Acts 10, 34-43.
And Peter opened his mouth, and said, Now I know the truth, that God regardeth not persons: but in all people he that feareth him, and doeth right, is acceptable unto him. You know well the sermon that God sent to the children of Israel, proclaiming peace through Jesus Christ (who is Lord over all), which went throughout the whole Jewish land and began in Galilee after the baptism that John preached: How God anointed the same Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did in the land of Judaea and in Jerusalem. They killed him and hanged him on a tree. The same God raised up on the third day, and made him manifest, not to all the people, but to us, the chosen witnesses of God, who ate and drank with him after he was raised from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is ordained of God a judge of the living and the dead. Of this all the prophets testify, that through his name all who believe in him shall receive forgiveness of sins.
(1) This sermon was preached by St. Peter to Cornelio, the centurion of Caesaria (who was a Gentile, yet a believer), and to those who were with him, when he was required of him and had come there by revelation and command of the Holy Spirit, as described in this chapter shortly before; and is hastened beautiful preaching and testimony of the resurrection of Christ; but, as the apostle and the gospel should be preaching, he does not tell the history alone, but also the power and benefit of it. But since this whole sermon is in itself clear and easy, that it needs no interpretation, but is itself a transfiguration of the article of the resurrection of Christ, we will briefly run over it.
The first part is that St. Peter begins with the beginning of the preaching of the gospel of Christ, how it was promised beforehand in the Scriptures and proclaimed by the prophets, that he himself would come and bring a new preaching, and prove and confirm it with miracles; item, how he would suffer, die and rise again, and thus begin a new kingdom, and how this now happened and came to pass. And for the testimony of it he appeals to them themselves, who hear his preaching, so that they know how these things, which were proclaimed beforehand in the Scriptures, came about and were not secretly hidden in the corner.
but has now resounded throughout the whole of the Jewish land; to which John the Baptist also gave witness shortly before by his preaching and baptism, when he was sent to go before this Christ and prepare the way for him, that is, to point out and lead all the people to him etc.
3. He interprets this new preaching of the Gospel as such a preaching, in which God has proclaimed peace, that is, salvation and all good things, and hot, a grace-filled, comforting, joyful preaching and gospel, which no longer accuses us and threatens and terrifies us with God's wrath because of our sin, as Moses did through the teaching of the Law; but offers and brings God's grace, forgiveness of sin and eternal life to those who have been terrified before and until now. Thus the prophets have prophesied of this before, and call it a sermon of peace, whence also St. Peter took these words. As, the prophet Zechariah Cap. 9, 10: "He shall teach or preach peace among the Gentiles." And Isaiah Cap. 52, 7: "How sweet are the feet of the messengers that go about upon the mountains, preaching peace, and preaching good." This is also shown in St. Paul, Eph. 2, 17: "He has proclaimed or caused to be preached peace through the gospel, to you who were far off, and to you who were not near.
to those who were near" etc. This is the sweet sermon, by which God removes His wrath, and, as St. Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:19, 20, reconciles Himself to us, and commands the gospel to be preached into the world, that it may be and be called a ministry of reconciliation, exhorting us to be reconciled to Him and to be His friends, that we may receive grace and all good things from Him.
4 Secondly, St. Peter shows what this sermon says about Christ. Peter shows what this sermon says about Christ, what he did and accomplished, and what his work and ministry is, namely: How he preached and did miracles, and thereby served and helped everyone; and what he received in thanksgiving and reward from his own people, that for this he was crucified and killed by them, and yet he was not only undestroyed by the world and its power, but was not overcome by death either, but remained undisturbed, and allowed himself to be seen and heard alive again, and is now set up as Lord and Judge over all etc.
This is the history of the whole gospel and the articles of faith of Christ in short words; but in particular he gives the article of the resurrection, by which Christ in himself and in his own person completely overcame death, and now lives and reigns forever as a king and duke of life etc. And for this article he gives proof and testimony that he revealed himself alive to his disciples, and ate and drank with them, and especially ordained them to be witnesses of it, and proved and confirmed this with miraculous works through them.
(6) Thirdly, the main part and benefit of this article. First of all, why and for what purpose all these things came to him from Christ, that they might be laid up and spread abroad; for he did not do all these things for his own sake, but for our sake and for our good; but that we might know these things and receive the benefit, it was necessary that they should be preached; therefore, saith he, he commanded us to preach these things into all the world, that they might be known of every man, and that the treasure might be brought unto us through the public ministry.
(7) Fourth, how these things are received by us, and what he works and creates among us, these words now show, so that he may conclude this sermon:
To him all the prophets bear witness that through his name all who believe in him shall receive forgiveness of sins.
(8) This is the main saying of this sermon and the most important one in the apostles' writings, and teaches first of all: What belongs to such a sermon and how it becomes fruitful in us, so that we obtain what it brings, namely, that it happens through faith, which grasps what is presented to us in the Gospel. For it is preached for this purpose, that we accept and keep it, and is thus promised to us through the word, or given and bestowed upon us, but received by us through faith, so that it is ours and its power can work in us.
(9) But such is the power and effect of the forgiveness of sins, which is the treasure and good which the preaching of Christ and the articles of faith, especially the resurrection, give; which he hath purchased, that we should have forgiveness of sins. That is, the new comforting sermon or proclamation of peace, that Christ by his resurrection has overcome our sin and death in himself, has taken away God's wrath, and has obtained for it all grace and blessedness, and has commanded these things to be preached to us, and wants us to believe them and to be sure that we receive them by faith.
