From the Kingdom of God.
Matth. 18, 23-33.
Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to reckon with his servants. And when he began to reckon, there came before him one that owed him ten thousand pounds. Since he did not have the money to pay, the master ordered him to sell his wife and children and everything he had and to pay. Then the servant fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me; I will pay thee all. Then the master of the same servant was sorry, and let him go, and he forgave him the debt also. Then the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pennies; and he attacked him and choked him, saying, Pay me what you owe me. Then his fellow servant fell down and begged him, saying, Have patience with me; I will pay thee all. But he would not, and went and cast him into prison, until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw this, they were very sad and came and told their master everything that had happened. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, "Servant of the wicked, I have forgiven you all these debts because you asked me; should you not also have mercy on your fellow servant as I have had mercy on you? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he paid all that he owed him. So shall my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not your brother his trespasses from your heart.
Wenceslaus Link the Christian reader God's grace.
On the Sunday after Galli in Wittenberg, Doctor Martin Luther wrote a beautiful sermon on the Gospel of Matthew on the 18th: The kingdom of God is like a king who kept account with his servants etc. You will find the same content written here in short words, although it is more superfluous and contains many better speeches; in addition, there are some appendices from the Lectur Philippi Melanchthonis on the same text. Therefore, dear reader, please move and accept our good opinion, and also investigate the matter further yourself. It is quite common the little word: "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God". But there is little understanding of what God's kingdom is and how he governs, but the majority imagines it from the Jewish, according to the flesh, so that it is in the spirit, without place, time, person, etc., only through the word of the Gospel. - Anno 1524.
Jesus.
1. God's kingdom, by which he rules over all believers and protects, punishes, pays, guides, instructs them as a faithful king, etc., they also trust in him completely, accept his fatherly discipline and punishment willingly, and follow him in obedience everywhere etc., Rom. 14, 17, is not temporal or worldly, but spiritual; nor does it involve eating or drinking, nor any outward thing, but only the justification, satisfaction and consolation of man's heart and conscience. Therefore it is nothing else than forgiveness and taking away of sins, by which the conscience is stained, afflicted and defiled. For just as a worldly, temporal kingdom stands in it, so that people may live in tranquility and peacefully nourish one another, etc.: so God's kingdom gives such things spiritually, and breaks the kingdom of sins, and is nothing else than an annihilation and forgiveness of sins. God reigns in the hearts, in that He makes peace, rest, comfort etc. therein by His word, equal to sin's contradiction. (Ps. 2, 6. 145, 1.) In that God shows His glory and grace in this life, that He accepts and forgives sin from men. Such is a realm of grace. But when sin with its servants, the devil, death, hell etc., no longer challenges man, then it will be a kingdom of glory and perfect bliss. 1 Cor. 15, 24. ff.
From this follows: first, God's kingdom is not accomplished or regulated by any law,
not by the laws of God, much less by the laws of men, Acts 15:8; but only through the gospel and faith in God, by which the hearts are cleansed, comforted and satisfied, when the Holy Spirit pours into them the love and knowledge of God, and makes man One Thing and One Spirit with God; so that he is made to have the mind that wants and desires, that seeks and loves, that God wants, John 17:3, and just as two friends are united to one another, and one wants what the other wants.
3 From this it follows that a person in this kingdom of God is perfect, merciful, compassionate, and kind to his neighbor, because he knows from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that God does the same to him and to everyone, and pours out His goodness in a mild manner, Luc. 6:36, Eph. 5:2 ff. No one can know this kind of God through the law, but only through the spirit and word of the gospel. Therefore no one attains rest, comfort and peace of heart or comes to the kingdom of God through any kind of law. And those who make many laws draw people away from God to the kingdom of sin, Isa. 48, 22. 57, 21. in which there is unrest, fear, sorrow etc. of the conscience; just as in the kingdom and knowledge of God there is peace, joy, comfort etc. of the heart.
4 Secondly, in this kingdom of God, our dear Lord Christ reigns as a hospital master among the sick, the poor and the infirm, for all who belong to this kingdom are not sinners and wretched people whose sins are forgiven. Therefore also Christ says in the gospel: "Woe to you rich, who have your comfort here", Luc. 6, 24. Again, the poor, miserable, abandoned are comforted and rejoiced by the gospel. For Christ came to claim only the sinners and not the righteous, Matth. 9, 13, so that the glory may be given entirely to God the Lord, if He forgives sin out of grace and pure mercy.
