Matth. 7, 15-23.
Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them. Can you also gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? So every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, and a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore you shall know them by their fruits. Not all who say to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not taught in your name? have we not cast out devils in your name? have we not done many deeds in your name? Then I will confess to them: I have never known you; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.
The Lord preached this sermon at the end of the long sermon on the mountain, which St. Matthew describes in the 5th, 6th, 7th chapters. And this is because he knows that where our Lord God builds a church, the devil builds a shrine or inn with it; or, as it is said to the young children, when our Lord God took a hole in the ground and made a beautiful man out of it, the devil wanted to imitate this work and made toads and snakes.
1533 After a and b and after Röhrer: held in the house, 1533. D. Red.
For it has always been so, when right preaching has had its course, that the devil has mixed false doctrine and heresy in with it. As you can see in a garden, when you sow something good in it, the weeds grow with it, and it is difficult to keep the good seed from the weeds and to bring it up.
2 Because it cannot be otherwise, we must be here on earth under the devil, who has the world under him and always sows his tares among them: so the Lord admonishes and warns us in today's gospel, as our faithful teacher and arch shepherd of our
Souls, that we should beware and beware of false prophets. As if to say, "I have given you my word and have faithfully taught you what to do and how to understand the Ten Commandments correctly, how to pray correctly, how to fast correctly, how to trust in God, and other things. Now it is up to you to take care that you are not led away from such teaching. I warn you, you will not be able to excuse yourselves; for I do not send you among angels, but among wolves; and I do not sow you among the wheat, but among the tares. Therefore take heed that ye be not deceived.
(3) Therefore the Lord wills that we hold fast to the word, and not be led away from it. But what is contrary to the word we are to hate and flee, as the devil himself. Therefore let no one be safe, nor sleep. For it will not fail (as said before), where the word is right and pure, the wolves will not stay outside, but will surely come. As can be seen, first in the church, then also in secular government and households. Everywhere the wolf is creeping in, whether he could snatch us from the word and do us harm. The Christian church has the true, pure Word of God; the devil cannot leave it at that, and brings in all kinds of fanatics who bring something new and special about baptism, about the Lord's Supper, about Christ Himself, and thereby mislead and seduce the people. And where such enthusiasts are to be found, we, as unruly, rash people, have the bad habit, as soon as we hear something new, of bursting at the mouth, falling away from the word, and gawping after such mobs and enthusiasts.
4 This is where this warning belongs in the first place. As if Christ should say: The false prophets will not remain outside, but will certainly come to you, and in addition with a beautiful, glittering shine, and make you monkey-mouths, so that you will think, you have never heard a better sermon in your life; will therefore fall, like the untimely, wormy fruit, when the wind comes in. Then what will be the fault? Not mine, for I warn you against it; but yourselves, who hear the word and have it, but do not abide in it.
For if a Christian were diligent, and had no more than the Catechism, the Ten Commandments, the Faith, the Lord's Prayer, and the words of the Lord concerning Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar, he would be able to defend himself finely against all heresies.
(6) But because we hear the word so diligently, and because we keep empty hearts that do not keep the word, the devil finds his way into such empty hearts and leads them into gross and palpable error. The Lord would like to warn us against this, so that we do not keep such careless hearts, but consider how we can grasp God's word well and firmly. For he does not send us among the angels, but among wolves; there it needs well attention. Whoever then wants to be sure of the matter and not to err, let him keep my word, says Christ. This is the right light which I have lighted for you, and the armor, that ye may be able to withstand the stings of the devil, and to resist him, though he come unto you in sheep's clothing.
