Rom. 15:4-13.
But the things which are written aforetime are written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope. And may God of patience and comfort grant you to be of one mind one with another according to JESUS CHRIST, that with one accord ye may praise God and the Father of our Lord JESUS CHRIST. Therefore receive one another, even as Christ received you to the praise of God. But I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promise made to the fathers.
But that the Gentiles may praise God for mercy, as it is written, Therefore will I praise thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye nations; and glorify him, all ye peoples. And again Isaiah saith, The root of Jesse shall be, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles hope. May God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may have complete hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
It seems that the one who cut out this epistle did not understand much of Paul: he starts too high and too low. The first part, which says: "What is written" etc., belongs to the previous text. He should have started there: "But the God of patience" etc. Therefore, so that we may understand this epistle properly and clearly, we should know that the Romans to whom St. Paul writes were converted to Christ partly from the Jews, partly from the Gentiles. For at that time there were many Jews in all countries, especially in Rome, as the Apostles tell us. 17 indicates. Now when the apostle had taught them faith and good works in the whole epistle, here at the end of the epistle he gives several exhortations to keep them united in faith and good works, pointing out the causes that might cause disunity and break the unity of the Spirit. And these are two, which still today and always almost strive against the unity of the Spirit, against faith and good works; therefore we must see them and know them well.
2. The first was that some of the Jews had been converted, even though they had heard that in the New Testament all kinds of food, days, clothing, vessels, persons, places and gifts were free, and that faith alone made them righteous in the sight of God, and that the law concerning eating meat and fish, feasts and clothing, places and vessels had been completely done away with: Yet their weak consciences and imperfect faith were still so hard-knit from long habit that they had no need of such liberty; they worried that they would sin if they did otherwise than had been their custom. Both Gentiles and Jews from the same disease were not allowed to eat the bread and meat sacrificed to the idols by the unbelievers, which was freely sold in the market. They thought that where they ate, they were doing to the idols there.
with an honor and would have denied Christ, when in truth it was nothing. For all foods are pure and good creatures of God, whether they are pagans or Christians, they are sacrificed to God or the devil.
3rd Again, the others, knowing these things, and having stronger faith, took no heed of the weak, but used their liberty ruthlessly, and with contempt of the weak, eating and drinking without distinction whatsoever came before them; as it was right. But this was wrong, that they spared not the weak, and made them to err. For when the weak saw that they drove so boldly, they could neither follow nor stay behind. If they should follow, their weak conscience stood in the way, saying, It is sin, do it not. And if they should not follow, their conscience stood in the way, saying, Thou art no Christian: for thou doest not as other Christians do: thy faith must not be right. Behold, therefore they could neither behind nor before them, as they did, so they ran contrary to their conscience. Now to do contrary to conscience is as much as to do contrary to faith, and hardly to find.
4 Now Paul teaches here that such weak men are to be tolerated and borne, and not to be dealt with so harshly; but to keep for a time what they keep, and to grow weak with them, and not to cause such dissension in the faith for the sake of food and drink, or any temporal thing, until they also grow stronger in the faith, and know their liberty. But the apostle makes a distinction in this matter and teaches the same, namely, that two kinds of people are to be considered in this matter: some who are weak in faith, of whom it is now said, of whom only St. Paul speaks here. These are good, pious, simple-minded people, who would gladly do better if they knew or could; they are not stiff-necked in their mind; they need nothing more, except that their faith should be in the Lord's hands.
Those who are too weak in knowledge and faith cannot step out of the established doctrine and habit. The others are stiff-necked, who are not content that they themselves drive in such a change, but they urge on, teach and lead the others into it, pretending that it is so right and must be so, and do not want to hear the right truth of Christian freedom, but argue against it. These are the ones who are the cause of their weakness. For with such doctrines they corrupt the weak consciences, and entrap them, so that they think it must be so, and delight in bringing the simple consciences under themselves and making them obedient. St. Paul does not speak of them here; indeed, he teaches elsewhere that one should oppose them with all diligence and always do the opposite, Titus 1.
(5) Therefore there is no better rule in this business than love, and you must deal between these two kinds of people as you would deal between a wolf and a sheep. If the wolf had bitten the sheep to death, and you were leading the way, getting angry with the sheep, saying it was wrong that it had the wounds, that it should be healthy, and forcing it by force to follow the other healthy sheep to the pasture and to the fold, not wanting to make it special, who would not say you were being foolish? The sheep would say, Surely it is wrong that I am wounded, and ought to be well: but be angry with him that hath done it, and help me to health. Behold, so should these Romans also do, with all earnestness resist the teachers and the wolves. But they should accept the weak and wounded consciences of such teaching, not driving them nor overthrowing them, but healing them with leisure, and casting out such teaching in time, but leaving them, and keeping with them what they kept, and not misleading them.
6 Although this trade has long since ceased, of which St. Paul speaks here, and the law of Moses concerning food, drink, clothing, places etc. is no longer in use, yet in its place has come much more trouble, that this teaching is now much more necessary than it was at that time. For now in all the world by
The pope and the clergy have created such a state of affairs with human teachings about food and drink, clothing and places, days and times, persons and statuses, gestures and works, that no one can eat a bite, drink a drop, or even open his eyes; a law has been made about it and freedom has been taken away, especially in monasteries and convents. They all pretend that one must dress like this, give like this, give like this, not eat this food, not drink this drink etc., or it is sin and disobedience. Have thus raised this obedience of human doctrine, that no thing be esteemed higher than this obedience. And the monks and nuns hold this same obedience as the foundation and cornerstone of their spirituality, and build upon it the blessedness of their souls.
(7) Here no one wants to open his eyes and see that it is vain human poetry and doctrine that captures souls, makes weak consciences, disturbs Christian freedom and faith, and only fills hell. O wolves! O wolves! What a horrible killing, strangling, destruction is this creature in all the world! In this trade it has never come to pass that weak consciences have been noticed; for no one has preached against it nor done anything that the weak could have been angry; but those who have come out have been condemned, apostate, lost monks, disowned Christians have been scolded, and thus by force the sheep have not only been weakened, but driven into the jaws of the wolves. O of wrath! O of fury! O of the displeasure of divine majesty!
