To the Mass on Christmas Eve.
Tit. 2, 11-15.
For the saving grace of God has appeared to all men, chastening us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live chastely, righteously and godly in this world, waiting for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all unrighteousness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, diligent in good works. Speak and exhort these things, and punish with all earnestness. Let no one despise you.*)
1 It is written in the book of Nehemiah, Cap. 4, when they were rebuilding Jerusalem, that they were building with one hand and had a sword in the other, because of the enemies who were trying to stop the building. St. Paul interprets Titus 1:9 to mean that a bishop, pastor or preacher should be powerful in the Holy Scriptures to teach and admonish, and also to defend the opponents. So that one needs the word of God in two ways, as of bread and as of the sword, to feed and to fight, in times of peace and in times of war; and thus with one hand to build, to improve, to teach, to feed Christianity, with the other to resist the devil, the heretics, the world. For where there is no resistance, the devil has soon spoiled the pasture, to which he is even hostile. Therefore let us (if God gives grace) handle the gospels in such a way that we not only feed our souls in them, but also teach them as a suit of armor and fight with them against all enemies, so that we may be armed with pasture and weapons.]
2 First, St. Paul teaches in this epistle what Titus and every preacher should preach to the people, namely, Christ and nothing else; so that the people may know what
*) In the printing of the text, a has the marginal gloss to the words: "that would be diligent to good works" (v. 14): "that would earnestly press on to do good works".
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Christ, and why he came, and what fruit he brought forth for us, saying, "The grace of God has appeared," etc., that is, it is manifested and glorified. How did this happen? Through the apostles and their preaching it was proclaimed in all the world. For before Christ arose, it was still hidden, and Christ alone walked in the Jewish land, still unexplained. But after his departure he gave the Holy Spirit, of whom he said before Joh. 16, 14: The Spirit of truth, whom I will send, he will transfigure me. Now the apostle's opinion is that Christ came, not to walk here on earth for himself alone, but for our good; therefore he did not remain with or in himself, but after his ascension he proclaimed, preached, and said publicly in all the world before everyone such goodness and grace of his; nor did he let such a revelation and proclamation remain alone, and be only a speech or a hearing, but bring forth fruit in us. For it is such a revelation and proclamation that instructs us to renounce, forsake, and put away all ungodly things and all earthly, worldly lusts or desires, and so henceforth to lead a sober, justified, godly life.
The right text has thus: "The saving grace of God has appeared" etc. That he might condemn the grace of the world and of men, as being harmful, damnable, and unfit; and thereby cause us to lust for the things of God.
of divine favor and grace, and teach us to despise human favor and grace. For whoever wants to have God's grace and favor must consider all other graces and favors; as He says Matth. 10, 22: "You will be hated by all men for My name's sake"; and Ps. 53, 6: "God has destroyed their bones who want to please men"; and Paul Gal. 1, 10: "If I had wanted to please men until now, I would not be Christ's servant. Therefore, where the healing grace of God appears and is proclaimed, the harmful grace of men must be concealed and obscured; and he who wants to recognize and taste the former must despise and forget the latter.
4 He says that it appeared or was proclaimed before all men, because Christ commanded them to preach the gospel in all the world to all creatures. Paul also says in many places, especially Col. 1, 23: "The gospel that you heard was preached before all creatures under heaven," that is, it was preached publicly so that all creatures could have heard it, or rather all men. For before Christ preached in the Jewish country alone, and the holy Scriptures were with the Jews, as the 76th Psalm v. 2 and the 147th Psalm v. 19 say. But after that it is left free, and no place is appointed for it; but as the 19th Psalm v. 5. says, "Into all countries its voice went out, and into all places of the world its word." This is what the apostles said.
005 But wilt thou say, Was not this done in the apostles' days? for Germany was converted eight hundred years after the apostles, and now many isles and countries are found, to whom nothing hath appeared of such grace in fifteen hundred years? Answer: The apostle speaks of the nature of the gospel; for it is such a sermon, which is thus begun, and ordained to come into all the world, and in the apostle's time had already come into the greatest and best part of the world. But no sermon of this kind was begun before, nor was it ordained; for the law of Moses was written to the Jewish people alone. Therefore
because most of it had happened and had to happen completely, as it still happens: so the Scripture calls it as if it had happened. For the Scripture has a way of speaking that is called almost common,
That is, when one speaks of a whole thing, of which only one piece is thus. As if Christ had lain in the grave three days and three nights, when he had lain in it only one day, two nights, and two parts of two days, Matt. 12:40. Thus he says, Matt. 23:37, Jerusalem stoned the prophets, when there were many pious people in it. Thus it is said, "The clergy are stingy," when there are many pious people among them. And this is almost a common way of speaking in all languages, especially in the Holy Scriptures.
(6) Thus the gospel is preached to all creatures at that time, for it is such preaching as has gone forth, begun, and been ordained to come before all creatures. In this way a prince would say, when his message is finished at his court and has come up to the street, "The message has gone to this or that one, if it has not gone at all. So God has let his gospel go out before all creatures, but not as soon as everything has happened. That is why the prophet Ps. 19:5 said, "Her voice has gone out into all the earth"; not, "It has already come into all the earth, but it is on its way and goes out into all the earth. So Paul also means, "It is preached and made manifest to all men without ceasing, and is already on the way and has come to pass, but not at all.
