Second Sermon.
1 This sermon was preached by St. Paul in the synagogue of Antioch, in the land of Pisidia, where the Jews and also some of the Greeks who had converted to the Jews were gathered together. For where the Jews were in the cities, there they also had their synagogues, where they taught and preached, so that also many of the Gentiles
came to them and were converted to God by God's word from the Scriptures. For God undoubtedly wonderfully ordained that the Jews should be scattered among the Gentiles throughout the world after the first destruction by the Assyrians, so that God's Word should be spread through them, and so that this people should also serve the Gentiles for salvation, and prepare the way for the Gospel to be preached in all the world through the apostles. For wherever they went, they found such schools of ju-.
They had more room to preach in them than in ordinary assemblies, and so their preaching could be spread more widely (because many Gentiles also came). For if they had not been accustomed to the Jews and their synagogues before, the apostles, as strangers, would not have heard them, nor would they have allowed them to preach publicly.
2 So St. Paul came into the synagogue here on the Sabbath, when they used to come together and read the Scriptures. And because he and Barnaba were sojourners from the Jewish country, they asked him if he would preach an exhortation or sermon to the people. Then Paul stood up and began a beautiful long sermon about Christ, as he was promised in the Scriptures to the fathers and to David the king, and was born of the same seed, and was publicly testified by John the Baptist etc., and (as St. Peter tells in the next epistle) how he was crucified by the Jews, and rose from the dead, and appeared alive for a good while; and now commanded the new preaching to his apostles to proclaim to the world that the promise made to them by God was fulfilled, and that by this resurrection he would give and present that which he had promised to them. And he shows by name what these things are, that from the same resurrection they should have (like St. Peter) the forgiveness of sins, which they could not obtain in and from the law of Moses and all its regulations; but only by faith in this Christ, who was preached to them, they obtain and have all things.
(3) Not only Jews but also Gentiles were present at this sermon, as the text says: when St. Paul preached that the Gentiles asked him to preach to them also between the Sabbaths; and when he preached again in the synagogue on the next Sabbath, almost the whole city ran to it. And in this sermon he says: "Dear brothers, you who are of the lineage of Abraham", that is, born Jews, "and also all who fear God among you", that is also Gentiles. And although it has been a vexatious and very wicked sermon in the ears of the Jews, he nevertheless catches it in a fine friendly and
He praises them greatly, as they are the people whom God has chosen above all the Gentiles and the children of the holy fathers, as those to whom it is primarily due what God has promised them. But again, he also spoils it by proclaiming to them nothing but the crucified and resurrected Messiah, and finally decides that their law and rule under Moses should not help or apply to them before God, more than the Gentiles etc.
4 And his speeches are quite the same and in agreement with St. Peter's sermon. For as he said that God had sent them preachers and had them preach peace, so also here St. Paul says: "To you is sent the preaching of this salvation" etc. These words, though very comforting and joyful, did not please the Jews. For they greatly disliked it, because they did not care to hear it, that their long hope in their Messiah, who was to be, as they thought, a Lord and King of the whole world, was to have no more than a sermon, and such a sermon, which their law and whole government did not respect at all, which they thought would be only more exalted and accepted in all the world by the same Messiah. This was nothing else with them, as if they had hoped in vain for him.
(5) And Paul makes it still more vexatious by saying, not badly, as St. Peter does, the word or preaching of peace; but calls it by a higher and more glorious name, a word of salvation, or a doctrine that is wholesome and blessed; as it cannot be called any higher. For a word or sermon of salvation is a sermon of the grace of God, forgiveness of sin, eternal peace and life. And this is to be given not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, who had no knowledge of God, law, or worship, making them completely equal to the Jews, so that the Jews would have no advantage or merit with God, nor would they have any advantage or dominion over the Gentiles in the world.