8) Behold, if God would give His grace that all these things might be known, how they are purely the crimes of men, violence and injustice, since God has commanded nothing of them, and if some began to use the masses, the prayers, the garments, the food differently than has been customary until now, and wanted to keep Christian liberty according to the Gospel, then these two kinds of people would also be angry. The first, the papists, would rave and rage, scream and yell that one must keep such things; whoever does not keep them is a heretic, a heathen, a Jew, and is disobedient to the churches; and so henceforth they would challenge the obedience of the church, so that they could only keep the consciences in the
Those who think it is, as they pretend, the obedience of the churches, if it is no more than their deception and devil's play, so that many saints are deceived and cheated, as St. Francis and his kind. The others, the weak, who listened to such bluster and were used to it before, would go astray, would not know with whom they should keep it, but would be heartily and simple-mindedly inclined to follow the right way. But where they would go, their conscience meets them. If they were to follow you, they would be hindered by their habits and the papists' clamor, so that their consciences would be trapped and not allowed to come out, fearing that they would act against their God. Again, if it did not follow you, it would again do against God, whom you hold up and preach. Where then shall such a weak and poor conscience go, over which Christ and the devil thus quarrel?
(9) This teaching of St. Paul is now quite appropriate. The doctrine of the devil and his papists is without mercy and compassion, presses, drives and rages with violence, one should desist from this doctrine as quickly as possible; banishes, maledicts and throws you four thousand miles behind hell, if you do not immediately turn away and put all letters from you with the utmost baggage. From which raving, than from the fruit, one recognizes who is such a teacher. But Christ's teaching does not do this; it does not reject you as soon as you turn away and break so quickly, and would have more cause to do so; but it sees that you are wounded and weak, receives you kindly, teaches you the right truth and freedom from all the laws of men, but tolerates and supports you if you do not turn away and reject them as soon as you do, and gives you time to learn them: But she letteth thee do as thou canst, or as thou hast been wont to do, until thou be made whole, and know the truth truly and surely.
(10) Therefore, in this business, a Christian should also observe these two kinds of people. To teach the weak kindly and to tolerate gently; but to push the raving and blustering ones with earnestness, to do and teach only all that they are sorry for and against, to leave and keep silent all that is dear to them, and to
Set a large donkey's fig in honor of her ban. Christian love teaches all this well; everyone would have acted in such a way with himself. For there is not one of us, if he were lost with such weakness of conscience, who would not give him time, and not suddenly cut him off, but would kindly instruct and forbear for a time, and resist the wolves. Therefore Christ does the same to us, and wants each one to do the same to the other.
(11) The other cause of disunity, which St. Paul removes, is that among Christ's people there always remain and are also other kinds of weak and sick in good works, just as the first are weak and infirm in faith. So that among Christians there are always found both sick inwardly in faith and conscience, and outwardly in works and good conduct. Who will not reject Christ, but have received all, that Christian love may abound, that it may exercise itself and do good, and heal and bear its neighbor inwardly and outwardly, in faith and walk. But these are the weak ones who sometimes stumble in public sin; they are called in German strange heads and strange people, who easily get angry or have other infirmities, because of which it is difficult to deal with them; as this happens especially between man and woman, between master and servant, between authorities and subjects.
(12) Where this Christian doctrine of St. Paul is not here, it happens that each one forgets the beam in his own eye, and looks only at the stick in his neighbor's eye, and neither wants to tolerate the other's infirmities, but each demands of the other that he be perfect; so they think only of each other, and one wants to go out here, the other out there, so that he may have peace and quiet before the other and be above unpleasure. But he who is able leaves the other and pushes it away, adorns himself with it, and says that he does it for the love of righteousness, and does not want to know evil people in and around him, but only pious and good people, as he is.
(13) This evil is most prevalent in those who are special before others, and who are a
lead an honorable life, and have more grace than the others: they puff and boast; what is not like them must stink, they judge it, they despise it, and are only the pretty kitten in the house. Again, what is like them and also walks honorably, ah! these are such pious people, these are good friends, to whom they adhere, they know no other way, because they are well in it, as those who love vain piety and pious, again, as those who hate vain wickedness and evil: but do not see the devilish hope, which lies hidden in the bottom of their heart, so that they despise their neighbor so arrogantly and miserably because of his infirmity.
14 Now the love of virtue and the hatred of vice are two things: a pagan and a Christian; for Christ is also an enemy of sins and a lover of righteousness, as Ps. 45:8 says of him: "Thou lovest righteousness, and art an enemy of unrighteousness": but in such a way that what Moses says of him, Deut. 33:3, "Dilexit populos: He loveth the people," is also true. But pagan love and hatred is an unreasonable sow, it throws down and ravages man with vice and virtue without distinction; indeed, it thoroughly favors no man but itself alone. This is evident: for as far and as long as man is adorned with virtue, so far does it love man and draw him to itself; but where there is no virtue or where it falls away, it also casts man from itself.
15. So then a Christian hates sins: It separates vice from man, thinking only to destroy vice and to preserve man; therefore it neither shuns, nor rejects, nor despises any man, but rather receives him, gladly deals with him, and so goes with him to help him from vice, punishes him, teaches him, pleads for him, endures and bears him, does nothing else than as he would have it done with him if he were in like infirmity.
(16) For a Christian man lives only to be useful to men, and to destroy not men but their vices, which he cannot do if he has no one to help him.
nor have anything to do with anyone who is infirm. It would be a foolish work of mercy if you wanted to feed the hungry and water the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and yet did not want to suffer the hungry, thirsty, naked and sick to come to you or be around you. So also, that you would not suffer evil or infirm people around you, would be as much as if you would not be useful or helpful to anyone in godliness.
(17) Therefore let us learn here in this epistle that a Christian walk and love is not to find pious, righteous, holy people, but to make pious, righteous, holy people, and let this be its work and practice on earth, to make such people, whether by punishment, petition, forbearance, and whatever it can. Just as a Christian man does not live to find rich, strong, healthy people, but to make such people out of the poor, the weak, and the sick.
(18) This epistle, therefore, of these two things, Christian love and great good works, exhorts us not only to tolerate our neighbor's spiritual infirmities, both in faith and walk, but also to receive them, to heal them, and to cast them out. For those who do not do this make sedition, sectarianism, and division; as the heretics, Donatists, Novatians, and many others of old, who separated themselves from the church, did not want to suffer sinners and infirmities among themselves; for it cannot be without sectarianism and heresy where this doctrine is not held.
19 For this reason St. Augustine also says in Galatians 6: "Nothing proves a spiritual man so well as the dealing in another's sins, when he offers more his salvation than his shame, more his help than his reproach. St. Paul also says Gal. 6:1, 2: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in sins, ye that are spiritual ought to instruct him in a gentle spirit, and let every man take heed that he be not tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and you will fulfill Christ's law," that is, love.
