Ephes. 5, 1-9.
Be ye therefore followers of God, as the dear children, and walk in love, even as Christ loved us, and offered himself for us a gift and a sacrifice, unto a sweet savour unto God. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be said of you, as is fitting for the saints; nor shameful words, nor foolish things, nor jesting, which are not fitting for you, but rather thanksgiving. For this ye shall know, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous person (who is an idolater) hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with vain words; for because of these the wrath of God comes upon the children of unbelief. Therefore do not be their comrades. For ye were once darkness: but now are ye a light in the Lord. Walk as the children of light. The fruit of the Spirit is all kindness, and righteousness, and truth.
This is an exhortation, as the apostle's manner is in his epistles, to take heed to Christians, that they be not idle and slothful, but prove and honor the word which they have learned of him by the deed, that is, by the fruits of faith, unto all heathen and unbelievers for correction, that they be not offended at the doctrine of Christ.
2 And first of all, because we have become children of God through Christ, he exhorts us to follow such a Father as dear children; he gives the best and sweetest words, that he calls us "dear children," so that we may be stirred up by the love of the Father to love even as he has loved us. But how did he love us? Not only in the common way that he feeds us unworthy ones in time with all the ungodly on earth, and makes his sun rise on the good and the evil, and sends rain on the thankful and the unthankful; of which Christ Matth. 5, 45. says: "Be perfect,
*) Called Oculi. D. Red.
Just as your heavenly Father is perfect," but also in the special way that he gave his Son for us, John 3:16, "and has thus both showered us with temporal and eternal goods, and with his own nature, and has even poured himself out with all that he is, has, and is able to do upon us, who were sinners, unworthy, enemies, and servants of the devil, that he can neither do nor give us any more. Whoever then despises such divine fire of love (which fills heaven and earth and yet is not understood), and does not let it kindle or stir him to love his neighbor, whether he be an enemy or a friend; he will certainly never become devout and come to love through law or commandment, doctrine, activity or compulsion.
3 "Walk," he says, "in love, that our outward life may be love. But in such love, not as the world loves, which seeks its own in love, and loves as long as there is enjoyment and benefit; but as Christ loved us, who had neither enjoyment nor benefit in
but gave himself for us (not to mention the other of his goods which he gives us daily), and so gave himself that he might become for us a sacrifice and a gift, to propitiate God, and to make us God's own, and to make us God's children etc. So we also should give our goods, lend them and let them be taken, not only to friends but also to enemies; and not leave that alone, but also give ourselves to death both for friends and enemies, thinking nothing but how we may serve others and be useful with body and goods in this life, because we know that Christ is ours and has given us everything.
(4) The word where he says, "To God a sweet savour," is taken by St. Paul from the Old Testament, where the bodily sacrifices are described as having been a sweet savour to God, that is, pleasant and pleasing; but not for the sake of the work and sacrifice itself, as the Jews thought and were reproved by all the prophets about it; but for the sake of the future Christ, the right sacrifice, to which all sacrifices were directed and threefold; as if St. Paul were to say, "All the sacrifices of the Old Testament are finished, and now none but Christ Himself is valid, who is sweet-smelling. Paul should say, "All the sacrifices of the Old Testament are finished, and now none is valid except the one, Christ Himself, who smells sweet, that is, God is pleased with it and receives it gladly, so that we also may be sure that such a sacrifice is pleasing to us. Therefore, there is no more sacrifice in Christianity that may be offered for us without this one, which has happened once. Although we also offer our bodies according to the example, Rom. 12:1, we do not offer the same sacrifice for ourselves or for anyone else, for that belongs to the one sacrifice of Christ alone. Therefore all sacrifices that are offered for us or for the forgiveness of our sins smell bad and stink; more about this elsewhere.
Fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let not be said of you, as is due to the saints.
5. uncleanness" over "fornication" means all carnal lust apart from the marriage state, which he does not want to call the uncleanness half, like
He does Rom. 1, 26, when he speaks roughly about it. Although in marriage, too, the measure should be kept among Christians, that it is a marital duty, which is demanded and performed out of necessity, to avoid unchastity and impurity. For henceforth it cannot happen much, that one alone comes together for fruit, which would be the best and should be right.
