solid castle, where no one could take it away, and put on a good suit of armor, armed and guarded with military strength, spears and rifles; that is what the world would call it: strengthened. But all this is and holds nothing against this enemy, the devil, but must be a spiritual, eternal strength, which is the Lord Christ, grasped in his word through faith. And even though it is not seen and does not appear before the eyes how strong he is, yet he is man enough for the devil, so that whoever clings to him can well resist all his power and authority and offer defiance, as he has remained with his own until now, and still remains.

(9) Therefore he says: If you want to be strong and unconquerable, let the Lord Christ be your strength; take hold of him and exercise yourselves well in him, that he may be well known to you, and that you may keep his word pure, and learn it with all diligence, handle it daily, and put it into the heart, so that the word of God and your hearts may become one thing, and you may be as sure of it and much more certain of it than you are of your own life. When you have this, you are quite strong and firm, so that you can remain undisturbed and secure, even if the devil or his messengers, enthusiasts or pabstrotts come to teach and lead you differently, or to raise something new and different.

(10) But such strength is strange in the world. For how many are they now, who so take up the cause, that they are so sure of their faith and life in their hearts, that they can hold fast to it, and despise all other things? Yes, the whole world does not come to think that it has God's word and to live according to it, and does not desire it anywhere, but despises it in the highest and most certain way, lives according to all its will, against God's word, and only strengthens itself in its wickedness and devilish nature, not caring how it becomes strong in the Lord. But we are now talking about those who

Those who want to be Christians and take the word seriously have trouble and work with it, and must defend themselves with all their might, lest they also fall into such a nature, that they do not respect the word, nor faithfully wait for their profession.

(11) For as the devil cannot leave faith unchallenged, that he may pluck us from the word; so also he cannot leave life in peace, and hath no rest till he make thee stagger: then he putteth such thoughts into the heart, that thou shalt be weary of thy estate, and shalt be displeased and impatient. He who is not equipped to stand firm, nor to defend himself with the word, is soon overthrown, as he does to others, whom he rules with displeasure and weariness of their position, so that no one pleases him with his position and work. The pagans themselves complain about this, as they have seen and felt it everywhere, how it is a harmful plague that no one is content with his position and office, but always looks for another, and considers it better; and as they say: An ox would like to be a horse, and again, the horse would like to be an ox; a peasant or citizen would like to be a nobleman, the nobleman a prince, the prince an emperor 2c. From unwillingness follows disloyalty, that no one diligently attends to his commanded office and work, but despises it, and undertakes another, or deceives his neighbor therein, and does wrong.

(12) Therefore, just as by the word we must make ourselves firm and sure in the Lord against the temptation of unbelief, or contempt of it; so we also have to manage here to fortify ourselves with the same word of the Lord, which is our own strength and armor (as we shall hear), so that we remain firm in our profession, knowing that God is heartily pleased with such our state and work as is set forth in His commandment, and can do no better.

(13) So every servant or maidservant in the house should regard their estate and work as appointed by God to serve their masters faithfully, saying, "I know that my estate and work are pleasing to God, and that there is no good work on earth; for God has commanded me no other: therefore

818 Erl. (S.) 18, S2S-L30. Interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 438-441. 819

I also want to stay with it, and not let myself be torn away from it by another, nor let myself be moved to impatience or infidelity. Likewise, a pious wife, if she is a Christian, and knows and believes God's word, and waits for it in her station, does the most delicious works on earth, so that she may not seek anything else, nor go into a convent or a cloister; but only remain firm in this, and say: My Lord Christ has suffered for me, and by his death has saved me, and redeemed me from sins, and made me righteous and saved, and asks no more of me than that I believe these things, and bids me diligently wait for my ministry; and I will abide in it. Behold, if each one should strengthen himself in his position or office and make himself firm on God's word, then it would go right and well everywhere, and we would have a paradise, yes, a kingdom of heaven here on earth, and each one could do his work with pleasure and joy, without all effort and worry. On the other hand, where such a certain and firm mind is not there, it does evil and with unwillingness, and gets pranks or misfortune for wages, and makes him both an ungracious God, and a sour life in addition.

And in the power of his strength 2c.

(14) This is spoken obscurely, and neither well in German, Latin, nor Greek, but even in Hebrew. But we must keep the words, for he had cause to speak as he who sees and thinks further than we are wont to speak. We spoke it with more words in our own way: "Stand firm and hold fast, so that you do not become slothful and lazy, nor default in what you are about to do, and that each one of you should do it, and think that such teaching is the word of God, who has commanded it in this way, and it is pleasing to Him as a right service of God 2c. But this is spoken much higher and stronger, that he says, If ye do these things, ye are strong in the Lord; and adds to this, "In the power of his might"; that is, in our language, in his mighty strength, or in his great power.

(15) But he puts the two things, "to be strong," and, "in the power of his might," to show that there are two kinds of strength which we must have. One, that we stand fast in that which we ought to believe and do, and not

that is, to be strong for ourselves. The other is not only to keep the things we have safe and secure, and to protect ourselves, but also to defend ourselves so that they are not taken from us, and to beat back our enemies who come after us. As for a captain in a city, it is not only that he keep the city safe and keep everything in good custody, so that it may not be conquered and taken, but also that he may defend himself against the enemies and fall out and put them to flight. The first is so that I will not be overcome. The other, that I may overcome the enemy and be victorious. The former is a protective power, but the latter is called a defensive or victorious power, which not only stands firm and strong in itself, but can also advance and strike out among the enemy; more and greater armor is needed for this than for the first.

16 Therefore he calls it "a power of divine strength", or a mighty strength of God. For we also have mighty and powerful enemies against us, namely the spirits in the air (as he will say), which are above us, and we among them, and their One is stronger than all men, and for this purpose he means us with such earnestness, and assails us with all his strength, when he sees that we have faith, and want to strengthen us in it, and directs all his power, guns and arrows against us, so that he overthrows such a fortress. For he is not pleased to let us begin to grasp the word and believe, but much less to let us continue to do so, and to arm ourselves against him and keep ourselves safe, lest he should win us away. And there are very few such people who endure such blows against him to the end, and conquer chivalrously, though they begin well; but in the battle, when it is so hard upon them, and continues without ceasing, they are wearied, and do not stand still. Just as it is not possible for a man to finally stand against it, unless such mighty strength of God is added, so that one can withstand such incessant storms of the enemy and always beat him back.

(17) Now you may lead these things and show examples by all kinds of stands. As a pastor and preacher, it is not enough that

820 Erl. (2.) 18, L30-S32. Sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. IX, 441-443. 821

that he be sure of his doctrine and faithfully carry out the same office, regardless of what tries to hinder him, poverty, contempt, ingratitude and all kinds of opposition; but also that he be able to counter the devil, to put away error and false doctrine, as St. Paul requires Titus 1:9. The two things are required: that a bishop should not only be so skillful as to keep the word, which is sure, both to teach and to exhort, but also be able, by the same wholesome doctrine, to punish the gainsayers and to shut the mouths of the useless washers. For this is never lacking, where the word or the doctrine is acted upon purely and loudly, the devil sends his messengers as soon as possible, and sows his weeds; then it must be resisted that they be put down, and the error rooted out. Although it is not possible to shut the mouth of the devil and his spirits in such a way that they stop and keep quiet, it is enough that they are driven in and their business is shifted in such a way that they cannot maintain it with any semblance of success, and quite a few souls are cut off from them and brought out of error again. For Christ himself was not able to silence or convert his Pharisees and Sadducees, but he remitted them and brought them in in such a way that they could not raise anything against it, Matth. 22, 34. 46.

18 Christianity must also have such people, who can strike down their adversaries and opponents, and take away the devil's armor and harness, so that he is put to shame; but they must have strong warriors, who have full control of the Scriptures, and who can put away the false interpretation, and take away their own sword, that is, the same sayings that they use, and strike them on the head, so that they bounce back. For they cannot all be so skillful as to defend the doctrine and articles of faith. Therefore, they must have preachers and teachers who study the Scriptures daily and deal with them all by fighting for the others. But every Christian should be so equipped that he is sure of his faith and doctrine for himself, and so ground himself with sayings from God's word that he can stand against the devil and also defend himself when he is led to another, and thus help to preserve and defend the doctrine.

(19) Now this belongs to all Christians in general, that they maintain the doctrine and their faith, but especially those who hold the office of preaching; after that, in particular, each one for his standing, that he may defend the same, and thus answer the useless mouths: Do you not hear that God has laid this standing upon me, and commanded me to wait faithfully for it, and forbears by his wrath, if I should want to leave this standing and do another? This would also mean not only remaining in one's position, unhindered and unconquered, but also being defeated, rejected and refuted by God's word, which wants to hinder and pull us back, as St. Paul teaches, just before this text, chapters 5 and 6, through all positions, man, woman, young, old, masters, servants, maids 2c. For it is determined that every Christian, of whatever station he may be, must always be in the battle, since 1) the devil attacks and storms him with the introduction of false, evil thoughts, or by wicked, useless mouths, which hurry him away, without what our own flesh does. Therefore, it is not enough for us to have our castle well guarded, and to be able to dispose of the devil, but also to drive him away and strike him back by God's word than by our sword, as we shall hear.

V. 11. Put on the armor of God 2c.

20 Because he has said that we should be strong and have such strength with us that we can defeat the enemy, he now wants to explain himself and explain how and by what means we must do this, or what our armor and defense should be. First of all, he tells us to "put on our armor" as men of war who are to be prepared for battle and stand against the enemy. But he shows such armor, not that which is worn here on earth to protect the body, but which is called "God's armor". This may well be a strange suit of armor. Where shall we get it from, or where is the plater who can make such armor? Well, he will call it what it is and count one after the other what belongs to it. But here he still says in general that it must be a suit of armor, not a man's.

1. Wittenberger: "the".

822 Erl. (2.) 18, 232-234. interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 443-446. 823

For here on earth you will not find a plater who can make such a suit of armor to serve against the devil. For here there is no human strength, power, wisdom or reason against this enemy; he can turn it all to powder and ashes when he blows with his breath. Therefore, because you are other warriors and have other enemies against you, you must also have other armor than the world has or can make.

(21) But he also calls it "God's armor," to show what cause we must fight, namely, that the war is God's own, and we are his warriors, fighting for him and his cause; therefore we must also wear his armor, that he may have it. As if he were to say, "You have a Lord who is the devil, and is after his crown and divinity; therefore, if you want to have him as your Lord, and keep company with him, and be partakers of his goods, you must also have his enemy against you, and set yourselves against him in battle and in defense. For whoever wants to be under a lord must also step under his ensign and have his enemies for enemies. Since the devil is God's enemy and wants to destroy his kingdom, do not think that you will be safe from him, but arm yourselves for war and with the armor, so that he himself may wage war through his Christianity.

22. So he wants to give us courage herewith, whether we have to stand in battle and strife in the world and in our whole life, and suffer that everything rages and storms against us, so that we know that this is not for our sake, but for God's, and that our battle is not ours, but God's himself, Our struggle is not ours, but God's, and we are in His service, and we must comfort ourselves all the more that He will not abandon us, but will most faithfully assist and help us, so that we will not work in vain, but will be victorious through us.

(23) For though he is man enough for the devil himself, and could with one finger, even with one word, ward off and control all his raging and fury, yet he wants to use us for this purpose, and to do a mischievous thing to the proud, angry spirit, to set against him and reproach him with being such a poor, weak man.

He wants to strike him through such a weak vessel, and through us he wants to bring honor to such a proud, mighty enemy, so that he may prove his divine power in our weakness. The devil is also annoyed by this, that God reproaches him with such frail, loose stuff, and attacks us angrily and grimly, as if he wanted to smash us in an instant like a pile of pots. Therefore we must be armed against it, and also have a suit of armor to defend ourselves, which is not ours, but God's power and might, so that we do not boast or rely on ourselves as if we would stand against this enemy by our own might.

That you may stand against the cunning attempts of the devil.

(24) Then he begins to paint and show what kind of enemy we have, and how he is wont to war and attack us, revealing to us his plots and arts, that he may pursue us, that we may beware of it, and be well armed with the armor of God, of which he has said, and will say further. But he calls his warfare and art of warfare a "cunning attempt" to show that he is such an enemy, who is not only more powerful than we are (as he will say soon after), but also excellently mischievous and wicked, and directs all his warfare with cunning and mischievousness, He does not attack us openly and freely under our eyes, as an enemy from whom we could beware and see where he wants to break in to us, but creeps around us and sees where he may secretly and maliciously hurry us and take us by surprise, where we are least careful.

25 For you must not let him attack you when he sees you armed, when you have taken hold of the sword, but when he sees you in a state of disrepair and unprotected, when he can find a gap, he will sneak up and catch you suddenly and unawares and cut you down. For he is so wise and well experienced, 1) that he knows when we have done the

1. Taken by us from Walch. In the other editions: "erfahren wohl".

824 Eri. (2.) 18, 234-237. sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. IX, 446-449. 825

We are sure that he can neither create nor win anything, even if he attacks us with all his power, and even if he persecutes the whole of Christendom with tyranny, with raging and fury, sword, fire, water, 2c., this is not his right grip, nor the strongest or most powerful armor. For he has now learned that he cannot dampen God's kingdom with it, nor destroy Christianity, even if he takes life and limb from it; but that it only grows and becomes stronger through it, as it is nourished and moistened by such blood, so that it grows all the more beautifully and happily; as some of the old fathers said: that the church was planted by the dear apostles, but watered by the martyrs. Therefore he goes on, and turns to the other side, how he may come to us with cunning, and bring of the word. There he devises all kinds of cunning and tricks, and comes, adorned with a beautiful appearance, not as an enemy, but as a friend, giving us the very words and scriptures we have, and disguising himself of all things into an angel of light (as St. Paul 2 Corinthians 2:5). Paul 2 Cor. 11, 14) and becomes a bright, snow-white devil, wanting to blind us so that we should not see his mischievousness nor notice how he deceived Evam through the serpent, 2 Cor. 11, 3.

26. Now it is terrible, difficult and dangerous to fight and contend with such an enemy, who attacks us with vain wiles and wiles, and is such a clever, mischievous spirit that all the world's reason, wisdom and cleverness are nothing against him, and we should take care of him and perceive him on all sides, as he lurks everywhere for us, and seeks one gap over the other, where he catches us secretly, before we become aware of it; And does not cease, whether he has already run once or twice in vain, and has been beaten away, but comes again and again, and brings other plots, that he may charm us, and make a noise before our eyes, with beautiful pretence and appearance, that we may not see his deceitfulness and mischievousness. So that it would soon be lost with us, and we would not be able to stand an hour before his mischievousness, if we did not have to take comfort in this, and were certain that we would not be able to see God's armor, that is, his word, loud and clear.

He cannot overthrow it, as long as we keep to it, and always stand bravely armed with it, and watch out for his mischievousness. For this is part of it, that we are not safe, nor lazy and sleepy, but always watch and look out for him, and with God's word be alert on all sides, as he prowls around us (as St. Peter says 1 Ep. 5, 8), seeking like a lion where he can catch us. That is why St. Paul paints him so horribly, that we should not take it so lightly, but let it be serious, and always keep our journey in mind, as it is important for our salvation and eternal life 2c.

(27) But what and how manifold his cunning attempts are, we shall not be able to tell nor to conceive, without what we must experience with ourselves. For here he is master over master, and of a thousand arts, with so many thoughts and submissions, which he offers for God's word, by which he has deceived all the world from the beginning, and brought all kinds of heresy by force into Christendom. For (as I have said) he does not come trolling along in his hideous black color, saying: I am Satan, beware of me, but creeps along like a serpent, and adorns himself most beautifully with God's word and name, bringing the very Scriptures and sayings that we lead, love, and base ourselves on, and pretending to be perfectly serious and devout, as a faithful, pious preacher, who seeks nothing but God's glory and the salvation of souls.

(28) As he is doing now through our sacramental rituals and others, who also lead vain writings against us, and want to base their thing on them, hold our own sayings and articles against us, and lead high, excellent words, Christ's honor and name, in addition to great earnestness to the truth, excellent love and care for souls. Behold, dear Christian (they say), there you have God's word, so your own faith holds that Christ, gone to heaven, sits above at the right hand of the Father, there you shall seek him 2c. How then comest thou that he should be in bread and wine, and be brought down by the hissing of a man over the altar 2c. O that would be far too close to the glory of Christ! and what more such words belong to it. Behold, this is a right

826 Erl. (s.) 18, p37-23S. Interpretation On the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 449-451. 827

Starting and knocking, not as of Satan, but adorned as of the Lord Christ's word and truth, so that he may win the ccrme, unintelligent and secure souls and suddenly snatch them away.

(29) In the same way he did in the past through the Arians (who denied the article of Christ's divinity) and other heretics, who did not want to fight against the Scriptures, but led the same for themselves, and interpreted the Christians' opinion as against the Scriptures, as those who divided the divinity, and grew more than one God, adorned this with such a splendid appearance and delicious words that they attracted emperors and all the world to themselves with it, until hardly one bishop or two remained, through whom God received Christianity.

(30) But after these came another attempt of the mischievous devil, through the works doctrine of the pope, against the righteousness of faith through Christ, so that he also so cunningly broke through the Scriptures, drawing from good works and outward righteousness, introducing great appearances of holiness and spiritual life. This first did the damage, and violently broke in like a flood, and flooded the whole world, and set up such a regime of the papacy, with all kinds of worship, masses, orders, pilgrimages, vows, saintly service, 2c., which were also confirmed with miracles (but still false) by the devil; as Christ and the apostles prophesied before, that even the elect would be led astray about this. Matth. 24, 24.

For so it goes; where the devil first finds a gap open, and there are not brave preachers to defend it, he soon breaks through, and always tears away, until he gets the upper hand, and takes everything again. For he always comes with such beautiful pretenses, which are in accordance with reason and human wisdom, and which she can understand and comprehend, and which naturally please her, so that she gladly gives herself up, and then he takes everything with his breath, as if it were a delicious thing, so that no one can resist. For it requires a higher, spiritual mind, which has and keeps God's word pure and clear, so that it can recognize and refute it. Therefore, in Christianity there should and must be intelligent and

faithful preachers and bishops who watch over all places and see to it that no devilish creatures creep in secretly and gain a breach. That is why they are called bishops, episcopi, that is, watchmen and overseers, who should be on the lookout for where the enemy wants to come in and chase him back; otherwise he would easily break through and ruin everything.

32 For if he can bring himself to be granted articles in one, he has won, and is just as much as if he had them all, and Christ had already lost them, and after that he can also break up and take all the others; for they are all wound and closed into one another, like a golden chain, so that where one link is broken up, the whole chain is broken up, and everything goes from one to the other. And there is no article that he cannot overturn when he causes reason to fall in and want to cleverly twist and stretch the writing so that it rhymes with it; this then goes in like a sweet poison. That is why we see now, because the devil has once gained space, that he always introduces one heresy and one mob over the other, today attacking this article, tomorrow another; as he is already now on the way, by his advances, 1) by which he wants to contest Christ's divinity, item, the resurrection of the dead, again 2c. These are now such attempts, so that he attacks the whole of Christianity.

33. above this he also attacks each one specially, first with the high spiritual temptations of faith 2c., and above the high article of Christ; there he can pretend all kinds of thoughts, so that he will take away or reverse the word from you, and put Christ out of your sight, so that you will look at yourself, what you have done or not done 2c. For he shall paint and model himself to thee as if he were Christ himself in majesty, and shall terrify thee as a judge demanding thy works of thee 2c., yea, even deceiving thine own thoughts of Christ and faith, that thou mayest think thyself right in them, and yet nothing.

1. In the old editions: "vorlaufft", for which probably "vorleufft" should be read. The word "Anläufe" is found there often in the form: "Anleufft", as in the following lines.

828 Erl. (2.) 18, 239-241. sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. IX, 451-454. 829

is then your conceit or devotion. If you follow such things, and cannot defend yourself with God's word, and let yourself be lured out of your defense, so that you dispute with him, he finally drives you in, and makes you so mad that you do not know where Christ or his word and your faith remain. But few people know about this, who fight and struggle with him. The other rough crowd never comes to it, whom the devil rides with certainty that they do not respect God's word, or let themselves think that they can do it all too well.

For this reason it is necessary that each one of us be careful and diligent, and look around everywhere, and know that the devil is not far from us, but is always around us, lurking to catch us, lest he give us his thoughts or appearances for the word of God. We have established the articles of our faith sufficiently in Scripture, so stop there, and do not let it be twisted with glosses and interpreted according to reason, as it rhymes or not 2c., but if anyone tries to smear something else on you from your reason and your thoughts, then say, "Here I have the dry word of God and my faith, and I will stay with it; I will not think any further, ask any more questions, or listen any more, nor puzzle out how this or that rhymes, nor listen to you, even if you bring in a different text or saying than is contrary to what you have drawn from your head and smeared your slobber on it. For the Scripture shall not be contrary to itself, nor to some articles of faith, though it be contrary in thy mind, and rhyme not. But enough of this has often been said elsewhere.

V. 12. For we do not have flesh and blood to contend with.

35 Here he goes on to describe the enemy under which we lie here, and makes it truly terrible enough, so that we do not throw it to the wind so safely and freely, but know what kind of a fight we have to endure and what kind of a journey we have to wait for. For it is necessary for anyone who is to fight and contend, and who intends to win, to know beforehand what kind of enemy he has against him, what his attacks are, and how strong and powerful he is, and what worries and dangers he has to face.

(36) Now that he says, "We do not have to contend with flesh and blood," these words "flesh and blood" must not be understood here to mean the evil lusts or provocations of the flesh, as to fornication, anger, hatred, pride, avarice, etc., as if one should not contend against them, as if one should not argue against them, but "flesh and blood" is what St. Paul calls, according to his way, the state and nature of the world, or of the people on earth, who live in the flesh and blood (although the latter is finely and nobly ordered, and God wants to keep it), because it is not spirit, or the business and work of the Holy Spirit. Just as he also speaks in Gal. 1, 16, when he says of the apostles: When I came up to Jerusalem, "I did not discuss it with flesh and blood," 2c., that is, I did not inquire what kind of people they were, like great apostles, or the same disciples. So that in this place it is not called something evil in man, but something separate, and distinguished between our army and wars and the world. In the world nothing but flesh and blood wars against one another, one prince, city, nation against another; but all this is none of our business. For it is not a thing of the Holy Spirit, preached from heaven, or revealed and given, but first established with the creation, Genesis 1:28, when we became flesh and blood, and God gave authority to man over all creatures, confirming that they should walk in his nature. There is no need of the Holy Spirit, but what is ordered according to reason and the order of men, let it remain so that every man may have and protect his house, yard, wife, child and servants; which also the heathen and the ungodly have, who persecute the gospel, and know not of any spirit.

(37) And herewith he teaches us that we Christians should not accept such warfare, which the world wages and drives, anywhere, and not do as our devilish prophets, coining men and fine rascals did, who wanted to attack the regiment and fight with the sword, and exterminate the wicked, which belongs to flesh and blood among themselves, that is, to human power, forces and wisdom, dominion and rule on earth. But we are to be armed against other enemies than earthly ones, who fight with us for another life,

830 Erl. (S.) 18, Z41-L43. Interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 454-456. 831

Kingdom, country and dominion, since 1) it applies eternally life or death, heavenly kingdom or hellish fire. There is something more to it than what flesh and blood is and is able to do; for the same only affects vain temporal and transient good and being, but to us it is eternally good or harm. Therefore we do not have such an enemy, whom we can kill and strangle, as is done in the world, because he is a spirit that does not have flesh and blood; so we are also not flesh and blood, as far as we are Christians, although we are flesh and blood for the body and this life.

038 But sayest thou, Must we fight against our herds, and against our rebels, and against our heretics, which are flesh and blood? But we do not fight against them as against flesh and blood, but against the wicked devil, who fights against us through them, and attacks us not in a fleshly or bodily way, but our faith, the dear Word, baptism, sacrament, and all the articles of faith; which neither flesh and blood gave, nor instituted, nor belongs to this earthly regime, but is begotten from heaven, 2) and belongs to eternal life. Therefore we do not fight against them to take away their body, goods or anything else, or to save what is ours against them; but to keep our doctrine and faith, Christ and God, and for this purpose to strike them off the devil and win them, and to conquer eternal life; of which the world knows nothing.

39. With these words he shows what our state is, and how it is done for us, namely, that we must stand here in battle, and a Christian who wants to believe must prepare himself, that he must fight and struggle, if not outwardly with mobs and false tongues, but inwardly in his heart against unbelief, false thoughts and giving in, and wait all hours for punishment, both from others and from himself, so that the devil may strike his heart, make him afraid, grieved and despairing; there is no other way out. For this spirit cannot celebrate, he is God's enemy and the enemy of eternal life; therefore he also thinks to strike you away, and wants to have everyone dead.

1. Thus the Erlangen. Wittenberg and Jena: that.
2. Wittenberger: "shown".

Do not seek our money or any other corruptible thing, but how he may deprive us of eternal life. If he has this, he has taken all things, and they are his own. But if he take the word, which bringeth eternal life, he hath taken it.

Now it is a yearly trade, and it is terrible that one would be afraid to wait for it without interruption, that it is not a matter of losing the shabby neck, but the one, irretrievable treasure, namely, eternally lived or died. This good is so great that no man's heart can comprehend it (therefore a great, hard struggle is also necessary for it, and is nevertheless quite easily done, if one does not hold to the dear word with all one's strength, so that one loses it eternally), and is not to be held in such low esteem, as the world does, and some unintelligent spirits pretend, deceived by the devil, about the sacrament, or other error: one should not argue about one article so hard 2c., and over it break up Christian love, nor give one another over it to the devil; but, though one be mistaken in one little thing, as otherwise one is in others, let one give way and let go a little, and yet keep brotherly and Christian unity or fellowship. No, dear man, not to me of peace and unity, about which one loses God's word; for with that already eternal life and everything would be lost. It is not a matter of giving way, nor of conceding anything, to you or to some man for love, but to the word all things shall give way, whether it be enemy or friend. For it is not given for the sake of outward or worldly unity and peace, but for the sake of eternal life. The word and the doctrine are to make Christian unity or fellowship; where the one is equal and united, the other will well follow; where not, there remains no unity. Therefore tell me of no love nor friendship where one wants to break off from the word or faith; for it is not called love, but the word brings eternal life, God's grace and all heavenly treasures.

(41) This we will gladly do, that we may keep outward peace with them, as we must do in the world with everyone, even with the worst of enemies; let it go its way.

832 Erl. (s.) 18, p43-S4S. Sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. ' W. IX, 486^59. 833

But for the sake of doctrine and Christian fellowship, we do not want to have anything to do with them, nor do we consider them brothers, but enemies, because they knowingly persist in their error and fight against them through our spiritual struggle. Therefore it is only a devilish and deceitful, cunning attempt, which pretends such things, and demands that one should give way a little, and hold an error to be true, for the sake of unity, so that he seeks to lead us thus cunningly from the word. For if we accept such a thing and become one, he has already gained space, and soon he has taken a whole cubit when a finger's breadth would have given way to him, and so soon he has even torn it down.

(42) It does not seem that there is such a great fate and power in it, but St. Paul makes it truly great, that it does not count for money, nor goods, nor the love and favor of men, nor worldly peace and comfort, nor what flesh and blood is and is able to give and take, nor what the world can give and take, but the loss of God and eternal life. Therefore let that remain or go where it remains or goes, for he has not yet gained anything by it. But if you understand that he takes away this part, namely the word, then you have lost everything, and there is no more help or advice. For the main thing is gone, without which no good life, nor what you are able to do, is still valid before God, and yet the devil stands after it with such beautiful pretenses and appearances, and seeks how he may take it from you; for he has it in mind that he wants to take it all from you. Therefore, do not joke nor be sure.

(43) If thou shouldst fight for thy house, and for thy court, and for thy wife, and for thy child, and at last for thy own life and limb, thou wouldst not be slothful, but wouldst seek thine enemy, and not leave him peace, nor accept from him, nor yield to him, but see how thou canst get the better of him, and become his mighty. Now you have other enemies here, who mean you differently, and have sworn eternal death to you, and do not stop until they are able to overpower you, and yet attack you with such cunning, as said above §27 ff, as if they were seeking love.

1. Wittenberger: like the.

and friendship to you 2c. Behold, this is the reason why St. Paul so highly exhorts us to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty strength, that is, not to be moved to depart a hair's breadth from the word, but to confidently resist such crafty attempts of the devil.

But with princes and mighty men, namely with the lords of the world, who rule in the darkness of this world.

44 Then you see what kind of man a Christian is, and what kind of enemies he has with whom he fights, that they are called princes and mighty lords. This is a very unequal thing: a single, poor, miserable man (as we Christians are), despised in the world and forsaken by everyone, to sit and stand alone and fight against princes and lords, who are not only mighty, but also very many. For because he calls them princes and lords, they must fight not alone, nor 2) singly, but with a great people and army, and certainly stronger than any prince on earth can do.

(45) This would still frighten someone who would become a Christian and go into battle if such a newspaper were announced to him, saying: "If you want to be baptized and be in the fellowship of the sacrament, the gospel and the Lord Christ in Christendom, then prepare yourself to go to the front and lie in battle, not against an enemy like yourself, but against many princes and mighty men with a great and powerful army. How could you be safe and of good cheer if, as a single man, you had as your enemy a mighty sovereign, who armed himself against you with all seriousness and power? And we go along as safely and without worry as the good fellows, and so carelessly throw it to the wind, as if the devil were a faint, dull fly, or had died long ago, and as if it were a bad, little thing at all for the Christians' fight; as the sophists think with their dream doctrine, and slobber that a little drop of grace is enough to earn eternal life, and faith is nothing but a dormant, idle thing, in the

2. In the Jenaer is missing: yet.

834 Erl. (2.) 18, 245-247. interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 459-^461. 835

Sitting in the heart 2c. Just as the other spirits of the mob dream, who care nothing for the high chief article of Christ, how they do the same, and fence with it against the devil, meanwhile they have to cause heartache with their own deeds 2c.

46 Now notice here how the Scriptures paint and describe the devil, so that you may know him, what kind of power, authority, dominion and rule he 1) has. For Christ also calls him a "prince of the world," and shows that he also has a kingdom (as kings and emperors have on earth); which is done in such a way that the supreme rule, as Roman emperor, has under him other lords and members or estates, through which he spreads out and leads his regiment, so that it is all orderly, and goes as it should go in the regiment, emperor over princes, princes over counts, knights, nobles, and these over peasants and citizens 2c. For where there is no such order, there is no empire nor regiment, but a wild, desolate mixture, since everything runs among each other without distinction, like cows in the pasture or wild animals in the forest. So the devil, as a mighty lord, also has an empire and regiment, and under him great, powerful princes and potentates (as he calls them here), and each of them under him his bunch of devils, as his court servants and army. Just as the holy angels have a regiment among themselves, since some of them are called archangels and great princes, and have a large number of heavenly hosts with them, as Luc. 2, 13. 2) is written, and the Scriptures show elsewhere that they also fight with their host against the devils. Therefore, there must be an innumerable multitude, for he has a far, great regiment and dominion, namely over the whole world; therefore he must have many servants and people, through whom he orders and directs his regiment everywhere.

(47) Now what his rule is, the Scriptures show in many places, and Paul himself in the following words; and it is well to be seen, looking at the world, namely, that he is 3) a

1. Jenaer: "you" instead of: "the". Wittenberger: "he".
2. Here also the second edition of the Erlanger has reprinted Walch's wrong citation, "Luc. 2, 3.".
3. Jenaer: the.

He is a liar and a murderer, Joh. 8, 44, and does nothing else, but takes the souls of God, and eternally corrupts them, destroys Christ's kingdom together with his gospel, and fills hell without ceasing; in addition, he corrupts this temporal being and regime, which God has ordered and established on earth, so that no good nor peace remains: this he does without ceasing with all seriousness and power, through himself and his spirits everywhere. For he is a busy, restless spirit, who cannot celebrate nor be satisfied with lies and murder, and does the same with such power that God must be there with all his angels and his kingdom's power and might to defend and control him. This means that the enemy is painted terribly enough.

(48) But he makes it still more terrible with the following words: First, that he calls them "lords of the world," in Greek χοσμοχράτοραζ, not, as we call our princes, world princes or worldly lords, but such lords as are mighty in the world and have the whole world under them; and calls not one, but many of them, each of which is mightier and stronger than all the emperors and kings of the earth. And not only this, but these same emperors and kings with their power have under them. This is a great and powerful title, conceived in a single word. Thus no prince or lord can be called on earth, even though the Roman or Turkish emperor had ten times as many titles. For he is not called a king of France or Hispania, nor over three or four kingdoms, which none of the world is, nor can become, powerful, yes, not even of his own country, where God does not exist; but his kingdom or emperorship extends as far as the world is: there he is a lord, has all things mightily under him, and is his all that does not believe in Christ, and in addition earth, water and air, as will follow, so that against him the Turkish emperor together with all the lords in the world are to be counted as beggars. Indeed, St. Paul elsewhere calls him "a god of the world," 2 Corinthians 4:4, as he also has hearts in his power and drives them to do what he wills.

But here he names all his courtiers, who rule with him and serve him, as his princes, councillors and estates of the kingdom 2c. that he needs for his regiment,

836 Erl. (L.) 18, S47-24S. Sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. IX, 461-46". 837

According to which each one is skilful and achieves much. For they are not all alike among themselves, though they be all mighty and strong spirits, but one is more cunning and crafty than another. Just as in the world a bad man comes to great power and rule because of his skill, whether he is of lowly blood or birth. He also knows how to order it in every place, and how to attack any one, where he should send foolish or clever devils. For he has had great experience and tried many things, as he has ruled in the world for so long, persecuting and afflicting Christendom, and sees well what we are and are able to do.

50. Now we are also here on earth in the middle of his country or empire, and lie in his own court for lodging, since he has ordered fine court servants everywhere against us, and sends here a bunch of devils, there also a bunch, here a prince devil, there a noble devil, who are all mighty lords; and we poor, miserable people shall lie in our enemy's dominion and inn as in a murderer's pit, and fight against him from his own castle, who otherwise cannot resist an angry prince or squire. Nor must we here submit and boast that we do not fight with a great, mighty king on earth, but with the infernal emperor, as if those earthly lords were far too small for us to lay ourselves against them; but because we are God's warriors, we must have other, greater lords against us, and so fight with them that we strike them down, and retain the victory, not only against a single one, but against all his princes and whole army, that they shall not be able to do anything against us.

51 This is now unbelievable and ridiculous. Just as if I were to stand up and boast that I wanted to defeat the Turkish emperor alone, all the world would laugh at me as a foolish man, especially if I had not been armed differently, as one can see now; it must still have been held here and attacked, and thus decided that we will certainly retain the victory. But this battle and victory are much different,

than in the worldly war. For here I must thus war with the devil, the Turks, and all the world that is against me, that I set both head and stocking, neck and belly (which the world does not call conquered, but lost and corrupted), and let go of everything I have here, alone, that I may keep the word, and thereby gain eternal life and eternal victory, so that here is no army, armor or weapons, no power nor strength in ourselves, but only weakness, and loss of all worldly, temporal things, without the eternal word, which is a spiritual; eternal power of God, and our all-embracing armor.

52 See, St. Paul also wants to praise our knighthood and the great power of our Lord Christ. Paul also hereby praises our knighthood, and the mighty power of our Lord Christ, that through the word he has so great a victory: Not against the beggars, Turkish or other lords and kings, who in a moment are dead and to be strangled, but against one who is called an emperor or prince of the world, above in the air, who has vain princes under him, that he may go forth to battle; and yet in the midst of them he gathers and builds his church or Christianity, as a castle founded on a strong rock, which is not called, In spite of Caesar! but: So strong and firm that the gates of hell shall not break down nor be able to prevail against it; and yet by nothing else, but by fighting for the dear word in which we have promised eternal life, and have already begun the victory, that we only stick to it, and neither take it nor let it go. For by this we have become Christians and warriors of God, fighting not for the good of the world, but for heaven.

(53) To this end we must now direct ourselves, so that we may confidently strike out among the enemy, and not become slothful or snoring. For the enemy neither feasts nor lacks us, as we well see and experience daily; lest we lose God's word by our security, or be dissuaded with guile. For where he wins the castle, he has taken it all, and eternal life with it. For by this he does the greatest harm, that by his lies and mischievousness he leads hearts away from the word, and brings a great multitude from eternal life; otherwise he could not do so much harm by murder and outright violence.

838 Erl. (2.) 18, S49-S5L. Interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 464-467. 839

54. But even though he is such a mighty lord, and has so many cunning, evil spirits, that he is equipped to defend on all sides, and attacks us at every turn, we still have the advantage that our Lord is also mighty, wise and prudent enough, and has also often countered and defeated him, and knows how to attack him and put him down through his weak Christians, so that we have no other defense than his word, which he gives us in his mouth; And also in all places appointed against him by his ministers and preachers. This is beyond all his power and wisdom, so that even through a child born today, who was brought into Christianity through the Word and called to his army, he can defeat and overcome the devil for ten or twenty years. As he proved in the past through his martyrs, also young virgins and maidens, as St. Agnes and Agatha, who fought chivalrously against him and won, just by holding fast to the word and giving their life and limb over it. Therefore the Scripture gives him the title and name, that he is called: Dominus vir pugnator, the Lord is a right prince of war; and yet he wars with no worldly armor nor power, but by his Spirit with and with the word. This is our consolation, that 1) we may stand firm and endure; otherwise we must soon despair of the devil's power, and confess ourselves lost.

Who rule in the darkness of this world.

55 Then thou shalt hear where and how they reign, and why he calleth them lords or emperors of the world, that they mightily reign over all the earth. Therefore you must not be sure, nor think that the devil with his angels is far away in India or in Moorland, but know that he is not far away from you, yes, daily and every moment with you and around you, in your closet, around your bed, over the table, in the street, where you are, walk, stand, and what you do 2c. But they reign (he says) "in darkness." Not only because the devil rules in the hearts of men in such a way that he is not seen, but also because where he rules there is darkness,

1. Jenaer: "that".

that is, no knowledge of God or his word. For where the Word of God is not pure, there are hardened and blinded hearts that know nothing of God and Christ, as St. Paul says elsewhere, 2 Cor. 4:3, 4: "If our gospel is hidden or covered, it is hidden in those who are lost, in whom the god of this world blinds the minds of unbelievers, so that they do not see the bright light of the gospel, the clarity of Christ."

(56) Through such darkness he holds the whole world and maintains his rule, so that no knowledge of God and his will shines into its heart; and through such hearts he speaks and works, and instigates all kinds of error, false doctrine and heresy, discord and strife in the faith, as well as hatred and envy, war and rebellion among men; so that in short his rule is nothing else, but both vain lies and murder. That is why St. Paul and Christ Himself used to call the world a "kingdom of darkness", or "children of darkness", and its nature "works and dominion of darkness", because it does not know God's word, 2) nor wants to hear it, and does not even see how it is under the devil's power and rule. That is to say, a real inner darkness in the heart, which is without faith, which is the devil's dwelling and lodging place: this is what he occupies, and makes it so that one does not recognize God's word (even though one sees and hears it), nor can accept and suffer it, but despises and persecutes the same, and instead casts out his lies for truth and light, and thus holds the world captive in his obedience, against God and his word.

Because he calls them "lords of the world" and says that they "rule" over it, he gives enough to understand that they have captured the hearts of men violently, that they must think, speak and do what he wants. And here no one can boast of his free will and of the light of human reason, as if one could serve God and do his will, but here it says that everything goes and remains in darkness, according to the will of the devil, even though there are many fine, wise, learned, honorable and pious people among them. For the devil must

2. Wittenberg and Jena: know.

840 Erl. (2.) 18, 252-254. sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. IX, 467-469. 841

have such people to his regiment, and not be all things hideous and black through public wickedness and iniquity, but also seem beautiful and handsome white, otherwise his regiment could not exist on earth; so he also desires to be beautiful, and wants only the best and cutest on earth and the most beautiful dwelling.

Therefore, although some live in the world in the most beautiful way, have high reason and many precious gifts of God, to rule skillfully and to instruct other people, 2c. yet it is vain darkness with them, and are subject to the devil for his service with the same they have. As we can see in all the world, he has captured lords and princes, the wisest and most learned people, so that they must believe, speak and do what he wants. And though the word of God is preached so brightly and clearly that it shines in the eyes, yet they must not understand it; yea, though they know it, and confess without their thanks that it is the truth: yet they must despise it, or persecute it, and defend their darkness and the devil's lies, and afflict the Christians about it, that they may perform the devil's obedience and will, and make true this and the like text of the Scriptures.

With the evil spirits under heaven.

59. Then he calls the child what they are called, and what they are; they are not flesh and blood, but spirits, and such spirits as rule over the world, and reign above in the air, and are called by their right name, "Evil spirits"; that is, not only clever, shrewd, and cunning, high and far above men's reason and wisdom, but also poisonous, wicked, and bitter, that all their thoughts and minds stand day and night only how they do harm, both (as § 47 said) by murder and lying. For this is all their delight and joy, where they can only cause evil, strife and unhappiness, and take from us wife, child, body, life, health and all that we have, and ruin the world with war and blood among themselves; but most of all do harm and suffering to the pious and poor, innocent Christians.
60. after that they are even worse and harmful

He is more careful with their lies and seduction. For he is not satisfied with it, if he sees the whole world thrown into one another and everything swimming in blood, but he deals with it, how he hinders and prevents that no man becomes blessed nor keeps the word, but brings from God's kingdom to eternal death. When he does this, he laughs and is happy. In short, it is such wickedness that no man can comprehend, and it is not possible for a man to be so wicked by his nature. For when he is very 1) wicked and highly enraged, and does most grievously, he freshly avenges himself, and pours out his wrath and fury all at once, and then ceases. But to be so wicked that one seeks his pleasure and joy in making people miserable, stuck in hunger, thirst, misery and distress, and in addition to this, to shed blood and commit treacherous acts, especially against those who have done him no harm nor can do him any harm, that is actually a hellish and unsated fury and rage of the wicked devil, which no human nature is capable of. For no man of himself could be so desperately wicked as to take pleasure in it and tickle himself with it when he sees a young, innocent child stabbed to death before his eyes without any cause, or a whole city, both young and old, innocently murdered.

61. Therefore, this must not be human malice, as is now seen in our tyrants and papists, who so fiercely persecute and hate the gospel without any cause, and are so bitter against us and other Christians (who, after all, have never done them any harm, but all good), but have done them all good, and would still gladly do so), both with ravishing, blaspheming, and plaguing and murdering poor people, that they cannot pour out their poisonous anger and hatred enough, and are so hungry and thirsty for innocent people's blood that they cannot get enough. There one sees actually the devil as bodily reigning in them, and they ride and drive.

62. Likewise, we see in some of the spirits of the wicked, who are also possessed by the devil, that they despise, blaspheme, and speak evil of no one so shamefully as of us, of whom they are
63. Wittenberg and Jena: so much.

842 Erl. (2.) 18, 854-856. Interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 469-472. 843

yet have all that is good, freedom and security. These are the vain works and fruits of the infernal regiment, which so embittered the hearts with its malice against the gospel and word of God. For he is sorry that a man on earth still believes and comes to God, even that a God and Christ lives and reigns; and that the stars, sun and moon still shine; and of course, if he could, he would gladly throw everything into one heap at a moment's notice; he has also set it to destroy God's kingdom and what he has made, as much as there is in it, even if he himself has to go to ruins over it.

Now you see why he said, "We do not have to fight with flesh and blood. For if we had to do with men alone (whether they were emperors, kings, and princes), we would soon overcome them with our gospel, and in one year convert the whole world, because it is such a bright and irrefutable truth, and no one would be so wicked as to set himself against the known truth and such a wholesome doctrine, which brings and brings all good and happiness to everyone, and does no harm or harm to anyone; but all the world would have to say: Well, this is the right truth, and a fine and delicious doctrine; as we see that many of our enemies must confess it, decided by the truth, which is so strong in itself that no one can oppose it, and men's minds must soon be taken captive.

(64) But here the devil himself reigns, and stifles reason, so that it shall not see nor accept it, though it be driven in and overcome, but rather emboldens the heart, so that it shall be contrary even to the known truth, and shall set itself against it. Just as the Jewish saints and scribes knowingly blasphemed Christ and his manifest signs and wonders and gave them to the devil. For this purpose the devil is able to devise and introduce such shrewd plots and swift measures, poisonous practices against the gospel, that it is beyond measure; as we have often and much seen and experienced in our enemies, that one must wonder and grasp that it is the devil's rule, and that no man's understanding could do such things. Therefore St. Pau

lus so diligently warned here and painted the enemy that we know we are not dealing with men of reason, whom we would soon like to win over, but with one who is an evil, mischievous enemy, and in one finger wiser and more cunning than the whole world.

He also expresses where they dwell and have their being, when he says: "With the evil spirits under heaven", that is, up in the air, there they hover, like the clouds above us, fluttering and flying everywhere around us like bumblebees, with a large, innumerable cluster, also often let themselves be captured with bodily form, like the flames in the sky, in dragon form or other figures. Item, in forests and by the water, where they are seen leaping like bucks, or puffing like mops, 1) creeping into swamps and ponds, so that they drown people and break their necks, and are gladly in desolate places and corners, as in desolate houses 2c., so that they have the air and everything that is around and above us, as far as the sky is, in their possession; there they sit and look and lie in wait for us, as they can only do us harm.

For they are not yet cast into hell and damnation, as St. Peter says, but are only bound with chains to enter it; that is, they have their judgment, which has already been decided, and the judgment has come upon them, that is, their chains and bonds. That is why they rage against us, because they know that they will lose their castle and beautiful dwelling and will have to leave us, that we will be exalted from this weak, earthly life to eternal glory at the last day, and will have the air and the whole heaven in their place, and they will be cast into the abyss to eternal torment. Therefore they fight with us, whether they want to bring us with them from God's face and promised glory.

Now all this applies especially to us who cling to Christ, that we must stand here and forever, as under vain guns and spears, since 2) they all aim at us and rush at us from all sides with all their force,

1. i.e. burn like the boggarts.
2. Jenaer: that.

844 Erl. (3.) 18, 356-358. sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. IX, 472-475. 845

Cunning and wickedness, how they want to become powerful. For what is of the world, unbelievers, despisers of God, thieves and scoundrels, there are not many devils among them, for they are such that one devil could lead away ten thousand wicked peasants and squires. But against us, who have renounced them, marked by baptism, and separated from them by the gospel, and set against them, there go not one, but a thousand against one; and though these are too few and small, they strengthen themselves, and take to themselves many more and worse, needing moreover their subjects, the ungodly and wicked world, also for this.

68 Here we must see how God shows His almighty power, according to His creation, to preserve us against the fierce wrath of the devil, so that he does not have to do or create what he wants, even though he is so powerful, and we are like a dull fly against him. Fly against an angry bear or lion: nor does he give him power to take away our lives and all God's goods, which otherwise he would not let us have for a moment; unless God lets it happen for terror and an example. As when he breaks a man's neck, hangs or drowns him, and kills not only men but also cattle, and what more harm is done in the world, the air is poisoned, grain and fruit in the fields are spoiled by weather and hail, and all kinds of plague and pestilence reign; all this is his work and business. But all this is not yet as he would like; for where he now strangles or murders one, he would rather strangle ten thousand. So that one nevertheless sees what power he has, and learns to fear God and pray that he will protect us through his power and the service of the dear angels and protect us from their violence and malice. This is what he does in the worldly realm, but he must resist it much more strongly in the spiritual realm, since it also does much more harm, holds the whole world captive in error and unbelief, and daily brings up new lies and false teachings. However, God sustains us through His Spirit and Word, and sets us against His mighty kingdom and dominion, so that it must finally be destroyed.

V. 13. For this reason, take hold of the armor of God.

(69) Hitherto he has painted the devil with his proper color; not as the painters paint him, black and hideous, with sharp claws and teeth and fiery eyes, 2c., but as he attacks the Christians, especially with his cunning approach and spiritual roguishness, since he can adorn himself above all wisdom, and in addition with our own gospel, and pretends to be a brother, or Christ himself. Since you know these things, that you have such an enemy against you, and should and must be in constant battle with him, and yet are so weak against him because of your own strength and wisdom, see to it that you are not left alone, nor rely on it, as if you had God's word and faith, and now be sure that he will not attack and overthrow you unprotected, but think, and take up the right armor, not the straw armor of your reason. For if you should fight with him, and be no better armed than with your wisdom and strength, he will soon blow you away as the wind blows away a tree leaf. Therefore you must be differently armed, that he may see, not human armor and weapons, but "God's armor," which he has not seen before; which is not our strength, but God's strength and mighty power; as he said above, v. 11.

70 For I have said that with these words he distinguishes the bodily and spiritual armor or weapons. Physical armor belongs to this regiment on earth, princes and lords, to lead against evil men and enemies; this does not concern us. For we must not fight for gold or silver, or for land and people, castles and cities, or for temporal peace and outward righteousness, that each may keep what is his. For this purpose other people are appointed, lawyers, and whatever persons and offices belong to them, who know what is right and how they should preserve it. But we Christians are different people, and stand in a different battle, since we fight for another life, land, property, treasure and kingdom, which shall last forever; so we also have such enemies, whom we could not beat away with iron or steel, sword or guns, or execute, therefore we must also be armed with other armor, i.e., with other weapons.

846 Erl. (2.) 18, 258-260. interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 475-477. 847

The first one is the one that has been begotten and given from heaven by God Himself.

That you may withstand in the evil day, and stand firm in all your doings.

He calls the time an evil day, because here we have to fight with the devil, who is so hard on us and does not let us rest, so that he takes away our eternal, heavenly treasure. For he speaks here even of the spiritual regime, which concerns that life, which is the real main battle, as enough has been said, so that the worldly one also gets involved in it. For this is why he also attacks this life with plagues, murders, blood, 2c., so that he takes away our word and brings us from eternal life. These are the days of battle, when we have nothing but eternal warfare against this enemy, from every side, since he sends troops among us everywhere, and attacks us with his lies, both inwardly and outwardly, as with his right harmful weapons, just as he does in that regiment with sword and tyranny; then we must stand and defend ourselves against both.

But our weapons and armor are much stronger, for they are called "God's armor," who wants to strike him through us, and thus show his great strength and power through this poor, weak flesh and blood, which he previously broke and trampled under his feet: to him he wants to put on his armor, and overthrow the emperor and ruler above all rulers from his throne and regiment, and through them preserve what he has given us, his name and kingdom, gospel, baptism, sacrament 2c. Only that we take care and stand firm, and defend ourselves with it, and not be found without the armor, nor let ourselves be chased out, that is, out of the gospel, faith and our profession, so that it does not happen to us as it did before under the papacy, when none remained, and the devil took over and won everything, with terrible damage to Christendom. And how now our red spirits, and those who follow them, have lost both their armor and everything, and have instead put on the armor of the Strah, their own conceit.

1. Only Walch has: "begotten", while in the other editions: "shown" is found. That the above given reading is correct, shows the comparison with § 38: "begotten from heaven".

and dreams, and be chased and driven by every wind of doctrine, from one error to another.

V. 14. Stand therefore, girding up your loins with truth.

He now begins to name our armor and weapons, and shows how we are to arm ourselves and send ourselves, so that we may be protected in all places, so that we may be able to resist the devil wherever he attacks us; and he sets six kinds of armor, but it is all in the Pauline manner, and not well spoken in German. First, let the loins be girded with truth, that is, that they lead a righteous life, that there be no hypocrisy but earnestness. For "truth" is called in the Scriptures righteousness, which is not false, nor lying. Therefore he says: "First of all, see to it that you are righteous Christians for your own part, and that you take the word and the faith seriously. For whoever wants to be in Christianity, and does not take up the cause with earnestness, but only lets himself be counted among the crowd, wants to enjoy, and yet does not want to fight, he will soon be given to the devil; for he is not "girded up," that is, unlaced, and armed with truth and right earnestness, as a man of war should be.

74 For to gird up one's loins is what we say in the Scriptures, to gird up and make ready, that one may be ready and able to run or to fight, that nothing may hinder him when he is about to strike or to spring from the enemy. Just as in German it is customary to say: You should lift yourself up high, so that you can escape from a mischievous man. Thus Christ says to his disciples, Luc. 12, 35: "Let your loins be girded, and your lights be burning", that is, be always prepared and ready, as servants waiting for their master, to go out to meet him when he comes home at night. Item 2 Kings 4:29, the prophet Elisha said to his servant, "Gird up your loins and take my staff"; that is, gird yourself up and set out: so that by this speech it is indicated that whoever is in a position where he has something to do, to run and to do, that he should prepare himself for it as if he were in earnest and wanted to attack it.

848 Erl. (2.) 18, 260-262.. Sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. IX, 477-480. 849

(75) Therefore the first thing that belongs to this fight is that we be girded and girded, that is, that we think that it must be fought and contested, and surrender and send ourselves to it with earnestness, and do it righteously. For the other, false Christians, who do not take it seriously and truthfully, go along safely and without worry, and seek good days, or their own honor and enjoyment, as if they should not fight, they do murderous harm to Christianity; as the devil always includes those who may well carry the appearance and name, but there is neither heart nor seriousness, through whom he does more harm than otherwise through those who are outside of us; as St. Paul complains everywhere about such false Christians and false workers. So the devil also attacks us through our flesh, whether we are righteous, that we become lazy and slothful, and do not take and do our work as earnestly as we ought. Therefore we must be prepared and fight against this, 1) and always arouse and stop ourselves, so that we do not also fall into such sloth and security, and finally into vain hypocrisy.

And dressed with the cancer of justice.

76. if the first thing is that the Christian state is without hypocrisy, then this must also follow, that one should keep the breast "with the cancer of righteousness"; which is a good conscience, that a Christian may so live that he offend no man, and that no man may complain of him, as the apostle Paul everywhere boasts, as, 2 Cor. 1, 12. he says, "Our glory is this, namely, the testimony of our conscience, which we have walked in simplicity and godly integrity 2c. in the world." And also Moses and the prophets defy anyone, that they have not taken a donkey, nor anything else, nor been too near, nor done any harm. This is called the "cancer of righteousness," an innocent, righteous life and outward conduct toward all men, that no one should do harm or hurt, but should be diligent to serve everyone and to do good, so that no one should accuse our consciences, nor the devil, nor the angels.

1. Wittenberger and Erlanger: "we must also fence against this.

We cannot accuse ourselves, nor move up, that we have not lived rightly.

For where there is no defiance, and a man lives so crudely and wickedly as the great multitude in the world, the devil has soon won against him that he cannot stand, and gives him a blow before the breast, that his heart and courage fail him, and his conscience is frightened and despondent. This hinders and weakens very much, when a person has to stand against his own heart and conscience at the same time and fight with the devil, who also challenges righteous life and work and would like to turn them into sins.

For this reason the apostles everywhere exhort believers to lead a life that is blameless in the sight of the world and everyone. This should serve to make our hearts all the more joyful, and to hold on to the faith all the more firmly and strongly, and to become certain of it; as St. Peter 2 Ep. 1, 10 says of it: "Dear brethren, be all the more diligent to make your profession and election firm. 2c. For by living outwardly godly in the sight of the world, and boasting and defying all men, I am made sure of my faith, as by the right good fruits of a good tree, and so increase that it may become firm and strong. Which cannot be done by those who openly walk in sin and evil living, for the same hinders and weakens, yes, hinders faith, so that his heart cannot grasp that certain comforting confidence that he has a gracious God and that his sins are forgiven him, because he is still in them and will not let go. Hence also St. John, 1 Ep. 4, 17, when he exhorts to love: "Therefore love is complete in us, that we may have joy in the day of judgment." As if to say: This is a righteous, perfect love, which can defiantly boast of this, even before God's judgment, against the devil and the world, that it has done good to everyone, and has proven itself, so that all the world must bear witness to it, and no one has to complain against it, so that the heart does not despair before God's judgment, nor must its faith sink for the sake of its evil life 2c.

V.15. And booted on feet with the gospel of peace, that ye might be ready.

** **850 Erl. (L.) 18, L6L-S64. Interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 480-482. 851

(79) This is the third thing, that a Christian should not only be pious, do good, and not turn away from the way the world lives and does, but also have peace toward everyone (as he also says in Romans 12:18). both for ourselves and toward others, with help, counsel, and encouragement through the gospel, so that we can walk in readiness and skill, and get through the evil world unhindered, even though the world causes strife, strife, and quarrels among one another, and people's malice also provokes us to anger, impatience, and revenge 2c. Summa, it is said: If you want to be a Christian and live rightly in the world, send yourself to patience.

80 For where one takes the gospel seriously and wants to live rightly, the cross will not remain outside; as all Scripture everywhere testifies, that one must wait for all kinds of opposition, violence, wickedness, contempt, ingratitude, scorn and shame, even though we do all good to everyone. But if thou wilt avenge thyself, and suffer no wrong, peace shall never come of it, and hinder thyself, that thou canst not advance with thy gospel, nor make any fruitful thing. Therefore we must be so skillful that we can suffer the wicked, and bear and endure those with whom and by whom we live, and so break through patience as through a thorny path. These are the first three parts of a Christian's life, for his own person, that he may be well guarded and armed, and be able to stand and protect himself in battle, that he may not be beaten. Now the right weapons follow, so that we may be able to stand up to the enemy and beat him back.

V. 16: But in all things take hold of the shield of faith.

The previous pieces serve to stand against people, so that we may not be punished because of this outward life, as those who are equipped, so that no one can accuse us, nor take away our glory and defiance. But the following three are for us to fight with the devil alone when he attacks us, so that we can stand before God against the evil spirit that shoots at us (as he says here) with fiery fury.

and on our conscience drives God's judgment, and accuses it in such a way that everything cannot apply nor help, even though we have stood well before the world, acted faithfully with everyone and lived peacefully. Then he shall turn and destroy before God what you have done in the best of ways, and frighten you with it, torment your conscience, and make you so afraid and anxious that you do not know how to stay, so that he chases and drives you into disbelief and despair, so that your apron and belt, crab and leg armor are destroyed; as those know well who have tried such things.and have experienced the high spiritual temptations, although there are few of them, and the rest of the common people neither understand nor care about them.

Now it comes to pass that we must take up arms, and to this (he says) belongs first of all a good, strong "shield"; if he wants to tear into your conscience, strike your heart, and ruin your life, that you are too loosely girded, or have not been serious enough, or have not done to everyone at all times as you should, that you may present yourself to him, and reproach the shield, that he cannot harm you 1) or break through with his arrows.

83 Such a "shield" is faith, as he himself interprets it, which holds to the word of Christ, and takes hold of it and answers the devil: If I am a sinner, and have not lived rightly, or have done too little, then the man is holy and pure who gave himself for me and died, and was given to me by the Father to be my own with his holiness and righteousness 2c. You must leave him in peace and unaccused. There I stop myself. Let my life and deeds remain where they can. I will gladly do and keep as much as I can and owe to the people; but where this is lacking and does not keep the sting (as it cannot keep of itself apart from Christ), there help and keep my Christ, whom thou canst not accuse. There I rely on as on my shield, which is sure to me, and stands against all power and gates of hell.

With which you can extinguish all the fiery arrows of the villain.

1. Walch and the Erlanger: not.

852 Erl. (2.) 18, 264-266. sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. IX, 482-485. 853

Therefore he says: "By such a shield you can extinguish all the fiery arrows of the evil one. This 1) he speaks as a well-tried man, who has often been there, indeed, has daily fought with the devil, and has experienced that nothing else holds nor exists in such battles when the devil attacks one; and it is not enough to have all kinds of belt, crab and shoe, and to have all things equipped and skillfully standing, if one does not have another, by which one catches the poisonous arrows and strikes them away. For they go and penetrate through all armor, and what is ours, yes, through the heart to it.

85, And calls both the devil and his weapons by his right name, that he may call him an "evil one," who can make it so evil and poisonous, so bitterly accuse and blaspheme, and so plague the heart that it no one believes. And his arrows are called "fiery arrows," so that he burns and pierces, and so shoots into the heart that all our lives and good consciences should shatter before it like wax before the fire. Even if it is lived and done in the best way and with the utmost earnestness, he can still burn a hole through it, and make it so with his poisonous thoughts and suggestions that you do not know how or from where, that it all goes away from you, and you wish you had never done it, and you lose Scripture, baptism, sacrament and everything from your heart. For this purpose he drives such arrows through his mobs and false teachers, who lead us away from Christ, and want to overthrow the faith and take away the shield; by which he makes people astray, and puts such arrows into the heart that no man can quench.

86. Therefore you must be wise here and be careful when he aims and shoots his arrows at your heart, so that he may take away your confidence and trust, so that you may always have the shield and set it against him, namely, take hold of the Lord Christ in faith 2) and say: God grant that my life and all my doings remain where they may, whether they be right and established before all the world; for I have earnestly and faithfully taught, lived and conducted my profession; but because thou wilt strike at my heart, that all this shall not be

1. Wittenberger: da.
2. Wittenberg and Erlanger: gefasset.

and plague my conscience with it: Well then, I will let all this go, and seize my shield, which can cover and protect me along with all my life 2c. Behold, then, all his arrows, however poisonous and wicked, must go out and die before him, that they may not hurt me in any way. For Christ stands before me and takes care of me, saying, "I have given my flesh and blood to this man, I have given my life and holiness for him, therefore let him go in peace. Then he must let go, and you can defy him through Christ, so that he will bore a hole through your shield. For he has burned himself in 3) Christ, that he can no longer do anything against him; and thus also in us, who are Christ's 4) and He ours (through faith), he has lost all his right. Even though he aims and shoots with his arrows, they cannot stick, but must go out before him in the air and become ashes.

(87) Behold, therefore we have always so diligently exhorted, that every man, above all things, may well receive the chief article of Christ, which we preach and practice always, and keep it always in his heart, and see that he suffer it not to be taken from him, nor to be taken out of his sight; that, when the devil striketh the conscience, it may be quickly cast up, and held before his face. For if he seizes you alone, without this shield, he has wounded you with his arrows and set your heart on fire, and has ruined both your life and your deeds, if he so desires. Therefore he alone seeks, with all his cunning and craftiness, how he may put this article out of your sight, so that he may bring you into battle with him apart from Christ. 5) For he knows well that he will wound you with his arrows, and set your heart on fire, if he wills it. For he knows well that he can do nothing against this shield; therefore also St. Peter 1 Ep. 5, 8. 9. admonishes: "Be sober and watch, for your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; resist him firmly in faith" 2c. Behold, he shows this very shield of faith, that we cannot be secure from the devil, lest he choke us and devour us where we are

3. Wittenberg and Erlanger: an dem.
4. Erlanger: Christians.
5. "dir" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Jena.

854 Erl. (S.) 18, S66-L6S. Interpretation on the epistle to the Ephesians. W. IX, 48S-488. 855

not always have Christ in their hearts and hold fast to Him.

V. 17. And take the helmet of salvation.

The "helmet of salvation" is nothing other than the hope and expectation of another life, which is in heaven, for the sake of which we believe in Christ and suffer everything, without which we could not bear all the blows that are struck at our heads and inflicted on our bodies and lives. For we see and feel the misery that the devil inflicts on us in the world, tormenting and afflicting us without ceasing, and judging everything against us, so that we must bear all the hatred, anger and rage of the world, and take everything upon ourselves and atone for it where it is evil. If we should suffer such things for the sake of temporal things, we would much rather be dead; as St. Paul 1 Cor. 15:19 says: "If in this life alone we hope in Christ, we are the most miserable people on earth. And I myself would not come to the preaching chair for one hour in my life, if one wanted to give me three kingdoms.

(89) Therefore we must know another consolation, because we, both of the world and the devil, are so miserably afflicted, both bodily and spiritually, and so challenged, as if it were all lost and done and suffered in vain, that we can take such courage against it: If the world does not want us to serve it in vain, to suffer and fight, and to put our sour sweat and blood into it, then let it be; we did not begin for its sake. If they do not want to be friends, let them be enemies, and bite and devour themselves with their anger and rage. But this is our defiance, that we believe in Jesus Christ, who is Lord over 1) the world, the devil, and all things, through whom we must surely wait for another life, that he will deliver us out of all this misfortune, and put under our feet what now oppresses and presses us.

90 Therefore this is also a necessary armor for the Christians; otherwise we could not stand it the long way and be overcome.

1. Wittenberger: about all.

the shameful, evil wickedness and willfulness which the devil drives through the world, so that we must everywhere be held up to be beaten over the head, and all ingratitude, contempt, scorn, shame and ridicule be put on as a reward for our gospel and Christian life, so that we may serve everyone.

And the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

This is the last, but the strongest, and the right weapons of war, by which we must strike the devil and win. For it is not enough (as I said above) to have a good guard against the enemy, and to be able to put ourselves in front of him when he attacks us, so that we will not be defeated, which is called a protective power; but the defensive power also belongs to it, so that we may pursue the enemy and put him to flight. So it is not enough here to defend ourselves against the devil with faith and hope, as a shield and helmet, but also "the sword" must twitch, and strike at him again, and thus press on, so that he must fall back and flee, and thus retain the victory in him. Such "sword" is now (he says) "the word of God". For it must not be physical steel and iron, but a spiritual sword, so that one should strike the devil.

This is done primarily by preaching the word publicly on the preaching platform, and then by every Christian, whether with himself or with others, by listening, reading, singing, speaking, and contemplating. For it has power where it is preached and acted upon loudly and purely, where it is learned with diligence, and where it is thought of with earnestness, then Satan cannot yet remain a devil. For it reveals his lies and mischievousness, so that he wants to deceive people, to trust falsely, or to drive them into disbelief, sadness, or despair, 2c., and shows the Lord Christ, whom he crucified, but ran up against him and burned himself, to bruise his head; therefore he fears and flees from it.

It does him great harm that many souls are taken from him, and his kingdom is weakened and destroyed, and neither lies nor error can arise where it is going on, so that if we could see it with our eyes, you should see many a devil beaten, and

856 Erl. (p.) 18, p69 f. Sermon on Eph. 6, 10-17. W. ix, 488f. 857

Here one lies down, and there one lies down, where it is done right and with seriousness. For though we are weak in our reason and strength against this spirit, yet we are too strong for all devils, if we are armed with these weapons and weapons; which means, not our, but God's power and strength.

He calls it a "sword" because it shows how one must use the word if one wants to beat the devil, namely that one must practice it with preaching, listening, learning 2c. Not to leave it under the bench or alone in books (as if one leaves the sword stuck in the scabbard and rusty), for thus it can prove no strength, nor do harm to the devil, but that one draws from leather, twitches and grasps the sword, and always strikes about with it, that is, through the ministry of preaching, and otherwise drives it with mouth and heart, so that it always remains finely sharp and smooth 1).

95 Therefore, we should see to it above all things that we keep it pure and true, learn it with diligence and care, and call upon God to keep it going through right, valiant preachers and faithful workers. For, where these are not, there follows also the murderous harm, that the devil breaks in, and his lies instead of the truth (yet also under the same appearance

1. In the old editions: "glw" (glu), i.e. glowing, shining, bright, polished. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. VIII, 1776. 1798.

and names) to the preaching chair, and makes everything full of redness, so that he divides and corrupts the church, as we have well experienced so far in the whole papacy, since he has ruled so completely that there has not been a preaching chair where he would have been resisted, although the Scriptures have been in the book, read and sung in all the churches, but without heart and mind at all, and let it rust as a sword in the scabbard; for there has been no one who would have twitched and sharpened it.

Unfortunately, we are already seeing again how God is punishing the contempt of the Word and the ingratitude of the overweening spirits, who have so soon been overly taught that everything becomes full of sects and cults, so that they lose it again, and the devil rules both the church and the preaching chair. We should leave such damage and driving a joke to ourselves, to have the good word dear and valuable, and do it without interruption where we can, because we can beat and overcome the devil thereby, and be safe from his lies and seduction. For even if we could learn nothing from it (since it can never be unlearned), we may always use it to defend ourselves in this hard, constant battle in which we must fight with the devil, since it is not a matter of life and limb, but of eternal life, or eternal death, and the loss of God and all his goods.

858 Erl. 51, 276-278. interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 490-493. 859

VIII. Interpretations on the first epistle to Timothy.

D. Martin Luther's Sermon on the Main Summa of God's Commandment,

on the abuse and right use of the law, from the epistle of Paul 1 Tim. 1, 3-11.*)

Anno 1524.

^1^(1) I have often and much taught and said, and still say, that two main parts of the Christian doctrine are faith and love (as also St. Paul writes and attracts everywhere), that I also know nothing else to preach. But many careless people learn to repeat these words, who also want to be seen and praised, as if they could talk about it, but in fact know nothing about it. The same happens to them that they fall about on something new, which people like to hear, and they become only useless talkers. This is how it was in the beginning in the time of the apostles, whose teaching was based on faith in God and love for one's neighbor, and how one should tame and force the flesh with its lusts; this alone they did, and had nothing more to teach.

(2) But this preaching was hindered, first, by God's law and the Scriptures of the Old Testament, which the apostles themselves led and had to confess. Then also that it was seen that the works or deeds of their preaching did not follow as it should, as is also now lamented. Therefore the new disciples went to, wanted it

1. In the editions, the whole text is printed here, but we have omitted the same (as Walch) because the same is repeated in the following interpretation.

To make things better, and to advise things, the two were mixed together, works and faith. This trouble has hindered the pure doctrine of faith from the beginning to this day. If one preaches works, one overthrows faith. Again, if one teaches faith, one must overthrow works.

3 It is very difficult for people to judge this, and no one understands it, unless the Holy Spirit writes it into the heart. Many holy fathers have also stumbled in this. For we are always confronted with the fact that we see in the lives of the saints how they have been outwardly well tamed 2) and reared, and have proved themselves with great, beautiful works, from which we have called them holy, but have not seen them according to their faith. And again, we see in others some infirmities and weaknesses, which we have in sight, but see not according to faith. So we have judged according to works, and have not perceived faith, indeed, we have completely missed it, and everyone has fallen into error, and everyone has thought it good and delicious, so that I know of no one who has been able to judge it rightly, without the apostles, who were chosen to teach it purely, and to give a foundation to the doctrine. What

2. Wittenberg edition: "gezeumet". Jenaer: "gezemet".

*This sermon is attributed in the old editions to the year 1524. Probably Luther preached in the winter of 1524 to 1525 not only on Genesis 1 and 2, but also on the First Epistle to Timothy in continuous sermons, of which, however, only a few have been preserved (Köstlin, Martin Luther, Vol. I, p. 614). However, there is no print older than the year 1526, in which year our sermon was published in Wittenberg by Hans Weiß under the title we gave it (Dietz, Wörterbuch zu Luthers Schriften, Quellenverzeichniß, p. I,II). In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1556), vol. I, p. 445; in the Jena (1585), vol. II, p. 475B; in the Altenburg, vol. II, p. 826; in the Leipzig, vol. XI, p. 438 and in the Erlangen, vol. 51, p. 276. We give the text after the Jena, comparing the Wittenberg.

860 Erl. si, S78-S80. Sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 3-11. W. ix, 493-4W. 861

The other books are not to be found in it, so that it is no wonder that it has perished and died out in our time. For this reason, St. Paul does as much as he can to Timothy, his disciple, and in all places, with words, commandments, entreaties, and urgings, so that they do not fall from the pure mind, and always look diligently that the doctrine and preaching remain pure and unadulterated, for it all lies in this. Speak then:

V. 3. 4. As I reminded thee, that thou stayedest at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, and commandedst some that they should not teach otherwise, neither take heed to the fables, and to the genealogies, which have no end, and bring up questions, more than correction, unto God in faith.

(4) These "some," as the apostle means here, were certainly not bad men, but of the high apostles, Peter and the other disciples. They saw how the apostles dealt according to the law of Moses, as did the other Jews, and boasted of it when they came among the Gentiles, reproaching them and saying, "This is what Peter and the other chief apostles do. What about Paul? He did not walk with Christ, nor did he hear him; we have seen that the others live and do so, therefore you also must live and do so. That was almost the main thing; they were driven to make the law necessary, not for the sake of Mosiah, but rather for the sake of the apostles, who thus kept it. These were the disciples of the great apostles, who so often saw their miraculous signs and heard many a beautiful sermon and doctrine, in addition to which the judgment at Jerusalem was passed by the apostles, Acts 15:1 ff. 15, 1. ff. They have not yet attained the right understanding.

(5) Because these are blinded by such light, since the gospel was preached so purely and brightly, and penetrated and departed by force, as never happened again, and have lain in this mud, to which they forced themselves and other people: what wonder if such things happen to us? although we are so equipped by God's grace, because we have such light, that we can easily judge such error; shall also have no need, because we are still with each other, and the word so diligently.

Otherwise, if we did not continue in this way, a false preacher would soon arise who could do more harm in an hour than could be done in a year, so that he would take a saying or two from Scripture and press them into works, so that the doctrine of faith and love would fall away.

(6) That is why I have so often urged that works and faith should be well separated from one another. For although this has been said and practiced so much that everyone knows it, it is still lacking everywhere, when it comes to a meeting, that one should judge and judge from it, so that one may go right. Faith (I say) is to be held against God in conscience, and no law is to be laid upon it, whether it be man's law or God's law. Therefore, if you hear anyone saying, "You must do such and such a thing," and he wants to put the same thing or work on your conscience and set it against God, know that it is certainly the devil's teaching, and separate the two as far apart as heaven and earth, day and night, so that faith alone remains in the heart or conscience, but works are drawn outside the conscience to the body. Faith belongs above to heaven; works are to be drawn down to earth. Faith is directed against God; works against the neighbor. Faith is above all laws, and is without law; works are under the law, and are servants of all laws.

(7) Now if anyone comes and reverses these things, or mixes them together and becomes one, the pure doctrine is already falsified. So we say of works, that they should be done to compel and tame the body, that it become not too wanton, lustful, and slothful. They say: If you do this, you will become pious, and come into the state of blessedness, earning eternal life. We are not to suffer this addition, which they add, that one must do it if he is to be saved in some other way, and that the law should be laid upon the conscience, so that the doctrine of faith may perish. Likewise also say with other works, which one doeth against his neighbor. As when I, being with the Jews, eat with them what they eat, likewise also with the Gentiles, keeping the manner and law of the people, and judging me in their works, I had all manner of laws, and have

862 Erl. S1, 380-283. interpretations on the 1st epistle to the Timothyüs. W. IX, 496-498. 863

but in conscience no law; for I do not do the works in the opinion that I am forced to do them, or that I thereby become pious before God, but that I am guilty of sending myself to the will and benefit of my neighbor, even though it helps me nothing before God, because I already have the treasure through faith.