As if he should say: Burden, and that which is heavy to bear on your neighbor, you shall accept and not reject. You shall not seek benefit from them, but carry burdens; for to have benefit is not to carry, but to be carried; this belongs among the angels in that life. But here also the difference between the two kinds of people mentioned above should be kept, so that those who stubbornly defend their sins and do not want to be corrected should be shunned as Gentiles, as Christ teaches in Matt. 18:17. This doctrine speaks only of the infirm, who know that it is wrong, and yet stumble when their sickness touches them. Now let us come to the epistle.
Dear brethren, that which is written before us is written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope.
(20) The compiler of the epistle should not have begun this epistle with this part, for it belongs to the one that precedes it; therefore we will put it in its order. The apostle begins at the fifteenth chapter, and teaches the above-mentioned part of love, which is to be exercised in the infirmity of our neighbor, as he had taught in the fourteenth, love in the infirmity of our neighbor's faith, and thus reads: "But we who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to have pleasure in ourselves. But let every one of us so set himself to please his neighbor for good, for correction; for even Christ had no pleasure in himself; but as it is written, The reproach of them that reproach thee is fallen upon me. All things that are written are written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." These are the words in which Paul teaches this piece of love, of bearing our neighbor's infirmity, and are truly strong words.
21 First, he says, we are guilty of doing it. Where does the guilt come from? Without doubt from love and from the law, Matth. 7, 12.: "What you want people to do to you, you also do to them, that is the law and the prophets." Now
There is not one of us who does not want his infirmity to be tolerated and healed; therefore we owe it again to each one, and the able-bodied shall bear and mend the able-bodied.
22) Secondly, he says, we should not be pleased with ourselves, that is, we should not let ourselves think that we are able to do something that our neighbors are not able to do; for this is nothing else than to be pleased that another is in sin, in ruin, so that he may not be equal to us or better than we are, and grant him his evil in the same way, so that he may appear to be something before him. This is especially and thoroughly contrary to love. Just as the Pharisee in the Gospel, Luc. 18, 11, thanks God that he is not like other people, thinks himself so good, pleases himself so much, that he would have been sorry that someone beside him would have been without sin.
(23) Now behold, are these not ugly men, who grant grace and blessedness to other men, and delight and love in their sins and sins and sins? yet would they be held pious and holy, great enemies of sins, and friends of godliness. But what does St. Paul teach? Not so, not so. Let no man please himself and think himself good. To whom then? We are to be pleasing to others, so that each of us may be pleasing to his neighbor, so that we may bear his affliction with patience and litter, so that he may be pleasing to us and have pleasure and love for us, and so that we may not treat him so harshly and cruelly that he becomes afraid of us and runs away from us, and never does us any good, and only becomes worse.
024 Yea, saith thou, if I should do him good, I should leave him to his will, that he should remain as he is. Not so, saith Paul; therefore I add, and say "in good," that every man may set himself to please his neighbor, but only in that which is good, for his betterment. He may well be dealt with, that he may not have his way, and yet retain a good will toward us; but if he be ever so desolate, that it profiteth nothing whatsoever whatsoever is done to him, let him go; nevertheless thou hast done so much, that thou mayest give him
You cannot drag him by the hair and make him accept what you do to please him. Paul demands no more than that you please him in good for his betterment. The world does not want to like that God gave his own son to death to please it.
025 Wherefore when Paul saith, Let every man please his neighbor in good, he doth not mean that we should work to please our neighbor: for that is not in us, but that we should do so much according to love, that it may be right for him to please, and that there be no fault in us, that it may not please him. So also he speaks 1 Cor. 10:33: "Ye shall please every man in all things, even as I please every man in all things." How did Paul please everyone, since the Jews and Gentiles were deadly enemies to him? But he did everything that was good and useful to them and should please them.
26 [Thirdly:*] That this doctrine may come to pass the more powerfully, he holds up the example of Christ, saying, Christ pleased not himself. How so? Though he was holy and full of grace, yet he did not spurn us, nor did he think well of us, as Pharisee did, that he had something we had not, nor was he pleased that we had nothing, and that he had all things, as he might and would have done; but again, being sorry that we had nothing, he went on to think how he would deal with us, that we might be like him, and have also that he had, and be rid of our sin. Since this could not be otherwise, he put on all that he was and had, and took our sin upon himself, and destroyed it: so that he set himself against us, to please us, and to do that which was dear to us. And thus is fulfilled the saying of Ps. 69:10, "The weak of them that reviled thee are fallen upon me." Our sins revile and dishonor God, just as our good life is His praise and glory. Therefore the prophet calls them God's reproach and dishonor. They all fell on Christ, that they might come from us.
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If he had wanted to go with us, like Pharisee with the tax collector and the hopeful saints with the infirm sinners, who would have ever been saved? He also sets this example before Phil. 2, 5. 6. 7.He says: "Dear brethren, be minded one of another, as ye see in Christ, who, being in the disposition of God, did not imagine that he had obtained it by robbery, that he was like God, but that he set himself apart, and took upon him the disposition of a servant, and was like other men, and was found in his conduct to be like men, and humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
(27) In the same way we ought to deal with our neighbor's sin: not to judge, not to talk back, not to despise; but to set the simple face only to help him out, at the cost of life, limb, goods, honor, and all that we have. If anyone does otherwise, let him know that he has already lost Christ and is a pagan saint.
28 This epistle follows: "All things that are written before us" etc. This is what St. Paul says: "He had introduced the saying of Christ from the Psalter; lest anyone should think how the saying rhymes with it, or what does it concern us, because it is said of Christ and fulfilled through him? he comes first and gives a common rule to be read from the Scriptures, saying that not only this saying, but also all the Scriptures are written for our learning. It is true that Christ and many saints are written in it, such as Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; but it is not written for their sake, for it was written long after the fact, and they have never seen it.
29 Therefore, though much is written of Christ, yet it is not written for his sake; for he had no need of him, but for our learning. Of Christ the work and the deed are written, but for our learning that we also should do them. In this way he also speaks 1 Cor. 9, 9. 10. when he says: "The law says: You shall not bind the mouth of an ox when it is threshing. Do you not think that for our sake this is written?" Of course it is written for our sake.
ben etc. So he should say: God does not respect oxen, but us. Not that he does not govern and care for all things, but that he does not respect them in writing and speaking. What should he write and say to the oxen? To men alone he writes and says. So also here, that though it be said of Christ, yet it is not said of Christ, but it is said unto us for a doctrine, that we also should do as we hear that the scripture saith, that Christ hath done, and all the rest of the saints.
30 Now notice here what book the apostle sets before Christians to read and study, namely, the holy Scriptures alone, saying that our doctrine is in them. If our doctrine is in the Scriptures, we should not seek it elsewhere, but all Christians should have this book in daily use.