7 Two things teach us the appearance of such grace, as St. Paul says here: renounce the ungodly nature and worldly pleasures; we must explain them. The little word, impietas, which the apostle calls asebia in Greek, and resa in Hebrew, I cannot obtain with any German word, therefore I have called it an ungodly being; although even the Latin and Greek do not entirely obtain the Hebrew. For resa actually means the sin of not honoring God, that is, of not believing him, trusting him, fearing him, not surrendering to him, not
and be one God: in which sin the gross external sinners are deeply stuck, but much more deeply the wise, saints, scholars, clergy, who are pious before the world and themselves, relying on their works. Recently: All those who do not surrender and live on the mere goodness and grace of God are all impii, ungodly, even if they raised the dead with great holiness, were virgins and full of all virtue. I would like them to be called merciless or faithless people. Well, let us call them ungodly. For this is why Paul says that the saving grace appeared to the ungodly, so that they might become rich in grace and rich in God, that is, so that they might believe, trust, fear, honor, love and praise God, and thus turn the ungodly nature into a godly nature.
8 For what good would it be for the saving grace of God to appear if anyone were to become godly or live a godly life through something else? as St. Paul says here, it is preached and revealed for this reason, so that we may renounce the ungodly nature and live a godly life from now on, not through ourselves or from ourselves, but through it. Therefore, no one reviles the same grace more highly, nor does anyone contradict such an appearance more horribly, than the glib and godless saints, who do not want to leave their things, sin and be condemned, still find much good in themselves, and without grace work much merit according to their good opinion, as they think. But God does not consider any work good, nor is it good, that he himself does not work in us through his grace. Therefore, that he might work much of the same in all of us, and that our works might cease, he has manifested his saving grace before all men.
(9) The first evil of all men is that they are godless, unholy, and without mercy. In this is first understood the unbelieving heart, then all thoughts, words, works and the whole life, which is led from and in such an unbelieving heart, that he who is left to himself, lives and walks only by natural ability and reason; which nevertheless shines so beautifully and greatly that even the true saints do not shine so. But in it they seek only their own property,
may also not live and walk in honor of God, even though they boast, pretend and pretend more than the true saints, of which the Scriptures say much. For it is a great, extensive, yet very subtle evil, such a godless, merciless nature, that those who walk in it may never recognize it, nor believe it when it is told to them; that the prophet Ps. 32:2 calls it, not a rational, worldly, carnal, but a spiritual cunning, which deceives not only the reason, but also the spirit of man.
10 And recently, one must believe it more than feel it. For if God lets his grace be proclaimed to all men, that they should renounce the ungodly nature, one must believe him as the one who knows our heart better than we do, and confess, if our things were not ungodly, damnable, he would not let his grace cry out to turn such things. It would be a fool to give a medicine to one who is not sick. Therefore God must become a fool in the sight of those who, according to their own judgment and feeling, do not want to believe that all their things are ungodly, damnable and lacking in His saving grace, which is terrible. Therefore he says Matth. 21, 32, how the chief priests, scholars and clergy did not believe John the Baptist, who called them to repentance, but they did not want to know of any sin. All the prophets were strangled because they punished the people for this sin, but no one wanted to believe them, no one thought that such sin was in them. For they judged according to their own feelings and conceits and works, not according to God's word and judgment, which He presented through the prophets.
(11) Therefore St. Paul uses here a very brave word, in Greek paedeuusa, that is, to instruct, as one instructs children anew, which they have never heard nor known before, who also do not judge according to their reason, but according to the word of the Father: what he interprets to be useful or harmful to them, they thus hold, believe and follow. But the wise and great are shown cause to understand by reason what is useful and what is not.
or useless. The saving grace of God also wants to have such children as disciples, so that, although we do not think so, we should believe that our nature is godless and damnable, and thus receive grace and follow it. Therefore Christ says Matth. 18, 3: "If you are not converted and become like young children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven"; and Isa. 7, 9: "If you do not believe, you will not stand. Thus the divine, saving grace not only appears to help us, but also teaches us to recognize that we need it, because it indicates by its appearance that all our being is ungodly, merciless, damned. Therefore, the 119th Psalm v. 7. almost begs that God would teach him His judgment, His law, His commandment, so that he would not act according to his own judgment and feelings; as God has forbidden in Deut. 12, 8: "You shall not do what seems right to you."
(12) The other evil part of man he calls the worldly desires; in it he understands all the disorderly nature that a man leads against himself and his neighbor; just as the first, the ungodly nature, understands all disorder against God. But see how bravely also these words are set: Desire, worldly. For "worldly" he calls them, that he may comprehend all evil desire, whether of goods, lust, honor, favor, and all that the world may have, wherein a man may sin with lusts. Nor does he say that we should renounce worldly goods or their customs. The goods are good and God's creatures; so we must use their service for food, drink, clothing and other necessities, none of which is forbidden: but the desires of the same, the clinging, the attachment, these are forbidden, and we must renounce them; for these lead us into all sin against ourselves and our neighbor.
(13) This also condemns the ungodly creatures, who, though they walk in shameful garments and do evil deeds for fear of disgrace or the torment of hell, are full of the evil desires of good, honor and violence. And is there no man who loves this life so much, who fears death so much, and who loves here so much?
