Against the monks etc.*)
Acts 9, 1-22.
And Saul, while he yet spake evil against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and besought him to send letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that, if he found any that went that way, both men and women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he went on his way, and came nigh unto Damascus, suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Lord, who art thou? And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It shall be hard for thee to lick the sting. And he said with fear and trembling, Lord, what wilt thou that I should do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and they shall tell thee what thou shalt do. And the men that were his companions stood still, and were troubled: for they heard a voice, and saw no man. But Saul got up from the earth, and when he opened his eyes, he saw no one. And they took him by the hand, and led him to Damascus. He did not see or eat or drink for three days. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias, to whom the Lord said in a vision, Anania. And he said, Here am I, O Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called the right way, and enquire of the house of Judah for Saulo, whose name is Tarsen: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in unto him, and lay his hand upon him, that he may receive his sight. And Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard of many concerning this man, how much evil he hath done unto thy saints at Jerusalem; and he hath power here of the chief priests to bind all them that call upon thy name. And the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for this man is a chosen armor unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and before kings, and before the children of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias went, and entered into the house, and laid his hands upon him, and said, Brother Saul, the Lord hath sent me (who appeared unto thee by the way thou camest), that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be restored to thy sight.
*) Luther preached this sermon on his last trip to Eisleben on January 26, 1546, in the Frauenkirche in Halle. - Cf. Jen. A. VIII, 276; Altenb. A. VIII, 507; Lechz. A. XII, 364; Erl. A. 20 d., 483. D. Red.
Holy Spirit be filled. And immediately the scales fell from his eyes, and he recovered his sight, and arose, and was baptized, and took meat, and departed. Saul was with the disciples at Damascus for several days. And immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he was the Son of God. But all who heard it were astonished, saying: Is not this the one who in Jerusalem has condemned all those who call on this name, and for this reason he has led them bound to the high priests? Saul, however, became more and more powerful, and drove in the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Christian.
This beautiful history and story of Paul's conversion is well worth describing in the Holy Scriptures and preaching. For here our dear Lord Christ Jesus performed and proved such a miracle and wonder in Paul, since he himself called and ordained him in his own person from heaven to the apostleship; which happened to no other apostle. Therefore Paul boasts rightly and justifiably in the epistle to the Galatians Cap. 1, 1. that he was not called to be an apostle by men, nor by men, but by Jesus Christ, and therefore he did not want to yield to anyone, not even to Petro and the other apostles. For he heard the true teacher himself on the way to Damascus, and studied what he should preach and teach, and that he was called to be a preacher and teacher of the gospel, not only to the Jews, but especially to the Gentiles. Therefore this was a very beautiful and glorious calling, far above the calling of the other apostles; for his calling also extended and went further than that of the other apostles, that he should preach among the Gentiles.
(2) Therefore we should rejoice and be comforted, and also give thanks to God, who has called and sent to us Gentiles as of today such a glorious apostle, Paul, as he himself testified to Timothy, saying in 2 Ep. 1:11 that he was appointed a preacher and an apostle, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Therefore Paul is our apostle. Although other apostles are all our apostles, for they all received and taught one doctrine of Christ at the same time, yet Paul is our apostle. For he came to Rome, preached and taught the gospel of faith in Christ abundantly, and was also beheaded there. But whether St. Peter came and was in Rome, I do not know.
(3) They boast highly and much of their two bodies, which they will have at Rome, pointing out two heads, and saying that they are Peter's and Paul's heads. I do not know, I have not seen it; but this I do know, that St. Paul, the noblest of all the apostles, was there, preaching and teaching. But they ask little about this, indeed nothing at all. But we, who have the true body of Paul, yes, not only of Paul, but also of Peter and of the Lord Christ Himself, ask nothing about the dead bodies at Rome. For we have the true body and spirit of Paul in his holy epistles; of this we boast, and thank God that we have it. But they, in Rome, ask nothing of it, but boast and carry themselves with the heads of Peter and Paul, rejecting them and holding them for great sanctity; if they are not their heads, but wooden heads, perhaps made and prepared by an unlearned carver: these they reject for great sanctity, which is yet vain fool's work. And if they had the proper heads of stone, which they do not have, they are as much use to them as to the altar on which they stand, which is therefore no more holy or better than any other altar.