Now this is terrible, and we are in for a great ride, that the devil, when he comes to us (in his spirits), does not come as a devil, but he adorns himself as if he were God Himself; as he came to our dear Lord Christ, saying, "Worship me, and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world. These were not words for the devil to speak, but belong to the high majesty, the eternal God. For it is he alone whom one should worship, and he alone is powerful of all the kingdoms of the world, and gives them according to his pleasure to whom he pleases. Therefore Christ punishes him, saying, "Arise, Satan." As if to say, Thou wouldst gladly give thyself up for God; but I know thee: thou art the devil. Therefore we must not look upon the sheep's clothing; otherwise we would be deceived, and would have to accept and listen to the devil in God's stead. For, as I have said, he comes to us in his mobs, in his flocks, and in his heretics: not in a wolf's skin, which is knowable and loathsome, but in sheep's clothing. For first of all, they lead God's Word and the Scriptures, boast much of Christ, of God's Spirit, know all things better than others, even give it with such a
They appear to attract many people and do great harm. Moreover, they lead a strict, seemingly glittering life, so that one would like to swear that they are holy, that they mean well, and yet they are the wretched devil. As we see in the case of the Anabaptists, devotees of the sacraments and others. Wherever the hearts are careless and unconcerned and do not look carefully at the Word, the devil creeps in through such spirits' false teachings, like a snake into a man sleeping in the grass.
Therefore we should diligently accept our Lord Christ's faithful warning, and not be such muzzlers who can do nothing but keep their mouths open, always looking for something new. We should hear the word diligently, hold fast to it, and judge and judge all doctrine according to the word; then the devil would not be able to do harm so easily.
(9) This is also the case in the secular government, which is also an example and an illustration of the Christian church. If the rulers are sure and industrious, if they do not wait for their own office and command, then the country becomes full of hypocrites. For they trust here, they trust there, they rely on their officials; they keep such a house that is probably better. Nevertheless the poor man is neglected and weighed down; God finally gives an evil blessing to etc. For it is not good that lords should command their great matters and affairs to others and trust everyone, and not take care of the affairs themselves. They should look into the game themselves, take account themselves, and believe no further than they see, so they would be the less deceived.
So it is also in housekeeping. If master and wife snore, and leave everything in the hands of the servants, and put good trust in them, then it goes according to the common saying: Trauwohl ritt das Pferd weg. It is true that one should and must trust; for it is a shameful thing about unfaithful (mistrustful) people, who do nothing good to anyone: but there should nevertheless also be a measure, so that one does not trust too much; but watches himself, and by trusting too much, as commonly happens, does not give the servants cause to sin.
Now the servants should not be safe, but should diligently obey the command of their rulers, and not let evil company lead them away. For how can it be when father and mother speak to the child, master and wife to the servants? Do this; that they let their journeymen and their companions persuade them to leave that which they have been commanded to do, and do something else? meanwhile they should go for a walk, play, carouse, while they are working in the house, doing this and that. But such loose company does not act as if they meant it badly, they say very good words; but because they give cause for disobedience, it is the wicked devil; you should not follow him.
12. many a servant or maid has a good service with honest pious people who did not like to see or suffer fornication or levity in theirs. But what has the devil to do through wicked mouths? Here comes one, there one, and says: What do you show yourself,*) that you let yourself be locked up and kept hard like this? You could well improve your cause, be in a place where you would have more pleasure, not have to work so hard and have better days. With such words a simple-minded man is soon persuaded, does not think that anyone means him ill, even considers such honey-sweet mouths good friends, when they are the worst of enemies. For nothing is more harmful to a young person than to let him have his own way and not to always encourage and drive him to discipline and work.
(13) So it goes everywhere in all classes that the wolf finds himself and tears the hearts away from the word. For the devil can neither tolerate the word in the church, nor a serious disturbance in the worldly government, nor obedience in the household; but everything that God has ordered, he must worm out, in the household and worldly government as well as in the church. For this is God's order and will, that His word be kept in the church, good order and laws in the government, and the strictest discipline and obedience in the household.
*) What do you want? That is: What do you want?
D. Red.
The devil gets in the way everywhere, so that he can destroy such a godly, useful and necessary order. Therefore, we should be careful and not be sure, for we do not live among the most pious Christians; most of them are wicked and false, yet they can adorn themselves with the sheep's clothing, so that the wolf cannot be known.
