Marc. 16, 14-20.
Last of all, as the elders sat at meat, he manifested himself, and rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him risen: and he said unto them: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And the signs which shall follow them that believe are these: In my name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall cast out serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; and they shall lay their hands on the sick, and it shall be better with them. And the Lord, after he had spoken unto them, was lifted up to heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God. They went out and preached in every place, and the Lord worked with them, confirming the word with signs.
*This sermon, which is found in a b c, dates from the year 1523, and has also appeared in three separate printings of the same year. D. Red.
1 Today we celebrate the article of faith, in which we say: I believe in Jesus Christ, who ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. The same history runs over this gospel recently. Lucas, however, deals with something longer and writes that the Lord gathered the disciples all together about forty days after the resurrection, when he had often revealed himself to them, and talked with them and gave them orders about what they should do; and when they were with one another and talked with him like this outside Bethany, where he had led them, some of them asked him and said, "Lord, are you going to set up the kingdom of Israel again at this time? And he said unto them, It behooveth you not to know the time or the days which the Father hath reserved for his power: but ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you, and ye shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the end of the earth. And when he had said these things, he blessed them, and gave them good night, and departed from them, and was lifted up. And a cloud took him up out of their sight." And as they looked toward heaven, behold, two men clothed in white stood close beside them, and said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing into heaven? This Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall return as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then they returned from Bethany, from the Mount of Olives, to Jerusalem, and sat down in the upper chamber of the house where they were seated, and continued one with another in prayer, with their wives, and with Mary the mother of Jesus. This is the story of the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ; now let us hear the Gospel.
(2) In the first place, there are two parts in this gospel: one is that the Lord commands the apostles to preach the gospel in all the world; the other is about his ascension. But we will leave the first part, where the Lord punishes their unbelief and hard hearts, and go on to the second part, where he says: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. There you have what the gospel
When I say, "He that believeth and is baptized is saved," I mean the gospel in German. In these words it is even understood; he who has them has the gospel.
(3) Thus we have often said before, that the gospel is not actually written in books, but a bodily preaching, which is to be heard in all the world, and is to be proclaimed freely before all creatures, since they should hear it all if they had ears; that is, it is to be preached publicly, so that it could not be preached more publicly. For the old law and what the prophets preached did not go forth into all the world before all creatures, but was preached by the Jews in their synagogues; but the gospel is not to be harnessed in this way, but is to go forth freely into all the world.
4 Therefore it is not necessary to make other glosses here, as some have done, saying that omnis creatura is called a man. For in the words it is not signified that it should be preached to men only, but that it should be proclaimed before all creatures, so that there should be no place on earth where it should not resound before the last day. This is God's counsel, in which He has decreed that even those who cannot read, nor have heard Moses and the prophets, should nevertheless hear the gospel.
5 What then is the gospel? The words which the Lord saith, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." We have often said that I think it should be well understood that the gospel cannot suffer us to preach works, however good and great they may be; for it wants to tear us away from our presumption, and to set and base us on God's mercy alone, that His work and grace alone may be praised; therefore it does not suffer us to base ourselves on our works. For two things must perish: if I stand on God's grace and mercy, I do not stand on my merit and works; so again: if I stand on my works and merit, I do not stand on God's merit and works.
Grace. For, "if it is grace," says St. Paul Rom. 11:6, "it is not merit; otherwise grace could not be grace." If it is merit, then it is my reward, which is owed to me; but if it is grace, then I cannot say that God owes me a reward, but I must confess that He has given it to me for nothing.
