Joh. 15, 26. to Cap. 16, 4.
But when the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. And ye also shall testify, because ye have been with me from the beginning. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They will put you under ban. But the time will come when whoever kills you will think he is doing God a service. And they will do this to you, so that they will not recognize my Father or me. But these things have I spoken unto you, that, when the time shall come, ye may remember that I have told you. But I did not tell you this at the beginning, because I was with you.
1 Your love has heard much of faith before, now hear also of the testimony of faith, and of the cross which follows. For thus Paul said to the Romans, Cap. 10:10: "If a man believe from the heart, he is justified." For if one wants to be pious, he must start in the heart and believe; this only does for piety, but it is not enough for salvation. Therefore one must also do what a Christian life brings and remain constant in it. Therefore Paul adds, "And if a man confess with his mouth, he is saved. These two things are what make one blessed, faith and confession of faith. Faith saves from sins, hell, the devil, death and all misfortune. Now, if we have this, we have enough; so God lets us live here, that we reach out to our neighbor and help him; thus God wants his name to be praised and his kingdom to be increased. Therefore, one must praise His name here, confess faith, and draw others to Him, so that the kingdom of God may be increased and His name may be praised.
2 So faith must be exercised, worked and armored, even pulled through the fire like gold; for faith, the high gift and treasure of God, must break forth and become certain before me, before God,
before all angels, devils and the whole world, that it is right. For just as a precious stone does not want to be hidden, but carried; so faith also wants and must be carried and made known; as it is written in the 1st epistle of Peter, 1. v. 7: "Your faith shall be proved, and found more precious than gold that perishes, which is proved by fire."
Now, with the confession I have to burden myself with devils, hell, death and the whole world, kings and princes, pope and bishops, priests and monks. For through faith all that reason can and has devised for the salvation of souls falls away, and all the world's monkey business must be punished, and only its jewels must be praised; for this the world cannot stand, therefore it falls down and chokes, kills, and says, "It is better that one die than the whole nation perish," as Caiphas says John 11:50. 11, 50. So the confession must break out, namely, that God alone is the Savior; and that same confession brings us around the neck; as the Lord says to the disciples afterwards: "They will put you under ban.
4 The cross cannot be painted in any other way than it is painted here, for that is its true color. But to lie at home in bed, to be sick, is nothing compared to this: it is indeed a suffering esteemed; but this is a golden suffering, that we are persecuted and killed with shame, that those who persecute have the praise, and that the prize, right and honor is on their side, shame, ignominy and injustice is on our side, versus
of the world, which then wants to defend God's honor by saying that all the world has done right to us, and that God, the Scriptures and all the angels stand against us. There must be no complaint, no justice, but be cursed and put to shame. So it also happened to Christ that they threw him into the most shameful and ignominious death, and hung him between two thieves or murderers, and he was considered a chief scoundrel, and they said with blasphemous words: "He has called himself the Son of God; now help him if he wants it otherwise. Then God had to be against him and all the angels. So he also says here: "They will kill you," and not badly, but with shame, so that all the world will say that they are doing God a service. Now this is a hard thing, that one nevertheless holds there and confesses that God is gracious to us and a savior against all the world, against all shining and appearing. So be it, however hard and sharp it may be, it must be known, if we want to do otherwise.
(5) Faith must be aware of all these things, and nothing more certain than the cross follows confession. For it is certain that we will encounter, whether in life or in death, that everything we do will be regarded as against God and against the Scriptures. So it would be better to learn this from people here in life than from the devil in death, for people cannot go any further than their ears; but the devil has a sharp tongue, he penetrates the heart and makes the heart tremble, and makes you so afraid that you think you are lost and corrupt, that heaven and earth, God and all the angels stand against you. This is what the prophet means in the 6th Psalm v. 7. 8. when he says: "I have labored with my groaning. I have washed my bed all night long, and with my tears I have made my bed; my form is decayed for wrath, and is waxed old; for I am troubled in all places." For to stand there is hard. Now you see how few there are who can testify to this faith. For one fears his wife, another his children and goods, the third his own.
6 Now faith is in vain if it does not remain steadfast to the end, as Chri
stus says in Matthew 10:22 and Cap. 24, 13: "He who perseveres to the end will be blessed." Therefore it would be better to experience it here than there. And if one flees here, there is no faith in the heart, only a dead opinion or delusion, which is without marrow, strength, sap and bone; but where there is true living faith, it penetrates through sword and fire. Now let us see how the Lord comforts his disciples here. He speaks thus:
But when the Comforter will come.