This is what happens most often and is most dangerous in the church: there come all the mobs, fanatics and heretics with the pretense that they care a lot about the salvation of the people, and that they would like to see God's word pure and the truth promoted. When the poor sheep see such sheep's clothing, they make themselves believe that it is pure gold, soon burst out of it and put up with it. For who would not like to hear God's word and know the truth? But then the Christians should learn that the devil can name the truth and praise God's word just as well as the pious Christians. Therefore, they should say: I also want to hear God's word and the truth with pleasure; but do not trust too much, but see if it rhymes with my catechism and with the sermon I have heard so far. Whoever is careful and not only believes, but also sees the word, is healed and undeceived. But whoever does not, it is impossible that he should not be deceived.
(15) So it was with Eve in Paradise: the devil came with good, smooth words, and made our Lord God as pious as if he could not be angered. He said, "He gave you the whole garden to enjoy; how could he not give you this one tree, which does not harm you, but can serve to make you wise like him? These were smooth, sweet words that came to Eve, so that she fell and forgot the commandment of God. Or if she did not forget it, she put it into doubt. Then it was also over with her. At the first, when the devil set upon her, she acted very wisely, and struck the devil away with the command that God had given her. But when he stopped again and said, "If God had forbidden them the tree, then he must be an envious, unfaithful God who would have given them the tree.
not begrudging them to be as wise as he; so she abandoned the word, broke off the apple, and ate it; by which she and all of us fell into all unhappiness and eternal death.
(16) For the sake of such a journey, that we also be not deceived by the devil through his apostles, the Lord warns us here, saying, "Take heed. As if to say, "If you are deceived, the fault is not mine but yours. Cause, I have given you my word pure and clear, which shall be your guard and light to shine before you. Only you look at it, and do not let this light out of your sight, but hold fast to it. If you hear someone talking against it, which does not rhyme with it, say: I do not hear; here is my light, which shines differently for me.
17. *) So God has sufficiently protected us in that he has given us his word, and warned us to beware of false prophets, and is therefore well excused. But we are not excused if we do not keep the word and listen to the cry of the wolf, when we have great need that we should not do so. For he is a liar and a murderer, who desires nothing to do but to seduce and strangle.
18. as he soon proved in the beginning in paradise with Adam and Eve, and threw them with all their descendants into sin, death and wrath of God. Our merciful God and Father in heaven helped us out of such misery through His Son, so that we were saved from sin and death. That is why the enemy is creeping up on us again, to see if he can move us out of such grace and bring us into the old accident. We must be careful and faithfully keep our word, otherwise we will be lost.
19 Let this be said in general of this gospel for bad, simple teaching, because the Lord tells us to beware of false prophets and to be careful to stay with the word and not be led away from it, but to flee everything contrary to the word as the devil himself. This would be enough. For, as we have heard, he who
*) From a sermon preached in the house in 1532.
follows this light and does not let it out of his sight, he is recovered.
(20) But the Lord does not leave it at such common teaching, but gives his Christians two rules to follow, so that they will not be in trouble. The first is that they should not let the sheep's clothing deceive them, nor should they place their judgments after it. For as the wolves, when they are hungry, bark and howl like dogs, if they can deceive cattle or men with it: so do the false prophets, coming with a delicious appearance, pretending great holiness etc. Let no one turn to them. This is the one rule that is very important.
(21) First of all, this is the sheep's clothing in which the false spirits clothe themselves and adorn themselves, so that no one comes who confesses that he wants to deceive the people and preach unrighteousness. They come with good, smooth, gentle words, pretending that they are driven by God's zeal and that they no longer want to see the misery of the poor people, that they have been kept from their virtue for so long. The common man is not accustomed to such words from bad boys, and for this reason he soon bursts, and considers it pure sanctity what such sneaks say and do. But a Christian should learn (as reported above) that the devil does not come as a devil, but as if he were God. So these wolves do not come like wolves, but put on sheepskin, so that whoever does not know them thinks they are silly pious sheep.
