Eph. 3, 13-21.
Therefore I pray that you may not grow weary because of my afflictions which I suffer for you, which are a glory to you. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true Father of all that are called children in heaven and on earth, that he may give you strength according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man, and to have Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, being rooted and grounded in love; That ye may understand with all saints the breadth, and the length, and the depth, and the height, and know the love of Christ, which passeth all understanding; that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God. To him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or understand, according to the power that is in us, to him be glory in the church which is in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
In this epistle, Saint Paul has praised the ministry of preaching the gospel in the New Testament, and has introduced with high and excellent words what benefit, power and wisdom, in sum, how much good this ministry brings; that God thereby showers us with all wisdom, strength and goods that he has and is able to provide in heaven and earth. For the gospel proclaims to us life from death, righteousness from sin, salvation from hell and all evil, and brings us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God. All of which is so great that St. Paul does not dare to attain it with words, and speaks so highly of it that it cannot be spoken of any higher.
2 In this passage he shows how careful he is that they keep the same preaching of the gospel that they receive from him, and do not let themselves be carried away by it; he needs two ways to do this: first, comforting and admonishing, then also praying and wishing.
Therefore I pray that you will not grow weary because of my afflictions which I suffer for you, which are an honor to you.
3 Hereby he comforts his dear Christians, converted at Ephesus, after he was imprisoned at Rome by the emperor, and exhorts them.
*This sermon appeared in four separate printings from 1525. From the third of these separate printings, the words have been translated into - Cf. A. 9, 253. ed.
They were to hold fast to the teaching they had learned from him, and not to be frightened or turned away by such a reputation and speech: "Behold, this Paul has preached to you and given great things, as he was sent by Christ himself, and has done more than all the other apostles; and you have praised so much of him and thought so highly of him, that he alone must be and be counted worthy. Where is he now? What can he do for you? There he lies at Rome, and is not only condemned to death by the Jews, but is in the hands of the dreadful Neroni, the emperor. Have we not long said that this would be the end of him? I mean, the glory is now laid to him, which he led against everyone.
4 He himself writes from his prison that he will face such trouble and danger. This is to say: You see, dear friends, that I am now a prisoner, that the devil and the world have me in their hands; this may frighten you and give you evil suspicion: If the doctrine were right, and he were such a high apostle of Christ, God would not let such things happen to him, as some false apostles have done among them. Therefore I beseech and exhort, though I be a prisoner, that ye be not vexed, nor made afraid, nor made cowards. Let us be confronted, suffer affliction, be honored or disgraced, and go as we may: only abide in that which I preach unto you, which ye know to be the certain thing.
God's word and gospel. How he reminded them of what they were called to do by God and what they received through his preaching.
(5) This admonition is still and always necessary in Christendom, for the weak are greatly confounded when tribulation comes, when one must suffer for the sake of the gospel, and especially when one must also lose those who are the leaders who have taught and guided the people, and must hear the shameful, bitter blasphemers. As we have to wait for such trouble among ourselves, where the teachers would be attacked. Therefore we must be prepared so that each one may have grasped the gospel in this way, even if some of us have already fallen away from pretending to the pope or the tyrant, and have become liars or impostors, so that he may stand up for himself and say, "Well, I do not believe that this man has said and taught it; let him go and stay where he pleases, for the doctrine is right, I know it, and so it is for me and for others, as God wills.
(6) So far I have had to do it for myself, and I still have to do it, otherwise I would also have been frightened and tired of seeing the pope, bishops, emperors, kings and all the world against this doctrine, which they should defend, and the thoughts would have overcome me: Behold, these are nevertheless also people, who must not all be of the devil. What else can I comfort myself and insist on here, but that I must say: Even though ten worlds, and everything that is great, high, wise and clever, fall from me, and all my dear friends and brothers too: nevertheless the teaching is right, it does not stand or fall, as men fall and waver; I will remain with the word of God, it falls or stands, whatever else stands or falls there.
(7) For a Christian must have such a mind and spirit that he can peel off the outward vesture of persons, great reputation, majesty, etc., but from the word: he who does not do this cannot stand in temptation, but if anyone falls, he falls soon after.