8 The apostles also did this, keeping the law of Moses with the others, but keeping it freely; not that they thereby made a conscience neither good nor evil, or that they had to do it, but teaching and concluding thus, as Peter says Acts 15:10, 11: "We will not put a yoke upon the necks of our disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear; but we believe through the grace of Jesus Christ. 15:10, 11: "We will not put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have to bear: but we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they also are saved." With this judgment he abolishes and purely takes away all works and laws. Therefore, it is clear that the apostles do not raise the law, but only grace, that the conscience alone hangs on Christ; but law and works they teach by their example, by keeping, for the sake of the people, not for the sake of the conscience. Those disciples still fell on it, added to it, left the doctrine and judgment of mere grace, and took up the works which the apostles did, and urged them on the conscience, saying, Thus and thus must thou do, or not do.

(9) Thus the false teachers broke down and dampened the faith, struck down grace, and cast out Christ. For whoever comes to help the conscience and reconcile God with works has already lost grace with Christ and all the treasure. We will also see, when some are taken away, through whom God receives the gospel, how soon the false teachers will invade again, and what a flood of sins of works will swarm in; how many have already torn down the spirits of the red, and attached the rabble to themselves! Therefore, it is necessary to watch and instruct without ceasing, especially the preachers, to keep the faith pure and not to add anything to the doctrine. For as soon as you mix faith and works and do not separate them, it is already lost, and no matter how much it is taught and preserved, it is much more easily obscured and destroyed.

changed. I am not saying that one should not do works, but that one should not bring them before God and put them on.

010 Therefore saith St. Paul, that his disciple Timothy should take heed, first, that they teach not otherwise; and secondly, that they take no heed to the fables and genealogies. These are two hindrances to the gospel: one, if one teaches otherwise, that is, as has been said, that one drives the law and works into the consciences; the other, if the devil, when he sees that he cannot overthrow the faith straightway, drives with cunning, and creeps in from behind, and throws out useless questions, that one may be troubled, and meanwhile the main thing remains behind; as there are, of dead saints and departed souls: where do they remain? whether they sleep? and the like. There is always one question after another, so that there is no end to them. There, the tiresome presumption worries about unnecessary and useless things, which are neither commanded, nor do they serve the cause. Thus the devil comes behind the people, opens their mouths, so that they gape at it and lose it. And when a fool appears, who also wants to be seen, throws up something new and strange, so that it should be said that he is more learned than others, the mob bursts into a mob, opens its eyes, ears and mouth. So they keep silent about faith and love, because they think it is daily bread, which they have heard and know enough, and it is annoying to hear one thing all the time.

011 And it came to pass in those days, that the Jews also forsook the right doctrine, and fell into divers fables, of which they have many, concerning the fathers, and concerning genealogies, and were pleased to number almost every male among them, and every city had a genealogy, wherein the Levites numbered their tribes and generations by the year. And especially they took care of the births of the fathers, which are told in the book of Chronicles, according to their tribes and members, that they calculated which of the others had been father, brother, son, cousin and friend, as the line went on one after the other from one member to the other, through each lineage; which is a far-flung, confused thing that cannot be figured out. Likewise fables and

864 Erl. 51, SS3-28S. Sermon On 1 Tim. 1, 3-11. W. IX, 498-Ü0I. 865

Our teachers have also asked us questions about the lineage of Christ and Mary, and much more about the work of fools. There has been no one to say: What are we doing? or: What is the use of our knowing? Such hostile, ugly forwardness is the heart of man, which can never stop doing such useless things.

(12) Therefore St. Paul says, "You must fight tooth and nail to prevent such useless fables and babblings from arising, for they do not improve anyone, but only hinder faith and cause quarrels and disputes, because each one wants to be right. As, of the different souls, one says otherwise, the other so, and each thinks that his opinion should be valid. But we say thus: that we should not know nor want to know what God does not want to reveal to us; let it pass and let Him take care of it. But we have other, necessary things to do, since we spend our lives with them: how faith and love may stand and walk rightly, that the conscience may be well with God, and the body may be kept rightly in restraint, wife and child, and to serve anyone who may be ours, since we live on earth. They leave this to be done as if they had done it, when they have never really come to it, boasting and puffing themselves up with great art, so that they will be praised. For this reason it was necessary that St. Paul commanded the two obstacles to be warded off; although his faithful counsel and warning, unfortunately, did not help much. Therefore, beware of all other teachings, 1) and remain only on that which follows:

V. 5. For the main sum of the commandment is love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience, and from undimmed faith.

This is the summa summarum of the righteous Christian doctrine, in which everything lies. What is the use of many useless questions and fables? All that God gives and wants is love, and such love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and uncolored faith. Let us see this one after the other.

14: So we have been given a "pure heart".

1. Jenaer: Teachers.

teaches to make one cast out the impure thoughts. This is well said and done, but it is not enough to get rid of them; as experience shows that if you knock out one, you knock in ten; if you knock out ten, you knock in a hundred, so that it is not possible to get a pure heart by our own sweeping. 2) The more we try to stop, the more blood and flesh flow. Blood and flesh flow without ceasing, the more one wants to stop and fight. That is why St. Paul urges that the heart should first become so pure that it does not become conscience-stricken. Likewise he also says to Titus 1:15: "All things are pure to the pure"; and Christ says Matt. 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Thus, "to have a pure heart" does not mean merely to remember nothing impure, but rather, when through God's word the conscience is enlightened and assured that it is not defiled by the law: thus, that a Christian may know that it does him no harm whether he keeps it or not; yes, do well that which is otherwise forbidden, or omit that which is otherwise commanded; it is no sin to him, for he can do none, because the heart is pure. But again, an unclean heart defiles and sins in all things, because it is full of laws. But after that, when the heart becomes clean from laws, which is not by the word of God, it is also clean in 3) thoughts, that it thinks purely of flesh and blood, is not stingy, angry, nor unchaste. But this is still the lowest purity; but that is the highest, from which this flows and follows.

(15) Whoever then is of such a pure heart sees God, says Christ Matt. 5:8. "Seeing God" is not what the sophists dream, but recognizing God, namely, when the heart sees His goodness and grace, and does not doubt that He is its Father, recognizes His good will and natural way, there is then neither sin nor wrath. No conscience can come to this, if it is driven by the law. For where the law is, there is sin; where sin is, there is an evil, unclean conscience.

2. In the old editions: one.
3. We have put "an" instead of "on" (i.e. without) in the old editions. Here a confusion of "an" and "on" must have occurred during printing. At the end of §17, instead of "an sein", "on sein" could be put; but here it is our: an.

866 Erl. 51, p85-287. interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, S0I-503. 867

As long as you sin and look at the law, you do not see God, because you consider Him to be a wrathful judge. But that is not seeing God, but seeing an executioner and a cane-master. So now no one can see him as he is, except he who is rid of the law.

(16) If this first purity, which God sees, remains, the other purity is also there, so that the evil desire is subdued and becomes less, and pure thoughts follow. So here you get rid of works, as there in the conscience of the law; for from this everything follows that the law is kept, and sin is taken away. But because the law remains, neither heart nor work can be pure, but remains vain unbelief and evil thoughts against God, Titus 1:15: "Nothing is pure to the unclean, but both their mind and conscience are unclean." So that it may be understood by a rough example of our nature: The pope has burdened the consciences with laws, imposed so many ordinances, consecrations, masses, prayers, fasts, that whoever clings to them, thinking, "So and so you must do," can have no rest nor good conscience, and cannot regard God otherwise than as angry. For if they do not pray, they have no peace; but if they pray, there is just as little peace, that they have not prayed with devotion, or ever so purely as they should. There the conscience always remains captive, and they cannot do any work with a pure heart. Recently, there is nothing but vain sin and fear caused by the law, which one can never get rid of, because the law lies there; therefore one can also never see God.

(17) But if the law depart from me, and I be not troubled with it, sin and disquietness of conscience are also gone: then mayest thou behold God aright, and see his good pleasure, that he is not displeased, but is pleased with what thou doest. Thus the heart is pure, and the conscience good. In the same way I speak of all other laws, creatures and states. If you think you must do it, there is already a conscience from the law, plus sin and an unclean heart. You always do either too much or too little, and the longer and more you struggle with it, the more you defile yourself, making sin and an evil conscience.

Whoever then wants to be free from sin, 1) to have a good conscience and a pure heart, must not be bound by any law on earth.

018 And if thou sayest, Yea, all these things are yet spoken of men's laws; but how sayest thou of God's law? For those are easy to deal with, which, as they are made by men, may also be taken away by men, and none of them shall be smitten upon the conscience, nor bind it, nor make it sin before God. But these, namely God's laws, he wants to keep strictly, so that neither a letter nor a tittle of them perishes, as Christ says (Matth. 5, 18), so that one cannot transgress them with a good conscience. But if there is an evil conscience, there is also sin, and the heart cannot be pure, nor see God, for the conscience tells you that he is of sin and wants to punish it, and sees nothing but unmercy. How can one escape from the law here, have a pure heart and a good conscience?

19 Answer: Divide the people into two parts, and separate those who are in the spirit from those who are without the spirit. To those who are not in the Spirit this doctrine does not enter in, nor is it preached to them; for they cannot be pure in heart, or have a good conscience. But those who have the Holy Spirit, of whom we speak now, though they have sinned and feel sin, yet they have something higher and better than the law. So the law ceases, not that it should be taken away and no longer apply or be kept, as the law of the pope and of men ceases; but (as I said) that a higher thing should be given, so that it may be subdued, and that enough may be done for it.

20 So that it may be seen in an example: If I have fallen into sin, and have done contrary to God's commandment, the law is soon there, wanting to make my conscience evil and God angry. But faith, on the other hand, holds up God's Word and Christ, my Savior, who was given to me by God with all that is in him. Thus I speak by the same faith. It is true that I have sin in me, and the law says that I should be pure in heart, have no evil thoughts, and be a good man.

1. In the old editions: "to be on", i.e. to be loose.
2. "denn" is missing in the Jena.

868 Erl. 51, 287-290. Sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 3-II. W. IX, 503-506. 869

nor desire; but I find it otherwise in the flesh, which is evil through and through.

(21) I also divide myself into two parts, namely, the flesh and the old Adam, and the spirit or new man; in my heart I have Christ through faith, so I contend in two ways. First. If I should deal with the law, I have already lost, because I can never do enough for it, yes, only fall deeper into sin; so the evil conscience and unclean heart remains, cannot escape the law. Secondly. But if I take hold of Christ and cling to him, the law cannot take hold of me. For Christ is ever no sinner, having done so much as the whole law would have, that it can neither forbid nor command him, nor require him to do anything that he has not done. He is so full of good that he can neither want nor do anything but good. Summa, he has no law, and is above all law, yes, it is completely dead in him. Since Christ is mine through faith, and I am his in turn, no law can accuse me, as little as Christ. And even if it comes here and wants to attack me, I reproach it for this and say, "If I have done everything and more than you want, and even if I still have an evil desire in the flesh, I turn my eyes upward to Christ, who is mine and gives me all that he has; so his purity is also mine; so it can do nothing to me. But when I look down, I still find much that is unclean, for which the law has right over me.

(22) This is the main thing we have to learn, the art and all the power of how to be right in it: that even if we feel the lust of the flesh, or even if we have fallen into sin, we may still say 2) I will be free from the law; I have neither law nor sin, but am righteous: I still want to be free from the law; I have neither law nor sin, but am pious and righteous. If I cannot say this, I must despair and perish. The law says: You have sin. If I say yes, I am lost; if I say no, I must have a strong foundation on which to stand, so that I can refute it, and receive the no. How can

1. In the old editions: "zwo".
2. Jenaer: still.

But if I say it, it is true, 2c., and the Scripture also testifies that I was born in sins; where then will I take the no? Of course I will not find it in my bosom, but in Christ, there I must get it, reproach it to the law, and say: Behold, he can say no against all laws, has also his reason, because he is ever pure and without sin. He also gives me the no, so that even though I should say yes, when I look at myself and see that I am a sinner, and cannot be right with you, but feel that there is nothing pure about me and see God's wrath, I still have this next to it, that his righteousness is mine; so I am no longer in sin. We must come to this point so that we can say that we are righteous and pure as consistently as Christ himself can say it; all of which is done through faith.

(23) These are the things which are to be preached, and the sum of the whole law, saith St. Paul; which will, and hath no rest, that thou come to have love from a pure heart, knowing neither law nor sin, and seeing God righteously "of a good conscience. After that (as follows) "of undimmed faith", that is, that it is not preached with words alone, and played with thoughts in the heart, but that the faith is fundamental, undoubted, and certain, so that it is all there. That is so much as to say that there is no law, neither of God nor of man. Man's law falls in such a way that it is completely abolished and left behind; you may not yet add anything to Christ's law; it has not come about because of this; it can certainly be abolished by men, because it is set by them. But to abolish God's law, Christ alone must do it. The latter must come to an end in death, or before; but the former is eternal; therefore one must have him to whom it has no right, who has done enough for us. The Holy Spirit must create such a fundamentally good, uncolored faith, which grasps such things; he aligns these three things, makes us holy, pious and full of God, does not let us sink, does not frighten the good conscience, does not let the pure heart err. This alone is necessary to know; and although not all feel it, some do.

24 But diligence is to be taken, that one does not teach otherwise. This happens then (like

870 Erl. si, 2W-S9S. Interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. ix, sos-svs. 871

If one wants to make people pious with laws and rule their consciences, as the papists have done up to now, and all the red spirits are still doing, so that people are led to act with their thoughts and dreams with God, they will never learn correctly what a pure heart, a good conscience and untainted faith are, and they will not understand anything about it, even today the pope with all the high schools, what the three words mean. For they dream that a pure heart is one that thinks no evil and is not attached to any creature, so that creature and thought are separated from one another. Now if a man has a wife and does his work with a cheerful heart, or if a woman looks after her child and waits for him, this is not called a pure heart, because all this cannot happen without thoughts clinging to it. One must think daily of food, money, work, and other things; there are creatures which (as they say) one must get rid of, so that one's thoughts are nothing else than to sit and speculate in heaven, and think nothing else but after God. It follows, then, that Christ did not have a perfectly pure heart when he made the blind see and the sick heal. He raised the dead, and in all other works; for he had to take care of the creature: meanwhile, where did his heart and thoughts remain only for God?

(25) Thus the ladders of the blind have led us, and innumerable books have been written full of such speculations, how to get rid of creatures; but they are nothing else, but only dreams and the devil's seduction. It is not possible to purify the heart with thoughts; otherwise no one would be so impure as God Himself, who sees all wickedness, remembers it, and is angry about it; indeed, He takes care of all creatures, creates and works everything Himself. But purity is found in this (as enough has been said), that the conscience is good, that man does for works what he wants, that the heart is not bound to it; and does it not because he wants to do a meritorious work, or that he has to do it, but with all love and desire, only because it pleases God. So then it is pure, and yet deals with all creatures, doing everything freely, as

When he puts it into his hands, he does not let any law or sin make him unclean from any thing, but all things are clean to him. For he sees God rightly, and has an untainted faith, without which such a work cannot be done. Then all the commandments are fulfilled, so that both the heart is right toward God and the works toward the neighbor. Now whatever is not preached according to the measure and rule is already lacking in the right way; therefore it follows:

V. 6, 7: Whereof some have erred, and turned to useless babblings, desiring to be masters of the Scriptures, and understanding not what they say, or what they set forth.

(26) They have missed the main sum (he says), they do not know what the three pieces are, they only play with thoughts, and after that they go out; as they err and miss, so they teach other people also. Nor do you ever hear anyone preaching how to have a pure heart and a good conscience; only others are engaged in useless talk, saying, "You must do and stand like this," 2c. and fall into vain works and commandments.

27 But is not this a bold apostle, that he should call the disciples of the high apostles, and their successors, the pope and his company, idle talkers, and say that none of them know what they say and do, and freely conclude that where faith and love are not preached, it is all idle talk, and neither they that preach, nor other men, know what they do, though it have appearance and name, as excellent as it may be? They want to be praised as if they were masters of the Scriptures, which they alone can and should interpret, thus opening people's mouths; yet they themselves do not understand the sayings they use, nor do they know what they contain. This happens because they lack the three pieces mentioned above, in which the summa of Scripture is summarized; but they lead the sayings that have such things in them, but do not see them; and must let themselves be interpreted by them in their dreams, contrary to the right doctrine.

28 From this it follows that they do not know what they set, order and want to take for doctrine. As when one preaches God's commandment, everything is to be interpreted (as St. Paul has said before) that it calls for love

872 Erl. 51, L9L-L95. Sermon on 1 Tim, 1, 3-11. W. IX, 509-511. 873

of a pure heart, a good conscience, and undimmed faith, it is rightly conducted and used. They know nothing of this; therefore they do other things contrary to that which the law requires, saying, Keep this and that, and thou shalt be pious; deceiving themselves and other people thereby, and making only evil consciences, entangled with laws, and impure hearts without faith and love.

29 Then you have a common judgment of all who do not teach the faith, that they all must lack and err. They cannot teach, they will not hold their peace: so they go forth, lacking this, not meeting that; nor will they alone have right and power to establish and order, understanding neither Scripture, as much as they have it, nor their own zeal; lacking on all sides the right understanding of the spirit and their deeds. That is to say, the high, learned and holy people vaunted and painted. Now follow on:

V. 8. 9. But we know that the law is good, if any man needs it aright, and know this, that no law is given to the righteous, but to the unrighteous and disobedient, to the wicked and sinners, to the unholy and unspiritual, to murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, to slayers, to whoremongers 2c.

(30) So far it has been said how those who preach the law do not preach it rightly, so that they catch the consciences with it and drive them to such works that one should be counted worthy before God. After this, the summa is deleted, that no one can come before God or to God by works, but must first be righteous before God, and be born of God, who should do a work that is good. And that finally this is the opinion that the law wants so much that a person has a pure heart, a good conscience and untainted faith in God, from which love flows; in this one should remain and seek nothing more; and whoever preaches and lives in this way, that he preaches and lives rightly.

Now St. Paul answers a question that he also raises in other epistles. For someone might say, "If the law is not useful for promoting us against God, why did he give it and not keep it more?

but that one should have it and do it; of which sayings there are many everywhere in Scripture. To this St. Paul answers thus: Yes, I confess that the law is good; but it is not so good: many people are found who misuse it and lead it unjustly. Therefore it is good, where one needs its right. But again, it is not good, but harmful, where it is not rightly needed.

Therein also is the reason of our doctrine to answer for what the law is given, 1) and how it is to be used. For this must remain in brief, as it has been said, that no one can become righteous by having any law laid upon his conscience, but rather by driving it away. If you force it to do so, you only make it worse.

(33) Therefore the right custom of the law is not to lead in where it belongs out. To understand this custom correctly, you must divide man into two parts and separate them well, namely into the old and the new, as St. Paul divided him. Leave the new man completely free of laws. Drive the old man without ceasing with laws, and only let him not rest from them, then you have used it rightly and well. The new man cannot be helped at all by works, he must have something higher, namely Christ; he is neither law nor work, but a gift and present, pure grace and goodness of God. When this comes into the heart through faith, we become righteous before God. But if you think that you are doing a work, leading an order or profession, in order to become pious before God, you have already missed the right use of the law and denied Christ. If you want Him to help you without any works, then you want to help yourself with works; then the law is carried too high and too far. For then thou castest Christ out of the heart, where he alone should sit and reign, and puttest the law and thy works in his place; as all false teachers do, and cannot do otherwise. So now (I say) the new man has his humble portion, Christ with all his goods in his heart; by which he has all that he ought to have, may no more have any thing, either in heaven or on earth.

1. "be" is missing in the Jena.

874 Erl. 81, S95-SS7. Interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 511-514. 875

34 But the old man, who is without glory, and not pure in heart, and does not have Christ, must have the law, and be always made void with works. For where Christ is not, you must not trust any man with anything good, for he must be under the devil. Therefore no wickedness is too much or too great for him, and no one may do anything else to him, except to commit all sin, vice and shame wherever he finds room and place; nor can he be inclined to any good, much less do any good, but only evil and wickedness. For this reason it is necessary that the law should come and prevent evil; it serves this purpose alone, and is nothing other than a deterrent to stop the wicked from doing what they would like to do. Then God comes and scares with the law, commands that it be driven into people violently, so that they must fear death, disgrace and hell; not because he means to make them better, but so that the wickedness they are full of may be controlled, so that they may not break out and do according to their will. So it is not given for the sake of the pious, but for the sake of the wicked, as St. Paul, Rom. 13, 4. 5. teaches about the worldly authorities 1). If the world were not evil, no authority, 2) rights, swords, princes, judges, fire, gallows and wheels would be allowed. Those who are not Christians are all to be kept under restraint and fear, or, if they break out, to be punished and choked. Summa, all authorities and laws are ordered by God to ward off the wicked 2c.

(35) Just as the secular sword and outward rule are neither necessary nor useful for the pious, but only for the wicked, so it is also with God's law. The judge has nothing to do with a pious citizen who harms no one, but only with thieves and murderers; so one must not keep dogs for the sake of a sheep, so that no one bites it, for no one can harm or be harmed by it, but for the sake of wolves one must keep them. If it were not for the wolf, there would be no need for guard or watch. So here is

1. In the Wittenberg and Erlangen: "Violence.
2. In the Wittenberg and Erlangen: "Obrigkeit".
3. Wittenberger: and.

the law, not to the pious, but only to the wicked. This is the custom and benefit of the law, that it scares and punishes people with all misfortune of body and soul, to control wickedness and to ward it off from within; it is good for this purpose, not that it makes one pious. 4) It only makes an outward appearance that one abstains from works; inwardly, however, it remains unresisted. It only makes an outward appearance to people that one abstains from works; yet inwardly it remains unresisted. It serves only that people may have peace, and that each one may not exercise his will as he pleases. So it is rightly preached and conducted.

(36) You have already gone too far in adding that it is worth something before God and necessary for the pious. It should only ring out before the people on earth and in the outer being. Another treasure belongs to the inner being, this one is not able to do it; the office and the honor belong to the Holy Spirit alone; if he is not there, all is lost. The Holy Spirit must enlighten the heart and set it on fire, so that it may delight in all that is good. If you give such to the law, you have misused it, for you make it the Holy Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit is not the law, nor again. If law is there, the Holy Spirit is not there; if it is not there, there is no godliness; but if it is there, there must be no law. The law should not and cannot make one pious, but the Holy Spirit makes one pious in the sight of God; if you do not have the Holy Spirit, do not think that you can be pious. It is not a work that is in our power; it is God's gift, yes, it is the living God, whom we cannot overcome with any being, but only by God's preaching how Christ has drowned all our sin through his blood and death, and has purchased his spirit for us.

37 When these things sound in the ears, the Holy Spirit goes with the word into the hearts wherever he wills; for he does not blow on them all, therefore they do not all grasp it. But the word does not go out without fruit, so it must always be preached, heard, acted upon, and practiced, until the Holy Spirit once

4. So in all editions. Later, in s 39, on the other hand, we find: "that it may stand against wickedness.

876 Erl. 81, 297-300. Sermon On 1 Tim. 1, 3-11. W. IX, 514-516. 877

come; otherwise there is no other way. That you sit in the corner, gazing at heaven, and wait when you see him coming, is vain deceit; the word is the only bridge and way by which the Holy Spirit comes to us. Thus we read Apost. 10:44, when Peter preached of Christ, how he died and rose again, that the Holy Ghost fell upon all them that heard the word. There was no work at all, but only the hearing, which brings the Holy Spirit with it. Now this is an abuse of the law, that one gives to his works that which belongs to the Holy Spirit; whereas the right custom is to ward off the wicked and to punish them.

Now there is another custom, which St. Paul emphasizes in other places, which is somewhat more subtle, that the law teaches to recognize sin, namely, when it is preached that what we are and do is vain sin, that a man can also think nothing, desire nothing and speak nothing, it is all against God and condemned. So that by this custom of the law all the great, beautiful works of the saints of works, who want to do enough for the law before God, are put down; just as by the previous custom the gross, public sins are prevented, which do not lead a good appearance at all, but live completely unclean and disgraceful 1) so that all the world must say that it is condemnable.

39. Here we find some pious peelers and hypocrites who do not murder, steal, commit adultery, or live shamefully, but lead an honorable life and conduct themselves with gray skirts and hats, put ropes around their bodies, pray, fast, and chastise themselves, and keep their order most strictly; As has been thought of the monks up to now, there are still many fine, honorable people on earth, of whom the world cannot say otherwise than that they are pious, holy people. Since 2) the law has to do with it, and again to resist, it does not want to let these be pious, as it did not want to let those be evil. Here it rejects good works, there it rejects evil works; here it cannot carry out its former office, so that it can stand against wickedness, because it has already been aligned and carried out, because these people

1. Wittenberg and Erlanger: shameful.
2. Wittenberger and Erlanger: "Da, da".

are beautiful and pious, and blameless before the world. But if it has resisted there, they fall on this side again too far, that they think, the works, forced by the law, should be valid before God. And they want to turn worldly, transient righteousness into heavenly, eternal righteousness. That is why they have to fight on both ropes. This is what happens when one says: "Behold, all the works that you do in the opinion that you are worth something before God are lost and condemned, for there is no man on earth who can do a work that pleases God, because we are all false and liars, as Ps. 116:11 says. The law pronounces judgment on such life, strikes it down, and makes it sinful and disgraceful.

40 This is also a high and very necessary custom. That is why the law is such a delightful thing; when it is in accordance with the right custom, it defends both sides: those from doing evil, and those from not being pious. Why is that? Because it is false (as now said), and they deceive the people with the appearance and the cover. If they want to make it up to God with their works and beautiful gestures, what good is the Holy Spirit? Or why did Christ come and let it cost Him His blood, so that He might obtain for them what they seek with their works? But if they can obtain it by the work of the law, then Christ ever died in vain; so also Moses, with his law, interferes with the Holy Spirit in his office, blasphemes and denies Christ.

Where the doctrine enters and strikes the heart, a man, outwardly as pious as he can be, must put down his peacock feathers and let his pride fall, so that, if he looks at himself rightly, he must confess that he is full of mud, poison, envy, anger, fornication, unbelief, more than anyone else, even if he can hide the mischief for a while out of compulsion and fear, for the sake of appearance and honor. Therefore it is not possible to become pious by works; indeed, the more one wants to make it good, the worse it becomes. Whoever is subject to this, the law must prevent him from casting out the Holy Spirit, taking his office and putting himself in his place. If it is used in such a way as to ward off here and there, it is right, and good, and delicious. Thus

878 Erl. 81, 300-302. interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 816-519. 879

The last thing that remains is that one must have something more and better, because the law does not help piety, namely, as I said, the Holy Spirit, which St. Paul calls a gift of God, which he gives us for free, but earned through Christ, and brought in and with the Word. 1)

042 But askest thou, How then shall not men do good works, and keep the law? Answer: Yes, indeed. The law is good, and is well done by all who keep it, preach it, practice it, and do it. Why then should one do it? For the sake of becoming godly? Answer: No; let it be said, then, that by so doing one becomes pious in the sight of the world; but in the sight of God it must be something else. What is it good for, or why is it given? To prevent one from doing evil, and to enforce an outward piety before the world. And again, that it may hinder the same worldly piety, so that man may not measure himself to be pious before God by it, but bring him to confess himself a sinner before God, and be condemned. In short, so that one knows that keeping the work of the law outwardly is of no value before him.

But if thou wilt be godly, and do righteous good works afterward, behold, thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost, which bringeth Christ unto thee, and planteth him in thee, and thee in him, that thou mayest be a new man: which shall establish in thee a clean heart, and a good conscience, and a sound faith. There you have the right custom of the law; where it works (says St. Paul), and it is known that no law is given to the righteous, but to the unrighteous, it is good and useful. How this happens is sufficiently explained from the foregoing.

44 The apostle therefore says that it is not given to the righteous, but to the unrighteous 2c. Why? Just look at the custom. He that is righteous, and hath the Holy Ghost, and is pure in heart, and of a good conscience, and of an unfeigned faith; what canst thou hinder him from doing evil? If he does not, or if he recognizes himself as a sinner and does not try to become righteous by works, he has waited too long. It is already far beyond, has more than the law can give. For he who

1. Wittenberger: used.

who has faith knows well that he is a sinner, does not think to go to heaven by works, knows that he has everything through Christ, therefore no commandment can be laid upon him. But the law must be laid down for the unrighteous. For what purpose? That they may be prevented, or that they may be taught to know what they are.

(45) Thus I have said above that the law of God is not abolished, that it is never, which is not possible, but that it is understood spiritually, according to the conscience. This much is said: The law remains, but the righteous has so much, namely, the Holy Spirit and a pure heart, so that he does everything the law wants. Take a similitude: If a thing goeth as it ought, no man may do it; if it doeth whatsoever is wanted, no man may command, command, or forbid it. No law may be given to the sun to shine and move in the sky, nor to water to flow, nor to fire to burn, nor to a tree to grow green and bear fruit, if it is otherwise good. And there would have to be a fool here who would presume to command such things. If it is already there, no one may call it to be there; but if you call it to be there, either it must not be there, or if it is there, you must be a fool. Augustine gives such a simile: Two and three are not guilty of making five together, nor may anyone demand it; it is already made thing, that it cannot be nor become otherwise. But the law must be given only to that which is not yet there, or does not work as it should. But when it comes and is present, it must cease and fall away. So it is also here with God's law and the ten commandments.

46 Therefore, when the law says, Thou shalt not have other gods, thou shalt not use God's name in vain, thou shalt keep holy the feast day, thou shalt honor parents, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not bear false witness, 2c., it is just as much speaking as if it said, Thou art already idolatrous, blasphemers, unholy, disobedient, a murderer, adulterer, thief and liar. And though thou goest not forth with the work, yet art thou in heart full of all unrighteousness and lust of evil. For as ours is none other, because we are the children of Adam; neither ass shall call another sackbearer; as one is, so are they.

880 Erl. 5i, 302-304. sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 3-11. W. ix, sis-[2i. . 881

all of them. But the fact that we do not do what we would like to do makes us fearful of punishment, disgrace, and hardship; if this were not the case, there would be no one who did not rob, steal, and murder like the others. So you see that the law closes so much everywhere that what it demands is not there, but the contradiction.

47. But since a Christian, as has been said, does all that the law would have him do, has a pure heart toward God, does good to everyone and does good to no one, is already made as he should be, so that he cannot will or do otherwise, because he has the Holy Spirit, by whom the heart is inflamed with desire for all good; Therefore you can no more command him to be pious than you can require a man to be a man, or a woman to be a woman, because he was made that way before any law was given, and nature does not bear otherwise. But if you approach and want to command such a man, I may say that you are a fool and nonsensical, in that you demand what he 1) has already paid for and given, and forbid what he 1) cannot do. Therefore it is clear enough that the law has nothing to do with the pious; but if it has to do with someone, he does not have to be pious or righteous. Think God is not a fool to do what is already done. Because he demands from all the world: Do this and that, he will have decided that it is all full of sins, and will force it to confess such things. So then, as St. Paul says, the law remains on the unrighteous, to hinder them and frighten them, until they know that they must have something different and better, so that the law may be done enough, and so be rid of it.

48 Thus you say: If it be so, is there none righteous on earth? For St. Paul himself commands Timothy hard before, and says, v. 3: "As I have reminded," 2c. And soon after, v. 18: "This commandment I command thee." There is a commandment that he also further says "command" and "command". Yes, how full is all Scripture, Old and New Testament, of such commandments? Are not Paul and Timothy or the Christians pious? Or, what

1. Wittenberger: es.

may he say, "No law is given to the righteous," and go to and give it himself?

49. according to the spirit the believer is 2) righteous, without all sin, without any law; according to the flesh he still has sin 2c. Therefore, take before you a devout Christian who has a pure heart, a good conscience and an untainted faith, who will have to say thus: Even though I have a pure heart, a good conscience, righteous faith, yet the flesh, the tongue, the fist is not pure, that is, the old scold that I have by the neck is still unclean. The faith that leads us up to heaven to God does not want to suffer any law, there the heart has as much as one can always demand, a cheerful courage, desire for good, friendly and submissive heart that submits to everyone; there everything is pure and righteous. But the flesh does not yet want to follow this by heart; all kinds of filth are still clinging to it and evil desire, care for food, fear of death, avarice, anger and hatred; the filth always remains next to faith, so that it can beat and fight itself out with it. Because these things are still there, the Scriptures count us in this respect as unrighteous and sinners, that we have to follow the law of the flesh just as much as they have to resist the lust of the flesh and to curb it. But even this is done with the air of the Spirit, not with vexation and displeasure. For herein is the difference between the two: both are restrained by the law; but they that are in the spirit have a willing, cheerful heart, but they have not. Therefore it is given to these 3) and not imputed, even though there is still sin; but those are condemned, because they have no desire and love for it.

50 Therefore the righteous man has all that he should have, but must do no good work to be righteous; for he must do nothing for godliness, but receive and receive the gospel, and come under the shadow of Christ. When therefore he hath received it, he doeth good works. According to that which he has received, he may do no law, and is clean. But after that which he is yet to receive, he may yet of the law. So divide a Christian into two parts, that he may be both righteous and unrighteous.

2. Wittenberger: Faith.
3. Wittenberg and Jena: this.

882 Erl. 51, 304 f. Interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, S2I-52S. 883

The Holy Spirit dwells in the heart, but not in the flesh; there the devil dwells with his seed. This is how a man must live on earth, so that he is forced and compelled by the law, so that he does not do evil, but remains uncoerced by the spirit, because he does good by himself. This lasts until he dies. On the last day we will be pure in body and soul, without all evil desire, yes, heaven and earth will become full of good. But now, because flesh and blood lives, it is not possible, it must stir; what it sees, it notices that it either has love for it, or turns away from it. This remains in one more and stronger, in the other less, until death. That's why you have to work at it from day to day, so that you can fight it out.

51. for the sake of the cause it commands 1) now

1. Jenaer: he.

St. Paul, and commands the others to stick to the pure doctrine and not to teach anything else. For it is also a part of the ministry not to let false doctrine come in, lest the heart again be defiled with carnal conceit and doctrine; there one should guard as one can, lest the conscience be defiled thereby, as must happen where it falls to it. This is the most important thing; for if the doctrine remains right, and the conscience is not corrupted with other doctrines, then life and works can be well advised and helped. Summa Summarum: According to the spirit there is no law; according to the flesh there is law, for it does not do what it should do, but the spirit does it all. Understand therefore the saying which teaches why the law is given, and the two usages of the law.

*B. D. Martin Luther's sermon from the Summa of the Christian Life on 1 Tim. 1, 5. 6. 7. )

Held at Wörlitz on November 24, 1532.

So St. Paul fasted in short words the summa of the whole Christian life,

1 Tim. 1, 5. 6. 7..:

The main sum of the commandment is: love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience, and from undyed faith, which some have lacked, and have turned to idle talk. They want to be masters of the Scriptures, and do not understand what they say or what they say.

Preface.

Dear friends, you know how God has earnestly commanded everyone to hear and learn His dear Word, for He has cost Himself much and set about bringing it into the world, setting all the prophets to it, even sending His own Son into the world for it, having Him crucified and put to death, persecuting all the apostles over it and all the Christians.

*Luther preached this sermon in Wörlitz, a small town between Dessau and Wittenberg in Anhalt-Dessau, before the three princes of Anhalt, Johann, Joachim and Georg, and the younger margrave of Brandenburg, together with their court servants and about "ten peasants". (Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 22, § 13. St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 637 f.) On November 23, 1532, Luther, accompanied by Melanchthon and Cruciger, had come to Wörlitz for a parley with the princes, and already on November 24 he went back to Wittenberg, as we learn from a letter of Luther to Hausmann of that date (Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 1402). On the latter day, a Sunday, the sermon will probably have been preached. Cruciger transcribed the same. Already on January 2, 1533, Luther sent a printed copy to Hausmann (Walch, 1. 6. Col. 1403, § 2.). The first printing was done by Joseph Klug in Wittenberg. In the collective editions: Wittenberger (1556), vol. I, p. 456; Jenaer (1568), vol. VI, p. 32b; Altenburger, vol. VI, p. 33; Leipziger, vol. XI, p. 449; Erlanger, 1st edition, vol. 19, p. 206 and 2nd edition, vol. 18, p. 270. In 1723, Pastor I. u. Schwentzel at Halle procured a new reprint of this sermon from the Jenaer edition. We give the text according to the second edition of the Erlangen edition, which brings the first printing, comparing the Wittenberg and the Jena, also the Latin translation of this sermon, which is in the Latin Wittenberg edition, lom. VII, toi. 311b.

884 Erl. (s.) 18, S72-S74. Sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 5. 6. 7. W. IX, S2S-528. 885

and order the one to act faithfully, and the other to listen diligently. And if there were no other reason for doing this, except that it is God's good pleasure and will and strict commandment, it would be reason enough for all things. For we, as creatures, owe it to our Lord and Creator to be obedient and to do this with all our will, since He has given us so much good and still does it daily that we can never thank Him enough for it.

2 Now he does not leave it at that, and will not only have it laid up for us as a commandment, or require it as an owing service, but also promises great fruits and benefits, which we shall have of it, and lets it be proclaimed, that the greatest and most beautiful service of God shall be done to him by it. For he also is a great Lord, whom we serve, having many and various ministries, and can serve him in many things; but this some outweighs the others all. For where any pious peasant or citizen and subject serves his lord, he also serves God; likewise a child or servant and maid in the house, if they are obedient, and faithfully do what they owe. So also, when princes and lords, father and mother, rule well and attend to their office, all this is called serving God, for it is His will and command that He requires of us. Now, the whole world is full of such service, if only it would do it, for each one in his state has his work laid out for him by God, so that he should and can serve Him daily and always. For we are His own people, and He has decreed that His service should be everywhere, and that no one should be excused for not knowing how or with what he should serve God, or for pursuing other things, and seeking his own way of serving God, which He has not decreed and commanded, and for leaving in place that which is commanded him, as we have done until now in our blindness.

(3) But far above and before all these, he hath specially magnified and magnified this ministry, both of them that hear his word, and preach it; and hath so chosen this portion above all things in the earth, that it shall be called specially ministered unto him; for the other portions are done unto them.

people. For this reason he has also appointed a special day in the week, on which alone one waits, although one otherwise serves God the whole week with other work, which he has not bound to any time or special days; but this he has specially designed and strictly commanded to keep, so that one has time and leisure for it, so that no one may complain that he cannot wait before his work, nor come to it. He has also arranged special places for this purpose, such as churches or houses where we meet. Yes, he has endowed and preserved the whole priesthood for this purpose, and has provided and given all that is necessary for such a ministry, such as all kinds of arts and languages, and all kinds of gifts; and in short, he has given a special commandment to all the world, that they should keep it holy and honorable, and in such a way that one must take hold of it, as he holds it up very well, and that it should be a precious, pleasant service for him, where and when his word is acted upon.

(4) And it would be fine if it could be made customary to call going to preaching as going to God's service, and preaching as serving God, and to call all who are with one another gathered in the right, high service of God. Just as the dear apostles and ancient fathers spoke before, and came from them, and have remained until now, the word is to say: to go to mass and to hear mass (as the Pope himself has strictly commanded in his decree that everyone should hear mass every Sunday), and no one is wont to say: I want to see mass, but: I want to hear mass, and actually means as much as: to go to God's service, and to hear the sermon or God's word, which is the best and most necessary part of the mass. Not as the pope does with his secret sacrificial masses, where one neither preaches nor hears God's word, especially in the part that they consider the greatest, and which is called the silent mass.

For the little word "mass," which seems to have been taken from the apostles, means in Hebrew as much as a service of interest or joy,

1. In all editions, "Gottesdienst" is written here in one word, but it is clear from § 5 that it is better separated here.

886 Erl. (2.) 18, 274-276. interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 528-S3V. 887

as a peasant or feudal lord brings his lord his fair, that is, his due interest or service, or indulges his lord, that he may recognize him for his lord, and render his obedience. So they also said here: I will go to mass, or hear mass, as if to say: I will give God his interest or indulge, and render and perform his service in the highest and most pleasant service; so that to hear mass means nothing else than to hear God's word and serve God with it.

(6) I say this now to admonish us why we should gladly hear God's word and go to the sermon, because it is not only a strict commandment of God, but also has the highest promise that it is pleasing to God, and the highest, dearest service that we can do for Him, and shines as far above all other services as the sun above all stars, and the Sabbath or holiday surpasses all other common days, and summa, as much as God's kingdom surpasses the world's rule. For here everything is consecrated and specially chosen, time, person, place and church, everything for the sake of the word, which makes all things holy for us, so that we may be careful and not become so lazy and lax about it, like the shameful, full spirits, who make themselves believe that they now have it and can do it all too well, and better than it can be preached to them, or like the others also, who soon get tired of it and think: O I have often heard this; what should 1) I always hear the same? They do not know and do not think what a great, excellent thing it is, and how high a service of God it is, which they so shamefully despise, or so foully forsake and neglect, and thereby greatly anger God, that they so surely throw his serious commandment to the wind, and let his promise be in vain for them, and, as much as is in them, destroy such praiseworthy service of God with their example, or even hinder it.

7 For if it were true (as it is not, praise God!), that thou couldst do all things well, and as well as the Lord Christ himself; neither seest thou how he himself doth so minister and do this work,

1. Jenaer: shall.

which he was able to do beyond all measure and was not allowed to do anywhere, as we are allowed to do. So also St. Paul, the high apostle, though he was learned and a great and excellent doctor, still went about preaching day and night, and was neither tired nor weary of it, as if he knew it all too well. And God Himself, who gave it, is so fond of hearing it and standing by it that He cannot grow weary of it, and in addition puts so much into it and so earnestly orders and commands that it should be done and practiced in all the world until the last day. Therefore you should be much less weary of it, because without it you can do it so heartily, against the devil and all temptation.

(8) And even though you should not be allowed to go anywhere, you should not get tired or weary of going to God's service for an hour every day or every week, just as you did not get tired of the false service before, lying in church every day, even walking from one church and altar to another, and yet not saying, as now, "Oh, it is nothing new, I have seen it every day," but thinking: I went to mass yesterday and today and every day, but tomorrow I will go. Now you should do much more, because you know that this is the only true mass and service, and say: Even though I could do it exceedingly well, when it is not, I still want to serve God in honor and obedience, and hear the sermon for His love and praise, so that He may see, my dear Lord, that I would gladly serve Him in this high service, of which He thinks so much, and so much on it, that I could comfort myself and boast of it (whether I would have no other benefit from it), that I have done him the most holy work and the dearest service, so that all other services are small, and are to be counted as a common workday against this high feast.

(9) Whoever does not respect this, nor is moved to honor and value God's word, to listen gladly and learn where he can, I do not know how to advise him. For I will not nor can I drag anyone to it by the hair. Let him who despises it despise it anyway, and let him remain a pig and a sow, as he is, until the day when God will make him a roast for the devil in the eternal, hellish, and unbearable world.

888 Erl. (2.) 18, 276-278. Sermon on I Tim. 1, 5. 6. 7. W. IX, 530-533. 889

fire. For it does not have to be a good man, nor a human sin, but the devil's hardening, who can despise it so much that God himself has appointed a place and space, person, time and days for it, exhorts and entices him to it by his commandment and promise so highly and expensively, and lays it all at the door for nothing, After that you should run to the end of the world and not pay with gold 1) or silver, because it is such an easy service that it costs you no effort nor work, money nor goods, without only that you present your ears to hear or your mouth to speak and read, that there is no easier work to do. For though the danger follows that you must bear the cross and suffer over it, yet the work of it is itself as easy as no other easy work. If you can sit day and night in the alehouse, or otherwise wash and chat with good fellows, sing and shout, and not get tired, nor feel the work, then you can also sit for an hour in church and listen, serving and pleasing God. What would you do if he made you carry stones, or walk in a cage, or do other hard work? as we have been made to do until now, since we have gladly done everything we have been told, and have been made to do it with vain lies and deceit, for money and goods and our bodies.

(10) Now it is the wicked devil that blinds men so, and makes them so full and weary, that we regard not the treasure we have in the dear word, and go about so roughly, and become like wild beasts. Therefore let us take it to heart, and think, as often as we preach, read or hear God's word, whether in church or at home, from father, mother, masters, wives 2c., and gladly accept, where we can have it, that we are in the right, high, holy service of God, which is well pleasing to him out of measure. With this you could warm up and stimulate yourself to hear the same all the more gladly, and God would give that it also produces fruit, more than anyone would want to talk about. For it never comes to pass without great fruit, where it is meant in earnest, that thou shouldest not

1. Erlanger: Money.

You may not see it now, but in time it will be found and revealed. But the same would be too long to tell now, and may not all be told.

This is the preface to the sermon of St. Paul, to awaken us to hear God's word more diligently, as it would be necessary to remember daily and in every sermon. And St. Paul's text also serves this purpose. For in it he punishes the shameful spirits who, with their cleverness, fall into God's word, and soon make themselves believe that they can no longer hear it, nor learn it from anyone, turning to useless chatter, which is something new or strange that the rabble likes to hear, wanting to be the master of the Scriptures and of everyone, and to teach all the world, and yet not knowing what they say or do. For this is the very plague that follows: Where God's word is not pursued with earnestness and diligence, and the disciples become disgruntled, the preachers become lazy, the craft must soon fall, and the churches become desolate; Then must follow such false spirits, who pretend something new to draw the rabble to themselves again, and boast of the Scripture masters, and yet are always such people, who themselves do not know, nor have ever experienced, what it is that they teach; as it is already everywhere on the way, and God's wrath and punishment of surfeit and ingratitude is upon us.

12. Therefore he begins the epistle to his disciple Timothy, that he should see to it that such teachers do not arise, who can wash and talk much of the law, bring many new questions and teachings, what to do and how to be pious, so that they are seen and praised as being more learned than others, and yet they never get around to teaching anything certain and righteous, meeting neither means, beginning nor end, leading only these words, one should be pious, do good works, serve God, 2c., but they themselves do not understand what it means. And if one asks them how one should do it, they 2) here piecemeal and dribble in.

2. Erlanger: the.

890 Erl. (s.) 18, p78-L81. Interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 533-S3S. 891

Work, there a work; here, let yourself be circumcised; there, sacrifice so much on the altar; there run to the 'monastery, here to the pilgrimage; there, consecrate mass 2c. And if this is taught and done, but after that another, and always something new, that they still no one can consistently and certainly teach nor say: This is it, or in it it stands 2c. And yet it is called a delicious thing; they can praise and promise so much, as if they alone were the right teachers, and reprove and master all others.

(13) But this would be a right master (he says), who could attack the main part, and grasp and hit the whole summa rightly, how the heart and conscience and the whole man should stand. They know nothing of this; they may speak the words, but they lack the sum and final opinion of the law; meanwhile they preach and wash out of the church window and in through the door, so that no one knows where to stop or begin, nor what it is for, or what he should improve and comfort himself with. As we have seen and experienced so far from our dream preachers under the papacy. What then is the summa of what one should preach? St. Paul answers:

V. 5. The main sum of the commandment is love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience, and from unstained faith.

(14) There it is, there you have grasped it, what belongs to it, in the very finest and most complete way; and yet it is briefly and quickly said, and well to be remembered. So you must do to him: If you want to get the law right and take it by the head (so that you know what you should do and what you should not do, and how you should conduct yourself, and not seek anything further, nor beg back and forth), so that you have the love that flows from it and goes out of a pure heart and a good conscience and uncolored faith. Stay with it. From it all right sermons should go and remain in it; which those rotten spirits and the weary spirits of none cannot do. It does not do (he means to say) with the doctrine of various works, since all of it is pieced together and begged for, but what the law wants must be there. This is called "love"; and such love, flowing as a little water or stream, and springing up out of the heart, being pure, and having a good conscience, and being right, must be the law.

I have a clear, unadulterated faith. If it goes like this, it goes right, or is the whole law opinion and mind absent.

Now these are deep and true words of Paul, and very rich; therefore we must strike them out a little, that we may understand them a little, and be accustomed to his speech. First, the summa of the whole law, in which it is, and all things are contained, he gives it to be love. But "love" in German (as everyone knows) means nothing else than to be favorable and kind to one from the heart, and to offer and show all kindness and friendship 2c.

(16) Now those also speak such words, preach and boast much of love; but they draw it only to their own end, and bring it to their own share. Just as the heretics, the wicked, and the evil men also have love, but only among themselves and what is theirs; meanwhile they hate and persecute all pious Christians, that they would gladly bring murder upon them where they could 2c. But this does not mean love, that I choose one or two people who please me and do what I want, and I am friendly and favorable to them, and to no one else. It is called a party love, which does not go from the pure heart, but is a pure flubbery. For "from the pure in heart" it goes like this: God has commanded me to let my love go toward my neighbor, and to be favorable to everyone, be it my friend or my enemy, just as our heavenly Father does, letting his sun rise and shine both on the evil and the good, and doing the most good to those who defile him day and night and abuse his goods with disobedience, vices, sins and shame. Item: He rains both on the thankful and the unthankful, giving all kinds of things out of the earth, money and goods, to the most wicked wicked of the earth. From where does he do this? Out of pure love, of which his heart is full and overflowing, and so freely pours out on everyone, no one excepted, whether good or bad, worthy or unworthy.

(17) That is, a righteous, godly, whole, and complete love, which no one paints, nor divides, but goes freely over all. The other is a love that is false, if I am a good friend of his, who serves me and

892 Erl. (2.) 18, S81-S83. Sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 5. 6. 7. W. IX, 535-538. 893

and hold me in honor, and hate him who despises me and does not stand with me. For it does not come from the heart, which is good and pure, equal to one and another, but which seeks only its own, and is full of its own love for itself, not for others. For he loves no one except for his own sake; looks only to what serves him, and seeks his benefit from everyone, not from his neighbor. If one praises and honors him, he laughs; again, if one looks at him sourly or speaks a word he does not like to hear, he is angry and scolds and curses, and all friendship is over. On the other hand, "a pure heart" is to be so skilled, according to God's word and His example, that it may grant and do to each one the dearest and best that God grants him and His divine love gives him. Now if God can give Judah all good things to the traitor or Caipha, as well as to his pious children, why should I not also grant it to him? For what can we give him that he has not given much more abundantly?

(18) Yes, you say, he is my enemy and does me nothing but harm. Yes, beloved, he is God's enemy also, and does him much more harm than he can do to thee or to me; but therefore my love shall not be extinguished, nor cease from his wickedness. If he is wicked, he will certainly find it; but his wickedness shall not overcome me, but where I can punish him through love, admonish him, or pray for him that he may become better and escape punishment, that I shall and will gladly do. But that I still want to go to him, and in addition become him and do evil, that is not valid; for what is helped me by that? I will not become more pious thereby, and only make him worse. But this helps me, that I grant him everything good, prove and 1) show (where he can suffer and accept it differently), pray for him 2c., fo I have peace, and may neither bite nor eat myself with anyone, and perhaps also help him with it, that he improves himself. Otherwise, if I so specialize and express love, I will probably get as much displeasure from the one I hate as joy and benefit from the others to whom I am favorable. That is to say, the well or the water clouded and made unclean,

1. "prove and" is missing in the Erlanger.

That love does not remain pure. Just as the Jews also did (against whom St. Paul is speaking here) in that they chose and selected those they loved, and made an impure, false love; therefore their heart also could not be pure.

(19) By what does the heart become pure? Answer: It cannot be purified any better than by the highest purity, which is God's word; take this into your heart and act on it, and it will be pure. As here, take the word before thee, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," Matt. 22:39, and judge thyself according to it, and thou shalt see whether it will not wash clean and bite out that which is of selfishness and self-love. For because he calls you to love your neighbor, he excludes no one, whether friend or foe, righteous or wicked. For though he be a wicked man, and do thee evil, yet for that cause he loseth not the name, that he be not called thy neighbor; but nevertheless he remaineth thy flesh and blood, and is included in the saying, Love thy neighbor. Therefore, if you regard him as the word teaches and instructs you, your heart will be pure and your love righteous, so that you will not make a special, false distinction of person, nor regard him differently from another who is righteous and does you good.

(20) It is true that the pious is more loving, and naturally everyone likes to be with him, and again shuns wild, evil people; but this is still flesh and blood, and not yet true Christian love. For a Christian should not draw his love from the person, as the love of the world does, as a young man from a beautiful mead, a miser from money and goods, a lord or prince from honor and power 2c. That is all a created or borrowed love, which sticks by heart to the good it sees in a person, and lasts no longer than as long as that person is there and can enjoy it. But this love should be a springing love, flowing from within the heart, like a fresh brook or water that flows continually, and cannot be stopped, nor dried up or dried up. So this is what it means: I love you not because you are pious or wicked, for I draw my love not from your piety, but from

894 Erl. (2.) 18, 283-288. interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 538-840. 895

from a foreign well, but from my own little fountain, namely from the word which is grafted into my heart, that is, "Love your neighbor." There it goes forth abundantly, and is open to every one that hath need of it, and meeteth both. Good and evil, friend and foe, yes, to the enemies most willingly, as they need it more that I help them from their sorrow and their sins; and especially in the highest good, that I pray for them, and do all that I can, that they also may be redeemed from sins and devils. Behold, this means a love poured out of the heart, not carried in; for he finds nothing in those 2) from which he drew it. But because he is a Christian and grasps the word, which is completely pure in himself, the same also makes his heart so pure and full of righteous love that he lets his love flow out toward everyone and does not let himself be hindered, the person be who or how he wants.

(21) Behold, this is how one should preach, if one wanted to teach rightly about love (required in the law), of which they know nothing, nor do they pay attention, although they talk much about the law and discuss love; they do not see and do not even think that it must be loved in such a way that it springs from within, that man has a pure heart. This never falls into their hearts, even though they hear and read much about it, and preach it themselves; they go about with vain and useless thoughts, even with vain dead dreams. Wherefore let all other things go in their dignities, whatsoever they preach of works and good living, be it circumcision, sacrifice, fasting 2c. But so it goes right, if it goes from God's word, from a pure heart and righteous faith; that must be the source and spring, so before 3) all such things should be there.

22. You can see these things through all the ranks, how each one should carry out his commanded office and practice works of love. A servant, when he worketh, and seeth not farther, nor thinketh, because thus, My lord giveth me.

1. "their" is missing in the Erlanger.
2. "those" (namely the enemies) put by us instead of: "that" in the editions.
3. Thus the Wittenberg. In the other editions, "before" is missing.

my wages, therefore I serve him, otherwise I do not look at him 2c., he has not a pure heart or mind, for he does not serve except for a morsel of bread; when that ceases, he also ceases. But if he is pious and a Christian, he is so minded: I will not serve because my lord gives me or does not give me, is pious or wicked 2c., but because God's word stands there, saying to me, "Servants, be obedient to your masters, as to Christ himself" 2c, Eph. 6, 5. Col. 3, 22. Then it wells up of itself out of the heart that has grasped such a word and has value, that he says: "Well, I will serve my Lord and take my reward; but this shall be my highest, therefore I do it, that I may serve my dear God and Lord Christ in it, who has commanded me, and knows that it is pleasing to Him 2c. There you see a right work out of a pure heart.

23. So a lord or prince, and he who has to rule, who thus thinks: God has commanded me to rule, that I should be lord, but if I only see that I have my honor, property and power, then my heart is not pure, and yet do the works that a prince does, so that the world cannot complain about me, nor the emperor and lawyers reprove me according to their right, nor punish me, as little as a servant who serves for wages, God gives, he seeks his own or not: Nor is the heart unclean in the sight of God, that the works of none please him; for there is not the word of God in it, but his own idol, honor, money, and dominion 2c. But if his heart stands thus: Because I am in the office where God has placed me, and the word has been said, Rom. 12:8, "He who rules," or has an office, "let him be diligent," 2c, then I will preside over the same with all faithfulness, for God's service and pleasure, since his rule goes and springs from a fine, pure, clean heart, hating God and the world's pleasure; and is also a love that does not cling externally to person or goods and honor, but grows in the heart, which has God's word before its eyes, which, because it is pure and clean, makes the heart so also. Thus, his rule and works are all vain service and pleasant sacrifices, because they are according to the word and only for the sake of God. Those rag-washers can neither teach nor show this, they know nothing more than to

896 Erl. (2.) 18, 285-287. sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 5. 6. 7. W. IX, 540-543. 897

shouting: one should be pious when they teach in the best way; and only make a legal sermon out of worldly law, as the emperor and his scholars preach. But from where the heart becomes pure, they have never tasted nor thought anything about how it should be led from God's word to all kinds of states and beings.

(24) Therefore say ye further, in spiritual state and offices: If I or another preach for the sake of a good, fat ministry, otherwise I might well leave it standing, I might well preach the gospel; but my heart is not pure, but a filthy thing. Therefore, even if I preach for a long time, and say that it is a good work and a good ministry, 2c. I do not understand it myself, because it does not come from the heart. But the heart is righteous when it stands thus: I may have food for it, but I do not remain in it, but because God has called me to the ministry and commanded me to carry it out faithfully and diligently for His praise and the salvation of souls, I do it gladly from the heart for the sake of the word; I do not seek love, friendship, honor, or thanksgiving from men, but let it come out of my heart, and perform it before it receives honor, money, or favor, though I may have and take it without sin when it comes and follows.

(25) Behold, the word is the cause, foundation, ground, spring, and fountain of the love of the heart, and of all good works, if they are to please God: for he may not be, if the heart be not first pure; for neither is it acceptable in the sight of men, if a man do a work without the heart, out of pure hypocrisy. Since now also Caesar and men demand the heart, even though they cannot see it, how much more must such a heart be before God, which does everything for the sake of the word? For this reason he also preaches that we are to be guided by it in all our life and deeds, and that we are not to let any thing hinder or challenge us, make us soft or weary, even if we suffer harm, ingratitude, contempt, etc. because of it, but that we go through it fresh and speak: I have not begun it for man's sake, neither have I left it, but for God's sake I will do it; let the other remain where it may. Then fine

People out, lords, princes, subjects, preachers 2c., sent to all good works, serving and pleasing GOD with pleasure and love; for the spring and fountain is good, not drawn from without, nor brought in.

26 Let this be said briefly of the first part, how the heart becomes pure through the word alone, and not, as the monks dream, that one beats oneself with evil or impure thoughts, and makes other thoughts. For, thoughts be it, thoughts be it, the heart remains unclean where God's word is not in it, even if they pretend to have a great appearance of godly life, as St. Paul himself says of them. But this purity, of which he speaks, goes further than that outward, bodily purity, as the Jewish saints led, with much washing, bathing, food and drink, and our clergy with their fasting, clothing, orders 2c., but is called a purity of the spirit, that one may know from God's word how one should serve Him in all states.

And of good conscience.

27. Now follows the other part: "Of a good conscience", that love should go out of such a heart that has a happy, sure conscience, both towards men and God, towards people, as St. Paul praises 1 Cor. 9, 2. 27. that he lived in such a way that he neither offended nor grieved anyone, nor gave evil examples, but all who saw and heard him must testify that he served, helped, counseled and did good to everyone. Moses also boasts of such a conscience against his rebellious mobs, Deut. 16:15: "I have never taken an ass from them, nor have I ever harmed any of them"; item Jer. 18:20: "Remember, O Lord, that I have always prayed for them, and have spoken their good before thee, and have turned thy wrath from them" 2c. Likewise also Samuel 1 Sam. 12, 2. 3: "I have gone before you from my youth even unto this day. Behold, here I am, answer against me before the LORD, whether I have taken any man's ox or ass, whether I have done any man violence and wrong, whether I have oppressed any man, whether I have taken any man's gift secretly" 2c. Behold, such glory and defiance shall every Christian also have, that he may so live against every-

898 Erl. (2.) 18, 287-289. interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 543-546. 899

and practice and prove his love, so that no one may bring a charge against him to frighten his conscience or make him despondent, but that everyone must say, if he wants to confess rightly, that he has kept himself in such a way that vain improvement has resulted from it, who has wanted to accept it, and can boast of this before God against everyone. This means "a good conscience" before the people, or against the people.

28. Although such a conscience does not stand before God's judgment, nor does that purity of heart in outward life or works of love (because we still remain sinners before God), yet we should have such a heart that we can comfort ourselves before Him and say: "God has commanded and commanded this, therefore I do it out of a pure heart and a good conscience, and would not gladly do otherwise, nor be too close to anyone and offend; but what I speak and do is ordered and commanded to me by God. A Christian must not allow himself to be deprived of such defiance, so that he can boast and refer to God's word against all the world. For anyone who does not respect this, how he leads his life, so that he can shut everyone up, and answer for it before people and prove that it is well lived, spoken or done, is not yet a Christian and has neither a pure heart nor love in him. For to rely on the doctrine of faith in such a way that, if one has it, 1) he may do according to it what anyone desires and loves, giving it to God, be it the neighbor's harm or piety, is not suitable in any way; otherwise the doctrine would have the name that it gives leave to any man's willfulness and evil; but it is said, "Love from a pure heart and a good conscience," 1 Tim. 1:5, so that no one can reproach him, nor accuse him of anything evil and move him up.

29 Whether this is still preached of our life and deeds, and a Christian is a different man before God, as we shall hear; but he must also take care that he is blameless before the world, and if he does not do enough in this, that he put the Lord's Prayer between them, and say both to God.

1. Thus the Wittenbergers. Jenaer and Erlanger: the same.

and people: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive" 2c. And so let life remain blameless before men, and keep a good conscience; if not by perfect love and purity of heart, yet by humility, that he may desire and ask forgiveness of any where he has not done, or cannot do, pure and perfect enough; that thy neighbor may say: Well, whether thou hast offended me, or hast not served me sufficiently, as thou oughtest: yet, because thou art so humble before me, I will gladly forgive thee, and give thee credit for it, as I am guilty, and would have thee do it to me again; for the sake of humility I must say that thou art a pious man, because thou standest not on thy head, that thou wouldest wantonly do against me, but turnest to love. That is why it is called blameless, because it is covered up by humility, and what was blameworthy is made right again, so that one cannot complain about it. Thus the law is to be interpreted and preached, so that both love goes right toward everyone out of a pure heart for the sake of God, and the conscience stands before the world. This is what those useless launderers should do for their loose, lazy and cold talk. But that all this should be valid and stand before God, there is still another part to it, namely that which follows:

And of uncolored faith.

30 For as I have said, even though I have a good conscience before men and practice love from a pure heart, yet the old Adam, the sinful flesh and blood, is and remains in me, so that I am not entirely holy and pure, and as St. Paul says in Gal. 5:17: "The flesh lusts against the Spirit" 2c. And he himself Rom. 7, 23. says of him that he must lie in the field and fight with himself without ceasing, so that he cannot do the good that he would like to do. The spirit would gladly live pure and perfect according to God's word; but the flesh is there and resists and challenges us, so that we still seek our honor, avarice, good days, and become lazy, weary or tired in our position or service.

(31) So there remains an eternal struggle and resistance in us, that always many impure things come along for the sake of the same half piece.

900 Erl. (2.) i8, 289-291. sermon on I Tim. 1, 5. 6. 7. W. ix, 546-548. 901

of our person, and cannot be vain purity nor good conscience and full love, without what may be before men; but before God there is still much deficiency and faultiness in us, though it would be perfect before men of all things. As, although David can defy before men that no one may punish him, Ps. 26, and the holy prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah 2c. boast and are certain what they have done according to their divine office, that it is right and well done, because it is God's word and command, and they have practiced it with a pure heart and conscience, Jer. 18:20, nor can they defy God's judgment, but must say, "If it is right in your sight, no one has such a good conscience or a pure heart; he must be terrified by your judgment and repudiate it. For God has reserved for him the advantage that he has a cause and a claim to every saint, that no one is too holy for him whom he cannot justly condemn, worthy of condemnation. Therefore, even though both heart and conscience are pure and good before men, you must think that a pure heart and a good conscience are also pure before God, that he does not punish them, and that they are as safe before his judgment as before men.

Now the third part must come, namely "faith"; this is the right main part and the highest commandment, which includes all the others: that we know, where love is not perfect, the heart is not pure enough, and the conscience is not satisfied, since he still finds to punish, since the world cannot punish, that faith must come, and such faith, which is not hypocrisy and mixed with confidence of its own holiness. For where this is not, the heart will not be pure before God, nor will the conscience stand when the sharp judgment and reckoning begins. Then the people will leave me in peace, so that I can defy them. I have served, preached, helped, governed and presided over them with all faithfulness; and whether I have done too much or too little, I am sorry, for I would gladly have done all that I should. With this I am safe and excused, that they have nothing more to demand and must erase the register. But here it is said: I shall, in short, be a pure

have a good heart and a good conscience, so that he cannot blame me or condemn me. We do not find that with us, even though we have something to boast about before the world. Therefore I must have something else here to hold on to when it comes to the trains, and my stupid and frightened conscience must say: I have done what I could, but who knows how much and sometimes I have done too little; because I cannot see and notice everything, as also Ps. 19:13, 1) says: "Who can notice how often he fails? I have the word, Thou shalt live, love, and have a good conscience, which is pure and holy; but I cannot conclude that it is so in my heart, nor that I have such a pure and good conscience as the word requires.

(33) For there is no one on earth who can say, "I know that I have done everything and owe nothing to God," but even the most holy must say, "I have done what I could, but I have failed much more than I know. And so our own conscience stands against us all, accusing us and making us unclean, even though we have existed or still exist in the best possible way before the world. For it must judge and pass judgment according to the word, which saith, Thou oughtest to have done this, or not to have done this. It cannot pass by it, nor answer it, and must at least be in doubt. But if it doubts, it is already unclean, for it does not stand before God, but wriggles and flees. Therefore, the main point of our doctrine must come to our aid, namely, that our Lord Jesus Christ, sent into the world by the Father, suffered and died for us, and thereby reconciled the Father and brought him to grace, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, and takes care of us as our Savior, and as our constant mediator and intercessor speaks the best for us, as those who cannot have nor bring about such perfect purity and good conscience, so that through him we may say before God, "Whether I am not pure.

1. The second edition of the Erlangen edition also reprinted from Walch: "Ps. 19, 33".

902 Erl. (2.) 18, 291-293. interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 548-551. 903

nor have a good conscience, I cling to him who has perfect purity and a good conscience, and who sets them up for me, even gives them to me. For he alone of whom it is written (as St. Peter 1 Ep. 2, 22. draws from Isaiah Cap. 53, 9.): "He has done no sin, nor spoken a false word," and performs the rhyme with all honor, so that he has no need of the piece in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses," nor of the article in faith: "I believe forgiveness of sins," 2c., but is free and secure, in eternal, pure, full righteousness and purity, whom no one can accuse, nor blame his conscience, neither man nor devil, nor God Himself; for He is also God Himself, who cannot blame Himself.

34 This is called "the faith that is not colored" nor hypocrisy, but may stand before God in such a struggle and wriggling of the conscience and say: Dear Lord, before the world I am innocent and safe, that it cannot punish me nor bring me before the judge. For though I have not done all things, yet I desire of every man that he forgive me for God's sake, as I also forgive every man. With this I have satisfied her that she has no more right against me. But before thee I must, verily, put down my feathers, and confess myself guilty of all things, and say, as David himself Psalm 143:2: "O Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant, for before thee there is no man righteous upon the earth." Therefore I cannot deal with you if it is to be right, but will appeal straightway and call me from your judgment seat to your mercy seat. Before the judgment seat of the world I let it happen 1) that one deals with me about the right, there I want to answer and do what I should; but before you I do not want to know the right, but crawl to the cross and ask for mercy, and take what I can.

35 For thus the Scripture teaches me that God has placed two seats for man: a judgment seat for those who are still secure and proud, and do not want to recognize or confess their sin; and a mercy seat for the poor stupid consciences who feel and confess their sin, despair before His judgment, and gladly confess their sin.

1. Erlanger: me.

grace. This mercy seat is Christ Himself, says St. Paul in Romans 3:25, whom God has provided for us so that we may have recourse to it when we cannot stand before God by ourselves. I will also take refuge where I have done too little or am still doing too little, and much more in sin according to the law, both before my holiness and righteousness and afterward. 2) Let my heart and conscience, God grant, be as pure and good as it is or can be before men, all nothing, and briefly covered, and over it a vault, yes, a beautiful heaven, that mightily protects and defends it, which is called grace and forgiveness of sins; under it my heart and conscience shall creep, and remain safe.

For thus he himself by his apostles preached and cried out, Acts 10:43, that in his name every one should have remission of sins. 10, 43, that in His name everyone who believes should have forgiveness of sins; item Marc. 16, 16: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved"; and He Himself, Joh. 3, 16, says: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" 2c. Thus, God Himself has set the mercy seat, and directs us from the judgment seat to it. Let the others come before the judgment seat as the trustworthy saints, despisers and persecutors of God's word, and they will hear their judgment. Let them remain in their circle until they also humble themselves. We, however, do not want to remain in the circle, but step out, as far as we can, into the free circle and place where the chair of grace stands, and appeal to it with every right, because we did not think it up out of our own heads, but it is His own word, and a strictly terrible judgment is in store for those who come with their holiness, as if to stand before God, and do not respect the chair of grace of Christ. For the judgment is already decided that they must come before the judgment seat; as Christ says Jn 3:18: "He who does not believe is already judged, because he does not believe in the name of God.

2. Instead of this reading, which is confirmed by the Latin translation, the Wittenberg and Jena translations offer: "or still do, and on earth do not let me drive away at all, be it sin, death, hell or the devil's terror.
3. "a" is missing in the Erlanger.

904 Erl. (2.) 18, 293-295. sermon on I Tim. I, 5. 6. 7. W. IX, 551-553. 905

of the only begotten Son of God. But he that believeth on him shall not be judged," that is, he shall not come before the judgment seat, but before the mercy seat, where there shall be no wrath, but shall be called the dear child, and all things forgiven that are not clean in him; yea, all things blotted out, as a drop of water from the hot sun. For where the mercy seat reigns, there is nothing but forgiveness and remission of all sins.

37 Therefore we must learn to distinguish between the two things called the law and the gospel, which we teach at all times. The law brings us before the judgment seat, for it requires us to be godly and to love with a pure heart and a good conscience. This is what it is for, that we practice it; it should go so far and turn around. But when it comes and tells you to calculate and give what it wants, then it will be lifted up. For though thou hast done it, yet it shall not stand before God: for there shall be many things lacking and wanting before him, which thou hast not done, neither knowest thyself. Where do you want to go? The law drives you out and accuses you through your own conscience, which testifies against you, and demands a bad judgment against you. Then you must despair, and there is no help nor counsel for you, if you do not know how to flee from the judgment seat to the mercy seat. As when a bishop (who has been pious and lived well) dies in his holiness, and knows Christ no other than a severe judge, as he has been preached and modeled until now; as he is such, not because of him (for he is truly nothing but vain grace and consolation), but because they have not had or felt him otherwise in their hearts: Behold, he hindereth and hindereth himself, that he cannot come to any grace, and there is none to help him, because of his subtle ignorance, that he knoweth no difference between the judgment seat and the mercy seat, yea, knoweth not the mercy seat at all, and therefore must be without and abide under the judgment seat.

038 But we teach that he is to be known and regarded as the one who sits for the poor, stupid consciences that believe in him, not as a judge who will condemn and punish, but as a gracious, kind, and comforting mediator between my Lord and my Son.

and God, 1 Tim. 2:5, saying to me, "If you are a sinner and afraid, and the devil wants to drag you before the judgment seat by the law, come and have yourself before me, and do not be afraid of wrath. Why? For I sit here, if thou believest in me, to stand between thee and God, that neither wrath nor displeasure may befall thee. For if wrath and punishment is to come upon you, it must first come upon myself; but that is impossible. For he is the dear child in whom all grace dwells, so that when the Father looks at him, everything must be love and favor in heaven and earth, and all wrath must be extinguished and gone; and what he desires and wants only from the Father, that must all be yes, without any doubt or contradiction.

(39) So by faith we become completely blessed and sure that we shall remain uncondemned, not for the sake of our holiness or purity, but for the sake of Christ, because by such faith we hold on to Him as our mercy seat, certain that in Him and with Him no wrath can abide, but only love, mercy and forgiveness (2c). Thus in the sight of God the heart becomes pure, and the conscience good and sure; not considering my own purity or life before the world, but considering the dear treasure which my heart grasps, which is my pledge and fullness, where I cannot pay God, and have lack.

(40) Now here is the power to see that faith is not false, or, as Paul says, dyed, but righteous in heart. For where this is lacking or deceptive, everything is lacking. For there have always been many, both now and in the past, who have much to say about faith, and who want to be masters not only of the law but also of the gospel, and who also say, as we do: Faith does it well, but the law and good works must also be added, otherwise faith is not valid; and so they mix our lives and deeds and Christ among themselves. This does not mean that faith is taught purely and unadulterated, but that faith is colored, distorted and counterfeited, so that it is not faith, but a false appearance and color of faith, because the confidence of the heart does not stand purely on Christ as the one and only seat of grace, but rather on Christ.

906 Erl. (2.) 18, 2S5-2S8. Interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, SS3-SS6. 907

The faith is not placed on our holiness, but to stand before the judgment seat, so that it is also condemned before God and rejected where it belongs. For if faith is to be pure, unadulterated and uncolored, then the two must be separated, Christ and my work. For everyone must understand that Christ and his work is not my work and life, but something separate from the law and the life of all men, and much more than one man from another. For I cannot say that I and the emperor, or the pope of Rome, are one thing: nor am I much nearer and more equal to him (than one mortal, sinful man to another), 2) than to the Lord Christ, who is not only a pure, holy man, without all sin, but is also the one God Himself.

(41) Therefore leave only the law, and thy pure heart, and good conscience, against men here on earth; but when the mercy seat is at the right hand of the Father, and is the mediator between thee and God, there shall no man's work or merit come to pass, neither shall it count for anything. For what have I or any man done to make him sit at the right hand of the Father? He is seated there without all my works and thoughts, and without all the 3) work of the law, for there is not a letter of it in the law. Therefore he must be purely separated from all my being, life and deeds, and decided that he is something else, because our life is led out of a pure heart and a good conscience before men, as well as we always can. For if it comes before God, and I meet with it the judgment seat where the law points me, I am damned and lost. But Christ, as the mercy seat, and he who abides in him cannot be condemned nor condemned.