(22) After this also the sheep's clothing is called the office or profession and the great, glorious titles. As we have learned, then, that pope and bishops have done the most harm with it, and still that they have vaunted their office, and for that reason have kept their statutes. For even though their life is so annoying that they can neither deceive nor catch anyone with it, it still has a very great appearance that they sit in public church office. Just as the Lord says of the Pharisees and the scribes that they sit in Moses' chair. And we ourselves cannot take away such glory from them; we must confess that they have the office, and the
Office be right in themselves, if they only needed it right.
(23) Therefore, when the pope and bishops boast of their ministry and want to be heard as those who cannot err, a Christian should be warned and say: I know the office well, it is a true sheep's clothing. But Christ warns me not to be satisfied with it when I see the sheep's clothing, but to look around to see if there is not a wolf hiding under the sheep's clothing, that is, if there is not an ungodly, wicked wretch in charge of the ministry, who wants to introduce false doctrine through the appearance of his ministry.
24 So it is also a sheep's clothing, that the false prophets outwardly lead a beautiful appearance and glittering life. As can be seen in the Anabaptists, there is not a trace of them, their clothes, food and drink are poor and bad, they deal much with God's word, pray much, are patient in suffering, not vengeful. Such things are not wrong in themselves, and it would be desirable that all people were like them. But that one should therefore consider their teaching right and follow them, Christ says: Beware of them. For under the sheep's clothing you will find a wolf, viz: that the Anabaptists, like the monks, put their comfort in their own righteousness and works; that they prove God false in his promise, because they allow themselves to be baptized again, and thus nullify the first and right baptism; teach unjustly about the Lord's Supper, as if one received nothing there but bread and wine, and impose unnecessary burdens on Christians; tear up the household, say it is wrong to have something of one's own, despise worldly authority as an unchristian state; thus turn back and destroy all three of God's institutions, namely, the church, worldly government and household government. Such a harmful and shameful wolf is under the fine, smooth fur, that the Anabaptists lead such a beautiful appearance in the outward life.
(25) The life of monks and nuns has also had such an appearance that the whole world has been fooled and deceived with it. But God's word exposes such deceit publicly, so that one sees the wolf under the sheep's clothing.
26 So also the great gifts are a sheep's clothing, since the Lord says here that some will prophesy in his name, cast out devils and do great miracles. For a Christian should also beware lest he for this reason plump himself, cling to such people, and without diligent attention accept and believe everything they say; but he should especially watch the word, whether there is not a wolf under the sheep's clothing.
27 This is the first rule, that we should not let the sheep's wool deceive us. For though the words be good, the ministry right, the outward life without offense, and beside them great, peculiar, and not common gifts; yet one may be deceived and defrauded: that under the good word there is a harmful poison, under the right ministry a dangerous abuse, under the glittering life a deceit, and under the great gifts a false heart. Therefore, as soon as you see the sheep's clothing, think: It is not good to be safe here; for Christ himself warns that even wolves put on sheep's clothing and hide under it. Therefore I must uncover the sheep's clothing and look down. Now how does this happen? So:
028 Now this is the other rule which the Lord giveth, that one should leave off outward appearances, and look after the fruits. "By their fruits," saith he, "ye shall know them." Gives it a likeness. No one is so foolish among you, when he sees a thorn or thistle bush in the field, as to go and see if he can find grapes or figs on it. No, one looks for such fruits at another tree, which is not so prickly and prickly. It is the same in the garden. When a tree hangs full of apples and pears, everyone who sees it says: Oh, what a good tree that is! Again, if there is nothing on a tree, or if it is all wormy, broken, and naughty, everyone says, "The tree is worthless, only cut down and thrown into the oven, and a better one put in its place. This art, saith the Lord, which ye also use against false prophets, ye shall not lack it, be the appearance what it may; if twenty sheepskins lay upon the wolf, ye
yet know him, that he deceive you not.