(8) Therefore, the government of the churches on earth is such that human wisdom and the wisdom of men are not the same.
Reason must be offended by it, and many an offence goes against faith; but God is also such a man, who takes pleasure in ruling not by sword nor by visible power and might, but by weakness, contrary to the devil and the world; and does not stand to it otherwise than as if he wanted to let his church perish altogether. We may resist and hold out against the trouble as long and as far as we can; but it helps as much as it can, that we must finally remain in this defiance: He who built the church and has preserved it so far, let him still preserve it. If the church were to be governed by men, we would not govern it well; but if Christ lives, and still sits on the throne on which God has placed him, let us see who it is that can pull him down and destroy his Christianity.
(9) For we can do so little when the hour comes, as St. Paul when he is in chains. Paul, when he lies in chains, and can keep no one; but must command the Lord Christ, though he, as a faithful apostle, does not cease to admonish and warn even absent as much as he can; knowing well that where he speaks a word, there are of course many false apostles, who pervert everything to him, and fill his ears with their gossip and poisonous words; as he elsewhere complains that by such all Asia has been made disparaging to him, 2 Tim. 1, 15; these were the nearest neighbors of the Ephesians, when they were also in Asia.
10. But that he may comfort and strengthen them the more, he begins and adorns his suffering and affliction with a beautiful new rhetoric; he turns it upside down, against the conceit of the world and the judgment of blasphemers: My suffering and affliction, which in the sight of the world and of you, according to the flesh, he says, is most harmful, brings you no harm or damage, as the poisonous mouths blow out such annoyance, but is rather better for me and for you; and even if they think to do you the greatest harm by it, such improvement follows from it, of which they never avail themselves. For that which I suffer, saith he, I suffer not for my own sake, but for your sakes; that is, to profit you, that it were better for you, than that I should be with you preaching. How so? For I suffer for the sake of preaching alone.
For the sake of the sermon and the gospel that I have given you, I put into it what I am and what I have, so that you may keep it, and see that I am in earnest, and for this purpose I fight and hold with the speed and courage of my life, which Christ has given me and commanded me, and so with my chains and bands I honor and confirm the gospel, so that you, strengthened by it, may also hold to it all the more firmly.
(11) Therefore, out of this suffering and affliction, which the world puts upon us to do us great harm, let us make even a delicious change, so that God may pronounce such a judgment and say: Hear, world, devil, emperor, tyrant, you have imprisoned my apostle Paul for the sake of my devout Christians; what have these done to you, or what are they guilty of? Yes, without any fault of theirs, you are tormenting them, only because I have given them my word, and so they are against me and defy me. What else can I say to this but, "It was not Paul that you stung and bound, but me? Is this not too much for a mortal maggot, called emperor or prince, to dare to capture God in heaven? But do you think that I will keep quiet about this, and so let go, and not break chains, sticks and bands, and say, "Move away and lift yourself up, devil and tyrant, and let me rule, and for one Paul give ten others; from one church in Ephesus make thirty, yes, a hundred churches?
So now, too (because it is about to happen), when they get a Protestant preacher, he must either be secretly drowned, murdered, or publicly hanged and burned. Why does this happen? For the sake of the Christians and the doctrine they have taught. However, God watches for a while with a laughing mouth and says: "Dear lords, do not be so angry! do you know whom you have captured and murdered? Me, the divine majesty; for it is not you, but my word and command, which they taught and my Christians believe (you yourselves cannot deny this): well, now I must also see again how I can defend myself against your wrath. How can I do that? I must do this to please you again and to make you happy: Where one city had a pastor and a gospel, now ten or twenty cities must give up their pastors.
I will take hold of you popes and bishops in your own area, and you will have to suffer and accept the gospel yourselves (be it to your thanks or to your sorrow), or where you continue to rage, I will send you a noise one day, and you will go down with bishops' hats and everything.
13) See, this is what St. Paul means when he says that he suffers for them, that is, for their good and recovery, so that they know that there is no need for suffering; for it is not about Paul, but about them, and his suffering is not of a bad Paul (who does not care so much), but of an apostle or preacher of the church of Christ. Where this name comes to the suffering, and is not called Hansen or Petrum thrown into prison (which God could still let go), but the church pastor and preacher: that is joking too roughly with the majesty and trying him too high, even touching him.