(5) He works in two ways for the forgiveness of sins (in which Christ reigns as the King of the Kingdom of God). Firstly, he forgives, remits and removes the sin.
1494 D-17. 100-102. on the twenty-second Sunday after Trinity. W. xii, 1941-ists. 1495
so that God does not want to look at it, respect it or count it, even though it is in man. Afterwards, therefore, that He purgers and cleanses sin through various crucifixions and sufferings. For there are two things, to forgive sin and to take away sin or to sweep it away, Marc. 16, 16. Rom. 6, 4. When a man believes and is baptized, all his sins are forgiven. But after that, through multiple crosses and deaths, as long as he lives, sin must be swept out. Sin remains in us as long as the mortal body lasts; but it is not counted in the wrath of God for Christ's sake, but is swept away with fatherly chastening. Ps. 119, 71. In such sweeping the pious Christians, who boast and rejoice in the cross, have all comfort, peace and joy; as St. Paul says Rom. 5, 1. 8, 18.: "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God", and boast not only of the promise of salvation, which we hope for, but also of all tribulation and suffering" etc. For in the first they are justified, in the other they are glorified.
(6) Thirdly, the pious Christians are not recognized in the purging or purification of sins, which is done by various crosses and mortifications; for in this they are quite unequal among themselves, and one suffers this, the other that; one is thus mortified, the other otherwise, so that even the apostles did not live and suffer alike etc.But in the forgiveness of sins or justification of faith, in which God turns His wrath away from them and accepts them as graces, and considers them His dear children, and does not count any sin as condemnation. In this they are all equal, just as they all live under One Heaven.
7. because of this, those who judge Christians according to their customs, deeds and outward appearance, like those who condemned Christ, because he did not keep their customs, but dealt with loose, sinful people, err greatly and come under attack. 2c, Matth. 11, 18. 12, 2. 10. 15, 2. He is a Christian whom God forgives his sin; as David says Ps. 32, 2: "Blessed are they whose wickedness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered" etc.
8. Take an example of the above-mentioned pieces. A physician who undertakes to heal a sick person, first promises him health with God's help, thereby giving him a comforting confidence; then he begins to purging, evacuating, comforting and the like, which help to health. Thus, when God has forgiven sin and accepted man for grace, he lays all kinds of crosses upon him and purifies or renews him from day to day in the knowledge and love of God, until he becomes completely pure and new.
(9) Fourth, in these two parts of the kingdom of God, two kinds of people are found abusing the same kingdom of God's grace and gospel. Some become lazy and careless, saying: If my sin is forgiven by grace and blotted out in baptism, then I must do nothing about it. The others, on the other hand, think that they want to atone for sin with their works, so they rely on their merits and become hopeful. The former abuse forgiveness; the latter abuse the purging or cleansing of sins: neither wants to be subject to the glory and majesty of God. The first despise His grace; the others fight against it, are therefore swine and dogs, 2 Petr. 2:22. All this is now seen in the gospel, by which Christ reigns in the kingdom of God: which some abuse for fleshly liberty; but some again think that it is not enough for salvation, but that their works must also do something. And thus they deny and despise God's grace.
(10) Fifthly, this kingdom of God, or forgiveness of sins, has no goal or measure, as the text of the Gospel beautifully indicates, when Peter asked the Lord, "How often shall I forgive my brother if he sins against me, is it enough seven times?" the Lord answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times," that is, as often as it happens. And from this follows this parable of today's Gospel, in which Christ exhorts us most strongly, in the case of God's displeasure, to forgive our neighbor without any hesitation; because
1496 ir, 102-104. ztveiundztvanzigste Sonntage nach Trinitatis. W. m, 1943-1946. 1497
God forgives us innumerable, infinite sins and trespasses. Our debt, which we owe to God, is ten thousand pounds, Matth. 18, 24, that is, without number and measure, so great that we are not able to pay it with all our ability, with all our strength and works; for we cannot redeem any sin, not even the smallest. Therefore, if God forgives us so much by grace in His kingdom, it is reasonable that we forgive our neighbor a little. The Scriptures are full of this kingdom of God's forgiveness of sins, and say that Christ's kingdom and reign extend from end to end. Thus David says Ps. 72:8, 11: "He shall reign from sea to sea, and from the river to the end of the world"; item: "All nations and peoples shall serve Him." Also John speaks Cap. 3, 34: "God gives the Spirit without measure." Such and such sayings indicate that the forgiveness of sins has no measure or goal.