Therefore, if one wants to preach the gospel, one must throw away all works by which one wants to be pious, so that nothing remains but faith; for I must believe that God has given me His grace and eternal life without all merit and without regard to all my works, so that I must thank Him and say: I am glad, praise and thank God that He has given me such abundant good in vain and out of pure grace. So that the Gospel, as the Scripture says, is nothing else but a sermon of the praise, glory and honor of God; as is also written in the 19th Psalm, v. 2: "The heavens tell the glory of God, and the best proclaims the work of His hands. One day tells another, and one night makes known another." Therefore, one should preach that the glory and praise is directed towards God and not towards us. Now one cannot praise God more highly, nor give Him glory, nor say that He is more glorious, than when we confess that out of pure grace and mercy He takes away sin, death and hell from us, and gives His dear Son for us, and gives us His goods all with one another. Such a confession must give him alone honor, praise and glory.
(7) And there go all the sayings in the prophets, where God boasts that he will establish a sermon, whereof he shall be praised and glorified; as when he says in the prophet Isaiah Cap. 43, 21. he says: "This people I have chosen for myself, and they shall declare my praise." As if he wanted to say, "You hypocrites do no more than praise yourselves in your hearts; therefore my praise falls down, because you make me a harsh judge and an unkind God, so that people become hostile to me and secretly think, "If we had another God, who did not demand so much of us, we would love him. Therefore I will make me another people, who shall know me and love me, when they see that I am their God.
They will not look at my works, but will give them all that is good for nothing; they will be filled with joy in their hearts, and will not be able to praise or glorify me enough.
6 Therefore see to it that you do not gloss over these words and make them better than Christ has made them. Our scholars and high schools have also tried to improve them, saying that they must be understood as follows: "He who believes (hear: and does good works) "shall be saved. Who commanded them to make this addition? Do you think that the Holy Spirit is so foolish that he could not have added it? So they have even obscured the noble saying, even perverted it with this addition. Therefore beware that you do not add to it, but keep the words as they are, and understand them thus: "He that believeth shall be saved" without his own merit, without any works. Why? Because God has proclaimed and preached to us that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take away sin and all unhappiness. For he saw that we were not able, and that it was impossible for us, by our works and strength, to take away sin; otherwise he might well have spared the trouble and expense of sending his Son to suffer and to die; and this he hath declared unto us by the gospel.
(9) But what belongs to such a sermon? It is that I believe it, for otherwise I cannot grasp it. If you write it down in a book, it is of no use to anyone, for you have given it much thought. Item, that you preach and talk about it, or hear, does not help either; but you must believe it, and rely on it without doubt, so that, as the gospel says, it is not your works, but the work of the Lord Christ, dying and resurrection, that takes away your sin and death. You cannot come to this except by faith.
10 Again Christ says, "But whosoever believeth not," though he be baptized, "shall be damned." But you must leave the words as they stand. For he saith not thus, Whosoever believeth not, and doeth evil works thereto; but rather thus, If thou hadst the chastity of all virgins, of all martyrs, and of all men, thou shouldest not have believed.
Suffering, and recently, all the good works that all the saints have ever done, in one heap: where there is not faith, it is lost.
(11) Therefore, this is the very saying that overthrows all monasteries, priests, monks and nuns, for it is lost: do what you will, and the judgment is already passed and decided: If you do not believe, you are already damned. Thus the two sayings strongly and powerfully strike against all doctrine and being that is based on human powers and works.
012 Therefore set them over against one another, and thou mayest rightly conclude: Where there is faith, there are not so many sins which must not be swallowed up and destroyed by faith; where there is unbelief, you can never do so many good works as to destroy the least sin. Now as little as sin can remain before faith, so little can good works be with unbelief. Therefore nothing more belongs to good works than faith, and nothing more to sin and evil works than unbelief. Thus it follows that he who believes has no sin and does good works; again, he who does not believe, truly does no good work, but all is sin.
013 Therefore I say, Thou canst not have done so much sin, neither is God so hostile to thee, that it shall not all be taken away and forgiven, when thou beginest to believe. For by faith you have Christ for your own, who was given to you to take away your sin; and who would be so bold as to condemn him? Therefore no sin can remain, however great they may be, if thou believest; then art thou the dear child, and all things are evil, and whatsoever thou doest is right. If thou believest not, thou art condemned, and doest all that thou wilt; for because thou hast not Christ, it is impossible for thee to destroy one sin.
