according to the Altenburg manuscript.*)
Delivered probably in February 1525; printed in 1886.
Translated from Latin.
Preface about the prophet Jonah.
The same thing that we have said about the other prophets must also be observed here: that the dear God always observed this way, that when some great change of things and some great misfortune was imminent, he always sent his prophets as warners beforehand, who, by proclaiming the threatening wrath of God, were to convert at least some, so that not all would perish altogether. It was the same in all things with Christ's future in the world. Thus, when Jeroboam, the king of Israel, reigned, many prophets were active, as Hosea, Amos, Joel, Isaiah etc., and I am completely of the opinion that also the prophet Jonah was at that time. The reason why I have this opinion is the passage in the second book of Kings, Cap. 14, 25. which moves me to it. Since the history describes the great fortune and the effectiveness of king Jeroboam for Israel, it says: "According to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he had spoken by his servant Jonah, the son of Amithai, the prophet" etc. Although this Jeroboam ruled quite blissfully and recovered much for the kingdom of Israel, as history shows there, all these prophets, who prophesied at that time, condemned this happiness and the good prosperity of the kingdom, because the great Assyrian captivity was imminent. Therefore it is not doubtful to me that the prophet Jonah
was a contemporary of Amos and the other prophets who prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam. Therefore it is nothing with this fable of the Jews, which also ours followed, in which they invent that the prophet Jonah was the son of the woman of Zarpath, who fed Elijah, as it is written in the first book of the kings Cap. 17. Because this is easily said by them, it is easily despised by us, since it is not based on Scripture. I hold completely that Amithai is the name of Jonah's father, while they meanwhile want it to be a generic name.
But it is the office of this prophet that he is a prophet to the Gentiles, which alone was his most important office. And from this it is clear that when Jonah prophesied against Nineveh, the king of Assyria had not yet disturbed the kingdom of Israel. But Nineveh was the largest city and the head of the kingdom of the Assyrians, which was extraordinarily powerful at that time and stood in highest bloom. From this it can be seen that the calling of Jonah was a high and difficult and great one, since he was sent to preach against the kingdom, which was the most powerful at that time, and against so many glorious and powerful princes of that kingdom, so that we see that the dear God had esteemed this prophet great. Here again we have an excellent example of what the apostle
Paul Rom. 3, 29. says: "Is God the God of the Jews alone? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, indeed, also the God of the Gentiles." For this history shows that God also took care of this godless kingdom of the Assyrians, even though they were Gentiles and uncircumcised, and not of the Israelite people that God had chosen, even though they persecuted Israel. Thus he always had his Christians in the midst of the whole world together with the Jews, while meanwhile the Jews did not see this, but even despised all other peoples in comparison with themselves, because they did not have the law. Thus, even today, there are undoubtedly many Christians all over the world who are completely unknown to the world, whom God has chosen. Therefore, in this history we are taught how great the power, strength and effectiveness of the Word of God is, how it cannot be preached in vain, that it should not bear fruit, and that obviously. And if we now estimate this history in such a way according to the power and efficacy of the Word, it is certainly extraordinarily admirable and full of consolation, even though it otherwise seems to be small in outward appearance. Is it not a great power of this sermon, which within three or four days converted that exceedingly powerful kingdom, that it threw both the king and all the inhabitants into sackcloth and ashes, because they repented of the sin revealed to them by the word?
Now although this history is clear and easy and full of consolation, it has been obscured by insoluble and innumerable and void questions of the holy fathers, which may be seen in the interpretations of all. We do not want to deny that the Fathers were holy, but none of them was without this carnal attitude, which is certainly very evil, namely that they judged the saints according to their person and outward works, holding the opinion that there is nothing human or human movements in the saints, without which, as long as this mortal flesh lasts, even the most holy cannot be, which can be seen everywhere in Scripture, but most clearly in the seventh chapter of the letter to the Romans. Therefore this is for Jerome
and all the others have been the cause that, as often elsewhere because of many passages of Scripture, so also in this prophet, they have been extraordinarily troubled with many and various questions, since they dispute whether Jonah sinned in that he commanded that he should be thrown into the sea, or not? and how it is possible that he does not sin who freely inflicts death on himself? Jerome answers that this is permitted if chastity is in danger etc. This is certainly a great abomination and an absolutely sacrilegious judgment, from which all must beware as from an exceedingly dangerous poison. St. Augustine's treated the matter more correctly and cautiously. Summa Summarum, all of them, as many as have been, have not paid attention to the kingdom of grace through Christ, nor have they understood it precisely and thoroughly, although they want to be considered as having paid attention to it and understood it. By God's grace, we have certainly been given greater light and a more accurate judgment of the kingdom of grace than all of them. We cannot err at all if we stand by the word and follow the judgment of the Word of God, namely, since we look at the faith in the works of the saints, not at the work itself, since the works can deceive, no matter how seemingly they may be, but not faith in the same way. Therefore, the Scripture calls killing good in the case of some kings, and condemns it in the case of others, since the latter killed by faith, following the word of God and pleasing God, while the latter did it without faith and sinned, while looking at the work of both, it seems as if evil was done on both sides.
The kingdom of grace is a kingdom of favor, in which God is favorable to the Christians who are in this kingdom. In the meantime, the saints in this kingdom sometimes stray and have carnal minds, which we see everywhere in the writings of Paul, who wants Christians to bear one another's burdens, to strengthen one another, to restore those who have fallen. In general, we who are still alive must not be separated from the saints, as if those who were alive in the flesh were not to be separated from the saints.
The people of the world said that something higher had happened to them than to us, since they all have the same flesh. These people could not see that. The author of the Epistle of James rightly says in the last chapter: "Elijah was a man like us. All have the same spirit, the same faith, the same Christ, and if we feel in ourselves the weakness of the flesh, if at times we fall, let us remember that they also may have fallen. Therefore, to return at last to Jonah, if we cannot save Jonah by this reason, that he, full of faith, did this work, it is quite certain that he, empty of faith, sinned, and we shall not be able to deny that he did a very great sin, namely, in setting aside the command of God by which he was sent, as the following indicates. Here all may continue with all their glosses that he was frightened by the godlessness of the kingdom of the Assyrians [, he feared] that they would not believe the word. With these glosses they want to diminish that great sin, but we want to make it great for our comfort. But because he was a child of grace, this sin was forgiven him, as great as it was, otherwise he would have perished, as Saul perished, because he did not kill Agag, the king of Amalek, over whose killing he had God's command, as Jonah did here.
had the command of God to go to Nineveh and preach. This history is certainly lovely and admirable that Jonah was able to persevere in faith, since his conscience was so terrified. For he was aware of the great sin, because he felt the wrath of God and equally also the punishment, 1) namely, of sin, as he also says below [Cap. 2, 2.) says: "I cried out from the belly of hell" etc. All this is written for our consolation, that although we feel both sin and the punishment of sin, we should nevertheless persevere and not despair, however great the punishment and chastening of God may be, so that, finally saved (as we must be saved if we patiently suffer the hand of the Lord), we may speak with David, Ps. 117, 18: "The Lord chasteneth me, but giveth me not unto death." Therefore, although those who are in the kingdom of Christ sin, they are not condemned, since it is a kingdom of grace; sin is forgiven and not imputed for Christ's sake etc. This summa or main part of the kingdom of Christ all holy writers have not been able to understand, all have lacked this judgment. This I know for certain, having searched all their writings etc.
üei et itern xosnnin etc.