(11) Sixthly, this shows how unchristian they are who measure the forgiveness of sins by fifths or lots, namely, those who measure their indulgences by years, carennials, with the forgiveness of the third, fourth or half part of the sins. For in this they make the kingdom of God narrower and narrower, and also defile his mercy: yet there is no end of his kingdom, nor number of his mercies; but every one that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved, as often as he doeth it; when also the sinner sigheth, God will remember his sin no more etc. Luc. 1, 33. Rom. 10 13. Ezk. 18, 22.
12. seventh, just as this kingdom of God of the forgiveness of sins has no measure nor goal, so it has no end; but it continues forever, steadily, without ceasing, Ps. 146, 10. although the subjects of this kingdom do not always remain firm and faithful under it, but often fall away. For God's favor and grace remained steadily over St. Peter, even though he denied and fell away, Matth. 26, 69. ff. Today's gospel points to this. For the servant, who has denied his
The one who does not want to have mercy on his fellow men made himself unworthy of God's mercy and deprived himself of the kingdom of heaven, which stands in the forgiveness of sins, as reported above.
(13) All the learned theologians of the school have argued intelligently whether and how the forgiven sin returns when a man sins again, and they themselves do not know what they are saying. Stay badly simple with the words of the gospel, that your sins are forgiven as soon as you forgive your brother; you should forgive him as often as he sins against you.
14 Therefore in this likeness Christ exhorts us all to forgive and pardon all those who offend us, as if to say, "As in human affairs he who has shown mercy to one is shown mercy again to others; so," says Christ, "in the kingdom of heaven, where nothing is really done but forgiveness of sins; that is, in common Christianity, I will do likewise to him who forgives another his sin. And so again, whoever does not show mercy to another, I will not show mercy to him either. I am toward you all as one lord and king; but you among yourselves are like sam (as) fellow servants and fellow journeymen. Therefore, because I, your Lord, forgive you willingly, you should be the more inclined to forgive one another.
15 In the same way he asked us in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses", Matth. 6, 12. Luc. 11, 4. which he would not have done if he did not promise to forgive graciously. Nevertheless, he has attached such a promise to a sign, saying, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." The first is a landmark; the other is a promise. Notice how Christ puts the remission of sins in our own consciences, so that no one may be excused; item, how we are commanded to repent and make amends for our sins, that we forgive one another's sins and injuries, so that we may be merciful and kind to our neighbor, if we want the Father to be merciful and reconciled to us. We shall also
If we consider the sins of others and injuries, no matter how great and grave they may be, to be justly interpreted and turned to our advantage, we will also have a kind Father in heaven, Jac. 2:13.
Therefore it is unchristian and blasphemous to say: I cannot and will not forgive the one who has sinned against me, I will avenge him etc. For such blinded people do not realize that they steal God's honor, to whom alone belongs vengeance, Deut. 32, 35, Ps. 94, 1, Rom. 12, 19, and attribute it to themselves, and thus appropriate their own soul, which they have from God and which they owe to Him, to the devil, for which they may have caused a small temporal thing. Such people should take to heart the words of today's Gospel, when the Lord says: "Thou wicked one, all this debt have I forgiven thee at thy request; shouldest thou not also have mercy on thy fellow servant, as I have had mercy on thee? And his master was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he paid all that he owed him. In the same way my heavenly Father will do to you, if you do not forgive from your heart, each one of you his brother's faults" etc.
017 It is not enough that thou shouldest be kind to him by signs, or by mouth, or by tongue, and that thou shouldest forgive; but
from the heart: otherwise God will not forgive you; you will also be expelled from the kingdom of God's mercy. Therefore, if we feel the mercy of God towards us, we should also gladly forgive the other brothers who have offended us. Therefore the merciful Father forgives us our sin, that we may forgive our brethren and show mercy; even as he is merciful to us, and forgives sin, death, trespasses, and sins etc. If we do this, we are in the kingdom of God. For God's goodness lives in our hearts and also makes us kind. Matth. 18, 32. f. Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, and nevertheless reigns in the hearts and consciences of the faithful; so that they love him, fear him, shun him chastely, follow him obediently, like an obedient people to their king, and become like him in everything they do. As He says: "Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect", Luc. 6, 36. Matth. 5, 48. God is perfect in that He tolerates and forgives our wickedness, infirmities, sins and imperfections, so that we also do the same. Ps. 103, 10. 12. But if we do not, we will be cast out of His kingdom and subjected to the kingdom of sin, death and the devil; just as the unfaithful, disobedient countrymen are expelled from the land. God will mercifully protect us from this, amen.