(14) Therefore, since there is no other means to take away sin but Christ, you may say: How is it then that one must nevertheless do good works, because it depends only on faith? Answer: Where faith is right, it cannot be without good works. In the same way, where there is unbelief, there can be no good works. Therefore, do you think that out of faith there must be good works?
good works follow vainly. For as faith brings you salvation and eternal life, so it also brings with it good works and is unstoppable. For just as a living man cannot sustain himself, he must eat and drink and be busy, and it is not possible for such works to remain outside, because he is alive; that he must not be called and driven to do such works, but if he is only alive, he does them: so nothing more is needed to do good works, but to say, Only believe, and thou shalt do all things of thyself.
(15) Therefore you must not long require good works of him who believes, for faith teaches him all things; and then all that he does is well done, and is truly excellent good works, however small they may be. For faith is so noble that it makes everything good that is in man. Now it is impossible for a man living on earth not to have something to do. Therefore, such works as are done by faith are truly excellent works. Again, where there is unbelief, man cannot be without works; therefore the same works are all sin; for there is no Christ, therefore all is lost. Hence the saying of St. Paul to the Romans Cap. 14, 23: "Whatever is not of faith is sin." As if he wanted to say, "What comes from faith is all grace and righteousness; that is briefly concluded. Therefore one must not ask whether one should do good works; for they do themselves without being asked. This is also the meaning of the saying in Psalm 25:10: "All the steps of the Lord are goodness and faithfulness, or grace and truth." That is, if God works in us and causes us to believe, then what we do is all grace and all truth, that is, it is for a right reason and not hypocrisy. But on the other hand, all the ways of men are not grace, but wrath, not truth, but only sham and hypocrisy, because they proceed from unbelief.
16 Thou shalt not therefore by any means make the gloss, saying, Faith not only doeth it, but works also belong unto it, that a man may become godly. For it is clear enough
From what we have said, that works do nothing. No one is harmed except by unbelief: that works are not enough. For if there were faith, all would be well. Therefore, just as works do little to make them evil in unbelief, so they do little to make them good in faith: but unbelief alone corrupts all works, and faith makes them all good.
017 But there is another thing, that Christ saith, Whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Then you might say, "I hear that baptism is also a part of it. Yes, indeed, it is part of it; but baptism is not a work that we do. But for this reason it should be with faith, because God does not want faith to remain hidden in the heart, but to burst forth, to be known and revealed before the world. And for this reason He has instituted such outward signs, by which each one may prove and confess his faith, so that he may also come to the holy cross. For if faith were to remain secretly hidden in the heart, it would be certain that we would not be allowed to carry the cross or follow Christ, for where the world did not know that we believed, we would not be persecuted.
18 Secondly, if we did not publicly confess the gospel and have an outward sign so that it could be known where and who the Christians were, no one would be brought to faith through us. Now God has decreed that our faith should be revealed to the Gentiles; therefore, whoever is a Christian and has been baptized is already in danger of being attacked and strangled by the Gentiles and unbelievers. Therefore it is necessary for us to be baptized, if we are Christians; or can we not come to this, that we say: I would like to be baptized.
19. above these things also the sign is given us, that God Himself may help us, and that we may be sure of His grace; and that every one may say, God hath therefore given me a sign, that I may be sure of salvation; which He hath promised me through the gospel. For he
hath given us the words, which is the letter; and beside the words, baptism, which is the seal: that therefore the faith which holds the word may be strengthened by the sign and seal.
020 But thou seest not yet the work of man: for baptism is not mine, but God's work. For he that baptizeth me standeth in the place of God, and doeth not the work of man, but it is the hand and work of God: that God himself doeth it. Therefore I may and should say: God, my Lord, has baptized me Himself by the hand of man; I can boast of this, and I should rely on it, and say: God has given me the sign, who will not lie nor can lie, that I may be sure that he is gracious to me, and will make me blessed, and has given me all that he has through his Son. So on our side there is nothing but faith alone, and on his side the word and sign alone. We have spoken of this often enough, so that now there is no need to speak more or further about it.