42. So here is the judgment seat 4) together with the law and all my life on one side; there I remain and all the saints, and let it all be condemned and condemned in God's name; but my faith shall flee and be condemned in God's name.
43. Jenaer: still.
44. These brackets are placed by us for easier understanding.
45. Thus the Wittenberg. In the other editions: all.
46. Wittenberger: Judge's chair.

jump far over to the other side, as a poor condemned man who confesses his sin, to the dear mercy seat, and hold on to him who is pure and has no sin, of which the Scripture says Rom. 9:33.He who believes in him shall not be put to shame," because he stands there and speaks the best for me, and in addition gives me all his purity and holiness, so that I may stand before God covered and adorned with it, and all wrath shall be taken away, and instead love and grace abound over me. See, so faith remains pure and unpainted, for it is not based and founded on myself or my deeds, so that God should be gracious to me; as false hypocritical faith does, which mixes together God's grace and my merit, even though it keeps the words of Christ, but still sets the heart's confidence on itself, so that it is only a painted color that cannot last. For in the end, when you believe that God will be merciful to you because you have lived this way, you must doubt and say, "Who knows how you did it? How can you be sure that nothing has been missed or lacking? So then the foundation falls, and goes away from under you like quicksand, and then faith lies low.

43 Therefore it is called a colored or painted faith, by which the heart sees as through a painted glass, through which a thing appears red or blue (as the glass is), and yet is not so. So they believe that God is so minded that He looks at our work and merit, and paint Him according to their own thoughts and dream, which is false in itself, and so look at both God and everything they judge by it through a painted glass. But so you see him with pure and clear eyes, if you distinguish these two chairs well, that heaven (of grace and forgiveness, through the Mediator) may remain pure with its stars, where Christ reigns with his works, and the earth also with its trees and grass, where we belong and everything that is ours. Thither (I say) we must bring it, if we want to stand before God differently, with right, uncolored faith, so that we learn to peel and separate purely between ourselves or our life, and Christ or the mercy seat. But he who does not want this, but

908 Erl. (so i8, 2S8-3V0. sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 5. 6. 7. W. ix, [se-sss. 909

If a man runs straight to the judgment seat with his head, he will also find it and crush his head. I have also been there, and have burned myself, that I may be glad to come to the mercy seat, and now I must say: I may have lived in the best possible way in the eyes of the people, but all that I have done or left behind remains there under the judgment seat, and go to it as God wills; But I know no other comfort, help or counsel for my salvation, except that Christ is my mercy seat, who has done no sin nor evil, and has both died for me and risen from the dead, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and takes me to himself under his shadow and protection, so that I have no doubt that through him I am safe from all wrath and terror in the sight of God. So faith remains pure and pure, because it does not model anything, does not seek defiance or comfort, without the Lord Christ alone.

(44) Now he that can do these things is a true man. For all the others go about with vainly colored faith, boasting much of faith, but mixing it among themselves, as cretins mix water with wine, so that they say, "If you live like this, God will be gracious to you," and make the mercy seat into the judgment seat; and again, as the judgment seat should become a mercy seat. But nothing will come of it, because it will remain a chair of justice 2c. Therefore only set the two far apart, as far as you always can, so that neither comes to the other: your life and holiness and chair of justice in a place that urges you and drives you to have a good conscience and to live rightly toward men; but your sin before the chair of grace on the other side, where God wants to receive you kindly and take you in his arms as a dear child, with your sins and stupid conscience, and no longer wants to know of any wrath.

(45) Behold, if one thus preached of faith, man would be right in it, and do all these things afterwards, pure in heart and good in conscience, through right perfect love. For he who by faith is sure in his heart that he has a gracious God who is not angry with him, even if he deserves wrath, goes there and does everything cheerfully, and can also live like this toward people, loving everyone and doing good, even if they do not know the truth.

are worthy of love. He stands before God in such a way that he is sure for the sake of Christ, the mediator, that he will not cast him into hell, but will smile kindly upon him and open heaven to him. 1) This is the highest security, the head and ground of our blessedness. Then I go out to my neighbor with my life, and do him the best I can, which my office or position demands and means; and if I do too little, I come first, and ask that he forgive me. 2) This is the highest security, the chief and ground of our blessedness. So I have a clear conscience, both before God and men, that neither he nor the world can punish me hereafter, nor hell devour me, nor the devil devour me. Thus man is called perfect in all things toward men through love, but before God, not through law, but through Christ, whom he grasps in his faith as the mercy seat, who sets up his holiness for me and gives me that in him I may have what is necessary for my salvation.

46 This is the right, pure doctrine that should be practiced, and people should be taught in such a different way that they both stand before God and people, so that they do not throw one another and mix faith and love, or life against God and against people. This is what those glorified preachers should do, because they want to be reproached as masters of the law, so that such things would be well known and preserved in Christendom.

For though it be carried to the utmost, it is hard enough to learn it well, especially we, who are so accustomed and educated in the doctrine of works, and who are directed only to the law and to ourselves. And without this our nature, which is of itself inclined to it, and is ingrained and strengthened by habit, and the heart so strongly set in pregnancy, beats us, that we cannot leave it, nor think otherwise than: If I had lived so holy, done so great and many works, God would be gracious to me. So that we both have to fight against our nature and strong habit, so that it is difficult for us to change our mind.

1. Jenaer: "anlachen" and "aufthun". Our reading is confirmed by the Latin: arriüst and sudIsvat.
2. Erlanger: "mir." Wittenberg and Jena: "mirs"; in Latin: veniam nkAliMntia".

910 Eri. (s.) 18, 300-302. interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. ix, [ss-sei. 911

But the dung always clings and sticks to us, whether we are already in the faith, so that the heart always wants to boast before God and say: I have nevertheless preached so long, lived so well, done so much, he will see that; and we would like to make a bargain with him that he should see our life and make his chair of justice a chair of grace for our sake. But nothing comes of it. You may boast about this to the people: I have done the best for everyone, and where something is lacking, I will gladly do it. But if you want to come before God, just leave such boasting at home, and think that you are appealing to grace by right.

If anyone wants to try this, he will see and experience how exquisitely difficult and sour it is for a man who has spent his life in his own work to come out and rise up with all his heart through faith in this one mediator. I have now preached and practiced it myself for almost twenty years, with reading and writing, so that I should be able to come out of it; yet I still feel the old anklebian nonsense, that I would like to deal with God in such a way, and bring something with me, so that he would have to give me his grace for my holiness,' and I do not want to think that I should surrender so completely to the mere grace; and yet it should and must not be otherwise: the 1) mercy seat must apply and remain alone, because he has set it himself, or no man shall come before God.

49 Therefore it is no wonder that it is difficult for others to grasp the faith so purely, especially when the same devil preachers, of whom St. Paul says, cry out against it and push on the law by such sayings, Luc. 10, 28: "Do this and you will live", item Matth. 19, 17: "If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments" 2c. Which is right and true, if thou understand it aright; the right understanding thou shalt tell me, or else I should know beforehand that I ought to be godly, and to keep the commandments: but how come I? Or what does it mean to be righteous? Do you say: It is to have a good conscience, a pure heart, and to do all that God commands.

1. Wittenberg and Jena: because the.

has offered. Is right; but give me the same, or show me one who can say such. You will not be able to muster the heart or conscience for me for a long time, so that God cannot punish or condemn. Now the law demands (as has been said enough) such a heart that has a good conscience before God. Where does one get this? That is the question and the matter we are dealing with. Not, of course, from preaching the judgment seat, but from having pure, untainted faith that takes hold of Christ, and in Him has and gets everything that the law demands. Then everything is pure, and has a good conscience, and is called pious and righteous before God. For though I lack, he stands for me, and has so much piety that he can meet my lack and that of all men.

(50) Thus we show how one comes to be pious before God, but they alone before men, where they do otherwise so well; and yet want to draw up the same, as if it should be before God. Brew it so into a pulp, as they know nothing of it, nor have experienced what they say or put. For what is it that you cry much: Whoever wants to go to heaven must keep the commandments 2c.? Thou wilt not be able to do it. For behold thyself, and search thine own bosom, and thou shalt find that thou art born and livest in sins, and art not able to give that which the law requireth. Why do you open people's mouths with such words: "You shall be pious, and you will be saved," from which nothing follows, and you do not show anyone how he should get there? I hear the words of what the law requires, but how do I make it so? Then you point me out again and say, "You must do good works. But how can I stand before God, when I have long done good works, and am pious before men, as thou teachest me, that I may be sure that God will count me so? For my own heart and conscience are against me, and say no to this.

(51) But you should teach me, as St. Paul does here and everywhere, that it must spring from mere unfeigned faith to obtain the mercy seat first of all, and to take and add to it what we lack, so the saying is, "Keep the faith.

912 Erl. (2.) 18, 302-304. Sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 5. 6. 7. W. IX, 561-563. 913

understood correctly. For this is what the law wants, that you be completely pious, both before God and before people. If you have this, then go out among the people and practice love and do good works; in this way you will get to the point and fulfill all such sayings. For by this a man gives and does what the law requires. First of all before God, not by himself, but through Christ, without whom we can do nothing before God; then also by himself before men. And now he is completely pious, inwardly through faith or Christ, then outwardly through his deeds. But that in addition to this, forgiveness of sin also goes among themselves. So that the righteousness of Christians is much more in forgiveness than in their own deeds; which those loose washers turn back, and without forgiveness alone do to our deeds.

52 Thus St. Paul punishes the error and lack of understanding of those who praise and practice the law, and yet do not themselves understand or show how it should be done, nor how it should be accomplished; they can do no more than speak the words: Laws, keep commandments, be saved, do good works 2c. Just as they now smear all the books and spout all the churches with such useless rubbish, which they themselves do not understand, but never say a word about the fact that St. Paul teaches here as the main thing, how love should proceed from a pure heart, a good conscience and uncolored faith, they say no more than: "Keep the commandments", but never meet the same opinion.

(53) Therefore they make it all unrighteous and false, both love, heart and conscience; for the main source is not there, that is, uncolored faith. But where this is not righteous, everything that is to grow out of it must be false, and what they pretend to be, a mere ghost and whispering before the eyes, seen through a painted glass, which seems to be of the same color, and yet is not; thinking that God should also look at it, because they lived like this before the people.

1. Erlanger: "den Christum" instead of: durch Christum.

as they consider it according to their blind conceit. If this were his opinion, he would have kept Christ and the whole preaching of the gospel with him; what was he concerned about, 2) that he created such a being, sent his Son down from heaven, and had his precious blood shed to earn and give that which we ourselves have with us before? He would have to be a fool to spend such treasure on it, which no one needs.

So you see how they teach only their own dreams, of which they themselves neither know nor have experienced, and thus only mislead the people, because they cannot show how one must come to that, which they pretend, but only point to ourselves, and thus are strengthened in their old nature and habit, since they should lead the people out. These are indeed morose, hostile people, that St. Paul does not scold and rebuke them without cause. They must not have been bad people, because he himself says of them that they are called "masters of the law", and they want to be praised, and probably more and better than the apostles themselves.

(55) Therefore let us keep this text, for it is quite fine and a pure, perfect teaching, how we both are to be pious before God and the world, as the law requires that these three things be brought together: namely, a pure heart, a good conscience, and untainted faith, and from which all our life flows and always goes in it. This is how we have met and aligned the opinion of the law. But first of all, that we look and bring Christ into it, who is the end of the law, and all things with one another, and all our godliness before God, which we do not find in ourselves, and without faith will never find, how long and how much one blows and practices the doctrine of the law, yet without understanding and knowledge. Let this be said of this text for the time being, so that we may have served God and paid a thank offering to the praise and glory of His grace, amen.

2. In Latin: tziüü eniin illum ursisset ne6688ltN8.

[914 Erl. si, 3v6 f. Interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. ix, si-ss?. 915

C. Dr. Martin Luther's lesson against the Fanatics, and how secular authorities should behave..

From the first epistle of St. Paul to Timothy Cap. 1, 18. 19. 20. and Cap. 2, 1. 2. *)

Held Friday after Oculi, March 24, 1525.

1 Tim. 1, 18. 19. 20. This commandment I command thee, my son Timothy, according to the foregoing prophecies concerning thee, that thou in the same exercise good chivalry through faith and a good conscience, which some have cast off, and have been shipwrecked in the faith; among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have given to the devil, that they may be chastened to blaspheme no more.

So far we have heard, 1) that St. Paul had to do everything to exhort Timothy to fight against the false teachers, so that he always had it on, that the people remain firm in the true, pure doctrine, and drive them on all the time. For the devil does not sleep, and makes every effort to deceive us; so the flesh is slippery, and does not remain steady and firm. Therefore it is necessary for the word to go forth continually, that the people may remain under the banner of the gospel in the controversy, and that they also may be raised up who fall and are challenged with false doctrine.

According to the previous prophecies about you.

2 I do not know what he means by this text; I do not understand it, because it is not almost clear. But it reads as if the Spirit had testified about Timotheum, as about Paulum, Apost. 13, 2. since he says, "Separate unto me Paulum and Barnabam." So the text reads as if he had been prophesied about.

1. From these words "So far we have heard" Köstlin ("Martin Luther", Vol. I, p. 809 aü. p. 614, note 2) rightly concludes that Luther went through the First Epistle to Timothy coherently.

that he should convert many and bring great benefit. But since there is nothing of this in the Scriptures, we cannot rely on it with certainty; therefore we let it go. For we must hold fast to that which is clearly expressed in the Scriptures. Or I hold thus, "According to the former prophecy," that is, according to the Scripture which Paul taught him. For the apostles have proved all things from the Scriptures, and so I will drive him into the Scriptures, that he may practice them, and that they may be a guide to him in all things.

That you practice a good knighthood in it.

(3) This is that thou be not slothful and desolate, and desist not, though many be displeased, and many false teachers dispute with thee. For a true preacher must be a man of valor, and a man of good courage, and a man that traveleth: he that will preside over others shall not sleep, because of the false prophets. The devil also does not sleep, he wakes him up; therefore he must watch, and stand as a man of war in armor, always waiting for the attacks.

4 Here a Christian life is pictured, that it should be a war, Job 7:1, and those who have the word should go beforehand in the forefront of the army, have the sword in their fist, and draw the troops behind them, be prepared, and wait all the way for the blows, as in a real battle; otherwise we will soon be defeated.

5. in a battle, one may not defend that no one perishes or is maimed, for the nature of war does not give it to-

*This sermon was first printed in the first part of the Eisleben Collection, p. 394, and subsequently included in the Altenburger, vol. II, p. 882; in the Leipziger, vol. XI, p. 461 and in the Erlanger, vol. 51, p. 306. We reproduce the text according to Walch, who took it from the Eisleben edition. Aurifaber's dating is confirmed by the second index to Luther's sermons found in Zwickau. Cf. Buchwald, Andreas Poach's handwritten collection of unprinted sermons by D. Martin Luther, first volume, first half, p. XXI. From the same index we see that Luther had already preached two sermons on Chapter I of the First Epistle to Timothy on March 17 and 18.

916 Erl. 51, 307-310. sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 18. 19. 20. and 2, 1. 2. W. IX, 567-569. 917

He who lies lies, if only the heap remains and keeps the field. So also, we have to dare a lot; and even though we have the word pure, their stings do not go off without damage. There never arose a false teacher who did not deceive people. The devil does not want to miss, he strikes down some with false teaching, which he mixes with pure teaching; he strikes some, that is certain, so well it cannot be kept. Now when flesh and blood fill it, and the poisonous doctrine enters the heart, the man is already slain and dead. Again, if I convert one with pure doctrine, I beat him from the devil and win him to Christ. Therefore we must strike into it, and pluck out some of the devil; we have a captain who triumphs in us, and keeps the field.

This spiritual dispute must remain. For that the church should be governed without strife, without battle, in peace, as the pope thinks, that is not possible. But though the false prophets have the following, yet we are not under; because we have the word pure, we are undestroyed. Even if they deceive a lot, there is no power in it; the truth is still above, and beats the lie down, no matter how big it is; the truth is too powerful, and the lie is too weak and feeble.

7 But that sects arise is right and must be so, Luc. 17, 1. 1 Cor. 11, 19, otherwise I would not know that I had to be in conflict; we would also never come to the foundation of the Scriptures if we were not contested. Therefore he is also called a God of hosts, that is, a duke of hosts; he is everywhere in the field. Here, and in another place also, is all knighthood, strife, and contest with him, against the flesh and against the devil; therefore let us be good knights, valiant, waiting for the blows of the mobs.

By faith and good conscience.

(8) What faith and a good conscience are, you have now heard enough. God cannot suffer, even if you were Solomon and had all the art, that you should brave it. Paul does not want us to rely on our spiritual armor in battle, that is, on our art, which we have in the Scriptures,

but on faith and a good conscience. For where it is not done in faith, it is lost. If the devil leads me into presumption, so that I think I am more learned than the other, and rely on my art, God is never there. And if the devil sees this, he proposes a vine, that a loose knave and a bad layman, who hardly knows two sayings in the Scriptures, may give thee. For you do it without faith, in presumption, thinking you know, and do not want to let God be Lord. You must despair of all art, must let God argue, and thus say: Lord, help; if you do not help, nothing helps; it is due to you, I am only the fist, the matter is yours; if you do not stop, I am soon overcome, if I had eaten all the Scriptures.

9 So God is wonderful; he wants me to know the Scriptures and be mighty in them, otherwise I should not preach and yet not want to rely on them. Paul exhorts Timothy, 1 Ep. 4, 16, to study without ceasing; likewise Christ, that we should abound in the word, that we may smite the multitudes. He wants scholars to preach who are equipped in the Scriptures and can practice this knighthood, and yet they should not rely on their art and wisdom, but the Holy Spirit should drive them in faith: so the devil will be weakened. God will direct it, he will give us a mouth and wisdom, which not all the unrighteous shall contradict nor resist; therefore I shall also put it to God, and not to myself. There is also a great example of this in the Old Testament about Gideon, in the book of Judges Cap. 7, 2. ff., where God says to Gideon: "The people are too many that are with you; Israel wants to boast against me and say that they have done it. Therefore let the foolish and the timid return. Twenty-two thousand men went away, leaving only ten thousand to fight. Then said the LORD, The people are yet too many: them that fall on their knees to drink, let them go; but them that lick with the tongue like a dog, by them will I deliver you. 1) And of them

1. Here in the text of the previous editions is erroneous: "those who lick with their tongue like a dog, let them go, but through them I will redeem you who fall on their knees to drink."

918 Erl. 51, 310-31]. Interpretations on the I Epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 569-572. 919

were only three hundred men; lest they should boast as if it had been done by their hand.

010 But why doth he call them to have armor, because he would fight for them? It is a strange God; he will not do it without armor, nor by the armor; he wills that we bear swords, and yet will not rely upon them. So he also wants me to work, that I may feed myself, and yet he says he will feed me like the birds, without my work, Matth. 6, 26. Therefore we must send ourselves into it: He wants to have external things, and yet trust nothing in them. In this way we must also do to him here. He wants us to read the Bible carefully, and yet he wants us to work by his help. David says Psalm 44:7: "I will not trust in my bow, neither will my sword help me"; itemPs. 147:10: "He delighteth not in the strength of the horse, neither taketh pleasure in any man's legs." Why do you deny, David? Do you say that you have no confidence in your armor? Why don't you hang it on the wall at home? Although David did not trust in it, he did not want to be without armor, for that would be tempting to GOD. God wants us to need and use it, so that we may keep the faith pure, and the world thinks it is natural, and by outward armor.

(11) Therefore, whoever begins to argue, let him beware that he does not think he is the man who argues, but let God rule and stay under the captain Christ, who is too clever for the devil. But if you want to do it with your own art, and bring the Bible with you, the devil will blow it away, because he also knows the Bible. And if you are clever in the best possible way, God can take away your speech. Again, when the time comes, and God wants to use you for this, you will understand it very well, and God will give you mouth and wisdom. God takes you as a larva and fights in you in the same way as in a mummery. So it is not the larva that works, but he who is under it, and yet he must have the larva if he wants to make a mummery. Therefore, what I have is only a larva; Christ must work, and we desert idols and larvae with our art.

fine. If he does not fight through it, I am lost; and if I have Paul's and Mosi's art, the devil gives nothing to your larva. But if I have a cheerful heart toward Christ, faith and good conscience, let the devil trot here, he will not devour Christ.

Which some have pushed away from themselves, and suffered shipwreck in the faith.

(12) Now when the devil brings men to lead them into the presumption of their state, it is already lost; they stand in their defiance and cheat themselves in their prudence; they do not strike well, and are finely caught and slain with their own sword. Now we see the mad spirits fighting foolishly; in presumption they step up, have no good conscience, suffer shipwreck in the faith, and do nothing, because they want to do the thing alone with their intellect.

(13) Now if presumption is dangerous in outward things, how much more in spiritual things? Pray to God that you do not presume on the Scriptures. God wants to have a humble, bruised spirit, and strong-minded on Christ, Isa. 66, 2. Ps. 51, 19. so they think they must deliver it, or it is lost. They should hand it over to God and command Him, throwing the keys at His feet and saying: "Lord, if you do not do it, it is not done; Lord, if you do not want to help, I will gladly be put to shame; the matter is not mine, therefore I will have no honor in it; I will gladly be your larva, only that you fight. The mobs cannot do that, they want to go straight through with their heads according to their reason, no one has told them to do so, they force their way in as if they are mad, as if God needs them and must have them, Jer. 23, 21. Ezek. 13, 1. ff, therefore they have lost faith, Ezech. 22, 22. ff. Learn to recognize God and give everything to Him, and see that you hang on the head.

Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander.

14 There will have been many heretics; here he names only two of them. But what heresies they have had, I will leave undecided. If the devil seizes such a man who has been among us, and has the

920 Erl. 5i, 312-315. sermon on 1 Tim. 1, 18. 19. 20. and 2, 1. 2. W. ix, 572-574. 921

Bible also, he is worse and more harmful than all the pagans who do not know the Scriptures. The Turk is not so to us as the pope and emperor; they are poisonous to us, their mouths are full of blasphemy, that they would have us fall to the ground with all shame. So too, the red spirits are more hostile to us than the pope; they blaspheme so much that it is beyond measure; the closer they are to us as friends, the worse they are to us as enemies.

(15) These two were Christians; Paul might have taught them, and now they thought they had the Scriptures, and opposed Paul and his disciples. They were not bad fools, because they opposed Paul, but highly learned men, who must do it; they were not fools, who resisted such a great apostle, who preached so much, and did such great miraculous signs. It is a great presumption: they had in mind to put down what Paul had set up; that will have hurt him. He calls the Alexandrum afterwards in the 2nd epistle to Timothy Cap. 4, 14, a coppersmith, and says that he caused him much pain and resisted his words very much. It was not enough that he denied the gospel, but also caused him all other misfortunes.

16 Now this is comforting in the fight against the hordes. What are we compared to Paul? Although we have the same spirit, we are not so rich in faith; we are weak and still far from it; and the excellent man should suffer from a coppersmith's resistance? These boys have always torn apart for him what he has built for a long time.

Which I have delivered to the devil, that they may be chastened to blaspheme no more.

(17) These two did battle in Saint Paul's army, slayed him and turned him away, and overthrew many a strong sermon, so that it hurt him mightily. It was also a great thing that he had to give up the apostolic office and hand it over to the devil. 1) Thus

1. "surrendered" put by us instead of: "surrendered"; the latter may have come in here because this word is repeated immediately. That the reading given by us is correct is shown by the conclusion of s 18.

we must now freshly surrender to it, so that it will also happen to us; it cannot be bad people who do such damage in Christianity. The devil does not arm himself with bad people, but with the most learned who have courage and a head, because he would like to prevail. He also does not attack the conflict in the strongest place, but invades where the loose people are. That is why God must preserve it. If God does not keep it, it is already over. But those who presume are already of the devil; he deals with them as he pleases. But Christ has a proud courage, is also presumptuous; he presses on and triumphs over the devil.

18 When Paul saw that these two had thus corrupted Christianity, he was forced to punish them physically and gave them to the devil. But how he did it to him is not sufficiently expressed. Some think that he banished them; but it was too little and too bad, they would not have given anything to it. I think the devil will have possessed them and tortured them, that is where he gave them. But it did not help; the devil does not ask for such signs, which Paul did here. I did not want to have the grace to do miraculous signs, because those who do not turn to the word, against whom all the world cannot rebel, will not be moved by the signs. God does not give power to everyone, but only to the high spirits who know how to use it. For if anyone should have it, one would devour the other; you would give me to the devil, and I to you again. I do not mean that Paul condemned them; therefore I would like to understand that he let the devil torment them for a while, but not all the time, as he did in 1 Corinthians 5:5. But since it did not help, he let them go; that is then all the more given over to the devil.

The other chapter.

1 Tim. 2:1, 2. I exhort therefore that before all things we first make supplication, prayer, intercession, and thanksgiving for all men, for kings, and for all authorities, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and honorableness.

** **922 Erl. Sl, 3IS-3I7. Interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, 574-576. 923

19 Now Paul, after admonishing Timothy to be diligent in his office, sets forth the order of how a right bishop should conduct himself. First, ask for secular authority. For this is the most necessary thing in the world, to have a strictly secular government. The world cannot be governed according to the gospel, for the word is too few and too narrow, it takes hold of few; the thousandth man does not accept it; therefore no outward government can be established. The Holy Spirit has a small group; the others are all harlots and knaves, who must have a worldly sword. Where the worldly regiment does not use its office strictly, then everyone tears to him in his sack; then follows riot, murder, wars, wife and children ravish, that no one wants to live safely. Mr. Omnes is not a Christian. King, princes and lords must use the sword, take away the heads. The punishment must remain, that the others may be kept in fear, and the pious may hear the gospel, and wait for their work, that everyone may be quiet and at rest. The apostles had great concern for the secular sword.

20. it is also now very necessary that

one would do a strong common prayer for the authorities, for we have neither king nor emperor who would be so diligent: the authorities are now lax and lazy, the superiors do not punish the subordinate lords, no rule, no prince is one with the other. From this arise so many outrages, and it is to be feared that God will one day mix us together and make a cake of us, so that we will swim in blood. Therefore we should ask that peace be preserved, that God would give the emperor so much mercy that he would keep the princes in check, the princes ruled the nobility and the cities, and immediately the overlords grabbed the heads of the underlords and visited them so that their rinds cracked. So with the officials 2c., so peace would be maintained everywhere. It is a pitiful state of affairs that so much internal turmoil has now arisen everywhere. It belongs to us, who are Christians, that we earnestly beseech God that worldly authorities may rightly execute their offices. Prayer is great, but our God is also great, and He also wants to hear us. If the sword were severe and the government was right, it would be good to preach the gospel, but it will not help. Amen.

D. D. Martin Luther's interpretation of the saying 1 Tim. 2, 4.

God wants all people to be helped and to come to the knowledge of the truth. *)

Held the 27th of Mar; 1525.

1 Tim. 2, 4. God wants all people to be helped.

1 This saying of St. Paul, say the papists, confirms free will. Because because

he thus says: "God wills that everyone be helped", it is now no longer up to him but up to us that we follow his will or not. So they interpret and lead these words

*This sermon was first printed in the first volume of Luther's writings published in Wittenberg in 1539, without indication of the time. In the Jena edition the year 1524 is given, likewise in the Altenburg edition. In the Leipzig edition, by an oversight (as stated in the preface to the 11th volume, p. 30), the year 1533 is set, which also happened in Walch, who (see his preface to the 9th volume, p. 16) followed the Leipzig edition. But because Luther preached on the First Epistle to Timothy continuously (compare the note to H 1 of the previous sermon), fo is to be assumed that he preached this sermon later than the previous one. This is confirmed by the second index to Luther's sermons found in Zwickau. Cf. Buchwald, Andreas Poach's handwritten collection of unprinted sermons by D. Martin Luther, first volume, first half, p. XXI, where it is stated that our sermon was delivered I^urius post I^usturs 1525, that is, March 27, 1525. It is found in the collections: Wittenberger (1556), vol. I, p. 453d; Jenaer (1585), vol. II, p. 485; Altenburger, vol. II, p. 836; Leipziger, vol. XI, p. 465 and Erlanger, vol. 51, p. 316. We give the text according to the Wittenberger edition.

924 Erl. 51, 317-319. Sermon on 1 Tim. 3, 4. W. IX, S78-S80. 925

against us, as they think, in the strongest possible way. Therefore, let us answer them and consider this saying rightly.

(2) First, some say, "If it is true that God wills this, why does it not happen that everyone may be saved? If our will prevents it, then it must be stronger than God's will, so that what he wants does not have to happen if we do not want it to. Now he has ever said, Isa. 46, 10: "My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done"; item Rom. 9, 19: "Who can resist his will?" Thus he also proves manifoldly that he may awaken the whole world to set itself against his will, that one may see how his will must be done. How then does it rhyme that I should resist and prevent myself from being saved, since it is God's will? Therefore, it cannot ever follow from this that those say; otherwise it would have to conclude 1) without means that our will would be stronger than God's will. That is the first thing that strikes those back, that they cannot maintain their opinion with it, because he just with it fights hard against them, as strong as they want to lead him 2).

(3) Secondly, the preceding text and the one that follows should give us the right understanding of these words. For it is not valid to take some words out of the Scriptures and make a waxen nose of them, according to our head, and not see what is attached to them, and what they urge. So we say, This is a common saying, such as is found more than Psalm 36:7: "O Lord, thou helpest both man and beast"; that is to say, Therefore thy goodness is precious and valuable, rich and excellent, that thou helpest not only thy dear saints, but also all men, yea, all beasts. If a bird escapes from a rope, a sheep from a wolf, an ox from drowning in water, you have done all these things. Yea, saith he, still more, When the beasts call, God heareth their cry, Ps. 147:9: "Who giveth his food to the cattle, to the young ravens that call upon him." The young ravens have this way, when a man comes to them and attacks them, the old raven flies away from them and comes no more; then they must open their mouths.

1. So the Jenaer. Wittenbergers: "müstu es".
2. "him", namely free will.

Heaven, so that God proves that he feeds and nourishes everything that lives there. Item, this also teaches Ps. 107 through and through. There are some (v. 5) who hunger and thirst, who cry out to you, and you satisfy them; some v. 4 in the wilderness, who know nowhere; some v. 10 caught in bonds; some v. 26, 28 in the water, and he helps them out of all distresses. Therefore he says continually v. 8, "They shall give thanks unto the Lord for his goodness, and for the wonderful wonders which he doeth for the children of men." There he does not speak of the elect, but of all men, whom God helps out of all distress.

4 Thus this saying is also spoken in the common, that God does not only help the saints, but everyone. That is why I have translated the words: Qui vult omnes homines salvos fieri: He who wants everyone to recover, or: "That all men may be helped. The same is often written in the Gospel: Salvum facere, that is, to recover or to be helped, not to be saved. So that it is not to be interpreted of that life alone or of eternal life, but is to spread around and embrace all kinds of help, both temporal and eternal, that he is the only Savior, through whom all are helped. Pious and wicked, men and animals. He wants them all to recover where they need help.

5 In the same way he says in the 4th chapter, v. 10, of this epistle: "He is the Savior of all men, but especially of the faithful. There he interprets himself in the most inexplicable way. First, he speaks to the common: "He is a Savior of all men." Then he separates the faithful and the pious from all others. He helps all people, even the unbelievers and unchristians, but mostly the believers. Here you see clearly what his opinion is, that he speaks of the help, not only which God needs for salvation, but which concerns everyone, that is, of the common help, which holds in itself all the mercy and goodness of God, over the pious and the impious, temporally and eternally. That it is so much said: No one will be saved nor redeemed from some distress, sickness, poverty, hunger and sorrow, God help him. 3) That this saying is therefore an honor and praise.

3. In the old editions: for God help him.

926 Erl. Z1, 3is-3Zl. Interpretations on the 1st epistle to Timothy. W. IX, S80-S82. 927

God, and to show how he is minded and mannered, namely, that he gladly helps everyone, even if he is evil and does not serve God. Such understanding is also enforced by the preceding text, when it says 1 Tim. 2, 1. ff. "I therefore exhort that before all things we make supplication, prayer, intercession and thanksgiving 2c., that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life, in all godliness and respectability (and gives this cause:), for such is good, and also acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires that everyone should be saved", or "all men be helped" 2c. Leads thus the saying evenly on the quiet and calm being. So you see, if you hold it against the previous and following text, what he is talking about.

(6) So it is rightly composed and rhymed, otherwise it would not be appropriate at all; and he concludes against them himself, because he thus says that God wants to have helped everyone by a fine government and a quiet life, especially the faithful, so that they may lead a godly life, and faith may increase and be strengthened through persecution. For where there is a disorderly, quiet regime, that one only wars and storms, there can be no good, nor can anyone come to preach or hear God's word. But in a quiet, calm regime, one can have room to preach and to confess and practice the faith. Then follows the cross and suffering, through which faith becomes strong and vigorous. For because human reason, prudence and power are opposed to the word of God, they are punished and rejected by Him as unfit to act in divine matters; in addition, because the devil is the prince of the world, they cannot suffer or hear the word of God, and they begin to persecute and torture those who preach or confess it, as happened in the Roman Empire under the emperors, when it was at its highest. Thus, God wants to help both the secular regime and its believers at the same time.

7 Therefore it does not follow that God will make all men blessed, but that he wills as much as has been said. For when he commands to ask for peace, it is a sure sign that he wants to have peace; without where his wrath is, that he plagues the world; otherwise it is his will that he keeps everything as he has ordered and directed it.

power. How would it be possible, if God did not preserve it, to rule so many heads and wild people in one city? How soon would a mob be gathered against the authorities and they would be murdered. What are two or three against a whole city? Reason is far too weak here to sustain it, as he also lets us see at times. So it is rightly said: "God wants to help everyone", and so it goes. For he preserves the temporal government, even if one rebels and opposes it with his head. But especially he upholds the spiritual against all the world and the devil's power and raging, even if the Christians are strangled. Therefore, you must not make any distinction of God's will, but remains an eternal will to help the faithful and others with his gifts; which will also no one can hinder. Therefore, one should adhere to it and comply with it, 'as Paul teaches here, when he calls asking and giving thanks.

So he wants to have both straight away: No one can resist his will; nor should one ask for it. As he also says in the Lord's Prayer, Matth. 6, 10: "Thy will be done"; otherwise his will must be done. But we ask that we submit ourselves to his will. For if we do not surrender to it and resist it, he will turn his will back and afflict us with war, rebellion and other calamities. So now his will is done when we break ours and give him home to rule and reign. Nothing will help if he does not help; he must and will do it alone. We are still going, and fall in with reason, do not see how he alone helps, think that if the blacksmith were not there, no horse would be helped. But tell me, who gives the blacksmith the art, luck and skill to do this? For that the same heals is his gift; otherwise no art would help. And to prove this, he often lacks all art and wisdom. Summa Summarum: The same God, by whose will all things are done, also wants all men to be helped, these otherwise, and the others likewise; as he takes care of everything that lives and sustains it by his help, one thanks him or does not thank him, pours out and scatters his goodness over the pious and the wicked.

928 Erl. 51, 321-325. Sermon on 1 Tim. 2, 4. W. IX, 582-888. 929

And come to the knowledge of the truth.

(9) The other part, however, which he attaches to the preceding common saying, namely, "And come to the knowledge of the truth," concerns only believers. So also, when he speaks, afterwards Cap. 4, 10: "He is the Savior of all men," he adds: "But especially of the faithful. In this way he means that he gives to all so that they may recover or be helped, but especially to some so that they may come to the knowledge of the truth; this is a special and the greatest part of his goodness. He helps all people, but the best help is when he lets someone come to the knowledge of the truth. Thus, in the common will of God, this is also understood and especially expressed as the most noble thing, for this help also serves and is directed to the end that some may come to the knowledge of the truth or of the Gospel; which would not happen if God did not help in worldly matters, so that the government and all things would be right and orderly and would prevail.

Now this text is clear and easy, so that no obstacle remains. So answer those who want to confirm free will from this, when they themselves do not see what they are deceiving. That is why those who have interpreted it in this way have spoken of it most sharply: If anyone is helped, he alone helps; that is, he alone is the only helper, and no one else. Whoever gets something good, gets it from him. I do not dislike this kind of understanding, because it agrees with what I have said, and it goes straight against free will, so that it is not able to help it at all. And that it may be seen that the understanding which we have given is right, St. Paul himself draws it out in the following words and says:

V. 5. For there is One God, and One Mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ.

11. he wants all people to be healed or helped (he says). Why this?

1. "mcht" is missing in the Wittenberg. The Jena one has the marginal gloss: "Scheinet als Mangel hie das wörtlin nicht".

Therefore, "For there is One God" 2c. How does this follow or rhyme? Thus: He must help, for there is no one else who can help; because he alone is God, and no God but One, therefore, whoever is helped, be it what it may, in general, must be helped by and through him, or must perish.

There is only one mediator between God and man, namely the man Jesus Christ. This is of special concern to the believers. As the foregoing is also common to One God, so He mixes together common goodness and the greatest part of goodness, as above. The common goodness affects all people, believers or unbelievers. The other only affects those 2) who believe. So he first of all draws it into God's goodness, and yet draws the piece especially on it, so that he helps the believers, above and apart from the common help. There is only One God, here is only One Mediator; where God is not, there is no help; where the Mediator is not, there is no knowledge of truth and godliness, for the Father will not see or hear anyone except through Christ His Son.

V. 6. who gave himself for salvation for all.

(13) There he expresses the part about how he is a mediator, that it is not about the common help, but the special part, so: that one is helped to come to God, so it happens to no one, but through the mediator. So it extends first to the general, where he calls no mediator; then to the particular, where the mediator is. And the fact that he says, "For all," is meant to be referred to the mediator alone, that is, that all who are saved and come to God are to be saved through the mediator alone, not that all people are saved because of him. As one is wont to speak in a common way in many examples. As when one says of a schoolmaster in a city, "He teaches them all in the city," that is, he alone is a teacher; whoever learns anything learns it from him. There are many such sayings in the Old and New Testaments 2c.

2. Jenaer: alone; Wittenberger: all.

930 Erl. (p.) 18, 31-33. interpretation on the letter to Titus. W. IX, 585-588. 931

IX. Interpretation on the Epistle to Titus.

D. Martin Luther's sermon on our blessed hope,

about the saying of St. Paul Tit. 2, 13. *)

Held at Kemberg, August 19, 1531.

(1) We Christians are obligated to pay homage to our dear Lord God every day and to make our sacrifice, that is, to perform His holy word, publicly in church and at home in houses. Such worship is signified in the Old Testament by the morning sacrifice and the evening sacrifice. So that we also do our sacrifice today, let us take before us a saying from St. Paul, and hear what our dear Lord God teaches us through His apostle.

Tit. 2, 13. We should wait for the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

So much is enough on this time.

2 Shortly before this text, v. 12, Saint Paul taught, as your love has heard, what the preaching of the Gospel should create and work in us, namely, that it should instruct us and "discipline us to renounce ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live chastely, righteously and godly in this world. For in the three pieces he grasps the Christian life and understands everything that a man should do and how he should behave towards himself, towards his neighbor and towards God. Towards himself, a Christian should conduct himself in such a way that he draws his own body well, is "chaste", moderate and sober, and

not to lead a free, impudent, wild, unclean and disorderly life in eating, drinking, words, gestures and deeds. Towards his neighbor he shall behave in such a way that he lives "justly", does neither harm nor hurt anyone in body, goods, honor and everything that is his, but gives and does to everyone what is due to him. He is to conduct himself toward God in such a way that he lives "godly," that is, fears, loves, trusts, praises, honors and obeys God. These are all righteous, delicious, good works, commanded by God Himself in the first and second tablets of the Ten Commandments. And this is how our whole life should be as long as we are here.

(3) After the apostle has thus defined the Christian life and indicated how a Christian's character and conduct should be, he adds a special part and admonishes us that in such a chaste, righteous and godly life (since we have renounced the world, its ungodly character and evil lusts) we should "wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God". 2c. This means that the life of Christians should be directed so that they do not think about living on earth alone and remaining in this world (as sows and unreasonable animals do, who do not care or think about anything else than how they may live here on earth and fill their bellies), but should hope and wait for another, better life. A sow

*This sermon, which Luther delivered on the occasion of a visit to N. Bartholomäus Bernhardt von Feldkirch, prepositus and pastor in Kemberg, on August 19, 1531, was prepared for printing by Andreas Poach, pastor of the Augustinians in Erfurt, "from [l. Georgen Rörers, blessed, written books" for printing, and had them printed in 1561 in Erfurt by Georg Naumann, "zu dem bunten Leuen, bei St. Paul". This edition is provided with an inscription to the "honorable, virtuous virgin Engel vom Hagen". "Datum Erfurt in Vigilia Martini 1560." In the collections it is found: in the Eisleben one, vol. II, p. 136; in the Altenburg one, vol. V, p. 603; in the Leipzig one, vol. XI, p. 468 and in the Erlangen one, first edition, vol. 19, p. 328 and 2nd edition, vol. 18, p. 31. We give the text according to the second edition of the Erlanger, which brings the first printing; the same differs only by a few insignificant variants from that of the Eisleben edition.

932 Erl. (2.) 18, ZZ-ZK. Sermon on Tit. 2, 13. W. IX, 588-591. 933

and unreasonable animal has no hope of improvement; when the belly and this life cease, its comfort and hope are also over. But a Christian has one better hope, when this temporal, perishable life ends, that he will enter into an eternal, imperishable life and heavenly being, in which is joy and bliss.

(4) For Christ did not come from heaven and become man for this reason, nor did he die for us on the cross for this reason, nor did he rise again from death and ascend to heaven for this reason, so that he would let us remain here on earth in misery and sorrow, much less under the earth in the grave and death, stink and worms, forever, but so that he would deliver us from all this and take us to his eternal kingdom in heaven. Neither were we baptized and made Christians for this reason, nor do we hear the gospel for this reason, that we should fill our faint, stinking belly and remain in this evil, sorrowful world forever, but that we should come into another life and being, where we are no longer allowed to eat, drink, have toil and labor, suffer, be sad, die and decay 2c. Since we have been bought by the precious blood of Christ, born again in holy baptism through His joyful resurrection from the dead, and called through the gospel to a living hope, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading (as St. Peter says 1 Peter 1:3, 4), which will be preserved for us in heaven, we should also hope and wait for this blessed hope with joy and confidence.

(5) This Christian art and masterpiece is taught to us here by St. Paul, and he exhorts us Christians to learn to distinguish between this present, perishable life and that future, imperishable life, and to turn our backs on this present life, which is passing away and which we must finally leave behind, and to always set our eyes on that future life, hoping for it firmly and surely, as it remains forever, and into which we belong. We should wait in good works, in discipline, righteousness and godliness, he says, for the blessed hope; that is, we Christians should send ourselves to a better life than this life on earth is. We are to build on it much more firmly and hope for it more surely, whether we have already attained it.

not yet see and feel, because we build and hope on this present life that we see and feel now.

(6) Such things are rightly taught, but not soon learned; rightly preached, but not soon believed; well exhorted, but not easily followed; well said, but evil done. For there are very few people on earth who wait for the blessed hope, for the future, imperishable inheritance and kingdom, and wait for it as surely as it should be that they do not possess this present life so surely. Few are those who look at this temporal life only through a painted glass, and at once blinkingly, 1) but at that eternal life with clear, open eyes. The blessed hope and the heavenly inheritance are, alas, all too often forgotten; but the temporal life and the transitory kingdom on earth are all too often thought of. The transitory is always in sight, thought of, cared for, and rejoiced in, but the imperishable is turned away; the latter is pursued day and night, and the latter is cast to the winds. Now, truly, it should not be so with Christians, but the antithesis should be. A Christian should look at this temporal life only with closed eyes and blinkingly, but the future eternal life he should look at with completely open eyes, and with clear, bright light, and should be only with the left hand in this life, on earth, but with the right hand, and with the soul and whole heart, he should be in that life, in heaven, and wait for it in certain hope always cheerfully.

For this is what St. Paul teaches in 1 Cor. 7:29, 30, 31, when he explains what this means, "waiting for the blessed hope," and says: "Further, this is the opinion of those who have wives, that they are as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they wept not; and those who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those who buy, as though they possessed not; and those who have need of this world, that they abuse not it; for the things of this world pass away." With these words, the dear apostle wanted us to understand this life on earth, which we now see with our physical eyes.

1. Otherwise in Luther also (St. Louis edition, vol. XX, 1008): "blinzling", that is, blindlings, with closed eyes. In the Cisleben edition it is written "blindstich".

934 Erl. (3.) 48, 36-38. interpretation on the Epistle to Titus. W. IX, 591-593. 935

He would like to darken and obscure the life we see in heaven, so that we might learn to look at it only in the twinkling of an eye, as if it were not our true life. But that life in heaven, for which Christ has redeemed us, for which we have been baptized and have received the gospel, he would gladly draw out and bring into the light, so that we may learn to send our eyes, heart and soul to it, and await it with joy in fresh hope. For if we want to be Christians, our final request should not be to be free, to let ourselves be free, to buy, to sell, to plant, to build, as Christ says, Matth. 24, 37. ff. Luc. 17, 26. ff., that the ungodly will do, especially before the last day (although we also need it for the need of the body), but our final request should be something better and higher, namely the blessed inheritance in heaven, which does not pass away. Likewise he does 2 Cor. 5, 1. 2. and says: "We know, if our earthly house of this tabernacle is broken down, that we have a building constructed by God, a house not made with hands, which is eternal, in heaven. And above the same we also long for our habitation, which is from heaven." And soon after, v. 6, 7, 8: "We are always confident, and know that while we dwell in the body, we are not at home with the Lord;' for we walk by faith, and not by scraping. But we are confident, and rather desire to walk apart from the body, and to be at home with the Lord." There he also makes a distinction between this perishable and that imperishable life, and says that this life on earth is not our home and right life, on which we have to set our date 1) but should long for the right fatherland and have a desire for the eternal dwelling in heaven. And Phil. 3, 20. 21. he says: "Our citizenship is in heaven, from whence we also wait for the Savior Jesus Christ, the Lord, who will transfigure our vile body to be like His transfigured body, according to the working, that He may also make all things subject to Him. As if he wanted to say: It is not in this world that we Christians live, walk and dwell, but in heaven is our

1. Date -- confidence, hope.

Citizenship, walk and dwelling. We are indeed citizens and farmers on earth for a time, according to the outward worldly nature, but this is not our true, hereditary, lasting citizenship; but our true citizenship is with Christ in heaven, where we will remain citizens forever, when he comes from heaven and takes us up. Therefore we also ought to judge ourselves as not being of this world, nor belonging to it, but belonging elsewhere, to another citizenship and kingdom, where we have an abiding nature.

8 St. Peter does the same when he says 1 Ep. 2, 11: "Dear brethren, I exhort you, as strangers and pilgrims, 2) abstain from carnal pleasures. He calls us strangers and pilgrims, 2) indicating what our life is on earth and what we should keep it for. A "stranger" is called an arrival or alien, who is not a citizen of the place where he dwells, by arrival and birth, but has his arrival elsewhere. SumMa, a stranger is called, who is not native, as the children of Israel were strangers and not native in Egypt, where they had come from the land of Canaan, by the Theurung; as Moses often reproaches them and says, 2 Mos. 22, 21. 3 Mos. 19, 34.: "You were strangers in the land of Egypt." A "pilgrim" is a wanderer who travels through a country, and is not in his city nor in his place, where he belongs, but only lodges in a foreign place, as if in transit; who is not only an arrival, like a stranger, but is also a guest, and has nothing of his own, nor intends to have anything in the place of his pilgrimage, but passes through badly. As the children of Israel were pilgrims in the wilderness, so the Christians are strangers and pilgrims in this world, 1 Petr. 2, 11. Hebr. 11, 13. They are "strangers" because they come from God into this world after the fleshly birth, created from nothing, and do not remain in this world, but have to leave this world, like all other people on earth, as Job Cap. 1, 21. says: "I came naked from my mother's womb, naked, naked and naked.

2. Erlanger: "pilgrim". This form is derived from the Latin pers^rinus. Otherwise also "Bikgerin" and "Bilgram" are found.

936 Erl. (2.) 18, 38-40. Sermon On Tit. 2, 13. W. IX, 593-596. 937

I will go there again." They are "pilgrims" because after the spiritual birth, when they are born again of the Holy Spirit through the water bath in the Word, they are on earth as guests, and their life is only a pilgrimage, as the patriarch Jacob calls it, Gen. 47, 9. Now St. Peter wants to indicate that we should not look at this life differently, but as a stranger and pilgrim looks at the country, in which he is a foreigner and guest. A stranger must not say: Here is my fatherland, because he is not a native there. A pilgrim does not intend to stay in the land where he wanders and in the inn where he lies overnight, but his heart and thoughts are elsewhere. In the inn he takes only his food, meal and lodging, and always wanders away to the place where he is at home. So you Christians, he says, are only strangers and sojourners in this world, and belong to another country and kingdom, where you have a permanent home and abiding place forever. Therefore present yourselves as strangers and sojourners in this foreign land and inn, from which you take no more than food, drink, clothing, shoes, and whatever you need for this night's lodging, and think only of going away to your homeland, where you are citizens.

(9) We should take good note of this, so that we may rightly know the Lord Jesus Christ, and rightly learn to enjoy his gospel and holy baptism. Not that we build an eternal life for ourselves here in this world, pursue it and cling to it as if it were our main treasure and kingdom of heaven, and as if we wanted to enjoy the Lord Christ, the gospel and baptism for this life, and become rich and mighty in it, but because we must live on earth as long as God wills that we thus eat, drink, free, plant, build and house, and what God has provided, as strangers and sojourners in a foreign land and in an inn, who will remember all these things and set up their staff again, out of the foreign land and out of the evil, uncertain inn into the right fatherland, where there will be security, peace, tranquility and joy for eternity. And so we enjoy the Lord Christ, the gospel and baptism to that life in heaven and the kingdom of God.

10. For our Lord Jesus Christ is not such a Messiah, as the Jews have desired and still desire and hope for a Messiah, who is a worldly king and establishes an earthly kingdom on earth, in which he makes his children great lords in this world, distributes gold, silver and goods, gives worldly joy and pleasure, but leaves them in death, and finally dies himself, together with them, like other kings on earth; but is an eternal king, and his kingdom is an eternal kingdom, in which he is Lord over sin and righteousness, over death and life, and gives and gives to his children heavenly goods, eternal righteousness, life and blessedness. So we are not baptized to stay here on earth and build a paradise and kingdom of heaven for ourselves here; nor is the gospel preached to us for the sake of this worldly being and life, but that heaven may be opened to us and we may be helped to eternal life.

(11) As for this temporal life, how to attain and maintain it, this is taught by the temporal government, which God has subjected to man's reason by His Word, saying Genesis 1:28: "Rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creeps upon the earth. The emperor in the empire with his rulers and lawyers teaches how to govern land and people, maintain worldly peace 2c. Father and mother, master and wife in the house teach the children and the servants how they should build the field, plow, sow, plant, harvest, spin, sew, milk the cows, wash in the kitchen, cook, work, keep house 2c. For such human beings and things concerning this temporal life, there is no need of Christ, baptism, or the gospel, for all these things are planted in human reason, so that it understands and knows how to govern and judge such things. But Christ in his kingdom teaches us through the gospel of higher things, which belong to that life, and which human reason cannot comprehend nor grasp, namely, where we may remain when this bodily, perishable government and being cease, and we leave the world, and what is in the world, together with this life.

938 Eli. (s.) i8, 40-42. interpretation on the Epistle to Titus. W- ix, S96-S99. 939

and have to step into another being and life.

(12) He who does not direct and send his heart to that everlasting life, and only clings to this temporal, perishable life, does not understand what baptism, the gospel, Christ and faith are. For Christ calls us to eternal life through the gospel, and through baptism places us in his eternal kingdom, and thus assures us through Word and Sacrament that if we believe the word and sign, we are much more certain of the same life and kingdom than of this life and kingdom on earth. Whoever thinks that everything is only to do with living, eating and drinking, scratching and scratching, being stingy and collecting a lot of money, seeking pleasure and having good courage: what can he know or understand about baptism, the gospel, Christ and faith?

(13) But, as I said, this is soon preached, but not easily believed. For even we Christians, who have been baptized, hear the gospel and have begun to believe, still feel that the spirit in us is weak, but flesh and blood and reason in particular are strong, and always draw us back, that we hold that life in low esteem, and sometimes even doubt it, so that where we want to confess otherwise, we must confess ourselves, we seldom think of the fact that we must finally leave it and this life, and thus send ourselves to know where we want to stay. On top of this comes the stupidity that we are always afraid of death, mourning and trembling when things go badly for us. This is a sign that we do not wait for the blessed hope, as we should. This is what happens to us Christians; but the rest of the great multitude in the world goes safely along, seeking peace and good days, seeking pleasure and joy on earth, drowned in avarice, and so engrossed in the world as if they wanted to stay here forever and leave heaven to God.

(14) Now we are not baptized for this life, nor are we called Christians for this reason, that we may be citizens, peasants, masters, servants, wives, maids, govern and be governed, work and keep house; but for this purpose we were baptized, and for this purpose we hear the gospel and believe in Christ, that we may have the same status (whether we are here on earth already, as long as God wills),

and must serve God, each one as he is called by God) leave all, and depart from this world into another being and life, where there is neither servant nor master, neither maidservant nor wife, neither woman nor man, but where we are all alike and one in Christ Jesus, Gal. 3:28, just as such equality begins here in faith, but is accomplished there in sight, 1 Cor. 15:53 ff, where there is no death, but eternal and incorruptible life; no sin, but righteousness and innocence; no fear nor sorrow, but security and joy; no dominion, nor authority, nor power, but only God will be all in all; summa, where God and Christ Himself is, together with all His elect and saints. To this eternal life we were baptized, to this Christ redeemed us by his death and blood, and to this we received the gospel. As soon as a child is lifted out of baptism and the vestment is put on it, it is from that moment on dedicated to eternal life, so that for the rest of its life it will only be a pilgrim and sojourner in this world, and so it will be prepared to leave this temporal life behind and hope and wait for that everlasting life.

(15) Now St. Paul teaches us here that we should not sink too deeply into this temporal life, like sows and unreasonable animals, which care nothing about the life to come. A sow lies on her bed or on the dung heap, rests and snores, and thinks only where the miserable and the small are, knows of no death, fears no hell, rejoices in no heaven, hopes for no future life, but the miserable and the small are her heavenly kingdom. So are the people who think no further than how they may live here on earth. Such certainly do not believe that there is a resurrection of the dead and eternal life; even though they speak with their mouths in childlike faith, "I believe in a resurrection of the flesh and eternal life," they do not believe it from the heart. Such people have been baptized in vain, have heard the gospel in vain, and still hear it in vain and in vain, because they do not believe that it is true that after this life there is another life.

940 Erl. (2.) 18, 42-44. Sermon on Tit. 2, 13. W.IX.S99-60I. 941

to hope. Therefore the apostle says: "We should wait for the blessed hope", as if he wanted to say: We have come through the gospel to the treasure, which is called, not money and goods, not power and honor, not pleasure and joy of this world, not even this life on earth, but a hope, and a living "blessed hope", which will make us alive and blessed in body and soul, completely and forever. We are called to the treasure through the gospel, and we are baptized into the treasure; therefore let us deal with this temporal life in such a way that we think of leaving it behind us, and strive for the same blessed hope as "the goal and jewel set before us by the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus", Phil. 3, 13, that we should chase after it and always wait for it.

How long shall we wait for the blessed hope? Will it remain a hope forever, and nothing more come of it? No, he says, our blessed hope will not remain like this forever, but will finally appear, so that we will no longer be allowed to hope and wait, but it will be revealed to us what we now believe and hope for, and we will be fully granted 1) and possessed of what we are now waiting for. In the meantime, we must wait for the blessed hope until it comes to manifestation. But when it has come to the appearance, then the hope and the waiting will cease. For he puts these two together: "hope" and "appearance"; but in this order, that the hope precedes, and the appearance follows the hope. And thus he makes a distinction between this life of hope and that life of appearance; or as he calls it in the saying (as we introduced above §7 from 2 Cor. 5, 6. ff.), between this life of faith and that life of seeing. As if he wanted to say: Here it must be believed, hoped for and waited for, but there it will appear. He who does not wait for the blessed hope will not come to the appearance; but he who is firm and undoubting

1. Warranty - legal possession.

who waits for it, must not take care of the appearance. He also makes such a distinction in Col. 3, 3. 4: "Your life is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ, your life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also be manifested with him in glory." St. John also makes such a distinction, 1 Ep. 3, 2: "We are God's children, and it has not yet appeared that we are; but we know when it shall appear that we shall be like Him." Because we live here in this world, that future life is covered and hidden, and must be recognized and grasped with the eyes of faith alone. This present life is manifest to the five senses and to human reason, for it is visible, but that life is invisible; therefore it cannot be seen with the eyes of the flesh, nor measured by reason.

But he says that it will be "a manifestation of the glory of the great God, and of our Savior Jesus Christ. There he does not only speak of the glory in which Jesus Christ will appear for his person and for himself, which will be an excellent glory, as he himself says Matth. 25, 31: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory, and all nations will be gathered before him" 2c., but also to understand the glory that Jesus Christ will work in all creatures, and especially in His elect and believers, as He Himself interprets such glory in 2 Thess. 1:10, when He says: "The Lord Jesus will come to appear glorious with His saints, and marvelous with all believers."

This glory is so deeply hidden that no human reason can enter into it. It is far too high for reason to understand and comprehend that this mortal body should rot and stink so that no filth and carrion on earth stinks like it, and become powder and ashes, and be eaten by worms, and yet come forth again from the stink, dust and worms, and rise again, that it should be the same body, but brighter and clearer than the sun, so that no creature on earth will be more beautiful. What,

942 Erl. (2.) 18, 44-46. interpretation on the Epistle to Titus. W. IX, 601-604. 943

says reason, should there be glory to wait for, when I see vile, abominable beings? I see that a man, if he is already baptized, has the gospel, believes in Christ, just as well dies and, if he has died, rots, stinks, as one who is not baptized nor believes, yes, becomes such an abominable carrion that no one can stay around him: what do you tell me much about glory? Yes, wait for it, and do not bake! So does reason, and cannot do otherwise.

(19) Now it is not necessary to listen to reason, nor to follow what it says, but to listen to what baptism, the gospel and faith teach. Baptism teaches that we are not baptized for this life, but that we should wait for another life. The Gospel says 1 Cor. 15:3, 4, "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." V. 16, 17. "If therefore the dead rise not, neither would Christ be risen, and our faith be vain and false." Faith bases itself on this, saying, "Well, though a man die, and when he is dead, look hideous, and rot, and stink, and be eaten of worms, yet do I not turn to it, and give me nothing that reason saith concerning it. I have a light that goes far beyond all reason, namely baptism and the gospel; that same light thus tells me that God will make of this foul flesh and shameful, dead body, which now rots and stinks, in its time a beautiful, glorious flesh and a living, clear body, which is brighter than the sun and smells better than all balm. I have no doubt of this, although I see it much differently now before my eyes; for because God says such things in his word, he will also do them. So faith must firmly bind itself to the word, fight and contend against all reason.

(20) And how could we expect reason to be more valid than God's word in these very matters concerning our salvation, and to judge and judge in God's works what it cannot comprehend with its five senses and sharp thoughts? God has done more and still does daily what reason cannot comprehend. He has created heaven

and earth, sun, moon and all creatures were created from nothing. What was the sun, the beautiful, bright light that fills the whole world with its brilliance and glow, six thousand years ago? Nothing. Now all reason must confess that nothing, from which the sun was created, is much less than a filth and dead stinking carrion. If God created the sun from nothing, which is much less than a dead body, should he not have so much power and strength that he could raise a dead body and make it alive again?

The grain is thrown into the field before our eyes and sown; now therefore ask all reason: What is the grain in winter that is sown in the field? Is it not a dead, rotten and decayed thing, covered with frost and snow? Nevertheless, in its time a fine, beautiful, green stalk grows out of the same dead, rotten and decayed grain, which therefore blossoms like a forest, and gains a full, thick ear, since twenty, thirty, sixty grains are in it, and life is found, where before there was only death. If God has done this to heaven, earth, sun and moon, and still does this yearly to the grain of the field, when he calls that which is nothing to be, and does this against all reason, should he not also be able to do what is for the glory of the children of God, even though it is against all reason?

Therefore, we should not let our reason be misled here, for Christ has purchased this treasure for us through His blood, and we have been called to this glory through the Gospel, and have also been baptized as a sign and certain seal of it, and lack nothing but the appearance and revelation that God will remove the cover that still hangs over it, so that we may see face to face what we now see through a mirror (as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 13:12) in the dark word. For this reason we are to reject all reason and long for it, and wait for it in firm faith and certain, constant hope, and pray to God that His kingdom may come soon, so that we may finally obtain the treasure to which we were baptized and for which we hear the gospel.

944 Erl. (2.) 18, 46-48. Sermon on Tit. 2, 13. W. IX, 604-606. 945

2'3 St. Paul says rightly, 1 Cor. 15, 42. 43.: "It is sown corruptible, and will rise incorruptible. It is sown in dishonor, and will rise in glory. It is sown in weakness, and shall rise in power." He proves the glory that Christ will work on us through the resurrection with a similitude of sowing. When a farmer sows grain in the field, or a gardener puts beans or peas in the ground in the garden, he does not see the beans or peas decay, but looks at the stalks and pods that grow from them. He knows that the bean and the pea were also a stem and a pod before; therefore he puts it into the ground, so that it may again become a stem bearing pods. In the same way we should not think that our body, when it is dead and buried, will decay in the earth, but we should think that it will come out of the earth again and become alive. When the dead body is buried, it is sown decayed; not that it should lie eternally in the earth under decay, but that it should rise again from the earth incorruptible. He is sown in dishonor, shame and disgrace; for he stinks horribly, the worms eat him, the toads and snakes pierce his eyes, ears and nose, so that nothing remains but dead men's legs. There is nothing honest, nothing lovely, nothing glorious, but vile, stinking, foul creatures. But he shall rise in glory, that he may be glorious beyond measure, smelling better than any balm, and more beautiful than any creature.

(24) Therefore, when we sit in the garden or walk in the field, let us exercise and strengthen ourselves in the article of our faith concerning the resurrection of the dead. A gardener sets cherry stones, a husbandman casts grain into the ground, and does not look at the stones he sets, nor at the grain he sows; otherwise he would well keep the stones and grain; but looks at the tree, and at the grain that shall grow out of it. His heart is so minded that he says, "Now I will plant the seeds, and in due time there will be a fine young tree that will bring forth the most beautiful cherries. Now I sow the grain; for half a year a fine, green stalk shall stand there, with full, thick

Ears. So we Christians should not look at the body that is laid in the grave, but at the body that will rise again from the grave and come forth. Just as we stand against the creature, hoping and waiting that out of the seed that is cast into the earth will grow a beautiful grain, and that out of the seed that is planted will grow a tree, so we should also stand against our body, believing without a doubt that it will rise again from the dead. A husbandman, when he sows the field, does not look so keenly at the grain he has in his hand as he looks at the grain that will stand in the field for half a year. He turns his eyes and heart away from the grain he has in his hand and looks much more diligently at the grain that will come afterward.

(25) Therefore we Christians should also look much more diligently to the life to come, and wait for it much more surely than for this present life in which we now live. Through baptism we are sown, and through death we must decay. When the hour comes for us to die, we should think, "Well, let us die and decay; it must and should be so with the human body, as with the grain that falls into the earth and decays. But just as the husbandman waits for another grain, which he does not yet see, and which in its time will be found in the field, so certainly, even more certainly, I will wait for another, future life, even though I do not yet see it. This is how we Christians should be.

But where are they who wait in such certain hope for eternal life? The largest crowd in the world pretends not to long for eternal life. A farmer knows the art and has the virtue of waiting for his beans and pods in the garden and for the fruit in the field, which he does not yet see, but we Christians still lack this art by far. This is not at all what the nature of reason wants in us when it comes to faith and our Christianity. A farmer can say: Now I am planting vain young beans and pods, sowing vain young grain; but a Christian cannot say:

946 Erl. (L.) 18, 48-S1. Interpretation on the Epistle to Titus. W. IX, 606-609. 947

Now I live, and I do not know how long; but even if I die, I am waiting for another life, which is much more certain to me than this life, which I see now. Even if my body now suffers, dies and decays, the same body will come forth again and will no longer be able to suffer, die and decay. Of this I am sure, for I have been baptized and have the word of God; therefore I am God's bean and grain, who planted and sowed me through baptism and the gospel. 1)

27. In this way, a farmer could make a fine Bible out of his field, and from the seed he sows, study and learn the article: "I believe in the resurrection of the dead," and say, "This grain, which I sow now, shall lose its essence; but there shall grow up out of it a beautiful green stalk, as long as I am, yielding thirty, sixty, a hundred grains; and out of this bean, which I now put into the ground, shall grow a stalk, yielding young fresh beans. This is my dear book, from which I study and learn that my body, when it is buried in the earth, will become a beautiful, living body; for in this work of the field, which I now have before my hand, that I sow and plant, God will teach me his work, if he will one day work in me. Just as I now sow grain and plant beans, so God sows and plants me through baptism and the Word; therefore I am His bean and grain. Now when I die and rot, this stinking, corruptible body will become a fragrant, incorruptible body.

(28) But the wicked devil and our flesh make it so that we do not do this, but rather sting, scrape, scratch, and begin strangely, as if there were no life left but this present life. Thus, with such a nature, we disgrace our Christian life. In name we are Christians, but in deed we are mere swine: we have no thoughts at all of waiting for another life. No husbandman does with the grain what we do with our bodies. For no one is so minded that he should

1. Marginal gloss in the Eisleben edition: "Thus said Polycarpus in his torture. Viäs Lussd. üist."

for this reason, that it may remain in the field forever. But we have baptism, the word, and are thereby sown and planted by God for another life; nevertheless, we think that baptism and the gospel were given to us so that we should remain here in this world forever.

Therefore St. Paul admonishes us here and says: "No, dear friends, opinion does not have it; the saving grace of God did not appear for us to remain here in this world forever. There is something else than this life on earth; there straighten yourselves. You may work, feed yourselves godly and honestly, eat and drink because you are here, but you should know that this is not the main thing, nor your eternal treasure, but it is the piece of cake that belongs to this life, to maintain the belly, as it also ends with the belly. The saving grace of God has appeared for this reason, that you should hope and wait for another life, for which you were baptized, and of which the gospel teaches you; for to this end our Lord Jesus Christ will also appear as a great God and true Savior, to deliver us from this misery and take us into his kingdom.

(30) Then it will be glorious with the Christians. Now it is going on horribly and shamefully with them. A Christian, when he dies, stinks just as a Turk and godless man; there is no difference between a Christian and an un-Christian. Moreover, Christians here on earth are subjected to the cross, are persecuted and plagued by the devil and men everywhere, must be the footcloth of all the world, are driven away from everything they have, and in addition are blasphemed, desecrated and condemned; therefore Christians are not glorious in this world. In contrast, the world is glorious, worshiped and celebrated. Christians are trampled underfoot, the world is carried on the hands.

This is the brightness and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, that he is despised and rejected, but he will come and appear in glory, bringing with him a brightness that will be glorious, so that all creatures will be more beautiful than they are now. "The sun's light will be seven times brighter than it is now; the moon's light will be more beautiful than it is now.

948 Erk. (2.) 18, 51-53. Sermon on Tit. 2, 13. W. IX, 609-612. 949

Trees, foliage, grass, fruits and everything will be seven times more beautiful than now. Is. 30, 26. 65, 17. 2 Petr. 3, 13. Revelation 21, 1. The Christians will then come out of the graves and shine as the most beautiful, shining stars. A holy martyr, who is now persecuted and burned to powder for the sake of Christ and His Gospel, as a dark, black star, will then float in the air, be twitched towards the Lord in the clouds, and ascend to heaven as a bright, shining, glorious star, Dan. 12, 3. Summa, all the elect and saints of God will be in the greatest glory. He Himself, the Lord Jesus, will sit in the clouds "on the throne of His glory, and before Him will be gathered all the families of the earth", Matth. 25, 31. f. The whole world will be transfigured and will be a hundred thousand times more glorious than it is now. Summa, he will appear, that it will be called appeared.

But why does he call it an "appearance of the great God"? Are all three persons of the eternal divine majesty equally eternal, equally great, as Athanasius says in his Symbolo? Answer: He does not speak here of the essence of God, or of some person in the Godhead, but of the appearance. He does not say that our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his nature and divine essence, is now small, but now great, but that he will appear on the day of his future and show himself as a great God. According to his divine nature, he is always equally great, but according to his appearance and revelation, he is not always equally great. For before the last day he has not yet revealed nor shown his greatness, but on the day of his future he will show himself and let us see how great and glorious God he is. Now he is small, according to the appearance and display; he lets pope, emperor, kings, lords, princes, citizens, peasants play and do with his gospel and with his Christians as they themselves want, as if he were a puppet god who does not see, does not hear, does not know, nor understand. But then he will be great and appear in his majesty, so that they will see in whom they have stabbed.

In the day of his flesh he was small; indeed, he was, as he himself says, Matth. 11, 11, "the smallest in the kingdom of heaven. "For though he was in divine form (says St. Paul Phil. 2, 6-8.), he nevertheless manifested himself, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made like another man, and in his ways was found to be a man; he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross," and allowed himself to be caught, bound, spit upon, scourged, crucified, and killed, and in all these things presented himself as if there were no greatness, no power, no majesty. As the Gospel testifies, his enemies and crucifiers shouted and cried out, "Won!" Marc. 15:29 ff: "Fie on you, how finely you break down the temple and build it in three days! Help yourself now and come down from the cross. He has helped others, and cannot help himself. If he is Christ and King in Israel, let him now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe.

34 In the realm of faith he still presents himself like this today. Even though he has risen from the dead, ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God in divine power and glory, he still hides his greatness, clarity, majesty and power, has his prophets and apostles chased away and murdered, Paul beheaded, Peter crucified, his holy martyrs thrown into bands and prisons, beaten, stoned, hacked to pieces, stabbed and miserably killed; His Christians in the world suffer want, affliction and adversity, just as in the day of his flesh. John the Baptist had to lose his head for the sake of a desperate whore; he, the Savior and Helper, was silent about it, "went away on a ship into a desert alone", Matth. 14, 10. ff. Marc. 6, 27. 32. Is this not a small, childish God, who does not save Himself and lets His children suffer as if He does not see how badly they are doing?

(35) And so it is, as the Scriptures of the prophets and the Psalms have declared, that the wicked boast, mocking the Christians and their God, and say, "Where is their God? Ps. 115, 2. If he is God, he will take care of himself and his people, so that his name will not be cut off like this, and his people will not suffer like this. If he sees and knows not these things, he hath not eyes to see, neither understanding,

950 Eri. (2.) 18, 53-55. interpretation on the letter to Titus. W. IX. 612-614. 951

That he may know it. But if he sees it and knows it and lets it happen, he is not a pious, faithful God and has no heart for his people. If he sees and knows, and cannot help, he does not have hands that can do anything, nor power that he can save. Therefore the prophet Isaiah says of him, Cap. 45, 15: "Truly thou art a hidden God, O God of Israel, the Savior." For he hides his omnipotence, wisdom, power and strength, and presents himself childishly, as if he could do nothing, knew nothing, understood nothing, or did not want to do it. Now he lets our adversaries handle his word, sacraments and Christians as they wish; he lets us call and shout, and is silent about it, just as if he were writing, or would be busy, or would be over the field, or would be asleep and not hear, as Elijah says about Baal, 1 Kings 18:27. 18, 27. But he will show his greatness, his omnipotence and his power, as it is written Ps. 78, 65. 66.: "The Lord awakens like a sleeping man, like a strong man rejoices, who comes from wine. And smiteth his enemies in the butt, and hangeth upon them an everlasting reproach."

(36) In the meantime, Christians baptized in his name must keep still, let their feet run over them, and be patient. For in the realm of faith he will be small, but in the realm of sight he will not be small, but great. Then he will show that he has seen the misery of his people, and heard their cries, and had an inclined will to help them, and also had strength enough that he could help. Now he hides his good will, his power and strength, but when he will appear, then he will reveal his will, his power and strength. Now he can also help and save, he has strength enough that he can do it; there is no lack of will that he wants to do it; but all this is covered in the word that we cannot see it, but must grasp it with faith. But on the day of his coming he will remove the cover and appear as a great God, and do justice to his name, so that people will say: This is a Lord and Savior.

We must wait for such a manifestation of the glory of the great God. For

Before such an appearance he does not show his omnipotence, power, strength, will and help, but rules and leads his Christianity in weakness under the cross, has his gospel and name blasphemed and desecrated, his Christians persecuted, reviled, strangled and killed, and remains silent about it. He lets himself be called a savior and helper, but in reality he does not show himself so fully and obviously as a savior and helper. But when he will come and appear, then he will prove his omnipotence, wisdom, power and help fully and obviously, so that the devil together with all his scales will have to confess and say: This is a great God. Until now we did not know why the Christians believed, confessed, worshipped, honored and praised their Christ as a God and Savior, but now we learn it by deed, for he truly proves that he bore such a name with honor.

38 This is the reason why St. Paul calls Christ a great God, because he wants to give it to understand that he will reveal his great majesty and power on the day of his appearance before all creatures. He will not lie in a manger, nor ride on a donkey, as he did in the first future, but will burst forth from the clouds with great power and glory. He will not let his Christians be trampled underfoot, but will make them beautiful stars and suns, so that they will shine and shine before all creatures. Thus he also speaks 2 Thess. 1, 7. ff.When therefore the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels of his power, and with flames of fire, to execute vengeance upon them that know not God, and upon them which obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall suffer punishment, and everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to shine gloriously with his saints, and marvelously with all them that believe." Summa, he will appear and reveal himself in such a way that all creatures will recognize and see that he was mighty over his enemies and was able and willing to help his people. Whether he already before the blessed day of his future his

952 Erl. (S.) 18, 55-57. Sermon On Tit. 2, 13. W. IX, 614-617. 953

If he did not show and reveal his omnipotence, wisdom, power and will, he never lacked omnipotence, wisdom, power and will, but wanted to hide himself so that he revealed himself in his own time.