(6) That is, the sermon is started bluntly and unpleasantly, so that he takes both Jews and Gentiles at the same time in one lump; yes, tells them clearly that the Law of Moses from the beginning has not helped them or will not help them before God; but only through this sermon they (and at the same time all Gentiles) should and may be helped from sins, death and the devil's power, so that they become God's children and lords over everything. And yet there is nothing in which such a great thing (which he calls salvation and blessedness) can be seen or felt, except that he preaches about it. I hear the word, and I see Paul, who is a poor man: but this salvation, grace, life and peace, I do not see; but rather I must daily see and feel the contradiction, sin, terror, misfortune, suffering and death; that it seems as if no men are so utterly forsaken by God as the Christians who hear this word.
(7) But this is the high doctrine which we must learn and know (if we want to be God's children and feel His kingdom in us), of which neither the Jews from their law nor the Gentiles from their rational wisdom know or experience anything, that our salvation and blessedness is in the word which St. Paul proclaims here about Christ, that it is to be called and is a word of salvation and peace, and truly brings and gives salvation and peace.
8 For God has sent it, he says. It was not devised or instituted by man, and is not called the word and command of the Roman emperor or the high priests of Jerusalem; but God from heaven, who speaks by it, and wills it to be preached by poor men, so that it may be called and be such a power (which the law was not), whereby he wills to give us salvation and blessedness; as St. Paul says in Romans 1. Paul says in Romans 1: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God to save all who believe in it. And God Himself has placed our blessedness thereon, since He reveals Himself and lets His voice be heard from heaven, speaks of Christ at the Jordan: "This is My beloved Son etc. whom you shall hear."
9 He wants to have heard this word of Christ, as if he also wants to say: Here
you have the word of peace and salvation; in the word alone, and not elsewhere, you shall seek and find them: keep this word, if you want peace, salvation and blessedness. Be it unto thee, as it may, in cross, suffering, strife, death, thou shalt be beheaded, burned, or remain in the pestilence, stroke, or as God requireth thee etc., then look upon me, whose word is, that promises thee thou shalt not die, and whether thou die, thy death shall be but a sweet sleep unto thee, yea, the entrance unto life; as he saith Joh. 8, 51. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that keepeth my word shall not see death for ever." But to this belongs "keeping," saith Christ, that is, to stand fast by the word (even against all feeling and sense), that thou mayest not doubt that it is certainly as thou hast heard. For he that speaketh these things is not a man, but he that created heaven and earth, and all that is therein, from nothing, and hath governed and upheld them until now. What were you and I, and all who now live, a hundred years ago, but a mere nothing? By what or from what did everything become, if there was nothing at all? "He spoke," says the 33rd Psalm v. 9. from Genesis 1 Mos. 1, "then there was," which was not before, "and he commanded, and there it was."
(10) Therefore, because it is called the word of God, it is much different (even if it were spoken through the mouth of man, or even if it were spoken through the mouth of an ass) than this is called the word of man. Therefore let there now be or yet to come strife, the terror of sin, the anguish of death and hell, the grave and decay, and let fall upon thee whatsoever may fall; and lay hold only on this word in thine heart, that Christ hath sent unto thee a preaching of salvation, that is, redemption, and victory against all these things, and hath called thee to believe these things: then shalt thou see that he, as God and Creator, will not lie unto thee. For what is death, the devil and all creatures against him?
(11) Therefore this glory of the preaching of Christ, which St. Paul here calls a word of salvation, is much more and higher than what he said to them about all the kingdoms, riches and glory of the world, even heaven and earth. For what could all this help me, if I did not know this word of salvation and
eternal life? For when it comes to sin and death, distress or journey, then I must say: Only away with everything that is this world's goods and joy, so that I alone may hear and have this sermon of salvation, sent by Christ. You must keep to this, and know that only such a word gives eternal peace and joy, and that it must be believed, even if everything can be seen differently, so that you do not follow yourself or your feelings, but take for divine, eternal, unchanging truth what he has spoken and proclaimed. So St. Paul admonishes his Jews in particular that they should accept such preaching as sent to them by God and as bringing such great benefits.