(31) But behold, what hath the devil wrought by the Papists. It has not been enough for them that they have pushed this book under the bench and made it so strange that very few doctors of holy scripture have it, let alone read it; but so that no one would ever pull it out, they hang a disgraceful rag on it, blaspheme God and say that it is dark, that one must follow the glosses of men and not the bare scripture. What else is said, but to prove Paul false, who says that it is our textbook? And they say it is our seduction book and is dark.
32. What should God reward such blasphemers and murderers of the Scriptures? If he had consulted me, I would have asked him, because they revile his bright scriptures darkly and dangerously, so that they are cast out from the hearts and eyes of all people, that he give them Aristotle and Averrois in exchange, then the Pope's infinite laws and glosses, and that they would go mad after that, studying Aristotle all their lives, and yet learning nothing, and yet having the donkey crowned, making themselves masters of the liberal arts and doctors of the holy scriptures. Although none of them has ever understood a line in Aristotle, and even if he understood it, he still learned nothing more in it than a child of five years and the greatest stick fools know. For
Aristotle is a hundred times darker than the Holy Scriptures; and if you want to know what he teaches, I will tell you recently: A potter can make a pot out of clay; the blacksmith cannot, so let him learn. If there is something higher in Aristotle, you must not believe a word I say, and offer me to prove it, as I should.
I say this because we see how richly Christ has paid the papists, that they have scolded his writing darkly and dangerously, and have driven it from the plan, that they must read a dead pagan, where is no art but vain darkness within. And that I have said is the very best thing in Aristotle, let alone where he is poisonous and deadly. The high schools would be worth turning them all to powder; nothing more hellish and devilish has come on earth from the beginning of the world, nor will it come.
Now let us return to Paul, who tells us what to read and where to look for our teaching. If there had been another book for us to read, he would have pointed it out to us. In addition, he shows what fruit such reading brings, and says: "Through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we have hope. Let all doctrine come forth, let all books be carried up, and see if they are able to comfort a soul in the least temptation: it is not possible to comfort a soul unless it hears the word of God. But where is God's word in all books except the Scriptures? What do we do, then, that we read other books and leave this one? They may torture and kill us, but no book can comfort us except the holy Scriptures: the only title they have, which St. Paul gives them, is that they are a book of comfort, which can sustain the soul in all tribulation, so that it does not despair, but retains hope; for it grasps God's word, thereby learning His gracious will, to which it clings and endures in life and death. But he who does not know God's will must doubt, for he does not know how he is with God.
But what shall I say? The misery is too great that it can neither be attained with words nor thoughts. The evil
The Holy Spirit has overcome his will and suppressed this book, and in its place has brought so many books of human doctrine that it might well be called a deluge of books, and yet it is all error, lies, darkness, poison, death, destruction, hell and the devil. This is what our horrible ingratitude deserves.
(36) But see how well St. Paul does it: he puts both together, patience and the consolation of Scripture. The Scripture does not take away adversity, suffering and death; indeed, it proclaims nothing but the holy cross, that St. Paul calls it a word of the cross; therefore there must be patience. But it does, in the midst of suffering it comforts and strengthens, so that patience does not break, but penetrates and overcomes. It makes the soul quite confident, bold and happy to suffer, when it hears a comforting word from its God, that he will stand with it and over it. Since this life is nothing other than the death of the old Adam, who must die, patience must be part of it. Again, since that life cannot be felt, it is necessary that the soul have something to hold on to in patience, and to understand and cling to that life; that is God's word, on which it clings and remains in it, passing from this life to that as in a safe ship, and thus its hope remains.
(37) Behold, this is the right custom of the Scriptures, that they comfort the suffering, afflicted, dying. It follows that he who has not tried suffering or dying cannot know anything of the consolation of Scripture. The consolation does not want to be tasted and felt with words, but with experience. For St. Paul puts patience first, then the comfort of Scripture, so that we should know that whoever does not want to suffer, but seeks comfort elsewhere, will not taste this comfort. Scripture alone wants to comfort, therefore it must first find patience. It is zealous and disgusted, not suffering alongside human comfort and help, for this prevents patience and suffering.
(38) Now this is not a small portion of patience and of the cross, if one should bear one's neighbor's infirmities and sins;
Because it is so difficult for some that they desire death over it, or ever desire the other: therefore, that this patience may endure in this suffering, they must comfort themselves with this Scripture, which sets forth Christ's example, that they may remain strong and willing in suffering, when they see that Christ has done much more for their sakes, and has taken upon Himself much heavier burdens of their sins, that He might redeem them.
039 Behold, the comfort of this patience maketh good hope in Christ, that they may be like him, that they may be sure that he hath done so unto them, and will do so unto them. But he who leaves this example and the Scriptures out of his mind will have very little comfort and patience, if he is to be comforted in the best possible way by reasonable causes. It has no power, nor does it penetrate to the bottom of the heart; it is a glittering patience and comfort.
But God of patience and comfort grant that you may be of one mind among yourselves, according to Jesus Christ.
(40) This is where the epistle should have begun, for this refers to both infirmities, faith and walk, but most of all to the first infirmity, faith, as we shall see; and is a prayer for St. Paul to conclude his epistle, since he had preached and taught. But that no one should presume of his own strength to have the patience and comfort of Scripture, he indicates with this prayer that it is God's gifts that are to be obtained by petition. Much less is it in our power to bear one another's infirmities and to be of one mind with one another about faith.
41 Therefore he says, "God of patience and comfort," that is, he is a master and gives this patience and comfort. Just as he is a God of heaven and earth, so he is also a God of patience and comfort, all of which are his gifts and creatures. He gives it to you, he says, for you do not have it of yourselves. If he gives it, it is not nature, but grace and gift. For where he giveth not a saying in the heat, which is for a cause, the heart findeth it not. Yes, where he does not give, there one leaves the scripture.
and follows Aristotle, as happened to the damned schools.**) But where he gives grace, that the Scripture is sought out, he also gives patience and comfort. Therefore, there is no greater wrath of God than when he lets his word and the Scriptures perish; so that it is not for nothing that the apostle prays here: again, no greater grace than when he brings forth his word and lets it be read; so that we should all pray this prayer with the apostle.
(42) "That ye be of the same mind one toward another." What is this? How can the weak be like-minded to the strong? To be like-minded" is to be understood that each one should leave his own conceit to the other, and let himself think good that which seems good to the other. For conceit is the head of all parties, sects, dissensions and heresies; as Mau says: "Every man's way is good, therefore the land is full of fools. Paul wants to cancel the same own conceit and own favor here. For no thing is more unpleasant and harmful to the Christian faith and the church than this conceit: he cannot leave it alone, he must make his own way, and step out of the common way, that he may make his own, in which he pleases himself. That is why there are so many parties, covens and fringes of monasteries and convents in the world, none of which is like-minded with the other; but each one likes his own way best and despises the other's way.