(4) But this is the true sanctuary, that we have not only Paul and his epistles, but also the prophets and apostles, yea, the Lord Christ himself, in the Scriptures; in them we read and study, they we hear speaking with us, they have had body and soul; that is certain: so also have we their spirit, that we may understand the Scriptures. For when I hear preaching in the church, I hear Peter and Paul; yes, when I read in my room or chamber what they have written and taught, I still hear them preaching and talking to me every day; for they taught and preached nothing else but the very things which they also wrote. This is what we still hear today with our ears.
We will be glad and hear with our hearts what wisdom and spirit they have had; this is good and useful for us. What good would it do me to have and see their bodies and heads? Basically nothing. The common people of Rome are still forced to accept and believe such things. And whoever speaks against it and does not want to believe it is quickly judged and strangled.
The wretched pope knows very well, and also the cardinals, that they are not the true heads of Peter and Paul, but wooden images; nevertheless, they have pleasure and delight in thus astonishing and fooling the whole world, so that they run to see the heads. Just as our Lady's milk was shown, and many people ran to see it, which was not Mary's, but some goat's or ram's milk. And even if they were true and right heads, as they are not, I would still rather see and hear the living Peter and Paul than the pale one. Not only the legs and bones of these heads are holy, but also the bones of all Christians, and as the 34th Psalm v. 21 says, none of them perish.
(6) Therefore this alone is the true sanctuary, when I hear the Lord himself speaking to me through the holy apostle Paul, and believe him who has heard the Lord alive. For we do not hear Paul speak or teach anything other than what he heard and learned from Christ the Lord himself. That is why St. Paul says that he was given and appointed as a teacher to the Gentiles. Now all who hear or read St. Paul's epistles hear and see the holy apostle Paul himself; this is true sanctuary; I prefer it to the mere or wooden sanctuary, which was devised and invented by the devil and spread by Rome over the whole world. I will say that they are not saints' legs, but horse legs, something from a shingle. Is this not to be pitied? This is what the pope has done, and he has driven it into the world and preached it. Such a sanctuary has also the damned Cardinal, the bishop of Mainz, your previous bishop and lord, which he has pointed out to you and guided you to, and for which you are to be held accountable.
He certainly held sanctity; he should have proved that. But he could not prove it. If he had had a hundred cardinals' hats on one, and if he had taken all the cardinals to help him, he would not have had enough art to prove it. But all this was done and arranged to deceive us in such a way that they deprived us of the living, right and true sanctuary, the dear word of God, and obscured it, so that they also took our money.
(7) But I will show thee a very true sanctuary, which shall not deceive thee. Take the holy Scriptures before you, or Paul, listen to and read them, put your glasses to your nose and look at them, and you will find glorious and holy thoughts, and a certain doctrine that will not deceive you nor deceive you; where you will learn how you are a sinner by nature, where you are to be freed from your sins and receive eternal life, namely, through faith in Christ, as we will hear below in the history. This is what Paul teaches you, and this alone is the true sanctuary and the noble treasure, if I can hear St. Paul alive. The other sanctuary, where the pope and cardinals handle and wise, is quite uncertain and dreamed-up sanctuary, to ape and fool the world with it as they will. When your preacher and pastor teaches and preaches with St. Paul's Scripture before him, he lends St. Paul his tongue and mouth, and takes his word, and says like St. Paul 1 Tim. 1:15: "This is ever certainly true, and a precious word, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief." When you hear this from your pastor, you are hearing the living Paul, even if he died long ago. For here St. Paul says and teaches that Jesus Christ did not come to judge and condemn the world, which before was judged and condemned too much because of its sin; but that Christ came to save sinners. Which he also commanded his disciples and apostles to preach. Of the same, saith Paul, am I also. When you hear this preaching from the mouth of a preacher,
Then you will hear the living St. Paul himself preaching and teaching. This is called and is the true and real sanctification; accept it, hear it and believe it with all your heart, and you will also become holy, sinless and free.