12. After that he continues, wants to remove and take away the trouble that leads them astray, and warns them not to do as those in Jerusalem did, when they heard this word of salvation from Christ himself, which they themselves read daily in the prophets, and should have seen how they testified of this Christ, and how their preaching agreed with his and the apostles' preaching, but did not want to understand it; But because this Christ did not come as they would have him, they condemned the same, whereof they themselves had read in the Scriptures that he would come and bring such preaching of salvation, and also interpreted the time, which they themselves knew to be long since present, that they should not wait for another. They have not yet understood the Scriptures. This means that they were even stunned and frozen in the thought that he would rule like another worldly king. Just as this was also so completely driven into all the people that even the apostles did not think differently of his kingdom, even after his resurrection, and, as St. John says on the 12th, did not yet understand the Scriptures until Christ ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit came. For as long as such a cloth hangs before the eyes, that is, the carnal thoughts of the fleshly kingdom and reign of Christ and His church, the Scriptures cannot be understood; just as St. Paul 2 Cor. 3:14 says of the Jews that the cloth remains before their eyes,
when they read the Scriptures. But such lack of understanding is not excused. For it is gross and wanton blindness that they will not be told, nor be instructed, as the apostles did; but continue always to rage against it, not wanting to hear of this Christ, even when repentance and forgiveness of sins are preached to them by the apostles after they have crucified him.
Now it is very annoying that St. Paul may speak so boldly of the nobles and rulers of the whole Jewish community (that is, God's people, and as we say, heads of the church), that not only the common people, but they themselves did not know nor understand the Scriptures given to them, yes, not only were so ignorant and mistaken, but they became the very ones of whom they read that they would murder and crucify God's Son, their Savior. How annoying it was to be said of the people, since God Himself had established His worship, temple and priesthood, and had set up a regiment of His own, that the high priest had the power to say, "This is to be kept, or to die of death," Deut. 17, 12.; and since the glorious great council of the two and seventy elders (so ordered at the first by Moses 2 Mos. 18.), who are called Sanhedrin, judged and governed the whole people, and knew what was right and wrong according to their law! Should we not tear apart St. Paul here with red-hot pincers, as a rebellious, yes, public blasphemer, who not only speaks to the whole regiment, but to God Himself to His honor; and may say that the heads of the people all err, know nothing of the Scriptures, yes, are murderers of the Son of God? What is it against this that we punish and condemn the pope with his bunch, who ever cannot muster such glory and testimony of God, and who raise and defend vain doctrines and idolatry of their own making?
014 Then see thou that he accepteth nothing, and teacheth every man that they should not turn unto the crying and rumbling of the Jews, which they put on, that they are the chief priests, teachers, rulers, or lords and authorities, ordained of God himself, and the people subject unto them; that against them they preach,
seems just as much as preaching obedience against father and mother and the proper authorities, yes, against God Himself; which we would not suffer. Nor does St. Paul do it unabashedly, and as an apostle of God and by His command. Much more would he set himself against our Pabst larvae, who boast of the church and God's people's heads without God's word, and yet neither teach nor understand the Scriptures, but present their own deeds for God's word.
(15) Now what cause hath he for this, that he may condemn so freshly such high men's judgment? One is called Jesus Christ, about whom all the prophets and all the Scriptures say they do not want to know; he is greater and greater than the chief priests and rulers, along with the temple and the whole city of Jerusalem. That even they themselves knew, when he came, that they should abdicate and obey him, as their Lord and chief ruler.
Therefore they are not excused and their excuse is not valid: God has given us dominion and high authority, and commanded everyone, as well as father and mother, to be obedient to us etc. No, this does not get rid of the fact that you are lord or ruler, father or mother, or child and subject (that is, obeying the authorities), that you may not be baptized and believe in Christ. For this is the one ruler over all kings, princes, authorities etc. Therefore one should be obedient to father and mother, and to worldly rulers; but so far that one does not disobey this Lord, who created and has under him emperors and all rulers, as well as the least of men. But those junk lords and rulers of Jerusalem (as now also ours) would not do this; therefore the quarrel arises that we must speak and do against them out of God's commandment (which they falsely call disobedience and rebellious), so that we may be found obedient to our Lord and their Lord (whom they deny).