(43) The apostle wishes them to be of one mind and to please one another, namely, that the weak believers should consider what the strong believers and those with a sound conscience consider best, so that their faith, conscience and opinion may be one and the same, and not quarrel with one another, thinking that one considers this to be right and good and the other another; so that the saying of Psalm 68 may stand. 68 said of him, "God makes those of one mind to dwell in the house"; and Ps. 133:1, "Behold, how merry and good it is when brethren are of one mind with one another!
*) Instead of "Aristoteli" have f g "Menschenlehren".
D. Red.
dwell in the house." As if a weak believer sees the strong believer eating or drinking meat, or doing something else that he thinks is not right or sinful, he should let go of his judgment, as the strong believer eats, drinks or does, whether he does not want to or is able to do the same; he should remember how St. Paul says of it Rom. Paul says of it Romans 14:5: "Let every man be sure in his own mind"; so that iniquity, judgment and contempt may remain, and unity of heart and mind be preserved. Again, where the weak in faith may not follow, let not the strong in faith drive them, nor despise them, but let them please and do as they please, how they eat, drink, or keep themselves, until they also become strong; as he saith Rom. 14:1, "Receive the weak in faith, and confound not the consciences," that is, drive not upon them, saying, This is right, this is wrong; but gently lead and instruct them, until they also become strong.
(44) Even in crafts there must not be uniformity. One is a blacksmith, the other a tailor; yet the unity of faith and heart remains, each letting the other do his work outwardly. Now if a fool were to stand on this and teach that a blacksmith does not have divine handiwork, he would mislead the conscience and weaken his faith. So it is here also: all outward things in food, clothing, places are free to use and not to use, as and when you want. Whoever then comes and teaches you otherwise, that you should not use it, as the priest and clergy do, he makes you false. Again, if another came and told thee that thou must use it, he also maketh thee mad. But he that goeth between in the mean, and teacheth thee that it is free to leave and to use, yet suffereth thee to abide in thy way, and condemneth thee not till thou come out (though he severely assaileth the wolves that have driven thee into the way, as if it were not free and must be kept), he teacheth thee right.
45 If then you fast or confess to an apostle during the fast, you do no wrong; again, if another does not, he does no wrong either; he may fast and confess.
confess whoever wants to, and let no one judge or despise another, nor start a quarrel in his mind, but let each one be like the other: what he does he should put up with, and think it good, because it is good.
46 But he is to be punished who leads, and wants to become a judge here with his teaching and break such unanimity, and say: You do right and should do it; the other does wrong and should not do it. This is the doctrine of the devil's apostle and Satan; this is the doctrine of the pope and papists; this is not for a shepherd to preach, but for wolves to preach. Then this Christian unity must be followed by disunion. Then many judgments arise: You are a heretic, you are disobedient to the church and do not do right etc. That is what the devil wanted.
47 After that, the priest, when he has severed such unity, captured your conscience, and violated your freedom, takes money and gives you a letter that you may eat butter, eggs, and meat. This is the freedom that Christ gave you in the Gospel and that the pope deprives you of; the pious shepherd sells it to you again. Then the others get angry again, and recently the pope's regiment is such a catching and recapturing, annoying and annoying again, exchanging and swapping, that one can see how it is nothing more than the regiment of the willful devil, who causes such a turmoil and mixture of consciences in the world, which no man can sufficiently understand.
(48) But I speak only of the things that are free, that they may be kept so, and cast the pope before the head as a wolf, with his wicked laws, and yet let the weak believers walk therein for a time, and bring them out also by and by, that they be not too swiftly and too shortly cast out and bruised in their conscience.
49) But in the things that are not free, but forbidden or commanded by Christ, there is not much dispute: it affects strong or weak consciences, everyone is guilty of striving against the pope, the greatest with the smallest, as when he, with all of his own, has the mass for a sacrifice and good work.
teaches to keep. This is the most abominable abomination that ever came on earth, on which his regiment with all monasteries and convents is founded; there no one is excused, whether he be weak or strong; for Christ has made the mass a sacrament and testament, which no one can sell, share, or give, but, like baptism, each one must receive for himself. The abominations are much more in its sacred right. And indeed, where such ground lies, it is well to note what the building is: it is the devil's will all that is in the papacy, from the top of the head to the heels. If you don't believe it, you will find out.
50 The apostle adds that we should be of one mind "according to Jesus Christ", that we should be of one mind Christianly. For the unbelievers are also of one mind, not according to Christ, but according to the flesh and the world and the devil. The Jews were also of one mind against God and His Christ, as the 2nd Psalm v. 2 says. Christian one-mindedness contends against sin, and all that is unchristian, and does not commit sin. Therefore, its nature is to unite all Christians, first in faith, then in morals or conduct.
(51) But if any man be weak in faith, or infirm in walk, she consents not that they should so abide, neither forsaketh them, much less quarrels with them, or rejecteth and condemneth them: but receiveth them, and doeth as they would have done unto themselves, and as Christ did unto them in like case and in greater; so that every man doeth that which is pleasing to another, and doeth that which is in the mind of another, and so abide in one accord. Against this are the obstinate, because each leaves the other, despises him, judges him, does not take care of him, and goes his own way in his own conceit, as the orders, clergy, and all other sects do now.
That ye may with one accord praise God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
52. all the good that we may do to God is praise and thanksgiving, which is also the right and proper service of God, as He Himself says
Ps. 50:23: "The sacrifice of praise praiseth me, and this is the way whereby I shew him the blessedness of God," All other goods we receive from him, that we may give such sacrifices of praise for them. And if any other worship is put before you, know that it is error and deceit. As now the world is nonsensical, which has set apart for worship houses, churches, monasteries, gold, silk and all kinds of clothing, silver vessels and images, bells and organs, lights and lamps; with what food one should help one's neighbor, one wants to give it to God, and murmurs and howls about it day and night in church; besides, God's praise and glory is silent in all the world, which does not want to be tied to a place or person. And it is a lie that priests and monks pretend that their nature is worship; it is seduction and illusion.
Worship is the praise of God, which will be free at table, in chambers, in cellars, on the ground, in the house, in the field, in all places, with all persons, in all times. Whoever tells you otherwise is lying as much as the pope and the devil himself. But how can praise and glory to God be the right service of God to us, if we do not love Him and do not receive His goods? How can we love him if we do not recognize him or his goods? But how shall we know him and his goods, if nothing is preached of them, and the gospel is left under the bench? For where there is no gospel, it is impossible for God to be known. So it must also be impossible that there should be God's love and praise. It is also impossible that there should be worship. And if all choir students were one choir student, all priests one priest, all monks one monk, all churches one church, all bells one bell, and recently, if all the foolish services in monasteries, churches, and convents were a hundred thousand times greater and more, what would God ask for such carnival games and jugglery?