On the twenty-seventh Sunday after Trinity. *)
Of faith and good works.
Matth. 26, 1-13.
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. But five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish took their lamps, but they did not take oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels, with their lamps. When the bridegroom left, they all became sleepy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then these virgins all arose and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. Then the wise answered and said: Not so, lest it break both our lamps and yours. But go ye to the merchants, and buy for yourselves. And as they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. At last the other virgins also came, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. And he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore: for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man shall come.
Dear friends, I am not here to preach; I also hope it is not necessary, since you have enough good preachers here, by the grace of God. I have also not taken this gospel before me to confirm the story of the eleven thousand virgins, which (although I do not promise it) does not seem almost unlike a lie, sam (as) it was painted out by a painter. Well, be it as it may, I leave in such to each his sense. Let us take the best of this feast, the holy gospel, which cannot lie to us.
*Held in Erfurt in St. Michael's Church on October 21, 1522, the Day of the Eleven Thousand Virgins. In October of this year, Luther, accompanied by Melanchthon and Agricola, made a trip to Erfurt and Weimar to preach the Protestant doctrine. In Erfurt he preached Tuesday, October 21, early in the morning at St. Michael's and twice more the following day. - The above sermon appeared in 1522 in four printings, the first of which we follow. The sermon on the day of Catharine in the Festtheil der Kirchenpostille (XI, 2402 ff.) is a reworking and expansion of this sermon. - Cf. Leipz. A. XII, 574; Erl. A. 16, 436. ed.
(2) Ye have heard how ten virgins with their vessel or lamp came to meet the bridegroom; five of them were wise, but the rest were foolish. In which two kinds of Christians are shown to us, namely, righteous ones, and fictitious ones, who let themselves be considered Christians.
(3) But here we will not speak at all, nor have mixed into these two generations those who promise and persecute the gospel; for these are not worthy to be called the foolish virgins. When I then hear how there are also a good part of them here. Well then, if it were not the gospel, surely it would not be persecuted. For Christ says, "If a strong man keep his court, all things that he possesses are in peace. But if a stronger than he is comes and overcomes him, he takes from him all the weapons in which he hopes, and scatters out his spoil." Luc. 11, 21. 22. Since Christ, the strong one, came in his first future (for before the devil had the regiment over the whole world), there he, as a false
Prince, has been weakened. So it is now and before the other future. The devil has long ruled in high schools, when everything was at peace: but when the holy gospel has come by the grace of God, and attacks our doctoribiis in the wool, they are angry, rage and wriggle, there is no more peace. Yes, they say, we are doctores and magistri nostri. Of course, yes, if it were with their exercitiis, copulatis, summis and the like labyrinthis out
If they want to extinguish hell with their quaestions and unlock heaven with their distinctionibus, that would be something. If it is aligned with titles, then I also became a Baccalaureus here, and afterwards Magister and again Baccalaureus. I also went to school with them; I know well and am certain that they do not understand their own books either. Aristotle, Plato, Averroes do not apply here; almost behind them, strahene knights.
(4) Dear people, do not accept this, we have to speak of another, that is, of the holy gospel, which does not teach you how to gain honor, favor, gold, silver, joy and courage in this world, but it is such a great, worthy, mighty thing that it teaches and instructs you how to overcome sin, death, the devil and hell. To fight against this does not mean to scold (play). There must be a clear, sharp and strong sword against such violence. Therefore it is nothing with these weak, poor sophists, we also do not fight against flesh and blood, Eph. 6, 12, but rather against the princes, against the mighty, against the lords of the world, and rectores of the darkness of this world. Therefore it must suffer so much offence, and will not yet be ended. But he who rightly understands this gospel does not allow himself to be challenged by such tempests and whirlwinds, but remains steadfast; even if today one looks here and preaches like this, and tomorrow another preaches differently, yet an evangelical man does not fall there and then, but perseveres to the end, therefore he is truly blessed. It is like a battle here, where two armies lie against each other; they are boldly on both sides, but each of them protects himself in the best way, and
Dare not depart from the company of the enemies, whom he esteems unjust and mortal enemies. So a devout Christian should keep himself well with the holy gospel against the Roman, (how do I say. *) Babylonian whore, this you should preach loud and clear, and faithfully ask God to let us perish according to his nature and kind, truly, then it will not return without fruit and riches to the one who sent it.