6th He saith, Such things ought not to be said of them. For this will remain among the Christians, that some of the weak fall: but there one should do, punish, correct, defend, and not let go, but again cover and heal, lest the Gentiles be angry and say, The Christians suffer such iniquity among themselves, and such is their nature, as it is among the Gentiles, as we have heard in the next epistle. For that some fall among them must be borne, if only the multitude do right, and neither suffer nor teach such things, but punish and amend. As St. Paul teaches in Gal. 6:1 that they should meekly instruct those who fall, and yet scolds the Corinthians for leaving sin unpunished, 1 Cor. 5:2. For a punished sin is like no sin, and nothing shameful can be said of it.
(7) Let it also be understood that covetousness shall not be said of Christians, that is, whether some be covetous, and one overprovide another, or else contend for temporal goods, as the Corinthians did 1 Cor. 6:1, yet it shall not remain unpunished and unimproved; but the doctrine of the gospel shall be freely preserved in the place and among the multitude; as he saith 2 Cor. 6:3, "that our ministry be not blasphemed." I say this for the sake of those who, as soon as they see that not all Christians are holy, but stumble and fall, think that there are no Christians and that the gospel is lost and in vain; just as if a Christian being were already over the hill, and vain victory and triumph against sin; when it is more a strife and a battle. But where there is strife and battle, some must flee, some must be wounded, some must fall, some must even be strangled. For war does not go without harm where it is a real war.
(8) He gives the reason why it is not good to hear this from Christians, namely, that they are saints, and that it is proper and proper for saints to be chaste and gentle, and to do and teach this way. You see that St. Paul calls Christians, who are still surrounded by sinful flesh and blood in this life, "saints", no doubt not for the sake of good works, but for the sake of the holy blood of Christ; as he says 1 Cor. 6:11: "You have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God." Because we are holy, we should also prove it by deed; and even if we are still infirm, we should strive daily to become chaste and without avarice, to praise and honor God and to correct the unbelievers.
Also shameful words, foolishness, jokes, and what does not rhyme with the matter.
(9) "Shameful words" are the lewd words of fornication and impurity and carnal sins, which are much used in inns, and in eating, drinking, and gambling. And especially the Greeks were reckless and practiced in such things, as the poets and writers still indicate. And especially he speaks here of the shameful words that are spoken in public, without restraint and discipline, which give evil thoughts and great annoyance, especially to the young people; as he says to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 15:33: "Evil gossip corrupts good morals." And if some Christians are so forgetful as to do such things, let them be punished and not suffered in the multitude, lest they give evil report to the church, as if they taught and suffered such things among Christians as among the Gentiles.
(10) "Narrentheidung" are the fables and fairy tales and other gossip, of which the Greeks are especially full before others, and skilled in inventing them; as with us are the fairy tales that the women and maidens say while spinning skirts; item, as the lottery boys have sayings; item, as the secular songs, some also shameful, some are sung of loose useless things. This is where the priest from Kalenberge belongs,
Dietrich von Bern and of the thing innumerable much.
(11) And it is especially unchristian to commit such foolishness in the church when they come together to hear God's word and learn the Scriptures, as is always the case when many come together. Although they begin with serious matters, they soon fall into frivolous, loose, ridiculous theiding, so that time is lost and better things are missed. As has happened up to now, that at Easter a foolish, ridiculous chatter was mixed in with the sermon to make the sleepy ones cheerful, and since at Christmas the little child was cradled, and monkeys were played with rhymes; as also happened with the holy three kings, with the Passion of Christ, with Dorothea and other saints.
(12) Here I should also include the legends of the saints and the great swarm of lies about miraculous signs, pilgrimages, masses, saintly service, indulgences and the like, which had power in the pulpit: but they are too coarse; for they are not frivolous lies, which alone corrupt the morals, of which St. Paul says here. Paul says, but overthrow the faith and the word of God, so that no saints can remain before them, their jest is all too serious; however, among those who understand them, they are such frivolous and blasphemous lies as those, that even St. Paul himself calls them fabulas, fairy tales. Paul himself calls them fabulas, fairy tales, as "old Vettelian theidings" 1 Tim. 4, 7. But these are human fairy tales, which one does not believe, nor does one build on them, but one laughs at them, without them nevertheless corrupting outward morals, and hindering better things, and making cold, lukewarm Christians. But these are devilish fairy tales, which one believes and holds for truth with all seriousness, even though the devil laughs with his angels.