54 Therefore God complains most of all about the Jews. 2. that they have silenced his praise, when they whistled, howled and howled as we do. But this service of God cannot be established with interest, nor can it be
He does not compose laws and statutes, nor does he know about high or low feasts: but from the Gospel he comes, and yes, as easily in the poor shepherd's servant as in a great bishop.
55 You can also see from this who they are who have violated the worship of God and still suppress it daily. No one does it, except the Lost Lot, the pope with his camelids, bishops, priests, monks and nuns, who boast the most about worship and have clergymen scolded, and snatch to themselves all the world's goods and honor with their jugglery, and live in a hullabaloo: yet they pretend to help other people to heaven with their foolish work, keep silent about the gospel, yes, persecute and condemn it, so that St. Peter calls them children of malediction.
(56) Now Paul says that this worship should be done with one accord and with one mouth. This happens when we are of one mind and realize that we are all equal and have received the same goods in Christ, so that no one may exalt himself above the other, no one may set up anything special. Do you ask how this happens? It goes like this: All that is apart from Christ is condemned, one as another; may one Christ as well as another. But when we are converted, each one receives the same baptism, the same sacrament, the same faith, the same Christ, the same Spirit, the same gospel, recently, the same God as the other, and here the bread of heaven is distributed in the same way in this wilderness. How is it then possible that it is right for you to cast yourselves spiritually before one another, one priest before the other? What better can he have than Christ? Now every Christian has him, and Christ also takes care of every one completely.
(57) One may hold Christ more firmly than another, as he who loves him more and believes more strongly, but he has nothing more than the other. Christ is Christ to all, and equal in the things that pertain to salvation; therefore he is Christ proper. Because there is a common good between the weak and the healthy in faith, and between the strong and the infirm in walk, let no man think less of another than of himself,
nor despise it, but receive it in one accord and praise God with one accord, as if it came from one heart and mouth. For each one praises God and has that in his heart and mouth that the other has. For all know and give thanks from Christ, and what they have from Christ; as it is declared before in Ps. 75:15: "They shall pray before him all the days of their life." But if someone praises God from his own goods, he divides his mind and mouth, and does not belong to the fellowship of the saints; as do the papists, sects, since no praise is ever heard from Christ, but only from their works.
The fact that he calls to praise the "Father of Jesus Christ" and does not allow him to remain in Christ is also especially noticeable to us in our times, when we honor the saints so highly that we generally cling to the saints and do not penetrate further to God. There is one who is content, if he has graciously called upon St. Barbaram, whom no one knows for sure whether she is a saint or not. Another has the Christoffel and lets himself be satisfied; which is without doubt one of the greatest poems and lies. Almost no one, however, is content to honor and have mercy on the Mother of God.
(59) I am concerned that the abominable idolatry will break in herewith, that confidence and trust will be placed in the saints, which is due to God alone, and that what is to be expected from the saints is to be expected from God alone. And if there were nothing else evil about it, it is nevertheless suspicious that such service to the saints and honor have neither a saying nor an example of Scripture for themselves, and especially that they argue against this saying of Paul and the like, who teach us to press through to God, and place all trust in him alone and expect all kinds of things from him. For even Christ himself *) in the whole Gospel points us to the Father, and for this reason also
is that we should come to the Father through him.
60 Now, "coming to the Father" is not running to Rome with feet, nor is it soaring to heaven with wings; but it is relying on him with heartfelt confidence as on a gracious Father, as the Lord's Prayer begins. The more such confidence increases in the heart, the closer we come to the Father. Now reason and experience must confess that where there is confidence in God in the heart, all confidence in all creatures, be they saints in heaven or on earth, falls away. Therefore also St. Peter says 1 Petr. 1, 18. 19.: "Know that you have not been redeemed with perishable gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, as of an innocent and unblemished lamb, that your faith and hope may be in God." And St. Paul, Rom. 5, 2: "Through Jesus Christ we have access by faith to the grace of God" etc.
(61) I allow that some of the saints and the Mother of God use the service of God properly, although this is strange; yet the example is dangerous, and not to be brought into the community for a custom: but, according to the teaching of Christ and all the apostles, to approach God the Father freshly, and only through Christ. For it has happened very soon in the dreadful case that one trusts in the saints more than in God, and calls on their names and help rather than on God; this is a perversely unchristian thing, as now, I fear, the world is full, full, full of idolatry.
62. and God forbids that such ministers of the saints receive help and miraculous signs, if it is done through the devil. For God also gives life and limb to the servants of the devil, yes, even goods and honor through the devils, as we see publicly; just as a rich prince may give a jewel to another boy through a boy. Therefore, neither miraculous signs nor the example of the crowd are to be relied upon, but only the teaching of Christ or his apostles, in this and in all other cases.
63. just as Christ is the common good of all of us, as we have heard, so we should not appropriate all this good to anyone but the Father alone, who has shown us the most abundant grace in drawing our hearts to himself. Therefore we should also love him with all confidence and praise him for such abundant goodness, so that our hearts may be accustomed to look to him for comfort and for all good things in life and death, but through Christ and not through ourselves; for he was given for this purpose, that through him we should and may come to the Father with such confidence, as John 14:6 says: "No one comes to the Father, but through me alone."
64. and although Christ himself is truly God, and enough is he who puts his trust in him, yet he always leads us to the Father, so that no one may remain attached to humanity, as the disciples did before his suffering, and not think of God above humanity. For we must let Christ be a way, a sign, a work of God after humanity, through which we come to God, and place all confidence in Him in the most absolute way, and make sure that we do not share our confidence in the Mother of God or any saint besides, and set up an idol in our hearts.
Receive one another, even as Christ received you to the praise of God.
65. why? Or what is this "because"? There are two reasons, he says, that you should accept one another. The first, that ye may hear that the Scriptures set Christ before us for such an example, upon whom fell the weak that reproach God, which are our sins: and he hath not despised us, nor rejected us, nor defiled us, but hath accepted us to redeem them: therefore it is meet that we should do much more so.
66) The other reason that such an example is praiseworthy and honest to God is that God is praised and honored by it, and that is this: Because Christ testifies everywhere that everything He does is His Father's will, and He came only to do His Father's will, it is certain that He will also do His Father's will.
has borne the shame of our sin only because it was the Father's will.