They do not pay attention to the worldly desires in which they are drowned, and do many works in vain. It is not enough here to do away with worldly works or words alone; worldly desires should be done away with, so that we only need this life and all that is in it, and do not respect it, only think about going out into that life; as then follows in this epistle, that we should wait for the future etc.
(14) Now here we see that the grace of God reveals how all men are full of worldly desires, although some hide the same with glitter. For if anyone were without them, grace would not have been revealed, nor would it be salvific, nor would it have appeared to all men, nor would it indicate that such desires are to be put away. For he who does not have them must not put them away, nor does this saying of Paul's apply to him. He does not have to be a man, so grace is not necessary or useful to him, it must not appear to him. What might he be then? Without doubt a devil, eternally damned with all his holiness and purity; however, if they hide all worldly desire, they may not hide that they like to remain in this life, unwilling to die; so that they show how ungracious they are, and all their being is ungodly and worldly; nor do they see such their ungracious dangerous affliction.
015 He saith also, We shall renounce or abjure, that he may put away many foolish ways, which are made up by men to be godly. For some run away into the deserts, some into monasteries, some separate themselves from the people, and pretend to escape from the ungodly being and worldly lusts with physical flight; some with torture and destruction of the body, so that they have done more to him with hunger, thirst, waking, clothing, and work than nature could bear. Yes, if the ungodly nature and worldly desires were painted on the wall of the house, you would want to run out of it; or were knitted into the red skirt, you would want to take it off and put on a gray one; or were growing in your hair, you would want to let yourself be shod and make a plate; or were
baked into the bread, thou wouldest eat roots for them: but now they are in thy heart, and possess thee through and through, whither wilt thou run, that thou wilt not take thyself? what wilt thou do, that thou wilt not be under? what wilt thou eat and drink, that thou wilt not be with? lately, what wilt thou do, that thou wilt not be thyself, as thou art in thyself? Dear man, the great irritation is in you, and you must run and flee from yourself first, as Jacob says Cap. 1:14: "Every man sins, being provoked and seduced by his own lust."
(16) Therefore, it is not the opinion that only the outward cause of sin should be avoided; but, as St. Paul says here, it should be avoided that the desires in us are killed, so that no outward stimulation may harm us: that is rightly avoided. If they are not killed, no escape from external irritation will help. Yes, we must remain in the midst of irritations, and learn to renounce lusts and ungodliness by grace, as the 110th Psalm v. 2. says: "You shall rule or be subject in the midst of your enemies." Strife, not flight, work, not rest must be here if we are to acquire the crown.
(17) Thus we read of an old man who could not stay in the monastery because of the suffering of the irritations, but intended to serve God in peace in the desert. While he was inside, his water jar fell over and he put it back together, but it fell over. Then he was angry and broke the jar into pieces. Then he struck within himself. Behold," he said, "I cannot have peace with myself alone, now I see that the affliction is in me; and he went back to the monastery, gave himself up to the affliction of irritation, and taught henceforth not to curb worldly desires by fleeing, but by renouncing them.
18 He further shows how we should live according to the renounced ungodly nature and worldly desire, and says that we should live soberly, justifiably, godly in this world. He gives a fine common rule and life, according to all classes and evenly; does not establish sects, does not make a distinction among men, as the doctrine of men does. The first is sobriety, in which he observes everything.
The first thing a man must do for himself is to mortify his own body and keep it in good health. Our text calls such things sobriety, which St. Paul calls sophron in Greek. Paul calls sophron in Greek, which means not only sobriety, but moderation in all changes of the body or flesh, as there are: Eating, drinking, sleeping, clothing, words, face, gestures, which in German is called an honorable life, and a well-mannered person who knows how to keep himself finely moderate, chaste and brave in all such things, so that the person does not lead a wild, insolent, free, disorderly life in eating, drinking, sleeping, words, face and gestures. He also says above, v. 4, that the old matrons should teach the young women and train them to such respectability and honesty.
19 It is true that eating, drinking and being full most of all hinders and hinders such an honorable life, but being sober is a great encouragement and help to it. For as soon as a man is too full, he can never keep to himself, all five senses become wild and naughty; as experience teaches that when the belly is full of food and drink, the mouth is also full of words, the ears full of desire to hear, the eyes full of desire to see, the whole body lazy, sleepy and unenthusiastic, or too wild and desolate, and all the limbs are equally out of discipline and reason, and there is no longer any rule or measure. Therefore it is not quite bad in our text verlateinischt, sobriety; for also in Greek, asotos and sophron are, as in German, gluttony and moderation. Also, if we look at the Latin, sobrius does not mean sober, that one has not eaten or drunk in the morning; but sobrius and ebrius are also opposite, as in German, drunkenness or gluttony and sobriety. We Germans also call a person sober who is not drunk or full, but fine with himself and moderate, even though he has eaten and drunk.
020 Now behold what good works the apostle teacheth. He does not call to walk, does not forbid this or that food, does not teach to wear such or such clothes, does not teach the
Or fast the day; as those do who by human laws cast themselves out, and base their spiritually good life in dissimulation of garments, food, hair, days, want to be pious with it, that they do not go in a mean way with garments, places, food, times, gestures, and have a right name in the gospel, that they are called Pharisaei, the cast out or set apart, whom the prophet Ps. 80, 14. calls them monios, that is, a special one, that is, they are called a wild sow that goes alone and special. Henceforth we will also call them peculiars, so that they may be recognized. But they devastate the vineyard of God, as the same Psalm laments. For such Pharisees and specials, with their own special clothing, food, days, and gestures, are very glittering, and easily draw the crowd from the common road into their ways, so that, as Christ says, even the elect may not remain before them.