7 That we may not despair, he saith: I will send you a Comforter, and one that is almighty. And call the Holy Spirit here a Comforter: for though my sin and the fear of death make me foolish, yet he cometh and stirreth up my heart, and saith, Hie, fresh up! So he inspires us with courage, speaks to us in a friendly and comforting way, so that we do not despair of death, but go up fresh, even if we have ten necks, and say, "Even though I have sin, they still pass through; and if I have more of them, so that they come crashing down on me, I hope that they will not harm me. Not that sin should not be felt; for the flesh must feel it: but the Spirit overcomes and subdues stupidity and fear, and leads us through; for he is powerful enough for this. Therefore he further speaks:
Which I will send you from the Father.
8. for he, the Father, is the initial person; I, the Son; and from us comes the Holy Spirit. And the three persons are one thing and being, at the same time mighty and powerful, as he expresses and speaks even better:
The Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father.
(9) This much is said, He that comforteth you is almighty, and the Lord of all things. Now what can the creature do against us, if the Creator stands with us? Behold, how great is the consolation of the Holy Ghost. Now let all the Turks come here; if he who is our
If it is protection and restraint, it has no need. For so John says in his first epistle Cap. 3, 19. 20.: "By this we know that we are of the truth, and we lift up our heart to Him, that if our heart condemns us, then God is greater than our heart, and knows all things." So he says also v. 4. in the following chapter: "Little children, ye are of God, and have overcome them: for he that is in us is greater than he that is in the world." Now if the Lord says, "I will send him to you so that nothing can harm you," is this not a great comfort; who would not become bold and courageous here? And call him a "Spirit of truth," that is, where he is, and cometh, there is ground, truth through and through, there is no falsehood nor hypocrisy; for the Spirit feigneth not: but where he is not, there is vain hypocrisy and falsehood. Wherefore also when it cometh to pass, one falleth away: for there is not the Spirit of truth. Now further he speaks:
It will bear witness to me.
010 This is, If he that is in the heart speaketh through you, and make you sure and certain that the gospel is true; whereupon cometh forth the confession of the gospel. What then is the gospel? It is a testimony of Christ, that he is the Son of God, the Savior, and nothing else. This is what Peter means in 1 Ep. 2:9, when he says: "You are a royal priesthood, that we have been chosen to preach Christ and to make him known. There must ever be testimony; for this invites the wrath of all the world; for the cross follows; for indignations arise; lords and princes are angry, and all that is great; for the world cannot hear this preaching, nor suffer it. Therefore the gospel is a hostile sermon.
(11) Now reason thinks, "Well, one could preach the gospel, nevertheless, by saying it plainly and simply, without the indignation of the world, and it would be well received. This is what the devil said, for if I believe and say that faith alone in Christ alone does and accomplishes everything, then I will cause all the world's monkeyshines; they cannot stand that. Therefore the doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of men cannot stand together.
fall. For priests and monks, as they are now, have their name, nature and actions from human statutes; the gospel overthrows them. Therefore, they may not accept the gospel and remain as they are.
(12) Thus I say that the Christian faith is directed to Christ alone, without any other influence; so then they do not want to drop their thing and their order; so then the outrages become. Therefore, where the gospel is and the confession of Christ is, there must be a riot, for it throws everything to the ground that is not of the kind. If they were not against each other, they could well stand together. Now they are against each other. For as little as Christ is not Christ, so little can a monk or a priest be a Christian. Therefore a fire must be kindled; for the Lord Himself says in Matt. 10:34 and Luc. 12:51: "I am not come to send peace, but a sword." Follow on:
And you will also bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
013 Yea, then first of all, when ye are made sure by the Holy Ghost, which beareth witness unto you, then shall ye also bear witness of me: for therefore have I chosen you to be apostles, and have heard my words, and my doctrine, and have seen my works, and my doings, and all things which ye shall preach. But the Holy Spirit must be first, or you will do nothing. For the conscience is too weak for sin; indeed, there is no sin so small that the conscience can resist it, even if it were as small as laughter in church. Item, when death comes, the conscience is much too weak. Therefore another must come along and make the stupid, despondent conscience courageous, so that it goes through, although all sins would be on it. And it must immediately become omnipotent, as he is who promises it, so that which before was afraid of a rustling leaf, now is not afraid of all devils; and what conscience before could not receive laughter, now receives all sin.