(17) For there is nothing here of Caiphas, or pope, or emperor, or king, but of Jesus Christ, whom you, saith St. Paul, the rulers in the holy city of Jerusalem,
have killed. Therefore, even though you were ordained by God Himself and placed in authority, He no longer asks anything of you, because you do not want to accept Christ; and now you have become rude asses and blind leaders, who do not understand the Scriptures at all, who should and want to teach others, as Moses and all the prophets spoke of this Christ, who promised you and all the world salvation and comfort; And in such blindness you continued obstinately and brought him to the cross, when you could not have found any reason to condemn him, because he did nothing against you, nor took anything from you, neither money nor goods, honor nor power, but brought you all good and happiness, when you alone would have accepted him. But you had to be the ones who fulfilled the scripture you read every day, namely, that you put Christ to death and helped him to rise again from death and (without your and the devil's thanks) to become a lord over all things, to whom all creatures must be subject. Therefore we ask no more what you and all the world say or do about our preaching Christ, whether you are angry or laugh. For we have the Lord, who is the Son of God, set over all by the Father through his resurrection. He wills it so, that we should preach of him, and that every man should believe in him. And because you do not want to be, listen in this case to the authority and power that God has given you, but no further than to this Messiah, and must now separate ourselves from you and leave the authorities, the priesthood, Jerusalem, and say plainly that we should not nor will we be obedient to you against this Lord.
18 Thus St. Paul preached to his Jews, so that they might become Christians, that Christ was ready to come, and that they should wait no longer, and to show them what they themselves, the rulers and chief of the people, had done to him, who are called God's people, and have the law and the service of God; that they might know their sin, and leave off their defiance of the law and the service of God, because they themselves must see and know that they have nothing to boast of before God.
For even though they have had and heard Moses and God's word in abundance, they have not recognized nor wanted to accept their Messiah, whom God sent to them, as he promised them, but have condemned him and become murderers of him. What is the use of all that they boast that they are called Abraham's children, God's people, have prophets, law, priesthood? without all this making their sin and condemnation before God heavier and greater, that they, not as ignorant blind Gentiles, but as those who have and should know God's word, have nevertheless, in spite of it, wantonly killed God's Son. This is the first part of this sermon.
19 Now the other is about the resurrection of Christ and the power of it through faith. For to this end St. Paul, after telling them how they had killed Christ and thus brought their condemnation before God to an all too high level, urges them to confess that they have no glory in their Judaism, but rather vain shame and wrath before God; that only if they want to be free from such condemnation and, as he says at the end, become righteous and blessed, they should still hear and believe the word of this Christ. And so, because they with their rulers did not accept nor recognize this Messiah, when he himself preached and did miracles, they must now accept him whom they have executed and crucified, because they do not see him nor have him bodily with them, but believe that he has risen from death, as they hear of him through the preaching of the apostles, is the Lord over all; and now completely drop their former dreams and hopes, how he would come, and raise them to great honors, riches and dominion of the world for their law and worship, spreading their Moses, priesthood in all the world: must now be glad and thank God that they are like the Gentiles, and come with them to the word of salvation, that they may obtain only God's grace, forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
20. but he proves his preaching of the resurrection of Christ with many mighty sayings from the Scriptures, which he no doubt cut out with many words, and a
long sermon on it, which is not described here in full, but is only given in bits and pieces in the shortest possible way. But the apostles wanted to point us to the Scriptures in order that we might study them and diligently perceive how powerfully the prophets spoke of Christ and his works and kingdom.
(21) The first saying he takes from the other psalm, which is made wholly of Christ and his kingdom (as the Jews also had to confess in those days when they were still learned), where Christ himself says, "I will preach of a new manner," namely, "that the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. This, says St. Paul, is written in the first Psalm, which is the second Psalm in number or order in all books, old and new. But he does not speak here of such a number or order as the Psalms stand one after the other in the book; but of order of the sayings, which he wants to attract. As if he wanted to say, "First, I will prove this from a psalm," or, "First, this is written in the psalm," as a preacher begins and says, "First, I will say this; first, this is written in a psalm; second, in another psalm, etc., whether it is the first, the second, the twentieth, or the thirtieth; since he does not count the psalms according to their order, but as he introduces them.