(21) Therefore we learn from St. Paul that no food, no drink, no color, no dress, no day, no habit is forbidden or ordained, but all things are free to all, only that they be kept sober and temperate. Things are not forbidden, as has been said above, but disorder, excess, and abuse are forbidden; but where there is a distinction and selection of food, clothing, place, and days, there are certainly laws of men, and the evangelical Christian doctrine and freedom are not, and in the end only hypocrisy and pretense come of it, yet neither temperance nor sobriety. Therefore use all things on earth, which, when and where you want, and thank God, as St. Paul teaches; only beware of excess, disorder, abuse or fornication in them, and you will go the right way. Do not be mistaken that holy fathers have instituted orders and sects, such and such food and clothing, done so and so. They have not done it to set themselves apart from others, otherwise they would not be holy; but it has pleased them so, and they have exercised their moderation in it. In whatsoever thou wilt, and remain free, thou shalt not cleave to such ways and creatures, as if they were the right ways of a good life; for thou shalt not be bound by them.
become an eccentric and lose the fellowship of the saints: beware of it with diligence. One must fast, one must watch, one must work, one must wear little clothing etc. But do this when you think your body needs fasting and moderation; do not set apart a day or place for it, but do it on whatever day necessity and moderation demand. This then is right fasting, and fasting every day, and abstaining from worldly lusts; so teacheth the gospel, which is the people of the New Testament.
22) The other, that we should be justified in life; but there no work nor time is determined and set apart, that the way of God may ever remain free and common, and everything is set apart in every man's own care, that he may do right, freely, when, where, and to whom it may come to pass. For in this piece St. For in this passage St. Paul teaches how we should behave toward our neighbor: to him we owe righteousness; which is in the two: that we do to him what we would have him do to us, and leave what we would have him leave to us, that is, if we do him no harm or harm to his body, wife, children, friends, goods, honor, and all that is his; again, help and assist him where we see that he needs us, with body, goods, honor, and all that is ours. For righteousness is doing to each his due. O how small a word is this, and so far-reaching! O how few walk in this way of righteousness, who otherwise live well. We do all things without what the saving grace reveals to us and instructs us to do.
(23) This must be spread out so that even our enemy may be understood through our neighbor. But this way is completely overgrown, much more than the way of moderation; even though it has been torn down by food, clothing, vestments, and splendor so exuberantly and more than superfluously, it is completely devastated and lies unpaved; meanwhile, God has not commanded us to do any of these things. O Lord God, how wide has hell opened its jaws, when
Isaiah Cap. 5, 14. says; and how narrow the door of heaven has become through the cursed doctrine and the sin of the ecclesiastics and Pharisees. The painters are prophets, ignorantly indicating how things stand now. They paint hell as a wide open dragon's mouth and the door of heaven as closed. O woe to the painting!
(24) Therefore, do not ask what you should do externally; look at your neighbor and you will find a thousand things to do. Only do not deceive yourself; do not think that you will get to heaven by praying and going to church, or by making offerings and making memorials, if you pass over before your neighbor. If you pass over here before him, he will lie there in the way, so that you must pass over again before the gates of heaven, like the rich man who left Lazarum lying at his door. O woe to us priests, monks, bishops and pope! What do we preach? What do we teach? How do we lead the poor people from the streets! One blind man touches another, both fall into the pit. Such things should be taught, as St. Paul also says at the end of the epistle.
(25) The third part, that we live godly, teaches how we should conduct ourselves toward God; thus we are perfectly skillful toward ourselves, toward our neighbor, toward God. Now, as it has been said above that impietas is the ungodly, graceless, godless being, so again pietas is the divine, gracious, believing being; that is, to trust in God, to rely solely on His grace, to disregard no work, unless it be wrought by Him in us with grace, so that He may be recognized in us, thereby honored, praised, lauded and loved. And recently it is written in the two that we fear him and trust in him, as the 33rd Psalm v. 18. and the 147th Psalm v. 11. sings: "God is well pleased with those who fear him and trust in his goodness." Fear is that we believe that all our things are an ungodly being, as the appearance of his grace shows us; therefore we fear him, and from such a being we hasten to come and henceforth guard against it. Trust (confidence) is that we do not doubt that he will be gracious to us and make us godly, gracious people.
Behold, then man leaves God in the bridle, he gives himself to Him, does nothing of himself, lets God rule and work in him, so that all his care, fear, petition and desire is without ceasing, so that God does not let him lead his own work and life, which he knows to be ungodly and worthy of wrath, but would rule him and work in him with grace: from this then grows a good conscience, love and praise to God. Behold, these are pii, godly, grace-filled people, who walk and trust not in reason nor nature, but only in God's grace, always fearing lest they fall out into their own reason, conceit, good opinion and self-invented works; of this David made the whole 119th Psalm. All the verses of this Psalm ask the same thing, of which there are a hundred, six and seventy; so great is this divine way, and so dangerous is nature, reason and the doctrine of men, that no one can sufficiently fear and guard against it.