(14) Therefore he must comfort his Christians, saying, Little children, do not be afraid, lest they catch me and put me to death; let them try what they can, but you shall also see how I will tear a hole through the dungeon and the rope, and how I will roar among them so that they will lie in ashes, and where one has resisted the gospel, ten others will have to preach it. For because they will not be told nor cease to rage, and ever know against whom they rage, he must also show them who he is. Not Paul nor an apostle, but the same to whom it is said, "Sit at my right hand." He is very wicked to tickle, and now sitteth in the place where he shall suffer nothing: this shall they see, as those, both the Jews, who offered St. Paul into Caesar's hands, and the Romans themselves saw, that soon after, when St. Paul was put to death, Jerusalem lay in ashes, and not for a long time was the city of Rome also destroyed. For he knew no other hole nor salvation to find, poor Christ, since he was caught and killed in his apostles and martyrs, than to tear the whole city into a heap. Germany may now also take care of this.
15. it is not necessary here to answer the
The Christian is not saying, "I suffer for you," as if a Christian should earn or help others to salvation by his suffering. For he does not say thus: I suffer for you for the forgiveness of sins and to earn salvation. For he and the whole of Scripture everywhere else say clearly enough that Christ's suffering alone earns and acquires such things for all men. But St. Paul and every preacher may well say, "What I preach and suffer, I do for you, or for your sake; as a mother or father may say to his child, "This I must do and suffer for you. These are all such works and sufferings that benefit another or many, for the betterment, consolation, etc., but by them those who suffer do not earn God's grace and life, neither for themselves nor for others. No, to this belongs another man, Christ, who by his suffering blots out your sin, and by his death gives you life. St. Paul also speaks in this way to those who are already Christians, who have forgiveness of sins and all that a Christian should have; but for this reason he suffers for them, that is, to minister to them, so that the gospel may increase among them, the more his enemies want to suppress it, and their faith may be strengthened etc.
(16) For this he further adorns and extols his tribulations and sufferings to the Ephesians for comfort and strength, saying, "Which are an honor unto you." What new language is this? Does it not rather say (as their reason tells them and all the world confirms), "That you lie there in prison is the shame of us all? For what greater dishonor can befall the poor Christians than that their preachers and pastors, from whom they should receive teaching and comfort, should perish so shamefully? Well, in the sight of the world it is so; but I tell you, in the sight of God and in truth it is a great honor to you, which you may boast of and brave. For you may turn back from this very thing, that they may reproach you and vex you, and say, For this very reason I know that this doctrine is right, and the word of God; for the word of God, and the wholesome blessed doctrine, it shall be thus, that
So that it may be reviled and persecuted by the devil and the world, comes to those who cling to it. This is the glory and honor of Christians, as St. Paul says in Romans 5:3: "We glory in tribulations," that is, we consider them glorious, wholesome, delicious and blessed things.
17 For the glory of Christians cannot and should not stand in that which the world exalts and honors, for it cannot and will not honor God and His Word. Therefore, Christians should not be afraid or ashamed of it, but rather rejoice, and thereby bring about defiance and glory; as the apostles Acts 4, 13. and 5, 41. rejoiced that they were worthy to suffer reproach for Christ's sake; for so it happened to Christ Himself, and Christians should be sorry that it happened otherwise to them and that the world was kind to them; but rather laugh at it, be of good cheer, and as Christ says Matth. 5, 11. consider themselves blessed the more the world persecutes them and proves all wickedness. That is now the first part of this epistle; now follows the other.
Therefore I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true Father of all that is called Father in heaven and on earth.