The Holy Spirit has written and imprinted the sanctity of the Word of God in the heart of the holy apostle Paul, so that his heart is completely full and burning with the Word: St. Paul still lives in the Scriptures today. Therefore he bursts out with fiery words and says: "This is certainly true" etc. Which words are quite heated and fiery, and burn in the ears of the disciples and hearers of the Word of God, yes, sound and resound in the whole world. This is a very true and wholesome sanctuary, which also makes holy. So we must not look far for it, but it is brought to us in the church, yes, into the house, into the parlors and chambers, where it now resounds abundantly in all places by the grace of God. I praise the sanctuary, and it is dear to me; but a skirt, body, leg, bone, arm or head of a deceased saint I cannot basically praise, for they are of no use to us. If someone cuts a piece of a thief on the gallows, and says it is a particle or piece of St. Peter or St. Paul, it is just as much; for that is nothing better. So the pope, the cardinals, and the lousy, rude (grind), shabby monks have deceived and cheated us.
9. I am also very much surprised how you lords of Halle can still suffer the boys, the shameful, eavesdropping monks, because you know that they have done such things, and still this hour do not stop desecrating and blaspheming God and his holy word: the wanton evil-doers have only pleasure and delight in the foolish work and blasphemies of the damned Cardinal, which he has done, and which we now know publicly to have been blasphemies. And they know it too, the shameful monks; still they hold on, and hope to raise the same again, and seek to deceive more souls (as the Cardinal has done), as he will experience in hell. One should not suffer such fools. You gentlemen should for once have the courage
and chase the foolish, shameless monks out of the city; or else act and do with them in such a way that they should stop blaspheming and defiling; they do it too much, it is too crude. So it is also due to you, dear sirs, that you watch and do not become sure that you do not lose the word for the sake of the shameful, eavesdropping blasphemers, the monks. They all seek to restore this foolish work of the Cardinal of Mainz, they hope for it. That God may judge and punish them! Therefore, dear lords and friends, walk in the light, because you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; for night is coming, in which nothing can be done. John 12:35.
(10) Therefore let us keep the true and right sanctuary, the noble and eternal treasure, the Word of God, which is taught, preached and written by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of the prophets and apostles, which ministers to body and soul, is useful and comforting in all troubles. Which sanctuary is from eternity and abideth forever; which also we preach and teach, not as our word, invented or devised of us; as the monks' dreams are which they preach, and lie as grossly as the great charged hop sacks or woolen sacks are. Monkeys and fools they are, in all ways to be fled and shunned, as the god-abusers and soul-murderers.
God has graciously helped you out of the lies and given you the pure word of God: but you should now see to it that God does not punish you for the sake of the blasphemers, the monks; do not become secure, hold the word dear and valuable. Nevertheless, God have mercy on you, there are all too many who hate, persecute and blaspheme it, as the sacramental abusers in Switzerland and the Anabaptists in the Netherlands do, since the Word is now most miserably and pitifully desecrated, persecuted and blasphemed. Where God wants to turn away His gracious eyes and be ungracious, it is easy and soon to turn to the larvae and monkey work, dead bones or sanctuary (as the Cardinal [of Mainz*]
*) Wittenberg and Jena edition.
instead of the pure and wholesome word of God. Therefore, let it be said to you, sweep out the yeasts, the basic soup and the leaven of the monks, put them away, forbid them to blaspheme, it has been long enough. I did not want to talk about this, I wanted to preach about the feast of the beautiful, true and glorious conversion of St. Paul.
(12) Well, this feast we keep and celebrate for the sake of the glorious and lovely history and story, in which it is described how St. Paul was called by Christ Himself to be an apostle and appointed as a preacher, which preacher and apostle God has given us. But to treat the history and story one after the other would be far too long for this time; therefore, we want to treat a part of it, as much as God will grant and give grace.
13 Thus says St. Lucas: "But Paul still snuffed out the disciples of the Lord with murders and threats" etc. Here Lucas describes what Paul's sins were, namely two: first, that he was a murderer and shed blood. Which "murder" in itself was a great sin against the fifth commandment, because one takes offense at his neighbor and murders him. But this is a much greater sin, that Christians murder and shed the blood of the saints, as Paul did here. It is indeed an exceedingly great, terrible and damnable sin. But Paul's other sin is far higher and greater than murder and bloodshed, namely, that he also profaned and blasphemed the name of the Lord. And this not only for himself and his person: He was not satisfied with his own sins, which he committed against God and His word; but he also provoked and forced other people to join him in blaspheming and desecrating God; and those who would not do so, but kept the word constantly, he wrote them down on a piece of paper, both man and woman, carried the pieces of paper to court, read them out properly, insisted with violence on judging them and killing them, snorted, and was quite mad and foolish with the Christians, saying that Christ had been a thief, had taught rebelliously against God's order, therefore he was also forbidden by proper authority to teach against God.