From this we see what an abundantly merciful will of the Father rules over us, when he lays out for his dearest only Son to bear our sin and his shame, so that he does not have to condemn us for it. Where such a will of God is rightly recognized, love and praise to God must follow from the bottom of the heart, and His mercy must be praised; for man gains from this a cheerfully secure conscience toward God, and cannot refrain from honoring and praising such rich goods of God.
68 See, this is what St. Paul calls God's glory brought about through Christ, in that he accepted us and bore our sin and destroyed it. So we should also take upon ourselves our neighbor's sin, burden and infirmity, tolerate them, amend them and help them. When the sinner or the infirm hear or feel this, their heart becomes good-humored toward God and must say: This is a fine, merciful God and a just Father, who has such a people and wants them not to judge us poor sinners and infirm people, not to condemn us, not to despise us, but to accept us, help us, and go with us as if our sins and infirmities were their own. Who would not love, praise, glorify, and honor such God, and trust in him all things from the bottom of his heart? What does he himself want to be, if he wants his people to be like this?
(69) Behold, such is the praise that God will obtain through us, in that we will accept one another, and let every man's cause be his own; so that people will be stirred up to believe, and those who already believe will be strengthened in it. But where is the example in the world now? Vain tyrants, even devils, reign in the spiritual realm, who can do no more than banish, malign, drive and hunt.
But I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision, for the truth of God, to confirm the promise made to the fathers. But that the Gentiles praise God because of mercy.
70. Since he had now decided his opinion that each one should accept the other in honor of God, according to the example of Christ, and leave no difference in the people of Christ, neither among saints nor sinners, neither among the strong nor the weak, neither among the rich nor the poor; for they all have one thing, one kind of goods in Christ, who makes one heart, one courage, one mind, one mouth, and all goods common, whether spiritual or temporal, however diverse they may be: He admits and establishes this with strong sayings of the Scriptures, and thus also removes by the Scriptures all causes of disunity, places himself between Jews and Gentiles as an arbitrator and mediator; as if he should speak: You Jews cannot reject the Gentiles unless they eat and drink with you according to your custom, for they have the same Christ that you have, as the Scriptures have declared before. Again, ye Gentiles cannot despise the Jews, though they eat and drink according to their custom: for they also have the same Christ which is promised unto them in the scriptures. Since the Scriptures make Christ common, and gather both Jews and Gentiles together under him, and since apart from Christ no one has anything, and in Christ everyone has all things, why do you quarrel and judge and divide, and not rather accept one another in friendship, as Christ accepted you? For no man hath anything before another; neither hath any man less than another: why then will ye quarrel and be divided over food, and drink, and raiment, and days, and places, and gifts, and such things, seeing there is nothing in them, because they are temporal things, apart from Christ, which serve no purpose? Therefore let whoever wants to be free in this. But if any man be yet weak in the faith, and not yet free, forbear him, and bear him, till he be strong; seeing that nothing is wanting to you, for ye have Christ altogether.
71 In order for us to understand these words of St. Paul, we must know that St. Paul used to call the Jewish people circumcision, because they were circumcised and thereby, as a sign, separated and recognized from other peoples.
the. So other things are also called by their sign, as, one speaks of women: The veil or the braids cause much misfortune in the world. And of the monks: See, what must the robe not do? And of the priests: How is the plate so stingy! And the reuters are called by the spurs and risers. In the same way St. Paul calls the Jews by their sign "circumcision", and the Gentiles praeputium, the "foreskin", Gal. 2, 7. 8.: "They saw that the gospel was entrusted to me in the foreskin", that is, to the Gentiles, who still have their foreskin uncircumcised, "as Petro was entrusted with the gospel in the circumcision", that is, to the Jews. And Eph. 2, 11: "Remember, ye Gentiles, which in time past were called a foreskin of the circumcision" etc. So here also: "I say that Christ was a servant of the circumcision", that is, of the Jews or the Jewish people. He also calls Christ a servant according to his custom, since he calls all preachers and apostles servants. 1 Cor. 3, 5: "What is Paul? What is Apollo? They are servants through whom you have believed." So much is said: "Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision", that is, a preacher, teacher, apostle, messenger, sent by God to the Jewish people. For Christ has never preached to the Gentiles, nor has he been sent to them, but only to the Jews.
This was not done for the sake of their merit, but, as he says here, "for the sake of the truth of God. What truth is this? God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that Christ would be born of their seed. So that God would be found true in His promise, Christ came, according to the same promise. And so the truth is that God invented it, that he keeps what he promises. For the sake of this truth, so that God would exist as the true One, and not for the sake of anyone's merit, Christ became an apostle and minister of the circumcision. This is what the following words mean, when he says: "to establish the promise of God made to the fathers." See what truth he means, namely, that the divine promise is confirmed and fulfilled.
Promise of Christ, to the patriarchs happen.
73) Although it is true that Christ is common to both Jews and Gentiles, he was not promised to the Gentiles, but only to the Jews; as he also says Rom. 3, 2: "God's word is entrusted to the Jews"; Rom. 9, 4: "The law is given to the Jews. So he also came to them alone, as he himself says Matth. 15, 24: "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel alone." So the Jews have the advantage that Christ is promised to them and they can wait for him. But to the Gentiles nothing was promised, therefore they could wait for nothing; although the Jews are like the Gentiles in this, that Christ was promised out of pure grace, as he was given to the Gentiles. But since he was promised, they had good reason to expect him, when he was to be given to them.
Therefore the Jews have Christ not only from the grace of the promise, but also from the truth of God, which should fulfill His promise. But the Gentiles have neither the grace of the promise nor the truth of the fulfillment, but the mere, unthinking, unforeseen mercy that gives them Christ, without all the promise, without all the obligation of God's truth to fulfill. But since the Scriptures proclaimed that the Gentiles should receive Christ, even though without all promise, without all waiting and oversight, the same Scripture had to be fulfilled. And so no one part has anything before the other; but Christ was given to the Jews out of divine promise and truth, and to the Gentiles out of pure unforeseen mercy. Because the Scripture has both of these things in it, it promises to the Jews and proclaims to the Gentiles: so now there is agreement that each one has Christ in common, and from now on each one should take care of the other as a fellow member of the common good. The Jews should not despise the Gentiles because the Scripture says of them that they will praise God for His mercy. How would they despise those who have and praise God's mercy? After all, they could not praise them if they had not
Again, let not the Gentiles despise the Jews. Again, the Gentiles should not despise the Jews, for Christ was promised to them and became their servant and preacher according to the promise, so that God would truly stand and confirm His promise.