18. This is an earnest request and wish, because he comforted them over his suffering, that God would also give them strength and fortitude, so that they would remain with the gospel with steadfast faith, not wavering or growing weary because of it, whether they have to suffer temptation and tribulation, but may overcome all of them continually; For it is not enough just to begin and hear the gospel or even preach it, but the power must also follow, so that faith remains steadfast and is shown in controversy and temptation; since the kingdom of God does not stand in words, but in power, as St. Paul 1 Corinthians 4:4. Paul says in 1 Cor. 4, 20. It is to be a being that one believes inwardly with the heart and also proves the same faith outwardly; so that it is doing, not speaking, living and not chattering; and for this reason it is arranged that the word not only sticks to the tongue and ears, but comes to power and becomes a work or doing. In
In the Old Testament, Moses spoke a great deal, but no one acted on it; here, however, there is much to do and little to say. This is what St. Paul desires here, so that the gospel will not be preached in vain, but will accomplish the same thing for which it is preached.
19 And see how he helps Christianity and gives us an example, especially to the preachers, how to correct the people. We are easily thrown to the winds. When we hear the gospel and can talk about it, we think it is enough and leave it at the knowledge, do not bring it to strength nor to fight. The fault will certainly be that we do not ask with earnestness. We should listen to God without ceasing, sighing and pleading day and night that He would give the Word power to work in the heart: as David says in Ps. 68, 34: "Behold, God will" give power to His voice, or "to His thunder.
20 Not only should the preachers do this, but all Christians should stop and pray that God, who has given the knowledge, will also give the power, so that the word will not only remain in the chatter, but also come to strength. Since the greatest complaint everywhere now is that much is preached and no one does it, but people become so raw, cold and lazy that it is a disgrace, and do much less than before, we have such a great, bright light that we see what is right and wrong in all the world. For this reason we have reason enough to ask, as St. Paul does here; and so I will say: You have now had enough of everything, and are overwhelmed with the word that has been preached to you and abundantly presented to you. But for this reason I bend my knees, that God may give His blessing to it, and look upon its praise and glory, and confirm and strengthen you, that it may spring up in you and bear fruit.
(21) He speaks very earnestly of his prayer, as if to say, "I must lie imprisoned here, and cannot be with you or help you in any other way unless I can still bend my knees (that is, plead and beg before God with all humility and earnestness) that he may give you and work with you, which neither I nor any man could do.
if I were immediately free and with you forever.
22 And behold, how he describes his prayer, that he also presents himself to it with outward gestures of bowing the knee. But where prayer is right and has its fire so that it is kindled, first considering the need and the goods given to us and preached through the word, and awakening faith in God's word and promise, a man is kindled to fall on his knees and pray for strength and power of the Spirit. Therefore, when prayer is kindled in the heart and burns, the body will finely present itself, as it should, with eyes and hands lifted up and knees bent, so that no one may teach it; as Moses, David and Christ themselves did. Thus the outward prayers all teach themselves, if one prays with a burning heart; for the Spirit drives them; therefore they are not to be rejected, unless they are done without spirit, out of hypocrisy; as when one thinks thereby to do God a service and good work, and the heart is far from it; as the prophet says Isa. 29:13: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."
(23) But when St. Paul says, "I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," he confirms the teaching that no one should presume to speak or ask anything before God, unless he takes him by name, as he does here, namely, as the Father of Jesus Christ our Lord. For Christ is our only mediator, and no one should come to the Father and ask, nor be heard, but he comes in the name of the mediator; so that he confesses him for his Lord, who is appointed by God to pray for us, and also to rule us in body and soul. This is an excellent prayer, but when it is made, it also requires strong faith, that we grasp the sweet word and form God in our hearts as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 For it is a comforting word that Christ is our Lord, though we have not made it terrible, and have thought him to be a stern and wrathful judge; for he alone is our Lord.
is therefore a Lord, that he may protect us from foreign lords and tyrants, from the devil, from the world, from death and sin, and from all misfortune; for we are ever his inheritance, therefore he will accept us, amend us, and deliver us from all compulsion and violence. So this name is sweetly comforting to us, and makes our consciences sure, if we believe. But this is much more comforting, that my God, my Lord, is also a father of our Lord Jesus Christ, out of which name the whole Godhead breaks forth and gives itself to us, so that everything I ask in this name, he must give superfluously; there is nothing but vain help and grace, that he wants to set me as his child in Christ above everything that is temporal and eternal.