14 For this is the use and fruit of the Holy Spirit, that sin may be changed into the very highest and best custom.
So Paul boasted to Timothy, when he was converted, how he had lived so wickedly before, and now held his sin in such contempt that he made a song and sang of it thus: "I thank him that confirmed me in Christ Jesus our Lord, that he counted me faithful, and set me in office, who before was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and a reviler. But I have received mercy, because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief. But the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was the more abundant through faith and love in Christ Jesus. For this is certainly true, and a precious word, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. But for this reason mercy was shown to me, so that Christ Jesus might show all long-suffering in me, as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life. But to God, the King of eternity, the incorruptible and invisible, and only wise, be glory and praise forever and ever, amen," 1 Tim. 1, 12-17. I mean, that means a little song sung; the Holy Spirit directs that, where he comes into a heart. Follow further in the text:
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye be not offended.
15 Having strengthened them, he warns them of the suffering to come, so that they may suffer it bravely. For it is a good friend who warns you, and the evil is much more bearable if you have prepared yourself for it beforehand. And says:
They will banish you. But the time will come when he who kills you will think he is doing God a service.
(16) This will certainly happen to you, so prepare yourselves and be ready. And that will be the worst of all, because they will deal with you in the most shameful way, they will think they are doing well, and it will be seen as if you had God against you, and they will sing Te Deum laudamus (Lord God, we praise you) about it, as if you had not done anything.
they have fulfilled God's will and pleasure. Therefore he prepares them here, that they may be bold when it comes to pass; and decides that they shall have God for themselves, though it have no appearance; for God is on their side. And says:
And they will do this to you because they have not known my Father or me.
017 Therefore forbear, forbear, and be steadfast; see that ye be not offended against me; remember that I told you before, that they knew not the Father, nor me; and therefore they shall put you to such shame, and disgrace, and persecution. This you shall never forget; for it will give you great comfort, make you bold, courageous and undaunted. Therefore he concludes the warning and says:
These things I have spoken unto you, that when the time shall come ye may remember that I have told you: but these things I have not told you from the beginning, because I was with you.
18 Which of them would be worse than the one who told the pope that he did not know the Father? He would certainly speak the contradiction and say: Well, that means you speak the devil. Well, they all say they know the father; the Turk also says that. Likewise, they say they believe the Scriptures and God. But there are two kinds of knowledge. The first, as if one knows the Turk from the clamor and rumor; the other, if one recognizes him by his deed, which one feels as if he would take Rome. In this case, we do not recognize him.
19 Thus, on the first way is also the knowledge that some have of God. For they know how to say of him, "I believe in God the Father, and in his only begotten Son;" but it is only on the tongue like a foam on the water, it does not enter the heart; for there still remains a thick growth in the heart, that they think something of their works, and think that they must also work, so that they may be saved; Christ's nature and merit are not enough. Your work is nothing, your wisdom is foolishness, your counsel is nothing, your truth is also nothing, the masses gel-
They do not say anything in front of God. So they say, "That is what the devil calls you;" and they say: Christ died for us, but still we must do something with our works. Behold, how deep malice and unbelief are in the heart; the puffed-upness of the heart makes it impossible to know either Christ or the Father.
(20) But to know Christ in the other and right way is to know that he died for us and took my sin upon himself, so that I consider all my things to be nothing, all my things to be fallen, and consider it only that Christ is given to me, his suffering, his piety, and all his virtue to be mine. If I recognize this, then I must love him again, for I must hold such a man dear. Then I continue to ascend the Son to the Father, and see that Christ is God, and has put himself in my death, in my sin, in my misery, and also gives me his grace. Item, there I recognize his friendly will, and the highest love of the Father, which no heart can feel nor sense. So I take hold of God where He is softest and think: "This is God, this is God's will and good pleasure, that the Christ has done this for me. And in the face I feel the high, inexpressible mercy and the love of God.
God in that he placed his dear child in disgrace, shame and death for me; the friendly appearance and lovely face then sustains me. Thus, God must be known in Christ alone. Therefore Christ himself says to his disciples: "No one knows the Son, except the Father; and no one knows the Father, except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it." Matth. 11, 27.
(21) Again, those who go about with their works do not know Christ, neither do they know what the Father has done through Christ, and do not know that God does not want their thing, but only His Son. So they do not recognize the Father, nor do they know what they have received from the Father through Christ. Therefore they must perish and fall away, and look at God, since he is the hardest, as a judge, and then want to silence the judgment with their good works; so they do not find a good work that is sufficient, and so must finally despair. But this is what it means to "know God," to see that they are nothing, to put the foundation of their heart on Christ, and to consider Him the highest good, to know God as a Father in death and in life. Let that be said enough in this Gospel, let us call upon God to give us grace to know Him and His Christ rightly, amen.