He said that he would have been executed and condemned on the cross, justly and rightly. So he stopped all people with blasphemous words, so that they should not believe in the crucified Christ, nor consider him to be the right Messiah. As the Jews still do today, they revile and blaspheme our dear Lord Jesus Christ in the most disgraceful and mocking way, calling him a crucified God etc.
14 Thus Paul was exceedingly angry that his dear fatherland, which had the law of God, so beautifully composed church order and law, should accept the wretched Christ, Joseph's son, and believe in him, and thereby all orders would be torn apart. Also, the dear Paul had good reason and right from the third and fifth books of Moses, on which he based his doubts, in which God commands that where a prophet or Levite rises up and teaches or preaches against the law and order given to them by God, he shall be stoned to death, Deut. 5, 13, 5, 18, 18, 18. 13, 5, 18, 20. He considered Christ to be such a prophet; therefore he concludes that he was justly judged and put to death, for which no one who confesses him or is his doctrine should be allowed to live.
15 Now these are the sins and thoughts of Paul. With the sins he set out, took letters from the high priest and traveled to Damascum, thinking to execute and murder all those who professed to be Christians. And all his thoughts, which he had on the way, were directed to this, how he would exterminate and destroy, devour and devour the crucified Christ with all Christians. These are indeed not small, but exceedingly great sins, with which he has offended and sinned against God and His holy word. Yet he says to Timothy 1 Ep. 1, 16: "But mercy has been shown to me, because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief"; and for the sake of such mercy his sins are forgiven. It is true that these sins of Paul, murder and blasphemy against God, are great, nor should they be minimized or made small; but they should be made broad, thick and great, as they are in themselves.
are themselves thick, fat and large. For this reason also Paul is presented to us as an example, as he says there to Timothy: "Mercy has been shown to me etc.., as an example to those who believe in Christ for eternal life": that we may take comfort from this, if we are challenged by our sins and are fainthearted, that we do not despair for their sake, but comfort ourselves and say: Well, I confess with Paul that I am also a great sinner, and I hope that as God the Father through Christ has shown mercy and grace to Paul, who has been a great abuser and blasphemer, so God will also show mercy and grace to me out of pure goodness, grace and mercy, forgive and pardon my sin for the sake of His own Son, our dear Lord Jesus Christ, who was also sent into the world for my sake to redeem me from sins through His cross and death. This is what Paul says has happened for us as an example and consolation etc. From this it follows, since he was also presented to us, even to the whole world, as an example of grace, that his sins were not small but great, even though he did them ignorantly and in unbelief, as he says.
(16) But against the sins of the pope, cardinals and monks, they are very small and minor sins (Paul's sins), although he has been a murderer, bloodsucker and blasphemer. For besides that the pope with his cardinals and monks blaspheme, defile and blaspheme God, they also sin against the Holy Spirit, which is a sin above all sins, and as it is written in Matth. 12, 31, will not be forgiven in this world or in the next. For the pope cannot make an excuse and say that he does it ignorantly, like Paul. He knows very well that he is doing wrong and that he is leading people astray. Your Cardinal, the bishop of Mainz, also knew it very well; nor did he have the desire and pleasure, like the pope, to ape and fool the people with the sanctuary and dead bones or legs.
(17) But St. Paul was not so loose and frivolous as those are who have air and pleasure in it, make a game and jiggery-pokery of it, have a desire to
to fool, to blaspheme God knowingly, to defile and persecute the truth, to sin willfully and wantonly. Let the thunder from heaven strike them, the desperate evildoers! Paul, however, was not like that, nor did he have any desire or pleasure to pretend and deceive people like the pope, cardinals and monks; but he was a righteous, learned Israelite and Pharisee, who went against the law and his fatherland in a right zeal; as he himself boasts in Phil. 3, 4. 6: "If another man thinks that he may boast of the flesh, I much more etc., according to your zeal a persecutor of the church," would have liked to preserve the people in the former walk. So it was not well with him, like the pope and cardinals, who have only joy and air, to fool and ape the people with their fables, mocking and laughing at them in addition; like your shameful, eavesdropping monks, who still today try to do the foolish work again, unaware that it is against God, and his holy word is thereby mocked and ridiculed, seducing the people; there they ask nothing, it is the same to them. No, Paul was not such a loose, frivolous fellow; but he considers his fatherland, is zealous for it, thinks and believes that they are deceived by the teaching of Christ; therefore he thinks he is doing right and pleasing God; for the sake of such zeal he comes to be a murderer and desecrator of God and his word.