(25) Above these things, saith St. Paul, he is not only a father, but "the true father, above all things that are called father in heaven and in earth. The fathers we have on earth are fathers who begat us according to the flesh and blood, or also who are called so because of age and honor; for each one calls his old master father, as in the books of Kings the servants call their master, Naaman, father, 2 Kings 5:13. So now he wants to say: Everything that is called father on earth is only a semblance or shadow and a painted image against this father.
(26) But reason can never see this, nor can anyone feel it in his heart, unless the Holy Spirit himself works it. Reason can do so much that it calls him a terrible, angry judge, who makes the world and hell too narrow for it, that it does not know where to stay; but this is impossible for nature, that it calls him its father from the heart, much less that it considers him a father over all that is father in heaven and on earth, of which all other fathers are only a mirror.
Now behold, as a father does to a child, and again the child does to the father. Although the father is not natural, the name brings with it such heartfelt and comforting confidence that one assumes all good toward him. If this is only a joke and mirror fencing, since the fathers on earth mean it with all seriousness and loyalty to their children, then what will the
What can the heavenly Father, who is above all fathers, do? Therefore, St. Paul wants to teach us to go to the benches and measure with that natural confidence what kind of a Father God is and what we should provide for ourselves in relation to Him.
28. Who then could take his heart from God and himself, that he could bear such a delusion and courage against God and say to Him from the heart: You are my dear Father: What should he not be allowed to ask, and what could God deny him? His own heart will tell him that yes shall be what he only asks. So powerful is this confidence and trust in his heart, and so certain that he will never lack what he asks. Behold, thus God Himself teaches us how we should break out the heavens and make them bare, that we may see who He is. [So Paul is also sure that what he asks is pleasing to God and should be done. If we also did the same, it would also undoubtedly happen to us. Even though there are still people who ask, it would be good if there were many of them, so that the gospel would be more powerful and stronger. For we ever see that it goes so far, praise God, that those who rage against it must all come to shame, and the more they rage, the further it goes, and that all the more without our counsel and confidence, which undoubtedly happens only because God awakens some hearts that pray, so that it goes so strongly without our doing; and the more forcefully one asks, the greater God's desire is to hear such prayer].
29 What kind of prayer is this that St. Paul is praying here? It is the same prayer that we pray in the Lord's Prayer, especially in the first, second, and third petitions, which he briefly combines with other words, meaning the same thing, that God's name and word be sanctified among us, that the devil's kingdom perish with all wickedness, and that which is contrary to God's word and will; saying thus:
That he may give you strength to grow strong according to the riches of his glory.
30- These are excellent words, which he forces and presses out of a heated spirit; and they indicate that he would like to speak higher, and find such words, so that he can
But they are too weak and too little, and there is still much heat in the heart. According to the riches of his glory," he says, as if to say, "So great is his glory that it is called riches. For this is God's glory and praise, that he gives much and abundantly; and it is to be noted what kind of God he is, namely, to whom one should turn for all good things, and when one is in need, for all help. For this is what the whole world is called God; therefore it has also made so many gods and called so many saints, that one has provided oneself with good and help to them. Therefore Scripture also calls people gods, because they do good and help one another; as God Himself says to Moses, Ex. 4:16: "You shall be Pharaoh's god."
(31) But if a God gives much or is great in giving, he also has the greater honor and glory. Now this is the true God, whose glory alone is all glory, and not glory alone, but riches of glory; so that he pours out abundantly all that is in heaven and earth. For he gives even to the least of creatures so superfluous a quantity, as: so much water, air, earth and its growth, of which we only need the least part and can make use of it. We are still so blind and mad that we do not see it, but despise it and throw it to the wind. How much more does he do this in spiritual goods? He has even poured himself out and given us the highest gifts and goods, and has lit such a great light for us that we know and see what the world, the devil and the angels are, yes, what God himself has in mind. Item, what has happened and what is yet to come; that we have all wisdom, also all power over sin, devil and death, and are lords of all creatures. Summa, such great riches, that no one can argue with them.
Behold, St. Paul has used such strong words in this prayer, and bears such a heart toward God that it must be strong, piercing through the clouds and making up the heavens. He does not say that God will look at our merit and worthiness, and give Him the
He will give them what they ask for, but the riches of his glory. For although we are not worthy, God is worthy that His glory should be recognized and that He should be honored for pouring out His goods so abundantly in vain, that His name alone may be hallowed. Thus the prayer must be placed where it is to be valid and heard before God; otherwise, where he should consider our merit, he would give us even a small part. If he is to give abundantly, he must give in such a way that you confess how it was given by pure grace and praise his great glory.
