John 10:1-11.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but goeth in by other means, the same is a thief and a murderer. But he that goeth in by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. The keeper of the door opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his sheep by name, and leads them out. And when he hath let out his sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. But they follow not a stranger, but flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This saying Jesus said to them, but they did not hear what it was that he said to them. Then said Jesus unto them again: Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and murderers, but the sheep did not obey them. I am the door: if any man enter in by me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. A thief cometh not, but to steal, and to choke, and to kill. I am come that they may have life and full sufficiency.
*This sermon is found in a b c, as well as in a single print from 1522, and in the booklet: "Drei schöne Sermon, gepredigt durch Doct. Mart. Luther zu Wittenberg," from 1523. Cf. Erl. A. 12, 373.
D. Red.
This gospel teaches us about the ministry, how it is formed, what it does, and how it is misused. It is almost necessary to know this, because it is the highest thing in Christianity. For St. Paul praises his ministry so highly, that through it comes forth the word that makes blessed all who believe in it, as he says to the Romans in 1:16: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God that makes blessed all who believe in it. Well, we have to act that, because the gospel exists here and brings it. But this will sour the pope's nose! But how shall I do to him? So the text speaks:
He who does not go in at the door of the sheepfold, but enters elsewhere, is a thief and a murderer.
(2) This has been applied to those who presumptuously enter into benefices by favor and money, promotion or their own authority, not by proper appointment and authority; and now the lawyers, who are the most pious, punish those who run to Rome for benefices and fiefs, or for ecclesiastical authority and offices; this they call simony. Although it is true, for there is much in calling; for no man shall go and preach of his own discretion without the command of others. But now, if we were to wait here, we should have no one to preach to us and to give us the sacrament for the rest of our lives; for the bishops force their way in at our times, and the lords who are to take care of them look to friendship and force. But I leave this aside; rather, I am speaking here of the proper ministry, since no one intrudes (even if his devotion falls to him) without the profession of others.
We have every authority to preach, yes, we must preach God's name, and we are commanded to do so, as St. Peter 1 Ep 2:9, 10 says: "You are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people of ownership, that you should proclaim the virtue of Him who called you from darkness to His marvelous light. You who were not one people in the past, but now are
God's people, and whom God does not have mercy on, but has now had mercy on." But nevertheless St. Paul 1 Cor. 14, 40. makes an order, and says: "What you create among yourselves, let it be done orderly and honorably." Just as there must be order in a house, for if all the heirs wanted to be masters, things would go badly in a house. But if the others approach, and take one in front and step down, and give it into the hand of the other, then it will go well. Here, too, one must be chosen so that the order is not reversed. Now that we have all authority to preach who are Christians, what will become of them here? Not so, St. Paul forbids that a woman should excel in preaching in the assembly of men, saying, "They shall be subject to their husbands." For a woman, if she does not allow herself to be governed and led, nothing good will come of it. Now these are the words of St. Paul in 1 Tim. 2:11, 12: "Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness; but a woman I will not suffer to teach, neither to be the master of her husband, but to be quiet." But if it came to the point that there was no man, a woman would then appear and preach to the others to the best of her ability, but not otherwise.
4 Now this is said of the outward profession: but Christ does not speak of this here; for there is more to it, namely, that one should not teach any doctrine, or teach any other work, than Christ taught; as he says in Matthew, chap. 23, 2. 3. 4: "The scribes and Pharisees have sat on Moses' throne. All things therefore which they say unto you, that ye ought to observe, observe and do; but after their works do ye not. They say well, and do not: for they bind heavy and sure burdens, and put them out of men's throats; but they will not lift the same with a finger." Even though they were properly appointed, of whom the Lord speaks here, they were still thieves and murderers, for they taught byways and other things than Christ teaches; just as Christ punishes them in another place, in Matthew, Cap. 15, 3, where he gives them
their doctrine, and tell them how they have transgressed God's commandment for the sake of their essays, yes, abrogated it altogether. Item, we have many more prophets who have been duly appointed, who are nevertheless deceived, as, Balaam, as in the fourth book of Moses Cap. 22; item, Nathan, as described in the other part of Samuel, Cap. 7, 3. This has also happened to many bishops.
5 Now Christ says here, "Whoever wants to enter through the door must let his word go out from Christ and flow back to Christ. Therefore let this be called "coming" if one preaches rightly; for the future is spiritual, and with the word he pierces the ears, and comes into the sheepfold, which is the heart of the faithful. Now this is that he says he must come in at the door, that is, preach nothing else but Christ; for Christ is the door into the sheepfold.