5 Therefore we must be careful that if we do not want to contain the gospel by its own power, but by our own strength, it will be lost. Therefore, if it is best to defend it, it will fall. Let us refrain completely from worrying; the gospel needs no help from us; it is powerful enough on its own, and God alone commands it. So I also do: although many and great impulses are opposed, all this does not worry me at all, nor do I worry about how I will defend it, I and all of us are too weak to carry out such a word. I have commanded it to the dear God, it is his word, he is man enough to defend and protect it. Therefore it is a little bad thing that this poor bunch of sophists opposes it; what would these bats do with their bats? Let them go. By the grace of God, they are an unlearned people. It must yet be changed, so that the whole world will oppose it, and promise and condemn this word: but the gates and all the power of hell will not prevail. In all this there is no better counsel than to preach the gospel badly and loudly from now on, and ask God to guide and lead us. I do not know how to do otherwise, and I do so, and I am happy in the name of God.
(6) Therefore I say, These adversaries of the gospel are not worthy to be numbered among the foolish virgins. Now the Lord speaks of Christianity as being like ten virgins, five wise and five foolish. Here he calls all Christians virgins. The foolish virgins are the Christians who consider themselves to be pious and want to be good evangelicals and
can say much about these things, they praise the word and say: Ei, ein fein Ding ist das; dem ist somit, es kann und mag nicht anders sein nach der Schrift etc. Of these Paul speaks 1 Cor. 4:20: "The kingdom of God is not in speech, but in power." It is not with speech, but with life; not with words, but with works. But because they can say many things, they are truly unwise virgins, who have only the lamps or the vessel, that is, the rote apparatus, and do after their manner, as Matthew writes, Cap. 7:22, saying, "Lord, Lord"; the mouth is there, but the heart far from then; the oil is not in the lamp, that is, the faith is not in the heart. They do not think about it, they do not know it, and think that their lamps are nevertheless prepared. Their way is that they like to hear preaching about faith, and when they have heard the word, they make up a thought, a delusion in their heart, which they consider to be the oil, and yet they persist in their habit just as before, are just as angry in their old way as before, just as stingy, just as merciless to the poor, just as without art etc. This faith is a creature of man, therefore it is like the foam on the water or the Gäscht on the bad beer.
The other virgins (that is, the wise ones) not only carry the lamps in their hands, but also have the oil, that is, the right faith that God created and made in their hearts, along with the lamp. They have these so that they can defend themselves; for they have God's work with them, and not a made-up delusion that cannot hold the sting when death blows under its eyes. These have been raised in divine promise, and the Spirit of God works great things through them, and would rather die than live.
(8) Now look, this parity will be hard before the last judgment of God, and so will all Christians be dealt with. For many of them will turn, and some to the preached faith, and some to the true faith. In this is to be remembered, after now the word of God
Thus begun and working unequally, that the last day is not far off. Now be it as it may, I will let it pass, whether it be far or near.
9) Further, to expound the gospel, notice that by the lamps is signified to us an inward thing and bodily exercise. But the lamps together with the oil are the inward riches with the true faith. For if faith is of the kind that God creates and awakens in the heart, then man trusts in Christ; indeed, he is also so strongly founded on Christ that he defies sin, death, hell, the devil and all God's adversaries.
(10) And this is the kind of right faith, which is not at all like the faith of the Sophists, Jews and Turks, who alone fall with the heart upon a thing, presume, believe that this or that is so; but God has nothing to do with such delusion. It is man's work, and such a delusion comes from nature, from the free will of man, that they speak after it: I believe that there is a God, that Christ died for me etc. And even though one has such faith in God, it is nothing, because there is no oil, because God does not pour the right oil into the heart and give it His Son, Jesus Christ, and all that he has.