But what shall he give, which St. Paul prayeth for? That not only the word may be with them, though it is a great good and gift where it abounds; but also that it may be tasted in the heart and be strong in the life. Thus he contrasts word and power: many have the word, but few have the power, that it may come to pass and result, and so walk afterward, as it is said. Our adversaries cannot reproach and mock us more highly than that we preach and hear many good things, and yet get no further, and no one does nor improves; yea, that we become worse than we were before: therefore, they say, it were better that it should remain as it was before.
34 What shall we say to this? So we say: First, because we see that it goes so loosely from places and the power remains so far from the word, we have all the more reason to pray, as St. Paul does and teaches here. Secondly, although they see little improvement and fruit, they are not the people to judge. They think that we should perform vain miracles and raise the dead, and that vain roses should grow where Christians walk, so that there is only holiness. But if this were so, what need would we have?
ask? For what I already have, I may not and cannot ask for, but should thank God for it. But because St. Paul and the Scriptures call us to ask, they indicate that we must lack strength; otherwise, why should they engage in such useless chatter? [So he himself confesses here that the Ephesians are weak; he also complains of the same.
in other epistles, and especially to the Corinthians, and everywhere urges them to do and live as they have learned. But what compels him to do this, except that he also saw, as we now see, that it was lacking everywhere, and would not be done as it should be done]. But even if not all do so, some still improve, and bear the fruit that it makes much good conscience, and much evil remains, which was done before. And if one were to see it on both sides against each other, one would still see a great treasure in this place, which we are throwing to the wind; and even if we are a little weak, should it therefore be lost at all? There is nothing there but mud and filth, which they would like to decorate with our weakness; therefore their thing must be beautiful and ours must stink.
35 Let them now go on and judge. We confess that we are not all strong; but this is also true, if there were no weakness among us, we would not need any pleading, urging, or daily preaching. But if they want to condemn the gospel because of our weakness, which we ourselves confess, then they are judged before God, so that they may judge us. I can stand in the kingdom of grace, and yet be so weak on the outside that you may take me for a knave. You do not see faith, but God sees it and I feel it, while you judge me according to my outward appearance and works, and fail to pass judgment on and against yourself. We also know and lament that we are weak and frail, therefore we cry out, ask and groan that God may give us strength and power.
36 Third, we are certain that where God's word is preached, there also its fruit follows and must be. Since we have the Word of God, the Spirit of God must also be with us; but where the Spirit is, there must also be faith, however weak it may be: even if it is not seen, it cannot fail that there must also be Christians among us who pray daily, so that no one will be aware of us. So it is right for them to start and to be absent.
Meanwhile, they look around for Christians and no one comes under their eyes. The word is too high, it does not want to be judged by us, but should judge us; nor does the world want to be unjudged and unmastered by us, and yet wants to judge and master God's word: God would like that. It would be a pity that they should see a pious Christian: therefore God also blinds them so that they lack His kingdom, as Isaiah Cap. 26, 10. says: Ut tollatur impius de terra, ne videat gloriam De: "The wicked do not see the glory of the Lord." For this reason, such clever ones do not get many righteous Christians before them, but only fools or enthusiasts, against whom they are hostile and angry; for they are not worthy to see God's glory, that is, a pious Christian, over whom God pours out all his goods.
(37) And though one come before them and strike them in the eyes, yet they see him not. When they hear that one leads a good and blameless life, they say: The heretics also have done so, and hid poison under a good appearance; but if one leads an impudent and nefarious life, he must be a knave. If you whistle at them, they will not dance; if you complain, they will not howl; they will not listen to sweet or sour. Thus wisdom must be taught and mastered by the clever, as Christ says Matth. 11, 19. In this way God makes fools and disgraces of the world, always allows himself to be judged, and in the meantime continues and lets the gospel be torn down, should they burst with rage. This I say, that we may beware, and not go in with them, and with iniquity judge God's work and word; for though we be weak, yet we are sure that God's kingdom come among us, because we have His word, and besides this we pray daily that the word may come to strength, and that we may increase in faith; as follows:
That he may give you to become strong with power, through the Spirit, in the inward man.