(6) But where there are those who make a door of their own, a hole of their own, an addition of their own, as Christ taught, these are thieves: of whom Paul saith unto the Romans, Cap. 16:17, 18.I exhort you, brethren, that ye take heed to them which cause divisions and offences, beside the doctrine which ye have learned, and depart from them: for such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies; and by sweet preaching and fine words they deceive innocent hearts." He is not talking about obnoxious doctrines, but those that are put alongside right doctrine; these are the additions that make discord. This is what St. Paul calls a secondary doctrine, an addition, and is an offense, an annoyance, and a byproduct, since consciences are set upon their things.
Now the gospel is so tender and noble that it cannot suffer any addition or secondary doctrine. The spiritual doctrines, how to get to heaven by fasting, praying and such like works, that is already a by-product, that is not what the gospel wants: but they want it, that is why they find thieves and murderers; because they snatch away the consciences, slaughter the sheep with them and kill them. How does this work? If only a byway
my soul is torn thereon by God, then I must perish. So the same course is my murder and death; for the conscience and heart of a man must stand on one word, otherwise it cannot be preserved; for "the flesh is like grass, and all its adornment like a flower of grass," as Isaiah Cap. 40, 6. says.
The teachings of man, however beautiful they may be, fall away, and the conscience with them, which has built upon them; there is neither help nor counsel. But the word of God is eternal and must stand eternally; no devil can overthrow it; the foundation must be laid in the conscience, on which they are eternally based. But the words of men corrupt and all that is attached to them. Therefore, those who do not enter through this door, that is, those who do not speak the word of God truthfully and purely, without any addition, do not lay the right foundation; they corrupt, kill and murder, and slaughter the sheep. Therefore Christ says further in the gospel:
But he that entereth in at the door is a shepherd of the sheep: unto him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice.
(9) The gatekeeper here is the preacher who teaches the law rightly, namely, that it is only there and shows us what herbs we are and how poisonous worms we are, and that the works of the law do not help us and yet must be done. He then opens to the shepherd, that is, to the Lord Christ, and lets him alone feed the sheep; for his office is now over, the law has now accomplished what it should accomplish, has revealed its sin to the heart, and has thrown it down altogether; so Christ comes and makes a little sheep of it, feeds it with his gospel, and tells it how it should keep itself, so that it may again come over a cheerful heart, which is altogether troubled with the law and brought to nothing.
(10) This voice the sheep heareth gladly, and followeth after, and feedeth well, and knoweth the voice of the shepherd; but he heareth not the voice of a stranger, neither followeth after it. For as soon as he hears a preaching of works, he is frightened, and the sheep is not afraid.
The heart cannot accept it joyfully; it knows well that it is not equipped with works. But when the gospel comes, the voice of the shepherd, which says: God has given his only begotten Son to the world, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, then the heart is glad, it enters the heart and tastes pleasure, that is the sheep's right pasture; it does not like any other. Yes, if another is presented to it, it flees from it and will not accept it. This pasture always finds sheep, and the sheep also find it again, as God Himself says in the prophet Isaiah Cap. 55, 11: "The word that goes out of My mouth shall not come home to Me empty, but shall accomplish all that I have sent it to do." Therefore the Lord continues to speak here:
And he calleth his sheep by name, and leadeth them out: and when he hath left them, he goeth before them, and his sheep follow him; for they know his voice. But they follow not the stranger, but flee from him: for they know not the stranger's voice.
(11) In this text, there are two things that are well to be remembered: the freedom to believe, and the power to judge. You know that our soul-murderers have suggested to us: What the Concilia and the high Doctores determine and decide, that one should take up, and not judge, whether it is right or not; with this they have become so sure that they now set, as one sees publicly, that one should accept at your ban, what they say. Now you must take a spear in your hand here and make a hole in the shield, yes, their resolution shall become a spider's web; and you shall take back from them the spear that they have taken from us until now, and hold the point before them.
(12) Therefore understand this, that the sheep may judge what is proposed to them, and say, We have Christ for a Lord, and his word above all devils' and men's words; this we will understand,
and judge whether the pope, bishops and journeymen do right or not. For he says here: The sheep judge and recognize which is the right voice or not. Now let us go, they have decided; let us see if it is right, and then let us judge for ourselves according to the judgment that is given to every Christian, and that such authority is not human, but divine. For this also do the natural sheep, that they flee a stranger, and cleave unto the voice of their shepherd.