(39) And this is also the blessed hope, for which, as he said, we must wait, that we may hope and wait for the appearing and manifestation of his omnipotence, wisdom, glory, power and authority. Now there seems to be none; indeed, the contradiction seems to be. Therefore it is necessary that we hold fast to the word and strengthen ourselves in faith, patience and hope until the hour of his glory and power and our salvation comes: as a husbandman must stand in hope through the winter, waiting for his grain, until it breaks forth from the earth in the spring, grows and grows green.

40 But before the hour comes, and we have to wait for it, we should spend our lives in good works, so that we live godly before God, justly toward our neighbor and chastely toward ourselves. "For this cause," says Titus 2:14, "Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all unrighteousness, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, diligent to do good works."

Now we have often heard what good works are, since through baptism and the gospel we have come to the light and knowledge that we know what good works are, which was not known in the papacy. Before the Gospel came, they preached that good works were those which we ourselves devised and chose out of our own devotion; as that one went to St. James, the other to another pilgrimage; the former gave the monks into the monastery, and had many masses said; the latter put up little wax lights, fasted on water and bread, and prayed so many rosaries 2c. But now that the Gospel is coming, let us preach that good works are not those which we choose of our own accord, but those which God has commanded; as when each one does what God has commanded him to do, and what is required of him in his position here on earth.

A servant does good works when he fears God, believes in Christ, and enters into the obedience of his master. First

He is righteous before God through faith in Christ, then he walks by faith, leads a godly life, is moderate and chaste, serves his neighbor, mucks out the barn, feeds the horses 2c. If he goes in in such works, he does better works than no Carthusian. For since he is baptized, believes in Christ, and waits in certain hope for eternal life, he goes forth, is obedient to his Lord, and knows what he does in his profession, that it pleases God. Therefore, what he does in his profession is all good and delicious. It does not seem that they are great, excellent works when he rides in the field, drives in the mill, etc., but because God's command and order is there, such works, however small they may seem, cannot be and are called anything else but vain good works and services of God. . 43 So also, a maid does good works when she does her work in faith, and does what she is called a woman when she sweeps the house, washes dishes and cooks in the kitchen 2c. Even if such works do not seem like the works of a Carthusian, who has a mask around him and opens people's mouths, they are still much better and more delicious works in the sight of God than the works of a Carthusian, who wears a hard shirt, keeps his early hours, looks at night, sings for five hours and eats no meat 2c. For though these are shining and shining works in the sight of the world, yet they have no commandment and commandment of God; how then can they be good works that please God? Likewise, when a citizen, a farmer, helps his neighbor, serves him in whatever way he can, warns him when he sees that he might suffer harm to his body, wife, child, servants, livestock and goods, helps him where he needs his help 2c., such works do not appear either; but they are nevertheless vainly good, delicious works.

(44) When worldly authorities punish the wicked and protect the pious, when the subjects are subject and obedient to their authorities, and do so in faith in Christ and in hope of eternal life, these are good works, even though they do not shine or appear before reason. For what God does on earth through His Christians and saints is not to shine or shine before the world, but rather to be a good deed.

954 Erl. (s.) 18, 57-59. Interpretation On the Epistle to Titus. W. IX, 617-620. 955

The devil will be black, despised and condemned by the devil and the world. Again, what the devil does through his hypocrites and false saints should shine and shine, so that all the world opens its mouth and nose, and is amazed at it, as if it were a good, delicious thing, when it is all the devil's deceit and lies. If one consults reason, then the works of a servant, a maid, a master, a wife, a mayor and a judge are mean, small works compared to the fact that a Carthusian watches, fasts, prays and does not eat meat. But if one takes God's word into consideration, the works of all the houses and monks, even if they were all melted down into one heap, are not as good as the works of a few poor maidservants who are placed in God's kingdom through baptism, who believe in Christ, and who wait in faith for the blessed hope.

(45) These two things St. Paul wished to preserve in Christendom: the knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and the knowledge of our commanded office; that we might know our Christian estate aright; first, that we are called through baptism and the gospel to be heirs of eternal life; wherefore we also ought to wait for the blessed hope and appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, because we have now become Christians and heirs of the kingdom of heaven, that everything we do by faith in our profession and state is good and precious work, therefore we should also be diligent to do good works. And these two things we should learn well. The first, of blessed hope, we must have for that life, that we may know where we are to abide when this life is ended. The other, of good works, we must have for this life, that we may know how to keep ourselves in our state and office.

46 Therefore, since we have heard what our blessed hope is, for which we should wait, we should now also learn what good works are, namely, those that are done by faith, in our commanded ministry, according to God's commandment and word. Although such works do not shine in the sight of reason, they are nevertheless delicious in the sight of God.

Monk, that he may see and know them. So, I am a preacher, that is my office; if I now believe in Christ, and wait for the blessed hope, and thereupon go, wait for my preaching, and do my office, although my work has a low reputation, yet I would not interpret with all the monks and nuns, and with all their works, which they do in the monastery. 1) And so, through baptism and faith in Christ, I have my knowledge of that life, and through God's word, a report for this present life, how I should conduct myself in it.

47 A wife is also a living saint if she believes in Christ, waits for the blessed hope and appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then goes and does what is proper for a wife. For our works, which we do in our commanded office, even though they are regarded by the world as common and small works, will be praiseworthy in the sight of God if they are done out of faith in Christ and in the hope of eternal life.

(48) But, as I said, the world is not worthy to see and know a good work. For as reason knows nothing of the blessed hope of eternal life, so neither does it understand what good works are. Thus it thinks: This maid milks the cows, this farmer plows the field; these are all common, small works, which also the heathen do; how then can they be good works? But this one becomes a monk, that one becomes a nun, looks sour, puts on a cap, wears a hair shirt: these are special works that other people do not do, therefore they must be good works. This is how reason thinks. Thus one comes from the knowledge, both of the blessed hope and of good works.

(49) Therefore no one can know either this present life or that which is to come, nor can he really send himself to it, unless he is a Christian. He says, "God has given me eternal life through His Son, and I was baptized into it and called to it through the gospel, so I will wait for it with confidence. But besides this he has given me

1. booty - swap.

956 Erl. (2.) 18, 59-61. Sermon on: Tit. 2, 13. W. IX, 620-623. 957

I am to be a master, a wife, a servant, a maid, a schoolmaster, a preacher, 2c. and to serve him in my profession; therefore I will also be diligent in good works, a fine godly servant, an obedient, disciplined maid, a diligent schoolmaster, a faithful preacher, and do what is pleasing to God.

Whoever knows these things and acts accordingly, his life will not be difficult or sour, and he will not grumble against God, even though he is sometimes in a bad way. For because he is sure of eternal life, and waits for the blessed hope and appearing of the Savior Jesus Christ, he gladly does and suffers all that he should do and suffer. Then, because he recognizes his calling and knows that he serves God in it, he is undaunted to carry out his commanded work. Even though the world is evil and wicked, and life in this world is dangerous and arduous, and the works he does are of little repute, he knows that his position and office are divine, and the works he does in such a position are good and pleasing in the sight of God. Therefore, lead this life with a good conscience and a happy heart, and say: Here I serve God as long as I live, and wait for the blessed hope and appearance of my Savior Jesus Christ; when He will reveal Himself from heaven, I will possess eternal life. But whoever does not know this and does not act accordingly, his life must become sour and difficult. Because he is not sure of eternal life and does not wait for the blessed hope, he cannot be satisfied nor have patience. As soon as things change and do not go as he wants, he becomes impatient and grumbles against God. After that, because he is not sure whether his deeds will please God

If he falls, he can have no joy in his heart nor a good conscience in his work, so he brings this life to fear, sorrow and a heavy nature, and loses eternal life with it. Because he lives on earth, he lives like a sow; when he is to die, he has no hope, weeps, laments and says: "My life has become sour, now I must leave it and die, and I do not know where to go.

(51) It serves such a man right; why does he not learn these two things: first, what his hope is, and what he has to wait for in heaven; then also how he should send himself into his office, and how he should live here on earth? Because he has not learned any of these things, it cannot be otherwise; this life must become sour and difficult for him, and he must have hell to go with it. But a Christian who knows these two things has here a sweet life on earth, and there eternal life through Christ our Savior. Even though he has much toil and unpleasure in his position, he still has joy in his heart and a good conscience in his toil and labor, because he knows that his work and labor are all good works and services to God. If he is a servant, he is happy and in good spirits; if he goes into the woods, rides in the field, he sings; if his master is strange, scolds him and does him wrong, he has patience and waits for another life.

(52) Therefore we are to learn these two things diligently, that we may know what our hope is, not in this life, but in another life to come, and how we are to live godly in this world, and be diligent in good works. And that is enough of this saying for this time; may our dear God grant us His grace to live by it, amen.

Heb. 11:13-16.

All these died in faith, not having received the promise, but having seen it afar off, and having been put off, and having been well pleased, and having confessed that they were sojourners and strangers on the earth. For those who say this indicate that they are looking for a homeland. And that is, where they would have meant the one from which they came.

they had time to turn back. But now they desire a better one, namely a heavenly one, therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

1 Chron. 30, 15.

We are strangers and sojourners before you, like all our fathers. Our life on earth is like a shadow, and is no endurance.

958 Erl. 51, 324-326. interpretations on the*1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 624 f. 959

X. Interpretations on the first epistle of St. Peter.

A. [The first epistle of St. Peter preached and interpreted. *)

First editing.

Preached in 1522 and 1523; printed toward the end of 1523.

Preface by D. Martin Luther.

Before we come to the Epistle of St. Peter, it is necessary that we give a brief instruction, so that one may know what this Epistle is to be held for and have a proper understanding of it.

2 First of all, it is to be known that all the apostles' teachings are one; and it is not right to count four evangelists and four gospels, for all that the apostles have written is one. One gospel. Gospel but

means nothing else than a sermon and cry of the grace and mercy of God, earned and acquired through the Lord Christ with his death. It is not what is written in books and letters, but rather an oral sermon and living word, and a voice that resounds in the whole world and is shouted out publicly, so that it is heard everywhere.

S) In the course of 1522 and deep into 1523 Luther preached on the first epistle of St. Peter on Sunday afternoons. This is reported to us in an index of the Zwickau Luther finding. (Buchwald, Andreas Poach's handwritten collection of unprinted sermons of D. Martin Luther 2c. Erster Band, erste Hälfte, Seite XVI. Leipzig 1884): "Den Nachmittag s^.nno 1523^ hatt er die erste und 2. epistel S. Petri vnd Judä gepredigt." Still in 1523, the sermons on the first epistle of St. Peter appeared in print, probably not until the end of the year, under the title: Epistle St. Peter preached and interpreted by Mart. Luther." At the end: "Gedruckt zu Wittemberg durch Nickel Schyrlentz ym drey vnd zwentzigsten jar." In addition to other individual editions of the first letter in 1523 and 1524, two editions were published in 1524, one by Adam Petri in Basel, and one by Silvanus Ottmar in Augsburg, to which the interpretations of the second epistle of St. Peter and Jude were also added. Bucer translated the interpretations of the two epistles of Peter and the Epistle of Jude into Latin. This translation was published in July 1524 in Strasbourg by Johann Herwagen, and in May 1525 another edition was published there. In the "Gesammtausgabe": Jenaer (1585), vol. II, p. 293d; Altenburger, vol. II, p. 405; Leipziger, vol. XI, p. 479; Walch, vol. IX, col. 624; Erlanger, vol. 51, p. 324 and Weimarsche, vol. XII, p. 249. Bucer's Latin translation: Wittenberger (1554), Dom. V, col. 439d. - This interpretation did not come from Luther's own pen, but was copied and edited by Caspar Cruciger. Since Luther later preached again on the first epistle of St. Peter, Georg Rörer changed some things in the first edition on the basis of these sermons and also added much from the same. The reason that no single edition of this review appeared is that Rörer had made this revision for the first volume of Luther's collected works, which came out in 1539. Luther's sermons on the First Letter of Peter were still in progress when the publication of this first volume was already in progress. The last sermon, which was used for the improvement of the first redaction, about I Petr. 5, 9, Luther held on July 13, 1539. To give this (so far unknown) exact time determination, has been made possible by the Zwickau Lutherfund. If one takes into account the "Luther's" writings from the same in this volume sub Xo. X, 0, the "Five Sermons on I Petri Cap. 4 and 5" with this interpretation, one will recognize the correctness of the information we have given. Probably Luther's sermons on the first letter of Peter will extend back into the year 1538. The improved text is found only in the Wittenberg edition (1556), vol. I, p. 473 d and in the Erlangen, vol. 52, p. I. Walch had only the text of the first edition. In the next number, however, we will bring the improved text according to the Wittenberg edition. Luther's preface, which precedes the second edition in the Wittenberg edition, is not a preface to this interpretation, but a preface to the epistle itself, which had already appeared in print in 1522 in the German translation of the New Testament. Therefore, we leave it here "nd will place it, as Walch did, in the fourteenth volume of our edition under Luther's prefaces to the biblical books. In the Erlangen edition it appears twice, namely vol. 52, p. I and vol. 63, p. 151. The preface to the first interpretation is missing in the German Wittenberg edition, but is found in the other editions, also in the Latin translation, which reproduces the first redaction. We give the text according to the Weimar edition.

960 Erl. 51, 3S6-328. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 1. 2. W. IX, 624-630. 961

hears. So it is not a book of laws that has much good doctrine in it, as it has been held until now. For it does not tell us to do works to become godly, but proclaims to us the grace of God, freely given and without our merit, and tells us how Christ interceded for us, and was sufficient for our sin, and blots it out, and makes us godly and blessed by his works.

3 Whoever preaches or describes these things teaches the true gospel, as do all the apostles, especially St. Paul and Peter in their epistles. Therefore all that is preached of Christ is one gospel, even though one preaches it in a different way and speaks of it in different words than the other. For it may be a short or a long speech, and described in a short or a long way. But if the point is that Christ is our Savior, and that we are justified and saved through faith in him, without our works, then it is one word and one gospel; just as there is only one faith and one baptism in all Christendom.

(4) Thus one apostle has written the same things that are written in the other; but those who do this most and most highly, how faith in Christ alone justifies, are the best evangelists. Therefore, St. Paul's epistles are more of a gospel than Matthew, Marcus and Lucas. For these do not describe much more than the history of the works and

miraculous signs of Christ; but the grace that we have through Christ, no one so boldly as St. Paul, especially in the epistle to the Romans. Since the word is more important than the works and deeds of Christ, and since it would be better to lack works and history than words and doctrine, those books are to be praised most highly which deal most with the doctrine and word of the Lord Christ. For even if the miraculous works of Christ were not there, and we knew nothing of them, we would still have enough of the word, without which we could not have life.

5 So this epistle of St. Peter is also one of the noblest books in the New Testament, and the true, righteous gospel. For it also does the same thing that St. Paul and all the evangelists do, that it teaches righteous faith, as Christ is given to us, who takes away our sin and makes us blessed, as we shall hear.

(6) From this you may judge of all books and doctrines what is or is not the gospel. For what is not preached or written in this way, you may freely judge that it is false, however good it may seem. All Christians have this power to judge, not the pope or concilia, who boast that they alone have the power to judge doctrine. That is enough for the introduction and preface. Now let us hear the epistle.

The first chapter.

V. 1. 2. Peter, an apostle of JEsu Christ, to the elect strangers to and fro in Ponto, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, according to the provision of GOD the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of JEsu Christ.

1 This is the superscription and signature. Here you will soon see that it is the gospel. He says he is an apostle; that is, a mouth messenger. That is why it is properly Germanized, a messenger, or messenger of twelve, because of the twelve. But because it is now understood what Apostolus,

the Greek word, that is why I have not translated it. But actually it means a mouth messenger; not one who carries letters, but a skillful one who presents and advertises a matter orally, which in Latin is called oratores. So now he wants to say: I am an apostle of Jesus Christ, that is, I have a command from Jesus Christ that I should preach about Christ.

2 Notice how all who preach the doctrine of men are soon excluded. For he is a messenger of Jesus Christ, who preaches that which Christ commanded. If he preaches otherwise

962 Erl. 51, 328-330. interpretations on the I Epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 630-633. 963

he is not a messenger of Christ; therefore he is not to be heard. But if he does, it is just as much as if you hear Christ himself present.

To the chosen strangers back and forth, in Ponto, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.

3 He wrote this epistle in the lands that are here. In former times it was Christian, but now the Turk has it under him; nevertheless one finds perhaps still Christians there. Pontus is a large and wide land by the sea. Cappadocia is also close to it, almost touching it. Galatia lies behind it. Asia and Bithynia in front on the sea, all lie toward the east, and are large countries. Paul also preached in Galatia and Asia; whether also in Bithynia, I do not know. In the last two 1) he did not preach. Foreigners are those whom we call foreigners. So he calls them, because they were Gentiles. And it is a wonder that St. Peter, because he was an apostle of the Jews, nevertheless writes here to the Gentiles. The Jews called them proselytos, that is, fellow Jews, who came to their law, and were not of the Jewish tribe and blood of Abraha. Therefore he writes to those who were Gentiles before, but now converted to the faith, and joined the believing Jews, and calls them "chosen strangers", who are certainly Christians; to them alone he writes. This is also a good point, as we will hear.

V. 2. According to the providence of God the Father.

You are chosen (he says). How? Not by themselves, but according to God's order. For we will not be able to bring ourselves to heaven, or make faith in us. God will not let all people into heaven; He will even count His own exactly. The human doctrine of free will and our powers is no longer valid. It is not up to our will, but to God's will and election.

In the sanctification of the spirit.

God has provided for us that we should be holy, and thus that we should become spiritually holy. The sacred word "holy" and "spiritual" have also been perverted by the ventriloquists,

1. That is, in the first two mentioned, Pontus and Cappadocia. In the second adaptation: "in the other two".

that they have called their status as priests and monks holy and spiritual, and have so disgracefully taken away the noble, precious name, as well as the name "church," that the pope and bishops are the church; they say that the church has commanded it, if they do what they want according to their will. Holiness is not to be monks, priests and nuns, to wear plates and robes. It is a spiritual word, that we are holy from the heart in the spirit before God. And he actually said this to indicate that nothing is holy except the holiness that God works in us. For at that time the Jews had much outward holiness, but it was not true holiness. This is what Peter wants to say: God has provided you to be truly holy; as St. Paul also says, Eph. 4:24: "In righteousness and holiness of the truth", that is, in a righteous and basic holiness; for the outward holiness, as the Jews had, counts for nothing before God.

6 So the Scripture calls us holy, because we still live here on earth, if we believe. But the papists have taken this name from us and say: We are not to be holy, the saints in heaven alone are holy. Therefore we must get the noble name again. You must be holy; but you must make yourself so that you do not think that you are holy of yourself or by your merit, but because you hold the word of God, that heaven is yours, that you are righteously pious and have become holy through Christ. You must confess this if you want to be a Christian. For that would be the greatest dishonor and blasphemy of the name of Christ, if we would not give glory to the blood of Christ, that it might wash away our sins, or believe that the blood makes us holy. Therefore you must believe and confess that you are holy, but through this blood, not through your piety; so that you leave life and what you have, and wait for what may come to you because of it.

To the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of JEsu Christ.

(7) Thus, he says, we become holy when we are submissive and believe the Word.

964 Erl. 51, 330-333. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr, I, 2-9. W. IX, 633-636. 965

Christ, and are sprinkled 1) with his blood. And here St. Peter speaks in a slightly different way than St. Paul; but it is just as much as when Paul says that we are saved through faith in 2) Christ. For faith makes us obedient and subject to Christ and his word. Therefore, to be under the word of God and under Christ, and to be sprinkled 1) by His blood, is as much as to believe. For it is hard for nature, it fights against it, and breaks itself 3) very much in that it should give itself so completely under Christ, and cease from all its things, and even despise its things and consider them sin. But still she must give herself up.

8. The Psalm Miserere Ps. 51, 9. also says about sprinkling: "Lord, sprinkle me with hyssop and I will be cleansed. It runs 4) on the law of Moses, there St. Peter has drawn it, and wants to reveal to us the Moses, and to lead into the Scriptures. When Moses built the tabernacle, he took the blood of the goat and sprinkled the tabernacle and all the people, Ex. 24, 6. 8. Hebr. 9, 19, The sprinkling does not sanctify in the spirit, but only outwardly; therefore a spiritual cleansing must take place Hebr. 9, 13. 14. That was an outward and carnal holiness, which is not valid in the sight of God; therefore God meant by this sprinkling the spiritual sprinkling. Therefore Peter says: "The Jews are in the holiness that is outward, are pious before men and of an honorable life; but you are considered wicked men. But ye have a better sprinkling, being sprinkled in the Spirit, that ye may be pure from within. The Jews sprinkled themselves outwardly with the blood of goats; but we are sprinkled inwardly in the conscience, as the heart becomes pure and glad.

9 So the Gentiles are no longer Gentiles, the pious Jews with their sprinkling are no longer pious, but it is now reversed. It must be a sprinkling that turns us around and makes us spiritual. Sprinkling means preaching that Christ has shed his blood.

1. Weimarsche: blown up.
2. Weimarsche: ynn.
3. to break - to toil.
4. Weimarsche: läufst. Bucer translated this passage thus: Hluüitur untern a<1 Llosi

and comes to his Father on our behalf, saying, "Dear Father, do you see my blood that I have shed for this sinner? If you believe this, you are sprinkled. So you see the right way to preach. If all the popes, monks and priests melted all their things into one heap, they could not teach and accomplish as much as St. Peter did here with few words.

(10) Now this is the signature of the epistle, wherein he signifieth his ministry, which he preacheth; as we have heard. Therefore this alone is the gospel; let all the rest, which is not of this nature, be trampled under foot, and let all other books go, where you find pretty titles of works and prayers and indulgences, which do not teach such things, and are not publicly founded thereon. All papal books have not one letter of this obedience, of this blood and sprinkling. Now follows the greeting to those to whom he writes.

Grace and peace multiply among you.

(11) Then St. Peter of the Apostle Paul's way of greeting, though not entirely, is said, "You now have peace and grace, but not yet fully; therefore you must always increase until the old Adam dies. "Grace" is God's grace, which now begins in us, but must work for and for and increase until death. Whoever recognizes this and believes that he has a gracious God, has Him; so his heart also gains peace, and fears neither the world nor the devil. For he knows that God, who is powerful in all things, is his friend, and wants to help him out of death, hell, and all misfortune, therefore his conscience has peace and joy. This is what St. Peter wishes the faithful; and this is a proper Christian greeting, with which all Christians should greet each other. Thus we have the superscription with the greeting. Now he starts the epistle and speaks:

V. 3-9. Glory be to God, and to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance, which is to be

** **966 Erl. 51, 333-335. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 636-638. 967

is in heaven upon you, who by the power of God are kept in faith unto salvation, which is prepared to be revealed at the last time, in the which ye shall rejoice, who now for a little while (where it shall be) are sorrowful in many temptations; That your faith may be proved more precious than the gold that perisheth (is proved by fire), to the praise and honour of Jesus Christ, whom ye have not seen, yet love, in whom ye also believe, but see not yet. But for faith's sake ye shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, and shall bring away the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

In this preface, you see a proper apostolic speech and entrance to the matter, and as I also said before 1), that this is an example of a beautiful epistle. For there he already begins, and explains what Christ is, and what we have obtained through him, since he speaks that God has born us again to a living hope, through the resurrection of Christ. Item, that all goods are given to us by the Father, without our merit, out of pure mercy. These are true evangelical words that should be preached. Help God, how little of this sermon is found in all books, even those that are supposed to be the best. As St. Jerome and St. Augustine wrote, how it does not rhyme with these words at all! It is therefore necessary to preach about Jesus Christ, that he died and rose again, and why he died and rose again, so that people may believe in him through such preaching and be saved through faith. This is called preaching the right gospel. What is not preached in this way is not the gospel, so be it to whomever will.

This is now Summa Summarum of these words: Christ has led us to the Father through his resurrection. With this, St. Peter wants to lead us to the Father through the Lord Christ, and makes him the mediator between God and us. So far we have been preached that we should call upon the saints,

1. In the preface, § 5.

that they might be our intercessors against God; then we ran to Our Lady and made her our mediatrix, leaving Christ as an angry judge. This the Scripture does not do; it goes and presses closer, and praises the Lord Christ, that he is our mediator, through whom we must come to the Father. Oh, it is an exceeding great good that is given to us through Christ, that we may come before the Father and claim the inheritance of which St. Peter speaks here.

(14) And these words show what the apostle meant, that he begins to praise the Father with great devotion, and wants us to praise and adore him, because of the abundant riches he has given us, in that he has given us birth again, and thus born, before we ever thought of it or had the means to do so. There is nothing to praise but mere mercy. Therefore we cannot boast of any works, but must confess that we have all we have by mercy alone. There is no more law nor wrath as before, when he terrified the Jews to flee, and they did not thirst at the mountain Ex. 19:16, 20, 19. He no longer drives us and beats us, but deals with us in the most friendly way, makes us new, and does not give us to do one work or two, but creates in us a new birth and a new being, so that we become something different than before we were Adam's children; namely, planted out of Adam's inheritance into the inheritance of God, that God is our Father, we are His children, and thus also heirs of all the goods that He has.

(15) Behold, so bravely does the Scripture deal with this thing, all is alive, not useless theidings, 2) with which we deal. Because we are born again, children of God and heirs, we are equal to St. Paul, St. Petro, Our Lady and all the saints in dignity and honor; for we have the treasure and all the goods of God just as abundantly as they. For they also had to be born again, like us, so they have no more than all Christians.

2. Theiding - speech.

968 Erl. 51, 335-337. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 3. W. IX, 638-641. 969

To a living hope through the resurrection of JEsu Christ from the dead.

(16) The reason we live on earth is not that we should also help other people, otherwise it would be best for God to strangle us and let us die as soon as we were baptized and had begun to believe. But that is why he lets us live here, so that we may also bring other people to faith, as he has done for us. But because we are on earth, we must live in hope. For although we are sure that through faith we have all the goods of God (for faith certainly brings with it the new birth, childship, and inheritance), yet you do not yet see it; therefore it is still in hope, set aside a little, so that we cannot see it with our eyes. This is what he calls the hope of life; this is a Hebrew way of speaking, as when one says: homo peccati. We say: "A living hope", that is, in which we may certainly hope and be sure of eternal life. But it is hidden, and still a cloth is drawn over it, that it may not be seen. It can now only be grasped with the heart and through faith, as St. John writes in a fine epistle, 1 John 3:2: "We are now the children of God, and it has not yet appeared to us that we shall be; but we know that when it shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." For this life and that life cannot bear one another, nor can they stand together, that we may eat, drink, sleep, watch, and do other natural works which this life entails, and be blessed at the same time. Therefore, we cannot come to live forever unless we have died and this life passes away. Thus, while we are here, we must stand in hope until God wills that we see the goods that we have.

(17) But by what do we attain to the living hope? "Through the resurrection of Christ from the dead," he says. I have often said that no one should believe in God in such a way that he would do it without means. Therefore, we cannot act before God by ourselves, for we are all children of wrath Eph. 2:3, but we must have another through whom we come before God.

who will stand for us and reconcile us to God. There is no other mediator than the Lord Christ, who is the Son of God. Therefore this is not a true faith, as the Turks and Jews believe: I believe that God created heaven and earth. So the devil also believes, but does not help him. For they dare to come before God without Christ, the mediator. Therefore St. Paul says Rom. 5, 1. 2.: "We have access to God through faith", not through ourselves, but "through Christ". Therefore, we must bring Christ, come with Him, pay tribute to God with Him, and do everything through Him and in His name that we want to do with God. This is also what St. Peter means here, and thus wants to say: We are certainly waiting for life, even though we are still here on earth. But all this is not otherwise than through the resurrection of Christ, because he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, and sits at the right hand of God. For this is why he ascended, that he might give us his Spirit, that we might be born again, and that now through him we might come to the Father, saying, Behold, I come before thee, and pray; not altogether that I should rely upon my prayer, but that my Lord Christ should stand for me, and be my Advocate. These are all fiery words where there is a heart that believes; where there is not, it is all cold, and does not go to the heart.

18. From this, however, one can judge what a righteous Christian doctrine or sermon is. For if one is to preach the gospel, it must be, in short, about the resurrection of Christ. He who does not preach this is not an apostle, for this is the main part of our faith. And these are the righteous, noblest books, which teach and practice such things most, as is said above [§ 12j. Therefore it can be felt that the epistle of Jacob is not a true apostolic epistle, 2) because there is almost no letter in it about these things. The greatest power lies in this article of faith. For if it were not for the resurrection, we would not have any
19. Cf. s 12/
20. Compare Luther's short notes on the New Testament at the end of this volume. Likewise Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XU, 581. Walch, old edition, vol. XIV, 105, §4.

970 Erl. öi, 337-340. Interpretations on the I Epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 641-643. 971

comfort nor hope, and the rest all that Christ did and suffered would be in vain 1 Cor. 15:17.. Therefore let it be taught: Behold, Christ died for thee, and took upon him sin, and death, and hell, and was laid under them; but nothing could oppress him, because he was too strong; but he rose again under them, and overcame all these things, and brought them under himself; and that for this cause thou mightest be delivered from them, and become a ruler over them. If you believe this, you have it. We cannot do all this with our own ability; that is why Christ had to do it, otherwise he could not have come down from heaven. Therefore it is no different when we preach about our works, because this preaching does not come to pass and cannot be understood. Oh, how we Christians should know this so well, how the epistle should be so clear to us!

To an inheritance imperishable and undefiled and unfading.

19 That is, we do not hope for the good or inheritance which is not present, but we live in the hope of an inheritance which is present, and which is imperishable, and also undefiled and unfading. We have the inheritance eternally without end, but we do not see it now. These are mighty and excellent words; to whom this comes to mind, he will not (I think) ask much about temporal goods and pleasures. How can it be possible for someone to be attached to temporal goods and pleasures, if he certainly believed that? For if one holds the worldly good against this, one sees how it all passes away and only lasts for a time; but this alone remains eternal, is not consumed. In addition, all these things are unclean and defile us, for there is no man so pious whom temporal goods do not defile; but this inheritance alone is pure: he who has it is eternally undefiled. Nor does it wither, wither, or rot. All that is on earth, though it be hard as iron and stone, yet it is changeable, and endureth not. A man, as soon as he 1) grows old, so he is ugly. "But that does not change, remains fresh forever and

1) In the old editions: "it".

green. On earth there is no pleasure so great that it does not wear out, as we see that one gets tired of everything; but this good is not so. We have all this in Christ, through God's mercy, if we believe it, and it is given to us freely. For how should we poor people by our works be able to earn such great good, which no human reason nor sense can comprehend?

Keeping that is in heaven upon you.

(20) Surely the inheritance, imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, is ours; it is only now hidden for a little while, until we shut our eyes, and let ourselves be embraced; then we shall surely find it, and see it, if we believe.

V. 5: Who through the power of God are kept in faith unto salvation.

(21) We are waiting for the precious inheritance (he says) in the hope into which we have come through faith. For so it goes one after another: from the word follows faith; from faith the new birth; from the birth we enter into hope, that we may wait and be sure of the good things. That is why Peter spoke in a Christian way, that it must be by faith and not by works.

22. But actually St. Peter says here: "You are preserved to salvation by the power of God", because many people, when they hear the gospel, how faith alone without all works makes them godly, plump down and say: Yes, I also believe; thinking that their thought, which they themselves make, is faith. Now we have been taught from Scripture that we cannot do the least 3) works without the Spirit of God; how then can we by our powers do the highest work, that is, believe? Therefore, such thoughts are nothing else but a dream and imaginary thing. God's power must be there and work in us to make us believe, as Paul also says Eph. 1, 17. ff, "God give you the spirit of wisdom, that you may know which is the
23. In Latin: KiSniüoanter - apt.
24. Weimarsche: mynsten. Bucer: mininm. Jenaer: geringsten.

972 eds. M, 340-34S. First edition. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 5. 6. W. IX, 643-646. 973

the exceeding greatness of his power in us who have believed, according to the effect of his mighty strength" 2c. Not only is it God's will, but it is also God's power that He makes it cost Him much. For when God creates faith in man, it is as great a work as if He created heaven and earth again.

(23) Therefore the fools know not what they say, who say: Well, how can faith alone do it? Some believe, but they do not do good works. For they think that their own dream is faith, and that faith may well be without good works. But we say, as Peter says, that faith is the power of God. Where God works faith, man must be born again and become a new creature; naturally, good works must follow from faith. Therefore, one must not say to a Christian who believes, "Do this or that work," for he is doing good works of his own accord. But this must be said to him, that he deceive not himself with false, imaginary faith. Therefore let the rag-washers 1) go, who can speak much of it, which is nothing but foam and useless talk, of whom also Paul says 1 Cor. 4:19, 20: "I will come to you, and will not ask for the words of the puffed-up, but for the power. For the kingdom of God is not in words, but in power." Now where this power of God is not, there is neither righteous faith nor good works. Therefore, they are vain liars who boast of the Christian name and faith, and yet lead an evil life. For if it were God's power, they would be different.

(24) What is this that St. Peter says: You are preserved by the power of God unto salvation? This is what he means by it: "Such a tender and precious thing is faith, which the power of God (which is with us and of which we are full) works in us, to give us a right and clear understanding of all things that pertain to salvation, that we may judge all things that are on earth, and say: This doctrine is righteous, this is

1. In Latin: Istos innnitsr Anrrutos.

false; this life is right, that is not; this work is good and well done, that is evil. And what such a man concludes is right and true; for he cannot be deceived, but is preserved and kept, and remains a judge over all doctrine.

(25) Again, where faith and this power of God are not, there is nothing but error and blindness; reason is led back and forth from one work to another, because it would gladly go to heaven by its works, and always thinks: This work will take you to heaven; do this and you will be saved. That is why there are so many monasteries, convents, altars, priests, monks and nuns in the world. God lets the unbelievers fall into such blindness. But for us who believe, he keeps us in a right mind, so that we do not fall into condemnation, but come to blessedness.

What bliss is ready to be revealed at the last time.

(26) That is, the inheritance to which you have been assigned has long been acquired and prepared from the beginning of the world, but now it lies hidden, still covered, closed and sealed. But it is to be done in a little while, and in a moment it will be opened and uncovered for us to see.

V. 6 In which you will rejoice, who now for a little while (where it is to be) are sorrowful in many a temptation.

(27) If thou art a Christian, and waitest for the inheritance or salvation, thou must hold to this alone, and despise all that is on earth, and confess that all worldly reason, wisdom, and holiness are nothing. The world will not be able to bear this; therefore you must consider that you will be condemned and persecuted. Thus St. Peter sums up faith, hope, and the holy cross; for one follows from the other.

28 And he also gives us comfort when we suffer and are persecuted. The mourning will last a little while, but after that you will rejoice, for blessedness has already been prepared for you.

974 Erl. 51, 34L-344, , interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 646-649. 975

your sufferings. This is also a true Christian comfort, not like the comfort of human teachings, which do not seek more than how to find help from outward misfortune. I do not add bodily comfort (he says); it does no harm that you must have outward misfortune; only go up fresh, and hold fast; do not think how you will be rid of misfortune, but think thus: My inheritance is already prepared and present, is to be done for a short time, the suffering must soon cease. So we should set aside temporal consolation and set against it the eternal consolation that we have in God.

29 It is also to be noted here that the apostle adds: "Where it should be. As he will also say afterwards in chapter 3, v. 17: "If it is the will of God". There are many people who want to storm heaven and soon enter it; therefore they put a cross on themselves at their own discretion. For reason always wants to put up only its own works. God does not want that, it should not be our own works that we choose, but we should wait for what God lays out and sends to us, so that we go and follow as He leads us; therefore you must not run after it yourself. If it should be so, that is, if God sends you to do it, accept it and take comfort in the blessedness that is not temporal but eternal.

V. 7. 8. that the proving of your faith (or, that your proven faith) may be found much more precious than the perishable gold that is proved by fire, to praise, glory and honor, when Jesus Christ is revealed, whom you have not seen, and yet love, in whom also you believe, and yet do not see.

(30) For this purpose the cross and all kinds of adversity are to be used, so that the false faith and the righteous faith may be separated. God therefore attacks us so that our faith may be proven and made manifest before the world, so that other people may also be provoked to faith, and we may also be praised and glorified. For as we praise God, so He will praise, glorify and honor us again; then the false hypocrites will be put to shame who do not go about it in the right way.

The whole of Scripture compares temptation to fire; so here St. Peter also compares gold, which is proved by fire, to the proving of faith through temptation and suffering. The fire makes the gold no less; but it makes it pure and clean, so that all addition comes from it. God has therefore laid the cross on all Christians, so that they may be cleansed and swept clean, so that faith may remain pure, just as the word is pure, so that people may cling to the word alone and not trust in any other thing. For we have daily need of such sweeping and such a cross, because of the old, coarse Adam.

(32) Thus it is for a Christian life to increase and become more and more pure. When we come to faith through the preaching of the gospel, we become godly and begin to be clean; but because we are still in the flesh, we can never be completely clean. Therefore God throws us into the midst of the fire, that is, into suffering, shame and misfortune, so that we are swept away more and more until we die. To this we cannot come with any works. For how can an outward work make the heart inwardly pure? When faith is thus proved, all that is additional and false must depart and fall away. Glorious honor, praise and glory will follow when Christ is revealed. Therefore follows:

V. 8. 9. But for faith's sake you will rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, and will bring the end of your faith, that is, the blessedness of your souls.

(33) An inexpressible, glorious joy it shall be (says St. Peter), of which one has honor and glory. The world has such joy, of which one has nothing but shame, and of which one must be ashamed. St. Peter spoke clearly about the future joy, and there is hardly such a clear saying in the Scriptures about the future joy as here, and yet he cannot express it. This is a part of the preface, in which the apostle indicated what faith in Christ is, and how it is to be proven and purified through the adversity and suffering that God sends us. Now follows how this faith is recorded and promised in Scripture.

976 Erl. 51, 344-347. First editing. Sermon on 1 Pet. 1, 10-12. W. IX, 649-6S1. 977

V.10-12. For what blessedness the prophets prophesied concerning the grace that was to come upon you, seeking and searching for what and to what time the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed, and testified beforehand of the sufferings which are in Christ, and of the glory afterward to whom it was revealed. For they presented it not unto themselves, but unto us; which is now made known unto you by them that preached the gospel unto you, sent down from heaven by the Holy Ghost; which also the angels longed to behold.

Here St. Peter refers us back to the holy Scriptures, so that we may see how God keeps what He promised us for 1) no merit's sake, but by grace alone. For the whole of Scripture is designed to tear us from our works and bring us to faith. And it is necessary that we study the Scriptures carefully, so that we may be sure of faith. St. Paul also leads us into the Scriptures, where he says Rom. 1, 2, that God promised the gospel beforehand through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures; item, Rom. 3, 21, that the faith by which one is justified is attested through the law and the prophets. So we also read Apost. 17, 2. f., how Paul preached the faith to the Thessalonians, led them into the Scriptures and expounded them to them, and how they went back to the Scriptures daily and searched whether it was as Paul had taught them [Apost. 17, 11.). Therefore we should also do so, that we run behind and learn to base the New Testament on the Old. Then we will see the promise of Christ in it; as Christ Himself says John 5:39: "Search the Scriptures, for it is they that testify of Me." Item, v. 46: "If you believed Mosi, you also believed me, for he wrote of me."

35 For this reason we should abandon the idle talkers who despise the Old Testament and say that it is no longer necessary, when it is from it alone that we must take the foundation of our faith. For God sent the prophets to the Jews for this purpose, that they might

1. Weimarian: by.

were to bear witness to the future Christ. For this reason the apostles have also convicted and overcome the Jews everywhere from their own Scriptures, that this is Christ. Thus the books of Moses and the prophets are also the gospel, since they preached and described the same things about Christ that the apostles preached or wrote afterwards.

(36) But there is a difference between them. For though both are written on paper in the letter, yet the gospel or New Testament is not really to be written, but put into the living voice, that it may resound, and be heard throughout the world. The fact that it is also written is due to abundance. But the Old Testament is written only in the Scriptures, and therefore it is called a letter. And so the apostles call it the Scripture, because it alone pointed to the future Christ. But the gospel is a living preaching of Christ who is to come. There is also a difference among the books of the Old Testament. First of all, the five books of Moses are the main part of the Scriptures and are actually called the Old Testament. After them are also the books of history, in which are written all kinds of examples of those who kept or did not keep the law of Moses. Third are the prophets, who are based on Moses, and what he has written, further and with clearer words have struck out and explained. But it is one opinion of all prophets and Moses.

(37) Now that it is said how the Old Testament is abolished and thrown back, understand it thus. First, there is the difference between the Old and New Testaments, as we have now said, that the Old pointed to Christ, but the New now gives us that which was promised before in the Old, and was signified by the figures. Therefore the figures are now abolished, because what they served for is now completed and fulfilled what was promised in them. Now therefore there shall be no more distinction of meat, or of raiment, or of place, or of time: for all things are alike in Christ, unto whom 2) all things are directed.

2. In the old editions: in.

978 Erl. 51, 347-349. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 651-654. 979

was. The Jews were not saved by it, for it was not given to them to make them godly, but to model for them the Christ who was to come.

(38) In the Old Testament, God had two kinds of rule, an outward and an inward rule. He took it upon himself to govern the people, both inwardly in the heart and outwardly in the body and in the goods. That is why he gave them so many laws mixed together. So this was a physical rule, that a man would give his wife a letter of divorce if he did not want her, and put her away Deut. 24:1. But to the spiritual regiment belongs the commandment Deut. 19, 18: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." But now he reigns in us only spiritually, through Christ. But the bodily and outward government he directs through the worldly authorities. Therefore, when Christ came, the outward things were abolished; God no longer ordained outward persons, times and places for us, but governed us spiritually through the Word, so that we are masters over all outward things and are not bound to any bodily thing. But what belongs to the spiritual rule is not abolished, but still stands, as there are the laws in Moses about the love of God and the neighbor; which God still wants to have kept, and will condemn all unbelievers by the law.

(39) For this also the figures remained spiritual, that is, that which is spiritually signified by the outward figures, though it is outwardly abrogated. So that a man divorced his wife and let her go because of adultery, that is a figure and meaning that is now also spiritually fulfilled. For so God also rejected the Jews, because they would not believe in Christ, and chose the Gentiles. Item, so he still does, if someone does not want to walk in faith, he lets him out of the Christian community, so that he is better. Likewise also Deut. 25:5, 6, that a woman after her husband's death should take her husband's brother, and beget children by him, and he should be called after him, and sit in his goods. This, although it has now ceased, or even become free, that one may do it without sin.

or not, it is nevertheless a figure that also points to Christ. For he is our brother, died for us and ascended into heaven, and commanded us to make souls pregnant and fruitful through the gospel; so that we keep his name, are called after him, and also enter into his goods. Therefore I must not boast that I convert people, but must ascribe it all to the Lord Christ. It is the same with all the other figures of the Old Testament, which would be too long to tell.

40 Thus everything that is not external to the Old Testament, such as all the sayings of the prophets concerning faith and love, still stands; therefore Christ also confirms Matth. 7:12: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: this is the law and the prophets. In addition, Moses and the prophets are also witnesses of the future Christ. So when I preach about Christ, that he is the only Savior, through whom everyone must be saved, I may take before me the saying Genesis 22:18: "In your seed shall all the Gentiles be blessed." From this I make a living voice, and say: Through Christ, who is Abraham's seed, all men must be blessed. From this it follows that in Adam we are all cursed and damned; therefore it is necessary that we believe in the seed, if we want to escape damnation. From such sayings we must lay a foundation of our faith, and let them remain, that we may see in them how they testify of Christ, that faith may be strengthened thereby. This is what St. Peter wants with these words when he speaks:

V. 10: For what blessedness the prophets sought and searched, who prophesied of the grace to come upon you.

41 Paul also speaks in this way in Romans 16:25, 26: "After the discovery of the mystery, which was kept secret from the beginning of the world, but has now been revealed and made known through the Scriptures of the prophets. And so you will find in the New Testament many sayings taken from the prophets, so that the apostles can prove that everything happened in this way.

980 Erl. si, 349-351. First edition. Sermon on I Petr. 1, 10-12. W. ix, 554-557. 981

is as the prophets prophesied. So Christ himself proves it Matth. 11, 5. from the prophet Isaiah Cap. 35, 5. 6.: "The blind see, the lame walk" 2c. As if he wanted to say: As it is written there, so it goes there. Item, so we read Apost. 9, 22. by Paulo, and Cap. 18, 28. by Apollo, how they drove in the Jews, and proved by the Scriptures that this was the Christ. For what the prophets had proclaimed, all this had now come to pass concerning the Christ". Item, Apost. 15, 14. ff. the apostles prove how the gospel had to be preached to the Gentiles so that they would believe. All this took place, and the Jews were transferred and had to confess that it was just as the Scriptures had said before.

V.11. And have inquired what time and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed to.

Thus St. Peter says: "Although the prophets did not actually know a certain and definite time, yet they generally indicated all the circumstances of the time and place, such as how Christ would suffer and die, and how the Gentiles would believe in him, so that one could certainly know by the signs when the time would be. Daniel the prophet came near, but still spoke obscurely of when Christ would suffer and die, when this or that would happen. Item, so they had a certain prophecy that the kingdom of the Jews should end before Christ came; but the day and certain time when this should happen was not determined. For it was sufficient, when that time should come, that they should then know assuredly that Christ was not far off. So the prophet Joel also prophesied of the time when the Holy Spirit would come, saying Cap. 3:1, "In the last days I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." 2c. . Which saying St. Peter indicates Apost. 2, 17. and proves that he just spoke of the time and certain persons.

43. From all this you see how with great diligence the apostles have always been able to establish and prove their authority.

We have shown our disobedience to their preaching and teaching. So now the concilia and the pope approach, and only want to deal with us without scripture, and command by obedience of the church, and by the ban, that we believe them. The apostles were full of the Holy Spirit, and were sure that they were sent by Christ, and preached the true gospel; yet they threw themselves down, and would not have them believed, unless they proved it thoroughly from the Scriptures, that it was so, as they said, that the mouths of the unbelievers also might be shut, that they could not raise anything against it. And we should believe the coarse, unlearned heads, who preach no word of God at all, and can do no more than cry out forever: Yes, the fathers could not have erred, and has long been thus decreed, therefore one must not give an account of it. We can certainly prove this from the Scriptures, that no one will be saved except he who believes in Christ, so that they can say nothing against it; but they will not prove their deed to us with Scriptures, that he will be condemned who does not fast on this or that day; therefore we do not want to and should not believe them. Now St. Peter goes on to say:

Which Spirit testified beforehand of the sufferings that are in Christ, and of the glory afterward to whom it is revealed.

44 This may be understood of the two kinds of suffering that Christ and we suffer. St. Paul also calls all Christians suffering the suffering of Christ Col. 1, 24. For as the faith, the name, the word, and the work of Christ are mine, because I believe in him; so also his suffering is mine, because I also suffer for his sake. So the suffering of Christ is fulfilled daily in Christians until the end of the world. This is our comfort in all suffering, that we know that everything we suffer is common in Christ, so that he counts it all for his own suffering, and that we are sure that as soon as suffering is over, glory will follow. But we must also know that just as Christ did not come to glory before suffering, so we must also bear the cross with him beforehand, so that we may have joy with him afterwards.

45. all that we now preach speaks

982 Erl. 51, 351-353. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IL, 657-659. 983

he prophets of old proclaimed clearly and said it beforehand, because the Holy Spirit revealed it to them. But that we now understand the prophets so little is because we do not understand the language; otherwise they have spoken clearly enough. Therefore, those who know the language and have God's Spirit, which all believers have, do not have difficulty understanding, since they know where all Scripture reaches. But if one does not hear their language, and does not have the spirit or Christian understanding, then it can be seen as if the prophets were drunk and full of wine. However, where one should lack one, better is the spirit without the language than the language without the spirit. The prophets have a peculiar way of speaking, but they mean just what the apostles preach, for they have both spoken much, 1) of the passion and glory of Christ, and of those who believe in him. As when David speaks of Christ, Ps. 22:7, "I am a worm, and not a man," so that he indicates how deeply he is cast down and humbled in his suffering. Item, so he also writes of his people and the repugnance of the Christians, Psalm 44, 23: "We have been regarded as sheep for slaughter.

V. 12 For they presented it not to themselves, but to us; which is now preached unto you by them which preached the gospel unto you, sent down from heaven by the Holy Ghost.

(46) That is, the prophets were satisfied in this, that they knew it; but when they left it behind them, they did it for our love, and became our servants, and so served us, that we might go to school with them, and learn the same also. Now we have a reason, that our faith may be the stronger, and that we may arm ourselves and protect ourselves against all false teaching.

Which the angels also desire to behold.

47. such great things the apostles have proclaimed to us through the Holy Spirit, who came from the

1. "Both" is referred by Bucer (iitriyiis) to the prophets and the apostles, but it belongs to the following, and "they" is to be taken from "the prophets". This can be clearly seen from the second treatment of this epistle.

Heaven has come upon them, which even the angels love to see. Then he tells us to close our eyes and see what the gospel is, and we will have pleasure and joy from it. We cannot yet see it with our bodily eyes, but must believe that we are partakers and fellows of the righteousness, truth, blessedness and all the goods that God has. For since He has given us Christ, His only Son, the highest good, He also gives us through Him all His goods, riches and treasures, from which the angels in heaven take all pleasure and delight. All this is offered to us through the gospel, and if we believe, we must also have such pleasure in it. But our delight cannot be as perfect as the angel is, because we live on earth. Now it may well begin in us to feel something of it through faith, but in heaven it is so great that no human heart can comprehend it. But when we get there, we will also feel it.

(48) So you see how St. Peter teaches us to arm ourselves with the Scriptures. And hitherto he hath written what is the gospel to preach, and how it was preached aforetime by the prophets, that it should thus be done and preached. Now he continues, exhorting us in this chapter to adhere to the same preaching of the gospel by faith, and to follow it by love, saying thus:

Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and with all your mind set your hope on the grace that is offered to you by the revelation of Jesus Christ, as children of obedience, not like the former lusts of your ignorance, but according to Him who called you and made you holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, according to which it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy.

49. This is an exhortation to faith, and this is the opinion: Because these things have been preached to you and given to you through the gospel, that 3) the angels also rejoice, and that
50. gleichbertig - of the same form, of the same donor. Cf. § 61 of this chapter.
51. Thus the Jena. Weimar: that. Cf. § 47: "davon die Engel" 2c.

984 Erl. 51, 353-356. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 13. W. IX, 659-662. 985

Therefore hang on to it, and put your trust in it with all your mind, so that it may be a righteous faith, and not a dyed or made-up delusion and dream.

V. 13. Gird up the loins of your mind.

50 Peter speaks of a spiritual girding of the mind, as a man bodily girds his sword on his loins. Christ also spoke of girding, Luc. 12, 35, when he said, "Let your loins be girded." In some places in Scripture "loins" are called unchastity, bodily; but here St. Peter speaks of spiritual loins. After the body the Scripture calls the loins, since the natural birth comes from the Father. So we read in Gen 49:10, 1) that from the loins of Judah Christ was to come. So the bodily girding of the loins is nothing else than chastity, as Isaiah Cap. 11, 5. says: "Righteousness shall be a girdle to his loins, and faith a girdle to his kidneys"; that is, by faith alone one restrains and constrains evil desire. But the spiritual girding (of which the apostle says here) goes like this: As a virgin is bodily pure and incorrupt, so the soul is spiritually incorrupt through faith, by which it becomes Christ's bride. But if it falls from faith to false doctrine, it must be put to shame. Therefore Scripture everywhere calls idolatry and unbelief adultery and fornication, that is, when the soul clings to the doctrines of men, and thus lets faith and Christ fall away. This is what St. Peter means here, when he calls us to gird up the loins of our minds, as if to say, "You have now heard the gospel and have entered into the faith; therefore take care that you remain in it and do not allow yourselves to be led astray by false teaching, so that you do not waver and run to and fro with works.

(51) And here he speaks in a peculiar way, not as St. Paul speaks when he says, "The loins of your mind. "Mind" is what we call "being minded." As when I say, "This seemeth me right"; and as St. Paul speaks Rom. 3:28, "So we hold it," so we are minded. With this

1. Gen. 49, 10. No mention is made of the loins, but Gen. 35, 11. (If. Ed.)

He actually means faith, and thus wants to say: You have created a righteous mind, that one must be justified by faith alone; now stay in this sense, gird it well, hold fast to it, and do not let yourselves be torn away from it, so you will stand well. For many false teachers shall arise, and set up doctrines of men, to pervert your minds, and to loose the girdle of faith: therefore be warned, and take heed. The hypocrites, who stand on their works, and therefore walk in an honorable, fine life, are so minded that God must set them in heaven because of their works, are puffed up, and ride high, standing hard on their mind and conceit, like the Pharisee Luc. 18, 11. 12. Of whom also Mary says in the Magnificat Luc. 1, 51., since she uses the very word that is written here in Petro: "He has scattered those who are hopeful in the mind of their heart", that is, in their mind.

Be sober.

(52) Sobriety is external to the body and is the noblest work of faith. For even though a man has been justified, he is not yet completely free from evil desires. Faith has begun to subdue the flesh, but it is still stirring and raging in all kinds of lusts that want to come forth again and do its bidding. Therefore the spirit has to work daily to tame and subdue it, and must beat with it without ceasing, and take heed to the flesh, lest it repel faith. Therefore they deceive themselves who say they have faith and think that is enough, living according to their will. Where faith is righteous, it must attack the body and keep it in check, so that it does not do what it desires; therefore St. Peter says that we should be sober.

But he does not want the body to be ruined or weakened too much, as many are found who have fasted and martyred themselves to death. St. Bernard was also for a time in such foolishness (although he was otherwise a holy man) that he broke off so much of his body that his breath was stinking, and he could not be with people; yet he came to the church.

986 Erl. 51, 358-358. Interpretations on the 1st Epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 662-665. 987

Afterward he came out again, and he also forbade his brothers not to harm the body. For he saw that he had made himself unfit to serve his brethren. 1) Therefore St. Peter demands no more than that we should be sober, that is, break off from the body as far as we feel that it is still too horny. He does not determine a certain time how long one should fast, as the pope has done, but rather he instructs each one to fast in such a way that he always remains sober and does not load the body with gluttony, so that he may remain sane and sensible and see how much he needs to mortify the body. For it is not at all fitting to make a commandment of this for a whole multitude and congregation, since we are so unequal among ourselves; one strong, another weak in body, that one must break off much, another little, so that the body may remain healthy beside it, and able to do good.

(54) But that the other company should fall in, and so go, that they cannot fast and eat flesh, is also not right; for these also do not grasp the gospel, and are of no more use than the others, doing no more than despising the commandment of the pope, and yet will not gird up their minds and spirits, as Peter says; leaving the body its will, that it may remain slothful and lecherous. It is good to fast, but fasting means not to give the body more food than it needs to keep it healthy, and to let it work and watch, so that the old donkey does not become too stubborn and go dancing on the ice and break a leg, but walk in a bridle and follow the spirit; not like those who fill themselves so full with fish and the best wine at once when they fast that their belly swells. 2) Here St. Peter means to be sober. And now says further:

And with all your mind set your hope on the grace that is offered to you.

1. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. VII, 1950; vol. XII, 1300, § 18.
2. dönen - to swell, to bristle. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. VII, 521. According to others, as much as "to sound," Dietz 8. v. "dönen." Bucer offers: ut ventreni ckistsrÄons, vslutrsclclLut Mnorum. The

Weimarsche Ausgabe, vol. XII, p. 283, note 3 distinguishes "tönen"-to give a tone, and "dönen"-to swell.

55 Christian faith is so skillful that it sets itself freely on God's word with complete trust, ventures freely on it, and goes joyfully. Therefore Peter says: "Then the loins of your mind are girded, and your faith is righteous, if you dare to do it, whatever it may be, good, honor, body or life. So he has described with these words a truly fine righteous and unsealed faith. It does not have to be a lazy and sleepy faith, and only a dream, but a living and active thing, that one gives oneself to it with all one's mind, and hangs on the word, God grant, it may go with us as it will, that we get through happiness and misfortune. When I am about to die, I have to consider Christ freshly, stretch out my neck freely, and defy the word of God, which cannot lie to me. Faith must go straight through, not be deceived, and put out of sight all things that it sees, hears, and feels. St. Peter demands such a faith, which does not stand in thoughts or words, but in such power.

Secondly, St. Peter says: "Put your hope in the grace that is offered to you," that is, you have not earned the great grace, but it is offered to you freely. For the gospel which proclaims this grace we have not devised, nor invented, but the Holy Spirit sent it down from heaven into the world. But what is offered to us? That which we have heard above § 21 ff: He that believeth on Christ, and holdeth fast to the word, hath him with all his goods, to be lord over sin, death, the devil, and hell, and is sure of eternal life. This treasure is brought to our door and put into our 3) bosom without our doing or earning, yes, unawares and without our knowledge or thought. Therefore, the apostle wants us to look forward to it with joy, because God, who offers us such grace, will certainly not lie to us.

Through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

God does not allow anyone to offer His grace except through Christ. Therefore

3. In the old editions: "die schoß".

988 Erl. 51, 358-380. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 13. 14. W. IX, 665-667. 989

No man can come before him without this mediator, as we have heard enough above § 18. For he will hear no man, except he bring with him Christ his dear Son, whom he alone looketh upon, and for his sake they also that cleave unto him. Therefore he wants us to know the Son, as we have been reconciled to the Father through his blood, so that we may come before him. For to this end the Lord Christ came, taking on himself flesh and blood, and clinging to us, that he might obtain for us such grace from the Father. Thus all the prophets and patriarchs were also preserved and saved through such faith in Christ; for they all had to believe in the saying that God said to Abraham: "Through your seed shall all the Gentiles be blessed." Therefore, as we have said [§ 18), the faith of the Jews and Turks is not valid, and of those who stand on their works and' thereby want to go to heaven. So Peter says: "Grace is offered to you"; but "through the revelation of Jesus Christ", or (that we translate it more clearly) because Jesus Christ is revealed to you.

(58) Through the gospel it is made known to us what Christ is, that we may know him, that he is our Savior, takes away sin and death from us, and helps us out of all misfortune, reconciles us to the Father, and makes us godly and blessed without our works. Whoever does not recognize Christ in this way must be lacking. For even though you already know that he is the Son of God, dead and risen, and seated at the right hand of the Father, you have not yet rightly recognized Christ, nor do he yet help you, but you must know and believe that he did it all for your sake, to help you. Therefore it is a useless thing what has been preached and taught in high schools, which have not known anything about this knowledge, and have come no further than to consider how painful the suffering was for the Lord Christ, and how he now sits idle in heaven, and has joy with himself; and thus only dry hearts remain, in which faith cannot come to life.

The Lord Christ is not to stand for Himself, but is to be preached.

that he is ours. Otherwise, what need would there have been for him to come to earth and shed his blood? Since he was sent into the world for this reason, as he said in John 3:17, that the world might be saved through him, he must have done what he was sent to do by the Father. For the sending and going forth from the Father is not to be understood according to the divine nature alone, but according to the human nature and his ministry. As soon as he was baptized, this began, and accomplished that for which he was sent and came into the world, namely, that he should preach the truth, and that he should preach it unto us, 1) that whosoever believeth in him should be saved. So he revealed himself and made himself known, and offered grace to us himself.

V. 14. As children of obedience.

60 That is, present yourselves as the obedient children. "Obedience" is the name of faith in the Scriptures. But the pope, with his high schools and monasteries, has also torn apart this little word for us and pointed to their lie, what is written about this obedience, as the saying 1 Sam. 15:22: "Obedience is better than sacrifice." For since they see that obedience is much praised in the Scriptures, they have taken it to themselves, that they may deceive the people, that they may think that theirs is the obedience of which the Scriptures speak. So they bring us from God's word to their lies, and to the devil's hearing. He who hears the gospel and God's word and believes in it is an obedient son of God; therefore, whatever is not God's word, trample it underfoot and do not turn away from it.

Not equal to the previous lusts of your ignorance.

(61) This is that you do not conduct yourselves as you did before, and that you are not seen in the way you were before. Before you were idolatrous, and lived in unchastity, gluttony, drunkenness, avarice, pride, anger, envy and hatred; this was an evil, heathenish nature and unbelief, and you have gone away in such a nature,

1. advertise - to deliver a message. Cf. Walch, old edition, Vol. Ill, 1173. Bucer: IncHaars.

990 Erl. 51, 360-363. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 667-"7o. 991

like the blind, have not known what you have done. Now put away this evil desire.

62 Here you see how he blames ignorance for all the misfortunes that come from it. For where there is no faith and no knowledge of Christ, there remains all error and blindness, so that one does not know what is right and what is wrong. This is how it has been up to now; since Christ has perished and been obscured, error has set in; the question of how one could be saved has spread throughout the whole world. That is already a sign of blindness or ignorance, that the right understanding of faith has gone out, and no one knows anything about it anymore. That is why the world is so full of various sects, and everything has been divided, because everyone wants to make his own way to heaven. Out of misfortune we must always fall deeper into blindness, because we cannot help ourselves. That is why St. Peter says: "You have now been fooled enough; therefore, stop now, because you have now become knowledgeable and have come to a right understanding.

V. 16. 16. But according to Him who called you and is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, as it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.

63 St. Peter cites a saying from the Old Testament, Deut. 19:2, where God says: "You shall be holy, for I am holy," that is, because I am your Lord and God, and you are my people, you shall also be as I am. For a true lord makes his people like him, and they walk in obedience, and do the will of the Lord. Therefore, as God our Lord is holy, so his people are also holy; therefore we are all holy if we walk by faith. The Scriptures do not speak much of dead saints, but of those who live on earth. So the prophet David boasts Ps. 86, 2: "Lord, keep my soul, for I am holy."

(64) But our scholars have again perverted the saying, and say that the prophet had a special revelation, that he calls himself holy. In this way they themselves confess that they lack faith, and that the revelation is not true.

They do not have the revelation of Christ, otherwise they would feel it. For he who is a Christian feels such a revelation in himself, but those who do not feel it are not Christians. For he who is a Christian enters into the fellowship of all his goods with the Lord Christ. Since Christ is holy, he must also be holy, or deny that Christ is holy. If you are baptized, you have put on the holy garment, which is Christ, as Paul says Gal. 3:27. The word "holy" means that which is God's own, and due to Him alone, which we call "consecrated" in German. So Peter says: You have now given yourselves to God as your own. Therefore see to it that you are not led again into worldly lusts, but let God alone rule, live and work in you, and you will be holy as he is holy.

So far he has described the grace that is offered to us through the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, and has taught how we are to hold ourselves against it, namely, that we remain in a pure, unaltered sense of faith, so that we know that no work that we can do or think up can help us. Now when one preaches such things, reason goes and says, "Well, if that is true, then I must not do any good work;" and so the coarse heads fall upon it, and make a carnal liberty out of the Christian being, thinking that they should do what they will. They are met here by St. Peter, who comes before them and teaches how Christian freedom must be used against God alone. For there is nothing more necessary than the faith that I give God His glory and consider Him to be my God, that He is just, true and merciful. Such faith makes us free from sins and all evil. If I have given such things to God, what I then live, I live to my neighbor, to serve and help him. The greatest work that follows from faith is that I confess Christ with my mouth, testify to him with my blood, and put my life where it should be. God is not allowed to do this work either, but for this reason I should do it, so that my faith may be proven and made known, so that other people may also be brought to faith. After that, other works also follow, which must also all be directed so that I can

992 Erl. 51, 362-365. First edit. Sermon on 1 Pet. 1, 15-17. W. IX, 670-673. 993

to serve the neighbor; all of which God must work in us. Therefore it is not valid to raise a carnal being and do what we desire. This is why St. Peter speaks:

V. 17-21. And since ye call upon the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, conduct your walk, the time of your pilgrimage, with fear, knowing that ye are not redeemed with corruptible silver or gold, from your vain walk in the statutes of your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as an innocent and unblemished Lamb, who, though provided before the beginning of the world, was revealed in the last times, for your sake, who through him believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that you may have faith and hope in God.

66 Thus says St. Peter: You have now come to be children of God through faith, and he is your Father, and have obtained an inheritance in heaven that is imperishable (as he said above, v. 4); so now there is nothing left but to take away the cloth and to uncover what is now hidden; you must still wait until you see it. Forasmuch then as ye are come to the state that ye may cheerfully call God Father, yet is he so just that he giveth to every man according to his works, and regardeth not the person.

Therefore, you must not think, even if you have the great name of a Christian or the Son of God, that he will spare you if you live without fear, and think it is enough that you boast of this name. The world judges according to the person, so that it does not punish everyone equally, and spares those who are friends, rich, beautiful, learned, wise and mighty; but God does not look at anyone, everything is equal to him, no matter how great the person may be. Thus in Egypt he smote to death the son of Pharaoh the king, as the son of a bad miller. For this reason the apostle wants us to take this judgment to God and to stand in fear, so that we do not boast about the title of Christianity and rely on it as if he would give us more credit for it.

than other people. For this also deceived the Jews of old, who boasted that they were Abraham's seed and God's people. The Scripture makes no distinction according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. It is true that he promised that Christ would be born of Abraham, and a holy nation would come from him; but it does not follow that all who are born of Abraham are God's children. He also promised that the Gentiles would be saved, but did not say that he would save all the Gentiles.

(68) But here a question arises: Since we say that God alone makes us blessed through faith, regardless of works, why does St. Peter say that he does not judge according to the person, but according to the works? Answer: What we have taught, how faith alone makes us justified before God, is undoubtedly true, since it is so clear from Scripture that it cannot be denied. Now that the apostle says here that God judges according to works is also true, but it must certainly be held that where there is no faith, there can be no good works; and again, that where there are no good works, there is no faith. Therefore join faith and good works together, so that in the two there may be the sum of the whole Christian life. How you live now, that is how it will be for you, according to which God will judge you. Therefore, even though God judges us by our works, it remains true that the works alone are the fruits of faith, by which one can see where there is faith or unbelief; therefore God will judge you by your works and convince you that you have believed or not believed. Just as a liar cannot be judged and condemned except from his words; nor is it evident that he does not become a liar by his words, but was a liar before he told a lie; for the lie must come from the heart into the mouth.

(69) Therefore, understand this saying most simply, that works are fruits and signs of faith, and that God judges people by such fruits, which must surely follow, so that it may be seen publicly where faith or unbelief is in the heart. God will not judge you according to whether you are a

994 Erl. 51, 365-387. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 673-675. 995

If you are called a Christian or baptized, he will ask you: "If you are a Christian, tell me, where are the fruits so that you can prove your faith?

Therefore, St. Peter says: "Since you have such a Father, who does not judge according to person, conduct your lives in fear during your pilgrimage; that is, fear the Father, not for the sake of chastisement and punishment, as unbelievers and the devil fear, but lest he abandon you and withdraw his hand, as a pious child fears lest he anger his father and do something that would not please him. God wants to have a good fear in us, so that we may beware of sins and serve our neighbor, because we live here on earth.

A Christian, if he believes righteously, has all the goods of God, and is God's son, as we have heard. But the time he is still alive is only a pilgrimage; for the spirit is already in heaven through faith, by which he is lord over all things. For this reason God allows him to still live in the flesh, and the body to walk on earth, so that he may help other people and also bring them to heaven. Therefore we have no other use for all things on earth, except as a sojourner who goes through a field and comes to an inn, where he must lie down for the night, and takes only food and lodging from the host, does not say that the host's goods are his. So we must also deal with temporal goods as if they were not ours, and enjoy only as much of them as we need to maintain the body, helping our neighbor with the other. So the Christian life is only a night's lodging. For we have no lasting city here Heb. 13:14, but must go where the Father is, that is, to heaven; therefore we should not live here in ease, but stand in fear, says St. Peter.

V. 18. 19. And know that you have not been redeemed with corruptible silver or gold from your vain walk in the statutes of your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ.

(72) This shall provoke you, he saith, to the fear of God, wherein ye shall stand, to remember how much it hath been, that ye should not

have been redeemed. Before you were citizens of the world and sat under the devil, but now God has torn you out of such a state and placed you in a different one, so that you are citizens in heaven, but strangers and sojourners on earth. And behold how great a reward God has bestowed upon you, and how great is the treasure that you have been bought and brought to be the children of God. Therefore, conduct yourselves with fear, and see to it that you do not despise these things and lose the precious treasure.

What then is the treasure that we may be redeemed? Not perishable gold or silver, but the precious blood of Christ, the Son of God. The treasure is so precious and noble that no human sense and reason can comprehend that only a drop of this innocent blood would have been enough for all the sins of the world; nor did the Father want to pour out his grace on us so abundantly, and let it stand for so much, that he let his Son, Christ, shed all his blood, and gave us the treasure in its entirety. For this reason he does not want us to throw such great grace to the wind and consider it small, but to be moved to live with fear, so that this treasure will not be taken away from us.

74 And here it is to be noted that St. Peter says: "Redeemed are ye from your vain walk in the statutes of your fathers. For with this he strikes to the ground all the supports on which we stand, and think that our thing must be right, because it has been so from time immemorial, and our forefathers have all so held, among whom also have been wise and pious men. For thus he says, "All that our fathers did and established was evil; what you learned from them 1) about God's service is also evil, that it cost the Son of God his blood to redeem people from it. Now what is not washed by the blood is all poisoned and cursed by the flesh. From this it follows that the more a man presumes to make pious and does not have Christ, that he only hinders himself more, and the deeper into blindness and wickedness he goes.

1. Weimarsche: "hatt" instead of: habt. This is not a printing error, but also Cap. 2, s 11 "hat" occurs again in the meaning of "habt".

996 Erl.si, 367-369. First edition. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 18-20. W. IX, 675-678, 997

The first time, the first time, the first time, the first time, the first time.

(75) The outward rude things are yet small compared to this, that they teach how to become godly by works, and to establish a worship according to our reason. For there the innocent blood is most profaned and blasphemed. The heathen sinned much more in worshipping the sun and the moon, which they considered to be the right worship, than in any other sin. Therefore, human piety is blasphemy, and the greatest sin a man can commit. This is also the way the world now behaves, and what it considers godliness and piety is worse in the sight of God than any other sin, such as being a priest or a monk, and what seems good in the sight of the world, but is without faith. Therefore, whoever does not want to obtain grace from God through the blood, had better never appear before God's eyes, for he will only anger His Majesty more and more.

As an innocent and unblemished lamb.

76 Now Peter interprets the Scriptures, for it is a powerful and rich epistle, even though it is short. Now that he has spoken of the vain walk in fatherly statutes, he also finds many sayings in the prophets, as in the prophet Jeremiah, Cap. 16, 19: "The Gentiles shall come unto thee from the end of the world, saying: Our fathers have gone about with lies" 2c. As if St. Peter should say: The prophets also proclaimed that you should be redeemed from the paternal statutes. So he also wants to point us to the Scriptures here, since he says: "You are redeemed by the blood of Christ, as an innocent and unblemished lamb", and explains what is written in the prophets and Moses, as Isa. 53, 7."He was led as a lamb to the slaughter"; item, the figure of the paschal lamb in Exodus 12:3 ff; all of which he interprets here, saying, "The lamb is Christ; and as that should be unblemished, so is this also unblemished and innocent, whose blood is shed for our sins.

V. 20. Who, though provided before the beginning of the world, is revealed in the last times.

That is, we have not earned it, nor have we ever asked God to shed the precious blood of Christ for us; therefore we can boast of nothing. The glory belongs to no one but God alone; God has promised it to us without any merit on our part, and has also revealed or made known that which He has provided and decreed from eternity, before the creation of the world. In the prophets it was also promised, but it was hidden and not made public; but now, after the resurrection of Christ and the sending of the Holy Spirit, it has been publicly preached to the whole world.

(78) Now this is the last time, as St. Peter says, wherein we are, now from the ascension of Christ until the last day. Thus the apostles and prophets, and Christ Himself also, call it the last hour; not that as soon as after Christ's ascension the last day should come, but because after this preaching of the gospel of Christ there should come no other, neither should it be revealed and explained any more than it has been explained and revealed. For one revelation has always gone out after another. Therefore God says 2 Mos. 6, 3: "My name, Lord, I have not made known to them." For the patriarchs, even though they knew God, did not at that time have such a public preaching of God as went out afterwards through Moses and the prophets. Now no more glorious and public preaching has come into the world than the Gospel. Therefore it is the last; all times have now passed away, but now at last it is revealed to us.

79 Secondly, it is also not long after the end of the world, as St. Peter explains in 2 Ep. 3, 8, when he says: "One day is like a thousand years before the Lord, and a thousand years like one day. And so he wants to lead us from the account of this time, so that we may judge according to the sight of God; since it is the last time and already has an end; but what still remains is nothing before God. The blessedness is now already revealed and completed, but God leaves the world still longer, so that His name may continue to be honored and praised, even though it has already been revealed for itself in the most perfect way.

998 Erl. 51, 369-371. interpretations on the I Epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 678-681. 999

V. 21. For your sake, who through him believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, that you might have faith and hope in God.

(80) For our sake (he says) the gospel was revealed, for God and the Lord Christ had no need of it, but made it profitable for us to believe in him. And this not through ourselves, but through Christ, who stands for us against the Father, whom he raised from the dead to rule over all things; so that he who believes in him has all his goods, and through him ascends to the Father. So we have faith in God, and also a hope through the same faith: faith alone must make us blessed. But it must be faith in God, for if God does not help you, you are not helped. Therefore it is not enough if you have the friendship of all men, but you must have the friendship of God, so that you may boast that he is your father and you are his child, and that you trust him more than your physical father and mother, that he will help you in all your needs; and this only through the one Mediator and Savior, the Lord Christ. Such faith does not come from human powers 1) (he says), but God creates it in us, because Christ earned it with his blood; to whom he therefore gave the glory and put it at his right hand, so that he created faith in us by the power of God.