38 The apostle needs many words to say that he does not give much honor to free will.
He wishes them the strength that comes from heaven through the Holy Spirit, because the world also has strength and a spirit, which is the devil, the prince of the world, who blinds and hardens the hearts of men, boasts and inspires them with courage, thinking that he wants to dampen the Christians and push them through. As the worldly are courageous and proud, so are Christians; but much greater and stronger through the Holy Spirit, that they are undaunted against the world, the devil, death and all calamities. Now this is called a spiritual strength; for the Hebrew little word "spirit" should be properly German, a courage that is defiant and bold. For spiritual strength is not bone nor flesh, but the heart and the courage itself; as again, weakness means to be stupid and cowardly and to lack courage.
39 Therefore St. Paul says: "This I ask and wish of God, that he may give you such bold and defiant courage, and such a strong and joyful spirit, fearless in the face of poverty, shame, sin, the devil and death, that you may be sure that nothing can harm you or cause you to lack. The courage of the world, which is called spiritus mundi, does not remain and stand longer than as long as there is a supply to rely on; therefore it is said: Good makes courage, that is, the courage comes from mammon and worldly power, is stiff and proud, and boasts of temporal things: but that spirit relies on God alone, also has no supply nor resources but God alone; thereupon it defies all evil, even gains another heart and courage than the world has. This is the strength that St. Paul asks for, which is not in the flesh and blood, which relies and builds on its own strength and ability, or on human help and support; but in the inner man, namely, the undaunted, joyful heart on God's grace and help alone, which is not afraid of any thing, and has all fullness, riches and sufficiency in faith (although nothing but vain lack, lack of strength, terror etc. is felt), namely, God Himself with all His goods.
And Christ dwell in your hearts through faith.
The Holy Spirit brings Christ into the heart and teaches it to recognize, ignites and makes it courageous through faith in Him. For St. Paul everywhere agrees that no one should dare to come before God without Christ, who alone is the mediator. If Christ dwells in my heart and governs my whole life, even if faith is weak, there is nothing wrong with it, for Christ is not a mere bone, but also flesh; yes, he also has leprosy and sores and sin, of which he is not ashamed, although the great saints turn up their noses at it. Where he now dwells, there is all fullness; God grant that he may be weak or strong.
41. but "Christ dwelling in the heart" is nothing, but to know Christ, what he is, and what we should look to him for, namely, that he is our Savior, through whom we have come to call God our Father, and through him to receive the Spirit, who gives us courage against all adversity. Thus he dwells with us in the heart, for otherwise he cannot be grasped, because he is not a dead thing, but a living God. But how does one grasp him in the heart? Not with thoughts, but only through living faith. It cannot be grasped with works, nor can it be grasped with eyes, but it can only be grasped with the heart. If then faith is right and sound, you have and feel Christ in your heart, and know all that he thinks and does in heaven and earth, how he rules by his word and Spirit, and how those are minded who have him and those who do not have him.
This is what St. Paul wants here, that Christ should be so powerful in the heart that he may accomplish what the word contains, that we may be delivered from sin and death, and be assured of his grace and eternal life. If the heart feels this, it is not possible that it should not become proud and courageous against the devil and the terror of the world. But whoever does not yet feel this, he has a counsel how he should do it, namely, that he should ask God and let him ask for such faith and strength. This is one part, of faith; the next is the more difficult part, of love.
And be rooted and founded by love.
This is a different way of speaking than we are accustomed to. Do we not have to be rooted, grafted in and established by faith? Why then does St. Paul admit such things to love? Answer: It is true, but love proves whether faith is righteous and the heart is joyful and courageous in God; for where there is such strong confidence that you do not doubt that God is your Father, it must follow, however weak faith may be, that it breaks out with mouth, deed and hand, and takes care of the neighbor with teaching and reaching out. That is what St. Paul means here, to be founded and rooted by love, that is, to feel and sense that we have a righteous faith. For love is the test, that one may try whether the faith is right; as St. Peter also says 2 Ep. 1:10: "Be diligent to establish your profession by good works, that is, do good works, so that it may be seen and you yourselves may feel that you have faith and are righteous, otherwise it will always remain uncertain, hovering in the ears and foaming at the top of the heart, and will not be established nor rooted. This is what St. Paul means by the two things: first, that we should have a right faith in our hearts toward God; second, that it should burst forth and show itself through love toward our neighbor.