(10) But faith must be such that it grasps and holds firmly to the piece which St. Peter here sets forth and says, "in his name," that is, that it ascribes to Christ alone the whole cause, merit and power of the forgiveness of sins. Peter says, "In his name," that is, to ascribe to Christ alone the whole cause, merit, and power of the forgiveness of sins, and to believe that we obtain and have these things, not through or for our own worthiness or merit, but through Christ alone, and by the power of his resurrection, to obtain forgiveness of sins: that therefore herewith pure and barren is excluded and taken away all that may be called, which is not Christ, and that this glory alone remains to him. For what is it with all men's doings and abilities?
on earth, that it should accomplish or merit such a great thing (namely, forgiveness of sin and redemption from eternal wrath and death), or that it should be comparable to the death and blood of the Son of God or the power of His resurrection, and have the honor next to it, that it should serve to obtain forgiveness of sin and redemption from death? This is what he wants to have preached and believed in all the world, and with it he lifts up all the glory of the Jews and all the saints of works, so that they should know that they cannot obtain grace from God through the law and their own works, but that in this Christ's name alone they receive forgiveness of sin through faith.
(11) And these things, saith he, are testified beforehand in the scriptures, and proclaimed by all the prophets. This is a glorious testimony, and the Jewish people should believe it, their own prophet, if they do not want to be wilfully hardened and condemned. But much more we Gentiles, who must confess without this, that we have neither done nor worked anything for such grace to be offered and given to us. And we should be so pious that we would give glory to Christ and believe the apostles and all the Scriptures; and be ashamed that we should first doubt or quarrel whether we obtain forgiveness of sins or are justified before God by Christ's will alone (as all Scripture says, and we ourselves must say if we want to confess rightly) or also by our own works.
12. So we hear here what is the summa and the main doctrine of all Scripture, to which it all primarily and finally goes, namely, to teach and confirm this article, that we have forgiveness of sins not otherwise than for Christ's sake, through faith, and that this has been the faith of the fathers and prophets and of all the saints from the beginning of the world, and afterwards of Christ and the apostles, and of all the saints from the beginning of the world, and afterward the doctrine and preaching of Christ and the apostles, which they were commanded to carry and propagate throughout the world, and which is still to this day and to the end the unanimous mind and attitude of the whole Christian church; Who have all at one time and one accord believed, confessed, and contended in this article.
that in this Lord Christ's name alone forgiveness of sin is attained and received, and in this faith have been justified and saved before God. Thus, through such testimony, the foundation of our doctrine has been laid strongly enough, and long before us, it has been powerfully contended for, defended and proven.
13: Therefore, whoever still asks and actually desires to know what the Christian church always teaches and holds, especially in the high main article, how one becomes righteous before God or obtains forgiveness of sins, about which there has always been dispute in the world: who has it here clearly and certainly in this sentence, and hears the right constant testimony of the whole church from the beginning, that one may now no longer dispute about this, and no one can justly plead cause or have excuse for his doubts, or wait for further decision or clarification of the conciliar etc. For here you hear that it has been decided and confirmed long ago and before ages (by the church of the first fathers, prophets and apostles), and a firm and immovable foundation has been laid, which all men are also obliged to keep for their eternal blessedness and to believe that God gives whatever is disputed, laid down and decided by other councils and all the world; Indeed, the judgment is hereby given to all of us, and we are commanded to avoid and flee whatever else wants to believe or teach, order and establish; as also St. Paul Gal. 1:8. Paul Gal. 1:8: "If any man teach any other gospel than that ye have heard and received, let him be accursed, though it were an angel from heaven."
14 From this you see against what the whole papacy with all its followers is raging and raging, and what they are to be held for, who do not want to hear or suffer this article, so here St. Peter preaches and confirms by all the prophets and all the Scriptures, and do not stop persecuting innocent people because of it. Peter preaches and confirms by the testimony of all the prophets and the whole of Scripture, and do not cease to persecute pious, innocent people for it; even with the pretense that they want to be the church and boast of its name to the highest degree against us; yet they testify about themselves by their doctrine, faith and deed that they are contrary to all the prophets and thus to the testimony of the whole church.
believe and teach. These can never be the church of Christ, because they contradict St. Peter and all the Scriptures so shamelessly and impudently, even trampling Christ Himself, as the head, underfoot in His word; but must be the wretched devil's damned mob, and the highest enemies of the Christian church, worse and more harmful than any pagans or Turks are.
15 Finally, St. Peter also wants to prove with this saying and make all the world certain that this our Lord (as he calls him by name Jesus of Nazareth) is the true Messiah and Christ, who is promised beforehand in the Scriptures: "For to this very one," he says, "all the prophets bear witness" etc. For they speak clearly of such a person, born of David's blood and flesh, from the city of Bethlehem etc., who would suffer and die, and rise again, and do and perform such things as this Jesus did and fulfilled, and proved and confirmed with miraculous signs. Therefore the Jews and
Unbelievers have no reason to doubt Christ or to wait for another in the future.
16. In addition, he also interprets from the same prophets' testimony what the kingdom of this Christ should be, namely: That it should not be an outward, worldly power and dominion, as other lords, kings and emperors, over land and people, goods and temporal beings; but a spiritual eternal kingdom in the hearts of men, and a power and dominion over and against sin and eternal death, and the power of hell to deliver us from it, and would bring and give it to us through this ministry or preaching of the gospel; and that we should receive it through faith, which is the obedience that everyone should render to this Lord and thereby make himself subject to him, and thus become a partaker of his graces and benefits; as also St. Paul Romans 1:5. Paul calls it Rom. 1, 5 "the obedience of faith" etc.