29 What then is the fruit of a true prophet or preacher, that he may be known to be not a wolf, but a godly little sheep? The outward life, the title and the office, special gifts and graces are not. For the Lord himself testifies, as experience also teaches, that people are often deceived and seduced by these things. But the true fruit, as the Lord says at the end, is to do the will of the Father who is in heaven.
(30) Notice here that the Lord does not say of all Christians in general, but of the prophets. It is true that all Christians should do the will of the Father, so that they may be saved. But "the will of the Father" does not only mean that one does the Ten Commandments and obeys God in this way; for since we cannot fully do this in this life, it is impossible for us to boast that we have done the will of the Father and therefore will never enter heaven: but the will of the Father means, as Christ says, Joh. 6:40: "This is the will of him that sent me, that whosoever seeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. This is the only way that all of us, preachers and listeners, should go at the same time, if we want to be saved in any other way. Now the Lord speaks here especially of the preachers or prophets, whose right and proper fruit is nothing else than that they should diligently recite this will to the people, and teach them how God is gracious and merciful, who has no pleasure in the sinner's death, but desires that he should live; and that God Himself has shown such mercy in that He allowed His only begotten Son to become man.
Whoever therefore accepts him and believes in him, that is, whoever comforts himself that God will be gracious to him for the sake of His Son, forgive sin and make him eternally blessed, etc.: whoever preaches this sermon purely, and thus points people to Christ as the one mediator between God and us, he, as a preacher, does the will of God. And this
802 D- 2.483-485. on the ninth Sunday after Trinity. W. xm, 1811-1813.1824. 803
is the right fruit, by which no one can be deceived or seduced. For if it were possible, if the devil himself preached thus, such preaching could not be false nor lying; whoever believed it would have that which it promised him.
(32) After this fruit, which is the noblest and most certain, which cannot be deceived, others also follow, namely, that life also rhymes well with such doctrine and is not contrary to it. But such fruit is to be considered true fruit when the first fruit, namely, the doctrine of Christ, is present first. For sometimes doctrine cannot be unjust, though life be vexatious and evil. For this reason we must look primarily not at the life, but at the doctrine; so we will be able to know finely whether he is a wolf or a sheep who comes to us in sheep's clothing.
(33) If anyone wishes to judge the pope and his church, let him begin with the first fruit, and he will find that the doctrine of beatitude and forgiveness of sins is based not only on Christ but also on all kinds of works, monastic vows, the observance of mass, indulgences, and the merit of the saints. This is a shameful, poisonous, stinging thorn that cannot be found on any fig tree or vine. On the other hand, look at life: there you will find that the pope and his whole crowd have withdrawn from all proper obedience. They are bitter enemies of the Word and of Christians, persecute, torture and strangle them wherever they can, live in abominable fornication, work in the fields of
They eat nothing and eat the church's goods for nothing. In sum, there is not one good drop in all their lives.
34 Where therefore the evil fruits both beat together, that doctrine and life are useless, think that it is a thorn and a pricking thistle, whereon thou shouldest not seek grapes nor figs; and if thou shouldest support thyself to do so, that thou shouldest not only not find them, but thou shouldest also prick and rend thyself upon them. It is not because the vine has such a rough, rough bark, and the fig tree such a weak, unfit wood, but the thorn has such a beautiful smooth bark and such a lovely, tasting,*) beautiful blossom and rose. It is the fruit that matters, not the external appearance. Learn to do your calculations according to that, and nowhere else.
(35) But what punishment shall befall such false teachers the Lord shows by the similitude of the rotten tree, that it should be cut down and cast into the fire. Just as it is with false teachers, so shall it be with their disciples if they do not hear the right teaching or bear fruit.
Therefore let us keep the word of God before our eyes, let us hear it diligently and remember it well, and let us live our lives according to it, so that we may bear good fruit and learn to know and flee all false teaching. May our dear Lord Christ, through his Holy Spirit, grant this to us all, amen.
*) smelling [b]. D. Red.