(21) Now in the gospel follows the signs which are to follow them that believe; of which we shall not speak much now, but shall come to the other part which we have taken before us, concerning the ascension of Christ.
22. lately, let it not be understood that these alone are the signs which believers will do, which Christ the Lord here touches; neither let it be thought that all Christians will do them: but thus Christ means that all Christians can and may do them. For if I believe, I can do it, and it is in my power; for faith gives me so much that nothing is impossible to me; and therefore, if it were necessary, and would serve to spread the gospel, we might well do it; but because it is not necessary, we do not do it. For Christ did not say that they must always go forth and do this, but that they have power and can do it. And of this promise we have many things. As when Christ said in the Gospel of John, Cap. 14:12, "He that believeth on me, the works or signs that I do, the same shall he do, and greater things than these shall he do." Dar-
So let these words remain and do not make other glosses about them; as some have said that the signs were the revelation of the Spirit in the beginning of Christianity and have now ceased. This is not right, for there is still such power. And even if it is not in use, it is not because of that. For we still have the power to perform such signs.
Now we must also speak of the ascension of the Lord Christ. In the first place, it is easily said and understood that the Lord has ascended into heaven and is seated there at the right hand of God. But it is a dead word and understanding if it is not grasped with the heart.
(24) Therefore his ascension and his sitting must be an active and powerful thing that goes on forever, and not think that he went up there and sits up there and lets us rule here; but for this reason he went up, so that he could create and rule the most there. For if he had remained on earth, visible to the people, he would not have been able to accomplish so much, for not all the people would have been able to be with him and hear him. Therefore he began such a way that he might work with all and rule in all, that he might preach to them all and they might all hear, and he might be with them all. Therefore, beware that you do not think that he is now far from us, but just the opposite: when he was on earth, he was too far from us; now he is too close to us.
(25) But reason cannot understand how it is. Therefore it is an article of faith; one must close one's eyes and not follow reason, but grasp it with faith. For how can reason understand that there is a man like us, and sees all men, and knows all hearts, and gives faith and the Spirit to all; or that he sits up there in heaven, and yet is with us and in us, and rules us? Therefore leave thine own conceit at home, and say thus: This is the Scripture, and the word of God; which is unseemly higher than all reason and understanding. Therefore only step away from it, and the
Scripture is written about this man, how he ascended to heaven and sits and reigns at the right hand of God; on this we will see several sayings.
26. first, the 8th Psalm v. 5. 6. 7. says of Christ: "How strange a man is this, whom thou hast made to lack a little while of God, and afterwards crowned with glory and honor; and hast set him over all the works of thy hands, and hast put all things under his feet". There the prophet speaks of a man to God, and marvels that God humbled him for a little while, namely, that he let him die, so that it was thought that there was no God with him; but soon after that he set him, so that everything that is in heaven and earth had to be obedient to him. We must hold on to these words, cling to them and believe them, for reason will not go along with them, but will say that they are lies. If then all things are to be subject to man and lie at his feet, he must sit where he can see into the whole world, heaven and hell, and into all hearts, all sin and righteousness, and not only see everything, but also rule according to it.
(27) Therefore these words are high and mighty, and give great comfort to the heart, so that those who believe them become joyful and courageous, and defy them, saying: My Lord Christ is Lord over death, devil, sin, righteousness, body, life, enemies and friends; of what shall I be afraid? For if mine enemies sit at the door, and think that they will slay me, my faith thinketh thus, Christ is gone up to heaven, and is become Lord over all creatures: so must mine enemies also be subject unto him: therefore it is not in their power that they should hurt me; and despite that they should lift a finger, or bend a hair of mine head, without Christ's will. When faith grasps this, and stands on the article, it stands firm, and becomes bold and sure, saying, If my Lord will that they should kill me, well with me, I will go. Therefore you see that he has gone to heaven, not to sit there for himself, but to rule there for our good, so that we may have comfort and joy from it. This is a saying.