So far we have heard how St. Peter admonishes us to gird up the loins of the mind, so that we may remain pure and live by faith; after which, since so much has been said, we should walk with fear and not rely on being called Christians, since God is such a judge that He does not inquire of anyone, judging one as well as another, without distinction of persons. Now he continues, and concludes the first chapter:

V. 22-25. And chastise your souls by the obedience of the truth in the Spirit, to undyed brotherly love, and love one another fervently out of a pure heart, as those who

1. Weimarsche: "menschlicher krefft".

Again are born, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, even of the living word of God, which abideth for ever. After whom all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass is withered, and the flower is fallen: but the word of the Lord abideth for ever. Now this is the word which is preached among you.

The fruits that follow after faith, Paul tells Gal. 5, 22: "The fruits of the Spirit (he says) are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, chastity. So here St. Peter also says fruit 2) of faith, namely, that we should make our souls chaste through obedience to the truth in the Spirit. For where faith is righteous, it casts the body under itself, and compels the lust of the flesh; and though it does not kill it, yet it makes it submissive and obedient to the Spirit, and keeps it in check. This is what St. Paul means when he speaks of the fruits of the Spirit. It is a great work that the Spirit should rule over the flesh, and tame the evil desire that is inborn in us from father and mother; for it is not possible without grace that we should live well in marriage, much less illegitimately.

83 But why does he say, "Make your souls chaste"? He knows well that the lust of the flesh for baptism remains in us to the grave. Therefore it is not enough for one to abstain from the work, and remain a virgin outwardly, and let the evil desire remain in the heart, but one must strive for the soul to be chaste, so that it comes out of the heart, and the soul is free from evil desire and lust, and always beats itself with it, until it is rid of it.

And here he adds a fine addition, that one should make the soul chaste "through obedience to the truth in the spirit. Much has been preached about chastity, and many books have been written about it; they have said that one should fast so long, one should not eat meat, one should not drink wine, 2c., that one may be rid of temptation. It has probably helped with something,

2. Jenaer: of fruits. - Luetzr: yui kruetus [nnt üd6i Uo66t.

1000 Erl. 51, 371-373. First edition. Sermon on 1 Petr. I, 22. W. IX, 681-684. 1001

But it was not enough; it did not dampen the desire. So St. Jerome writes of himself, 1) that he had so prepared his body that he had become like a Moor; nevertheless it did not help, and he still dreamed how he was in Rome at the singing dance among the metzes. So St. Bernard also hurt him so badly and ruined his body so that he stank, as I said above § 53. They had hard temptation, and thought they wanted to dampen it with external things; but because it is external, the plaster is only applied on the outside, not on the inside; therefore it is not enough that it dampens lust.

But here St. Peter has given a proper remedy for it, namely the obedience of the truth in the spirit, as the Scripture also does in other places, as Isa. 11:5: "Faith shall be a girdle to his kidneys," which is the proper plaster that girds the kidneys. It must come out from within, not from without; for it is grown in the blood and flesh, marrow and veins, not on the outside in the cloth, nor in the garment; therefore it is not advisable to dampen the desire with external things. The body can be weakened and killed with fasting and work, but evil desire cannot be driven out with it. But faith can dampen it and ward it off, so that it must leave room for the spirit. Thus also the prophet Zacharias Cap. 9, 17. says of a wine that Christ has, from which virgins grow, which he gives them to drink. The other wine tends to provoke evil desire; but this wine, that is, the gospel, curbs it and makes chaste hearts. This is what St. Peter says, that if one grasps the truth with the heart, and is obedient to it in the spirit, this is the right remedy, and the most powerful medicine for it; otherwise you will not find any that could thus quench all evil thoughts. For when this comes into the heart, the evil inclination soon goes away. Try it, whoever wants to, will find it, and those who have tried it know it well. But the devil does not let anyone

1. Hieron. XXII. 7 a<Hli8to6Üiuin: "kyualiüa 6Iltis kitlirricarnis obduxDrat. . . .

Ill" lAitur 6AO,. 8Ä6P6 "tioris intkrerÄin puÄIarlim. (Weim. ed.) Cf. Walch, St. Louis ed. vol. VIII, 1053, s 57. vol. VII, 1838, s 126.

easily come to grasp the word of God so that it tastes good to him; for he knows well how powerful it is to curb evil desires and thoughts.

So now St. Peter wants to say: If you want to remain chaste, you must grasp the obedience of truth in the spirit, that is, one must not only read and hear the word of God, but grasp it in the heart. Therefore, it is not enough to preach or hear the gospel once, but one must always press on and continue. For such is the grace of the word, the more it is acted upon, the sweeter it becomes.' Although it is always the same doctrine of faith, yet it cannot be heard too much where there are not impudent and raw hearts. Now the apostle adds:

To undyed brotherly love.

For what purpose should we live a chaste life? That we may be saved by it? No, but to serve our neighbor. What shall I do to ward off my sin? I should grasp the obedience of truth in the spirit, that is, faith in God's word. Why do I resist it? That I may be useful to others; for I must first tame the body and the flesh by the Spirit, and then I may be useful to others. Follow on:

And love one another fervently from a pure heart.

The apostles Peter and Paul distinguish between brotherly love and common love. Brotherhood is that Christians should all be like brothers and make no distinction among them. For since we all have one Christ in common. One baptism, one faith, one treasure, I am no better than you; what you have, I have also, and am as rich as you. The treasure is the same, though I may have it more abundantly than you, so that I have it lying in gold, but you in a poor cloth. Therefore, as we have in common the grace of Christ and all spiritual goods, so we also ought to have in common life and limb, goods and honor, that we may serve one another in all things.

89. Now he speaks clearly, "In unconditional brotherly love." The apostles need the word

1002 Erl. 51, 373-376. interpretations on the epistle of St. Peter. Epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 684-686. 1003

We have gladly seen that we would be called Christians and brothers among ourselves, but it would be a false, dyed or fictitious thing, and only glitter. We have set up much brotherhood in the world, but it is all lies and deception, which the devil has devised and brought into the world, which only fights against right faith and righteous brotherly love. Christ is mine as well as St. Bernard's; yours as well as St. Francis. If then one comes and says, I shall go to heaven if I am in this or that brotherhood, then say, It is a lie, for Christ cannot stand it, will have no other brotherhood but the common one which we all have among ourselves; then you come here, you fool, and want to set up one of your own. I would allow it to be made, not for the help of the soul, but that some would be united to put in and make a treasure, from which those who would be helped would be helped.

90 Thus we Christians have all received one brotherhood in baptism; no saint has more of it than I and you. For just as much as he was bought, so much am I bought; God has given as much to me as to the greatest saint, except that he may have a better grasp of the treasure and a stronger faith than I do. Love, however, is greater than brotherhood, for it reaches out even to enemies, and especially to those who are not worthy of love. For as faith does its work when it sees nothing, so love also should see nothing, and do its work most where there seems nothing lovely, but only displeasure and hostility; where there is nothing that pleases me, I should for that very reason put up with it. And this should be done fervently, says St. Peter, with all my heart, as God loved us when we were not worthy of love. Now follows further:

V. 23: When they were born again.

91 Thirdly, this should be done because you are not what you were before (he says), but new men. This did not happen by works, but it required a birth. For the new

1. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XIX, 444 ff.

You cannot make a man, but he must grow or be born. Just as a carpenter cannot make a tree, but he himself must grow out of the earth, and just as we all were not made Adam's children, but were born that way, and have brought sin from our father and mother, so it cannot happen by works that we become God's children, but must also be born anew. This is what the apostle wants to say: Because you are now a new creature, you should now also keep yourselves differently and lead a new life; as you lived in hatred before, so you must now walk in love, however contrary. But how did the new birth happen? As follows:

Not from perishable seed, but from imperishable seed, namely from the living Word of God, which abides forever.

We are born again through a seed; for no thing grows otherwise, as we see, than through seed. Now if the old birth came from a seed, the new birth must also be from a seed. But what is the seed? Not flesh and blood. What is it? It is not perishable, but is an eternal word; that is all with one another, by which we live, food and meat. 2) But first of all he is the seed, by which we are born again, as he says here.

Now how does this happen? So: God lets the word, the gospel, go out and the seed fall into the hearts of men. Where the seed sticks in the heart, the Holy Spirit is there and makes a new man, there becomes another man, other thoughts, other words and works. So you will be completely changed. Everything that you fled from, you seek, and what you sought before, you flee. Physical birth is like this: When a man has received seed, the seed is changed, so that it is no longer seed; but this is a seed that cannot be changed, it remains eternally. But he changes me, so that I am changed into him, and what is evil in me of my nature even passes away. Therefore it is ever a strange birth, and from a strange seed. Now St. Peter continues:

2. Cf. cap. 2, § 6.

1004 Erl. 51, 376-378. First edit. Sermon on I Petr. I, 24. 25. W. IX, 686-689. 1005

V. 24, 25: After which all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as a flower of grass. The grass is withered, and the flower is fallen: but the word of the Lord abideth for ever.

94 This saying is taken from the prophet Isaiah Cap. 40, 6-8, where the prophet says: "Shout! What shall I shout? Shout thus: All flesh is grass, and all its glory like a flower of the field. The grass is withered and the flower has fallen away, but God's word abides forever." These words are led here by St. Peter. For this, as I have said § 76, is a rich epistle and well peppered with Scriptures. So now the Scripture says that God's word abides forever. That which is flesh and blood is perishable, as the grass when it is young, that therefore it flourishes. Item, if it is rich, mighty, wise and pious, and therefore green (which all belongs to the flower), the flower nevertheless begins to thorn. What is young and beautiful becomes old and ugly, what is rich becomes poor, and so on, and all must fall by the word of God. But this seed cannot perish. Now Peter concludes:

This is the word that is proclaimed among you.

95. as if to say: you must not open your eyes wide when you come to the word of God; 1) you have it before your eyes; it is the word that we preach. There you can curb all evil lusts with. You must not fetch it far; do not do more than catch it when it is preached. For it is so near that it can be heard, as Moses also says, Deut. 30:11 ff: "The word which I command thee is not far from thee, that thou shouldest go far to hear it, or ascend into heaven, or go over the sea: but it is near thee, even in thy mouth, and in thine heart." It is soon spoken and heard, but when it comes into the heart, it cannot die or pass away, nor let thee die; so long as thou cleavest to it, so long shall it keep thee. So when I hear that Jesus Christ died, took away my sin, and purchased heaven for me, and gave me all that he has, I hear this

1. Bucer: ut uä Uoe Verbum Del perveuiutis.

Gospel. The word is soon gone when it is preached; but when it falls into the heart, and is grasped with faith, it can never fall away. No creature can overthrow this truth; the foundation of hell can do nothing against it, and even if I am already in the devil's jaws, if I can seize it, I must come out again, and remain where the word remains. Therefore he says: You must not wait for any other than that which we have preached.

96 St. Paul also says, Rom. 1, 16: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God that saves everyone who believes in it. The Word is a divine and eternal power. For though the voice or speech soon vanishes, yet the substance, that is, the understanding, the truth, which is written in the voice, remains. As when I put a cup to my mouth, in which the wine is put, I drink the wine into it, even though I do not put the cup down my throat with it. So also is the word that brings the voice; it falls into the heart and comes to life, yet the voice remains outside and passes away. Therefore it is a divine power, even God himself. For thus he speaks to Moses, Ex. 4, 12: "I will be in your mouth." And Ps. 81, 11: "Open your mouth wide", preach confidently, say it out until hungry, "I will fill you", I will speak enough there presently. Also Joh. 14, 6. Christ says: "I am the way, the truth and the life", whoever hangs on this is born of God 1 Joh. 5, 1.. Thus the seed is our Lord God Himself. All this is to teach us how we cannot be helped by works. Even though the word is small and seems to be nothing, because it comes from the mouth, there is such an overwhelming power in it, that it makes those who are attached to it children of God, Joh. 1, 12. Our salvation is based on the high estate.

97. This is the first chapter of this epistle, in which you see how masterfully St. Peter preaches and acts the faith; from this it can be seen that this epistle is the right gospel. 2) Now follows the other chapter, which will teach us how we should conduct ourselves in works toward our neighbor.
98. Cf. preface s 6.

1006 Eri. si, 378-380. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 6W-M4. 1007

The second chapter.

V. 1-5. Put away therefore all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisy, and hatred, and all speaking evil. And be greedy for the sensible, unadulterated milk, as the little children now born, so that you may grow up by it, if you have tasted otherwise that the Lord is kind, to whom you have come, as to the living stone, which is rejected by men, but is worthy and precious in the sight of God. And you also, as the living stones, build yourselves into a spiritual house, and into a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

(1) Then he began to teach what the works and fruits of a Christian life should be. For we have often enough said how a Christian life consists of two things: faith toward God and love toward one's neighbor. Item, that the Christian faith is given in such a way, that nevertheless always, because we live, many evil desires remain in the flesh, since there is no saint who is not in the flesh. But what is in the flesh cannot be entirely pure. Therefore says St. Peter: Be ye therefore armed to beware of sins which still cling to you, and to contend against them for ever. For the worst enemies we have are in our bosom and in the midst of our flesh and blood, watching, sleeping and living with us, like an evil guest who has been invited into our home and cannot be got rid of.

(2) Therefore, since by faith the Lord Christ is all yours, and you have obtained salvation and all his goods, let it henceforth be your duty to put away all malice, or all that is evil, and all guile, that is, that no one deal unfaithfully and falsely with another; as it has been said of the world, that the world is full of unfaithfulness, which is also true. We Christians, however, are not to act unfaithfully in this way, but sincerely and with a pure heart with people as against God, badly and rightly, so that no one misleads the other in selling, buying or vowing, and the like.

3 St. Paul also says in Eph. 4:25, "Put away lies, and speak the truth every man to his neighbor. Truth is that yes is yes, and no is no. But hypocrisy is when one presents himself differently with outward gestures than he means; for there is much to be done to present oneself as one has it in his heart. A Christian should act in such a way that he may suffer all men to see and know what he thinks in his heart, so that in all his conduct and actions he thinks only to praise God and to serve his neighbor, and shuns no one, and that each one may be found in the depths of his heart as he is looked at, and not make a mirror fencing to shut people's mouths.

4 Furthermore, St. Peter also says that one should put away hatred and after-talk. There he finely describes the common vices among people when they deal with each other. The after-talk is almost mean and frivolous, is soon done that no one notices it; therefore beware of it (he says), if you already have a spirit, that you may know what the fruits of the spirit are.

V. 2. Be greedy for the sensible, unadulterated milk, as the now born little children.

(5) Then he makes a likeness, saying, Ye are now born again by the word of God; therefore keep yourselves as the newborn babes, which seek no more than milk. As they seek the breasts and the milk, so you also should be eager for the word, seek it and have a desire for it, so that you may suck the sensible, unadulterated milk.

(6) Again, these words are ambiguous: for he does not mean bodily milk, nor bodily seeking, as he does not speak of a bodily birth, but says of another milk, which is sensible, that is, spiritual, which one draws with the soul, which the heart must suck. This should be genuine, not, as one is wont to sell false goods. There is truly much need for this, and there is great need,

1008 Erl. öi, 380-382. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 2. 3. W. ix, 694-M. 1009

that the milk be given to the newborn and young Christians pure and not adulterated. But the milk is nothing but the gospel, which is also the seed, that we may conceive and be born, as we have approved above Cap. 1, § 92. 93. So it is also the food that feeds us when we grow up, is also the armor that we may arm ourselves and do evil, yes, it is all with one another. But the addition is man's doctrine, that the word of God may be counterfeited. Therefore the Holy Spirit wants every Christian to see what milk he is sucking and to learn to judge all doctrines for himself.

7. But the breasts that give forth this milk and suckle the young children are the preachers in Christianity, as the bridegroom says to the bride, Shel 4:5: "You have two breasts, like two young girls. 1) They should have a clump of myrrh hanging around them, as the bride says to Hohel. 1, 13: "My beloved is like a clump of myrrh hanging between my breasts," that is, one should always preach Christ. The bridegroom must be mingled in the midst of the breasts, otherwise it is wrong, and the milk is adulterated, if one does not preach Christ purely. Now this is how it is: when one preaches that Christ died for us and saved us from sins, death and hell, that is as sweet as milk. But after that one must also preach the cross, that one may suffer as he did; this then is strong drink and strong wine. Therefore, Christians must first be given the softest food, that is, milk. For you cannot preach evil to them, but first preach Christ alone; who is not bitter, but is sweet and fat grace, and you must not yet bear any pain. This is the right, sensible and unadulterated milk.

8 And here St. Peter has reached far into the Scriptures, as he is quite rich in writings. So in the Old Testament it is written, Ex. 23, 19. and Deut. 14, 21: "You shall not boil the kid, because it is at its mother's milk." Dear, why did God let write this? What

1. In the second adaptation (like in our Bible) instead of: "Hinnlein" deer twins are found.

Is he concerned that no kid should be put down because it still sucks milk? Therefore, that he wants to mean that St. Peter teaches here, and so much is said: Preach neatly to the young and weak Christians: let them feed well and become fat in the knowledge of Christ. Do not load them with strong doctrine, for they are still too young. But after that, when they become strong, let them be slaughtered and sacrificed on the cross. Thus we read also Deut. 24:5: If a man had lately taken a wife, he must not go to war the first year, lest he be slain, but be merry at home with his wife. All this is done so that those who are still young Christians 2) may be given their time and may be disciplined. When they are grown up, God leads them to the holy cross and lets them die like the other Christians; there the little goat is slaughtered. Now follows further:

V. 2, 3: That by them ye might grow up, having tasted otherwise that the Lord is good.

(9) It is not enough to hear the gospel once, but it must always be carried on, that we may grow up; after that faith is strong, after that every man must be provided and fed. But this is not said to those who have not heard the gospel; they know neither milk nor wine. Therefore he adds, "If ye have tasted otherwise, that the Lord is good:" as if to say, To him that hath not tasted it, it is not to his heart, neither is it sweet. But those who have tasted it, who always handle the food and the word, to them it tastes right and is sweet to them.

(10) But it is tasted when I believe with my heart that Christ has given himself to me and has become my own, and my sins and misfortunes are his, and now his life is mine. If such things go to the heart, they are tasted. For how can I not have joy and gladness from it? I am so happy when a good friend gives me a hundred guilders. But he who does not take it to heart cannot rejoice. The

2. Weimarsche: "der yhenigen". The second adaptation has our reading, also Bucer: ut üs suuru tsiuxus irMulAsamus.

1010 Erl. oil, 382-385. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 696-699. 1011

But those who are in mortal distress or who are oppressed by an evil conscience taste it best; hunger is a good cook, as they say, who makes the food taste good, for the heart and conscience can hear nothing more sweet. When it feels its sorrow, it is eager for it, and seeks the roast far away, and cannot be satisfied. So Mary says in the Magnificat Luc. 1, 53., "He has filled the hungry with good things." But those stubborn people who live in their own holiness, building on their works and not feeling their sin and misfortune, do not taste this. He that sitteth at meat, and is hungry, savoureth all things well: but he that is full before, savoureth nothing, but hath abhorrence even of the very best of meat. Therefore the apostle says, "Have ye tasted otherwise, that the Lord is good?" As if to say, If ye have not tasted it, I preach in vain. He goes on to say:

V. 4 To whom you have come as to the living stone.

11 Here he goes back to the Scriptures and touches the prophet Isaiah Cap. 28, 14. 15. 16. where he says: "Listen to what God says, you scoffers. You say, 'We have made a covenant with death and with hell,' and have 1) made lies your consolation. For thus saith the LORD, I will lay in the foundations of Zion a choice and precious cornerstone or foundation stone" 2c. This saying was also used by St. Paul [Rom. 9, 33.), and is also a main saying of the Scriptures. For Christ is the precious cornerstone which God has laid, upon which we must be built. And see how St. Peter takes the words and points the stone to Christ. After that, Isaiah says "to put one's trust in Him", says St. Peter, is as much as to build on Him. This is the correct interpretation of the Scripture. The builders lay the foundation stone where it is sure and firm, so that it can carry the whole building; so also the living stone, Christ, carries the whole building. Therefore, "to build" means that we all place our trust and confidence in one another and place it in him.

1. Weimarsche: "hat. Cf. Cap. 1, § 74.

Who is rejected in the sight of men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God.

But here he cites a saying of the prophet David in the 118th Psalm, v. 22, 23: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and is marvelous in our sight. Which saying Christ also indicates, Matth. 21, 42. Item Peter Apost. 4, 11. where he says: "This is the stone which you builders rejected." Ye are builders (saith he), because they taught the people, and preached great sermons, and gave many laws, but made vain works saints and hypocrites. So then Christ comes and says thus, "You are hypocrites and vipers"; passes many terrible judgments on them, and keeps to the sinners, not to the great saints. So they cannot stand it, rejecting him also, saying: You are a heretic! Do you refuse to do good works? Well, you must die. Therefore Peter says here, "This is the cornerstone which is rejected by men, because you must be built up by faith. Now this is strange in our eyes (as the prophet says), it seems strange to us, and where the Spirit does not teach it, it cannot be understood in any way. Therefore he says, in the sight of God the stone is chosen, and a choice and precious stone is counted worthy to take away death, to pay for sin, to save from hell, and to give the kingdom of heaven.

V. 5 And you also, as living stones, build yourselves into a spiritual house.

How can we build ourselves? Through the gospel and preaching. The builders are the preachers. The Christians who hear the gospel are the ones who are being built, and the stones that must be placed on this cornerstone, so that we may place our trust in it, and our hearts may stand and rest on it. Then I must also make sure that I keep the form that this stone has, for if I am placed on it through faith, then I must also do the works and conduct myself as he did, and each one with me. Now this grows out of faith, and is the work of love, that we should all send one to another, and all become one building. So St. Paul also speaks of this, although in a different way.

1012 Erl. 51, 385-387. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 5. W. IX, 699-702. 1013

another way, 1 Cor. 3, 16: "You shall be the temple of God." The house of stone or wood is not his house, he wants to have a spiritual house, that is, the Christian assembly, in which we are all equal in one faith, one like the other, and all laid on one another and joined together and united in love, without all malice, cunning, hypocrisy, hatred and back talk, as he said.

And to the holy priesthood.

14 Then he put down the outward and bodily priesthood, which was before in the Old Testament, as well as the outward church; he takes all this away, and thus wants to say: The outward being with the priesthood has now all ceased, therefore now another priesthood begins, and offers other sacrifices, namely, that it is all spiritual.

(15) We have argued much that those who are now called priests are not priests before God, and this is based on this saying of Peter. Therefore take him well. And if someone comes here with this saying and wants to interpret it in this way (as some 1) have done), that he speaks of two kinds of priesthood, namely, of external and spiritual priests, then let him put on glasses so that he can see, and take hellebore so that he may sweep the brain. St. Peter thus says, "You shall build yourselves up to the spiritual or holy priesthood." Now ask those priests whether they are holy; this shows their life, as one can see that the wretched people are in avarice and fornication and all kinds of vice. He who has the priesthood must be holy, but he who is not holy does not have it. That is why St. Peter speaks only of one priesthood.

16 We further ask: whether he makes a distinction between the spiritual and the secular, as the clergy are now called spiritual, the other Christians secular? So they must confess, without their thanks, that here St. Peter speaks to all who are Christians, namely to these, who are to put away all malice, cunning, hypocrisy and hatred 2c. and be like the now born little children, and drink the unadulterated milk. So the lie must bite itself in the mouth. Therefore

1. E. g. Emser. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIII, 1353 ff.

This is very clear: because St. Peter speaks to all Christians, it proves that they are lying, and St. Peter does not speak of their priesthood, which they have invented and only draw to themselves. Therefore our bishops are nothing but Niclas bishops;. 2) And as their priesthood is, so are their laws, sacrifices and works. It would be a fine game in the carnival without the divine name being blasphemed under the pretense.

(17) Therefore only those are the holy and spiritual priesthood who are true Christians and built on the stone. For since Christ is the bridegroom, and we are the bride, the bride has all that the bridegroom has, including his own body. For when he gives himself to the bride, he gives himself to her even as he is; and in turn the bride also gives herself to him. Now Christ is the high and highest priest anointed by God Himself, He also sacrificed His own body for us, which is the highest priestly office; then He prayed for us on the cross; thirdly, He also preached the gospel, and taught all men to know God and Himself. These three offices he has also given to all of us. Therefore, because he is a priest, and we are his brothers, all Christians have authority and command, and must preach and come before God, pleading one for another, and offering themselves to God. And despite that anyone should start preaching the word of God or saying that he is a priest.

To offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

(18) Spiritual sacrifice is not money, which must be offered to the pope; nor is it the sacrifice as in the Old Testament, when one had to offer tithes of all things. Such physical sacrifice and priesthood has now all ceased, and is now all new and spiritual. The priest is Christ, and we all; as he has now sacrificed his body, so must we also sacrifice ourselves. Here now is fulfilled all that was signified by the outward sacrifices in the Old Testament, as they all came to pass, and lately all is called preaching the gospel. 3) Who

2. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 675. 1358.
3. Bucer: Ut uno autem verbo dicam, omnia aliud non sunt, quam praedicare ac amplecti Evangelio.

1014 Erl. si, S87-Z89. Interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 702-704. 1015

who practices and practices all these things, kills the calf, that is, the carnal mind, and strangles the old Adam. For the unreasonable being in the flesh and blood must be killed with the gospel; so we allow ourselves to be sacrificed and strangled on the cross. There the right priesthood goes in the swing, that we sacrifice to God the evil rogue, the lazy old donkey. If the world does not do it, then we must do it ourselves; for in the end everything must be laid aside that we have from the old Adam, as we have just heard in Chapter 1 § 83 ff. This is the only sacrifice that is pleasing and acceptable to God. From this you can now see where our fools and blind leaders have led us, and how this text has remained under the bank.

019 Now thou mayest say, If it be true that we are all priests, and shall preach, what manner of being shall it be? Shall there be no difference among the people, and shall the women also be priests? Answer: In the New Testament there should be no priests bearing plates, not because it is evil of him, but because there should be no difference between them and the common Christian man, which faith cannot suffer; so that those who are now called priests should all be laymen like the others, and only some ministers should be chosen by the congregation to preach. So there is only a difference outwardly of the office to which one is called by the congregation. But in the sight of God there is no difference, and only for this reason are some of them drawn from among the congregation, so that they may lead and carry out the ministry in place of the congregation, which they all have, not so that one has more authority than the other. Therefore, none of them should appear and preach in the congregation, but one must be drawn out of the crowd and put in place, and he may be removed again if he wishes.

(20) Now they have established a status of their own, as if it were from God, and have gained such freedom that there is almost no greater distinction in the midst of Christendom, neither among us nor among the Turks. If you want to look at the Christians, you must not look at any difference, and not say: This is a man or a woman, a servant or a master, old or young, like Paul.

Gal. 3, 28. It is all one thing and one spiritual people. Therefore they are all priests, may all preach God's word; but women are not to speak in the church, but let the men preach, for the sake of the commandment that they should be subject to their husbands, as St. Paul teaches 1 Cor. 14, 34. God allows such an order to remain, but does not make a difference of authority. But where there were no men, but vain women, as in nunneries, one would also raise up a woman among them to preach.

(21) Now this is the true priesthood, which is in the three parts, as we have heard (17), that one sacrifices spiritually, prays for the church, and preaches. Whoever can do this is a priest; they are all guilty of preaching the word, praying for the church, and offering themselves before God. Let those fools therefore depart, who call the spiritual estate priests, who yet have no other office, but that they bear plates and are smeared. If the bribing and greasing made a priest, I might as well grease and anoint the paws of a donkey, that he also might be a priest.

Lastly, St. Peter says that we should offer spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. Since Christ is the cornerstone on which we are set, what we want to do for God must be done through Him alone, as we have heard enough above §55. For God would not look at my cross if I were to torture myself to death; but He looks at Christ, through whom my works are valid before God, which otherwise would not be worth a straw. That is why the Scriptures call Christ a precious cornerstone, who imparts fine virtue to all who are built on him through faith. Thus St. Peter teaches us in the saying, how Christ is the living stone, what Christ is. And this is a fine likeness, from which it is easy to understand how one should believe in Christ. So now follows:

V. 6-10. Therefore it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone, and whosoever believeth in him shall not be put to shame. Now to you who believe, it is precious; but to the unbeliever, it is not.

** **1016 Erl. si, Z89-S91. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 6-10. W. ix, 704-707. 1017

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, the stone of offense, and the rock of offense for those who stumble at the word and do not believe in it, in which they are placed. But you are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy people, the people of ownership, that you should proclaim the virtue of him who called you from darkness to his marvelous light. You were not a people, but now you are God's people, and God has not had mercy on you, but now he has had mercy on you.

23 I have said before Cap. 1, §§ 34. 76. 94. Cap. 2, § 11, that St. Peter lards his epistle well and keeps it with scriptures, as all preachers should do, so that their foundation stands entirely on God's word. Thus, he lists four or five sayings in succession. The first one he took from the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 28, 16, from word to word, that Christ is a precious cornerstone or foundation stone; and this is the very saying that we have now discussed and explained § 11. It is a right main saying of the doctrine of faith, which should be taken as a basis if someone wants to preach in a place where Christ was not preached before. For it must be begun from him that Christ is the stone on which faith is to be built and stand.

(24) But that the prophet does not speak of a physical stone in that place is proved by the fact that it follows: "He that believeth on him shall not be put to shame." If I am to believe in him, it must be a spiritual stone; for how else can I believe in stone and wood? For this he must truly be God; for God has forbidden in the first commandment Ex. 20:3, 4 that one should believe in no thing but him alone. Because the stone is laid for the foundation, where one is to trust in, it must be God Himself. Again, he cannot be God alone, but must also be man at the same time, therefore he must be part of the building; and not only part, but also the head. Now when one builds a structure, one stone must be like another, so that each has the other's kind, nature and form. Therefore, because we are built on Christ, he must be like us, and he must be like us.

The same nature as the other stones that lie on him, that is, a true man like all of us. So the Scripture expresses with simple and small words such a great thing, namely the whole sum of our faith, and understands in such short sayings more than no man can express.

(25) I have also said § 13 what the building is, namely, faith, by which we are placed in Christ, and put our trust in the stone, and so become like it; and that this must happen in such a way that the building fits together. For the other stones must all be laid and aligned after the stone. This then is love, the fruit of faith.

026 But why doth the prophet call him a foundation stone? Because no building can be made without first laying a stone as a foundation. For the other stones of the building cannot stand without the foundation stone. So we must all stand on Christ and recognize him as a foundation stone. Therefore we may not boast that the stone must take something from us, but we must receive benefit from it alone. For we do not bear it, but it bears us, and on it rests sin, death, hell, and all that we have; so that all this and what offends us cannot harm us if we are set on the foundation. For if therefore we abide on him, and rely on him, we must also abide where he is. Just as natural stones must rely on their foundation stone.

The prophet also calls him "a cornerstone". The Holy Spirit has his way of speaking much in short words. Christ is a cornerstone because he brought together the Gentiles and the Jews, who had been mortal enemies among themselves, and thus the Christian Church was gathered from both people, of which Paul the Apostle writes much. The Jews boasted of the law of God and that they were God's people, and despised the Gentiles. But now Christ has come and has taken away the glory of the Jews, and has also claimed us Gentiles, and so he has made us both one through your faith, and has dealt with us in such a way that we both must confess that we have nothing of ourselves.

1018 Erl. si, 391-3S4. Interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 707-710. 1019

but are all sinners, and must alone await godliness and heaven from him, and that we Gentiles as well believe that Christ has come to help us as the Jews. Therefore he is the cornerstone that joins two walls together, Jew and Gentile, so that they become one building and one house.

28 Now the prophet concludes, "He that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. Since the Holy Spirit says that those who believe in Christ will not be put to shame, he gives us to understand what he has in mind, namely, that he has already let the judgment go and decided that all the world must be put to shame and disgraced. But he wants to draw some out of the crowd, so that no one may escape disgrace, except the one who believes in Christ. Thus Christ himself lays it down in the last verse of Marci, v. 16: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. With which words he also touches the prophet here. That is why Peter said in the first chapter, v. 10, that the prophets searched the time and searched for salvation, and prophesied of the future grace beforehand. So then Christ is to be preached, that he is the one who has delivered us from this disgrace in which we have all been.

29 Therefore, let him who will, stand up and praise free will, and defend the powers of man. If you want to overthrow all men's works and doctrine, and what comes from men, you have enough in this saying alone, which pushes it all down, so that it must fall like the dry leaves from the tree. For it is decided that what is not on the stone is already lost. He will not suffer you to do anything by works. The spirit and the divine majesty speak with such simplicity that no one pays attention, but with such force that all things are overthrown. Who then wants to act against it, or who does not want to be frightened by it? Therefore God would have us despair of ourselves altogether, and measure ourselves only by the goods that He has, and let us build on the foundation that no creature can overthrow, so that no one may rely on his own piety, but on Christ's righteousness, and on all that Christ has done.

has. But what does it mean to rely on His righteousness? Nothing else, but to despair of myself, and to think that my righteousness, my truth, must all fail, and to trust that His righteousness, His truth, His life, and all the goods that He has, will endure forever. There is the ground, where I stand up. What does not stand on this foundation, all will have to fall. But he that trusteth in this alone shall not be put to shame, and shall abide, that no violence shall not hurt him. Therefore, Christ shall not be a stone alone, but God will also lay him as a foundation; we should take comfort in this. God has said that he will not be able to lie.

(30) Now this stone does not serve itself, but is kicked and buried in the ground, so that it is not seen; and the other stones lie on it, and are seen. Therefore it is given to us, that we should take from it and rely on it and believe what it has, that it is all ours, what it is able to do, that it has been given to us, that I may say: This is my own good and treasure, of which my conscience can be comforted. Now St. Peter speaks further:

V. 7, 8: Now to you who believe, it is precious. But to the unbelievers the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and the stone of offence and the rock of vexation.

(31) The good and precious stone, Peter says, is precious and honest to some, but to many it is not precious, but is a stumbling block. How does this happen? The Scripture speaks of it in two ways, that there are some who believe and many who do not. To those who believe, he is precious; my heart must rejoice when I put my confidence and comfort in him. Therefore he says, "He is precious to you who believe"; that is, you think much of him. For though he himself is good and precious, yet it is of no use to me, nor does it help me; therefore he must be precious to us, so that he may give us many precious things, like a precious stone, which 1)

1. "The" does not refer to "precious stone," which is of the neuter gender, but to Christ.

1020 Erl. 51, 394-396. First edition. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 7. 8. W. IX, 710-712. 1021

does not keep his virtue with him, but breaks out, and gives all his strength from himself, so that I have all that he is.

The unbelievers, however, do not consider it to be such a precious stone, but reject it, and are offended by it; therefore it is not comforting to them, but harmful and annoying, even though it is otherwise comforting in itself. These are not only the gross, public sinners, but much more the great saints, who rely on their free will, on their works and piety; they have to push themselves against this stone and run up against it. God now makes a judgment that those who enter without works come to righteousness through faith alone; but those do not come to it, because they want to come to it through their own piety, as St. Paul says Rom. 10, 3.

33 Therefore this became the stone, says St. Peter, which the builders rejected. And there he joins the Scriptures together, but uses the saying which he touched upon above § 12, from the 118th Psalm, v. 22: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Who the builders are, I have explained enough 13), namely, those who teach, preach the law, and want to make pious people by works; they agree with Christ as winter and summer. Therefore, the preachers who preach works must reject this stone.

-About this he takes another saying from the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 8, 13. 14. There the prophet wrote that it would be as St. Peter says here, and thus says: "The Lord shall be your fear, he shall become your sanctuary; but he shall become a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel. Thus the prophet means that the Lord shall become a sanctuary for you, that is, he shall be sanctified in your hearts; you shall have no other sanctification, either this or that, except that you believe. For others he will be a stone, and they will stumble and be offended.

(35) What then is the offense and tarnishing? It is when one preaches Christ and says, "Behold, this is why this stone was laid on the foundation, so that you might be reminded of it.

You despair and despair of yourself, thinking that your works and your own piety are vain, and that you rely on him alone, believing that Christ's righteousness is your righteousness. When they hear this, they recoil and recoil, and are angry, and say: How can you say that virginity and mass and such good works are nothing? That is the devil's way of speaking. For they cannot judge that their conduct is not good; they think that it is well done in the sight of God, and they also bring up sayings from the Scriptures, saying, "God has commanded that one should do good works. When they want to put this down, they raise their voices and shout: "Heretic, heretic! Fire, fire! Therefore they cannot bear the stone and want to overturn it; so they clash against each other, so that they must be crushed on this stone, as Christ says Matth. 21:42: "Have you not read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?" (and follows v. 44.:) "And whosoever shall fall upon this stone shall be broken: but of whomsoever it shall fall, it shall break him in pieces." Therefore do as you will, there is no shame in the stone; it is laid, and will remain. Now whoever wants to run up against it and rub against it will have to break.

(36) Now this is the offence and the vexation of which the Scriptures speak much. So the Jews are still striking at the stone today, and there is no end to it until the last day comes: then this stone will fall on all unbelievers and crush them. Therefore, though Christ is such a chosen and precious stone, yet he must be called a stone of offense and stumbling, through no fault of his own. And as the Jews did, so do we now forever. For as they boasted in God's name that they were God's people, so it is also now, that under Christ's name and the name of the Christian church, people deny Christ and reject the precious stone. He comes therefore that they should reject their work, but this they cannot suffer and reject Him. Therefore it follows:

Those who take offense at the word, and do not believe in it, on which they are set.

** **1022 Erl. 51, 396-398. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 712-715. 1023

(37) When it is said that their works are not good and do not count in the sight of God, they cannot and will not hear it. Now God has set Christ as the foundation on which they should be placed, and through Him they should have attained all salvation, and has had Him preached to the whole world, that they might be founded on Him through the preaching of the Gospel. So they will not accept him, but reject him, and continue in their own mind and works. For if they were thus established on him, their honor, wealth, and power would fall, and they would no longer be exalted. Further, St. Peter speaks:

V. 9. But you are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people of ownership.

38. he gives the Christians a righteous title, and has taken the saying from Moses, Deut. 7, 6. where he says to the Jews: "You are a holy people to God your Lord, and God your Lord has chosen you as a people of ownership from all the nations that are on earth. Item, 2 Mos. 19, 5. 6. he says: "You shall be my property before all nations, and you shall be a priestly kingdom and a holy nation to me." There you see what Peter is talking about. As I said before 15 ff, so I still say that one should be accustomed to speak of priests as the Scriptures do. Let no one be troubled whom men call priests; let them call each one what they will, and keep the word of God: whatsoever the same is called priest, that call thou also priest. We will let it happen that those priests whom the bishops and the pope consecrate call themselves, and call themselves what they will, so far from calling themselves "God's priests"; for they cannot find a word of it for themselves from the Scriptures.

39 But when they come with this saying, that he speaks of them, answer thus, as I have taught above §15, and ask them to whom St. Peter speaks here? then they will have to stand with shame. For it is clear and public enough that he speaks to the whole multitude, to all Christians, in that he says: You are the chosen race and holy people; so he has never spoken of them before.

No priest has ever spoken of anyone except those who are laid on the stone and believe. Therefore it must follow that whoever does not believe is not a priest.

40 So they say: Ei, one must interpret the words thus, as the holy fathers have interpreted it. Then say, Let the fathers and teachers, whoever they are, interpret as they will. So St. Peter tells me that he has greater testimony from God than those; he is also older, therefore I will keep it with him. So, too, the saying may not be a gloss. For he says in express words about those who believe. Now they alone are not believers who are smeared and wear plates. Therefore we will gladly grant them that they may call themselves so, for we do not inquire how they will be reproached; but the dispute is whether they are called priests in the Scriptures, and whether God calls them so. Some may be drawn out of the congregation who are ministers and servants, and appointed to preach in the congregation and to administer the sacraments; but we are all priests before God, if we are Christians. For since we are laid upon the stone, which is the chief priest before God, we also have all that He has.

(41) Therefore I would very much that this word "priest" were as common as that we should be called Christians; for it is all one thing, priests, baptized, Christians. Just as I should not suffer that the smeared and scorched should call themselves Christians and baptized alone, so I should not suffer that they should want to be priests alone. Nevertheless they have drawn it upon themselves alone. So they have also called the church, which the pope decides with his pointed hats. But the Scripture reverses it. Therefore notice this well, so that you may know how to make a distinction between what God calls priests and what they call themselves priests. For so we must raise again that this little word "priest" becomes as common as the little word "Christians. For being a priest does not belong to an office that is external; it is only such an office that acts before God.

So it is also true that we are all kings. "Priest" and "king" are everything

1. with its pointed hats - with its bishops.

1024 Erl. 51, 398-400. First editing. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 9. W. IX, 715-717. 1025

spiritual names, such as Christians, saints, church. And just as you are not called a Christian because you have much money and goods, but because you are built on the stone and believe in Christ, so you are not called a priest because you wear a plate or a long skirt, but because you may stand before God. Likewise, you are not a king because you wear a golden crown and have much land and people under you, but because you are a lord over all things, death, sin and hell. For you are as much a king as Christ is a king, if you believe in him. Now he is not a king, as worldly kings are, nor does he wear a crown of gold, nor does he ride forth with great pomp and many horses, but he is a king over all kings, having authority over all things, and all things must be at his feet. As he is a lord, so am I a lord: for what he hath, that have I also.

(43) Now someone might say: St. Peter also says here that Christians are also kings: so it is clear that we are not all kings; therefore let this saying not be understood as speaking of all in general. For he that is a Christian is not king of France, nor priest of Rome. So I also ask: is the king of France also a king before God? He does not; for God will not judge by the crown. On earth he is king and before the world, but when death comes, his kingdom is over, for then he will have to lie at the feet of those who believe. We are talking about an eternal kingdom and priesthood; every one who believes is truly a king before God. But who does not know that we are not all circumcised and smeared priests? But because they are smeared, they are not priests before God; neither are they kings before God because they are crowned. Crowned kings and smeared priests belong to the world and are made by men. The pope may make as many such priests as he wishes, so far from making priests before God, for God Himself will make them.

44 Therefore, when St. Peter says here, "You are the royal priesthood," it is just that.

as much as if he said: You are Christians. Now if you want to know what the Christians' title and power and prize is, you will see here that they are kings and priests, and the chosen people. But what is the priesthood? Follow hereafter:

That you may proclaim the virtue of Him who called you from darkness to His marvelous light.

This belongs to a priest, that he is God's messenger and has orders from God to proclaim His word. The virtue (says St. Peter), that is, the miraculous work that God has done for you, so that He might bring you from darkness into light, is what you are to preach, which is the highest priestly office. And so shall your preaching be done, that one brother may proclaim to another the powerful deed of God, how you have been redeemed from sin, hell and death and all misfortune through Him, and have been called to eternal life. In the same way you should teach other people, how they also come to such light. For all things are to be directed to this end, that you may know what God has done for you, and that you may make it your noblest work to proclaim this publicly, and to call everyone to the light to which you have been called. Where you see people who do not know this, you should instruct them and also teach them as you have learned, namely, how one must be saved through the virtue and power of God and come from darkness to light.

(46) And here you see that St. Peter clearly says that there is only one light, and concludes that all our reason, however wise it is, is darkness. For although reason can count, one, two, three, and also see what is black or white, large or small, and judge other external things, it cannot see what faith is. There it is staarblind. And if all men's wisdom were combined, they could not understand one letter of the divine wisdom. Therefore St. Peter speaks here of another light, which is marvelous, and says freshly to all of us that we are all in the fin-de-siècle.

1. In the second adaptation (as it seems to us, better): "though all men have their prudence" 2c.

1026 Erl. 51, 400-402. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 717-720. 1027

We are blind and starry-eyed where God does not call us to His true light.

Experience also teaches us this. For when it is preached that we cannot come before God by works, but must have a mediator who may come before God and reconcile us to him, reason must confess that it cannot know this at all. Therefore, it must have a different light and knowledge if it is to understand this. Therefore, everything that is not God's word and faith is darkness. For reason gropes like a blind man, always falling from one to the other, and does not know what it is doing. But if one says such things to the learned and wise men of the world, they do not want to hear it and start to scream and rave against it. Therefore St. Peter is truly a bold apostle, that he may call darkness, which all the world calls light.

(48) So we see that the first and most noble office we Christians should do is to proclaim the virtue of God. What then are the virtues and noble deeds that God has shown? They are, as we have often said Cap. 1, §§ 18. 58, that Christ by the power of God has swallowed up death, devoured hell, and drunk up sin, and set us on the path to eternal life; these are such great virtues that no man is able to comprehend them, much less to do them. Therefore it is nothing at all that we Christians preach the doctrine of man, but of such power should we be preached that overcomes the devil, sin and death.

(49) And here St. Peter has once again stirred up many sayings, as he almost always leads one saying into another through and through. 1) For all the prophets say that God's name and glory and his arm or power should be honored and praised, and that he should do such a work that the whole world should sing and say about it. The prophets are full of this in all places, and St. Peter points to all of them here. They also spoke a lot about light and darkness, that we must be enlightened with God's light; so that they also indicate that all human reason is darkness. St. Peter continues:

1. Cf. § 23.

V. 10. You who were not a people in the past, but are now God's people, and on whom God had no mercy, but now has mercy.

50 This saying is expressed in the prophet Hosea Cap. 2, 23, and St. Paul also referred to it in Rom. 9, 25: "I will make this to be called my people, which is not my people. All this is based on the fact that God Almighty specially chose the people of Israel and gave them great honor, gave them many prophets, and also did many miracles with them, so that He would make Christ a man out of the people; all this happened for the sake of the child; that is why they are called God's people in the Scriptures. But this the prophets have further cut out and said, that this promise should break out, and also affect the Gentiles. That is why St. Peter says here, "You are God's people, who were not God's people in the past." From this it is clear that he wrote the epistle to the Gentiles, not to the Jews. With this he now wants to indicate that the saying of the prophet has been fulfilled, that they are now a holy people, having ownership, priesthood and kingdom, and all that Christ has, if they believe. This is what follows in Petro:

I exhort you, brethren, as strangers and pilgrims, 3) abstain from the fleshly lusts which war against the soul, and lead a good walk among the Gentiles, that they who speak evil of you as of evildoers may see your good works and praise God when the day comes.

Here St. Peter speaks a little differently than St. Paul, who would not speak as we will hear, because every apostle has his own way of speaking, as well as every prophet. So far, he has laid the foundation of the Christian faith, as the main part begins. Now he goes on and teaches how we are to conduct ourselves toward all men.

(52) This is a right way of preaching, that first of all one should strike out faith from what it is.

2. In the second edit: "him".
3. Weimarsche: "pylgerhn". This word comes from the Latin per[Arirnis. (Dietz.)

1028 Erl. 5i,E-4v5. First editing. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 11. 12. W. ix, 720-723. 1029

and what his power and nature are, namely, that he gives us all that we need for piety and salvation, so that nothing can be done but by faith, and through it we have all that God has. Now that God has come with us and given us all that is His and has become our own, so that we have all goods and sufficiency through faith, what shall we do? Shall we walk idly? It would be best for us to die, then we would have it all. But because we live here, we should also do the same to our neighbor and give ourselves to him as God has given Himself to us. Thus faith makes us blessed; but love is that we give ourselves to our neighbor when we have enough. That is, faith takes from God; love gives to the neighbor. That is what is said in short words. One can also preach a lot about it, and further emphasize it, as St. Peter does here.

53 This is the apostle's opinion when he says: "Dear brethren, I admonish you as strangers and pilgrims. Forasmuch then as ye are one with Christ, and even one Church, and his goods are yours, and your loss is his loss, and he taketh unto himself all that ye have, ye ought therefore to follow him, and so to hold yourselves, as though ye were no more citizens of the world: for your goods are not on earth, but in heaven: and though ye have lost all temporal goods, yet have ye Christ, who is more than all these things. The devil is a prince of the world and rules it; his citizens are the people of the world. Therefore, since you are not of the world, do as a stranger in an inn who has no fine goods, but only takes food and gives his money for it. For it is only a passage here, where we cannot stay, but must travel on. Therefore we have no more need of worldly goods, but that we may fill ourselves, and so depart, and go to another country. We are citizens in heaven; on earth we are pilgrims and guests.

Abstain from fleshly lusts, which fight against the soul.

54 I will not discuss here whether St. Peter is talking about external fornication or St. Paul.

who calls everything carnal that a man does without faith, who is in the body and carnal life. But I think that St. Peter has a little different consecration, nor do I think that he takes the word "soul", like Paul, for the spirit; but St. Peter (as I think) has given himself further into the common Greek language than St. Paul. But there is no power in it, it is understood of all kinds of lusts, or only of carnal lust or fornication. But this is what he wants to indicate here, that no saint on earth can be completely perfect and pure.

The high schools have also trampled underfoot this saying, and do not understand it either; they think that it is only said of sinners, as if the saints had no more evil desire. But whoever wants to study the Scriptures properly must understand a difference, because the prophets sometimes speak of saints as if they were pure in all things. Again, they also speak of them in this way, that they still have evil desires, and bite themselves with sins. In these two things they cannot be judged. Therefore let it be understood that Christians are divided into two parts: the inward being, which is faith, and the outward being, which is the flesh. Now if a Christian is regarded according to faith, he is pure and entirely clean, for the word of God has nothing impure in him, and where it enters into the heart, it must also make it entirely clean; therefore in faith all things are perfect. Accordingly, we are kings and priests and God's people, as stated above §38 ff. But because faith is in the flesh, and we still live on earth, we feel evil inclinations at times, as impatience and fear of death 2c. These are all still infirmities of the old man; for faith is not yet fully ingrown, does not have perfect power over the flesh.

(56) You can understand this from a parable in the Gospel, Luc. 10:30 ff, about the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among the murderers, who beat him and left him half dead. Then you see that this man, because he is now

1030 Erl. 51, 405-407. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 723-726. 1YZ1

The only thing missing, however, is that he is not completely healed. Life is there, but his health is not yet complete; he is still under the care of physicians and must still be healed. So we also have the Lord Christ complete, and are assured of eternal life, but we do not have complete health; something of the old Adam still remains in the flesh. So also is the likeness of Matthew 13:33, where Christ says, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman taketh, and maketh to be mixed with flour, until it be thoroughly leavened." When you make a dough of flour, the leaven is all in it, but it has not gone all the way through, and has not worked its way through; but the flour lies in the work until it becomes thoroughly leavened, and now no more leaven shall be added to it. So you also have what you are supposed to have by faith, so that you may grasp the word of God; but it has not gone through at all, so it must work until you are completely leavened. In this way you shall discern the Scriptures, so that you do not also torture them as the papists do.

(57) Therefore I say, when it is read of the saints in the Scriptures that they have been perfect, understand it to mean that they have been completely pure and without sin according to faith; but yet the flesh has still been there, which could not have been completely pure. Therefore Christians desire and ask that the body or the flesh be put to death, so that they may become completely pure. Those who teach otherwise have neither felt nor tasted this. This makes them speak as they think and understand with their reason; therefore they must also fail. The great saints, who wrote and taught a great deal, may have stumbled here. Origen has not a word of it in his books. Jerome never understood it. If Augustine had not had to quarrel with the Pelagians, he would not have understood it very well. When they speak of saints, they exalt them as if they were something different and better than other Christians; just as if they had not felt the flesh and complained about it, just as we do. That is why St. Peter says here: "You are pure and have righteousness in its entirety;

So fight henceforth with the evil airs. So also Christ says in the Gospel of John, Cap. 13, 10: "He that is washed must wash the feet also"; it is not enough that the head and hands are clean. Therefore, even though he says that they are completely clean, he still wants them to wash their feet.

(58) But what does St. Peter mean by saying, "Abstain from the lusts that war against the soul"? This is what he means: You must not think that it will be all right to play and sleep. Sin is now gone through faith, but you still have the flesh, which is still senseless and raging; therefore see to it that you suppress it. You will have to force the air and subdue it, and the greater your faith, the greater will be the attacks; therefore you must be armed and hardened, and thus fight without ceasing. For they will attack you with multitudes and want to take you captive. Therefore St. Paul also says Rom. 7:22, 23: "I delight in the law of God according to the inward man: but I find another law in my members, which warreth against the law in my mind, and taketh me captive, that I should do those things which I would not." As if to say, "I fight against it, but it will not cease. Therefore I would like to be rid of it, but it will not be. My will is of no use. What then shall I do? "I wretched man (saith he, v. 24), who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" So now all the saints cry out.

59. But the people who are without faith, the devil leads them so that he only lets them go and follow them in sins, and does not beat them at all. But the others, he thinks, I have already caught with unbelief; so I will let them go, so that they will not do gross sin, and will not have great temptation, and so will cover their grief and their mischief. The faithful, however, have enough temptation and must always be in battle. Those who are without faith and spirit do not feel it, or go after it, break out and follow evil desires; but as soon as the spirit and faith come into the heart, man becomes so weak that he thinks he cannot think the least thought and fear.

1032 Erl. si, 407-4W. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 11. 12. W. ix, 726-728. 1033

And he seeth that all sin is in him from the top of his head even to the bottom of his feet. For before he believed, he went as he pleased; but now that the Spirit is come, and will make him clean, the controversy ariseth, and the devil, and the flesh, and the world, lay themselves up against faith. All the prophets complain about this in the Scriptures.

(60) Therefore St. Peter says that the conflict is not in sinners, but in believers; and he also gives a consolation that one may resist evil desires, so that one may only bark against them. If you already have evil thoughts, do not despair; only see that you do not let them take you captive. Our teachers have tried to advise people to torture themselves until they no longer have evil thoughts, so that they have finally become mad and insane. But learn thou thus, if thou be a Christian, that thou shalt doubtless feel all manner of impulses and evil inclinations in the flesh. For when faith is there, a hundred evil thoughts, a hundred temptations, come more than before. Only see to it that you are a man and do not let yourself be caught, and always rebel and say: I do not want to, I do not want to. For this must be the way of wicked men and women, who are always grumbling against each other, and what one wants, the other does not want.

61 This is called a righteous Christian life, which is never at rest, and is not done in such a way that one should not feel sin, but that one should feel it, but only not be willing to commit it. Then one should fast, pray, work, that one may curb and suppress lust. Therefore you must not think that you want to become a saint, as those fools talk about it. Because blood and flesh remain, sin also remains; therefore it must always be disputed. Whoever then does not experience this must not boast that he is a Christian.

(62) So far we have been taught that if we had confessed or entered a spiritual state, we would now be pure and would no longer be allowed to fight with our sins. They also said that baptism made us pure and clean, so that no evil remained in man.

thought: Now I want to have a good rest. Then the devil came and overthrew them worse than before. Therefore, come to your senses. If you want to confess and be absolved, then you must act like a soldier who enters the fray at the head, since it is now only valid, and the war begins, that you will now be hit right, just as if it was before the insult; then you must first pull out the knife and lash out. But now, because the dispute lasts, so long must there always be a stir. So also, if you have been baptized, see that you are not safe from the devil and from sin for an hour, and that you think you will have no peace.

Therefore Christian life is nothing but a battle and a camp, as the Scripture says Job 7:1, and therefore also our Lord God is called Ps. 24:10 Dominus Sabaoth, which is a Lord over the hosts; item, v. 10: Dominus potens in praelio. And with this he shows how powerful he is, that he always lets his people stand in war and take the lead, since the trumpets always sound, that he always remembers: fight here, fight there; thrust here, strike there; that it is therefore an eternal battle, since you must do everything you can, so that you may strike down the devil with the word of God. You must always resist and call upon God, and despair of all human strength. Now follows further:

V. 12. And conduct yourselves in a good way, that those who speak evil of you, as of evildoers, may see your good works and praise God.

See how St. Peter keeps such a fine order 2). Now he has taught what we should do, that we should subdue our flesh with all its lusts; now he also teaches why the same should be done. Why should I subdue my flesh? That I may be saved? No; but that I may walk in righteousness before the world. For a good walk does not make us righteous, but we must be righteous and believe before we begin to walk in righteousness. But the

1. Thus the Jena and Latin translations. Weimar and Erlangen: not.
2. Weimarsche: "eyn seyn orden".

1034 Erl. 51, 409-41S. Interpretations on the 1st Epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 728-731. 1035

I am not to make use of this outward conduct, but so that the heathen may be improved and provoked by it, so that they may also come to Christ through us (which is a true work of love). They speak evil of us and reproach us, considering us to be the worst of boys; therefore we should show ourselves with such a fine conduct that they must say: "Well, you can't blame them.

We read that when the emperors ruled and persecuted the Christians, they could not be blamed, except that they worshipped Christ and considered him a god, as Pliny wrote to the emperor Trajan, 1) that he knew of no evil that the Christians did, except that they came together early every morning and sang several hymns, so that they honored their Christ and took the sacrament; otherwise no one could blame them. Therefore St. Peter says, "You must suffer yourselves to be reproached as evildoers; therefore you must conduct yourselves in such a way that you do no harm to anyone, and so you will make them better. "When it shall come to pass," that is, you must suffer yourselves to be reproached until it shall break out and be made manifest, that it may be seen how they have wronged you, and that they must praise God in you. Thus now St. Peter speaks further:

V. 13-17. Be subject to all human order for the sake of the Lord, whether to the king as the ruler, or to the guardians as the messengers from him, for the vengeance of evildoers, and for the praise of benefactors. For this is the will of God, that you plug with benevolence the ignorance of foolish men, as the free, and not as if you had the liberty to cover wickedness, but as the servants of God. Be respectful to everyone; love the brotherhood; fear God; honor the king.

So St. Peter goes along in a fine and orderly way and teaches us how we should conduct ourselves in all things. So far, he has spoken in general about how one should conduct oneself in all states. Now he begins to teach how one should behave against the

1. ?1in. Lpx. X, 96. (1?6rt. [. xol. 2. dus. ü. 6.

111, 33.) (Weim. ed.)

worldly authorities. For since he has now said enough, first of all, what one should do against God and for oneself, he now also says how one should behave toward all people; and thus he wants to say: First of all, and above all things, when you have now done everything, that you therefore walk in a righteous faith, and keep your body in discipline, so that it does not follow the evil airs, let this be the first work, that you are obedient to the authorities.

67. that I have here translated "of all human order", is called in Greek language and in Latin creatura. Our scholars have not understood that either. The German language expresses it finely, what the little word means, when one says: What the prince creates, that shall be kept. So he needs the little word here; as if he should say: What the authorities create, therein be obedient. For "to create" means to command, and "order" is a creature of men. Those have drawn it that creatura means an ox and an ass; as the pope also speaks of it. If Peter meant this, then one would also have to be subject to a servant. But it is called "human order" laws or command, and what they create, 2) that one should do. What God creates, gives and wants, that is fine order, namely that one believes. Now there is also a human and worldly creation, namely, that which is written with commandments, how the outward government should be; to this we are also to be subject. Therefore understand the little word that creatura humana means: quod creat et condit homo.

For the sake of the Lord.

(68) We are not obliged to be obedient to the authorities for their sake (he says), but for the sake of God, whose children we are. This is to provoke us, not that we have any merit in it; for what I do for God's sake, I must do freely to serve Him, so that I will gladly do anything for free that His heart desires. But why should one be obedient to the authorities for the sake of God?

2. "creates" is found in the second edit. Subject is: human order. Bucer: quns MuZistratns eonäit stntnit. Weimarsche: "schaffen". For this, the subject is: "laws or commands".

1036 Erl. 51, 412-414. First edit. Sermon on 1 Pet. 2, 13-15. W. IX, 731-733. 1037

Therefore, it is God's will that evildoers be punished and benefactors protected, so that unity may remain in the world. So we should promote outward peace, that is what God wants. For since we do not all believe, but most of the people are unbelievers, he created and decreed that the world should not devour one another, that the authorities should wield the sword and defend the wicked, if they do not want peace, that they must do so. This is what he decrees through the authorities, so that the world may be governed well in all places.

(69) So you see, if there were not wicked people, no authority would be allowed; therefore he says, "For vengeance and punishment to evildoers, and for praise to benefactors. The pious shall have a price, if they do right, that the worldly authorities praise and crown them, so that the others may take an example from it; not that one wants to earn something from it before God. So Paul also says Rom. 13, 3: "Authority is not set apart for good works, but for evil. Therefore, if you do not want to fear violence, do good."

V. 15. For this is the will of God, that with benevolence ye should stop up the ignorance of foolish men.

With these words St. Peter silences the useless talkers who boast of the Christian name and status, and refutes that they would object here and say: Since a Christian has enough faith, and works do not make him pious, what need is there that one should be subject to the temporal power, and give interest or womb? And so he says, "Even though we have no benefit from it, we should still do it freely to please God, so that the mouths of the enemies of God who reproach us may be shut; so that they can raise nothing against us, and must say that we are pious, obedient people. Thus we read of many saints, 1) that they went to war among the heathen princes and slew the enemies, and were submissive and obedient to them,

1. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. X, 389 f.: "as one writes of St. Moritz, Achatius, Gereon and of many others under the emperor Julian".

just as well as we owe obedience to Christian authorities; although it is now thought that we could not be Christians fine if we were under the Turk.

71. Now you might say here: Didn't Christ command Matth. 5, 39 that one should not resist the evil, but if one gives us a stroke on one cheek, we should also offer the other; how can we then strike and choke other people? Answer: In the past the pagans also reproached the Christians, saying that if such a thing should arise, their regiment would have to perish. 2) But to this we say: It is true that Christians should not resist evil for themselves, nor take revenge when they are harmed, but should suffer injustice and violence. Therefore they cannot be hard on unbelievers. But this does not forbid the 3) authorities to use the sword. For although the pious Christians are not allowed to use the sword and the law (since they live in such a way that no one can complain about them, they do no wrong to anyone, but do good to everyone, and gladly suffer everything that is done to them), the sword must nevertheless be used for the sake of the unbelievers, so that the latter, if they harm others, may be punished, so that common peace may be preserved and the pious protected. God has provided a different regime, so that those who do not want to abstain from doing wrong themselves are forced by force not to do harm.

For this reason God has ordained the authorities for the sake of the unbelievers, so that Christian people may also wield the power of the sword, and are obliged to serve their neighbor with it and to force the wicked, so that the pious may remain in peace before them. And yet Christ's saying remains that one should not resist evil; that is, that a Christian, even if he wields the sword, does not need it for himself, nor avenges himself, but only for others. And is this also the work of Christian love, that one protects and defends a whole congregation with his sword, and not

2. OriA. 6. oslsum VII, 18. 25 f. also cf. Hist. tripart. VI, 39, NasN. 1553 x. 436. (Weim. Ausg.)
3. Weim. Edition: "die".

1038 Erl. si, 4i4-4i6. Interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 733-736. 1039

Suffer it to be offended. 1) Christ gives his teaching only to those who believe and love, and they keep it; but the great multitude in the world, because they do not believe, do not keep the commandment. Therefore they must be ruled as unbelievers and their will must be resisted. For if their power were allowed to prevail, no one would be able to remain before them.

So there are two kinds of rulers in the world, just as there are two kinds of people, namely believers and unbelievers. The Christians let themselves be governed by the word of God, they are not allowed to follow the worldly rule for themselves; but the unbelievers must have another rule, namely the worldly sword, because they do not want to follow the word of God. Otherwise, if we were all Christians and followed the Gospel, it would not be necessary or useful to use the worldly sword and force. For if there were no evildoers, there could be no punishment. But since this cannot be, that we are all pious, Christ has commanded the wicked to rule the authorities as they must be ruled; but the pious he keeps for himself, and rules them himself by the mere word. Therefore the Christian government is not against the worldly government, nor the worldly government against Christ. The secular government does not belong to Christ's office at all, but is an external thing, like all other offices and estates. And as these are outside Christ's office, so that an unbeliever leads them just as well as a Christian, so is also the office of the secular sword, that it makes people neither Christians nor un-Christians. But of this I have often said enough elsewhere. 2) Now follow on:

V.16. As the free, and not as having liberty to the cover of wickedness, but as the servants of GOD.

74 This is especially said to us who have heard of Christian freedom, that we should not approach and abuse freedom, that is, under the name and appearance of Christian freedom, do whatever we desire, and thus turn freedom into insolence and carnal sin.

1. Weim. Edition: "werden".
2. Especially in the writing "Von weltlicher Obrigkeit" 2c. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 374 ff.

As we see, it is now possible, and has already begun in the times of the apostles (as can be seen from St. Peter's and Paul's epistles), that one has also done as most people do now. By the grace of God, we have now recognized the truth again, and know that what the pope, bishops, clergy, and monks have taught, set, and practiced up to now is vain deceit, and that our conscience has been saved and freed from the laws of men and all the coercion they have exercised on us, that we are not guilty of doing what they have commanded for the loss of our blessedness. We must now hold fast to this freedom and never let ourselves be torn away from it. But we must also be careful not to make this freedom a cover of shame.

The pope was wrong in wanting to force and enforce people with laws. For in a Christian people there should and can be no coercion, and if one tries to bind the consciences with external laws, the faith and the Christian nature will soon perish. For Christians must be led and governed in the spirit alone, so that they know that through faith they already have everything by which they can be saved, and that they no longer need to do anything, and henceforth owe nothing more, except to serve and help their neighbor with everything they have, as Christ has helped them; and that therefore all works which they do go freely and without compulsion, and flow from a merry and glad heart, which thanks, praises, and glorifies God for the goods which it has received from Him. Thus, St. Paul writes in 1 Tim. 1, 9 that no law is given to the righteous, for they do everything freely of themselves and freely approve what God wants them to do.

(76) Now when such compulsion of the doctrine of men is lifted up, and Christian liberty is preached, nefarious hearts fall in, which are without faith, and want to be good Christians by not keeping the laws of the pope, pretending this liberty, that they are not guilty of this; and yet do not do that either, which righteous Christian liberty demands, namely, to serve one's neighbor with a cheerful mind, and not considering that it is commanded, as true Christians do.

1040 Erl. si, 4i6-4i8. First editing. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 16. 17. W. ix, 736-738. 1041

do. Thus they make Christian liberty only a cover under which they do vain shame, and defile the noble name and title of liberty which Christians have. This is what St. Peter is trying to say here, for he wants to say: "Although you are free in all outward things (if you are Christians) and should not be forced by laws to be subject to worldly authority, since no law has been given to the righteous (as we have said), you should nevertheless do it willingly and freely of yourselves; not as if you had to do it out of necessity, but to please God and to serve your neighbor. In the same way Christ Himself did, when we read Matth. 17, 24. ff., that He gave the interest, when He was not allowed to do so, but was free and a Lord over all things. So he also submitted to Pilato and let himself be judged, when he himself said to him Joh. 19, 11: "You would have no power nor authority over me, if it was not given to you from above", with which words he himself confirmed the authority and therefore submitted to it, so that it would please his father.

From this you see that this group does not belong to Christian freedom at all; those who do not do what the world wants or what God wants remain in the old disorderly way, even though they boast of the gospel. We are free from all laws, but we must also spare the weak and unlearned Christians, which is a work of love. Therefore Paul says, Rom. 13, 8: "You owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another." Therefore, whoever wants to boast of freedom, let him do beforehand what a Christian should do, namely, that he serves his neighbor, and then, when the pope or someone else proposes his commandment 1) to him and wants to urge him to keep it, let him say, "Dear Squire Pope, I will not do it for this very reason, because you want to make a commandment out of it for me and encroach on my freedom; for we should act in freedom as servants of God (as St. Peter says here), not as servants of men. Peter speaks), not as servants of men. Otherwise, where someone desires it from me,

1. In the German editions (also in the second editing): "sein Gebot". Bucer: surn suis volst H Ziiius eonstrinAsrs.

whom I might serve with it, I will gladly do it of good will, not considering whether it is commanded or not, but for the sake of brotherly love, and that it thus pleases God that I serve my neighbor. So I do not want to be forced to be subject to worldly rulers and lords, but I want to do it myself; not because they command me, but to serve my neighbor. So let all our works be that they flow from desire and love, and let them all be directed toward our neighbor, because we may not do anything for ourselves that we may become godly. Further follows:

V. 17. Be respectful toward everyone.

This is not a commandment, but a faithful admonition. We owe honor to everyone, even though we are free; for freedom does not extend to wrongdoing, but only to good deeds. Now we have often said that every Christian by faith obtains all things that Christ himself has, and so becomes his brother. Therefore, as I give all glory to the Lord Christ, so I should also do to my neighbor. This is not only in outward gestures, such as leaning toward him and the like, but rather inwardly in the heart, that I think much of him, as I think much of Christ. We are the temple of God, as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 3, 16, because the Spirit of God dwells in us. If we kneel before a monstrance and the image of the holy cross, why should we not do so much more before a living temple of God? St. Paul also teaches us in Romans 12:10 that one should precede the other with reverence, so that each one should sit down under the other and lift him up. The gifts of God are manifold and unequal, so that one is in a higher position than another; but no one knows which is the highest in the sight of God, for he can lift one who is in the lowest position here to the highest there. Therefore, even if each one sits high, he should throw himself down and offer honor to his neighbor.

Love the brotherhood.

79 I have said above Cap. 1, § 88 how the apostles separate from one another the common and the commoner.

1042 V Erl. si, 418-420. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 738-741. 1043

Love and brotherly love. We are obliged to love even our enemies, that is the common Christian love; but brotherly love is that we Christians love one another as brothers, and take care of one another, since we all have the same goods from God. This love is especially demanded by St. Peter.

Fear God, honor the King.

80 He does not say that one should think much of lords and kings, but that one should still honor them, even though they are Gentiles; just as Christ did, and the prophets who fell at the feet of the kings of Babylon.

But here you want to speak: Here you see that one should also be obedient to the pope and fall at his feet? Answer: Yes, if the pope assumes temporal authority and acts like another overlord, one should also be obedient to him; as if he were to say, "I command you to wear a cap or a plate; item: to fast on this day; not that it counts for anything before God, nor that it is necessary for salvation, but because I want it so, as a temporal lord. But if he comes here and says, "I command you to do this in God's stead, that you accept it as if it came from God Himself, and stop at the ban and a mortal sin," then you say: I do not want to do it. We are to be subject to authority and do what they say, because they do not bind our conscience and only command outward things, even if they ride along with us as tyrants. For he that taketh away our skirts, let us also leave our coats Matt. 5:40. But if they want to take hold of the spiritual regime and capture the conscience, in which God alone must sit and rule, one should not obey them at all and also let go of the neck over it.

(82) The temporal realm and regiment extends no further than to external and bodily things; but the pope not only takes this to himself, but also wants to have the spiritual regiment, and yet does not have any; for his realm is nothing other than clothes, food, endowments and benefices, which belong neither to the temporal nor to the spiritual regiment.

1. Gnadjunker = gracious Junker.

For what is the world improved by it? It is against God to make it sin and good works, since there are none; therefore Christ cannot suffer it. But the worldly government he can well suffer, since it does not concern itself with sins nor good works and spiritual things, but has to do with other things, such as how to keep and fortify cities, build bridges, establish customs, take taxes, keep escorts, protect land and people and punish evildoers. Therefore, a Christian may well obey such a prince (provided that he does not make a commandment to his conscience), and does so freely, since he is free in all things.

Therefore, if an emperor or prince should ask me now what my faith is, I should ask him, not for the sake of his territory, but that I am obliged to confess my faith publicly before everyone. But if he would go further and command me to believe otherwise or so, then I shall say: Dear Lord, wait thou thy worldly rule, thou hast no power to take hold of GOD in his kingdom, therefore I will not obey thee at all. You cannot suffer anyone to encroach on your territory; if someone crosses your path without your will, you shoot with guns afterwards; do you think that God should suffer that you want to push him off his throne and put yourself in his place? St. Peter calls the worldly authorities only a human order; therefore they have no power to fall into God's order and to command by faith. Let that be said enough of it. Now continue in the epistle:

V. 18-20. Servants of the house, be subject to the lords with all fear, not only to the kind and gentle, but also to the unkind. For this is mercy, if anyone bears grief for the sake of conscience toward God, and suffers with unrighteousness. For what price is this, if ye suffer strokes for iniquity? But if you suffer and endure for the sake of good deeds, that is grace with God.

St. Peter has now taught how we should be subject to secular authority,

2. Bucer: si quis tantum tuas excubias praetereat, nolens eas sibi statuto precio adesse custodes.

1044 Erl. 51, 420-4S3. First edit. Sermon on 1 Pet. 2, 18-20. W. IX, 741-744. 1045

We have said how far their authority stretches, so that it does not reach into the things that belong to the faith. This is said of the authorities in general, and is a lesson for everyone. But now he goes on and speaks of such authority, which does not extend over a congregation, but only to particular persons. First, he teaches how the household should behave toward their masters, and this is the opinion:

Servants and maids are Christians as well as other people, because they have the word, faith, baptism and all goods just like everyone else. Therefore, they are as great and high before God as others. But according to their outward nature and before the world, there is a difference in that they are inferior and must serve others. Therefore, because they are called to the status of God, they should let this be their office, that they are subject to their masters, and look after them and take care of them. Therefore also the prophet David gives a fine similitude, and shows how they should serve well, Psalm 123:2: "As the servant's eyes look on the master's hands, and as the maid looks on her wife's hands; so are our eyes upon thee." That is servants and maids should do with humility and fear what the master or the wife wants; that is what God wants, therefore one should do it gladly. You can be sure and certain that it will please God and be pleasing to Him if you do it in faith. Therefore, these are the best good works that you can do; you must not run far after others. What your master or wife calls you, that God Himself has called you. It is not a commandment of men, though it is done by men. Therefore do not consider what you have for a lord, good or bad, kind or angry and rude, but think thus: The Lord be what he wills, and I will serve him, and do this in honor of God, because he wills it of me, and because my Lord Christ himself became a servant for my sake.

This is the righteous doctrine that should always be practiced, which unfortunately has now been hushed up and died out. But no one does this, except the Christians. For the gospel preaches only to those who accept it. Therefore, do you want to be God's child?

If you want to be a servant, put it in your heart that you serve as if Christ himself called you. As St. Paul also teaches in Eph. 6:5, 6, 7: "Servants, be obedient to your physical masters, as to the Lord Christ, not with service only in mind, as pleasing men, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart with willingness. Let it seem to you that you serve the Lord and not men" 2c. So he also says Col. 3, 24: "For ye serve the Lord Christ."