18. Paul was a learned, well-versed man in the Scriptures, not so coarse, unlearned and unskilled as our popes and cardinals with the coarse asses, the monks: nor did he have the understanding of the holy Scriptures, that mau Christum, the true Savior and Messiam, should search in Moses and the prophets' writings; did not mean nor believe that Christ should be in them; the Scriptures and the understanding of the Scriptures were to him, does not understand Moses, does not think that Moses clearly 5 Mos. 18, 15: "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you and your brothers, and you shall obey him." For Moses does not teach so bluntly that he, such a great high prophet, does not know anything.
should teach about Christ. Nay, but teach, saying, Thou shalt wait for another Master, which shall come after me. When he shall come and take office, then will I cease; then see that ye hear him diligently. So Moses points to the future Messiah, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, the heavenly Father.
(19) But the high priest, Squire Caiphas, the sow and the range, is blind, and lives, praising and seeing only the law, seeing and understanding nothing at all of the beautiful and glorious prophecy and prophecy of Moses, in which he points to Christ, the true Messiah. They did not want to know it either, and St. Paul did not know it either; that is why he says that he was anxious about the law. He also never noticed, saw or understood the prophecy of Moses about the future Messiah, but went along in opinion and thought: How? should the law be nothing? should we let it go and believe in Christ crucified? He was not frivolous and unlearned, but led a holy life and good conduct before all the world, more holy and blameless than all monks are with all their holiness and good works.
20 But the other part, where Moses testifies of Christ and points to Christ, Paul did not know; neither could he know it, for they had not taught it to Paul. Therefore he goes and persecutes all who believe in Christ: none would have been too dear to him, except that he defends the law and preserves his country in the pure teaching of the law and, as he thinks, eradicates all teaching against it. The law and the zeal against his fatherland have done him a right blow to the heart.
Twenty-one: When Paul rages and rages against the Christians in the fastest and most poisonous way, the true Master, Jesus Christ Himself, comes and pulls him around, teaches him and tells him that he is going wrong. Then Paul is also very frightened and does not resist long, but obeys Christ from the beginning, and as you will hear, he asks what he should do. This is not what our popes, cardinals and monks do, who, even though they are required by Christ, as Paul was, through the word, and who, like Paul, are also required by Christ.
When their sins and abuses are pointed out to them, they do not want to listen or follow the word, but continue defiantly and wilfully in their sins and vices. This is too hard, and are not common human sins, but devilish sins, invented by the devil and blown out into Christianity with lies. Nor do they want anyone to believe their fictitious devilish lies and dreams; they burn and fry, persecute and punish most swiftly all who speak against them, and they alone want to be right. As if I said to the Cardinal, "The sanctuary that you are pointing out is not a sanctuary, so you are doing wrong by pointing people to it and thus fooling them. Yes, the Cardinal would say, I know it very well (as your Cardinal knew it very well beyond measure), nevertheless I will have it so and not otherwise. The devil in hell thanks you for this, that you knowingly defend injustice and lies and spread them for truth. Paul did not do this, but when his error was shown to him, he refrained from it. You should do the same. Therefore now follows in the text:
Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?
022 Hear, Saul, thou knowest not what thou doest, thou understandest not Moses aright; therefore knowest thou me not, and persecutest me. But listen to me, and I will give thee a right interpretation of Moses, that thou mayest understand him. Moses (which thou dost not mean) hath long before preached and prophesied of the time when he shall teach of the Messiah and Prophet to come from among your brethren, saying that when he shall come, he shall be heard far before Moses, and that he shall leave Moses, as he that did his work at that time. The same prophet to whom Moses points is I, "Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest"; this thou believest not, neither wilt the Israelites hear Moses or me, and believe in me. "But it shall be hard for thee, pillar, to lick against the goad." Therefore I say to thee, let thy licking stand; thou treadest into the spear, that the spear goeth not only into^ thy foot, but also through thy body.