27 Behold, God does not require of you to build churches, to build walls, to make foundations, to hear masses, this or that; but such a heart and life as walk in his graces, fearing other ways and lives apart from grace. No more can you give him, for he gives everything else to you, as he says in Ps. 50:12, 14, 15: "O Israel, do you think that I ask for your offerings and sacrifices? for all that is in heaven and on earth is mine. This is my service, that you praise me, and make your vows to me; call upon me in your afflictions, and I will help you, and you will honor me. As if he were to say, "You have vowed to me that I shall be your God." This also means, "Let me work, do not work anything of your own; let me help you in your needs, turn all things over to me, so that I alone may do what you live for; then you can know, love and praise me and my grace; this is the right road to blessedness. Otherwise, when you work yourself, you also praise yourself and do not respect me, do not let me be your God, become unfaithful and break your vows.
(28) Behold, this is the right worship, for which there are no bells, no churches, no vessels, no ornaments, no lights, no candles.
There is no need of organs or singing, of paintings or pictures, of tablets or altars, of plates or caps, of incense or sprinkling, of processions or crucifixions, of indulgences or letters. For these are all human fables and essays, which God does not respect, and which obscure the true service of God with their glitter. The only thing that is necessary is that the Gospel be well practiced and that such a service be made known to the people, which is the right bell and organ for this service.
29. He also says that we should live in this way in this world: first, that we should not live by works, but that our whole life should be like this while we are here; for as Christ says, "He who endures to the end will be saved," Matt. 10:22. Some may do something at times, but life is not here, nor does it last to the end. Secondly, that no one may save his good life until after this life, or until death; for here in this life must come to pass what we are to wait for in that life.
(30) Now many rely on purgatory and live to the end as they desire, wanting to help themselves with vigils and masses: they should well realize it. It would be good, therefore, that Purgatory were never recognized; it lays waste so much property, makes many monasteries, convents, priests and monks, so that these three parts of the Christian life are greatly suppressed; yet God has not commanded nor spoken of Purgatory, and may God grant that not all or some of it be deception.*) For what God does not establish is indeed dangerous to accept and build upon, so that we can hardly remain if we build upon God's statutes, which cannot waver. Truly, this saying of Paul's strikes hard against purgatory, because he wants to have lived well in this world, that I would not like to suffer such a blow to my faith. Not that I would still suffer purgatory at the time [namely, when one
*) Instead of "that not quite" etc., f g: "that not be a vain, mendacious, and faked deception".
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1522. year*] but that it is dangerous to preach, because God's Word and Scripture say nothing about it, even if it were true in itself.
But rather he says "in this world", indicating the power of God's saving grace, that the world is so evil that a godly man must live alone, without example, like a rose among thorns, and suffer from it all kinds of misfortune, contempt, shame and sin. As if to say: Whoever wants to live soberly, justifiably, divinely, must forsake all enmity and take up the cross. He must not be led astray, even if he should live alone, like Lot in Sodoma and Abraham in Canaan, among vain, drunken, lewd, unjust, false, ungodly people. It is the world and remains world, to which he must express himself and live contrary, punish them in their worldly desires. Behold, that is to live soberly in the midst of the house of gift-giving, chastely in the midst of the evil house, godly in the midst of the house of dancing, justifiably in the midst of the pit of murder. Such a world then makes this life narrow and vexatious, that man desires, cries out and calls for death and the last day, and waits for it with great longing, as follows. Grace must lead such a difficult life; nature and reason are lost here.
And wait for the blessed hope.
(32) There he shows a proper distinction between a godly life and all other lives, so that each one may feel how near or far he is from a gracious life. Come near, all ye that are well alive, and let us ask whether these words please them, whether they are so skillful as to wait for the last day, whether they regard the same not only as a deceptive thing, but also as a blessed thing, to be hoped for with high desires and comforting confidence. Is it not true that all human nature dreads the day? Is it not true that if it were up to them, they would never want the day to come, and before that the shining saints? Where is the nature then? Where is
*) [f g]
the reason? Where is the free will, which they praise as inclined and strong for good? Why, then, does he flee and be terrified not only of this good, but also of God's glory and blessedness, which the apostle here calls a blessed hope, in which we shall be blessed? What hinders him here, because he is hereby decided to lead an ungodly, merciless, damnable life, which he does not want to let be evil and ungodly except in view of this day? What is more ungodly than striving against God's will? But does he not strive against God's will who flees this day, in which God's glory shall be revealed, and does not wait with love and desire? Therefore look at it, who does not desire this day, does not wait with love and desire, he is not in a divine life, even if he woke up the dead.
Thou wouldst speak thus: Yes, so few people would be in a right life, before the eccentrics and clergymen, who flee this day and death more than all others. That is what I said above, how these same eccentrics only lead themselves and others off the right path and disturb God's ways. For here one can clearly see how reason and nature are not able to do anything with all their works, because they only resist God, and how necessary the saving grace is that our works fall away and God alone works in us, so that we can come out of ourselves and our ungracious nature into a supernatural, gracious, divine world, grace-filled, divine life, which not only does not fear this day, but also waits for it with joy and desire, eagerly and comfortingly, as it is further said in the Gospel of the other Sunday.