(11) Hence comes the marvelous change, that Christ gives Himself and His goods to faith, and takes for Himself the heart and all that is in it. Now what is in Christ? Innocence, godliness, righteousness, blessedness, and all good things; item, Christ has overcome sin, death, hell, and the devil. So all this happens in him who understands, firmly believes and trusts that he becomes in Christ Jesus an overcomer of sin, death, hell and the devil. Also the innocence of Christ becomes his innocence, like Christ's piety, holiness, blessedness, and what is in Christ is all in one believing heart with Christ. Therefore, our lamps are not extinguished, for where we want to go to God with our own works, no matter how beautifully they shine, in
If the best form is not used, everything is in vain and condemned. For if the wise virgins alone had had the lamps, it would not have been of any use to them, as it was to their playmates. For eternal life cannot be obtained by our works, however good they may be, but by faith alone, that thou sayest, O Lord, though I am not worthy to see heaven for a moment, neither can I by my works deliver myself from hell; yet thou hast given me thy Son Christ, who is more precious and more excellent than heaven; he is also much stronger than sin, death, and hell.
12. But God awakens such faith in us, from which also follow the works with which we come to the aid of our neighbor and serve him. But if anyone would hope in such works and put his trust in them, he would be condemned, for he would not give glory to God and to the faith that he awakens and creates. Then I worry that in our time there are many such saints of works, who deceive themselves and other people with good works (as they call them); they nevertheless say, "Our works are nothing, and yet they also affect free will; but what grace and faith are, they know less than a goose about the Psalter. Therefore beware of faith that is made and pretended. For true faith is not a work of man; therefore even the faith that is made may not hold the sting in death, it is overcome and even overthrown by sin, by the devil, and by hellish pains. True faith is a complete trust in Christ in the heart, and Christ alone awakens it: whoever has it is blessed, whoever does not have it is condemned.
13 Such faith does not come from one's own willingness, but when the Word of God is preached publicly and clearly, such faith and hope, such strong confidence in Christ, begins to arise.
14. but in monasteries and universities we have had to hear and learn until now how Christ is a harsh and sharp judge, when he alone is a mediator between God and men, and so they have established
Mariam and many other saints. Hence come many foundations, running to and fro and pilgrimages. Behold, here in the Gospel Christ calls all Christians together a Gespons or bride, and he is the bridegroom. There should be no means here. What kind of marriage would it be if a mediator had to stand between the marriage and the bride had to solicit and obtain something from her bridegroom? A bad love, a dilapidated marriage, if the bridegroom did not give his bride the keys and the power over wine, bread and everything else in the house. So we are to know here that Christ is our dear, kind sponsor and we are the bride: no means are necessary; but we ourselves are to approach him with such complete confidence as a beloved bride has ever approached her blissful, kind, conjugal spouse. For the Christian faith brings about that Christ is the bridegroom, I am the spouse. It is his riches, piety, righteousness, purity, wisdom, humility, patience, and all the virtue and grace of God. If then these things are my bridegroom's, verily they are mine also; as Paul also saith Rom. 6:32: "If God hath given us his Son, how hath he not also given us all these things with him?" Therefore it must be a great and mighty thing for faith that such goods should be my own and his righteousness my own. If then my sins spring up in the hour of death, I have against them the piety and righteousness of my Spouse, who stands with me against the devil, who then does not fail at that hour; against hell I have heaven; and I become in Christ and through Christ an overcomer of sin, hell, and the devil, and my natural death is overcome; for now I depart from this mortal life into eternal rest.
(15) Therefore, beware that you do not make any other way to heaven, that you do not enter by other roads. There is no other way than this way of faith, which is shown by the clear word of God. As Paul says in Romans 10:17: "Faith is of the ear"; for this reason
and free will and all human wisdom disappear like the foam on the water, the guest on bad beer; but faith, poured in by God, is the right oil.
16 From this it follows that we may know here what is the Christian church. It is known that the sword has been taken out of our hands. And what the pope and the bishops have decided and directed in their councils must all be the gospel. All books are full of decrees, decretal, extravagant etc. O, it cost the devil a lot of trouble before he established this spiritual state, and assigned to them alone these two swords; such error we must not only touch, but also trample underfoot and even condemn. Ah, verily, 'twas a poor church that stood on these pointed little hats and broad chanterelles, on these oil idols that can do nothing but smear people, wash walls, and baptize bells. Here Christ speaks in the gospel that he is the bridegroom, the bride is the man who believes in Christ; and this must be true and not otherwise. So if man is a spouse of Christ in truth, he is also a ruler over the pope, devil and over all these powers, yes, also a judge of this ghost, as Paul says.