(13) Therefore the gospel here lays down all conciliar laws, all papal laws, that we should accept nothing without judgment, but that we should also have power to judge, and that such judgment should stand until now. But they have taken the sword from us, so that we cannot reject any doctrine, but have let it enter by force. Therefore, if we now take the sword from them again, it will hurt them. Now indeed we must take it from them again, not by force, but by the word, and leave over it what we have, saying, I am a sheep of God, whose word I will have and receive; if ye will give it me, I will count you shepherds; but if ye set me a side doctrine, and give not the gospel purely, I will not count you shepherds, neither will I accept your voice; for the ministry which ye boast of stretches no further than the word goes. If therefore one is found to be a shepherd, we shall accept him; but if not, we shall put him away: for the sheep shall judge the voice of the shepherd. But if he give not right pasture, let that shepherd, that is, the bishop's hat, be taken off: for a pearl hat and a silver staff doth not make a shepherd or a bishop, but the care of the sheep, and the feeding of them.
14 Now they want to have all their actions unjudged, so they have intruded and taken the sword from us to judge; so that we must accept without judgment what they only pretend. And has almost come to the point that when the pope reproves, they have made an article of faith out of it; and have pretended that the authorities have
Right to propose to their subjects what they want, without the judgment of others. And this with great ruin, that if we were not Christians, we should wish a hundred thousand swords to a pope. And they know this well, which is why they are so hard on their laws. For if they would let themselves be judged by the common man, their laws would remain behind and they would have to preach the word louder; but then they would have their bellies cut down and their stallions made less.
(15) Therefore be ye armed here with the saying, that ye should smite and destroy all things that are not according to the gospel: for the judgment belongeth to the sheep, and not to the preachers. Therefore you have authority and power to judge everything that is preached, that and no other. For if we had not the power, Christ would have said to us in vain in Matthew, Cap. 7:15: "Beware of false prophets, which come unto you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." But we could not beware if we did not have the power to judge, and we would have to accept everything they said and preached.
The other is how no one should be forced to believe, for the sheep follow the one they know and flee the strangers. Now Christ wills that no one should be compelled, but should follow out of a willing heart and desire, not out of fear or shame or punishment; but should let the word go forth, and let all these things be accomplished. If then their hearts are caught, they will surely come themselves. Faith does not come from the heart unless it is the word of God.
(17) For this reason our lords are foolish and foolish, in that they seek to drive men to faith by force and by the sword; for Christ wants the sheep to come by themselves out of the knowledge of his voice. But the heart of the others, who are forced here bodily, is not forced nor imprisoned; as the pope with his laws has forced to confession and sacrament. Christ wants it to be free, for he could have forced it, but he wanted to seek it with his sweet, sweet sermon: "He who has believed, let him be free.
followed after and did not let himself be carried away. These want to penetrate with the sword and with the fire; that is nonsense. Therefore, notice that only the word of God is let go, and then let those who are caught follow freely; they will follow of their own free will.
(18) But I do not mean to abolish the temporal sword, for it can restrain the hand, so that it will not harm a man, but keep it still. Therefore it must be so for the sake of the wicked, who turn to no word; but it cannot compel the heart and make it believe. For this reason they must stand still in the matter of faith; they must go in at the door and preach the word and set the heart free: in this way they will be brought to faith, otherwise they will come to nothing. These are the two regiments, of the pious and the wicked, that the pious may be brought with the word, and the wicked with the sword driven to the proper being.
Now Christ himself interprets his words and says: He is the door to the sheep; but all the others who have come before him, that is, who are not sent by God, like the prophets, but come of themselves, unsolicited, they are thieves and murderers, stealing God's honor, and with their false doctrine they strangle the souls of men: but he is the door, and whoever enters through him will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture. There he speaks of Christian freedom, that Christians are now free from the curse and from the constraint of the law, may keep the law or not, after they see that it demands their neighbor's love and need. This is what St. Paul did: when he was with the Jews, he kept the law with the Jews; when he was with the Gentiles, he also kept it as they kept it; as he himself says 1 Cor. 9, 19-23.Though I am free from all men, yet have I made myself the servant of all men, that I might gain them much: to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law I became as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without the law I became as under the law, that I might gain them that are without the law.
I have become as without laws (though I am not without God's law, but am in the law of Christ), that I may win those who are without the law. To the weak I became as a weak man, that I might win the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might indeed save some. But I do this for the sake of the gospel, that I may be made a partaker of its fellowship.
20 Now the thieves and murderers, the false preachers and prophets, cannot do this, they do nothing but steal, strangle and kill; but Christ, the true righteous shepherd, comes only that the sheep may have life and full sufficiency. That is enough of this gospel, let us leave it at that, and ask God for mercy, that we may rightly grasp and understand it.