(34) Behold, it is not nature nor reason that teaches us this, but the grace of God that appears. Behold, this grace not only makes us renounce worldly desires, but also makes us abhor them, desire to be rid of them, and become weary of the whole of life; in addition, it instills a divine nature in us, so that in all confidence we pray to God with joy and hope for His future. So let it be done for us.
35 Now let us move the words. He
calls it a "blessed hope". This he sets against this miserable, unhappy life, in which no more than all misfortune, danger and sin hunt us down and torment us, if we want to be pious, so that everything that is here should be a burden to us and strengthen such hope; as also happens to those who practice soberly, justifiably and godly living. For the world suffers them not long, must be disagreeable to all men, as Paul saith Rom. 5:3, 4, 5: "We suffer persecution to be a precious thing unto us, and glory in it. For we know that persecution is useful to teach patience, but patience makes us approved, but approval makes us hopeful, hope does not put us to shame." So our eyes are closed to the worldly visible things, and hope toward the eternal, invisible things, all of which is done by grace through the cross, into which the divine life brings us, which is unpleasant to the world.
And appearance of glory.
This future is called by St. Paul epiphaniam, that is, appearance or revelation, as he said grace appeared and was revealed above, epephane etc.. Therefore the little word "future" is not sufficient in Latin. For the apostle wants to make a difference between this last future and the first. The first was in humility and contempt, so that few knew him, and he was not revealed to the world except in faith through the gospel. He is still hidden; but on the last day he will appear in bright, manifest clarity and glory, so that his clarity and glory will be revealed to all creatures and so remain revealed forever. For the last day will be an eternal day, as it appears at the first moment, when all things will be open, all hearts, all things. That is called the appearance of his clarity, or his glory. There one will neither preach nor believe. Then everyone will see and feel, as in broad daylight, all things. That is why he also speaks of "the great God". Not that there is another God who is small, but that God is great.
has not shown his greatness, his majesty, his glory, his clarity until this day. Now you see him in the gospel and faith, that is a small, narrow face, there God is small and little understood: but then he will let himself be seen according to his greatness and majesty.
37 These are comforting words to all who live soberly, justly, godly. For he speaks: The clarity will not be of our enemy or judge, but of our Savior Jesus Christ, who will then make us fully blessed, and also for this reason will keep the day and appear so great that he will redeem us from this world, in which we must suffer so much for the sake of a good life and for his sake; so that, in view of such a future and great honorable redemption, we may be able to endure the persecution, torture, shame, harm and death of the world all the more cheerfully and comfortingly, and persevere more steadfastly in the divine life, relying on and defying such a Savior Jesus Christ.
Again, the words are terrible to the worldly hearts and godless people, who do not want to suffer the persecution of the world for the sake of the divine essence, but want to live here in peace, and thus be pious, so that no one should be hostile or burdensome to them. But the nefarious, insolent, obdurate people do not heed these words, nor do they think to come to the day, they run like mad beasts, blind and heedless into this day and abyss of hell. Now you may ask: How do I come to such a divine being, that I may thus wait for the day, since my nature and reason flee such and are not able? Now notice what follows:
Who gave Himself for us.
(39) For this reason things are presented to you in such a great way that you must recognize and confess your inability, completely despair of yourself, and thus, humbled in right reason and truth, recognize how you are nothing, ungodly, ungracious, and lead an unholy life. Behold, humility teaches the grace that has appeared through the gospel, and this same humility makes you quite greedy for grace and addicted to salvation. But where such humble
The door of grace is opened to you, it does not remain outside; as St. Peter says, 1 Peter 5:5: "God resists the proud and gives His grace to the humble," and Christ said many times in the Gospel: "He who exalts himself is humbled, he who humbles himself is exalted" etc.
(40) Therefore the blessed gospel is held up to you, and makes the saving grace shine to you, and shows you what you should do further, so that you do not despair. For this is the gospel, this is the light and appearance of grace, which the apostle says here, namely, that Christ gave himself for us etc. Therefore hear the gospel, open the eyes of thine heart, and let saving grace appear, enlighten thee, and teach thee what thou oughtest to do. This is the sermon that is preached before all men, as said above, and here declares itself what the grace that has appeared is.
For thou shalt put far from thee the error of thinking that thou hearest not the gospel, when thou hearest the epistle of St. Paul, or of St. Peter. Do not let the name epistle mislead you, it is the mere gospel all that St. Paul writes in his epistles; as he himself calls Rom. 1, 1. and 1 Cor. 4, 15. Yes, I may say that in St. Paul's epistles the gospel is the gospel. Paul's epistles the gospel is clearer and lighter than in the four evangelists; for the four evangelists have described Christ's life and words, which are not understood until after the future of the Holy Spirit, who glorifies him; as he himself says: but St. Paul writes nothing of Christ's life, but clearly expresses why he has come and how he is to be used. What is the gospel but the preaching that Christ gave himself for us, that he redeemed us from sins, that all who believe this should certainly be redeemed in the same way, and so despair of themselves, holding only on to Christ and relying on him? This is a lovely, comforting speech, and goes well into such hearts that despair of themselves. That is why the gospel in German is called a sweet, good, gracious message, which gladdens and lifts up a sorrowful, frightened heart.