That you may understand, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and the length, and the depth, and the height.
44 This is a part of his desire, that they may be established and confident toward God through faith, and well-founded and rooted toward their neighbor through love. If you are thus strengthened, penetrate and press on, he wants to say, then you will understand the four pieces with all the saints, and increase in them and understand more and more of them. Now faith alone does this, for love does not belong here, but it helps faith to prove itself.
From these words the teachers have painted and measured the holy cross for us,
St. Paul does not speak a word about this, but recently he wants to say this: that you may understand all things, how long, wide, broad, deep and high the kingdom of Christ is. This happens when the heart is such that Christ cannot make it too long, wide or far for me, so that I do not go after it, nor can I go so low or so high that I am carried away by it or by its word; so that I know and am certain wherever I go that Christ is there and reigns in all places, as far as anything is long, wide, deep and high, whether temporal or eternal; as far as width and breadth are to be measured, so I find him everywhere; as David says Ps. 139, 7. 8.: "Where shall I go before thy spirit, and where shall I flee before thy face? If I go to heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, thou art there also. "etc. He reigns eternally, his length, breadth, depth and height have no measure; now if I go straight down to hell, my heart and faith say, Christ is there also.
46 If then the summa is, I will be humbled or exalted, be thou as thou wilt, draw me hither or thither, and I shall find Christ there. For he hath all things in his hands, in heaven and in earth; and all things are subject unto him, angels, devils, the world, sin, death, and hell. Therefore, if he dwells in my heart, my courage will stand still; wherever I go, I cannot be lost. For where Christ my Lord abides, there I abide also. But this is impossible for reason: if it should go a cubit above or below the earth, and be deprived of this present visible thing and be left, it would have to despair. But we gain another courage through Christ, and know that he is in all places, whether honor or dishonor, hunger, sorrow, sickness, prison, death or life, good or evil. This is what St. Paul wishes the Ephesians, that God may give them grace and strength, so that they may grasp it with their hearts. And now concludes the prayer thus:
Also recognize the love of Christ, which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
That is where you stand in faith and understand the four pieces, I wish you to do the same,
That ye may know the love of Christ, which we ought to have, that he bear toward us, and we toward our neighbor, which surpasses all knowledge, even of the gospel. For know what you will, that knowledge is of little or no use where love is not.
(48) Thus briefly is the sum of this desire, that we may increase in faith, that it may be strong and vigorous, and that love may be fervent and ardent. And that we all may be filled with all the fullness of God. This is said so much in the Hebrew way, that we are filled in every way, so that he may fill us up, and become full of God, showered with all the grace and gifts of his Spirit, who makes us brave, enlightens us with his light, and his life lives in us, his blessedness makes us blessed, his love awakens love in us. In short, that all that he is and is able to do may be complete in us and may work powerfully, so that we may be completely divinized, not having one part or only a few pieces of God, but all the fullness.
49. there is much written about how man is to be deified; so they have
Ladders made to climb up to heaven, and many such things. But it is a vain work of partisanship; but here is shown the right and nearest way to get there, that thou mayest become full, full of God, that thou mayest not lack any thing, but have all in one heap, that all that thou speakest, thinkest, walkest, summa, thy whole life may be altogether divine.
But let no man think that such things shall fully come to any man in this life. We may well desire and ask, as St. Paul did here, but no one will be found who has such fullness completely; we stand alone in desiring and sighing for it; for because we live in the flesh, we are also full of all kinds of Adam's fullness; therefore it is necessary that we pray without ceasing that God may take away the weakness, and give us courage and spirit in our hearts, and fill us with grace and strength, so that he alone may rule and work in us completely. This is what we should all wish for one another. May God also give us grace to do this, amen.