23 Here the Lord begins a long sermon.
and preaches to Paul from heaven; which sermon the others who were standing with Paul did not hear, but Paul alone hears. They heard Paul speak, saying, "Lord, who art thou? What wilt thou that I should do?" But they do not know from what. This sermon and Christ's conversation with Paul must have been a wonderful colloquy, higher than we can talk about; in which Christ showed Paul how much he had offended him, that he should desist from persecuting Christ and the church; he showed him what he should preach and teach in the future. Therefore the Lord says, "Arise, Paul, and go into the city, and they will tell thee what thou shalt do." Only Paul hears all this; the others hear nothing.
(24) Here Christ the Lord has built a beautiful church and school, which reaches from earth to heaven, in which church and school there is no one but the only and highest Doctor and Teacher, Christ the Son of God, who preaches and teaches from heaven, saying: "Stand up" etc. So here is no more than the only disciple and pupil, Paul, who listens to the highest schoolmaster, Christ, whom our dear Lord Christ Jesus calls, ordains and confirms as an apostle and preacher of the Word, so that he, together with the other apostles, should be a witness to Jesus Christ, and testify that he is the only, eternal Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Lamb of God, who bore the sin of the world, John 1:29. 1, 29, and for this He did enough on the cross, died for the sins and rose again for our righteousness etc. So Christ commands Paul to preach and to be an apostle. These words and sermon Paul hears, but he sees no one, he hears only Christ, who says, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute." Though he hears this alone, and sees it not with his bodily eyes, yet he takes it to heart, and believes, and so stands with his spiritual eyes.
25 Thus St. Paul is called and ordained here, and he is also prescribed the form and manner in which he is to preach about Christ, how much he must suffer for his name's sake, and how much he must be persecuted by those who preach his name.
Jews and Gentiles, when he shall preach Christ's name before kings and before the children of Israel. But I will save thee, saith Christ, from among the Gentiles, among whom I send thee, that they may be converted unto me by my preaching, and believe, and live. And Christ commands Paul to preach nothing else than the very thing we preach, namely, faith alone in Christ Jesus, that he is the Son of God; whoever believes in him shall be saved from sins and be saved. The whole world should hear, accept and believe this sermon. This alone is the sermon that you, Paul, are to preach, through faith in me and not through the law or any other work; as he diligently practices such preaching and teaching in all his epistles.
(26) This we must remember and keep in mind, it is a narrow school and church in which this sermon is preached and heard, and also accepted and believed; but there is a great master, who also makes a great disciple, Paul, who hears this alone, and who taught us afterwards, and still teaches us today. For here Christ says: "You see, Paul, the whole world is in darkness and error and does not know me, but you must call them out of darkness into light, out of the devil's kingdom into God's kingdom, out of death into life and show them the way. Yes, by what means shall I accomplish this? By the word which you, Paule, have now heard from me in the sermon, namely, that you should preach repentance and forgiveness of sin in my name; and whoever believes in me, that I am the true Son of God, is righteous before God and will receive eternal life, from him also the devil, who reigns in the children of unbelief, shall be cast out. For to whom sin, which holds us captive under the devil's kingdom, is forgiven and cast out in the name of JESUS Christ, from him also the devil and death, which are powerful through sin, are chased away and cast out. You shall preach this, Paule, and whoever hears this sermon afterwards, accepts and believes, receives and shall have forgiveness of all his sins. Yes, by what? Through faith in me, in me, says Christ.
27. this is ever a beautiful and glorious pre-
The sermon, which should be written with golden letters, and kept against the pope, cardinals and the shabby, miserable monks; those who do not respect the sermon, instead deal with the sanctuary and fool's work, praise that. Kiss me on the sanctuary; yes, kiss me on the leather! I would have said something else. Listen, Father, here, study what the true sanctuary is, what you should teach or preach; namely, that whoever believes in Christ, the Son of God, has a gracious God and forgiveness of sin, is set free from the devil's kingdom into God's kingdom and will receive eternal life. There is no indulgence, leg or wood sanctuary, nor vigils and masses for the souls, but it says, says Christ, through faith in me. For this is what Christ taught before on earth, as John 3:36 is written and in many other places: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not believe in the Son is subject to the wrath of God" and must be condemned. This is what he preaches to Paul from heaven, and he commands Paul, like the other apostles before him, to preach to the whole world, namely, faith in Christ, and nothing else. This is what Paul does in all of his writings; he instructs and leads only to the Lord Christ, for whom alone he is concerned.