13 "Jesting" is the rude and cheerful words that are now called polite and friendly speeches, by which one makes people laugh, merry and cheerful, as it happens in society and good life. The pagans counted such things as virtues, as Aristotle calls them eutrapelia. But Paul calls it a vice among Christians, who may have other friendly
Speech, that they may be cheerful and merry in Christ; though they are not all so pure that some should not be lacking here. But they do not praise and suffer, that they may give themselves to it and practice, but punish and defend, especially in the church, in preaching and teaching, because Christ also says that men must give an account of every idle, useless word at the last day. For the Christians are to be a fine brave people, and yet kind, that there may be an earnest kindness and a kind earnestness, as Christ's life is modeled for us in the Gospel.
14. "And what does not rhyme with the matter." With this he put all other useless words, which otherwise have no special name. But I call all words "useless" that do not serve the improvement of faith or the preservation of the body. We have enough to talk about, if we want to talk about this short time of life; and also useful and sweet enough, if we want to talk about Christ, about love and about necessary things; as he himself says here about thanksgiving. Praise and thanksgiving should be our daily word without ceasing, both secretly and publicly in preaching, for such great good that God has given us in Christ, which can never be expressed. But what is necessary must remain behind, and what is unnecessary must come forth. Now notice: If St. Paul does not want to suffer cheerful and scandalous confession among the Christians, what should he say about the shameful after-talk, which is so mean when people come together, even two alone? Yes, what did he want to say about those who publicly fight (claw) and scratch, scold and blaspheme with each other in preaching?
For ye shall know that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous person (who is an idolater) shall have merit in the kingdom of Christ and God.
(15) This is a poor denial, that he is a heathen under the Christian name who does not show the fruits of the faith; in short, it is a bad judgment. A fornicator has denied the faith, an impure man has denied the faith, a miser has denied the faith.
faith; and have all become apostates, perjurers, and unfaithful to God; as he also says to Timothy 1 Tim. 5:8: "He that feedeth not his own hath denied the faith, and is worse than a heathen." How could he frighten them higher? And says, "Ye shall know this," as if to say, Only doubt it not, make no jest nor reproach of it, and comfort yourselves not in vain. Christian name and being gathered together among Christians will not help you; as little as it helps the Jews that they are Abraham's seed and Moses' disciples. It is true for everyone that Christ says Matth. 7, 21: "Not all who say to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" etc. It must be done, and faith must be proven by works.
(16) If the great stimulation of the heavenly fire of divine love, which he first set above, does not help, then let the great threatening of the infernal fire help, namely, if they do not follow God and walk in love and prove faith by deed, then they shall know that they are not children of God, nor heirs in his kingdom; they must certainly be heirs of the devil in hell. Whosoever therefore shall not be moved by these two admonitions, he may well be a rod and stone, yea, have a heart like an anvil, as Job saith.
17 He especially judges the miser sharply and calls him an idolater or idolatrous, so that one can see that he was especially hostile to the miser; for to the Colossians Cap. 3, 5, he also calls them so. And this is what I consider to be the reason: All other sins need this to be avoided and to serve his lust; for the fornicator and the impure need the body for lust; the worthy need the good, the art, the favor and the people for honor: But the unholy idolater is the servant of his goods, and his sin is that he saves, guards and keeps money and goods, and may not use them, neither for himself nor for others; but serves him as his God, and before he attacks the money, he would rather let both God's kingdom and the world's kingdom perish, that he would not give a farthing to God.
to get a preacher or schoolmaster, so that God's word and kingdom would be promoted. Because his confidence and trust is in money and not in the living God, who has promised him enough food, cheap money is his god and he is called an idolater: but he must nevertheless do without heaven. That is a shameful vice. Fie on you, unbelief, you hostile vice.
Let no one deceive you with vain words.