28 Secondly, we also read in the 2nd Psalm v. 7. 8. that God says to Christ: "You are my Son, today I have given you birth. Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for an inheritance, and the end of the world for a possession." But there you see that Christ is set by God as Lord over all the earth. If then he is my friend, and I consider it certain that he died for me, and gave me all things, and sitteth for my sake in heaven, and looketh upon me; who then will hurt me? or, if any thing be done unto me, what shall it hurt me?
29. again David says in the 110th Psalm v. 1: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. And what follows in the same place, vv. 5, 6, 7, as, "The Lord on thy right hand shall smite kings in the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations; he will fill them with dead bodies; he will crush the heads of many nations. He will drink from the brook in the way; therefore he will lift up the head."
30 Item, in another Psalm David says, Ps. 68, 19: "Thou hast ascended on high, and hast caught the prison. Thou hast received gifts for men, even for the apostates, that God the Lord may dwell there." And all the prophets took great pains to describe the ascension of Christ and his kingdom. For as his death and dying are deeply grounded in Scripture, so also is his kingdom, resurrection and ascension. So his ascension must be understood, otherwise it has neither power nor sap. For what good is it to preach no more, but that he is gone and sitteth up there idle? For thus the prophet in the Psalm wants to say, "Christ has ascended on high, and has taken prison captive." That is, he not only sits up there, but is also here. And for this very reason he has gone up there, that he might be on earth, that he might fill all things, and be in all places: which he could not do on earth, because there all eyes of the flesh could not see him. That is why he sat there, where everyone can see him.
and that he should have power over all creatures, since he is present everywhere and all things are full of him, and there is nothing so great in heaven and earth that he does not have power over it, that it should do what he wills and no more; that he not only rules and fills all creatures (for this does not yet help my faith, nor does it take away sin), but has also captured the prison.
31 Some have interpreted this prison to mean that he took the holy old fathers out of the outer castle of hell, but this does not help faith either, for it does not build up faith in any special way. Therefore, we must understand that he means the prison that catches me and imprisons me. For I am Adam's child, full of sin and filthiness; therefore the law hath taken me captive, that my conscience is entangled and condemned unto death.
32) No one can come out of prison except the one man, Christ. What has he done? He has done that sin, death and the devil are guilty of him. Sin fell on his neck as if it wanted to drown him, but he lost it by devouring it, and so did the devil, death and hell. But we cannot do this unless he is there with his help and helps us, for then we must succumb: but he, because he had done no sin and was full of righteousness, trampled it under foot and swallowed it up, and took captive everything that wanted to catch us, so that now sin and death can no longer do anything.
(33) This then is the power which he preacheth, that they which believe on him should be delivered from prison: for I believe on him that hath taken away sin, and death, and all things that pertain unto us. It is a sweet and comforting speech to preach that death is thus taken away and strangled, that one no longer feels or senses it, but only to those who believe it. You will not find it in your works, fasting, praying, mortification, plates and robes, and whatever else you may do, but only in the places where Christ sits and has gone, and where he has taken the prison with him. And therefore, whoever wants to be free from sin and be saved
If he is from the devil and death, he must come where he is. But where is he? He is here with us, and therefore is seated in heaven, that he may be near us; so we are with him up there, and he with us down here; by this preaching he comes down, so by faith we come up.
(34) So we see everywhere in Scripture that faith is such an inexpressibly great thing that there is never enough to go around.
and can obtain it with words: one hears it and does not stand it; therefore one must believe it alone. For faith is of this kind, that it feels nothing at all, but only follows the words which it hears, and clings to them. If he believes, he has it; if he does not believe, he does not have it. Thus the article of faith must be understood, that Christ has ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God.