If priests, monks and nuns were now in such a state, how should they thank God and be happy. For none of them can say: God has commanded me to keep mass, to sing matins, to pray the seven times, and the like; for they have no word of this in the Scriptures. Therefore, if you ask them whether they are sure and certain that their position is pleasing to God, they say no. But if you ask a lowly maid why she washes the dishes or milks the cows, she can say, "I know that what I do is pleasing to God, because I have God's word and command. This is a great good and a precious treasure that no one is worthy of; a prince should thank God that he could do such things. It is true that he can also do in his state what God wants him to do, namely, to punish the wicked. But when and how seldom does it happen that he can perform such an office properly? But in this state everything is so skillful that they can know, when they do what they are told, that it is all pleasing to God. God does not look at the works, how small they are, but at the heart that serves Him with such small works. But it is the same here as in other matters: What God has commanded, no one does; what men build up, and God does not give, everyone follows.

88 You say: How then, if I have such a strange and angry Lord, to whom no one can give thanks, as many such people are found? To this St. Peter answers: "If you are a Christian and want to please God, then you must not ask how strange and unrighteous your Lord is, but always turn your eyes and see what God gives you. Therefore you shall think thus: I will serve my Lord Christ with this, and he will have it of me, that I may serve the Lord.

1046 Erl. 21, 423-425. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 744-746. 1047

If God would have you wipe the shoes of the devil or the worst of boys, you shall do it, and if the work were as good as the highest, because God calls you. Therefore, you should not look at any person here, but only at what God wants. The least work is better before God, if it is done right, than the works of all the priests and monks in one heap. Whoever is not moved by the fact that this is God's will and good pleasure, nothing else will help. You cannot do better, you cannot leave worse. And therefore one should do this with all fear (says St. Peter), so that one may do right in it, since it is not man's, but God's command.

89 And here St. Peter actually speaks of the servants, as it was at the same time, when they were serfs, such as are still found in some places, which were sold like cattle; they were treated badly 1) and beaten by their masters, and the masters had such freedom that they were not punished, even if they beat the servants to death. Therefore it was necessary that the apostles admonished and comforted such servants, so that they could also serve the angry masters and suffer, if they were harmed and wronged.

He who is a Christian must also bear a cross, and the more you suffer injustice, the better it is for you. Therefore, you should willingly accept such a cross from God and thank Him. This is the right kind of suffering that pleases God. For what would it be if you were beaten badly, and thought it well deserved, and wanted to boast about the cross? Therefore, St. Peter says: "If you suffer and endure for goodness' sake, this is grace with God" (that is, pleasing and a great thanksgiving before God and a right worship). Behold, there are described the right, delicious good works to be done; and we fools have trampled this doctrine underfoot, and have invented and raised up other works. Then we should lift up our hands, thank GOD and be glad that we now know such things. Now follow on:

1. In the old editions: traded.

For to this end were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an ensample, that ye should follow in his footsteps, who committed no sin, neither was any deceit found in his mouth, who reproached not when he was reproached, neither grieved when he suffered; 2) But reproached him that judgeth aright. Who himself offered up our sin in his body on the wood, that we might be without sin, and live unto righteousness, by which sore ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray: but now are ye converted unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

(91) This is what we have said, that the servants should put it into their hearts, and be moved to do and suffer gladly what they ought, that the Lord Christ has done so much for them; so that they think, Since my Lord served me, which he was not guilty of, and gave up life and limb for me, why would I not serve him again? He was entirely pure and without sin; nor did he throw himself so low, and shed his blood for me, and die, that he might blot out my sin; ei, should I not also suffer something, because it pleased him? Whoever then considers this must be a stone, if it did not move him. For if the Lord goeth before, and treadeth in the mire, the servant goeth after.

For this reason, St. Peter says: "You were called to this. To what? That you may suffer injustice, as Christ did. As if to say: If you want to follow Christ, you must not do much righting and complaining when you are wronged, but suffer and take credit for it, because Christ suffered everything without his fault. Nor did he plead law when he stood before the judge; therefore you must trample law underfoot and say: Deo gratias, I am called to suffer injustice; for what shall I complain of, if my Lord has not complained?

93 And here St. Peter took some words from the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 53, 9, namely these: "He who has done no sin, there is no deceit in his mouth.

2. Weimarsche: "leyd".

1048 Erl. 51, 425-437. First edit. Sermon on 1 Pet. 2, 21-25. W. IX, 746-75V. 1049

item, v. 5: "By which weal ye were healed." Christ was so pure that not an evil word was on his tongue. He deserved that everyone would have fallen at his feet and carried him on their hands; he would also have had the power and the right to take revenge: nor did he allow himself to be reproached, mocked, blasphemed and killed, and never opened his mouth; why then should you not also suffer it, since you are a vain sinner? You should praise God and give thanks that you are worthy to be like Christ, and not grumble or be impatient when you are harmed, because the Lord did not reproach or condemn, but prayed even for his enemies.

You may speak like this: How then shall I justify them that do me wrong, and say that they have done well? Answer, No; but thus shalt thou say: I will gladly suffer it with my heart, though I have not deserved it, and thou hast wronged me, for my Lord's sake, who also hath suffered wrong for me. You shall bring it home to God, who is a righteous judge, who will repay you abundantly, just as Christ sent it home to His heavenly Father. "He who sacrificed our sins in his own body" (says St. Peter), that is, he did not suffer for himself, but for us, who crucified him with our sins; we are still far from it. Therefore, if you are a devout Christian, you should follow the Lord and let yourself mourn for those who harm you, and also pray for them that God will not punish them. For they do far more harm to their souls than they do to your body. If

If you would take this to heart, you should forget your sorrow and suffer gladly. Then we should consider that before we were also in such an unchristian nature, like them, but now we have been converted through Christ, as St. Peter concludes and says:

V. 25. You would have been like sheep going astray, but you are now converted to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

This is a saying from the prophet Isaiah, who says: "We have all gone astray as sheep, and each one has gone his own way. But now we have come upon a shepherd (says St. Peter), the Son of God came for our sake, that he might be our shepherd and bishop; who gives us his Spirit, feeds us and guides us with his word, so that we now know how we are helped. Therefore, if you know that through him your sins have been taken away, you are his sheep, he is your shepherd; item, he is your bishop, you are his soul. Now this is the comfort that all Christians have.

96 Thus we have two chapters in this epistle, in which St. Peter first taught righteous faith; then righteous works of love; and he spoke of two kinds of works. First, what we should all do in general toward the worldly authorities; then, how the household should behave toward their masters. And what St. Peter says here about household servants also extends to several other persons, namely craftsmen, day laborers and all kinds of hired servants. Now he will go on to teach how husband and wife should behave toward each other in a Christian manner.

The third chapter.

V. 1-6. Let the wives be like their husbands, so that even those who do not believe in the word may be won over by the way wives walk without the word, when they see your chaste walk in fear. What adornment is not in the hair by heart?

The saintly woman is not the one who weaves and wears the cloak of gold or puts on the garments, but the hidden man of the heart in the immutability of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is glorious in the sight of God. For this is how the holy women of old adorned themselves, who placed their hope in God.

** **1050 Erl. 51, 4L7-4LS. Interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 750-753. 1051

And were subject unto their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, and called him lord, whose daughters ye have become, if ye do good, and fear not some abomination. 1)

1 Here St. Peter speaks primarily of the women who had pagan and unbelieving husbands at that time; and again he says of the believing men who had pagan wives. For it often happened in those days, when the apostles preached the gospel among the Gentiles, that one was a Christian and the other was not. Since it was then commanded that women should be subject to men, how much more must it be so now. Therefore it should be the woman's work (St. Peter says) that she is subject to her husband, even if he is already a pagan and unbelieving. And he gives the reason why this should happen:

So that even those who do not believe in the word may be won over by the way women walk without a word, when they see your chaste walk in fear.

(2) This is when a man sees that his wife is so righteous and so good that he is stirred up to the faith and considers the Christian state to be a right good state. And even though women themselves are not commanded to preach, they should nevertheless conduct themselves in such a way with their gestures 2) and behavior that they thereby provoke men to the faith. As we read 3) of St. Augustine's mother, who converted her husband before his death, because he was a pagan, and then also her son Augustinum. Now this is still an external thing, which one should not do in order to become pious. For obedience does not make you blessed; for you may well find an obedient wife who is unbelieving. But for this reason you should do it, so that you may serve your husband. For thus God has decreed, Gen. 3:16, when he says to the woman, "You shall cower before your husband, and he shall be your master." Which is also one of the punishments that he has laid on the wives. But such (I say) is the outward walk, belonging to the body, not to the spirit.

1. Bucer: nee mstuitis vobis uk nllo terrore.
2. Weim. Edition: "ihrem geperd".
3. Xugust. Oonk. II, 3. Ill, 4. IX, 9 u. ö. (Weim. Ausg.)

(3) Now this is a great thing, to know what works to do to please God; we should run far after it, as we see that the world has run after that which it has devised. This is a high, noble treasure that a woman can have, if she holds herself thus, that she is subject to the man, that she is sure that her work pleases God; what can happen to her that is more joyful? Therefore, if she wants to be a Christian woman, she should think like this: I will not consider what kind of husband I have, whether he is a Gentile or a Jew, pious or wicked; but I will consider that God has made me a wife, and I will be subject and obedient to my husband. After that, all her works are golden, if she stands in such obedience.

(4) But she who will not let this provoke her, nothing else will help. For by beating you will do nothing to make a woman pious and subdued. If you beat one devil out, you beat two of them in (as they say). Oh, if the people who are in wedlock knew such things, how well they would stand! But what God has commanded, no one likes to do; but what men have devised, everyone runs to. God wanted to keep this commandment so firmly that he also gave men the power to dissolve vows that wives had made if they did not like it, as we read in Numbers 30:7 ff, so that it would only be peaceful and quiet in a house. That is one piece. Now the apostle goes on to say how a woman should behave toward other people.

V. 3. 4. Which adornment is not by heart in the braiding of hair and the cloak of gold or the putting on of garments, but the hidden man of the heart in the immutability of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is glorious in the sight of God.

(5) This treasure shall not only be for a woman, but also for a man who is inward.

But here someone would like to ask: whether it is commanded or not, that St. Peter says of the jewelry. We read from Esther sEsth. 2, 12. 17. pieces in Esth. 3, 11.], 4) that she had a

4. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. X, 1361, § 154.

1052 Eri. 5i, 4L9-431. First edition. Sermon on I Petr. 3, 3-6. W. ix. 753-756. 1053

wore a crown of gold and fine ornaments, as befits a queen; so also of Judith Judith 10:3 ff. But this is written, that they despised the ornaments, and had to wear them. Therefore we say also thus: A woman should be so minded that she respects not the jewelry. Otherwise, when the people are attracted to jewelry, they do not stop wearing it; that is their nature and manner; therefore they should despise a Christian woman. But if a man wants her to be adorned, or if there is any other good reason for her to be adorned, she will do so. But she should be adorned in this way (as St. Peter says here), so that she is adorned inwardly, in a gentle and quiet spirit. You are pretty enough adorned when you are adorned for your husband; Christ does not want you to adorn yourself for the sake of pleasing other people, and to be called a pretty maid. But then you shall see how you bear the hidden treasure and precious ornament in your heart, in immutability (as St. Peter says), and lead a fine honorable, chaste life.

7. It is a good sign, 1) that there is not much spirit, where one puts so much emphasis on the adornment; but if there is faith and spirit, he will trample it underfoot, and say like the queen Esther pieces in Esther Cap. 3, 11: Lord, you know that I consider the crown, which I wear on my head, as an abomination, and must thus adorn myself; if I did not have to do it for the love of my king, I would rather trample it underfoot. Where there is such a woman, she will please the man all the more. Therefore they should think to adorn the inner man, where there is a quiet spirit, which is immovable; not only that they do not run away, so that they do not go mad and become disgraced, but so he means, that they see to it that the soul inwardly remains immovable in the right faith, so that the same is not violated.

(8) Hence comes such a heart that does not break out and think how it will be seen before the world. Such a heart is a splendid thing in the sight of God. If a woman adorns herself with precious gold, precious stones and pearls down to her feet, that would be splendid beyond measure.

1. In the Weim. In the Weim. edition: "antzeygen"; but in the second edition: "Es ist ein gewiß Anzeichen.

But you cannot attach so much to a woman as to compare it to the exuberant adornment of souls, which is splendid in the sight of God. Gold and precious stones are glorious in the sight of the world, but in the sight of God they are a stink. But she who walks in a quiet and gentle spirit is well and gloriously adorned before God. Therefore, because God Himself considers it splendid, it must be a glorious thing.

9 A Christian soul has all that Christ has. For faith (as we have said [Cap. 1, § 16)) brings us all the goods of Christ together. This is a great, precious treasure and such an ornament that no one can praise enough; God Himself also thinks much of it. Therefore, women are to be abstained from jewelry and irritated, because they are otherwise inclined to it. If a Christian woman hears this and lets it go to her heart, and thinks: I do not want to respect jewelry, because God does not respect it; but if I have to wear it, I will do it for my husband's sake, then she is rightly adorned and adorned in spirit. Then St. Peter also gives an example of holy women, that he stimulates the women to Christianity, and says:

V. 5. 6. For so did the holy women of old adorn themselves, who put their hope in God, and were subject to their husbands, as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, and called him lord.

010 As the same women adorned themselves, so did ye when Sarah obeyed her Abraham, and called him her lord. So the Scripture says Gen 18:10, 12, when the angel came to Abraham and said, "This day about a year Sarah shall have a son. Then she laughed, and said thus, Because I am old, and my lord also is old, shall I yet deal with pleasure?" St. Peter took a good look at this saying and brought it here, because she would not have called Abraham a lord if she had not been his subject and kept him in mind. Therefore he says further:

What daughters you have become, if you do good and do not fear some monster.

(11) What does he mean by this? This is what he means: It is the common nature of women to

1054 Erl. si, 431-434. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 756-759. 1055

Shun and fear all things, therefore they practice so much sorcery and superstition, since one teaches the other that it is not to be counted what they have for magic. 1) But a Christian woman should not do this, but should walk freely, safely, not be so creepy, and run to and fro, speaking a blessing here, a blessing there; as it comes to her, that she may let God rule, and think that it cannot go badly for her. For since she knows how she is, that her state pleases God, what will she fear? If your child dies, you will be ill; well, command God; you are in the state that pleases God, what better can you desire? This is now preached to the women. Now follows what the men should do.

V. 7. like them, you men, dwell with them with reason, and give honor to the female, as the weakest instrument, as also joint heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

12. The woman is also God's equipment or instrument (he says), for God needs her to bear children, to give birth, to nourish and wait, and to rule the house; such works the woman is to do. Therefore, she is God's stuff and vessel, who created her for this purpose and implanted it in her. For this the man should look upon his wife. That is why St. Peter says: "You men should live with your wives with reason", not that you want to rule them according to your mad head. They are to live as the man governs them, what he calls them and creates, so that the same is done; but he is also to see how he deals with her neatly and with reason, so that he spares her and gives her honor, as the weakest instrument of God.

The man is also God's armor, but he is stronger; but the woman is weaker in body and more stupid and timid in spirit. Therefore, you must deal with her in such a way that she can bear it. You must deal with her as with other things, so that you may work. If you want to have a good knife, you do not have to cut stone with it. Now there is no rule for this; God makes it up to each man himself to deal with the woman according to the law.

1. Cf. Walch, old edition, Vol. Ill, 1706, § 19 ff.

for which every woman is skilled. For you do not need to use the power you have as you wish, for you are her husband because you help her, keep her and protect her, not because you destroy her. The goal cannot be set for you; you must know for yourself how you should proceed with reason.

(14) Now we also have from husbands what good works they should do that please God, namely, that they dwell with their wives and feed them and deal with them cleanly. It will not always be possible to go straight as you would like. Therefore see to it that you are a man and have all the more sense where there is too little in a woman. At times you must look through your fingers, let up a little and give way, and also give the woman her honor.

15 "Honor" has been interpreted, but I do not know how. Some have interpreted it to mean that the husband should provide food, drink and clothing for the wife, and feed her; others have taken it to mean marital duty. I think that this is the opinion, as I have said, that the husband should regard the wife in this way, so that she is also a Christian and God's work or equipment. And so they should both hold it that the woman holds the man in honor, and again the man also gives his honor to the woman. If they were thus able, it would go well in peace and love; otherwise, where art is not, there is vain unkindness in marriage. Therefore, when husband and wife take each other for the sake of pleasure alone, and think they want to have good days and pleasure, they find heartache. But if you consider God's work and will, you can live a Christian life in marriage, not like the pagans, who do not know what God wants.

As also joint heirs of the grace of life.

(16) The man must not consider that the woman is weak and infirm, but that she also is baptized, and has the very things that he has, namely, all the goods of Christ. For inwardly we are all equal, and there is no difference between man and woman; but outwardly God would have the man reign, and the woman be subject to him.

1056 Erl. 51, 434-43S. First edition. Sermon on 1 Pet. 3, 7-12. W. IX, 75S-76I. 1057

That your prayers may not be hindered.

What does St. Peter mean by this? This is what he means: If you do not act with reason, but murmur and grumble, and with your head through it, and it is also frail, so that neither can provide and credit the other with anything, then you will not be able to pray and say: Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive. With prayer we must fight against the devil; therefore we must be one among ourselves. Now these are the right, delicious good works that we should do. If this were preached and known, we would all have a house full of good works at home. So now we have heard how a Christian should conduct himself in all kinds of circumstances, especially one against another. Now follow on, how we are all to lead a Christian walk outwardly through one another in common.

Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, brotherly, affectionate, friendly, not repaying evil with evil, not repaying evil with evil, but on the other hand, praising, and knowing that you are called to this, to pray for praise. For whosoever will love life, and see good days, let him hold his tongue, that it speak no evil; and his lips, that they deceive not. Let him turn from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears upon their prayer: but the face of the LORD is upon them that do evil.

(18) All this is not said otherwise than that we should love one another. For here it is widely deleted, which otherwise the Scripture comprehends in few words. Thus St. Peter means to say, "This is the summa summarum of how you are to conduct yourselves in the outward life, so that you may be like-minded. The apostles Peter and Paul often use this word, and so much is said that we should all have one mind, one courage, one conceit, which seems right and good to one, so that it also seems right and good to the others. It is an excellent, remarkable word, which should ever be well grasped; St. Paul has written especially much about it.

(19) We cannot all do one work, but every man must do one thing for himself; a man another than a woman; the servant another than the master, and so on. And it is a foolish thing to teach that we should all do one work; as the foolish preachers have done, who preach the legends of the saints, that this saint has done one work, that another another, and fall to saying that we should do the works also. There is no doubt that Abraham did a good, delicious work when he sacrificed his son, because he was specially commanded to do so by God. Then the pagans came and wanted to sacrifice their children as well; this was an abomination in the sight of God. Thus King Solomon also did well in building the Temple, and was well rewarded by God. Now our blind fools also go and preach that we must build churches and temples for God, when nothing of this has been commanded to us by God. So it is now the other way around, that people are doing all kinds of work and all kinds of senses, straight against the gospel.

020 And so it ought to be taught that there should be one mind and many works, one heart and many hands; not all should do one work, but every man should wait for his own; otherwise there will not remain one mind and heart. That which is outward must be left in many ways, so that each man may keep that which he is commanded, and what works he has in hand. This is a righteous doctrine, and it is almost necessary to grasp it well; for the devil takes special care of it, and has also brought it about in this way, that people fall on their works, and each one thinks that his work is better than the other. That is why they were so divided among themselves, monks against priests, one order against the other, because each one wanted to do the best work. Then they fell in with the orders, thinking that the order was better than the other; the Augustinian against the preacher, 2) the Carthusian against the Barefoot, so that everything was divided, and nowhere was there greater disunity than among the orders.

1. Weim. Edition: "närricht".
2. Preacher Dominicans; Barefoot Franciscans.

1058 Erl. 51, 436-438. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 781-764. 1059

(21) If it had been taught that no work was better than another in the sight of God, but that they were all equal through faith, then the hearts would have remained one, and we would all have been of the same mind, and would have spoken thus: The order or rank that the bishop leads is not greater in the sight of God than that which a bad man leads; the rank that the nun leads is not better than that which a married woman leads, and so on in all kinds of ranks. But they do not want to hear this, but each one wants to be the best, and they say: Well, how should my position in the order not be better and greater than that of the common man?

22Therefore, to have one mind is to hold each man's work equal to another's; as, that the marital estate is as good as the virginal estate. For all things are equal in the sight of God, who judges according to the heart and faith, not according to the person or works. Therefore we should also judge as God judges, so that we are of one mind and remain united in the world, and the hearts remain undivided, so that they do not divide on the outward appearance, so that I consider everything good and let myself be pleased with what each one does for works, if only it is not sin in himself. St. Paul also says of this in 2 Cor. 11:3: "I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Hevam, so also your minds be deceived from the simplicity of Christ," that is, lest the devil also deceive you, and rend and separate the simple mind that you have. Item Phil. 4, 7: "Let the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Why does the apostle care so much about the mind? Everything depends on it. For if I fall into a wrong mind, all is already lost. For if I am a monk, and have conceived such a mind that my work is worth more to God than to others, and say: Thanks be to God that I have become a monk, my status is now better than the common marital status, then pride must follow from the mind, and cannot remain outside, that I consider myself more pious than another, and despise other people; then I deceive myself. For a

A married woman, if she stands in faith, is better before God than I with my order. Therefore, knowing that faith brings with it all that a Christian should have, we all have one mind and opinion, and there is no difference among works.

23 Therefore the saying of St. Peter must be understood in this way, that here he means spiritual, not outward senses, and an inward opinion or conceit, which concerns the things that are valid before God, that both the doctrine and the life are the same, and I consider just that to be good, which you consider to be good; and again, what pleases you is what pleases me, as I have said. Christians have the mind, and over the mind we are to hold fast, so that it does not go mad, as St. Paul says: "For if the devil goes mad in the mind, he has gone mad in the right virgin's castle, and after that all is lost.

V. 8. Be compassionate, brotherly, cordial, friendly.

24 "To be compassionate" means that one takes care of the other and lets his neighbor's distress go to his heart when it is bad for him, so that you do not think, "That is right! Where there is love, it takes care of the neighbor when he is in trouble, so that it goes to her heart just as if it were happening to herself.

(25) But "to be brotherly" is so much that one holds the other as for his brother. Now this is easy to understand, for nature itself teaches it. There you see what true brothers are, that they stick together much harder than any other friends. So shall we Christians do also, for we are all brethren by baptism, that even father and mother after baptism are my brother and sister; for I have the same estate and inheritance which they have of Christ by faith.

26 "Cordial," viscerosi. I cannot interpret this word otherwise than to give a simile. See how a mother or father acts toward the child; as when the mother sees her child suffering distress, because all the bowels and the heart in the body are moved. This is taken the way to speak in many places in the Scriptures, which is also a history in the

1060 Eri. si, 438-tto. First edition. Sermon on 1 Petr. 3, 8. W. ix, 764-767. 1061

Books of Kings, 1 Kings 3:16 ff. Two women were quarreling over a child before King Solomon, and one of them wanted to have the child. When the king wanted to know which was the child's real mother, he had to go into the countryside, where he found it and said to both wives, "You say the child is yours, and you also say that it is yours; so get a knife and divide the child into two pieces, give one piece to the one and one to the other. Then he came to know which was the right mother. And there the text speaks, v. 26, that her bowels were moved over the child, and said, "Not, not! rather give the child to this one whole, and let it live." Then the king made a judgment and said: "This is the right mother, take it and give the child to her. Therefore you can take what this word "heartily" means here.

27 This is what St. Peter wants us to do, to treat each other like true blood friends; just as the whole heart, marrow, veins and all powers are moved, so it should also be heartfelt and motherly here, and penetrate through the heart. One Christian man should bear such courage toward another. But the goal is truly ambitious; one will find very few of them who bear such a heartfelt love for their neighbor when they see that a need affects them, that they are moved as a mother over her child, so that it penetrates through the heart and through all the veins. There you see what monk and nun life and being fei, how far it is from such heartfelt love. If you were to melt them all together in one heap, you would not find one drop of such Christian love. Therefore, let us watch and take care of ourselves, whether we find such a kind of love in ourselves. It is a short sermon and soon said, but it goes deep and stretches far away.

28 "Friendly" is that one outwardly leads a fine, sweet, lovely walk; not only that one takes care of the other, like father and mother of their child, but also that one deals with the other with love and gentleness. There are some musty and gnarled people, like a tree with many branches, so unkind that no one likes to deal with them. This comes from the fact that

They are generally full of suspicion and soon become angry; no one likes to deal with them. But these are fine people, who interpret all things for the best, and are not suspicious, are not soon angered, can well hold something to their credit, and are called candidos. This virtue is called by St. Paul

χρηστότης Rom. 2, 4., and is often praised by him.

29 Then behold the gospel, which so portrayeth the Lord Christ, that this virtue is peculiarly seen in him. Now and then the Pharisees attack him in this way, now and then, that they might see him; yet he will not be angered. Even though the apostles often stumble and stumble here and there, he still does not snort at them, but is always friendly, and so attracts them to him that they were glad to be with him from the heart and to deal with him. This is also seen among good friends and companions on earth; where there are two or three good friends who think well of each other: if one of them is foolish, the other can credit him. There it is also a little copied what St. Peter means here, although this is not righteous; for this kindness is to be offered to everyone. Therefore you see the right kind of love, and how a fine people it is around the Christians. The angels in heaven live like this through one another; it should also be like this on earth, but it happens very little.

(30) Just as Saint Peter said that maidservants and servants, men and women, should keep themselves in such a way that each one should do the thing he is supposed to do, so he wants all of us to do it together. Therefore, if you want to be sure and certain that you are doing a good work that pleases God, let everything be done in God's name that has been preached in the devil's name, so that the world will go around and earn heaven. But how can you be sure that you are pleasing to God, if you do as he says here: "The works that one should do, the state that each one should lead, is to be compassionate, brotherly, cordial, friendly? There he says nothing of the foolish work of which we have been preached; does not say: Build churches, establish masses, become a priest, put on a cap, vow chastity 2c. But thus he says: Think

1062 Erl. S1, 440-443. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 767-76S. 1063

only that you may be kind. These are truly precious, golden works, precious stones and pearls that please God.

(31) But the devil does not like to see this, for he knows that his thing will go down with it; therefore he thinks up what he can to suppress such teaching, and he judges monks and priests, so that they cry out: "If you say that our thing is nothing, that is the devil talking to you. Then say to them again: Do you not know that these must be good works, of which St. Peter says here, namely to be fraternal, cordial and friendly? If these are the best, as one must confess, then you must lie with your works if you think that they are better. I am quite surprised that such blindness has arisen among us. Thomas the preacher-monk wrote, 1) and says impudently that monks and clergymen are in a better state than common Christians. The high schools have affirmed this and made doctors about it; after that the pope and his crowd have come and raised those to saints who teach such things.

Thou therefore understand this, as I have said. Christ himself and all the apostles have taught that if you want to do the best good works and be in the best state, you will find nothing else but faith and love, which is the highest state. Therefore it must be a lie if they say that their position is better than faith and love. For if it is better than faith, it is better than God's word; if it is above God's word, it is above God Himself. Therefore Paul rightly said 2 Thess. 2, 4 that the end-Christ will rise above God. Know therefore how to judge these things: Where love and kindness are not, all works are surely condemned, and trample it all under foot. Thus we see how St. Peter has so bravely set forth how a righteous Christian life should stand according to outward nature, after he has masterfully taught above how the inward life should stand against God; therefore this epistle is to be considered a right golden epistle. Therefore now follows:

1. That is, Thomas Aquinas. - Cf. Uromas Loounda soounäao, qu. 184, ai4. 5, and the whole doctrine Vom statns porteotionis. (Weim. ed.)

V. 9 Do not repay evil with evil, not evil with evil, but rather pray, knowing that you have been called to pray.

(33) This is another explanation of love, how we should do to those who insult and persecute us. If they do you evil (he means), you do good; if they rebuke and malign you, you benedict and bless. This is a great piece of love. O Lord God, how strange such Christians are!

(34) But why should we give good for evil? Therefore (he says) that you are called to it, that you may inherit the blessing, that you may be provoked to it. In the Scriptures we Christians are called a people of blessing or the blessed people; for thus God says to Abraham Gen. 12:3: "In your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Since God has poured out this blessing on us so abundantly, that He might take away from us all malediction and the curse that we brought with us from our first parents, and which Moses also let pass over the unbelievers, so that we are now full of blessing, we should therefore consider ourselves to be said, "Yes, this is a blessed people. Therefore the apostle means this: "Behold, God has given you grace, and has taken away from you blasphemy, and has not reckoned or punished the blasphemy which you have committed against Him, but has given you such abundant grace and blessing in return, when you were worthy of all blasphemy, because you blaspheme God without ceasing (for where there is unbelief, the heart must always curse God): Therefore do ye even as it is done unto you; curse not, reproach not, do well, speak well, even when evil is done unto you, and suffer it when you are wronged. Then he brings up a saying from the 34th Psalm, v. 13 ff, where the prophet David says thus:

V. 10 If any man love life, and see good days, let him hold his tongue from evil, and his lips from deceit.

35 That is, Whosoever shall have pleasure and joy in life, and shall not surely die, but shall see good days, and it shall be well with him; let him hold his tongue, that it be not silent.

1064 Erl. si, 443-445. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 3, 10-16. W. ix, 769-772. 1065

Speak evil, not against friends only; for this is a small virtue, for even the most wicked can do it, even serpents and vipers; but thus he says, "Be of good cheer, and hold your tongue, even against your enemies, even if you are provoked to rebuke and speak evil.

Thirty-six: For this hold not thy lips, that they be not deceitful. There are many who speak good words and say "good morning" to their neighbor, but in their heart they think that the devil will get you. These are people who have not inherited the blessing, they are evil fruits of the evil tree. That is why Peter introduced a saying that is about works, but it is drawn to the root, that is, inwardly to the heart. Further the saying in the prophet, v. 15. 16. says:

V. 11, 12: He shall turn from evil, and do good; he shall seek peace, and pursue it: for the eyes of the LORD look upon the righteous.

(37) This is what the world takes for peace, when one wronged another by striking him on the head. But this is no way to achieve peace, for no king has ever been able to achieve peace in the face of enemies. The Roman Empire was so powerful that it struck down everything that opposed it; yet they could not keep it that way. Therefore this way is useless for peace. For if one enemy is put down and deceived, ten and twenty will rise up again after him until he is destroyed. But he that seeketh peace aright, and shall find it, that holdeth his tongue, and turneth from evil, and doeth good; that is another way than the world goeth. To turn from evil and do good is to hear evil words, to do evil and to do wrong. Seek peace, and you will find it when your enemy cools his temper and has done all he can; if you interrogate, rebuke, and rage not again, he must subdue himself with his own violence. For thus also Christ on the cross overcame his enemies, not with the sword or violence. Therefore there is a proverb which should be written with gold, which says:

Striking again makes strife; and: Whoever strikes again is unjust. From this, in turn, must follow: Not striking again makes peace. How does that work? It is not human. Yes, of course, not human; but if you suffer injustice and do not strike back, but let it pass over, 1) it will be so; as follows hereafter:

V. 12: The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears upon their prayer: but the face of the LORD looketh upon them that do evil.

038 If thou revenge not thyself, and requite not evil for evil, the LORD is in heaven above, which cannot suffer iniquity. Therefore, he who does not repay must be right; these he looks upon, the same prayer is in his ears. He is our protector, he will not forget us, so we cannot fall out of his sight; we should take comfort in this. This is what should move a Christian man, that he should suffer all wrongs with patience, and not repay evil. When I think about it, I see that the soul of the one who harms me must burn eternally in the hellish fire. Therefore a Christian heart must say: Dear Father, because man falls so horribly into your wrath, and throws himself so miserably into the eternal fire, I ask that you forgive him, and also do to him as you did to me, as you saved me from the wrath. How is this done? Thus, as he looks upon the righteous by grace, so he looks sore upon the wicked, and wrinkles his countenance, and hath turned it in anger upon them. Knowing then that he looks upon us with favor, and upon them with disfavor, let us have mercy upon them, and let us mourn, and pray for them. St. Peter continues:

V. 13-16 And who is there that can harm you if you do what is right? Blessed are ye, if ye also suffer for righteousness' sake. But do not be afraid of their defiance, nor be dismayed; but sanctify God the Lord in your heart. But be ye always ready 2) to answer to every man that requireth the cause of the

1. Bucer: injnriarn nsgliSis.
2. Weimarsche: "urbütig"; Jenaer and Erlanger: "vrbütig".

1066 Erl. si, 44S-447. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 772-774. 1067

Hope that is in you, and that with meekness and fear, and have a good conscience, that they which speak evil of you, as of evildoers, may be put to shame, because they have mocked your good walk in Christ.

39. if we do what is good, that is, do not repay evil with evil, but are cordial and kind, 2c. there is no one who can harm us. For though honor, body, and goods be taken from us, yet are we not hurt, because we have a good that is not to be compared with that which may be taken from us. Those who persecute us have nothing but goods on earth, after which they are eternally damned; but we have an eternal, imperishable good, even if we lose a little temporal good.

V. 14: Blessed are you, if you also suffer for righteousness' sake.

40 Not only can no one harm you if you suffer for God's sake, but you are also blessed and should rejoice that you suffer, as Christ also said in Matthew 5:11, 12: "Blessed are you when men revile and persecute you for my sake, and speak all kinds of evil against you, when they lie about it; rejoice and be glad. He who understands that the Lord says these things and speaks them so sweetly and comfortingly to the heart, is well; but he who is not strengthened by them, who is not made confident and courageous, will remain unstrengthened.

V. 14. 15. But do not be afraid of their defiance, and do not be dismayed; but sanctify God in your heart.

41: But St. Peter cites a saying from the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 8, 12, 13, where he says: "Do not be afraid of them, and do not be dismayed, but sanctify the Lord in your heart, and let him be your fear and your terror" 2c. There we have a great protection and back, on which we may rely, that no one can harm us. Let the world terrorize, defy, and oppress as long as it will, it must have an end, but our comfort and joy will have no end. So we should not be afraid of the world, but be courageous, but before God we should humble ourselves and fear.

But how does St. Peter mean that we should sanctify God? how can we sanctify him, must he not sanctify us? Answer: So we also pray in the Lord's Prayer: "Hallowed be your name", that we should hallow his name, since he himself hallows his name. Therefore, in your hearts (says St. Peter) you should sanctify him; that is, if our Lord God sends us something, whether it is good or bad, whether it is good or bad, whether it is shame, honor, happiness or misfortune, I should not only consider it good, but also consider it holy and say so: This is the most precious sanctuary, so that I am not worthy to be touched by it. Thus says the prophet Psalm 145:17: "Righteous is the LORD in all his ways, and holy in all his good works." If I praise God in such things, and consider such works good, holy, and delicious, I sanctify Him in my heart.

(43) But those who run to the law books and complain that they are wronged, and say: God is asleep and will not help the right and prevent injustice; they dishonor Him and do not consider Him righteous or holy. But he who is a Christian shall make God right and himself wrong, and shall hold God holy, but himself unholy, and shall say that he is holy and right in all his doings and works. That is what he wants. Thus says the prophet Daniel, Cap. 9, 5, 7, 14: "O Lord, all that you have done to us you have done with right and true judgment, for we have sinned; therefore let the shame be ours, but the honor and the glory be yours. When we sing Deo gratias and Te Deum laudamus, and say: Praise and glory be to God, when we are afflicted, this is what Peter and Isaiah call sanctifying the Lord.

44 But he does not mean that you should say that he who has offended you has done right and well. For there is much other judgment between God and me, and between me and you. I can have anger, hatred and evil desire in my heart, so that I do not harm you, then you are still unoffended and have nothing against me; but before God I am unjust, therefore he does right. If he punishes me, I deserve it; if he does not punish me, he shows me mercy, and thus he has done good in every way.

1068 Erl. si, 447-449. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 3, 14. 15. W. ix, 774-777. 1069

right. But it does not follow that he who persecutes me does right. For I have not wronged him, as I have done before God. When God sends the devil or evil men to punish you, he needs them to carry out his justice; so that evil men and injustice are also a good thing.

45 Thus we read Ezek. 29, 19. 20. about King Nabuchodonosor, where God speaks through the prophet: "Do you not know that he was my servant and served me? Now (he says), I must give him a reward, but I have not yet paid it. Well, I will give him Egypt land, that shall be his reward." The king had no right to the land, but God was right to punish those through him. For in order that the wicked boys may also serve him and not eat the bread in vain, he gives them enough and lets them also serve him, so that they persecute his saints. Reason falls in and thinks that they are doing well and right, if he pays them here alone, gives them a lot of land here, and does it just so that they are his masters and persecute the pious Christians. But if thou sufferest and sanctifieth God, and sayest, Lord, be thou right, he casteth them into hell, and punisheth them that they have done wrong; but he taketh thee in grace, and giveth thee eternal blessedness. Therefore let him do it, and he will reward you.

46 We have an example of Saint Job, 1) when all his cattle and his sons were slain, and all his goods were taken from him, he said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as it hath pleased the Lord, so it is done; therefore his name be praised. And when his wife came, mocking him, and scolding him, saying Cap. 2:9, "Behold, what hast thou now, abide now in thy godliness, praise GOD, and die?" he answered, v. 10, "Thou hast spoken as a foolish woman. If we have received good from God's hands, why will we not also take evil from Him? Therefore as it hath pleased Him, so hath He made it." "GOD gave it, and GOD took it away" (he says). Not:

1. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. X, 1872.

God gave it, the devil took it away, 2) even though the devil had done it. The man has now sanctified the Lord rightly, therefore he is also so highly praised and commended by God. Now continue:

But be ye always ready 3) to answer to every man that requireth the hope that is in you.

We must confess here that St. Peter spoke these words to all Christians, priests, laymen, men and women, young and old, and of whatever rank they may be; therefore it should follow that every Christian should know the reason and cause of his faith, and be able to give cause and answer where it is necessary. Now it has been forbidden until now that the laity should not read the Scriptures. For the devil had a good grip on it, that he might tear people away from the Scriptures, and so thought: If I make the laity not read the Scriptures, I will then bring the priests away from the Bible into Aristotle, that they may wash what they will, so that the laity must hear what they preach to them. Otherwise, if the laity read the Scriptures, the clergy would also have to study, so that they would not be punished and overcome. But see what St. Peter says here to all of us, that we should give an answer and show the reason for our faith. If thou shalt die, I will not be with thee, neither will the pope be with thee; if then thou knowest not a reason of thy hope, and sayest, I will believe, as the Concilio, the pope, and our fathers believed, the devil will answer, Yea, how, if they err? then he hath won, and taketh thee into hell. Therefore, we must know what we believe, namely what God's word is, not what the pope or holy fathers believe or say. For you must not trust in any person, but in the mere word of God.

48 Therefore, if someone attacks you and asks you, like a heretic, 4) why you believe that you will be saved by faith, answer: I have the Word of God and clear sayings of Scripture, such as St. Paul's Romans 1:17: "He who is saved by faith is saved by faith.

2. Cf. Walch, old ed. vol. ill, 1719, s 50.
3. Weim. Edition: "urbuttig".
4. Weimarsche: "wie eynketzer". Bucer: velutüaerstieus roZaris.

1070 Erl. si, 44S-451. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 777-780. 1071

The righteous will live by his faith," and St. Peter above Cap. 2, 6. where he speaks of the living stone Christ from the prophet Isaiah Cap. 28:16: "He that believeth on him shall not be put to shame." Here I build myself up, and know that the word deceiveth me not. But if you say like other fools, "Well, we will listen to what the council decides, and we will stick to it," you are lost. Therefore thou shalt say, What inquire I after what this man or that man believeth or decideth; if the word of God be not preached, I will not hear it.

49 Do you then say: It is such a confused thing that no one knows what to believe; therefore one must wait until it is decided what one should believe. Answer: In the meantime you will also go to the devil. For when it comes to the trains and you are to die, and you do not know what you are to believe, neither I nor no one can help you. Therefore you must know for yourself, and turn to no one, and remain firm in the word of God, if you want to escape hell. And it is necessary that even those who cannot read grasp and retain some clear sayings from the Scriptures, at least one or two, and stand firm on the foundation, as it is Genesis 12:3, where God says to Abraham: "Through your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. When you have grasped this, you can stand on it 1) and say: If pope, bishops and all concilia stood there and said otherwise, then I say thus: This is God's word, it stands firm to me and does not deny. What is to be given must be given through the seed. What is benedeien? It is to redeem from malediction, that is, from sin, death and hell. Therefore it follows from the saying: Whoever is not given through the seed must be lost; so my works and merits cannot help me to salvation. Item, so the saying also concludes St. Peter Cap. 2, 6: "He that believeth on the stone shall not be put to shame." If someone attacks you and demands the cause of your faith, answer: "There is the reason, I cannot lack it, therefore I do not ask anything about what the pope or bishops teach and conclude.

1. stönen - to support.

If they were true bishops, they should teach the reason for the faith, so that all Christians would know it in common; so they go and cry out: The laity should not be allowed to read the Scriptures.

50 Therefore, if it be asked thee, Whether thou wilt have the pope for a head? say, Yea, I will have him for a head, for a head of wicked men and knaves. There I have a saying of St. Paul, 1 Tim. 4, 1. 3.: "Teachers of devils will come, forbidding to marry, and to avoid the food that God has created." This has ever been forbidden by the pope, .as it is in the day. That is why he is the end Christian. For what Christ gives and teaches, he does against. What Christ makes free, the pope binds. If Christ says it is not sin, the pope says it is sin.

(51) So then we must learn the cause and answer of faith, for it must come to this. If it does not happen here, it must happen at death. Then the devil will come forth and say: Why did you call the pope an end-Christian? If you are not prepared and know the reason, he has won. So here St. Peter says: Because you have now believed, you will have much persecution hereafter; but in persecution you must have hope and wait for eternal life. If you are now asked why you hope this, you must have God's word to build on.

52 But the Sophists have also inverted the text, that one should overcome the heretics with reason and from the natural light of Aristotle, therefore that here in Latin it says rationem reddere, as if St. Peter meant that one should do it with human reason. Therefore they say that the Scriptures are much too weak to overthrow heretics; it must be done with reason and come from the brain, from which it must be proved that faith is right, since our faith is above all reason and only God's power. Therefore, if people do not want to believe, keep quiet; for you are not guilty of forcing them to believe that the Scriptures are God's book or word; it is enough that you give your reason. For if they do so, and say, Thou preachest not to hold the doctrine of men; yet

1072 Eri. 5i, 451-454. First edition. Sermon on I Petr. 3, 15-18. W. ix, 780-782. 1073

Peter and Paul, even Christ, have also been men. When you hear such people who are so blinded and hardened that they deny that this is God's word, or doubt it, then keep quiet, do not speak a word to them, and let them go; only speak thus: I will give thee reason enough from the Scriptures; if thou wilt believe it, it is good; if thou wilt not, I will give thee no more. Then you say: Well, then, God's word must stand with shame. You command God. Therefore it is necessary to understand this and to know how to deal with those who now stand up and pretend such things. Follows:

V.16. And this with meekness and fear.

(53) That is, when you are challenged and questioned about your faith, you should not answer with proud words, and carry the matter out with defiance and violence, as if you were uprooting trees, but with such fear and humility as if you were standing before God's judgment and answering. For if it should happen that you were summoned before kings and princes, and had prepared yourself for a time with proverbs, and thought thus: Wait, I will answer them rightly; then it may happen to you that the devil takes the sword out of your hands and gives you a blow, so that you stand with shame and have put on armor in vain, and may well take out of your hands the sayings that you have best conceived, so that you fail, even if you have it well in mind; for he has sensed your thoughts before. God allows this to happen, so that he may dampen your arrogance and make you humble.

54 Therefore, if thou wouldest that such things should not befall thee, thou must stand in fear, and not rely upon thy strength, but upon the words and promise of Christ, Matt. 10:19, 20: "When they shall deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but your Father's Spirit which speaketh by you." It is right that thou shouldest answer, that thou shouldest well prepare thyself with sayings out of the scriptures; but see that thou do not

You must insist on it with a proud courage, otherwise God will tear the right, strong saying out of your mouth and memory, if you were otherwise equipped with all the sayings beforehand. Therefore fear belongs to it. But if thou art thus skillful, thou canst answer to princes and lords, and also to the devil himself. Only see to it that it is not man's trumpery, but God's word.

And have a good conscience, that they which speak evil of you, as of evildoers, may be put to shame, because they have mocked your good walk in Christ.

55 St. Peter also said about this above. We cannot ignore it, if we want to cling to the gospel, we must be blasphemed and condemned by the world, so that they think we are the most desperate of boys. Therefore, we should not allow ourselves to be challenged, but only fear God and have a good conscience. So let the devil and all the world rage and rage, let them rebuke us as they will, they will have to endure with shame that they have reproached and blasphemed us, when the day comes (as St. Peter said above, Cap. 2, 12), then we will be safe and endure with a good conscience. Now these are all beautiful and strong sayings that can comfort us and make us brave, and yet keep us in fear.

V. 17. 18. For it is better, if it be the will of God, that ye should suffer for a good thing, than for a bad thing: for Christ also hath once suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he might sacrifice us to God, being put to death according to the flesh, but quickened according to the Spirit.

(56) It will not happen that those who go to heaven will have good days on earth, because those who do not go to heaven will not have good days. For it is ever laid up for all men, that God saith unto Adam Gen. 3:19, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread." And to the woman, v. 16: "In pain you shall bring forth children." Since misfortune is laid upon us all, how much more must those bear the cross who wish to enter eternal life?

1074 Erl. 51, 454-458. Interpretations on the I Epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 782-785. 1075

len come. That is why he says: "Because God wills it so, it is better that you suffer for the sake of good. Those who suffer for iniquity have an evil conscience and have twofold punishment; but the Christians have it only half. They have suffering on the outside, but comfort on the inside.

But he has set a goal here, as he also said above Cap. 1, 6.: "If so be it", so that those may be resisted, as the Donatists were, of whom Augustine writes, 1) who took such sayings, which sound of suffering, and killed themselves, threw themselves into the sea. God does not want us to seek misfortune and choose it ourselves. Go in faith and love; if the cross comes, accept it; if it does not come, do not seek it. Therefore the hot spirits do wrong, that they scourge and smite themselves, or choke themselves, and thereby seek to storm heaven. Paul also forbade this in Col. 2, 23, when he says of such saints who walk in self-chosen spirituality and humility and do not spare their bodies. We are to wait for the body so that it does not become too horny Rom. 13, 14, but also not corrupt it, and we are to suffer when another sends us suffering, but not fall into it ourselves. This is what the little piece means: "If it is God's will"; if he sends it, then it is better; so you are more blessed and happier that you suffer for your own good.

V.18. Since Christ also once suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous.

(58) Again, St. Peter sets the Lord Christ before us as an example, always referring to the suffering of Christ, so that we should all follow the example, lest he should propose a special image to each class. For as Christ's example is set forth to every man in the whole community, so he also holds it forth to every man in the church, that every man, of what sort he may be, may follow it in all his life as it happens. And so he wants to say: Christ is

1. [NAN8t. äs corr. Donatist, (kp. 185) 3; contra Oanctontinna I, 28. 37. (Hlisno Datrol. lat. 33, 789. 43, 725. 736.) (Weim. Ausg.)

He also suffered for us who were unjust, but did not seek the cross, but waited until it was God's will that he should drink the cup; he should be our example, whom we follow. And especially St. Peter introduces the example here, so that he will now conclude, after he has instructed all classes, and will now further explain the suffering of Christ.

59 But actually he speaks here: "Christ suffered once for us," that is, Christ bore much sin on him; but not so as to die specially for every sin, but once sufficed for all with one another. In this way he took away all the sin of those who come to him and believe in him; they are now free from death, just as he is free.

(60) "The righteous for the unrighteous," as if to say, "Rather, we are to suffer, because we die for the righteous, who has no sin; but he died for the unrighteous for our sins.

That he might offer us to God.

(61) All this is said so that he may teach the quality of Christ's suffering, namely, that he did not die for his own sake, but that he sacrificed himself for us to God. How does this work? Did he not sacrifice himself? Answer: It is true that he sacrificed himself on the cross for all of us who believe in him. But in the same way he also sacrificed us, so that all who believe in him must also suffer with him and be killed according to the flesh, just as he was. Thus God has presented us as those who are alive in the spirit, and yet die in the flesh, as he says afterwards. So 2) we are one sacrifice with him; as he dies, so we also die according to the flesh; as he lives spiritually, so we also live in the spirit.

And is dead according to the flesh, but made alive according to the Spirit.

62 The word "flesh" is common in Scripture, as well as "spirit," and the apostles hold that

2. Weimarsche: "But", which it explains with "again". But the second Wittenberg edition 1523/24 has: "So". Rörer in the second edition (Erl. 52, p. 151) has: "So".

1076 Erl. 51, 456-458. first.edit. Sermon on 1 Pet. 3, 18-22. W. IX, 785-787. 1077

commonly the two against each other. Now this is the opinion that Christ by his suffering was taken from the life that is flesh and blood; as a man on earth, living in flesh and blood, walks and stands, eats, drinks, sleeps, wakes, sees, hears, grasps and feels, and lately what the suffering does, which is perishable, to the same Christ died. This is what St. Paul calls 1 Cor. 15, 44 corpus animale, that is, as an animal lives in the flesh, not according to the flesh, that is, in natural works that the body has; he died to such life, so that it ceased with him, and he is now set in another life, and made alive according to the Spirit, entered into a spiritual and supernatural life, which comprehends with itself the life completely that Christ now has in soul and body, so that he no longer has a fleshly body, but a spiritual body. This is how St. Paul expresses it.

63. so shall we also be at the last day, when out of the flesh and blood shall come spiritual life; that my body and thine shall live without eating and drinking; they shall not beget children, neither digest, nor cast forth, neither shall they cast forth any such thing; but shall live inwardly according to the Spirit; and the body shall be transfigured, as the sun is now, and much more clearly: there shall be no natural flesh and blood, neither natural works, nor works of the flesh, which are found in the flesh. St. Paul also speaks of this in 1 Cor. 15, 45: "The first man, Adam, was made into a natural life, and the last into a spiritual life." And follows, v. 49.: "As we have borne 1) the image of the natural man, even so shall we bear the image of the spiritual man." From Adam we have all natural works, like the unreasoning animals, according to the five senses; but Christ is spiritual flesh and blood, not according to outward senses, sleeping not, waking not, yet knowing all things, and being in all things. So shall we also be, for he is the firstfruits, dawning and primogenitura 2) (as Paul says) of spiritual life, Col. 1:18, that is, he is the first that is risen and come into spiritual life. So Christ now lives according to

1. "getragen" is missing m the Weimar one, but is in -er Jenaer and in the second adaptation.
2. In the Vulgate: prinroMnitus.

the spirit, that is, he is truly human but has a spiritual body.

(64) Therefore the words here are not to be taken as separating the spirit from the flesh, but that the body and flesh are spiritual, and the spirit is in the body and with the body. For St. Peter does not mean here that the Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead, but in general. As when I say: "the Spirit" "the flesh", 3) I do not mean the Holy Spirit, but the inward things which the Spirit does and which come from the Spirit. Follows now:

V. 19-22. In the same he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, who were unbelieving in times past, when they once waited for the divine longsuffering, in the times of Noah, when they prepared the archa, in which few, that is, eight souls were kept by water; which now also makes you blessed in baptism, which is signified by that; not the putting away of filthiness from the flesh, but the covenant of a good conscience with God, through the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, who is at the right hand of GOD, ascended into heaven, and subject unto him are the angels, and the mighty men, and the powers.

This is a strange text and a darker saying than there is in the New Testament, so that I do not yet know for sure what St. Peter means. First of all, the words read as if Christ had preached to the spirits, that is, to the souls who had disbelieved in the past, when Noah built the ark. I do not understand this, nor can I interpret it; no one has interpreted it yet. But if someone wants to believe that Christ, after he died on the cross, came down to the souls and preached to them, I will not refuse. So it would like to suffer a mind; but I do not know whether St. Peter wants to say that.

(66) But the words may well give such an understanding that the Lord Christ, having ascended into heaven, in the Spirit

3. "the flesh" which is in the first edition is erased in almost all later editions because it was not understood. The meaning is: When I speak of "spirit" in contrast to "flesh", I do not mean the Holy Spirit 2c.

1078 Eri. si, 458-460. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. . W. ix, 787-79." 1079

and preached, but that his preaching was not bodily. For he speaketh not with a bodily voice, and doeth no more the natural works of the body. Therefore, just as it sounds that he preached to the spirits in the same spiritual life, so such preaching must also be spiritual preaching, which he does inwardly in the hearts and souls, so that he may not go with the body and preach orally. The text does not say that he 1) went down when he died to the souls and preached to them. For it says thus, "In the same", namely, when he was put to death according to the flesh and made alive according to the Spirit, that is, when he had given up being in the flesh and the natural works of the body, and had entered into a spiritual being and life, as he is now in heaven, he went and preached. Now he has never again gone to hell, having taken on such a new nature; therefore it must be understood that he did this after the resurrection.

(67) Since the words are intended to imply that they speak of spiritual preaching, let us keep in mind that St. Peter speaks of the ministry that Christ does through outward preaching. For he commanded the apostles to preach the gospel bodily; but besides the preaching, he himself comes and is also present spiritually, speaking and preaching into the hearts of the people; as the apostles speak the words orally and bodily into the ears. There he preaches to the spirits who are imprisoned in the devil's prison, so the 2) going is also to be understood spiritually, like the preaching.

But that follows here: "To the spirits who were unbelieving before" 2c., we want to interpret the divine account, that in the being, as Christ is inside, before him equal

1. Walch and the Erlanger (without external authority): "so". In all other editions, also in the second edition: "sei". To the first reading, the Weimar edition makes the remark: "This textual change arises from the interest in not having Luther deny the infernal journey." The beginning of § 72 proves that Luther did not deny the ascent into hell at that time either: Our faith insists "that Christ died, descended into hell, and rose from the dead.
2. Second edit: "so that going."

are, who were there before times and are now. Because his regiment stretches both over dead and living. And in that life the beginning, middle and end of the world is all in one lump. But here in the world it has a measure, that the time goes after each other, the son after the father, and so on. As that we give a likeness: If a piece of wood lies far from you, or if you look at it lengthwise, you cannot see it; but if it lies close to you, or if you stand on top of it and look at it crosswise, you can see it at all. So on earth we cannot comprehend this life, for it goes on from foot to foot until the last day, but before God it is all in a moment. For before Him a thousand years are as one day, as St. Peter says in the other epistle Cap. 3, 8. So the first man is as near to him as he who is to be born at the last, and sees it all at once; as the eye of man can bring two things together in a moment, which are also far from each other. So now the opinion is that Christ no longer preaches bodily, but is present with the word and preaches to the spirits spiritually in the heart; but still it is not understood that he preaches to all spirits in this way. To which spirits did he preach? To those who were unbelievers in the past. There is the figure called synecdoche, ex parte totum, that is, not exactly the same, but those who are like them, and just as unbelieving as those. So one must see from this life into that life.

69 Now this is the best understanding, as I think, of these words of St. Peter; but I do not want to fight too hard. But I cannot well believe that Christ went down to the souls and preached to them there. The Scripture is also against this, and says that each one, when he comes there, will receive as he has believed and lived. For this reason, since it is not certain what will happen to the dead, the saying cannot be interpreted in this way. But it is certain that Christ is present and preaches into the heart, where a preacher preaches the word of God into the ear; therefore we could draw it there without danger. But to whom a better understanding is revealed, let him follow it. Now this is the

1080 Eri. 5i, 460-462. First edition. Sermon on 1 Pet. 3, 19-22. W. ix. 790-793. 1081

Summa of the understanding I have indicated: Christ went to heaven and preached to the spirits, that is, to the souls of men, among whom the souls of men have been unbelievers for ages. Now follow on:

V.20. Once they waited for the divine longsuffering in the days of Noah, when they prepared the ark, in which few, that is, eight souls were preserved by the water.

70 Now St. Peter wants to lead us into the Scriptures so that we can study them, and he gives a likeness of Noah's ark and interprets the same figure. For it is nice to make similes with such images, as St. Paul does when he speaks of the two sons of Abraha and two wives, Gal. 4, 22, and Christ Joh. 3, 14 of the serpent that Moses had set up in the desert. Such parables can be well understood and are also amusing; that is why St. Peter introduces this one, so that faith can be summarized in a physical image. So he wants to say: As it happened when Noah prepared the ark, so it is here. Just as he was kept in the box that floated in the middle of the water, so you also must be saved in baptism. The water there drowned all living things, men and animals, so baptism also drowns everything that is carnal and natural, and makes spiritual men. But we ship in the box that signifies the Lord Christ, or the Christian church, or the gospel that Christ preaches, or the body of Christ, in which we hang by faith and are saved, like Noah in the ark. So you see how the image summarizes in one summa what there is, faith and cross, life and death. Wherever there are people who cling to Christ, there is certainly a Christian church, where everything that comes from Adam and everything that is evil is drowned.

V. 21. Which therefore also makes you blessed in baptism, which is signified by these things; not that which is signified by these things.

The abhorrence of the flesh, but the covenant of a good conscience with God.

(71) You will not be kept and saved by washing the filth from the flesh, that the body may be clean, as the Jews did; such cleanliness is no longer valid, but "the covenant of a good conscience with God," that is, that you feel in yourself a good, happy conscience that is in covenant with God and can say, "He has promised me this, and he will keep it, for he cannot lie. So if you hang on his word and cling to it, you must be kept. Now "the covenant" is faith, that we may be kept, not an outward work that you can do.

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For this reason, St. Peter adds that he declares the faith which is based on the fact that Christ died, descended into hell, and rose from the dead. If he had remained dead, we would not have been helped; but because he is risen, and sits at the right hand of God, and has these things proclaimed to us, that we believe in him, we have a covenant with God, and a certain promise, so that we are kept, like Noah in the ark. So St. Peter made the ark completely spiritual, since there is not flesh and blood inside, but a good conscience towards God, that is, faith.

V. 22. Who is at the right hand of God, gone up to heaven, and subject to him are the angels and the mighty men and the powers.

He says all this to explain and strengthen our faith. For Christ also must ascend into heaven, and become a Lord over all creatures, and where there is any power, that he should bring us thither, and make us lords. This is said for our comfort, that we know that all authority in heaven and earth, including death and the devil, must serve and help us, as all things must serve and be at the feet of the Lord Christ. This is now the third chapter. The fourth follows.

1082 Eri. si, 462-184. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 793-796. 1083

The fourth chapter.

V.1-3. Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same mind. For he who suffers in the flesh ceases from sins, that he may henceforth live, what is yet in the flesh, not according to the lusts of men, but according to the will of God. For it is enough that we have spent the past time of life according to the will of the Gentiles, walking in lust, lusts, drunkenness, gluttony, drunkenness and abominable idolatries.

St. Peter still remains on one track. As he has hitherto admonished us in general that we should suffer if it is God's will, and has set Christ as an example for us, so he now confirms this further and brings it back again; thus he wants to say: Since Christ suffered in the flesh, who is our duke and head, and has set an example for us all, that he has redeemed us through his suffering, we should follow him and also equip ourselves and put on such armor.

(2) For in the Scriptures the life of the Lord Christ, and especially his passion, is held out to us in two ways. Firstly, as a gift, as St. Peter has already done in the third chapter, and firstly, as a building and teaching of faith, that through the blood of Christ we are redeemed and our sins are taken away, and how he is given and bestowed upon us, which cannot be grasped in any other way than by faith. Of this he said, speaking, v. 18. "Christ hath once suffered for our sins." This is the main and the best part of the Gospel. Secondly, Christ is presented and given to us as an example and model to follow. For if we now have Christ by faith for a gift, we are to go on and also do as he does to us, and follow him in all life and suffering. This is how St. Peter presents it here. But here St. Peter does not speak primarily of the works of love, so that we may serve our neighbor and do good, which are actually called good works (for he has said enough about them above), but of such works.

We are told that the works that concern our body and serve ourselves will make faith stronger, that sin in the flesh will be put to death, and that we will be able to serve our neighbor all the better as a result. For if I tame my body so that it does not become lustful, I can also leave my neighbor his wife or child in peace. So, if I curb hatred and envy, I will be all the more skilled to be kind and friendly to my neighbor.

(3) Now we have often enough said, Though we be justified by faith, and have the Lord Christ for our own, yet must we also do good works, and serve our neighbor. For we are never completely pure because we live on earth, and each one still finds evil desire in his own body. Faith begins to kill sin and give heaven, but it has not yet become perfect and completely strong; as Christ says of the Samaritan Luc. 10:33 ff, who was not yet healed, but was bound and accepted to be healed. So it is here also: When we believe, our sin is bound up, that is, the damage we brought from Adam, and begins to be healed; but this happens less in one, more in the other, the more each one mortifies himself and subdues the flesh, and the stronger he has faith. Therefore, if we have the two things, faith and love, let this be our doing henceforth, that we may fully bless sin until we die. Therefore Saint Peter says, "Arm yourselves with the same mind," that is, make a firm resolution, and strengthen your hearts with the mind you receive from Christ. For if we are Christians, we must say, "My Lord suffered and shed his blood for me, and died for my sake; should I be so lazy as not to suffer also? For because the LORD goeth up to the head in the battle, how much more shall the servants go up with joy? So let us gain courage, that we may pass through, and be harnessed in our minds, that we may pass through joyfully.

1084 Erl. si, 464-466. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 4, 1-3. W. ix, 796-798. 1085

4 The word "flesh" in Scripture does not only mean the body externally, since flesh and blood, bone and skin are on, but everything that comes from Adam. When God speaks Gen. 6, 3: "My spirit will no longer quarrel with men, for they are flesh"; and Isa. 40, 5: "All flesh will see the salvation of God", that is, it will be revealed before all men. So we also confess in faith: I believe the resurrection of the flesh, that is, that men will rise again. So "flesh" means man through and through, as he lives here in this life. Now the works of the flesh are described in detail in Paul, Gal. 5, 19-21, not only the gross, carnal works, as unchastity, but also the highest and most delicious vices, as idolatry and heresy, which are not only in the flesh, but also in reason. Therefore it must be understood that man with reason and will, inwardly and outwardly, with body and soul, is called "flesh," therefore that he seeks with all his powers outwardly and inwardly only 1) what is carnal, and what is good for the flesh.

5 So St. Peter also says here that Christ suffered "in the flesh". Now it is certain that his suffering extended further than into the flesh alone: for his soul suffered the greatest 2) distress, as the prophet Isaiah says Cap. 53, 11. So also understand that which follows here: "He that suffereth in the flesh ceaseth from sinning." For this does not only apply to cutting off the head and tearing the body, but to everything that may hurt a person, to all the misery and distress he suffers. For there are many people who have healthy bodies, and yet inwardly feel much heartache and misery. If it is done for Christ's sake, it is useful and good. "For he that suffereth in the flesh (saith he) ceaseth to sin." The holy cross is good for this purpose, that sin may be subdued by it; so when it is granted to thee, the tickle, envy, hatred, and other evil things pass away;

1. Thus the Jena edition and the second adaptation. Although the original edition has "ficht" (that is, sees), and Bucer translated according to it, we consider it a printing error. , .
2. Weimar's: great The second editing has: greatest. Bucer: extremam.

Therefore God has laid upon us the holy cross, that it may drive us and compel us, that we should believe, and one should reach out to the other. Therefore it follows:

V. 2: That he may live henceforth, which is yet in the flesh, not according to the lusts of men, but according to the will of God.

(6) Henceforth, as long as we live, we are to take captive the flesh by the cross and by mortification, that we may do what pleases God, not that we should or could earn anything thereby. "Not to human lusts" (he says), that is, that we do not do what other people lust after us; for we are not to conform ourselves to this world, as Paul says Rom. 12, 2. What the world wants from us, that we must avoid.

For it is enough that we have spent the past time of life according to the will of the Gentiles, walking in lust, lusts, drunkenness, gluttony, drunkenness and abominable idolatries.

(7) We have already done too much, that before faith we have spent our lives so shamefully "in pagan will", which is just as much as in human lusts. Therefore, as long as we continue to live, we should see to it that we do what pleases God. For we have our enemy in our flesh, that is, the real mischief, not only the coarse things, but especially the conceit of reason, which Paul calls prudentiam carnis, that is, "the prudence of the flesh" Rom. 8:6. When one has subdued this arrogance, the other can be tamed; it usually harms one's neighbor so secretly that one cannot notice it.

8 "Horniness" is the name of St. Peter, which is done with outward gestures or words, so that one gives evil signs, if one already does not do the work, and is lewd in sight and hearing, from which the lust and also the work follows. Then follows also such idolatry, which is abominable. Therefore we may well bring this upon ourselves, for since we have lost faith, we have certainly also lost God, and if we look at it rightly, we are practicing more abominable idolatry than the heathen.

1086 Eri. si, 466-468. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 798-801. 1087

V. 4. 5. And they are displeased that ye run not with them into the same mixture of disorderly things, and blaspheme you; who shall give account unto him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

(9) That is, ye have hitherto lived heathenishly; but because ye are now departed, it is strange unto men, and seemeth them to be shameful and foolish, saying, Yea, how great fools are these, that they turn away from all worldly goods and pleasures. But let them think it strange, let them also blaspheme you; they will have to give account, therefore command ye him that shall judge.

For to this end the gospel has been preached even to those who are dead, that they may be judged according to the 1) flesh, but live in the Spirit of God. But the end of all things is near.

(10) Now this is a strange and strange text. The words clearly state that the gospel is preached not only to the living, but also to the dead, and yet he adds that they will be judged according to the flesh. Now they have not flesh; therefore it cannot be understood as of the living. It is a strange speech, which it is. Whether the text comes to us in its entirety, or whether something has fallen out, I do not know. But I understand it thus: One must not worry how God will condemn the Gentiles who died many hundred years ago, but who are alive now; therefore it is said of men on earth.

(11) But you must understand the word "flesh" in the same way as I said above § 4, that the whole man is called flesh, as he lives; as he is also called whole spirit, when he strives for that which is spiritual. Now this is mixed together, as I speak of a man who is wounded, that he is whole and yet wounded, so that the healthy part is greater than the wounded part; but he is called wounded only according to the part in which he is wounded. So the spirit is also to proceed here. That is why he says that they are called "wounded" according to the outward part.

1. In the editions of the New Testament up to 1534 and in the first edition of our Scripture "to man". But because all printings after that have "to man" in the interpretation, so we have put it here also.

The first thing is to be condemned, but to be kept and live according to the inner being, that is, according to the spirit.

(12) But how is it that he says that they are alive, and yet says that they are dead? I will interpret it thus according to my understanding, but I will not set a goal for the Holy Spirit to call the unbelievers "dead. For I cannot accept the idea that the gospel should be preached to the dead and deceased, unless St. Peter means that the gospel went out freely and sounded everywhere [Col. 1, 23.It was not preached secretly in a corner, but so publicly that all creatures, if they had ears, might have heard it, as Christ commanded in the last chapter, v. 15: "Go, preach the gospel to all creatures." So when it is preached, it finds people who are condemned according to the flesh, but live according to the spirit.

V. 7. But the end of all things is at hand.

(13) This is also a strange speech. It is now almost a thousand and five hundred years that St. Peter preached; that is not a near or short time: nor does he say that the end of all things is near at hand and is already here, as John also says in his epistle, 1 John 2:18: "It is the last hour." If the apostle did not say this, one would say that it was a lie; but now one must firmly hold that the apostle is true. But what he means by it, he will himself strike out in the other epistle [Cap. 3, 8.). There he says why time is called near, and says: "One day in the sight of the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day," of which I said above [Cap. 3, § 68). So it must be reckoned that it will not be as long to the end of the world as it was from the beginning until that time, and we cannot wait to see two or three thousand years after the birth of Christ; the end will come before we know it. Therefore he says further:

V. 8: Be sober and sober in prayer. But above all, have under one

** **1088 Erl. si, 488-471. first edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 4, 8-10. W. ix, soi-803. 1089

Another is a fervent love, for love also covers the multitude of sins.

(14) Then you see for what purpose we must be sober and chaste, that is, that we may be ready for prayer, for ourselves and for our neighbor. Even love cannot be ardent above these things, unless you subdue the body, so that love may have room with you.

15 Here St. Peter took a saying from the Book of Proverbs, Cap. 10, 12: "Hatred causes strife, but love covers the multitude of sins. And this is St. Peter's opinion. Restrain your flesh and lust; if you do not do this, you will easily enrage one another, and will not easily be able to forgive one another. Therefore, think that you are curbing evil desire, so you can love one another and forgive; for love covers sin.

(16) This saying has been interpreted to sound against faith; therefore they say: Thou sayest that faith alone maketh pious, and that no man by works may be loosed from sin: why then saith Solomon and Peter here, Love covereth sin? So answer: He that hateth another, saith Solomon, ceaseth not from striving after strife and contention: but where love is, it covereth sin, and forgiveth it gladly. Where there is anger, there 1) is an unconciled man, who will not be reconciled and remains full of anger and hatred; but a man who is full of love cannot be angered, no matter how much he is harmed; he covers up everything and acts as if he did not see it. So that the covering is said against the neighbor, not against God. No one shall cover your sin before God, except faith. But my neighbor's sin covers my love. And just as God covers my sin with His love when I believe, so I should also cover my neighbor's sin. Therefore he says: Love one another, that one may cover another's sin. And love does not cover one, two or three sins, but the multitude of sins, cannot suffer and do too much, covers everything. St. Paul also says this, and puts this saying from 1 Cor. 13:7 in the same way:

1. "there" taken by us from Walch. In the other editions: "that".

Love endures everything and tolerates everything, believes everything and hopes everything, is at its best with everyone, and can suffer and take credit for everything that is put to it. Follow on:

V. 9. 10. Be hospitable to one another without murmuring, and serve one another, each with the gift he has received.

(17) "Hospitable" means one who gladly lodges. When the apostles were walking together in the countryside, preaching, and sending the disciples to and fro, one had to give lodging to the other. As it should still be, that one should preach from place to place, from town to town, from house to house, and not stay too long in one place, that one might see where someone was weak, that one might help him, where someone had fallen, that one might raise him up, and the like. This should now be done without murmuring, St. Peter wants, so that no one will let it be too much for him.

(18) Now this also is a work of love, as it follows, that we should serve one another. With what? With the gifts of God that each has received. The Gospel wants each one to be a servant of the other, and to see to it that he remains in the gift he has received, which God has given him, that is, what his position is, to which he has been called. God does not want a master to serve a servant, a maid to be a wife, or a prince to serve a beggar, for He does not want to break the authorities. So he means that spiritually one should serve another with the heart; even though you are high and a great lord, you should still use your authority to serve your neighbor with it. So let each one consider himself a servant. Thus the master can remain a master, and yet not consider himself better than the servant, so that he would also gladly be a servant, if it were God's providence, and so on in other states.

As the good stewards of God's many graces.

God has not given us all the same grace, therefore each one should see what he is sent for, what gift is given to him. If he feels that he needs it for the service of his neighbor, as St. Peter further explains and says:

1090 Erl. si, 471-473. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 803-8v6. 1091

V. 11: If anyone speaks, he speaks it as the word of God.

(20) If any man have grace to preach and to teach, let him teach and preach, as St. Paul saith Romans 12:3-6: "That no man be wise too much, and think more of him than is fitting; but every man according as God hath divided unto him the measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same business, so we are many in one body in Christ, but one is another's member. And have divers gifts according to the grace that is given unto us." And follows, v. 7: "If any man have a prophecy, let it be like unto faith. If any man have an office, let him wait for the office. If any man teach, let him wait for doctrine." So he also teaches elsewhere to Corinthians and Ephesians 1 Cor. 12, 12. Eph. 4, 7..

(21) For this reason God has poured out various gifts among the people, which are to be directed solely so that one may serve another with them, especially those who are in government, whether with preaching or other ministry. Now here St. Peter says: "If anyone wishes to speak, let him speak it so that it may be the word of God. It is almost easy to remember that no one should preach anything unless he is sure that it is God's word. Then St. Peter shut the pope's mouth; and behold, he wants to be St. Peter's chair heir, how fine he holds it. Further:

If anyone has an office to do it, than out of the wealth that God gives

(22) This is: Whoever rules in the Christian church and has an office or a ministry to care for souls, he shall not go as he pleases and say: I am a sovereign, I must be obeyed, what I create, 1) that shall be created. God wants it so that one should do nothing else but what he gives, so that it is God's work and order. Therefore a bishop shall do nothing unless he is sure that God does it, that it is God's word or work. And that is why: for God does not want anyone to think that what he does with the Christian Church is a joke. Therefore, we must stand in such certainty that

1. create - command. Cf. Col. 1035, s 67.

God speaks and works in us, and our faith can therefore say, "That which I have spoken and done, God has done and spoken, so that I also die on it. Otherwise, when I am not sure of things, my faith stands on sand, and the devil takes me away.

23 Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to accept any bishop's commandment unless he is certain that God does what he does, and can say, "I have God's word and commandment. Where this is not the case, he is to be considered a liar. For God has decreed that our conscience should stand on a rock. This is what is said of the common rule, that no one should follow his own conceit in it, and not do anything unless he is sure that God will have it. From this you can see how St. Peter has so long before pushed the Pope's and bishops' regiment to the ground, as it is doing now. Concludes:

So that in all things you may travel to God through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power forever and ever, Amen.

(24) Therefore you should be so sure that God speaks and does all that you speak and do. For if you do a work of which you are not certain that God has done it, you cannot praise Him and give Him thanks; but if you are certain of it, you can give Him thanks and praise Him because of His word and work; otherwise, you are suspicious of Him and consider Him to be an impostor. Therefore it is a shameful and harmful thing where one wants to rule in Christianity without God's word and work. That is why St. Peter made it necessary for him to instruct how the government of Christianity should be. Continue:

V. 12. Beloved, do not let the heat among you be strange to you, as if something strange were happening to you.

This is a way of speaking that is not common in our language. But St. Peter uses the same speech to remind us of what the Scriptures say. For this is how the Scriptures speak of suffering, that it is like an oven full of fire and heat. Thus, in the first chapter above, St. Peter says

1092 Erl. 51, 473-478. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 4, 12-14. W. IX, 806-809. 1093

v. 7: "That your faith may be proved more precious than the gold that perisheth by fire." Thus one also reads in the prophet Isaiah; Cap. 48, 10. God says: "I have tried you in the furnace of poverty"; and Psalm 17, 3.: "With fire you have tried me"; item Psalm 26, 2.: "Lord, you wanted to burn through my kidneys and my heart"; item, Psalm 66, 12.: "We have passed through fire and water." So the scripture has it in the custom that it calls the suffering Durchfeurung or a temptation through the fire. St. Peter agrees with this here, that we should not allow ourselves to be alienated or to think ourselves strange and weird, as if the heat or blaze should not happen to us, through which we are tempted, as if gold were melted in the fire.