Behold, these words of Paul: "I say that Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the sake of God, to confirm the promise of God made to the fathers. Why do you say this? No doubt that no one despises the Jews, but accept them, because they accepted Christ and did not despise him, yes, even their own preacher, servant, apostle is promised, shown and given. What then do you say of the Gentiles? I do not say that they are promised anything; but this I say, they praise and have God's mercy, which is given to them without promise, as the Scripture reports: therefore let no one despise them, but accept them, because God has accepted them and not despised them. Therefore, as Christ was made common to all, both Jews and Gentiles, though from various and diverse causes, so we also ought to be made common among ourselves, each taking care of the other, bearing his burdens and enduring his infirmities, without any distinction of outward person, name, rank, or whatever they may be.
Therefore I will praise you among the nations, and sing to your name.
76 Here he begins to recount some sayings of the Scriptures, in which it is proclaimed of the Gentiles that they would praise God for His mercy. And this first one is written in Ps. 18, 50. and Ps. 108, 4. and is spoken by the prophet in the person of Christ; as both Psalms show. If this scripture is true, Christ must be among the Gentiles, not in the flesh but in the spirit. For where Christ is not spiritual, there is still no praise; but where he praises and sings, there he is spiritual. So this saying compels the Gentiles to believe in Christ and have him, which is to have the mercy of God; yet in this is not anything promised to the Gentiles, but badly proclaimed of the Gentiles what they will do.
77. it is also said above of the right-
The first service, which the prophet calls praise and singing of God's name, as all Scripture calls it. Now praise is nothing else than recognition of the goods received; therefore the Hebrew and Apostle's word is: Confitebor: I will confess to you, that is, give thanks, praise, and say that I have all these things from you.
And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
78. this saying is drawn from Deut. 32:43, when Moses is said, "Praise, ye Gentiles, with his people." But in Hebrew it can thus read: Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with him (hear, with his people). And so, methinks, the apostle leadeth this saying. But be it otherwise or so, it is evident that no one praises God's people, nor rejoices with them, unless he is partaker of their goods and has the same God. For whoever does not have this, is an enemy to God's people, curses them and persecutes them, as Gen. 12:3. God says: "I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you." Here you see that they are blessed who bless God's people. Therefore the saying also compels the Gentiles to become Christians.
And again, Praise the Lord, all ye nations; and glorify him, all ye peoples.
This is the 117th Psalm v. 1. 2. and also speaks of the right worship. Therefore he also commands that the Gentiles should be God's people; for God serves no one, that is, praises and honors, but His people alone.
And again saith Isaias, The root of Jesse shall be, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles hope.
80 This saying is written in Is. 11, 10. and reads in Hebrew: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, which is for a sign unto the nations, the Gentiles shall inquire of him, and his rest shall be glory. The meaning of this saying is clear, that the Gentiles shall have Christ and be subject to Him. But St. Paul transforms the words a little, and follows the
ancient interpreters who, in ancient times, transformed the Biblia into Greek. The sense is nevertheless the same. The root Jesse is not to be understood here the trunk Jesse, as the painters paint a tree from Jesse, the father of David, with many branches; and as one also sings of our women: Germinavit radix Jesse: The trunk of Jesse is sprung up: all this is interpreted by force. Christ himself, and no one else, is this trunk or root; how clearly this saying of Isaiah compels, who says: The Gentiles shall hope in the trunk or root of Jesse, who rules the nations etc. This cannot be attributed to the natural Jesse nor to our women.
81 Christ is called a "root of Jesse" because he came from the lineage of Jesse through David, but in him the bodily birth ceased. Through his suffering he was buried in the earth and hidden in the world as an unformed root, and out of him grew the beautiful tree, the Christian church, spread throughout the world. That would be rightly painted the root of Jesse, if one painted Christ's suffering and its fruits on it.
82) But that Paul says, "and he shall arise to rule the nations," is just as much as in Hebrew, "he shall stand as a sign to the nations;" for Christ's rule is signified by this, that it is spiritual. Through the gospel he is set up as a sign in all the world, to be seen and to be kept by faith. He is not seen in the flesh, but only in the sign, in the gospel; and so he also rules the nations through the gospel, in the sign, and not in bodily presence.
But that he says: "The Gentiles will hope in him" is nothing else than the Hebrew text says: "And the Gentiles will ask for him", that is, they will look to him and cling to him alone, put all comfort, hope and faithfulness in him, will ask for nothing, desire nothing, but only him. But since our text has, Isa. 11, 10.: "And his grave will be honest", which the apostle omits, St. Jerome has not interpreted well, since he thinks that Isaiah wrote about the glorious grave of Christ.
. Isaiah willed that his rest be praise,
That is, his death or dying is not like other people's deaths, who have their price because they live, but when they die, they have nothing. But this root Jesse first of all received his prize in death; for after his death he was first of all exalted to right life, power, prize and honor, to a sign and ruler of the Gentiles, yes, a Lord over all things set at the right hand of God.
But may God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may have complete hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
He concludes the epistle with his prayer, wishing them full joy and peace, saying, "God of hope," that is, who alone gives it through Christ and in Christ.
But how this is to be done is stated above: If we know God's will, as He gave Christ to bear our sin, as we also should do. The deeper such a will is recognized, the stronger faith, hope and love become. Therefore it must always be preached, heard, and thought of, for it can be done by no other means than through the gospel alone; therefore the apostle's opinion is this: God, who worketh hope through the gospel, give you grace, that ye may well practice and believe the gospel, from which ye may know Christ most deeply; whereof then ye shall have all joy and good conscience, as of a common good, and peace one among another. For this is joy and peace, not as the world gives, by feeling and sensing,
But by faith: for ye neither see nor feel him that is your possession, from whom ye have joy and peace: but in the world ye shall have strife and sorrow. But if ye know Christ, that he is common to all, and equal unto all, ye have good peace: for there is nothing that any man can give to another, because ye are all equally rich. Behold, this is called joy and peace by faith, or in faith.
From this then follows abundance of hope, that is, that hope always increases. Sufferings and persecutions also help this. For hope does not increase in such a way that adversity is put away; indeed, it is increased, so that hope does not rely on our power, but endures through the power of the Holy Spirit, which helps us and strengthens our hope, so that we neither flee nor fear the disaster of the world, but endure to the point of death, and overcome all evil, so that it must flee from us and depart. That is, hope, not in human weakness, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, which yet all must be by means of the gospel; as he says above, v. 4: "By patience and comfort of the Scriptures we have hope." For where there is no gospel, there is neither hope, comfort, peace, joy, faith, love, Christ, God, nor any good; as we see before our eyes in the wretched spiritual, spiritless, carnal state, who nevertheless pray much and say mass; from whom God of hope, and of patience, and of comfort graciously keep us, amen.