(28) Now whatever doctrine is heard apart from Christ, to obtain remission of sins by it, as the teaching of the pope and the monks is, that thou shalt not accept nor hear, as dear as the salvation and blessedness of thy soul is to thee. If then thou wilt have forgiveness of sins and eternal life, believe in Christ, and thou shalt receive it, and not by any good works, be it going to the shrine, buying letters of indulgence, fasting, hearing mass, praying rosaries, and whatever good works we can do. Our works do not deserve to be called forgiveness of sins.
(29) Yes, you say, I have been a Carthusian for so long, I have led a hard, strict order; therefore I will receive forgiveness of sins through it. No, not yet. Item, you say: I have been a barefoot monk for so long, I have fasted, I have prayed
prayed, wanted and walked barefoot; shouldn't I have earned forgiveness of sins by doing so? No, not yet. Item, you say: I have been a canon, therefore I will be blessed and receive eternal life. No, not yet; and so henceforth in all other orders and sees. Do you hear, I say, your orders, fasts, and other good works do not do: you shall have it no better than another simple man, citizen or peasant, woman or virgin, who receives forgiveness of sins and is saved by pure grace and mercy, through faith in Christ, crucified and dead etc. Faith takes away all misfortune, sin, death, hell and the wrath of God, and makes us heirs of God and of eternal life: this is right, this alone does. If you now also want to be made a partaker of heavenly goods, such as the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, you must abandon the foolish work in which you trust, hear the word of God that preaches faith in Christ to you, accept it and believe, and you will be saved. For to be blessed and to have eternal life is nothing else than to be free from sins. When these are gone, then grace and mercy of God, eternal righteousness and blessedness come upon us, that is, eternal life. This is also what we hear in the sermon and command that our dear Lord Christ gives to His apostles, when He says Marc. 16, 16: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
(30) This is the sermon which our dear Lord Christ Paulo preached from heaven on the day before Damascus, calling and ordaining him an apostle, and commanding and sending forth the word of God concerning faith in Christ among the Gentiles and Israelites. Therefore, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life, nothing else is needed except this sermon; neither should we do anything or seek anything else to receive forgiveness of sins, for it is all in vain.
31. good works our Lord God commands to be done, and it is right and proper to do them.
good, that one only always worked good works. But we cannot earn forgiveness of sins through this: we are too weak and unclean, overloaded with sins, which we cannot get rid of here. For here in this life it does not become completely pure. But help is nevertheless given and given to us, that we may receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life through faith in Christ, and not through works, which are far too weak and small. For the remission and washing away of sins is the blood of Christ alone, which does it, and washes away sins: in this I must believe.
32. From faith should follow all kinds of good works towards our neighbor, that we should diligently care for our person, and faithfully wait and observe our profession, hear and promote God's word, call upon God and thank Him, flee and abolish idolatry and false worship, be obedient to the authorities, take good care of house and home, wife, child and servants, and bring them up in the fear of God, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and what more good works love demands, to prove to our neighbor: These we shall do; but not thereby to be saved, to have our sins forgiven, and to have eternal life.
Seek life. For to attain this, another belongs, as belongs, namely, faith in Christ.
This sermon, which the holy apostle Paul hears and accepts here and then preaches to the world, we should also hear and accept, and preach it alone, and do nothing else about it. For out of darkness into light, out of death into life, and to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life, Christ says that faith alone belongs to me; it does it, nothing else.
34 Now, after Paul's calling and ordination, when he heard this glorious sermon from Christ himself, he got up and was led to Damascum, where he was to be taught what to do. He waits for this with great distress and anxiety. Oh how heartily he will be glad when dear Ananias comes to him, lays his hand on him and baptizes him. That would be a long story now. But so that we may also grasp this sermon and receive a true faith in Christ, forgiveness of sins and eternal life, let us pray to God, the Father of all mercy, that He may enlighten us through His Holy Spirit. To Him be praise and glory forever and ever, Amen.