When faith is challenged, God does not let it go, but sends us the holy cross on the nuck to strengthen us and make the faith strong in us. The holy gospel is a powerful word; therefore it cannot come to its work without challenge, and no one realizes that it has such power except those who taste it. Where there is suffering and the cross, it can prove and exercise its power. It is a word of life; therefore it must exercise all its power in dying. If there is not death and dying, it can do nothing, and no one can see that it does such virtue, and is stronger than sin and death. That is why he says, "that you may be tempted," that is, God does not put any fervency or heat (that is, the cross and suffering that makes you fervent) on you, because you are tempted, even though you cling to his word. So it is written in Wis 10:12 of Jacob: "God gave him a hard struggle, that he might know that divine wisdom is stronger than all things." This is the reason why God lays out the cross to all believers, so that they may taste and try the power of God, which they have grasped through faith.

V. 13. But be partakers of the sufferings of Christ.

27 St. Peter does not say that we should feel the suffering of Christ, so that we can feel his suffering.

He wants to say: Christ suffered, so you think that you also suffer and are tempted. So when you suffer, you have fellowship with the Lord Christ. For if we want to live with him, we must also die with him. If I want to sit with him in the kingdom, I must also suffer with him, as St. Paul often says:

Be glad, that you may have joy and gladness at the time of the revelation of his glory.

028 Though ye come into torment and burning, yet shall ye rejoice. For though it be bodily suffering, it shall be spiritual joy, that ye may rejoice for ever. For joy begins here in suffering and lasts forever. Otherwise, whoever does not bear the suffering joyfully, and becomes unhappy and wants to be angry with God, will have both, here and there, eternal torment and suffering. Thus one reads of holy martyrs that they went cheerfully to the torture, and thus acquired 1) that they rejoice eternally; as of St. Agatha, that she was so cheerful that she had to lie in prison, as if she should go to the dance. And the apostles went with joy and thanked God that they were worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ, Apost, 5, 41.

At the time of its revelation.

29 Christ is not yet seen as a Lord, but is still at work with us. For himself he is, but we, who are his members, are not yet lords. But then we shall become lords, when his glory shall be revealed in the sight of all men at the last day, clearer than the sun.

V. 14: Blessed are you when you are reviled by the name of Christ.

(30) Christ is an ugly name in the sight of the world, and when one preaches of him, he must suffer the best of the earth to blaspheme and revile his name. But this is more dangerous and greater in our day, that they which persecute us, having also the name of Christ, say they are Christians and are baptized, yet deny and persecute Christ in deed. This is a wretched controversy. They lead the same

1. This is still papistic, therefore changed in the second edit.

1094 Erl. 81, 475-478. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 809-811. 1095

Names just as strong as we are, against us. Therefore, even though the wisest and most pious people persecute us, we can take comfort in standing still and being cheerful. Why is that?

For the Spirit, who is the Spirit of glory and of God, rests upon you. With them he is blasphemed, but with you he is praised.

31. You (he says) have with you a spirit, that is, the Spirit of God and of glory, that is, such a spirit as makes us glorious. But this he does not do here on earth; but he will do it when the glory of Christ shall be revealed at the last day. Above this he is not only a Spirit who makes us glorious, but also whom we glorify. For the Holy Spirit is specially credited with transfiguring and glorifying, just as He transfigured and glorified Christ.

32 Now this same Spirit (he says) rests on you, because the name of Christ rests on you; he is blasphemed by them, for he must suffer to be blasphemed and reviled exceedingly. Therefore, do not take up blasphemy; it appeals to the Spirit, who is the Spirit of glory; do not worry, he will avenge it and set you in honor. This is the comfort we Christians have, that we can say: The word is not mine, the faith is not mine, it is all God's works, he who reviles me reviles God; as Christ says Matt. 10:40, "He who receives you receives me"; and again, "He who reviles you reviles me."

33 Therefore St. Peter wants to say: Know that the spirit you have is so strong that it will punish its enemy, just as God says in Exodus 23:22: "If you listen to my commandments, I will be an enemy to your enemies. And the Scriptures indicate many times that the enemies of the holy people are the enemies of God. Now if we are reviled because we are Christians and believe, we are not reviled, but the reviling is actually against God Himself. Therefore he says: "Be of good cheer, for this happens to the spirit that is not yours, but God's. Now he adds a warning:

V. 15. 16. But let no one among you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a malefactor, or

addicted to other people's good. But if he suffers as a Christian, he is not ashamed; but he praises God in the matter.

034 So he says, Ye have heard how ye ought to suffer, and how ye ought to keep yourselves therein: but see that it be not because ye have deserved it of your iniquity, but for Christ's sake. But now it is not so with us, for we must suffer, regardless of the fact that those who persecute us also have the name of Christ; and no one can die because he is a Christian, but as an enemy of Christ, and those who persecute him say that they are righteous Christians, and also say that he who dies for Christ's sake is blessed. There only the spirit must separate; there you must know that you are a Christian before God. God's judgment is secret, for He has now turned it around and no longer wants to judge by the name, as at that time when the name went out from the first.

Now St. Peter says: When you suffer in this way, you should not be ashamed, but should praise God. There he makes the suffering and torture dear, that it is so great that we should praise God because of it, because we suffer, so that we are not worthy of it. But now no one wants to go there. What is the use of putting the cross in monstrances? Christ's cross does not make me blessed. I must believe in his cross, but I must carry my own cross. I must take his suffering into my heart, and then I will have the right treasure. St. Peter's bones are holy, but what does it help you? You and your bones must become holy yourself, which also happens when you suffer for the sake of Christ.

V. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin on the house of God. But first of all, what will be the end of those who do not believe in the gospel of God?

Here he touches two prophetic sayings at once. First, the prophet Jeremiah says Cap. 25, 29: "Behold, I begin to punish in the capital city where my name is called, and I first punish my dearest children who believe in me. And you, who do not believe and are my enemies, think that you want to be punished.

1096 Eri. si, 478-4M. First edition. Sermon on 1 Petr. 4, 17-19. W. ix, 8n-8is. 1097

escape?" And Cap. 49, 12. He says: "Those who are not to blame for drinking the cup, they must drink it; and you think that you should not drink it? I smite my beloved, that thou mayest see what I will do to the enemies. Then see what words these are: the greater the saints God has, the more shamefully he has caused them to perish, and what will become of the others? According to Ezekiel, Cap. 9, 6, he saw some men in armor with their weapons, who were supposed to kill everyone, to whom God said: "Lift up my sanctuary. This is what St. Peter means here. Therefore he says: The time is here, as the prophets said, that judgment must begin on us. When the Gospel is preached, God begins to punish sin, to kill and to make alive. He strikes the pious with the fox's tail, and is first of all the motherwort; but what will become of those who do not believe? As if he were to say, "If he treats his dear children with such seriousness, you can count what punishment will befall those who do not believe.

V. 18. And if the righteous is hardly preserved, where will the wicked and the sinner appear?

37 This saying is also taken from the Book of Proverbs, Cap. 11, 31: Si justus in terra recipit, "if the righteous must be pushed, where will the wicked remain?" This is also what St. Peter says here, the Ge

right can hardly be preserved and goes exactly to. The righteous is the one who believes; it still takes effort and work in faith that he may pass through and become blessed, for he must pass through the embers; where then will he remain who does not believe? So if God gives faith a push so that it wriggles, how can he stay and stand who is without faith? Therefore, he resolves upon it:

V. 19. Therefore, those who suffer according to God's will command Him 1) their souls, as the faithful Creator, with good works.

(38) That is, those to whom God inflicts suffering, which they have not sought and chosen for themselves, should commit their souls to Him. They do well, remain in good works, do not turn away for the sake of suffering, and entrust themselves to their Creator, who is faithful. This is a great comfort to us. God created your soul without your care and without your doing, when you were still nothing; so he can well preserve it. Therefore trust it to him, but in such a way that it will be done with good works, not that you think, "Well, I will die free. You must see that you are a good Christian and prove your faith with works. But if thou goest so roughly thou shalt see how thou shalt fare. This is the last admonition that St. Peter gives to those who are to suffer for God's sake. Now follow:

1. "ihm" is missing in the German editions, but Bucer offers: eontrustunt ei. Also in the interpretation here follows immediately: "They shall command their souls to him."

The fifth chapter.

I exhort the elders who are among you, the fellow elder and witness of the sufferings that are in Christ, and fellow member of the glory that is to be revealed. Feed the flock of Christ that is among you, and feed them, not by compulsion, but willingly, not by shameful desire of gain, but by inclination of mind, not as the rulers of the inheritance, but become the models of the flock, and ye shall receive (when the Arch Shepherd shall appear) the unfading crown.

(1) St. Peter gives instruction on how those who are to preside over the people in spiritual government should conduct themselves. Now he said in the next chapter that no one should teach or preach anything unless he is sure that it is God's word; so that our conscience may stand on a solid rock. For this is bound up with us Christians, that we must be certain what is pleasing to God or not. Where this is not, there are no Christians. After this, he also said what each man's conscience is.

1098 Erl. 51, 480-48S. Interpretations on the 1st Epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 8IS-8I7. 1099

or work, that he should consider it as if it were God's doing. But this saying actually applies to the bishops or pastors, how they are to be skillful and how they are to conduct themselves.

But here you must get used to the language and learn what the words mean. The word presbyter or priest is a Greek word, in German it means an elder, as it is also called senatores in Latin, that is, a bunch of old, wise men, who are supposed to have much experience. So Christ also called his ministers and his council, who are to lead the spiritual regiment, that is, preach and care for a Christian congregation. Therefore, do not be misled if the priests are now called differently. For of those who are now called priests, the Scripture knows nothing; and put the nature out of sight, as it is now, and understand it thus, that St. Peter and other apostles, when they came into a city, where there were believing people or Christians, there they raised up an old man or two, who kept themselves honest, had wife and child, and were knowledgeable in the Scriptures, and they called them presbyteros.

3. after that they are called Paul and Peter also episcopos, that is, bishops. Therefore it has been one thing, bishop and priest. 1) We have another fine example of this in the legend of St. Martin, that one came with some to a place in Africam, and saw that a man was lying there in a hut, whom they took for a farmer and did not know who he was. After that, when the people gathered there, he stood up and preached, and they saw that he was their pastor or bishop. For at the same time they did not wear peculiar clothes and gestures in front of other people.

(4) These elders, says St. Peter, who are to care for and provide for the people, I exhort, of whom I am also one. Therefore you see clearly that those whom he calls elders have been in the ministry and have preached, therefore he also calls himself an elder. And here St. Peter humbles himself; he does not say that he is a ruler, although he would have had power, because he was an apostle of Christ; and he calls himself an apostle.

1. Cf. Walch, St. Louiser Ausg. vol. X, 314, § 88.

not only a fellow elder, but also a witness of the sufferings that are in Christ; as if to say, I do not preach alone, but I am also among the Christians who must suffer. So that he indicates where Christians are, that they have to suffer and are persecuted. This is a righteous apostle. If there were now such a pope or bishop who also had this title, we would gladly kiss their feet.

And comrade in the glory that is to be revealed.

5 This is even higher, and of course a bishop may not say it easily, because then St. Peter makes himself a saint. He was sure that he would be blessed, because he had many promises. When Christ said John 15:16: "I have chosen you." But it took much effort before the apostles got there. They had to come down first and become bad boys. Now, although he knows that he is a companion of blessedness, he is not proud, nor does he exalt himself, even though he is holy. Well then, what shall the elders do? Follow:

V. 3. Feed the flock of Christ that is among you.

6 Christ is the arch-shepherd, and has under him many shepherds, as well as many flocks of sheep, which he has sent out to his shepherds to and fro, as St. Peter writes here, in many lands. What shall these shepherds do? They are to feed the flock of Christ. The pope has taken this upon himself and wants to prove that he is sovereign and may deal with the sheep as he pleases. It is well known what "feed" means, namely, that the shepherds give the sheep pasture and fodder, so that they become fruitful; in addition, that they see to it that the wolves do not come and tear the sheep apart; it does not mean slaughtering and strangling.

7 Now St. Peter actually says, the host of Christ; as if he should say: Do not think that the host is yours, you are only servants. Against this now our bishops speak defiantly: You are my sheep. We are Christ's sheep. For so he also said above Cap. 2, 25., "Ye are now converted unto the bishop and shepherd of your souls." The bishops are

1100 EU. sr, 482-484. First edition. Sermon on I Petr. 5, 2. W. IX, 817-820. 1101

Servants of Christ, to shepherd His sheep and give them pasture. Therefore, "feeding" is nothing else but preaching the gospel, by which the souls are fed, become fat and fruitful, so that the sheep feed on the gospel and God's word, which is only the office of a bishop. So Christ also says to Petro John 21:16, "Feed my sheep," that is, the sheep you are to feed are not yours but mine. Nevertheless, they have torn the words to the effect that the pope has external authority over all Christendom, and yet none of them preaches a word of the gospel. And I am concerned that since St. Peter's time there has been no pope who has preached the gospel. There is no one who has written anything and left it behind, because the Gospel is inside. St. Gregory, the Pope, has certainly been a holy man, but his sermons are not worth a penny, so that it seems that the See of Rome is especially cursed by God. Some popes may have been martyred for the sake of the Gospel, but there is nothing written about them that is the Gospel. Nevertheless they go and preach, they must feed; and yet they do nothing, but catch and corrupt the consciences with their own laws, and preach no word of Christ.

8 It is true that among all Christians there are many, both male and female, who are able to preach, as well as those who preach there; but among the whole multitude there are always many who are not strong. Therefore it is necessary to raise up one to strengthen them, lest wolves come and tear the sheep. For a preacher must not only feed the sheep, so that he instructs them how to be true Christians, but must also ward off the wolves, so that they do not attack the sheep and lead them astray with false doctrine and introduce error; just as the devil does not rest. Now there are many people who may well suffer the gospel to be preached, if only one does not cry out against the wolves and preach against the prelates. But though I preach rightly, and feed and teach the sheep well, yet it is not enough to shepherd the sheep and keep them, lest the wolves come and lead them away again. For what is the

When I throw out stones, 1) and watch another throw them in again? The wolf can well suffer that the sheep have good pasture; he has them the better that they are hostile; but he cannot suffer that the dogs bark hostilely. Therefore it is a great thing who takes it to heart that one feeds rightly, as God has commanded.

(9) "The host (he says) that is among you," that is, that is with you; not that it should lie at their feet. "And give them away, not under compulsion, but willingly, not out of shameful desire for gain." There he even wrote with one word what the prophet Ezekiel writes about the shepherds or bishops Cap. 34, 2. ff. And this is the opinion: You should not only feed them, but also have respect for them and notice where they are lacking and in need. And here he uses a Greek word έπίσκοπόϋντες, that is, be bishops, and comes from the little word Επίσκοπος, which means in German a Vorseher 2) or watchman, who lies on the guard or on the watch, and sees around him what everyone lacks. Notice now that a bishop and an elder are one thing. Therefore it is a lie that they now say that the office of bishop is called a dignity, and that he who wears a pointed hat on his head is a bishop. It is not called a dignity, but an office, that he should look and watch for us, and be our watchman, that he should know what infirmities are everywhere; where one is weak and has an evil conscience, that he should help and comfort; where one falls, that he should straighten him out, and the like; so that the Christian people may be sufficiently supplied in body and soul. 2c. That is why I have often said, 3) if there were a proper government now, there would have to be three or four bishops in a city, who would care for the church and have respect where there was a lack everywhere.

10 And here St. Peter stirs two different pieces,

1. The reading: "ausswerffe" is found in all editions of the first and the second adaptation. Instead, one would expect "aufwerfen," which Walch has placed in the text. In Latin, this passage reads: Nam quid aedificavero, si quos aedificio immisero lapides, videam alium, qui eos rursum ejiciat, neque prohibeam?
2. Bucer: prospeetor.
3. Cf. Walch, St. Louis ed. vol. X, 1365, ? 163; Mä. vol. XIX, 1094, W 55. 57.

1102 Erl. 51, 484-486. exegesis on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. > IX, 820- 822. 1103

who might frighten someone into presiding over the people. First of all, there are some who are devout and do not like to be forced to be preachers, for it is a laborious office to see how the sheep live, to help them and to guide them; one must watch day and night, and defend oneself so that the wolves do not break in; one must also put life and limb on it. Therefore he says, "You shall not be forced to do it. It is true that no one should press into office without being called; but if he is called and required, he should go willingly and do what his office requires. For those who are compelled to do it, and have no desire or love for it, will not do it well.

(11) Others are worse than these, who preside over the people, and seek their gain by feeding their bellies. These seek the wool and milk of the sheep, asking nothing of the pasture, as our bishops do now. Now this is almost a harmful thing and vice, for it is especially shameful for a bishop. That is why both apostles, Peter and Paul, often reported it Acts 20:33, and also the prophets. Therefore also Moses says 4 Mos. 16, 15.: "Thou knowest that I never desired any ox." Item, the prophet Samuel [1 Sam. 12, 3.): "You know that I have never taken an ass or ox from you." For if he who is to feed is so focused on the good and greedy for gain, he will soon become a wolf himself.

But from an inclined mind.

(12) This is that a bishop has a desire for it, and is inclined to it, and does it gladly. These are they that serve willingly, and seek not the wool of sheep. So we have two kinds of false shepherds: some who do not like to do it; others who like to do it, but for the sake of avarice. Further he says:

V.3 Not as the rulers of the inheritance.

(13) These are they who like to rule for the sake of honor, that they may be exalted and be mighty tyrants. Therefore he admonishes them, that they do not act as if the people were under them, that they may be and make rulers.

as they wish. For we have one Lord, who is Christ, who rules our souls. The bishops shall do nothing but feed.

(14) Then St. Peter overthrew with one word and condemned all the rule which now the pope leads, and clearly concludes that they do not have the power to command one word, but that they alone should be servants and say: This is what your Lord Christ says, therefore you should do this. As Christ also says [Luc. 22:25, 26.), "The worldly kings reign, and the mighty are called gracious lords; but ye are not so." Against this the pope says: "You shall rule and have power.

V. 3. 4. But become examples to the host, and you will receive the unfading crown (when the Arch Shepherd appears).

(15) That is, think that ye stand in the front, and lead such a course that your life may be an example to the people, and they may follow you. But thus our bishops say to the people, Go and do so; and they sit on cushions and are nobles, laying burdens on us which they themselves do not touch Matt. 23:4, when they ought not to preach a word and call another, if they had not done it for themselves. 1) But if they were urged to do so, they would soon tire of their violence.

For this, St. Peter does not want to give the bishops a temporal reward, as if to say: Your ministry is so great that it cannot be rewarded here, but you will receive an eternal crown, which will follow if you feed Christ's sheep in this way. This is the admonition that St. Peter gives to those who are to care for souls. From this you can strongly conclude and clearly prove that the pope with his bishops is an end-Christian or an anti-Christian, since he does not do any of the things that St. Peter demands here, and neither teaches nor does them himself, but rather does exactly the opposite, and not only does not want to feed the sheep or let them feed, but is himself a wolf and tears them apart, and yet boasts that he is the governor of the Lord Christ. Yes, indeed he is,

1. Bucer: quod non antea ipsi praestitissent; thus he has translated "for" taken for [to^before and by below.

1104 Erl. 51, 186-488. First edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 5, 3-6. W. ix, 822-825. 1105

when Christ is not there, just as the devil also sits and reigns in Christ's stead.

(17) Therefore it is necessary that the simple understand this and such sayings, and hold the pope's rule against them when they are asked and examined, so that they may answer and say, Thus Christ said and did; but the pope teaches and does contrary. Christ says yes, the pope says no. Because they are against each other, one of them must be lying. Now Christ does not lie; therefore I conclude that the pope is a liar, and in addition the right end-Christian. So you must be equipped with the Scriptures, so that you can not only call the pope an end-Christian, but know how to prove it clearly, so that you can surely die on it and stand against the devil in death. Now follow on:

You are like them, you younger ones, subject to the elders.

18 These are the last admonitions in this epistle. St. Peter wants to have such an order in Christianity, that the young should follow the old, so that everything goes hand in hand with the humility of the unrulers towards the superiors. If this were to happen now, there would not be much need for laws. He wants to have it straight so that the younger ones are to be governed according to the understanding of the old ones, as they know best, that it is done to the praise of God. But he thinks, St. Peter, that such old people should be learned and understanding in the Holy Spirit. For where they themselves are fools and understand nothing, no good government comes of it; but if they are understanding, then it is good that they govern the youth. But St. Peter does not speak here of the secular government, but in general that the elders should govern the younger ones in the spirit, be they priests or other old men.

V. 5. All of you be subject to one another, and demonstrate humility in this.

019 Then he hath directed himself, and tempered his word, and wills that every one should be subject to another. How can this rhyme, if the elders are to rule, and yet all are subject to one another? Should it be reversed? He who will, let him give

such a gloss that St. Peter spoke above of old people; here he speaks of young people. But we want to let the words remain, so that they are said in general, as Paul also says Rom. 12, 10: "Let one precede the other with reverence. The young should be subject to the old, but in such a way that those, the superiors, do not consider themselves masters, but also let them down and follow, where a young man would be more understanding and learned; as God also in the Old Testament often raised up young men, who were more understanding than the old. So Christ also teaches Luc. 14, 8-10: "When you are invited, do not sit at the top, lest a more honest man than you be invited, and when he who invited you and him comes, say to you, 'Turn away from this man, and you will have to sit at the bottom with shame. But when thou art charged, sit thou down at the bottom, that when he that charged thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, move up." And to this he introduces the saying, as in many other places, v. 11. "He that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that abaseth himself shall be exalted."

020 For this cause the young shall be subject unto the elders; but yet again the elders shall be so skillful, that every one may think himself the least in heart. If this were done, we should have good peace and prosperity on earth. This is what we are to do," he says, "so that we may show humility in this.

For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the lowly.

21 That is, those who will not yield, God casts down; and again, He exalts those who humble themselves. This is a mean saying; God would have him be mean in life.

V. 6. Therefore, lower yourselves under the mighty hand of God.

22. Because God wills it so, that one shall submit to another, do it willingly and gladly; and he will exalt you. But if you will not do it willingly, you will have to do it; he will throw you down.

1106 Erl. si, 488-491, Interpretations on the 1st Epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 825-828. 1107

That he may exalt you in his time.

(23) It seems as if God is pushing His own down, as if He wants to be outside too long. Therefore he says: Do not be deceived by it, and put it out of your sight; and rely on the fact that you have a certain assurance that it is God's hand and His will. Therefore do not consider the time, how long you are in bondage. For though he is consumed, yet will he exalt you. Therefore, hereafter follow:

V. 7 Cast all your care upon him, for he cares for you.

(24) You have this assurance, so that you may be sure that God will not leave you, but will take care of you. Therefore let all your cares go, and let him do it. These are exceedingly sweet words; how could he make it sweeter and kinder? But why does he need so much irritation? Because no one likes to let himself be brought down and let his mind go. Therefore he gives such comfort that God not only looks after us, but also cares for us and takes care of us. Further he says:

V. 8 Be sober and watchful, for your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

(25) Then he gives us a warning, and will open our eyes; and it would be worth while that the saying should be written with letters of gold. There you see what this life is, and how it is painted, that we should always wish that we were dead. We are here in the devil's kingdom, no different than if a pilgrim came to an inn, knowing that they were all robbers in the house; if he had to come there, he would still prepare himself and provide as best he could, and not sleep much. So we are now on earth, where the evil spirit is a prince, and has the hearts of men in his power, doing through them what he wills. It is frightening, if you look at it right. That is why St. Peter wants to warn us to be careful, and acts as a faithful servant who knows what is going on here. Therefore he says, "Be sober." For they eat,

They are full of drunkenness and swine, and can do no good; therefore we must always have such a treasure with us. "And watch" (he says), not only spiritually, but also bodily. For a foul body, which loveth to sleep, when it eateth and drinketh to the full, shall not withstand the devil; because it is sore also to them that have faith and a spirit.

26 Why then should we be sober and watchful? "For your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." The evil spirit does not sleep, is mischievous and wicked. He has set it before him to attack us, and knows the right handles on it; he goes about like a lion that is hungry and roars, wanting to devour everything. Here St. Peter gives us a delicious admonition, and tells us our enemy that we should beware of him. As Paul also says in 2 Cor. 2:11: "We know well the thoughts of the evil spirit." But the going around is such that he makes us careless; then follows anger, strife, pride, unchastity, contempt for God 2c.

27 And here mark well that he saith, The devil walketh about. He does not go under your eyes when you are armed, but looks behind and in front, inside and outside, where he might attack you. If he attacks you here and now, he will soon go there and attack you in another place, breaking from one side to the other and using all kinds of cunning and trickery to trap you; and if you are already well armed in one place, he will invade another. If he cannot overthrow you there, he attacks you elsewhere, and so never stops, but goes around and around, leaving no rest anywhere. So we are fools and do not pay attention, do not walk and do not watch, so he can tear down well. Now therefore let every man take heed, and he shall feel something in himself: he that hath tried it knoweth it well. That is why we are poor people, because we are so careless. If we looked at it rightly, we should cry murder over life. Thus Job said Cap. 7, 1: "Man's life on earth is nothing but a camp, but vain strife and contention." Why then does God make us live and fight on earth?

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How can we leave it? That faith may be exercised and increase, and that we may hasten out of this life, and taste of death, and gain a desire to die.

V. 9: Resist firmly in faith.

(28) Be sober and watchful, but that the body may be sent. But this does not defeat the devil; it is only so that you may give the body the less cause to sin. The right sword is that you are strong and firm in faith. If you take hold of God's word in your heart and keep it with faith, the devil cannot win, but must flee. So if you can say, "This is what my God has said, then I will get up; then you will see that he will soon go away; for then all displeasure, evil desire, anger, avarice, melancholy and doubt will go away. But the devil is cunning and does not like to let you do this, and he reaches out to take the sword out of your hand; if he makes you lazy, so that the body becomes clumsy and inclined to evil, he will soon snatch the sword out of your hand. He did the same to Heva; she had God's word, and if she had kept it, she would not have fallen. But when the devil saw that she held the word so loosely, he tore it out of her heart, so that she let it go; and so he had won. 2 Cor. 11:3, Gen. 3:4, 13.

29 Thus St. Peter has sufficiently instructed us how to contend with the devil. It costs not much running to and fro, nor any work that thou canst do, but no more than that thou cleave to the word by faith. When he comes, and wants to drive you into a melancholy because of sin, then only take hold of the word of God, which promises forgiveness of sins, and consider it, and he must soon depart. St. Peter continues:

And know that you are undergoing the same suffering that you have in the world together with your brotherhood.

30 That is, do not be surprised if you have to be tempted by the devil, but take comfort in the fact that you are not alone, but that there are more of you who also have to bear such suffering, and think that your fellow brothers will help you fight.

This is now the epistle, in which you have heard enough of a righteous Christian teaching, how masterfully he has described faith, love and the holy cross, and how he instructs and warns us how we should fight with the devil. Whoever now grasps the epistle, has no doubt enough that he does not need more, without God abundantly teaching just that in other books as well. But it is nothing else; for here the apostle has forgotten nothing that is necessary for a Christian to know. In the end he does as a good preacher should do, that he not only thinks to feed the sheep, but also cares for them and pleads for them; and concludes with a prayer that God will give them grace and strength to grasp and keep the word.

V. 10. But the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, the same will prepare, strengthen, fortify and establish you who suffer a little while.

32. this is the desire, that he may command them to God. God, who alone gives grace, and not a piece of grace, but abundantly all grace in one heap, who called you through Christ, that you should have eternal glory, not of your own merit, but through Christ: if you have Him, then by faith, without your merit, you have eternal glory and blessedness; who will prepare you to be strong, to grow and to stand, and to be able to do many things; and will strengthen and establish you, that you may bear and suffer all things.

V. 11: To Him be glory and power forever and ever, amen.

Praise is the sacrifice that we Christians should offer to God. Now he adds something to the resolution:

V. 12. Through your faithful brother Sylvanum (as I eighth) I have written you a little to exhort, and to testify that this is the right grace of God in which you stand.

(34) Although I know (he says) that you also heard it before, and already know that you must not let me teach you, yet I have written this to you, that I may also teach you (as the right apostles should do).

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exhort you to continue in it, so that you may practice it and not think that I am preaching anything else than what you have heard before.

V. 13. Greetings to you who are gathered in Babylonia.

35 So they used to write on the letters: Good night. "Greetings" (he says), namely the congregation of Babylonia. I respect, but still do not know for true, that he means Rome here; because one thinks that he wrote the epistle from Rome. Otherwise there are two Babylonia: one in Chaldea, the other in Egypto, where Alkair is now. But Rome is not called Babylonia, because spiritually, on the opinion, as he said above Cap. 4, 4. said, "the mixture of the disorderly being". For Babel in Hebrew means a mixture. So he may have called Rome a mixture, because there was such a disorderly being and mixture, of all kinds of shameful life and vice, and what was in all the world for shame, all flowed there. In the same (he says) a congregation is gathered, they are Christians, they let you say their greeting. I

But here I want to give freedom to everyone to do as he pleases, because there is no power in it.

And my son Marcus.

36. it is said here that he means Marcum the evangelist, and does not call him his son fleshly, but spiritually, as Paul calls Timotheum and Titum his sons 1 Tim. 1, 2. Tit. 1, 4., and says to the Corinthians 1 Ep. 4, 15. that he gave birth to them in Christ.

V. 14. Greet one another with the kiss of love.

This custom has now ceased. In the Gospel it is clearly read that Christ received his disciples with the kiss; and such has been a way in the countries. St. Paul also often speaks of the kiss 2 Cor. 13, 12.

Peace be with all who are in Christ JEsu.

That is, those who believe in Christ. This is the parting, that he may command them to God. So we have the first epistle. God grant us grace to grasp and keep it, amen.

B. The first epistle of S. Peter interpreted.*)

Second editing.

Preached (1538? and) 1539; printed 1539.

The first chapter.

V. 1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

This is the signature of this epistle, in which St. Peter exalts and praises his office, says he is an apostle or legate, not of a king or emperor on earth, but of Jesus Christ, who is one Lord over all, Apost. 10.

But he does not use such a glorious title for his own sake, but first of all because he wants to show by it that he has not penetrated to this high office out of his own choice or presumption, nor out of human counsel, but was ordained to it.

*) This second arrangement is found only in the Wittenberg edition (1556), Vol. I, p. 4836, and in the Erlangen edition, Vol. 52, p. 1. In order to avoid unnecessary repetitions, we have also discussed this second arrangement in the first note to the previous number. See also the preface to this volume.

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and called, without means, by Christ the Lord himself; secondly, that one should be sure that his (as well as other apostles') preaching or teaching is God's word, and whoever hears him and believes his testimony hears him whose messenger or legate he is, and shall be saved; but whoever despises him despises him who sent him 2c., Matth. 10.

So now he briefly indicates with these words, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ", that he is commanded to an office, that he should proclaim to all the world forgiveness of sins, redemption from death, righteousness, life and salvation, not by Mosaic law, much less by man's commandment, work, own righteousness, merit 2c., but only through Jesus Christ, who was ordained from eternity and proclaimed by all the prophets, that he should crush the head of the serpent and redeem all generations on earth from the curse; thus he soon condemns in the signature all kinds of teachings that lead away from this Savior and indicate another way to become righteous and blessed before God; he also secretly states that all those who teach such things are not Christ's, but Satan's apostles, be they who they will.

To the chosen strangers back and forth in Ponto, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.

This is the heading in which it is indicated to whom St. Peter wrote this epistle, namely, to the Gentiles who lived in these countries, which he names here, who were converted to the Christian faith through the preaching of the Gospel. Otherwise, he would not have written to them, nor would he have exhorted them to continue and increase in the faith. Now the Turk has these lands under him, and in Christ's place the accursed Mahomet is preached and worshipped; but Christians may yet be there. Pontus is a great and wide land by the sea, Cappadocia lies hard by, and almost abuts it. Galatia lies behind it, Asia and Bithynia in front by the sea; all lie toward the east, and are great countries. Paul preached in Galatia and Asia; whether also in Bithynia, I do not know. He did not preach in the other two.

It should be noted that the apostles were sent primarily to the Gentiles, as the prophets were sent to the Jews. This is proven by the fact that they wrote all their epistles to the Gentiles, except those to the Hebrews and St. Jacob. Yes, you say, St. Paul says in Gal. 2 that the gospel to the Gentiles was entrusted to him, but to the Jews to Petro. This does not prevent it, because St. Peter also preached among the Gentiles, Apost. 10, and wrote to them, as this heading and the whole epistle show; therefore he is 1) an apostle to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews 2c.: just as St. Paul also calls himself an apostle to the Gentiles, and yet he also preached to the Jews; indeed, where he found Jews now and then among the Gentiles, he first visited them and preached Christ to them. But where they would not hear him, nor accept his testimony, he turned to the Gentiles, as is seen in the Acts of the Apostles; wherefore Christ also calls him his chosen instrument, who should preach his name, not only among the Gentiles, but also among the children of Israel, Apost. 9.

Therefore St. Paul speaks Gal. 2. about how it was at the same time when St. Peter preached in Judea and he among the Gentiles. For St. Paul had a calling and command to soon travel among the Gentiles and preach the gospel to them (and yet, as I said, he also preached to the Jews from time to time). Peter and the others had a command to go first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, to whom Christ was promised. Since they had visited them and the small group that St. Paul used to call the remnant, and had converted them to the faith, and the large group remained obdurate and persecuted the apostles fiercely and followed them, they obeyed Christ's command: "Go into all the world" 2c. and turned to the Gentiles.

Therefore, the apostles are actually the fathers and teachers of the Gentiles, and there is nothing to prevent the most prominent of them from remaining among the Jews for a while. For even though they all devoted their entire lives to the Jewish religion, they were

1. "he" is missing in the Wittenberger.
2. Wittenberger: den.

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What was it against their epistles being written and coming, not only to and for one people in one little corner of the world, as the Jews were, but to all the Gentiles in the whole wide world, by which they preach to the believers from them, from the same time and place until the end of the world? The evangelists also serve us Gentiles with their Scriptures, for they teach and testify that Christ, the Savior of all the world, appeared and accomplished what was proclaimed of him in the Scriptures, namely, that he redeemed the human race 2c.; item, that the Jews were to be rejected and the Gentiles accepted in their place as God's people, as was done 2c.

They are "strangers" who are called foreigners. But he calls them strangers because they were Gentiles. But because they were now converted to the faith, he does not call them bad strangers, but chosen strangers; as if he should say: You, who were Gentiles and strangers before, who did not know God and had no hope, are no longer so, but are now citizens with the saints and members of God's household 2c., Eph. 2, or, as he speaks here, "chosen strangers", partakers of all heavenly goods in Christ; as he will explain this later with rich, glorious words.

V. 2. According to the providence of God the Father.

So I will say: That you have been chosen, you have not attained by your strength, work or merit, for the treasure is too great, that all men's holiness and righteousness are far too small to attain it; for this you were Gentiles, knowing nothing of God, having no hope, and serving dumb idols; Therefore, without any effort on your part, by pure grace, you come to such unspeakable glory, namely, because God the Father has provided you with it from eternity; so make God's provision quite sweet and comforting, as if He were to say: You are chosen, and remain so, for God, who has provided you, is strong and certain enough that He cannot lack His provision, however far you believe His promise and consider Him to be a faithful God.

From this we are to take this lesson in brief, that the provision is not based on our worthiness and merit, as the sophists pretend, since the devil could make it uncertain and overthrow it at any moment; but it stands in God's hand, and is based on his mercy, which is unchanging and eternal; hence it is also called God's provision, and for this reason it is certain and cannot fail. Therefore, if your sin and unworthiness challenge you, and it occurs to you that you are not provided for by God, item, the number of the elect is small, the multitude of the wicked is great, and you are shocked by the horrific examples of divine wrath and judgment, 2c. then do not dispute long why God does this or that in this way, and not otherwise, if he could well do so, 2c. Nor do you dare to explore the abyss of divine providence with your reason, otherwise you will certainly be misled by it, either despair, or even strike yourself in the open, but stick to the promise of the Gospel, which will teach you that Christ, the Son of God, has come into the world to bless all nations on earth, that is, to redeem from sin and death, to justify and to save, and that he did this by the command and gracious will of God, the heavenly Father, "who so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life," Jn. 3. If you follow the advice, namely, recognize first that you are a child of nature's wrath, guilty of eternal death and damnation, from which no creature, either human or angelic, can save you, and then take hold of God's promise, believing that He is a merciful, truthful God, who faithfully keeps (out of pure grace, without any action on our part or merit) what he has said, and therefore sent Christ, his only Son, to make amends for your sin, and to give you his innocence and righteousness, and finally also to redeem you from all kinds of misery and death: Doubt not that thou art among the company of the elect 2c. If one acts in this way (as St. Paul also does), it is exceedingly comforting. If you do it differently, it is terrible 2c.

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Through the sanctification of the Spirit.

God the Father, he says, has provided for you to be His chosen children and to be sanctified, not by outward, fleshly holiness of the law, which with all its holiness no one has ever been able to make perfect in conscience, Hebr. 7, 19. 9, 13. 14. Phil. 3, 9. but much less by your pagan ways and idolatrous worship 2c. By what then? By the sanctification of the Spirit, for your hearts are sanctified and cleansed by faith from the filth of idolatry and superstition. To what end?

To the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of JEsu Christ.

You were chosen by God and now sanctified, he says, not to persist and remain in your sins, your former pagan and vain ways, but to continue to be obedient and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which proclaims to you that you are sprinkled, not with calf's or goat's blood, Genesis 24:6, 8. 24, 6. 8. Hebr. 9, 19. or with sprinkling water of the ashes of the red heifer, 4 Mos. 19, 9.(Heb. 9:13), as the Jewish people were sprinkled according to the law of Moses, by which alone they were sanctified for outward and bodily purity, but with a far, far better and more delicious sprinkling water, namely with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the innocent and unblemished Lamb of God, by which you are inwardly sanctified in spirit and conscience and cleansed from all sin, so that you are now true servants of God, both pure in soul and holy in body. 2c.

But this sprinkling happens when the gospel is preached of Christ, that he is the true paschal lamb, who sacrificed himself for the sin of the whole world, gave and shed his body and blood for us all 2c. He who is obedient to the preaching and believes is sprinkled by the right high priest, so that the strangler can do him no harm or harm. The 51st Psalm, v. 9, also says of the sprinkling: "Sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, that I may be clean; wash me, that I may be white as snow.

1. Erlanger: and.

If thou shalt command me, it shall never make my heart clean and white as snow, that I may be loosed from sin, have a good and joyful conscience before thee, be justified, and be saved. Lord, you yourself must be a washer and bather here, and wash and sprinkle with a different water and blood than the Levitical high priests use; otherwise I will remain black, leprous and unclean forever, even though I sprinkle and wash myself every hour.

Here you see that not only St. Peter the apostle, but also the holy prophet David, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, long before and just at the time when the law was in its highest momentum and was most glorious, indicates that the law with its beautiful, glorious worship and ceremonies, of which there were many, such as slaughtering, sacrifices, smoking, washing, sprinkling, etc., could not make the sinner's heart and soul pure, could not have purified the sinner's heart and soul, but all this was only a model and figure of the right sacrifice and sprinkling of blood, which Christ, the right high priest, had to perform himself.

May God give you much grace and peace.

This is the greeting. You are now, he says, obedient to Christ (by whose blood you were sprinkled and thereby made clean from your sins), and believe in him: for this reason you are righteous and holy, and in the grace of God, the heavenly Father, and because you know and believe this, you have a happy, peaceful conscience. But the devil and the world will do you all kinds of harm for the sake of such knowledge and faith, the former with fright and the latter with persecution. Therefore I wish with all my heart that God, the merciful Father, may give you much grace and peace, so that, even though the devil strikes you hard with his fiery arrows and dares to overthrow your faith (for he does not sleep, but goes about like a roaring lion), and the world persecutes, blasphemes and condemns you as heretics, so that you do not allow yourselves to be challenged in this way, but always console yourselves against this horrible sight and sorrow, that God in heaven is merciful to you for Christ's sake, in whom you are

2. Erlanger: Horror.

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have a certain 1) and lasting peace. If you want it, let the devil and the world be terrified, angry, persecuted 2c.

Now he sows the epistle with fine, excellent words, speaks of the highest, greatest thing, as an apostle is wont to speak, and says:

V. 3. Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

The devil has led the human race into the terrible damage and misery through the fall of Ade, so that all people are conceived and born in sins and therefore have to be subject to the devil's power. Therefore the bodily birth of father and mother cannot bring or give them more than this temporal and transitory life, which is not only full of toil and labor, but also quite short and uncertain, in which we are not safe from death for a moment; and even if it chokes us, there is still no end to the misery, yes, the real plague and torture then begins. For since we are all children of the wrath of nature and enemies of God, we are guilty of eternal death and damnation in addition to our temporal death. In this terrible and unspeakable misfortune are all Adam's children, no one excluded.

Here the question is: What do we do to get rid of such misery, to get along again, to become pious and blessed? Here everyone wants to be a master and to know best how to discuss the matter. If you ask a Jew, he will give you this answer: if he is circumcised and keeps the law, he will be pious and blessed; a monk: if he keeps his order according to his rule 2c.; a Turk: if he does what is written in the Alkoran. In sum, every man (if he is otherwise of sound mind) has these thoughts by nature: that by his own powers, free will, good works and merit, or even above all by the Law of Moses, he will and can not only atone for his sins and appease God's wrath, but also that he will be saved.

1. Erlanger: a conscience.

also acquire God's grace, and attain eternal bliss, and thus heal and banish this murderous damage. Human reason cannot come any higher than this, therefore it cannot think, speak and teach about it in any other way than as said, as we have unfortunately experienced in the papacy.

But the holy scripture speaks much differently about the matter, namely that we can never, neither by our doing nor by our not doing, get rid of sin, escape from death, attain righteousness and salvation, that is, come to the first innocence and righteousness, which Adam lost by the fall, and all of us in him, unless we all become new men, born again and differently, not of father and mother, but of water and the Spirit, John 3:5, Titus 3:5.

This is also what St. Peter teaches here, when he says: You were chosen according to the providence of God the Father, sanctified and sprinkled with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ 2c. You have come to this, not by your doing or not, but out of pure love and grace God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has chosen you, who were without faith and hope in Him, according to His great mercy, not because of your works or merits, much less because of your sin, born again to a living hope, in which you will certainly have the eternal, heavenly inheritance to wait for, which neither moth nor rust can devour, nor a thief steal from you, for it will be preserved for you in heaven 2c. Now to him who has done the deed, let him also have glory and honor, and be praised and blessed forever. Amen.

But how, or by what means, did such a rebirth take place? "By the resurrection," he says, "of Jesus Christ from the dead"; as if to say: God the Father has born us again, not of corruptible seed (as he will interpret himself afterwards), but of incorruptible seed, that is, of the word of truth, which is the power of God that gives new birth, makes alive and saves all who believe in it, Rom. 1:16. What then is this word? The very word that is preached among you, concerning Jesus Christ, that he died for your sins and for the sins of the world, and rose again the third day, that he might be saved through the power of God.

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would be enough for all the sins of the world through his death, and would bring righteousness, life and salvation through his resurrection. Whoever believes such a sermon, namely that Christ died and rose again for his good, the resurrection of Christ has proven its power in him, is thereby born again, that is, created anew in God's image, receives the Holy Spirit, recognizes God's gracious will, has heart, mind, courage, will and thoughts that no other saint of works or hypocrite has, namely that he will not be justified and saved by the work of the law, much less by his own righteousness, but by Christ's suffering and resurrection.

That is called right apostolic preaching. For a true apostle's office is to preach neither the righteousness of men nor the holiness of the law, but the unspeakable grace and mercy of God, who did not spare His only Son, but gave Him up for us all to die an ignominious death on the cross for our sins, and to rise again for our righteousness' sake; as the apostles diligently and mightily practiced such teaching. Look at their epistles, especially St. Paul. Paul, and read their sermons in the Acts of the Apostles by all means, and you will find that all their speeches and words are to the effect that Christ, the Lord, was denied and killed by his own people, to whom he was promised, even though he proved himself mightily with deeds, miracles and signs as the true Lord and Messiah: That God raised him from the dead and made him a Lord and a Christian, so that all who believe in him may receive forgiveness of sins through his name, which they could not receive through the works of the law, Acts 13:38. 13:38; that there is salvation in no other, neither is there any other name given to men, whereby we may be saved 2c.; item, that through him all things which we lost in Adam are made right again, in a better way than we had them in paradise 2c.; item, that through him all things which we lost in Adam are made right again, in a better way than we had them in paradise 2c.; item, that through him all things which we lost in Adam are made right again.In sum, that through him all who believe in him become not only pious and blessed, but also God's children and heirs, and his Christ's brothers and fellow heirs, raised up together with him and seated in the heavenly realm 2c. Eph. 2, 6.

This is the blessed, comforting sermon that Christ commanded the apostles to preach to all the world, for the consolation of wretched and anxious consciences; for the gospel, he himself says in Matt. 11:5, is preached to the poor, that is, to those who feel their sin, who are terrified of death, who are sincerely afraid of God's wrath and judgment, and who groan for help and consolation. These cannot hear anything more sweet or comforting than that Jesus Christ, the innocent and unblemished Lamb of God, has taken upon Himself our sin, death and all misfortune, which here afflicts and oppresses us for a time, and there should have tormented and martyred us eternally, letting the law condemn Him as an evildoer and strangle death. But because he was eternal righteousness and life itself, sin and death could not keep him in their power. Therefore he rose again on the third day as an almighty Lord and God, who has the power to give up his life and to take it back again, John 10:18, and overcame all these enemies and took them captive, not for his own person, because he would not have had the right to do so anywhere, but for the sake of us wretched, damned sinners who believe in him, so that they can neither harm nor condemn us for eternity, even though they frighten and torment us at times because we are still alive here.

To a living hope.

That we live on earth is because, after we have believed, we are to proclaim, as he will say later 1 Pet 2:9, the virtues of him who called us from darkness to his marvelous light, so that others may also come to such knowledge and faith through us as we have also received from others; otherwise it would be best that God should leave us to die as soon as we have been baptized and have begun to believe. But because we are on earth, we must live in hope. For although we are certain that through faith we have all the goods of God (for faith certainly brings with it the new birth, filiation, and inheritance), we do not yet possess them sensibly, but await them through hope, which St. Peter, according to Hebrew

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way calls a hope of life. We speak according to our language: a living hope, that is, in which we may certainly hope and be sure of eternal life. But the treasure is still hidden and covered so that it cannot be seen; it can now only be grasped with the heart and through faith. Therefore, we must take comfort in the hope that is sure and will not leave us in shame until that day when we will see what we now hope for.

Through this sermon of St. Peter's, first of all, all glory of human powers, free will, good works, of one's own, even of the Law of Moses' righteousness 2c. is violently beaten to the ground. For can we prepare ourselves for grace and attain eternal life by our own works and merits, as the Pope and his sophists and canonists have unashamedly taught and written, and still want to maintain as true: what is it necessary that God, out of pure grace, should have mercy on us, let His only begotten Son become man, die on the cross for our sins, and proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name among all nations? So I hear that we are not allowed to do anything good? Yes, we have been born again in Christ Jesus for this very reason, that we should not only do good, and now more than ever can do it, but also suffer evil for all our good deeds; of which more hereafter.

On the other hand, St. Peter here further indicates that it is only through Christ, as the one mediator between God and men, that we come to grace and are reconciled to God the Father; for he speaks in clear words that God has reborn us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ 2c. Therefore, what has been taught so far in Christianity about calling upon the saints as if they were our mediators and intercessors, who could intercede and represent us before God and make us worthy of their merit, is false and fictitious, for no reason is found for it in Scripture; for this the honor due to Christ alone would be given to the saints, which is not to be suffered in any way.

St. Paul teaches the same now and then in his epistles. Rom. 5, 1. he says: "Now

we have been justified by faith, so we have peace with God," not through ourselves, but "through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must bring Christ with us, come with Him, pay God with Him, and do everything through Him and in His name that we want to do with God. So St. Peter wants to say here: "We are certainly waiting for eternal life, even though we are still here on earth; but through nothing else than that Christ has risen from the dead, has ascended to heaven, and is sitting at the right hand of God. For for this cause he ascended, that he might give us his Spirit, that we might be born again, and now through him 1) stand before the Father, and say: I come and pray before thee, heavenly Father, not that I should rely on my prayer, but in the name of JEsu Christ my HEART, who rose again from death, and now sitteth at thy right hand, representing me 2c., I come and pray 2c.

Now whoever is not satisfied by this comforting teaching of the Gospel, gains a happy conscience and strong confidence in God the Father through Christ, will certainly attain it through the laws of Moses, much less through the commandments of men; for if he cannot take comfort in the fact that Christ came for the sake of sinners, died for them, and shed his blood for them 2c.A thousand times less will he be able to take comfort in his own order, his own righteousness 2c., for what is the holiness of all angels and the suffering and merit of all saints compared to the precious blood of the Lamb of God 2c.? Therefore it hardly serves the saints of works right that they let their hearts be sore all their lives, do many great, hard works, and yet get nothing out of it, because here time and again all toil and labor, and never a happy conscience, and there eternal damnation and hellish torture. If they believed the gospel and let Christ remain the Savior of the world, they would not be allowed to do so. But the world is not to be advised; it is and remains the devil's own, therefore it hates the light and remains in darkness 2c, Joh. 3, 20.

1. Wittenberger: thürsten.
2. Erlanger: love the.

1124 Erl. [s, ik-i8. Second edition. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 4. 1125

V. 4. to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading.

In other words, God has reborn us through the resurrection of Christ, not so that we should be rich, powerful and great lords here on earth (which the bodily birth brings with it, if God wills it), but He has reborn us to a heavenly inheritance, against which all the world's riches, honor and power are nothing. For what the world has, be it ever so precious, solid, beautiful and lovely, is nevertheless transient and so uncertain that one is not sure of it for a moment; moreover, it is unclean, for people abuse it to their own destruction and damnation; about which one soon becomes full and weary. But our inheritance, which is brought to us by regeneration, is first of all imperishable and eternal: therefore we must not worry that it will be damaged or that it will cease to exist; secondly, it is undefiled, that is, it is fine and beautiful, which can never stain us or make us unclean, as temporal goods are wont to do 2c.Thirdly, it is imperishable, that is, it does not wither or decay, nor does it perish like all temporal goods, but remains fresh and green forever; therefore we shall never be weary or tired of it. We do not yet possess such an inheritance, but hope for its certainty.

These are excellent, comforting words, which should make us happy from the bottom of our hearts. But because this our inheritance and treasure, of which St. Peter speaks here, is still hidden, and cannot be comprehended with any sense; for there are not more miserable and worthless people on earth, for the very ones who expect this inheritance through hope must feel the devil's terror in their hearts, and suffer that the world is bitter to them, hates, persecutes and condemns them as the worst of boys, who do all evil. 2c: so it can be seen and felt as if they were not only abandoned by all the world, but also by God Himself, therefore it does not seem at all that they should be God's children, who have a better and more glorious inheritance to wait for in heaven, than is the wealth and glory of all kings on earth, yes, the world considers them 1) to be lukewarm.

1. Wittenberger: "helts" - holds them.

They are beggars and fools. This ghastly and horrible sight also hinders their faith and joy, and makes them often feel the contradiction, and think as if God was angry with them, and wanted to push them into the abyss of hell and condemn them.

But all this out of sight, and holding firmly to the words of St. Peter, where he says: God the Father has reborn us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ to an imperishable, undefiled and unfading inheritance, which we do not yet have and possess visibly, but are waiting for in certain hope in his time. Whether the devil does not grant us such honor 2) and therefore makes this life sour for us, and the world hounds us, there is nothing to it 3), it will not last forever. We are here for a short time in his inn, where he receives us badly and keeps us, so we may take it for good, be patient and hold fast: this small loss will be well and abundantly repaid to us. This little poverty, little contempt and short sorrow, which he inflicts on us here, will be followed by an eternal, heavenly riches, glory and unspeakable joy and bliss, against which all suffering and hardship, which oppresses us here, 4) is nothing at all. If the children of the world can endure great hardship and suffering, hoping to gain something temporal, why should we not do so much more, who have such a glorious and divine promise of this heavenly and eternal inheritance?

This is what you will keep in heaven.

Your heavenly inheritance, he says, you are quite sure of, even though you do not see it with your eyes, nor do you possess it at present, for it is kept for you and kept in a place where it is safe and remains, namely in heaven, where no one can rob or steal it; and if it is still to be done for a short time, you will not only see it, but also receive it for your own and possess it eternally with glorious and inexpressible joy. When will this happen? At the last time, namely when

2. Wittenberger: such honor not gan.
3. Wittenberger: don't answer.
4. Erlanger: "bin" instead of: hie.
5. "and" is missing m the Erlanger.

1126 Erl. [s, 18-2". Interpretations on the 1st Epistle of St. Peter. 1127

Christ will appear in His glory and raise us from the dead. It seems to us that it will be a long time yet, but in the sight of God a thousand years are like a day, yes, like a night watch; also, if we are resurrected on that day and have lain under the earth for a thousand years or even more, it will seem to us like a short time that we have been sleeping in the grave. In addition, our life will pass away as quickly as if it flew away, Ps. 90:10, and death will come upon our necks before we know it.

V. 5: Who by the power of God are kept through faith unto salvation, which is prepared to be revealed in the last time.

To say: It was impossible for you to endure the devil's fierce anger, poison and cunning, and to bear the world's bitter enmity, blasphemy and persecution; But you have a strong supporter and helper, who is called God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who (for as he began the good work in you, so he must also accomplish it, otherwise it is lost) preserves you by his divine almighty power and might, that you may remain steadfast in the faith of his word, and in the living hope, through patience, await the blessedness prepared for you from the foundation of the world, but still hidden and covered up, certainly shut up and sealed, so that it may remain unharmed and undestroyed; But in his time it will be opened and uncovered in a moment, so that you will have to look at it forever and rejoice in it 2c.

The papists scoff at us, because we practice the doctrine of faith so diligently and make it so high and difficult, as it is not easily grasped and retained; they say, we can do nothing but teach about faith, Christians know beforehand how and what they should believe, Turks and pagans are to be preached the faith 2c. There are also many among us who, when they hear that faith alone, without all works, makes them righteous, they have such a delusion: "Behold, what you hear and read from and in the Scriptures, you believe to be right and true, therefore you have faith; thus they think that the delusion and dream they make for themselves in their hearts is faith.

1. In the original: "one".

But St. Peter teaches here that faith is not a thought or a bad delusion, which a man himself invents, but God's power must be there and work in us, so that we believe, and through faith are preserved and kept to salvation. In this way, St. Paul also speaks of faith in Eph. 1, 17-20: "The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, grant you," he says, "the spirit of wisdom and revelation" 2c., "that ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe (not of our own strength or free will, but) according to the working of his mighty strength, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead"; as if to say: That we believe in Christ, and through him have a hearty confidence in God, as in our dear Father, is through his exceeding great power and mighty strength, by which he raised Christ from the dead; by the same he creates and works such faith in us 2c.From this it can be seen that the apostles do not consider faith to be a low, bad art, which can be attained by human strength, and which can be learned as quickly and easily as the works saints think 2c. In his epistles, St. Paul always prays for the Christian communities to whom he writes that God would strengthen and preserve them in the faith, and desires that they increase in the knowledge and faith of Christ, that they may have complete hope 2c. He also confesses for himself that he reckons everything for harm against the exuberant knowledge of Christ JEsu, and yet speaks soon after that, he has not yet grasped it, is also not yet perfect, but he strives for it and chases after the intended goal and jewel 2c. St. Peter also does the same, wishing the faithful that God may give and increase His grace and peace abundantly; item, that they may grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and asking that God of all grace, who has called them to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, may prepare, strengthen, fortify and establish them.

Therefore, when the wretched papists pretend that every Christian knows well how or what he should believe, 2c. they sufficiently indicate that

1128 Erl. 52, so-22. Second edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 5. 6. 1129

They have neither understanding nor experience of what faith is. Also the sure and false Christians, of whom there are always more than of the righteous, have no right report of faith, for they think that if they fall into sin and persevere in it, and only believe, then there is no danger, for faith alone makes righteous without all works; they rely on this, do nothing good, even vile evil, and still want to be Christians, but are much worse than heathens 2c. But we have heard above that faith gives birth to man again and makes him new in heart, courage and mind, who then bears good fruit as a good tree and leads a holy life 2c.; if not, then it is not a true faith.

In sum, the doctrine of faith is unknown to the world, therefore it cannot judge it differently, because it is either a bad, easy art, or error and heresy, and those who confess and accept it, call them seducers and enemies of the church. But St. Peter teaches here that faith is such a precious and noble treasure, to which nothing can be compared, for it gives a right and clear understanding to judge rightly and surely of all things. For he who has been told and told from the Scriptures, and has understood by faith that Christ is the only Savior of the world, without whom and apart from whom no one can be saved from sin and death, nor attain salvation, can soon judge which doctrine is divine and wholesome, which is seductive and devilish, which faith is righteous and which is false, which works are good and which are hypocritical, which state is holy and spiritual, and which is unholy and condemnable, and does not lack; For God's word, by which he is guided, does not let him err. Again, where there is no such knowledge and faith, there can be nothing else but blindness and error; therefore one can also not rightly divide from any thing, is called black white, darkness light 2c., and again, white black, Isa. 5, 20. Hence it is that man now undertakes this, now another work, to atone for sin and to gain God's favor, hence so many foundations, monasteries and so many false services have come about; but all is lost, for Christ alone is the way, the truth and the life; to whom he does not shine, he is the light of the world.

by his word, he must err, accept lies for truth, die in sins and perish.

V. 6 In which you will rejoice, who now for a little while (where it is to be) are grieved in many temptations.

Here the apostle shows how Christians fare in the world. In the sight of God in heaven, they are the dear children of the eternal, heavenly inheritance and certain of blessedness, as said before; but on earth, they are not only sad, afflicted and abandoned, but also have to suffer various temptations from the devil and the wicked world. How are they to blame? This is their greatest sin, that they believe in Christ, and praise and glorify God's unspeakable good deed, shown through him to all the world, namely, that he alone can save from sin and death, make just and blessed; that human reason by its free will, powers, good works 2c. that human reason, by its free will, powers, and good works, may not prepare itself for grace, much less earn eternal life, but with all its thoughts and deeds, be it called and glisten as it pleases, does not reconcile God, but rather angers him, because it does all this without, even against, his word and command, and despises what he has promised and commanded, and chooses something special out of its own devotion. Then the fire comes on, for the world will not and cannot suffer its good opinion, devotion, holiness, and good works 2c. to be punished and condemned, as if they should not count for anything in the sight of God, 1) then goes to, persecutes, and strangles those who say such things, as the worst blasphemers and rebels, and thinks that they are doing God a service by it. Therefore faith is not a drowsy thought in the heart, but he who has it speaks and confesses as he feels it in his heart; because of this he comes to misfortune, as the prophet laments in the 116th Psalm, v. 10: "I believe, therefore I speak. But I am greatly afflicted." Therefore, St. Peter says: "You who are now sad for a little while"; so put faith, hope and the holy cross together, because one follows from the other.

But he does not leave it at that, he does not only say how they will be sad and have to suffer many trials, but he comforts them.

1. Erlanger: should.

1130 Erl. 52, 22-25. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. 1131

and says that it will only last a short time here on earth, and that such sadness and affliction will certainly be followed by eternal bliss, in which they will rejoice forever. That is to say, as the apostles are wont to comfort, they do not speak of temporal peace, rest, and favor of the world, but of the contradiction, namely, that Christians should freely consider that they will have no better than all the saints who have ever been, and the Lord, and the head of all the saints himself, has had. What shall they 1) have? Affliction, strife, sadness, anguish, distress 2c.; so that the Christians' comfort is not in visible, present things, which, though delicious and glorious, are transitory and uncertain, but in invisible and future, yet certain and eternal goods.

It should also be noted that the apostle does not add in vain: "Where it should be"; as he also does in the 3rd chapter, v. 17, where he says: "It is better (if it is God's will) that you suffer for your own good" 2c. For there are many people who put on their own crosses without any need, as is the way of the saints of works, walking, as St. Paul says, according to their own choice, in the humility and spirituality of the angels, having an appearance of great wisdom and holiness through self-chosen spirituality and humility, and by not sparing the body, and not giving honor to the flesh for its need, Col. 2, 23. The papacy has given many such people. But it shall not be, for it is not God's will that you choose for yourself a suffering or a cross out of your own devotion or conceit; but if you do, you are the devil's martyr, not Christ's, and it will be more sour for you to earn hell than heaven for one who suffers for God's sake. But where it should be, that is, if God so sends you that you must suffer for the sake of your confession of faith, accept it, and take comfort in the fact that St. Peter here says that sorrow should last a little while, but blessedness, in which you should rejoice, should be eternal.

V. 7 That your faith may be found righteous and much more precious than that which perishes.

1. Wittenberger: "sollens" - they should. Immediately following: "obs" ----- ob sie.

gold (which is tried by fire), to praise, glory and honor, when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Here he shows with clear words the fruit and benefit of such temptations, which meet the believers both from the 2) tyrants and mobs, saying: They serve to prove the faith, to make it righteous and much more precious than the perishable gold, which is tried by fire. For as fire does no harm to gold, neither does it consume it, nor diminish it, but only benefits it, for it takes away all additions, so that it becomes quite pure and clean: so also the fire or heat of persecution and all kinds of temptation hurts and hurts the old man to such an extent, that those who are exercised by it become sad and sometimes impatient, but the faith becomes pure and clean through it, as gold or silver is refined.

For the Christian life is meant to increase, to become holier and purer. First, we come to faith through the preaching of the Gospel; and through faith we become righteous and holy before God. But because we still live in the flesh, which is not without sin, the same are always stirring up, pulling us back, and preventing us from being as fully holy and pure as we ought to be; Therefore God throws us into the midst of the fire of temptations, sufferings and tribulations, by which we are swept and tried to our end, so that not only sin is killed in us the longer the more, but also faith is proven and increases, so that we become more certain of our cause from day to day, increase in the understanding of divine wisdom and knowledge, so that the Scriptures become clearer and clearer to us, to admonish our own the more powerfully by wholesome teaching, and to punish those who contradict. If the devil had not attacked us so violently with violence and cunning these years ago, we would never have reached this certainty in doctrine; nor would the article of Christian righteousness and the doctrine of faith have become so clear. Therefore, St. Paul says, 1 Cor. 11, 19: "There must be

2. "den" is missing in the Erlanger.

1132 Erl. [s, [s-27. . Second edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 7-9. 1133

There shall be multitudes among you, that they which are righteous may be manifest among you"; and Christ, Matth. 18, 7: "There must be trouble" 2c.

Nor can we be happy and laugh when we see that the enemies of divine truth are doing everything according to their will and desire, that they have all kinds of pleasure and joy here, are rich, great and mighty, and there is no measure nor end to their defiance and insistence, while we, on the other hand, are poor, miserable and despised. But St. Peter says: If it happens like this, it is good for us, because our faith must be found right through various trials, and we must be strengthened and comforted against such trouble, so that we are not angry with the wicked, but have compassion on them and think: What does it help them, if they are still so rich and happy, and have all the honor and power of the world? How long will they keep it? They are not sure of it for a moment, and before they know it, they will suffer eternally with the rich man, they will not be able to drink a drop of water, and for their short joy they will suffer eternally.

Again, even if we suffer anguish and tribulation here for a little while, we still have peace in Christ, because we have the right treasure, which is better and more precious than all the glory and good of the world, namely his dear precious word, which preaches to us about eternal, heavenly goods, which, as St. Peter says, are preserved for us in heaven. Therefore we may suffer a little while with all the elect, and bear Christ's cross, and be reproached with him, and await with patience his blessed and consoling revelation and appearing, when he shall appear glorious with his saints, and marvelous with all the faithful; then shall our praise, glory, and honor begin and endure forever. Of this we take comfort and boast not only in the hope of the future glory that God will give, but also in the tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings patience 2c. Rom. 5, 3.

V. 8. whom you have not seen, yet love, and now believe in him, though you do not see him.

Here he praises them and gives them a great testimony that they love Christ and believe in him, even though they have never seen him, but only heard about him; and that is the truth of it. For whoever sincerely believes that through Christ's death and resurrection he has been justified from sin and redeemed from death will certainly love him. But if he loves him, the Father loves him again, Joh. 16, 27. But it does not have to be a false, colored love, as the hypocrites have, who serve Christ in a different way than he taught and commanded, namely according to their good opinion and devotion, and pretend that they do it in honor of Christ out of great love that they have for him; but he does not desire such love and honor, even considers it the greatest dishonor and dishonor. Therefore he adds, "You believe in him," indicating what the proper honor is, so that one may know that he loves him, namely, to believe his word. Therefore everything is lost that is done in honor of Christ except faith in him.

And with these words, St. Peter recently indicates that Christian righteousness is to believe in Him and not to see Him, as He Himself says, John 16:10: "The Holy Spirit will punish the world for righteousness' sake, so that I will go to the Father and you will not see me away"; further, that Christ is the true God, for believing and trusting belongs to God alone; now we believe in Christ, so that He can comfort us, help us and save us from all troubles, make us righteous and blessed 2c.item, even though we do not see him, we know and believe that he is with us and in us, Matth. 28, 20, and works everything in us 2c.; lastly, what kind of faith it is by which we are justified and saved before God, namely faith in Christ, that he is our Savior and mediator; thus all superstitions, of which there are countless, are excluded.

V. 8. 9. So shall ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, and shall bring forth the end of your faith, even the blessedness of souls.

St. Peter speaks here so clearly of the future joy in that life that I almost do not know whether elsewhere in Scripture it is spoken of in such bright, clear words, and yet I cannot say it. Whether, he speaks,

1134 Erl. 52, 27-Lg. Interpretations of the I Epistle of St. Peter. 1135

If your honor, joy and happiness are delayed for a while, and you are still living here on earth in shame, sadness and tribulation because of the envy and malice of the devil and the world, do not worry; be patient, it will soon change. Now when you have fallen asleep and are buried in Christ, it is about an hour (as will be your mind in that day), then your joy will begin; it will be so great and glorious, he says, that no heart can sufficiently consider it, much less any mouth can utter it. Therefore, to reckon against it, all the joy that has ever been on earth and still will be, is to reckon a mere child's play. For there is no worldly joy so great and glorious that is not impure and mixed with sorrow, or that is not soon followed by sorrow; therefore Solomon says, Proverbs 14:13: "After laughter comes weeping, after joy comes sorrow." Therefore it 1) cannot endure; for it is not only hindered without interruption with all kinds of misery and plague, but bodily death also finally comes and finishes it, and where there is no faith in Christ, the short, miserable, beggarly joy is followed by eternal death and damnation.

But here it is the other way around: sorrow and suffering turn into joy, which is not only glorious and unspeakable, but in which we will also live forever and be blessed. Therefore remain steadfast in love and faith in Christ, whom you do not yet see, and suffer for his name's sake, as the devil and the evil world pour into you, and you will be richly and gloriously rewarded, for the end of your faith will be eternal blessedness 2c. This cannot be said in words, but must be believed from the heart; otherwise, no matter how much it is said, it will remain a useless wash.

V. 10. For what blessedness the prophets sought and searched 2c.

The blessedness I speak of, which you will receive, is certain, for it has a witness in the holy prophets.

Here St. Peter directs us back to the Holy Scriptures, to see how God, for no merit's sake, but out of mere grace

1. cans - it can.

that he has promised. For all Scripture is designed to save us from our works and to bring us to faith. Therefore it is necessary that we study the Scriptures, so that we may be assured of faith. St. Paul also leads us into the Scriptures when he says Rom. 1:2: "God promised the gospel beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures"; and Rom. 3:21: "The righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ and is valid before God is revealed and testified through the Law and the Prophets.

So we also read Apost. 17, 2. ff., when 2) St. Paul preached the faith in Christ to the Jews in Thessalonica and later in Berea, he spoke to them from the Scriptures, opened them and presented them that Christ had to suffer 2c. And when they heard these things, they searched the scriptures daily, whether it was so, as they were taught of St. Paul. Therefore we should also search the Scriptures, for it is they that testify of Christ (as he himself says Joh. 5, 39; item, v. 46).If you believed Mosiah, you would also believe me, for he wrote about me"), and thus learn to base the New Testament on the Old, and do not give credence to the idle chatterers who despise the Old Testament and say that it is no longer necessary; for we must take the foundation of our faith from it alone, for God sent the prophets to the Jews for this purpose, that they should bear witness to the future Christ. Therefore, the apostles everywhere convicted and overcame the Jews from their own Scriptures that this Jesus, whom they proclaimed to them, was Christ.

So the books of Moses and the prophets are also gospel, because they preached and described the same things of Christ, which the apostles preached and wrote afterwards. But there is a difference between them. For though both are written on paper in the letter, yet the gospel or new testament is not really to be written, but put into a living voice, that it may resound and be heard in all the world; but that it is also written,

2. "there" put by us instead of: that.

1136 Eri. 5s, 2g-3i. Second edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 10. 1137

was done out of abundance. But the Old Testament was written only in the Scriptures; therefore it is called a letter, and the apostles call it the Scriptures; for it alone pointed to the Christ who was to come. But the gospel is a living preaching of Christ who is coming.

There is also a difference among the books of the Old Testament. First, the five books of Moses are the main part of the Scriptures and are actually called the Old Testament; after them are also histories and books of history, in which are described all kinds of examples of those who kept or did not keep the Law of Moses; third, the prophets, who are based on Moses, and what he has written, further and with clearer words, have elaborated and transfigured. But it is One opinion of all prophets and Mosis.

But that they say that the Old Testament is abolished, you must understand this: First, the difference between the New and Old Testaments is, as we have now said, that the Old pointed to Christ, but the New now gives us that which was promised before in the Old, and was signified by the figures; wherefore the figures are now abolished, because that for which they served is now finished and accomplished, and fulfilled, which was promised in them. Therefore in the new testament there shall be no more distinction of meat, raiment, place, time, 2c. for in Christ there is nothing but a new creature. Also the Jews, who had to keep the difference of food, place and time according to their law, were not saved by it, nor were they therefore commanded to keep it, so that they would become godly before God, but that under such discipline and burden of the law they groaned for Christ, who would put an end to all this.

Furthermore, it is to be noted that in the Old Testament God led two kinds of regiment, by which he subjected himself to rule the people himself, both inwardly in the heart and outwardly in the body and in the goods; therefore he also gave them so many different laws, mixed together. The laws that teach how to govern children, servants, and the home; how to plant, build, borrow, redeem, marry, and fight; how a man may give his wife a divorce; and how a man may give his wife a divorce.

and let them go 2c. To the spiritual government belong those who teach about outward worship, but especially those who teach about faith and love, namely, that one should fear, believe and love God with all his heart 2c. and his neighbor as himself. But now in the New Testament he reigns in us spiritually through Christ; but the bodily and outward government he executes through the temporal authorities. Therefore, since Christ has come, the outward rule has been abolished. God no longer determines our outward person, time and place, but rules us spiritually through the Word, so that we are lords over everything that is outward and are not bound to any bodily thing. But what belongs to the spiritual rule has not been abolished, but still stands, as there are the laws in Moses of the love of God and of one's neighbor. God wants them to be kept and therefore gives the Holy Spirit to His believers so that they can keep them.

In addition, the figures also remained spiritual, that is, that which is spiritually signified by the outward figures, even though it is outwardly abrogated. As that a man divorced his wife and let her go for the sake of adultery, that is a figure and meaning that is now also spiritually fulfilled. For thus God rejected the Jews, because they would not believe in Christ, and chose and accepted the Gentiles. Item, so he still does, if someone does not want to walk in faith, he lets him out of the Christian community, so that he improves himself. Similarly, after the death of her husband, a woman must take her husband's brother and beget children by him, and he must be named after him and be seated in his estate. This, although it has now ceased, is nevertheless a figure that also points to Christ; for he is our brother, died for us and ascended into heaven, and commanded us to make souls pregnant and fruitful through the gospel; so that we keep his name, are called after him, and also enter into his goods. Therefore I must not boast that I convert people, but must ascribe it all to the Lord Christ. So it is with all the other figures of the Old Testament, which would be too long to tell.

1138 Erl. 5s, 3S-34. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. 1139

So everything that is not external is still in the Old Testament, as there are all the sayings of the prophets about faith and love; therefore Christ also confirms Matth. 7, 12: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: this is the law and the prophets. So Moses and the prophets are also witnesses of the future Christ. So when I preach about Christ, that he is the only Saviour, through whom everyone must be saved, I may take before me the saying Gen. 22:18: "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." From this I make a living voice, and say: Through Christ, who is Abraham's seed, all men must be blessed; from this it follows that in Adam we are all cursed and damned; therefore it is necessary that we believe in the seed, if we want to escape damnation otherwise. From such sayings we must lay a foundation of our faith, and let them remain, that we may see in them how they testify of Christ, that faith may be strengthened thereby. This is what St. Peter wants with these words when he speaks:

V. 10: For what blessedness the prophets sought and searched, pointing to you of the grace to come.

There we see that the dear prophets had a heartfelt desire for the grace and blessedness promised in Christ, and now offered and distributed to us and to all the world through the gospel, which we also certainly expect in hope through patience; they would also have liked to experience the time when it is revealed, and to see and hear that we see and hear, as Christ says Luc. 10:24; but it could not happen to them. But this they did, sighing for it with a hearty desire, and seeking and searching for it with great earnestness and diligence, pleasure and joy, in the promises made to the patriarchs, and explaining and expounding them more abundantly and extensively, and ministering them to us. But they have comforted themselves of the same grace and blessedness which was yet future, and have fallen asleep in the faith of Christ to come. This is what St. Peter means when he says: "After what blessedness" 2c.