But how does this saying rhyme with the fact that St. Paul uses it to prove the resurrection of Christ? It is a sharp allegory, which he undoubtedly beautifully and splendidly, richly stroked out. The Psalm says of the Messiah or King, who is to reign among the people and among the people; as he clearly says: "I have set my King on my holy mountain Zion", that is, at Jerusalem. Therefore he must be a true man, equal to the others. Yes, he also says that kings and lords of the land will rage against him and persecute him; which could not happen if he did not reign on earth.
(23) Now in this verse it says that he is also true and eternal God. For God calls him his Son, and such a Son as he himself begat in his divine eternal being and majesty: that he should not be a he-
He is not an elected son, but a true born son of God. Because he is a human being like others, he must also die according to the same nature, even let himself be killed and crucified by the Lord of the world. But since he is also God's born Son and therefore truly God, this person (also according to human nature) cannot remain in death, but must come forth again, out of and over death, become an eternal Lord of death and life. For here is an undivided person and a unique son of virgins from the family of David and God; he cannot remain in death. But if he comes in death, he must be overcome by it, and overcome, yea, strangled and destroyed, and in this Lord reign vain life, and be given to all them that receive him. As all this is said elsewhere.
24. but this is even more strange about the resurrection, because it follows from the prophet Isaiah at 55, 3.: "I will keep you faithful to the grace promised to David". Which, according to the Hebrew text, reads: "I will make an everlasting covenant with you, namely, the certain grace of David." There the prophet speaks of the promise of Christ that happened to David in 2 Sam. 7. And in the preceding words the prophet almost comfortingly exhorts and entices all the world to accept such words and preaching, so that great good, joy and salvation may come and be granted to all the poor, the miserable and the afflicted. And soon after these words he says how he gave Messiah, the promised seed of David, to be a witness to the people, that is, sent as a preacher from God, and as a prince and ruler to the nations etc., as he is to be another teacher than Moses and his priests and teachers of the law who were there before; also another lord, ruler and king, neither David nor all the lords in their temporal government; and to submit all things to him: not that he should establish a new external government, or spread the Jewish one among the Gentiles; but that both Jews and Gentiles should hear him at the same time and believe in him, that through him they may have what he promised; which he here calls the covenant of certain grace, so promised to David. This, saith he, I will speak with
To make and keep for you a divine, sure, faithful covenant, even in this Christ, that through him all things which the grace of God gives and brings, forgiveness and redemption of sin, salvation from death, and eternal life, may be given.
25. Now if this Christ, through whom this covenant is made, is true man, as he promised David of his blood and flesh, and is to bring and give eternal grace, therefore he must also be God, to whom alone it belongs and is appropriate to give such things: He must not remain in death, even though he dies like a natural man; but must himself rise from the dead, so that he can also redeem others from death and give them eternal life; so that he may be called in truth and be an eternal king of grace, righteousness and life, as God has promised to keep firmly.
26 Thus, wherever it is written about the eternal kingdom of Christ and eternal grace, this article about the resurrection of Christ is indicated; just as St. Paul, in order to transfigure this saying, will have introduced other sayings. As, from the 110th Psalm v. 1: "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand" etc.; item v. 4: "The Lord has sworn, and will not repent: You are a priest forever." God promised that he would give Christ to sit at his right hand, that is, to be an eternal Lord and King, in omnipotent, divine power, and yet to be his kingdom on earth, in Zion or Jerusalem; and also to be an eternal priest, who must be taken from men and be like them, that is, mortal also; but yet in such a way that he nevertheless remains a priest forever; therefore he must not remain in death and the grave.
The third saying, which St. Paul refers to here, is from the sixteenth Psalm, which also actually speaks of Christ; which St. Peter interprets further in the first sermon on the day of Pentecost, and concludes powerfully from it (as the words themselves clearly say), that Christ died and yet did not have to decompose in the grave, but rose again from death without corruption and without death (namely on the third day).