42 Therefore see that thou believe that what the apostle saith unto thee in the gospel is true, that Christ gave himself for thee, that he might redeem thee from all unrighteousness, and make thee clean for thine own inheritance. Here it follows, first, that you must believe and confess that all your being is impure and unrighteous apart from Christ and in yourself, letting nature, reason, art, and free will be nothing; otherwise you would prove this gospel false. For Christ, according to the gospel, did not give himself for the righteous and pure. If righteousness and purity had been there, why would he have given himself in vain for them? It would have been a foolish giving. Secondly, you must believe that it is true that he gave himself for you, that through his giving your uncleanness and unrighteousness will be removed, and that through him you will become pure and righteous. If thou believest this, the same faith worketh all these things. For his giving for thee can in no other way cleanse thee and make thee righteous, but by such faith; as St. Peter saith Acts 15:9: "By faith he made hearts clean." Therefore you also see that Christ is not given to you in your hand, nor put into a box, nor put into your bosom, nor put into your mouth: but he is brought before you by the Word and the Gospel alone, and held up to your heart through your ears, and offered to you as the One who gave himself for you, for your unrighteousness, for your uncleanness. Therefore you cannot receive him with anything but your heart. This is what you do when you look up and say with your heart, "Yes, I believe it to be so. Behold, he entereth into thine heart by the gospel in thine ears, and dwelleth there by thy faith. Then thou art pure and righteous, not by thy works, but by the guest which thou hast received in thine heart through faith. Behold, how rich and precious these are.
43 If then such faith is in you, and you have Christ in your heart, you must not think that he comes poorly. He brings with him his life, spirit, and all that he is, has, and is able to do. Therefore speaks
St. Paul, that the Spirit is given not for works, but for the sake of the gospel; when this comes, it brings Christ, Christ brings his Spirit with him: then man becomes new and divine; all that he then does is well done. Nor does he walk idly, for faith does not rest or celebrate, but does and speaks of Christ without ceasing. So the world is awakened against him, not wanting to hear or suffer. Then the cross begins, and the cross makes this life grievous, and the last day desirable. Behold, this is the gospel and appearance of the saving grace of God.
44. How can the last day and death be frightening to such a heart? Who will do it, when the great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the last day, stands on his side and before him with all his clarity, greatness, majesty and power? There is no other who will keep the last day, but the very one who gave himself for us. So he will never deny himself, and will confess that he gave himself for your sin, as you believe. What then will sin do, if the judge himself confesses that he has taken it away by himself? Who wants to accuse? Who wants to judge the judge? Who wants to overcome him? He is more valid than the countless world with all its sins. If he had not given himself, but something else for it, then one would still be much mistaken. But what will now frighten, if he has given himself for it? He himself would have to be condemned before sin should condemn him for whom he gave himself.
O great certainty is here. It is only in the faith that it is strong and does not waver. Christ will certainly not waver; he is firm enough. Therefore, we should practice our faith by preaching, working, and suffering, so that it may be established and strengthened. For works will not help here. The evil spirit will also only provoke faith, knowing full well that this is what is at stake. Oh that we do not recognize our goods and leave the gospel with the saving grace of God in darkness!
But woe to you, pope, bishops, priests and monks, what are you doing in the church and in the pulpits? Now the words want to move you in particular.
That he might redeem us.
He gave himself to redeem, not for himself, but for us. So it is certain that we have been imprisoned. How then are we so insolent and ungrateful, and still give so much to the free will and reason of nature. If we say that something in us has not been caught in sins, we are doing a disgrace to his grace that redeemed us, according to the gospel. Who can do anything good that lies captive in sins and uncleanness? It seems good to do our thing, but it is not good in truth, or the gospel must lie with Christ.
Of all injustice.
47 He calls "unrighteousness" anomias, which is actually everything that does not follow the law of God, and understands both transgression of the spirit and body. Of the spirit, by the ungodly being, which is called impietas; of the body, by the worldly desires. Therefore he adds "all," so that he understands both sin and wrong, body and soul, that Christ redeems us completely. This is said against the saints of works and special men, who redeem themselves and others by the law or their reason and free will from some unrighteousness, that is, they leave and ward off the outward works by commandment, chastisement, punishment or reward and enjoyment. But this is the froth of unrighteousness; the heart still remains full of ungodly, ungracious nature and worldly desires, and are neither righteous in body nor soul. But Christ, redeemed by faith from all unrighteousness, sets us free again to live divinely and heavenly, which we were not able to do before in the prison of unrighteousness.
And cleaned him himself.
(48) Sin does two harms: the first is that it takes us captive, so that we can do no good, nor know, nor will, thus depriving us of freedom, of the
Light and power. From this follows the other harm, that we, thus forsaken of good, must work nothing but vain sin and uncleanness, and must build the infernal Pharaoh his land in Egypt with sour, hard labor. When Christ comes through faith, he delivers us from the prison of Egypt, sets us free, and gives us strength to do good. That is the first gain.
The whole exercise of our life is to sweep out the unrighteousness of the merciless, worldly being from body and soul, so that this whole life until death is nothing but a cleansing. For faith, though it redeems us at once from all the guilt of the law and sets us free, yet evil inclinations still remain in body and soul, like the stink and sickness of prison. With this, faith works to cleanse everything completely. Just as in the Gospel, John 11:44, Lazarus was raised from death with a voice, but the death cloth and bandage had to be taken off afterwards. And the half-dead man, whom the Samaritan bandaged and brought home, had to lie in the stable for a while and become completely healthy.
A people for ownership.