In the same way St. Paul speaks Rom. 16, 25. 26: "After the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret from the world, but now is revealed and made known through the prophetic writings. So you will find in the New Testament many sayings taken from the prophets, so that the apostles prove that everything happened as the prophets prophesied. So Christ himself proves from the prophet Isaiah that Messiah is present, when he says Matth. 11, 5: "The blind see, the lame walk, the poor have the gospel preached to them"; as if he should say: As it is written there, so it goes there. Item, so we read Apost. 9, 22. and 17, 2. f. by Paulo, and Cap. 18, 22. by Apollo, how they drove the Jews in and proved by the Scriptures that this Jesus, whom they proclaimed to them, was the true Messiah. For all that the prophets had proclaimed had come to pass concerning Christ. Item, Apost. 13, 46. 1) the apostles prove how the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles so that they would believe. All this took place, and the Jews were convicted and had to confess that it happened just as the Scriptures had said before.

V.11. And have inquired what time and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed to.

So St. Peter says: "Although the prophets did not actually know the certain and definite time, they did indicate in general all the circumstances of the time and place, such as how Christ would suffer, and what death he would die, and how the Gentiles would believe in him, so that one could certainly know by the signs when the time would be. Also they had the certain prophecy of Jacob the patriarch, that the kingdom of the Jews should first cease, before Christ should come; but the day and certain time, when it should come to pass, was not determined; for it was sufficient in that, when that time should come, that then they might know assuredly that Christ was not far off. The prophet Joel Cap. 3, 1 also prophesied about the time when

1. In the editions: Act. 15.

1140 Erl. SS, 34-38. Second edition - Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 11. 12. 1141

The Holy Spirit should come, because he says: "And after this I will pour out my spirit on all flesh"; which saying St. Peter indicates Apost. 2, 17, and proves that he had just spoken of the time and certain persons.

Methinks St. Peter meant especially the prophet Daniel, since he speaks here: "And have inquired what time and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ pointed to" 2c. "Which" means that he calculates the time and determines how long and how many years should be there, Dan. 9, 24. ff.; "which" means that he finely illustrates how it should go and stand in the world at the same time: who should have the supreme rule, or where the empire should be; that Daniel therefore not only announces the time, but also the change, form and nature of the same time 2c.

From all this you see how with great diligence the apostles have always shown the reason and proof of their preaching and teaching from the prophets. Now the pope approaches and wants to deal with us without scripture, and commands that we believe him in the obedience of the church and in the ban. The apostles were full of the Holy Spirit and were sure that they were sent by Christ and preached the true gospel: They did not want anyone to believe them unless they proved it thoroughly from the Scriptures, that it was as they said, so that even the unbelievers' mouths might be shut, so that they could not raise anything against it; and we are to believe the coarse, unlearned heads, who preach no word of God at all, and can do no more than cry out forever: The fathers could not have erred, so the church has not taught and believed differently from us for several hundred years; therefore no account of it may be given.

We can prove this from the Scriptures, that no one will be saved except he who believes in Christ, so that they can say nothing against it; but they will not prove their deed to us with Scriptures, that he will be condemned who does not fast on this or that day 2c.; therefore we do not want to and should not believe them. Now St. Peter goes on to say:

V. 11. 12. and testified beforehand of the sufferings that are in Christ, and of the glory afterward to whom it is revealed.

This may be understood of the two kinds of suffering that Christ and his own suffer, as St. Paul calls the suffering of all Christians Christ's suffering. For as the faith, the name, the word, and the work of Christ are ours, because we believe in him: so his suffering is also ours, and ours because we suffer for his sake. So the suffering of Christ is fulfilled daily in Christians until the end of the world.

So this is our comfort in all our suffering, which is put on us for Christ's sake, that he counts the same for his own suffering; for Apost. 9, 4. He says, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" when Saul was not persecuting him, because he was too high for him, but was persecuting his believers; item, Zach. 2:8: "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye"; and that we are sure that eternal glory will follow suffering. But as Christ, our Lord and Savior, had to suffer before He came to glory, so we will have to follow Him, first taking up the cross and bearing it after Him, and then awaiting eternal glory and joy.

Therefore he says: "God's Spirit, who was in them, testified through them that whoever believes in Christ and confesses him should certainly judge himself according to this, that he must first suffer much, according to the example of his Lord, before he comes to glory. With this, St. Peter comforts all believers so that they do not get angry when they have to suffer all kinds of anguish and hardship, shame, contempt 2c. and despair, as if nothing would come of it, but rather be aware of the fact that all the prophets proclaimed from the revelation of the Holy Spirit that the cross must precede and that glory would certainly follow; for God first makes poor, then rich, first wounds and kills, then he heals and makes whole. The devil does the opposite.

But that we now see the prophets so little

1. suspicious - mindful.

1142 Erl. 5s, 36-38. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. 1143

The fact that we do not understand them makes the language unknown to us; otherwise they have spoken clearly enough. Therefore, those who know the language and have the Spirit of God (which all believers have) do not find it difficult to understand them, since they know that all Scripture is directed to teach us about faith, hope, love, patience in trials 2c. Whoever does not know or understand these things, and does not have the Spirit of God, is unfamiliar with the prophetic Scriptures and un-German, although, if one should lack one, it is better to have the Spirit without the language than the language without the Spirit. Although they have a peculiar way of speaking, they mean exactly what the apostles preach, for they have both said much about the suffering and glory of Christ and those who believe in him; as when David speaks of Christ Ps. 22:7: "I am a worm and not a man"; so that he indicates how deeply he is cast down and humbled in his suffering. So also in the 44th Psalm v. 23 he writes of the Christians that they lament how they are persecuted and strangled by the enemies of the truth, and says: "We are strangled daily for your sake, and are esteemed like sheep for the slaughter" 2c.

V. 12 For they presented it not to themselves, but to us; which is now preached unto you by them that preached the gospel unto you, through the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.

That is, the prophets would have liked to experience the blessed time of grace, and to hear Christ preaching at the present time, and to see miraculous signs performed, as he himself says in Matth. 13, 17: "The prophets and the righteous have desired to see" 2c. But because it could not be, they were satisfied that they, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, had seen from afar and recognized the grace and blessedness that was to come to all the world through Christ. But because they have left it behind them, they have done it for our good and love, and have been our servants and served us with it, so that we went to school with them and learned the same. How then did it come to us? "Through those who preached the gospel of Christ to you," who have a

The Holy Spirit, whom Christ sent from heaven, opened their understanding so that they could understand the Scriptures and present them to others through preaching and writing. Here we have a strong foundation of faith, so that we can arm ourselves and protect ourselves against all false teaching.

Which the angels also desire to behold.

The apostles proclaimed such great things to us through the Holy Spirit, who came upon them from heaven, so that even the angels delight in beholding them. Then St. Peter tells us to open our eyes and see what the gospel is: we will have pleasure and delight in it, for it holds out to us other goods than all the riches and splendor of the world, namely, how we shall be saved from the power of the devil, freed from sin and death, and become children and heirs of God through Christ. We cannot yet see this with our bodily eyes, but must believe it, that we are partakers and fellow-citizens of the righteousness, truth, blessedness and all heavenly goods that God has; for since he gave Christ, his only Son, the highest good, for all of us, how should he not give us all things with him? Rom. 8:32, namely grace, righteousness, eternal life and blessedness, of which the angels in heaven have all joy and delight. All these things are offered to us through the gospel, and if we believe, we will also have such joy and pleasure. But our joy and pleasure cannot be as perfect as the angel is, because we still live on earth in the devil's kingdom. Now it may well begin in us to feel something of it through faith, but in heaven the joy is so great that no human heart can comprehend it; now when we get there, we will feel it too.

So far St. Peter has indicated what the gospel is for a doctrine, namely, which testifies of Christ, that through his death and resurrection we are born again to an incorruptible inheritance, 2c. and as it was proclaimed before by the prophets, that it should thus come to pass and be preached; points out to us

1144 Erl. 52, 38-40. Second edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 12. 13. 1145

so into the Scriptures that we may receive comfort and strengthening of faith from it, and so equip and arm ourselves against all the fiery darts of the devil, temptations of the world, melancholy and sadness of heart 2c. Now he continues, exhorting us to adhere to the same preaching of the gospel by faith, and to follow it by love, saying thus:

V. 13. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind.

This is an exhortation to faith, and this is the opinion: Because such unspeakable treasure is proclaimed to you and given to you through the gospel, of which also the angels in heaven rejoice and delight to behold, therefore cling to it, and put your trust in it with all your mind, so that it may be a righteous faith and not a colored or made-up delusion and dream.

St. Peter does not speak here of a bodily girding, as a man girds his sword to his loins, but of a spiritual girding of the mind, which Christ also touched Luc. 12:35, when he says, "Let your loins be girded." In several places in Scripture, loins are called the bodily girding of unchastity; in this way, "gird up your loins" means to curb unchastity and to live chastely. Also, the scripture calls loins, since natural birth comes from the father. Thus we read in Gen. 35, 11. of Jacob that God promises him that kings shall come from his loins 2c., and Apost. 2, 30: David knew that the fruit of his loins should sit on his throne.

But the spiritual girding (of which the apostle says here) goes like this: As a virgin is bodily pure and incorrupt, so the soul is spiritually incorrupt through faith, by which it becomes Christ's bride. But if it falls from faith to false doctrine, it must be put to shame; therefore Scripture everywhere calls idolatry and unbelief adultery and fornication, that is, when the soul clings to the doctrines of men, and so lets faith and Christ fall away. This is what St. Peter means here, since 1) he says to us

1. Wittenberger: that.

to gird up the loins of the mind, as if to say, "Now that you have heard the gospel and have come into the faith, see to it that you continue in it and are not moved by false teaching, so that you do not waver and run back and forth with works.

And here he speaks in a special way, as he says: the loins of your mind. Mind" is what we call "being minded," as when I say, "This seems right to me;" and as St. Paul speaks: Thus we hold it, thus we are minded. In this way he is actually referring to faith, and thus wants to say: "You have created a righteous mind, that one must be justified before God by faith alone; remain in this mind, gird it well, hold fast to it, and do not let yourselves be torn away from it, and you will stand well. For many false teachers shall arise, and set up doctrines of men, to pervert your minds, and to loose the girdle of your faith: therefore be warned, and take heed. The hypocrites, who stand on their works and therefore walk in an honorable, fine life, are so minded that God has to take them to heaven for their works, are puffed up and ride high, stand hard on their mind and conceit, like the Pharisee Luc. 18, 11. f., of whom also Mary says in the Magnificat that she needs the very word that is written here in St. Peter: "He scatters those who are hopeful in their hearts" Luc. 2, 51.

Be sober.

Sobriety serves the body externally and is the most important part of faith. For even though a man has been justified by faith, he is not yet completely free from evil desires. Faith has begun to subdue the flesh, but it is still stirring and raging in all kinds of lusts that want to come forth again and do its bidding. Therefore the spirit has to work daily to tame and subdue it, and must beat with it without ceasing, and take heed to the flesh, lest it repel faith. Therefore they deceive themselves who say that they have faith, and think that this is enough, and that they have no desire, when they fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Where faith is right

1146 Erl. [L, 40-43, Interpretations on the 1st Epistle of St. Peter. 1147

When the body is in a state of disorder, it must attack the body and keep it in check, so that it does not do what it desires. That is why St. Peter says that we should be sober.

But he does not want the body to be ruined or weakened too much, as many are found who have fasted and martyred themselves to death. St. Bernard was also for a time in such foolishness, although he was otherwise a holy man, that he broke off so much from the body that his breath became stinking 1) and could not be with the people; but he came out again afterwards, and also forbade his brothers that they should not hurt the body too much. For he saw well that he had made himself unfit to serve his brothers. Therefore St. Peter demands no more than that we should be sober, that is, break off from the body as far as we feel that it is still too horny. He does not determine a certain time for fasting, as the pope has done, but rather he instructs each person to fast in such a way that he always remains sober and does not load his body with stuffing, so that he may remain sane and rational and fast as much as is necessary for him to fast his body. For it is no good at all to put a commandment on a whole multitude and common people, since we are so unequal among ourselves, one strong and another weak in body, that one must break off much and the other little, so that the body may remain healthy and able to do good.

But that the ruffians fall in, and so want to go well, that they cannot fast and eat meat, is also not right. For these also do not grasp the gospel, and are of no more use than the others, doing no more than despising the commandment of the priest, and yet do not want to gird up their mind and spirit, as St. Peter says, leaving the body its will to remain slothful and lustful. It is good to fast; but that is right fasting, not to give the body more food than it needs to keep it healthy, and let it work and watch, so that the old ass does not become too wanton and go dancing on the ice, and break a leg, but walk in the bridle, and follow the spirit; not,

1. Erlanger: stink.
2. Original: "you".

as those do who fill themselves so full with fish and the best wine from once when they are juicing that their stomachs thirst. 2) That is called here St. Peter sober, and now says further:

And place your hope entirely in the grace that is offered to you.

Christian faith is thus skilful in that it freely places itself on God's word with complete trust, freely ventures on it, and joyfully goes up to it. That is why St. Peter speaks: Then the loins of your mind are girded, and your faith is righteous, if you dare to do it, whatever it may be, good, honor, body or life. So with these words he has very finely described a righteous, uncolored faith. It does not have to be a lazy and sleepy faith or dream, but a living and active thing, that one gives oneself to it with all one's mind and clings to the word, God granting that we may get through fortune and misfortune as we please. When I am about to die, I have to consider Christ freshly, stretch out my neck freely, and defy the Word of God, which cannot lie to me. Faith must go straight through, not be deceived, and put out of sight all things that it sees, hears, and feels. St. Peter demands such a faith, which does not stand in thoughts or words, but in such power.

On the other hand, St. Peter says: Put your hope in the grace that is offered to you; that is, you have not earned the great grace, but it is offered to you freely. For the gospel which proclaims this grace we did not devise nor invent, but the Holy Spirit sent it down from heaven into the world. But what is offered to us? That which we have heard above: He that believeth on Christ, and cleaveth to the word, hath him with all his goods, to be lord over sin, death, the devil, and hell, and to have eternal life. This treasure is brought to our doorstep and placed in our bosom, without our doing or merit, yes, unawares and without our knowledge or thought. Therefore

2. dönen = to swell out.

1148 Erl. 82, 43-48, Second Editing. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 13. 14. 1149

the apostles, that we should look forward to it with joy. For God, who offers us such grace, will certainly not lie to us.

Through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

God allows no one to offer fine grace except through Christ; therefore, no man should dare to come before him without this mediator, as we have heard enough above. For he will hear no man, except he bring with him Christ his dear Son, whom alone he looks upon, and for his sake they also that cleave unto him. Therefore he wants us to know the Son, as we have been reconciled to the Father through his blood, so that we may come before him. For to this end the Lord Christ came, taking on himself flesh and blood, and clinging to us, that he might obtain for us such grace from the Father. Thus all the prophets and patriarchs were also preserved and saved through such faith in Christ, for they all had to believe in the saying that God said to Abraham: "Through your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Therefore, as we have said, the faith of the Jews and the Turks is of no account, and of those who stand on their works, and thereby want to go to heaven. Alfo speaks St. Peter: Grace is offered to you, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ, or (to make it clearer) because Jesus Christ is revealed to you.

Through the gospel it is made known to us what Christ is, so that we may know him, that he is our Savior, takes away sin and death from us, and helps us out of all misfortune, reconciles us to the Father, and makes us godly and blessed without our works. Whoever does not recognize Christ in this way must be lacking. For even though you know that he is the Son of God, dead and risen from the dead, and seated at the right hand of the Father, you have not yet rightly recognized Christ, nor does he yet help you; but you must know and believe that he did it all for your sake, to help you. Therefore it is a useless thing what has been preached and taught in high schools, which have not known anything about this knowledge, and have come no further than to consider how painful the suffering of the Lord Christ was, and how he is now

I will sit idle in heaven and have joy with him, but my heart will remain dry and faith will not come alive in it.

The Lord Christ shall not stand for himself, but shall be preached that he is ours. Otherwise, why would it have been necessary for him to come to earth and shed his blood? Since he was sent into the world for this reason, as he says in John 3:17, that the world might be saved through him, he must have done what he was sent by the Father to do. For the sending and going forth from the Father is not to be understood according to the divine nature alone, but according to the human nature and his ministry. As soon as he was baptized, this began, and accomplished that for which he was sent and came into the world, namely, that he should preach the truth, and that he should shew forth this unto us, 1) that whosoever believeth in him should be saved. So he revealed himself and made himself known, and offered grace to us himself.

V. 14. As children of obedience.

That is, present yourselves as the obedient children. Obedience is the name of faith in the Scriptures. But the pope with his high schools and monasteries has also torn apart this little word for us and pointed to their lie, what is written about this obedience, as the saying 1 Sam. 15, 22: "Obedience is better than sacrifice. For since they see that obedience is much praised in the Scriptures, they have taken it to themselves, that they may deceive the people, that they may think that theirs is the obedience of which the Scriptures speak. So they bring us from God's word to their lies and devil's obedience. He who hears the gospel and God's word and believes it is an obedient son of God; therefore, whatever is not God's word, trample it underfoot and do not turn away from it.

And do not stand the same as before, when you lived in ignorance according to lusts.

That is, do not make such gestures with change, as before. Before, you were idolatrous, living in unbelief, unchastity,

1. advertise = to send a message. Cf. Walch, alte Attsg. 3, 1173, § 23: Werbung.

1150 Erl. 5s, 45-47. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. 1151

Eating, drinking, greed, pride, anger, envy and hatred; these were evil, pagan things, in which you walked like the blind, not knowing what you had done. Now put away these same evil lusts.

Here you see how he blames ignorance for all the misfortunes that come from it. For where there is no faith and the knowledge of Christ, there remains all error and blindness, so that one does not know what is right and what is wrong. This is how it has been until now; since Christ has perished and been obscured, error has set in; the question of how one could be saved has spread throughout the whole world. That is already a sign of blindness or ignorance, that the right understanding of faith has gone out, and no one knows anything about it anymore. That is why the world is so full of various sects, and everything has been divided, because everyone wants to make his own way to heaven. Out of misfortune we must always fall deeper into blindness, because we cannot help ourselves. That is why St. Peter says: "You have been deceived enough, so now stop, because you have become knowledgeable and have come to a right mind.

V.15. 16. But according to him that hath called you, and is holy, be ye also holy in all your doings. For it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy.

There St. Peter cites a saying from the Old Testament, Deut. 19, 2. God says: "You shall be holy, for I am holy"; that is, because I am your Lord and God, and you are my people, you shall also be as I am. For a true Lord makes his people like him, and they walk in obedience, and do the will of the Lord. Therefore, as God our Lord is holy, so his people are also holy; therefore we are all holy if we walk by faith.

Scripture does not speak much of departed saints, but of those who live from the earth. So the prophet David boasts Ps. 86, 2: "Lord, keep my soul, for I am holy. But here our scholars have once again reversed the saying and say that the prophet had a special revelation.

that he calls himself holy. Thus they themselves confess that they lack faith and do not have the revelation of Christ; otherwise they would feel it. For he who is a Christian feels such revelation in himself; but those who do not feel it are not Christians. For he that is a Christian enters into fellowship with the Lord Christ in all his goods; and because Christ is holy, he must also be holy, or deny that Christ is holy. If you have been baptized, you have put on the holy garment that is Christ, as St. Paul says Gal. 3:27.

The little word "holy" means that which is God's own and due to Him alone, which we call "consecrated" in German. So now St. Peter says: You have now given yourselves to God as your own, therefore see to it that you do not let yourselves be led again into worldly pleasures, but let God alone rule, live and work in you, so that you are holy, as He is holy.

So far he has described the grace that is offered to us through the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, and taught us how we should hold ourselves against it, namely, that we remain on a pure, unaltered sense of faith, so that we know that no work that we can do or think up can help us anything before God. If one preaches such things, then reason goes and says: "Well, if that is true, then I must not do any good work; so the coarse heads fall on it, and make a carnal freedom out of the Christian being, thinking that they may do what they like. St. Peter meets them here and comes before them and teaches how one must use Christian freedom against God alone. For there is nothing more necessary than the faith that I give God His glory and consider Him to be my God, that He is just, true and merciful. Such faith makes us free from sin and all evil. If I have given such to God, what I then live, I live for the benefit of my neighbor, so that I serve and help him. The greatest work that follows from faith is that I confess Christ with my mouth, testify to him with my blood, and put life where it should be. God is not allowed to do this work either, but I should do it so that my faith may be proven and confessed, so that

1152 Erl. 5s, 47-50. Second edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 15-17. 1153

other people are also brought to faith. After that, other works follow, which must all be directed to serve the neighbor, which God must do in us. Therefore, it is not valid to raise a carnal being and do what we desire. Therefore, St. Peter speaks:

V. 17 And since ye call upon him the Father, who judgeth without respect of persons, according to every man's work, conduct yourselves with fear all the days of your sojourning.

So St. Peter says: Ye are now come by faith to be the children of GOD, and he is your Father, and have obtained an inheritance incorruptible in heaven (as he said above): now therefore there remaineth no more, but that the cloth be taken away, and that uncovered which is now hid; whereof ye must yet wait until ye shall see it. Forasmuch then as ye are come to the state that ye may cheerfully call God Father, yet is he so just that he giveth to every man according to his works, and regardeth not the person.

Therefore, even if you have the great name of Christian or son of God, you must not think that He will spare you if you live without fear and think that it is enough to boast of this name. The world judges according to the person, so that it does not punish everyone equally, and spares those who are friends, rich, beautiful, learned, wise and powerful; but God does not consider any of them, everything is equal to Him, no matter how great the person may be. Thus in Egypt he slew the first son of Pharaoh the king as well as the first son of the least man. For this reason the apostle wants us to take this judgment to God and to stand in fear, so that we do not boast of the title that we are Christians and rely on it, as if he would be more lenient with us for this reason than with other people. For this also deceived the Jews of old, who boasted that they were Abraham's seed and God's people. The Scripture makes no distinction according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. It is true that he promised that Christ would be born of Abraham, and that a holy man would be born of Abraham.

People come from him; but it does not follow that all who are born of Abraham are God's children. He also promised that the Gentiles would be saved, but did not say that he would save all the Gentiles.

Now there is a question: Since we say that God alone makes us blessed through faith, without regard to works, why does St. Peter say that he does not judge according to the person, but according to works? Answer: What we have taught, how faith alone makes us righteous in the sight of God, is true beyond all doubt, since it is so clear from Scripture that it cannot be denied; that now here the apostle says that God judges according to works is also true; but for this it must certainly be held that where there is no faith, there can be no good works that God gives, and again, that where there are no good works, there is no faith. Therefore, join faith and good works together, so that the sum of the whole Christian life is in the two; not that works do anything for justification before God, but that faith without them does not exist, or is not true faith. Therefore, even if God judges us according to our works, it still remains true that works alone are the fruits of faith, by which one can see where faith or unbelief is. Therefore, God will judge you by your works and convince you that you have believed or not believed. Just as a liar cannot be judged and convicted more accurately than from his words; nor is it evident that he does not become a liar by his words, but was a liar before he told a lie, for the lie must come from the heart into the mouth.

Therefore, understand this saying in the simplest way, that works are fruits and signs of faith, and that God judges people according to such fruits, which must surely follow, so that one may publicly see where faith or unbelief is in the heart. God will not judge whether you are called a Christian or baptized, but will ask you: If you are a Christian, tell me, where are the fruits so that you can prove your faith?

Therefore, St. Peter says: Since you have such a father, who is not according to the per

1154 Eri. [s, 5o-52. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. 1155

son, conduct your affairs with fear as long as you live here; that is, fear the Father, not for the sake of chastisement and punishment, as the unbelievers and the devil fear, but lest he forsake you and withdraw his hand; as a pious child fears lest he anger his father and do something that would not please him. This is the fear that God wants to have in us, so that we may guard against sins and serve our neighbor, because we live here on earth.

A Christian, if he believes righteously, has Christ with all his goods as his own, and is God's Son, as we have heard. But the time he is still alive is only a pilgrimage, for the spirit is already in heaven through faith, by which he is lord over all things. For this reason God allows him to still live in the flesh and to walk the earth in his body, so that he may help other people and also bring them to heaven. Therefore we have no other use for all things on earth, except as a sojourner who travels overland and comes to an inn, where he must lie down for the night, and takes only food and lodging from the host, do not say that the host's goods are his 2c. So we should also deal with temporal goods as if they were not ours, and enjoy only as much of them as we need to maintain the body, helping our neighbor with the rest. So the Christian life is only a night's lodging, for we have no lasting place here, but must go where the Father is, namely to heaven; therefore we should not live here in ease, but stand in fear, says St. Peter.

V. 18. 19. And know that you have not been redeemed with corruptible silver or gold from your vain walk after the manner of your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ.

This is to provoke you, he says, to the fear of God, in which you are to stand, that you may remember how much it has taken for you to be redeemed. Before you were citizens in the world, and sat under the devil; but now God has torn you out of such a state, and put you into another state, that you are citizens in heaven, but strangers and sojourners on earth; therefore lead your way with fear, and see to it that you do not despise these things, and lose the noble, precious treasure,

that God has sent to you to be redeemed, and to come to the glory that you are now God's children.

What then is the treasure that we may be redeemed? Not perishable gold or silver, but the precious blood of Christ, the Son of God. The treasure is so precious and noble that no human mind and reason can comprehend that only a drop of this innocent blood would have been enough for all the sins of the world; nor did the Father want to pour out such abundant grace upon us, and let it stand so much that he allowed his only Son, Christ, to shed all his blood, and gave us the treasure in its entirety. Therefore, he does not want us to throw such great grace to the wind and consider it small, but to be moved to live with fear, so that this treasure will not be taken away from us.

And here it is to be noted that St. Peter says: "You are redeemed from your vain walk according to your father's statutes or ways; for with this he knocks down all the support on which we stand, and think that our thing must be right, because it has been granted from time immemorial, and our forefathers all kept it so, among whom there were also wise and pious people. For thus he says, "All that our fathers established and did was evil; what you learned of worship from them is also evil, that it cost the Son of God his blood to redeem men from it. Now whatever is not washed by the blood is all poisoned and cursed by the flesh. From this it follows that the more a man sets himself to be godly and does not have Christ, the more he hinders himself, and the deeper he falls into blindness and wickedness, and condemns himself by the precious blood.

The outward, gross sins against the other table are still small compared to this, that one teaches how to become pious by our own works and merits, and to worship according to our reason, which are sins against the first table, by which the innocent blood is most dishonored and blasphemed. So the heathen did much greater sin in that they worshipped the sun and the moon and their idols, which they thought was the right worship.

1156 Erl. 52, 52-54. Second edit. Sermon on 1 Petr, 1, 18-21. 1157

than with other sins. Therefore, human piety is blasphemy and the greatest sin a human being can commit. This is also the way the world deals with it now, namely, that which it considers to be godliness and the highest piety is worse in the sight of God than any other sin, such as being a priest or a monk, and what seems good in the sight of the world, and yet is without faith. Therefore, whoever does not want to obtain grace from God through the blood of Christ had better never appear before God's eyes, for he will only anger His Majesty more and more.

As an innocent and unblemished lamb.

Now St. Peter interprets the Scriptures, for it is a mighty, rich epistle, although it is short; as now, when he has spoken of the vain walk according to the fatherly statutes, he also meets many sayings in the prophets, as in the prophet Jeremiah Cap. 16, 19: "The heathen shall come unto thee from the end of the world, saying: Our fathers have gone about with lies," 2c.; as if St. Peter were to say, "The prophets also proclaimed that you Gentiles should be redeemed from the paternal statutes by the precious blood of Christ," 2c. So here he also wants to point us to the Scriptures when he says: "You are redeemed by the blood of Christ, as an innocent and unblemished lamb"; and transfigures what is written in the prophets and Moses, as Isaiah, Cap. 53, 7: Like a lamb he is led to the slaughter; item, the figure 2 Mos. 12, 2. ff. of the paschal lamb; all this he interprets here, and says that Christ is this unblemished and innocent lamb, through that of which it is written in Ex. 12, 5. to be without blemish, means whose blood was shed for our sin.

V. 20. Who, though provided before the foundation of the world was laid, will be revealed in the last days.

That is, we have not earned it, nor have we ever asked God to shed the precious blood of Christ for us; therefore we can boast of nothing, the glory belongs to no one but God alone; God has promised it to us without any merit on our part, and has also revealed or made known that which He has provided and ordained from eternity, before the creation of the world.

is. In the prophets it was also promised, but in secret and not publicly; but now, after the resurrection of Christ and the sending of the Holy Spirit, it has been publicly preached and sounded throughout the world.

But the last time, of which St. Peter speaks here, is the time of grace, when the gospel is preached in all the world by the apostles after the ascension of Christ, and will continue until the last day. The prophets, apostles and Christ Himself also call it the last hour, not that as soon as after Christ's ascension the last day would come, but because after this preaching of the gospel of Christ no other shall come, and not be revealed and transfigured better than it is transfigured and revealed. For before Christ's future in the flesh, one revelation after another has always gone out; therefore God says Ex. 6:3: "My name, O Lord, I have not made known to them." For the patriarchs, even though they knew God, did not at the same time have such a public preaching of God as went out afterwards through Moses and the prophets. Now no more glorious and public preaching has come into the world than the Gospel; therefore it is the last. All times have now passed away, but now at last it is revealed to us.

On the other hand, it is not long until the end of the world, as St. Peter explains in 2 Peter 3:8, where he says: "One day in the sight of the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day"; thus he wants to lead us from the reckoning of this time, so that we may judge according to the sight of God; since it is the last time, and already has an end; but what still remains is nothing in the sight of God. The blessedness is now already revealed and completed, but God leaves the world still longer, so that His name may continue to be honored and praised, even though it has already been revealed for itself in the most perfect way.

V. 20. 21. For your sake, who through him believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, that you might have faith and hope in God.

For our sake (he says) Christ is revealed through the gospel; for neither GOD nor

1158 Erl. 52, 54-57. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. 1159

He needed it, but it was for our benefit that we believed in God, and that not through ourselves, but through Christ, who redeemed us through his holy blood and represents us to God the Father, whom for this very reason he gave into death and raised again, and preached repentance and forgiveness of sins to all the world through his name, so that all who believe in him have access to the Father through him, without which they can never come to him. Thus we have faith in God, and also a hope through the same faith: faith alone makes us blessed, but it must be faith in God; for if God does not help, you are not helped, even if you have the friendship of all men. Therefore you must have God's friendship, so that you may boast that he is your father and you are his child, trusting him more than your biological father and mother, that he will help you in all your needs, and this only through the one Mediator and Savior, the Lord Christ. Therefore he says that such faith does not come from human powers, but God creates it in us, because Christ earned it with his blood, to whom he therefore gave the glory and put it at his right hand, that he created such faith in us by God's power.

So far we have heard how St. Peter admonishes us to gird up the loins of our minds, so that we may remain pure and live by faith; then, since our redemption has cost such a precious treasure, we should walk with fear and not rely on being called Christians, since God is such a judge that he does not ask for anyone, judging one as well as another, without distinction of persons. Now he continues, and concludes the first chapter:

V. 22. And chastise your souls in obedience to the truth through the Spirit.

St. Paul tells Gal. 5, 22. the fruits that follow faith; so St. Peter also says here that a fruit of faith is when we make our souls chaste in obedience to the truth through the Spirit. For where faith is righteous, it casts the body under itself, and compels the air of the flesh; and

Although he does not kill him, he makes him submissive and obedient to the Spirit and keeps him in check. This is what St. Paul means when he speaks of the fruit of the Spirit. It is a great work that the Spirit should have dominion over the flesh, and tame the evil desire which is inborn in us from father and mother; for it is not possible without grace that we should live chastely in marriage, let alone illegitimately.

But why does he say, "Make your souls chaste"? He knows well that the lust of the flesh after baptism remains in us until the grave; therefore it is not enough for one to abstain from the work, and remain chaste outwardly, and let the evil lusts 1) remain in the heart; but one must strive for the soul to be chaste by faith, so that it comes out of the heart, and the soul is free from the evil lusts and desires, and always be beaten with them until it is rid of them.

Here he adds a fine addition, that one should make the soul chaste "in obedience to the truth through the spirit". Much has been preached about chastity, and many books have been written about it; they have said that one should fast so long, one should not eat meat, one should not drink wine, etc., that one may be rid of temptation. It may have helped a little, but it was not enough, for the evil desires of the heart cannot be subdued in this way. St. Jerome wrote of himself that he had prepared his body in such a way that he had become like a Moor; nevertheless, it had not helped, and he had still dreamed how he was in Rome at the singing dance among the metzes. St. Bernard also hurt him very much, corrupted his body so that he stank, as I said above. They had a hard time, and thought they would dampen it with external things; but because it is external, the plaster is only on the outside, not on the inside; therefore it is not enough to dampen the desire.

But here St. Peter has given a proper remedy for it, namely the obedience of truth through the Spirit; as Scripture also does in other places, as Is. 11:5: "Faith

1. Erlanger: evil desire.

1160 Erl. 52, 57-5S. Second edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 22. 1161

will be a girdle of his kidneys"; this is the right plaster that girds the kidneys. It must come out from within, not from without; for it is grown in the blood and flesh, marrow and veins, not on the outside in the cloth nor in the garment; therefore it is not advisable for him to curb lust with external things. The body can be weakened and killed with fasting and work, but the evil desire cannot be driven out with it; faith, however, can dampen it and prevent it, so that it must leave room for the spirit. Thus also the prophet Zacharias speaks of a wine, which Christ has, of which virgins grow, which he gives them to drink. The other wine tends to provoke evil desire; but this wine, that is, the gospel, curbs it, and makes chaste hearts. This is what St. Peter says, that if one grasps the truth with the heart, and is obedient to it through the spirit, this is the right remedy and is the most powerful medicine for it; otherwise you will not find any that could thus quench all evil thoughts. For when this comes into the heart, the evil inclination soon goes away. Try it, whoever wants to, will find it, and those who have tried it know it well. But the devil does not let anyone come to it easily and take hold of the word of God so that it tastes good to him, for he knows well how powerful it is to curb evil desires and thoughts.

So now St. Peter wants to say: If you want to remain chaste, you must grasp "the obedience of the truth through the Spirit", that is, one must not only read and hear the Word of God, but the Holy Spirit must write it in the heart 2c. Therefore it is not enough that one preaches or hears the gospel once, but one must always press on and continue. For such is the grace of the word: the more it is acted upon, the sweeter it becomes; though it be always one doctrine of faith, yet it cannot be heard too much, where there are not hearts too bold and raw. Now the apostle adds:

To undyed brotherly love.

Why should we lead a chaste life? That we may be saved by it? No, but to serve our neighbor. What shall I do to ward off my sin? I

is to grasp the obedience of truth through the spirit, that is, faith in God's word. Why do I resist it? Because I must first tame the body and the flesh through the Spirit, and then I can be useful to other people. Follow on:

And love one another fervently from a pure heart.

The apostles St. Peter and Paul distinguish brotherly love and common love. Brotherhood is that Christians should all be like brothers, and make no distinction among them. For since we all have one Christ in common, one baptism, one faith, one treasure, I am no better than you; I also have that which you have, and am as rich as you. The treasure is the same, though I may have laid hold of it more than thou, so that I have laid hold of it in gold, but thou hast laid hold of it in a poor cloth. Therefore, as we have in common the grace of Christ and all spiritual goods, so we also ought to have in common life and limb, goods and honor, that we may serve one another in all things.

Now he speaks clearly, "In undyed brotherly love." The apostles are fond of this word and have seen that we would be called Christians and brothers among ourselves, but it would be a false, dyed or made-up thing, and would only be glitter. The pope has established much brotherhood in the world, and given many indulgences for it; but they are all lies and deception, which the devil has devised through him and brought into the world, which only fight against the right faith and righteous brotherly love. Christ is mine as well as St. Bernard's, yours as well as St. Francis. Now if someone comes and says that I should go to heaven if I am in this or that brotherhood, say: It is a lie; for Christ cannot suffer it, does not want to have any other brotherhood than the common brotherhood that all believers have among themselves; then you fool come here and want to establish your own. This I would allow to be made, not for the benefit of the soul, but for the benefit of some who would put in one and make a treasure, from which those who would have it would be helped.

[1162 ed. s, 59-61. Interpretations on the I Epistle of St. Peter. 1163

So we Christians have all received one brotherhood in baptism; no saint has more of it than I and you. For just as much as he was bought, so much am I bought; God has given as much to me as to the greatest saint; without only that he may have a better grasp of the treasure and a stronger faith than I do.

Love, however, is greater than brotherhood, for it also reaches out to enemies, and especially to those who are not worthy of love. For as faith does its work when it sees nothing, so love also should see nothing, and should do its work most where there seems nothing lovely, but only displeasure and hostility; where there is nothing that pleases me, I should for that very reason put up with it. And this should be done fervently, says St. Peter, with all my heart, as God has loved us, since we were not worthy of love. Now follows further:

V. 23: When they were born again.

Therefore do this: for you are no longer children of wrath, as before (he says), but new men. This was not done by works, but it took birth. For you cannot make the new man, but he must grow or be born; as a carpenter cannot make a tree, but he must himself grow out of the ground; as we were not made the children of Adam, but were born, and brought sin from our father and mother: so also it cannot be by works that we become the children of God, but must also be born again. This is what the apostle wants to say: Because you are now a new creature, you should now also keep yourselves differently and lead a new life. As you lived in hatred before, so you must now walk in love; however, in a contrary way. But how did the new birth happen? Well, as follows:

Not from perishable seed, but from imperishable seed, namely from the living Word of God, which abides forever.

By a seed we are born again; for no thing grows differently, as we see, but from seed. If now the old birth is from a seed, then must be

the new birth can also be from a seed. But what is the seed? Not flesh and blood. What is it? It is not perishable, but God's eternal Word, which gives new birth, life and salvation to those who believe in it.

How does this work? God lets the word of the Gospel go out and the seed fall into the hearts of men. Where it sticks in the heart, the Holy Spirit is there and gives birth anew; there becomes another person, other thoughts, other words and works. So you are completely changed: everything you fled from, you seek, and what you sought before, you flee. In the bodily birth it goes like this: When the seed is received, it is changed, so that there is no more seed. But this 1) is a seed that cannot be changed, it remains eternally; but it changes me, so that I am changed into it, and what is evil in me of my nature even passes away. Therefore it is ever a strange birth and from a strange seed. Now St. Peter speaks further:

For all flesh is like grass, and all the glory of men like the flower of grass. The grass is withered, and the flower is fallen: but the word of the LORD abideth for ever.

This saying is taken from the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 40, 6-8, where he says: "Preach! What shall I preach? All flesh is hay, and all its goodness is like a flower of the field. The hay withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God endures forever." These are the words of St. Peter. For this, as I have said, is a true epistle, and well peppered with scriptures. So now the Scripture says that God's word abides forever. What is flesh and blood is perishable like hay and grass, if it is young, so that it blossoms; item, if it is rich, powerful, wise and pious, so that it grows green (which all belongs to the flower), nevertheless the flower begins to thorn. What is young and beautiful becomes old and ugly; what is rich becomes poor; and so henceforth, and must all fall by the word of God. But this seed cannot perish. Now St. Peter concludes:

1. Wittenberger: dir.

1164 Erl. üs, 6i-63. Second edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 1, 25. 1165

This is the word that is proclaimed among you.

As if to say: You must not open your eyes wide when you come to the word of God, you have it before your eyes; it is the word that we preach. There you can curb all evil desire with it, you must not fetch it far; do not do more than that you catch it when it is preached. For it is so near that it can be heard, as Moses also says Deut. 30:11 ff: "The word which I command thee is not far from thee, that thou shouldest run far after it, or go up to heaven, or pass over the sea: but it is near thee, even in thy mouth, and in thine heart." It is soon spoken and heard, but when it comes into the heart, it cannot die or pass away, nor let thee die; so long as thou cleavest to it, so long dost it keep thee. So when I hear that Jesus Christ died, took away my sin, and purchased heaven for me, and gave me all that he has, then I hear the gospel. The word is soon passed away when it is preached; but when it falls into the heart, and is grasped with faith, it can never fall away. No creature can overthrow this truth; the foundation of hell can do nothing against it, and even if I am already in the devil's jaws, if I can take hold of it, I must come out again, and remain where the word remains. Therefore he says: You must not wait for any other than that which we have preached.

Thus St. Paul also speaks to the Romans, Cap. 1, 16: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God that saves.

makes all who believe in it." The word is a divine and eternal power. For though the voice or speech soon vanishes, yet the kernel, that is, the understanding, the truth, which is written in the voice, remains. As when I put a cup to my mouth with wine in it, I drink the wine into it, but do not push the cup down my throat with it. So also is the word that the voice brings: it falls into the heart and comes to life, yet the voice remains outside and passes away. Therefore it is a divine power, yes, it is God himself. For thus he speaks to Moses, Ex. 4, 12: "I will be in your mouth"; and Ps. 81, 11: "Open your mouth wide", preach confidently, speak out until hungry, "I will fill you", I will speak enough there presently. Also John 14:6 says Christ: "I am the way, the truth and the life", whoever clings to this is born of God. So also the seed is God Himself. All this is to teach us how not to be helped by works. Even though the word is small and seems to be nothing, because it comes out of the mouth, there is such an overwhelming power in it that it makes those who cling to it children of God, John 1:12. Our salvation stands on such high ground.

This is the first chapter of this epistle, in which you see how masterfully St. Peter preaches and acts the faith; from this you can see that this epistle is the right gospel. Now follows the other chapter, which will teach us how we should conduct ourselves in works toward our neighbor.

The second chapter.

V. 1. Put away therefore all malice, and all deceit, and hypocrisy, and envy, and all speaking evil.

There he begins to instruct what the works and fruits of a Christian life should be. For we have often enough said how a Christian life consists of two things: faith toward God and love toward one's neighbor; item, that the Christian faith is given in such a way that

But always, because we live, there remain in the flesh many evil lusts, for there is no saint who is not in the flesh. But what is in the flesh cannot be completely pure. Therefore says St. Peter: Be ye therefore armed to beware of sins which still cling to you, and to contend against them for ever. For the worst enemies we have are in our bosom and in the midst of our flesh and blood,

1166 Eri. 52, 63-66, Interpretations on the 1st Epistle of St. Peter. 1167

sleep and live with us, like an evil guest, whom one has invited to one's home, and cannot get rid of.

Therefore, since through faith the Lord Christ is all yours, and you have obtained salvation and all his goods, let it henceforth be your duty to put away all malice, or all that is evil, and all deceit or guile, that is, that no one deal unfaithfully and falsely with another; as it is said of the world, "The world is full of unfaithfulness," which is also true. We Christians, however, are not to act thus with unfaithfulness, but sincerely and with a loud heart with the people, as against God, badly and rightly, so that no one misleads the other in selling, buying, or vowing, and the like.

So also St. Paul says Eph. 4, 25: "Put away lies, and speak the truth, every one to his neighbor." Truth is that yes is yes and no is no; but hypocrisy is when one presents himself differently in outward appearance than he means in his heart, because it is important to present oneself as one has it in his heart. A Christian should act in such a way that he might suffer all men to see and know what he thinks in his heart; in such a way that in all his conduct and actions he thinks only to praise God and to serve his neighbor, and shuns no one, and that each one may be found in the bottom of his heart as he is looked at, and does not make a mirror fencing to shut people's mouths.

Furthermore, St. Peter also says that one should put away envy and after-talk. There he finely hits the common vices among the people, so one deals with each other. Talking back is almost mean and frivolous, and is soon done so that no one notices it. Therefore beware of it, and diligently seek to know the fruits of the Spirit.

V. 2. And be eager for the sensible, clean milk, as the now born children.

Then he makes a likeness, saying: You are now newborn by the word of God, therefore keep yourselves as newborn babes, who have no more than milk.

As they seek the breasts and the milk, so also be eager for the word, seeking it and desiring it, that you may suck the sensible, unadulterated milk.

These words are again ambiguous, for he does not mean bodily milk, nor bodily seeking, as he does not speak of a bodily birth, but says of another milk, which is sensible, that is, spiritual, which one draws with the soul, which the heart must suck. This should be genuine and pure, not, as one is wont to sell false goods. There is truly much need, and great need, that the milk of the newborn and young Christians be pure and not adulterated. But the milk is nothing but the gospel, which is also the very seed by which we are conceived and born, as we have heard above. So it is also the food that feeds us when we grow up, is also the armor that we may arm ourselves and do evil; yes, it is all with one another. But the addition is man's doctrine, that the word of God may be counterfeited. Therefore the Holy Spirit wants every Christian to see what milk he is sucking, and to learn for himself about all doctrines.

But the breasts that give forth this milk and suckle the young children are the preachers in Christendom; as the bridegroom says to the bride in the Song of Songs, Cap. 4, 5: "Thy two breasts are as two young twins of a roe deer." They should have a bunch of myrrh hanging around them, as the bride says in the Song of Songs, Cap. 1, 13: "My friend is a bunch of myrrh hanging between my breasts," that is, one should always preach Christ; the bridegroom must be mingled in the middle of the breasts, otherwise it is wrong, and the milk is falsified, if one does not preach Christ purely. This is how it is: when one preaches that Christ died for us and saved us from sins, death and hell; that is as sweet as milk. But after that one must also preach the cross, that one may suffer as he did; this is strong drink and strong wine. Therefore, Christians must first be given the softest food, that is, milk. For it is not possible to preach evil to them, except to preach first of all the cross.

1168 EU. sz, 66-68. Second edition. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 2-4. 1169

preaching Christ alone, which is not bitter, but is sweet and fat grace, and you must not yet bear any pain. This is the right, sensible, and pure milk.

And here St. Peter has reached far into the Scriptures, as he is quite rich in writings. In the Old Testament it is written, 2 Mos. 23, 19. and 5 Mos. 14, 21.: "You shall not boil the people, because they are at their mother's milk. Dear, why did God write this? What does he care that a kid should not be killed because it is still sucking milk? Therefore, he wants to mean that St. Peter teaches here, and so much is said: "Preach carefully to the young and weak Christians; let them feed well and grow fat in the knowledge of Christ. Do not load them with strong teaching, for they are still too young. But after that, when they become strong, let them be slaughtered and sacrificed on the cross. Thus we read also Deut. 24:5: If a man had lately taken a wife, he must not go to war the first year, lest he be slain, but be merry at home with his wife. This is all to the effect that those who are still young Christians should be allowed their time, and should be treated carefully. When they have grown up, God leads them to the holy cross and lets them die like the other Christians; there the little goat is slaughtered. Now follows further:

V. 2. 3. so that by the same you may be made mehmet, if you have been frightened otherwise, that the Lord is kind.

It is not enough to hear the gospel once, we must always press on to increase; after that faith is strong, after that each one must be provided and fed. But this is not said to those who have not heard the gospel; they know neither milk nor wine. Therefore he adds, "If ye have tasted otherwise, that the Lord is good:" as if to say, To him that hath not tasted it, it is not to his heart, it is not sweet: but to them that have tasted it, they always handle the meat and the word, to them it is right and sweet.

But that means tasted, if I have to work with the

I believe in my heart that Christ has given himself to me and has become my own, and my sin and misfortune are his, and now his life is mine. If such things go to the heart, they are tasty. For how can I not have joy and delight from it? I am so happy when a good friend gives me a hundred guilders. But he who does not take it to heart cannot rejoice in 1) anything. But those taste it best who are in mortal distress or who are oppressed by an evil conscience; hunger is a good cook, as they say, who makes this 2) food taste good. The heart and conscience can hear nothing more sweet, when it feels its misery, it is eager for it, and smells the roast far away, and cannot be satisfied. So dear Mary sings in the Magnificat: "He fills the hungry with good things." But those stubborn people who live in their own holiness, build on their works, and do not feel their sin and misfortune, they do not taste it. He that sitteth at the table, and is hungry, savoureth all things well: but he that is full before, savoureth nothing, but hath abhorrence even of the very best of meat. Therefore the apostle says: "If you have tasted otherwise, that the Lord is good," as if he should say: "If you have not tasted, I preach in vain. He goes on to say:

V. 4 To whom you have come as to the living stone.

Here he goes back to the scriptures and touches the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 28, 14-16, where he says: "Hear now the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule over this people who are at Jerusalem. For ye say, We have made a covenant with death, and a covenant with hell: if a flood come, it shall not overtake us; for we have made ourselves a false refuge and a deceitful screen. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I lay in Zion a foundation stone, a touchstone, a precious cornerstone, well established. He that believeth shall not be dismayed. "2c. St. Peter used this saying here, and it is also one of the main sayings in Scripture. For Christ is

1. Wittenberger: "sichs" - sich deß.
2. Erlanger: the.

1170 Erl. [s, 68-70. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. 1171

This precious cornerstone, which God Himself laid, upon which both Jews and Gentiles must be built by faith, lest they otherwise despair, perish and die in their sins.

Just as builders lay the foundation stone when it is certain and firm that it can support the whole building: God Himself has laid Christ as a foundation stone, so that it will stand; and this is so that all who build on Him, that is, are called by the Gospel, accept it and believe that they will be justified and saved through Christ, and be sure that they will remain safe and sound against all calamities, be they sin, death, or the devil; but those who do not build on Him must be lost and condemned, for there is briefly no help or counsel for them. He is also a touchstone, which is well proven, and has been tempted in every way through suffering and the cross, so that he can have compassion and help those who are tempted, just as all those who are built on him encounter this, for they must be conformed to his image, Rom. 8:29. He is also a precious cornerstone. It is precious in the hearts of believers in Christ and before God; but before the world it is despised and rejected by the builders, that is, the best in the world, who teach and govern others, as St. Peter will soon say. But a cornerstone the prophet calls him, because he has gathered together the two 1) walls, that is, peoples, Jews and Gentiles, and has made of them one people and church 2c. So Christ, the living stone, carries the whole structure and joins it together, so that it grows into a living temple in the Lord, so that all the gates of hell cannot overthrow it. For he that is built upon this foundation stone, that is, believeth, as the prophet himself clearly interpreteth, shall not be afraid. More about this hereafter.

He who is rejected by men, but is chosen by God and is delicious.

But here he cites a saying from the 118th Psalm, v. 22 f.: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The

1. Thus the Erlangeners. Wittenberger: "die" instead of: "die zwo". That "zwo" is the right reading can be seen from the conclusion of the next paragraph.

has come from the Lord and is a miracle before our eyes"; which saying Christ also indicates Matth. 21, 42; item. St. Peter Apost. 4:11, where he says: "This is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone"; as if St. Peter should say: "You are builders; God has commanded you his house, that is, his people, that you should build it, improve it, and teach the way to salvation; has ordained your priesthood, Aaron, whose descendants you are, himself, has commanded you the law, the Scriptures, and the ministry. And he hath made you builders, that ye should take heed to the stone which he himself hath laid, and build yourselves and your people thereon, that is, receive him, and direct the people unto him as the right Lord and Saviour, that whosoever believeth in him should not be put to shame 2c. What are you doing? Not only have you not accepted him, but you have most shamefully and disgracefully rejected him, even condemning him to death as a blasphemer, deceiver and rebel, and putting him on the cross 2c., so that among you builders and your disciples he is despised and rejected, but with God he is chosen and precious, who has made him the cornerstone to support the whole building and to bind up the two walls, so that all who are built on him by faith shall not be dismayed; therefore, because you reject him, God has rejected you again and has adopted the Gentiles as his people 2c. In this way Christ Himself introduces this saying, Matth. 21, 42. 2c.

V. 5 And you also, as living stones, build yourselves into a spiritual house.

How can we build ourselves? Through the gospel and preaching. The builders are the preachers. The Christians who hear the gospel and believe are the living stones that are built and set on the cornerstone; they put their trust in it, so that their hearts will stand and rest on it. 2) They are the ones who are to keep the shape of the stone. It is therefore fitting that they should keep the form which this stone has; for if I am laid upon it by faith, I must also follow its example, do the work and conduct myself as it did, and each one with me.

2. Thus in the first treatment; in the second: "him".

1172 Erl. 52, 70-73. Second edition. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 5. 1173

This grows out of faith, and is the work of love, that we all send ourselves to one another, and all become one spiritual building. St. Paul also speaks of this, although in a different way, 1 Cor. 3:16: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"As if to say: He does not dwell in temples made with hands; he wants to have a spiritual house, that is, the Christian assembly, in which we are all alike in one faith, one as another, and all laid on one another, and joined together in love, without all malice, guile, hypocrisy, hatred, and backbiting; as he said.

And to the holy priesthood.

There he puts down the outward and bodily priesthood, which was before in the Old Testament, and at the same time the temple at Jerusalem, in which such priesthood was practiced and carried out, and wants to say thus: The law of Moses with its priesthood, sacrifices and service has now all ceased, and now a new priesthood begins, in which one will offer spiritual sacrifices, which are pleasing to God through Christ 2c.

We have argued a lot about the fact that those who are now called clergy are not priests before God, and this is based on this saying of St. Peter. For St. Peter speaks clearly: You shall build yourselves up to the spiritual and holy priesthood, therefore, whoever has the priesthood must be holy; whoever is not holy does not have it; but how they are holy is public in the day.

Nor does St. Peter make any distinction between the spiritual and secular persons, as they have hitherto called themselves spiritual and the common Christians secular; therefore they must confess this without their thanksgiving, that here St. Peter speaks in general of all Christians, who have all been born again and called to this, that they should put away all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy 2c., and be as the now-born little children who drink unadulterated milk 2c., and let themselves be built on Christ, the chosen, precious stone. Therefore they cannot prove their priesthood from this text, which they themselves have invented without the foundation of the Scriptures, and the glorious, delicious name priest,

common to all Christians, as the thieves of God alone have snatched and stolen to themselves. As their priesthood is, so are their laws, sacrifices and works; it would be a fine game in the carnival, without that' the divine name is blasphemed under such pretense.

Therefore all believers in Christ are the holy and spiritual priesthood, built on this stone. For since Christ is the bridegroom and we are the bride, the bride has everything the bridegroom has, including his own body. For when he gives himself to the bride, he gives to her all that he is, and in turn the bride also gives herself to him. Now Christ is the eternal High Priest, anointed by God Himself, who sacrificed His own body for us, item, interceded for us on the cross, third, also preached the gospel, and taught all men to know God and Himself. These three offices he also gave to all of us; therefore, because he is a priest and we are his brothers, all Christians have power and command to preach and proclaim God's grace and virtue 2c., and come before God, that one may plead for another, and offer himself to God; but, as St. Paul says, that all things be done in order, that not every one teach in the congregation, nor minister the holy sacraments, but they alone who are called of the congregation, and are commanded to the ministry; the rest shall hear in silence 2c. More about this later.

To offer spiritual sacrifices.

So the bodily sacrifices of the same priesthood are also now over, that both priesthood and sacrifice now cease, and everything is now new and spiritual. For the true, eternal high priest, Christ, is present, as it is written in Revelation John 1:5, 6, "who loved us and washed us from our sins with his blood, and made us kings and priests before God and his Father. As he sacrificed his body, so we must also sacrifice ours, Rom. 12:1. Now here is fulfilled all that is signified by the outward sacrifices in the Old Testament, as they are all kept, and is called preaching the gospel lately; for he that preacheth these things practiseth and practiseth all these things, stinging the calf to death, that is, I the carnal mind, and strangling the old

1174 Erl. 52, 73-75. interpretations on the I Epistle of St. Peter. 1175

Adam. For the unreasonable being in flesh and blood must be killed with the gospel, so we let ourselves be sacrificed and strangled on the cross. There the right priesthood goes in the swing, that we sacrifice to God the evil rogue, the lazy old donkey. For in the end, everything that we have from the old Adam must be put away, as we heard in the first chapter above. This is the only sacrifice that is pleasing and acceptable to God. From this you can see where our fools and blind leaders have led us with their illusions, who have neither understood what the right priesthood is, nor what sacrifices we should offer to God.

Now you may say: If it is true that we are all priests and should preach, what kind of being will that be? Shall there be no difference among the people, and shall the women also be priests? Answer: In the New Testament, 1) there should be no priests bearing plates; not because it is evil of him, but because there should be no difference between those who have been called priests and the common Christian man, which faith cannot suffer, so that those who are now called priests should all be laymen like the others, and only some of them who are competent should be chosen by the congregation for the office of preaching. So there is a difference outwardly of the office to which one is called by the congregation, but before God there is no difference; for the fact that some are preferred from among the multitude is because they lead and carry out the office which they all have, instead of the congregation. For, as has been said, all Christians are to sacrifice, pray, and proclaim and confess God's grace in Christ. Therefore none of them should appear and preach in the congregation, but one must be chosen from among the multitude and set up, to be set down again if he would be unrighteous. For St. Paul teaches 1 Tim. 3, 2. and Tit. 1, 6.: Such persons should be blameless 2c.

Therefore, the pope has invented his own priesthood against God's word, and has lied shamefully and unchristianly about it, that the holy

1. "should" put by us after the first editing instead of: "shall" in the Wittenberg.

u^> spiritual, who live in such a priesthood. Rather, outwardly smearing and shaving plates does not make one holy and spiritual; otherwise God would have left it at the Levitical priesthood, which he himself had established. Christ, the eternal priest, must himself stand up for us, die on the cross, and shed his blood, thereby purifying us. Such a doctrine and confession the wretched pope destroyed with his priesthood, and brought it about that there was as great a difference among us Christians as there is between us and the Turks. If you want to look at the Christians, you must make no distinction among them, not say: This is a man or a woman, a servant or a master, old or young, but as St. Paul says Gal. 3, 28: "You are all one in Christ JEsu. Therefore they are also all priests, shall proclaim all God's miracles, each one in the house to his own; those who have the command, in the church; shall all pray, offer praise to God. For, as I have said, no one shall teach in the church unless he is called to do so 2c.

This is now the right priesthood, which stands in the three pieces, as we have heard, that one offers spiritual sacrifices, and prays and preaches for all needs. Whoever then believes in Christ, that he is cleansed from all sins by his blood, is a priest, and is obliged to proclaim such unspeakable grace and love of God, shown to us in Christ; item, that he prays and carries the holy cross, by which the old Adam is killed, and offers thanks to God. Therefore, we are not to be deceived by the monkey business of the papists, if they alone want to be priests and spiritual persons, when they have no other office than that they carry plates and are smeared. By such a jugglery, as said, we are not ordained priests; it must be done by another ordaining bishop, of whom it is written Ps. 110, 4: "The Lord has sworn, and will not repent: You are a priest forever" 2c.

Those who are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

Since Christ is the cornerstone upon which we are set, what we want to do against God must be done through Him alone, as we

2. Erlanger: or a.

1176 Erl. 52, 75-77. Second edit. Sermon on 1 Petr. 2, 5. 6. 1177

have heard enough above. For God would not see my good works and cross, if I were to torture myself to death; but he sees Christ, through whom my works are valid before God, which otherwise would not be worth a straw. Therefore, the Christian calls Christ a precious cornerstone, who communicates his virtue to all who are built on him through faith. Thus St. Peter teaches us in the saying, how Christ is the living stone, what Christ is; and is a fine similitude, from which it is easy to understand how one should believe in Christ. So now follows:

V. 6. Therefore it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone, and whosoever believeth in him shall not be put to shame.

I have said before that St. Peter lards his epistle well and keeps it with scriptures; as all preachers should do, so that their foundation stands entirely on God's word. Thus, he lists here four or five sayings in succession. The first he took from the prophet Isaiah from word to word, that Christ is a precious cornerstone and foundation stone; and is the very saying that we have now acted upon and transfigured in some measure. It is a right main saying of the doctrine of faith, which should be laid as a foundation if someone wants to preach in a place where Christ was not preached before. For it must be begun from this that Christ is the stone on which faith is to be built and to stand.

But that the prophet does not speak of a physical stone in that place is proven by the fact that it follows: "He that believeth on him shall not be put to shame." If I am to believe in him, it must be a spiritual stone; for how can I believe in a physical stone or wood? For this he must truly be God, since God has forbidden in the first commandment that one should believe in no thing but him alone. Since the stone has been laid as the foundation for trusting in it, it must be God Himself. Again, it cannot be God alone, but must also be man at the same time, so that it must be part of the construction and not part of it alone,

but also the head. Now when one builds, one stone must be like another, so that each has its own kind, nature and form. Therefore, because we are built upon Christ, he must be like us, and of the same nature as the other stones that lie upon him, that is, a true man, as we all are. So the Scripture expresses with simple and bad words such a great thing, namely the whole sum of our faith, and comprehends in such short sayings more than no man can express.

I have also said what the building is, namely, faith, by which we are placed on Christ, and put our trust in the stone, and so become like it; and that this must happen so that the building fits together. For the other stones must be laid and aligned after the stone. This then is love, the fruit of faith.

But why does the prophet call him a foundation stone? Because he cannot build a structure unless a stone is first laid as a foundation. For the other stones of the building cannot stand without standing on the foundation stone. So we must all stand on Christ and recognize him as a foundation stone. Therefore we may not boast that the stone must take anything from us, but we must receive benefit from it alone. For we do not bear it, but it bears us, and on it rests sin, death, hell, and all that we have; so that all this and what offends us cannot harm us if we are set on the foundation. For if we therefore abide on him, and rely on him, we must abide where he is, even as the natural stones must rely on their foundation.

About this, the prophet also calls him a cornerstone. The Holy Spirit has his way of speaking much in short words. Christ is a cornerstone because he brought together the Gentiles and the Jews, who were deadly enemies among themselves, and thus the Christian church was gathered from both people; St. Paul writes much about this. The Jews boasted that they were God's people, in whom alone God had entrusted His word, and therefore despised the Gentiles. But now Chri-

1178 Eri, 82, 77-80. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. 1179

stus came, took away the glory of the Jews, and also claimed us Gentiles, and thus made us both one through one faith, and acted with us in such a way that we both must confess that we have nothing of our own, but are all sinners, and must alone wait for righteousness and salvation from him, and that we Gentiles also believe that Christ has come to help us, as well as the Jews. Therefore he is the cornerstone that joins two walls together, Jews and Gentiles, so that they become one building and one house, of which St. Paul also writes Eph. 2:20 ff.

Now the prophet thus concludes, "He that believeth on him shall not be put to shame." Since the Holy Spirit says that those who believe in Christ will not be put to shame, he gives us to understand what he has in mind, namely, that he has already let the judgment go, and has decided that all the world must be put to shame and disgraced; yet he wants to draw some out of the heap, so that no one may escape disgrace except the one who believes in Christ. Thus Christ himself lays it down from Marci in the last: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned"; with which words he also touches the prophet here. Therefore St. Peter has said in the first chapter that the prophets searched the time and searched for salvation, and prophesied of the future grace beforehand. So now Christ is to be preached, that he is the one who has delivered us from this disgrace in which we have all been.

Now let him who will, stand up and praise free will, and defend the powers of man. If you want to overthrow all the works and teachings of man and what comes from man, then you have had enough of this saying alone, which overthrows everything so that it must fall like the dry leaves from the tree. For it is decided: What is not on the stone is already lost; he will not suffer you to build anything with works. The Holy Spirit and the divine majesty speak so plainly that no one pays attention, but with such force that all things are cast down. Who then will act against it, or who will not be frightened by it? Therefore, God wants us to

to despair of us altogether, and to take comfort and comfort in the goods which he has, and to build on the foundation which no creature can overthrow, that no one may rely on his own piety, but on Christ's righteousness, and all that Christ has. But what does it mean to rely on his righteousness? Nothing else, but to despair of myself, and to think that my righteousness, my truth, must all fail, and to trust in his righteousness, his truth, his life, and all the goods that he has, to endure forever. There lies the foundation, since I stand on it. What does not stand on this foundation, all will have to fall. But he that trusteth on it shall not be put to shame, and shall abide, that no violence shall hurt him. Therefore Christ shall not be a stone alone, but God will also lay him as a foundation; of this we shall take comfort. God has said that he will not be able to lie.

Now this stone does not serve itself, but can be kicked and buried in the ground so that it is not seen, and the other stones lie on it and can be seen; therefore it is given to us, that we should take from it and rely on it, and believe what it has, that it is all ours, what it can do, that it has benefited us, so that I may say: This is my own good and treasure, of which my conscience can be comforted. Now St. Peter speaks further:

V. 7, 8: Now to you who believe it is precious, but to unbelievers the stone that the builders rejected and made into the cornerstone is a stumbling block and a rock of offense.

This stone, says St. Peter, is to some chosen and precious; it is also to some a stone to stumble against and a rock of trouble, Isa. 8:14. How does this work? Scripture speaks of two kinds of people: There are some who believe in Christ, and there are many who do not believe in him. To them that believe he is precious: for if I put my trust and comfort in him, I shall be glad in my heart, because I have comfort in him, that I shall not be put to shame. Therefore he says, "He is precious to you who believe, that is, who think much of him.

1180 Erl, 58, 80-82. Second edition. Sermon on I Petr. 2, 7. 8. 1181

For though he himself is good and precious, yet he is of no use to me, nor does he help me; for I believe that he, as the right living foundation stone, sustains me, so that I cannot be lost. So then he is delicious to us who believe in him, that he gives us many precious things, like a precious stone that does not keep its virtue with it, but breaks out and gives all its strength from itself, so that I have all that he is.

The unbelievers, however, do not consider him to be such a chosen, precious stone, but reject him, and stumble at him; therefore he is not comforting to them, but harmful and annoying, although otherwise he is chosen in himself and is delicious and comforting to the believers. These are not only the gross, public sinners, but rather the great saints, as in the time of Christ there were the Pharisees, scribes, 2c., who held firmly above the law, and practiced it with all seriousness, thinking that they thereby intended to attain salvation; and in our times the works saints, who rely on their free will, on their works and piety: they must bump against this stone and run up against it. God then makes a judgment that those who sit on this stone and allow themselves to be built upon it come to righteousness through faith alone, without works; but those do not come to it, because they want to come to it through their own piety, as St. Paul says Rom. 9, 31.

Therefore the stone, says St. Peter, which the builders rejected and became the cornerstone, is to the unbelievers a stone of offence and a rock of trouble; and there he interlaces the Scripture, but draws on the saying which he touched above, from the 118th Psalm, v. 22: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Who the builders are, is said above, namely, those who teach the law and want to make people godly by works; they come over with Christ as winter and summer. Therefore, the preachers of works and teachers of the law must reject this stone.

St. Peter always introduces one saying after another from the Scriptures. Is. 8, 13. is written: "Sanctify the LORD of hosts. Let him be your fear and your dread, so that

He will be a sanctification, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of trouble to the two houses of Israel" 2c.; the prophet thus wants to say: The Lord shall be a sanctification for you, that is, he shall be sanctified in your hearts; you must have no other sanctification, neither this nor that, except that you believe in him. But to those who do not believe, he will be a stone against which they will stumble and be angry. Who then are the unbelievers? Not only the godless Gentiles, but also the people of Israel and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who are God's people and circumcised, and have the Law of Moses and keep it externally 2c.

But what is the annoyance and tarnishing or bumping? This is it: When one preaches Christ, and thus says: Behold, this stone is laid for a foundation, that thou shouldest despair and despair of thyself altogether, and think thy works and own godliness vain, and that thou canst not be saved by the works of the law, 2c. and that thou shouldest rely on him alone, and believe that Christ's righteousness is thy righteousness; when they hear this, they recoil, and are offended and angry, and say: How can you say that the law of Moses, the beautiful worship that God Himself established, circumcision is nothing? item, as our adversaries are wont to say, that virginity and mass-keeping and such good works are nothing? That is the devil's way of talking. For they cannot judge themselves that their conduct should not be good, thinking that it is well done in the sight of God, and they also bring scriptural sayings to bear on it, and say that one should do good works. Right, but such good works should be done, which God has commanded, but if they are already done in the best way, we cannot be justified or saved by them, much less by works of our own choosing without God's command 2c. So they raise their voices and cry: Heretic, heretic! Fire, fire! Therefore they cannot stand the stone, and want to overturn it; so they clash against each other, so that they must be crushed against this stone, as Christ says Matth. 21, 42: "Have you not read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?" (follows, v. 44.:) "And whosoever shall fall upon this stone shall be dashed to pieces; upon which

1182 Erl. 52, 82-84. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. 1183

but it falls, it will crush him." Therefore do as you will, there is no shame in the stone; it is laid and will remain. Whoever now wants to run up against it and rub against it will have to break.

Now this is the offence and the vexation of which the Scriptures speak much. So the Jews are still striking at the stone today, and there is no end to it until the last day; then this stone will fall on all unbelievers and crush them. Therefore, though Christ is such a chosen and precious stone, yet he must be called a stone of offense and stumbling, through no fault of his own. As the Jews did, so do our adversaries now. They boasted in God's name that they were God's people, so it was impossible that they should err; 2c. So it is also now that they deny Christ under Christ and the church's name, and reject the precious stone. Cause: They are to let go of their wisdom, righteousness, holiness 2c.; this they will not and cannot do; before they reject this chosen, precious stone. But it remains unthrown, but they must go to the ground over it and go to the devil; nothing else will come of it. Follow on:

Those who take offense at the word and do not believe in it, from which they are set.

Then hear thou what the cause is, that the word and preaching of Christ shall not enter into them, neither taste that we must be built upon him, or be lost with us. Therefore, when they hear: By the works of the law no man can be justified before God; vowing and keeping chastity, poverty, obedience, does not appease God's wrath, but believing in Christ 2c., they do not believe such preaching of grace, indeed, they resent and are offended by it. Therefore St. Paul also calls the gospel an angry word from the cross, which those who are lost consider to be a loud foolishness. "We preach," he says, "Christ crucified, a vexation to the Jews and a foolishness to the Greeks; but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ, divine power and divine wisdom," 1 Cor. 1:23 ff.

V. 9. But you are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people of ownership.

Then he gives the Christians a righteous title, and has taken the saying from Moses, Deut. 7, 6. where he says to the Jews: "You are a holy people to God, your Lord; God, your Lord, has chosen you as a people of ownership from all the peoples that are on earth. And Ex. 19:5 f. he saith, "If ye will obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be my possession before all nations, and shall be unto me a priestly kingdom, and a holy nation." There you see what St. Peter is talking about. As I said before, so I still say that one should pay attention and be accustomed to how the Scriptures speak of priests; let no one worry about whom people call priests; let them call everyone what they want, you stay with the true word of God; what that same priest is called, you call after him, so you do not err. We will let it happen that those who are ordained by bishops and pope call themselves priests, but so far that they do not call themselves God's priests; for they cannot find a word of it for themselves from the Scriptures.

But if they come with this saying of St. Peter, and pretend that he speaks of them, ask them to whom St. Peter speaks these words, they will have to stand with shame. For it is ever clear and public that he speaks to the whole multitude, to all Christians, in that he says: "You are the chosen generation" 2c.; for he has spoken of no one so far, except of those who are laid on the stone and believe; therefore it must follow that whoever does not believe is not a priest.

Yes, they say, one must interpret the words 1) as the holy fathers have interpreted them; so you say: Let the fathers and teachers, whoever they are, interpret as they wish; so St. Peter tells me, he has greater testimony from God than those; in addition, he is also older, therefore I will keep it with him. So the saying is not allowed to be a gloss, because it speaks of those who believe with expressed words.

1. "So" is in the first edit, but is missing in the Wittenberg.

1184 Erl. 84-86. Second edition. Sermon on I Petr. 2, 9. 1185

Now the Scriptures call those faithful who know Christ as their Lord and Savior, and certainly hope to be saved, not by works, hard living and merit, but by his death and resurrection, as has been sufficiently said above. Therefore we will gladly grant them that they may call themselves so, for we do not ask how they will be reproached; but the dispute is whether they are called priests in the Scriptures, and whether God calls them so. Some can be drawn from the congregation to serve as ministers, and they are appointed to preach in the congregation and to administer the sacraments; but all who believe in Christ are priests before God; for since they are placed on the stone, which is the true, eternal high priest before God, they also have all that he has.

Therefore I would very much like that this word "priest" would be just as common as that we are called Christians, because it is all one thing, priests, baptized, Christians. Just as we should not suffer that the smeared and corrupted multitude should call themselves Christians and baptized alone, so we should not suffer that they should want to be priests alone; nor have they taken it upon themselves alone. Thus they have also snatched the word "church" to themselves alone, so that we must accept everything they have decided and established, even if it has already been publicly contrary to God's word, as articles of faith and hold them to be blessed if we lose our souls; but the Scriptures call this group the church, if they have the pure word of God and the right understanding and use of the sacraments, and believe to be saved through Jesus Christ. 2c. Therefore, notice this carefully, so that you know how to make a distinction between those who are priests before God, namely, those who proclaim God's glory and good deeds shown to us in Christ, pray, do good and suffer evil, and those who want to be called priests because of their consecration, plates and long robe; they are priests, as Baal's priests were prophets 2c.

So it is also true that we are all kings. Priests and kings are all spiritual names, like Christians, saints, church. For just as you are not called a Christian because you have much money and goods, but because you are built on the stone and believe in Christ:

So you are not called a priest because you wear a plate or a long skirt, but because you have access to the Father through Christ, and you may ask in His name and be sure that you will be heard. Likewise, you are not a king because you wear a crown of gold and have much land and people under you, but because through Christ you are lord over death, sin, hell, and all creatures. For you are as much a king as Christ is a king, if you believe in him. Now he is not a worldly king, nor does he wear a crown of gold, nor does he ride forth with great pomp and 1) many horses; but he is a king above all kings, to whom all authority has been given in heaven and earth, and, as the Psalm says, all things have been put under his feet. As he is a lord, so am I and so are you a lord; what he has, I have and you have also; for through him we are God's children and heirs, his brothers and fellow heirs, Rom. 8:17.

Just as Christ is not a worldly king (for in the world he had no place of his own where he could have laid his head), but a spiritual, eternal king, to whom the Father gave all things, so that he might save his own from all misery and make them righteous and blessed, so also those who believe in him are spiritual kings through him, partakers of eternal, heavenly goods, which neither death nor the devil can take away from them. I say this so that you may understand the words priest, king 2c. in the Scriptures, not like the world, which knows of no other kings than those who wear golden crowns, have lands and people under them, who may also be wicked, godless people, as they also commonly are. They are glorious, powerful, rich and proud in the eyes of the world, but when death comes, their power and honor are over. But with the kings, of whom St. Peter says here, it is the same the other way round; on earth they are commonly poor, miserable, afflicted and despised people 2c.; but before God the richest and most glorious, who have little or nothing, and yet have everything; who are poor, and yet many

1. "and" put by us after the first edit instead of "off" in the second.