(18) These are those who can adorn themselves finely, as if unchastity were a small sin; some also were as coarse teachers as the philosophers and poets among the Greeks, who did not consider unchastity to be an evil thing, except for adultery, but thought it was natural, like eating and drinking; as also Terentius says: It is neither sin nor shame for a young man to fornicate etc. That is, not knowing about God, and living in the lust pestilence like the pagans, as we have heard in the next epistle. These are all useless words, which may have a semblance in reason, but it is in vain and in vain, it will not help them. So also, avarice has great appearance and adornment, as if it were not sin, that one should overreach another and seek his own with the other's disadvantage; but it is called being clever, domestic and prudent, even if the poor should suffer hardship and die of hunger in the meantime. These are all fine, pagan, blind speeches, contrary to Christian love.
(19) But we have another light that teaches us how God's wrath comes upon unbelievers because of such things; as He tells us in 1 Cor. 10:18 by many examples, that because of fornication many people were slain, Deut. 25:18; and because of iniquity and covetousness, together with unchastity, the whole world was destroyed by the flood. This is harshly said, yet true and certain. And if they are called "children of unbelief," it means that they have stepped away from the faith and have fallen away; so that we see and learn from this that he who does not prove the faith by deed is just as much considered a heathen; indeed, he is worse than a heathen,
namely a denied Christian and apostate from the faith; therefore also the wrath of God comes upon them, also temporally here on earth. Just as it is happening to us Germans now, that we must have enough time, pestilence, war and bloodshed.
20. Among these useless babblers and vain teachers, let them be careful not to be counted as slothful and idle, though they are not so blind as the heathen, but know that unchastity and covetousness are sins, and neither teach nor keep them; yet they go and rely on faith, which shall save them without works, because works do not save: Or whether they already know that faith without works is nothing and a false faith, and must be followed by fruit and good works where it is righteous; yet they go safely and rely on the grace of God, not fearing God's wrath and judgment, who will have crucified the old Adam and read good fruit from good trees. Although, I say, St. Paul is perhaps not speaking of them here, but of those who teach and hold in vain that unchastity is not sin, as the blind Gentiles did: yet it is to be feared, because they also do as the Gentiles do, not living chastely nor mildly, they will also receive the same reward; so much more, if they know more that it is wrong; as he says to the Romans Cap. 2, 3. ff.: "Do you think that you will escape God's judgment if you do what you condemn in others? Yes, you are gathering wrath for yourself through your hardened heart."
Do not be their fellows, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
21 As Peter also says in 1 Peter 4:3: "We must now leave behind us the fact that we have hitherto lived as pagans, and from now on we will no longer be partakers with them, but will turn what is left of life to the service of God. Since we were pagans, we did not know that all this was sin. That is what makes the darkness of unbelief, because we did not know God. But now we have become light in the Lord, that is, through Christ.
We are so finely and abundantly enlightened that we not only know what God is and wants, what sin and wrong are, but that we may also be a light to others, teaching them what we know; as he praises the Thessalonians for being lights in the world among the wicked, unrighteous kind. Just as we were not only dark before, but also darkness itself, when we not only went ignorant and astray, but also brought and led others into the same darkness with words and works: so we should now be thankful to Him who called us out of such darkness into His wondrous light, 1 Pet 2:9, and walk as the children of light, as St. Paul says Eph 5:9.
But the fruit of the Spirit is all goodness, righteousness and diligence.
22 Because he speaks of light here, it would have been better for him to say, "The fruit of light," as the Latin books have it, rather than "the fruit of the Spirit," as the Greek books have it. And who
knows if it is changed in the Greek, from the epistle to the Galatians on 5 Cap. V. 22. where he also speaks of the fruits of the Spirit? But there is not great power involved, it is One Thing, "Light" and "Spirit" in that place. "Goodness" is the fruit of light or of the Spirit against avarice, that a Christian man may be good, that is, useful, and do gladly and well to his neighbor. "Righteousness," as a fruit of the Spirit (for the Spirit is also righteous before God), is among men also against avarice; that no one takes from another what is his own, nor by force, nor by guile, nor by advantage, but gives to each what is his due and his own, even to the Gentile authorities, Rom. 13:1 "Truthfulness" is the fruit of the Spirit against hypocrisy and falsehood, so that a Christian is not only truthful in his words, but also righteous in his life; so that he does not bear the name without works, and is a Christian, and yet lives a pagan life, in unchastity, avarice and other vices etc.