50 The word periusion means something of one's own, as if one possessed a particular inheritance or possession. For God's people are called God's inheritance in Scripture, so that just as a householder works, practices and improves his inheritance, so also Christ, through faith, our Lord, drives and works us to become better and more fruitful every day. Behold, not only does faith make us free from sins, but it also makes us Christ's own inheritance, of which he takes care and protects us as his own. Who can harm us if such a great God is our heir?
That would be diligent to good works.
(51) That we are his inheritance is said against the ungodly being. But that we should be diligent or industrious for good is said against the worldly desires: so that we, through a godly nature and life
To be his own inheritance, and by sober and justified living to do good works; by inheritance to serve him, by good works to serve our neighbor and ourselves. But rather an inheritance than good works. For good works are not done without a divine being, and says that we should be zealous, zelotae, that is, that one should always think to come before the other and overcome with good-doing, as if we wanted to quarrel and fight about which one could do good to the other and to everyone first and most; that is actually called zelotae. Where are they now?
Such talk and admonish.
52 O Lord God, a useful command, that such things as this epistle has taught should not only be preached, but also always urged, admonished, awakened, to lead the people to faith and right good works. They must always be urged and admonished, whether we know it or not, so that God's word may go forth.
O pope, bishop, priests, monks, let this be commanded to you, who have now showered the church with fables and doctrines of men. How do you have so much left to preach, if you do not preach more than this epistle and its contents, and always exhort and urge! A Christian life is quite well set forth in it. This is what you are to preach and exhort, and no other. sLet no one ever despise you.*^ God help you! Amen.
54 Note that the ministry of a preacher is twofold, teaching and exhorting. Teaching those who do not know; exhorting those who do know, so that they do not fall away, become lazy, or fall down, but continue against all temptation.
The harness of this epistle.**)
(55) First of all, by this epistle there is a dispute about the article that without grace no good work can be done, and that all human beings are sin. This is proven by the fact that he says, "Grace has appeared," so there was certainly no grace before:
*) [a b c]
**) Here is indented in f g what is included in [ ] right at the beginning of this sermon Col. 100.
If there is no grace, there is certainly wrath. It follows that without grace there is no good, but only unkindness and wrath in us.
Item, when he says: "the saving grace", indicates that also already condemned and without salvation and help is everything that is without grace. Where is free will here? Where are human virtue, reason and good opinion? Everything without the salvation of grace, everything condemned, sin and disgrace in the sight of God, although it glitters deliciously before us and before men.
This is even more urgent, that he says "all men", no one excepted; so surely before the gospel is recognized, there must have been unkindness in all men; as he says Eph. 2, 3: "We were also children of wrath by nature before, just like the others" etc. So here the apostle shuts up and repels with good armor all who boast of their reason, works, good opinion, and free will, the natural light etc. without grace, and leaves no man without corruption, all are impii, ungodly, graceless, godless men.
He further says that grace has appeared to all men for this reason, that they should renounce "ungodliness and worldly lusts. Who can stand before the harness? What else follows from this, but that without the grace of God all our things are ungodly being, worldly lusts? For if there were in someone something of divine nature and spiritual desire, all men would not be able to renounce ungodly nature and worldly lusts; nor would there be need of grace, nor of the appearance of their salvation. Behold, therefore, the Scriptures must be used in armor against false teachers, not only to use faith in life, but also to protect and defend it publicly against their error.
(59) Therefore, all the worshippers and all the clergy must lie down here, even though they fast, pray, watch and work themselves to death. All this is of no avail, ungodly beings, worldly lusts remain there: even if they cover themselves with shame and hide, the heart is still not good. For if it could do work, clothes, monasteries, fasting, praying, it should be justified.
have said: There has appeared a prayer, or a feast, or a pilgrimage, or an order, or this or that work which teaches us to become divine. No, no, none of these; but the saving grace has appeared. It, it, it alone does it, and nothing else.
From this it is easy to understand how dangerous and damning are the laws of men, orders, sects, vows and the like. For they are all works and not graces, and yet with their appearance they lead all the world into error, misery and distress, so that they forget grace and faith, and through such error think they will become pious and blessed.
61 So that there is another life after this life, he argues that we should wait for the blessed hope and appearance of the clarity of the great God. From this it is clearly proven that the soul is immortal, yes, even the body must return; as we pray in faith: I believe in the resurrection of the flesh and in eternal life.
62. item, that Christ also is true God, denies that he says: "of the great God and of our Savior Jesus Christ"; indicates that the one who is to come in clarity on the last day is a great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
And even if someone wanted to break through a hole here and attribute to the Father what he says about the great God, it still reflects that the appearance and clarity is common to the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. But if he were not true God, such glory and clarity of the great God would not also be attributed to him. Because it is one clarity, one glory, one work of the great God and of our Savior, he must also be one God with the great God. For he says through Isaiah more than once: "My glory I will give to no other," and yet here he gives it to Christ; so Christ must be no other than God, who has God's glory as his own and yet is not One Person with the Father.
64 Item, one would also like to argue against the doctrine of men here, that St. Paul says: Such things should be preached and admonished; for if something else should be preached, it would also have been justified. But now our bishops and popes think that if they have it written in the books and on pieces of paper, they have done enough, yet their own commandment; if they should preach and drive the gospel with their own voice without ceasing. Oh woe to them!