(17) Thou art baptized, and endued with the right faith; therefore thou art also spiritual, and shalt judge all things by this word of the gospel, neither shalt thou be judged of any man. If then the pope comes with his sword and says, "I want you to give me faith; I and my brethren, even the council, have established this: now my faith is founded on Christ and his word alone, not on the pope nor on the council; therefore I should also hold fast to the gospel, regardless of all men's commandments. For my faith is here a judge, that I should say: This doctrine is good and true, but this one is evil and false. And the pope and all his followers, indeed all men on earth, are also subject to this judgment. Therefore, all who say that the judgment of the Scriptures is with the Holy Father are lying,
to the pope. Mercy, Squire Pabst, I say here thus: He who has faith is a spiritual man, and judges all things and is judged by no one, and if a bad miller's maid, even a child nine years old, who has faith and judges according to the Gospel, the pope is obliged to obey him and put himself under his feet, if he is otherwise a true Christian. All high schools and scholars and sophists owe the same.
(18) Yes, they say: Though you are holy, yet you do not understand the Scriptures. What is this but, Yea, thou hast not faith? This is what the desperate sophists say, and that is why they are most deeply seated with the devil; they want to be a squire here, and they alone know the gloss with the text; yes, that is what has fattened them up until now.
Now someone would like to speak: How then, if the pope were also a Christian? One stands up against him and says: I am a Christian, therefore, dear brother, you shall hear me. So the pope also speaks these words: Hear me, I am a Christian. Who will judge this war for us? The holy scripture. The holy scripture. This is the place to go to market. There one pushes the Sophisten their mouth: kapa, kaxa, Oonoilium, Oonoilium, katros, katros, high schools, high schools, high schools! What is it to us? A word of God is more than this heap with all its violence. But here the great quarrel and strife arises in Christianity, just as in the body of Rebecca, Gen. 25, Esau arises against Jacob. They say, one should listen to the teachers, and what the pope and the Concilio decide; they lie as boys and peelers, the devil says that. God speaks Matth. 3, 17., 17, 5.: "This is my beloved Son, the one whom you hear." And he also speaks Joh. 10, 27.: "My sheep hear my voice."
20 Therefore, we must daily exercise ourselves in the Holy Scriptures, so that we may overcome such laws of men, and with the Gospel, with this seed, crush the head of the devil. So the crown of the pope falls down. Whether the pope and the bishops come and hold the word of God against me, if I am a sheep of Christ, then
1510 D-16. 447. 448. On the twenty-seventh Sunday after Trinity. W. XII, 1S60-196S. 1511
I immediately say: Bene veneritis: Give him up who comes in the name of the Lord; but if they bring with them their bullas, their zeal and their gossip, I say: Get behind them, devil, it is written: "You alone shall worship God, your Lord, only, only serve", Matth. 4, 10. He has given me his son, I am not allowed to do anything else, I am certainly his spouse and he is my bridegroom. Here the Christian church is founded on the gospel, to which even the gates of hell are not subject. I have my Christ here as well as they have him, those at Eisenach, at Rome and at Jerusalem. I may have a lesser faith, the other a greater, but it is one faith by which I hold Christ. The wine is the same, one has more than the other, just as one pours delicious wine from a barrel into a glass, the other into a large silver cup.
21 So you see how we are all equal through one faith, which gives us Christ as a bridegroom, and we are all in this faith one bride, one Christian church of this spouse of Jesus Christ. Where do our holy fathers and worthy lords come from, who have the spiritual sword and the temporal one in their power, and want to be our princes and lords? It is public that they do not have the spiritual sword, so God has never given them the temporal one either. So it serves them right,
So they raise their regiment high, and it is brought low, and they sit down between two chairs. Then they step out with their rusty spikes. Well, they say, we are the old gray heads, our university at Cologne etc. has stood so long, should we have been wrong so long? Yes, if they want to argue about age, our Christ and his gospel are older than the high school in Paris. In addition, they talk a lot about Christ having all angels and believers in his grace. He is also the wisdom against whom all their counsels and plots must break. Do not be deceived, my dear people, "if God is for us" (as I am sure He is), "who will harm us? Rom. 8, 31. Faith is stronger than all enemies. No one can extinguish our lamps.
(22) Therefore let each one see for himself that he has these two together, the oil, which is right trust and faith in Christ, and the lamp, which is the vessel, which is the proper service to your neighbor. In these two is the whole Christian life: Believe God; help your neighbor. This is what the whole Gospel teaches, this is what parents should tell their children in the home and everywhere. Children, too, should always practice this word among themselves. I should tell you about the sleep of the virgins and the bridegroom's departure for the wedding. The hour has passed, another time. May God have mercy on us, amen.