This letter contains, besides some small matters, the answer to several exegetical questions.
The original is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed by Aurifaber, Vol. II, p. 108; by De Wette, Vol. II, p. 273 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, Vol. Ill, p. 365.
Seinein [Friends] in Christo, Georg Spalatin, Evangelists at Court.
JEsus.
Grace and peace in the Lord! The petition of the pastor at Segren, which I have newly-
1) See about the same St. Louis edition, vol. XX, introduction, p. 10 d f.
2) In the Latin text: 1 loliumi. 5) That I John 4 is meant, however, is certain from the letter written to Melanchthon on the same day, No. 103 in this appendix, § 2.
3) On May 15, the requested gems from the Electoral Treasury had not yet arrived (De Wette II, 197 at the end of the letter). Here, at the beginning of the letter, the assumption is expressed that they had already arrived there again. Therefore, there must be at least several days between the two letters. De Wette has placed our letter "at the end of the year 1522", but it is not likely that the gems should have remained in Wittenberg from May to December. That this letter belongs to the time indicated by us is confirmed by the mention of the wounded forester and by the treatment of the passages from the Evangelio Johannis, which are mentioned in the above-mentioned letter. De Wette has erroneously placed the postscript to the same in the year 1523. Cf. SeidemannDe Wette, vol. VI, p. 621; Burkhardt, p. 68.
I have forgotten, I send now. Of that wounded man in Resen, your locksmith has been told. The gems have also either come back, or Lucas, who has them, will bring them back.
About the questions:
a) 4) "To ask in Christ's name" [John 16:26.], is not to ask through ourselves, but through Christ as the Mediator. For thus Paul always asks urgently δΐ αυτόΰ [through Him, for His sake], for he excludes presumption on our merit. Then everything must be asked, and everything is granted, because every request includes the first three requests in the Lord's Prayer. Therefore, there can be neither asking nor giving where the name, the kingdom, the will of God is not preferred. Then, where it is doubtful whether it is according to His name, kingdom and will, our answer must be placed in the hands of His wisdom. Incidentally, where first of all one asks for his name, kingdom and will, it is impossible that all that is asked will not be heard for the sake of Christ.
2. b) "Do not touch me", writes John [Cap. 20, 17], who likes to deal with secret things, while others [Matth. 28, 9. Luc. 24, 39] write that she touched him. But Christ is touched in faith alone; because Magdalene was not yet touched with this, he does not suffer to be touched, as a sign of this unbelief. This is what he himself says: "For I have not yet ascended," that is, just as I have not yet ascended, so you do not yet believe that I am now living in a life different from the previous one. But elsewhere, where this mystery is not acted upon, he suffers to be touched.
3. c) The time when he does not speak in proverbs and when they will ask [Joh. 16, 25. 24.] is the time after the coming of the spirit. If you pay attention to the purpose (scopum), you will easily be able to answer many such things yourself. But this is the purpose, that the disciples before the suffering both asked and believed, and experienced all that they did afterwards, but the faith of the ascend-.
4) Here we have been forced to use letters instead of numbers in the original.
They have not yet had the first resurrection and have only known the mortal Christ. You see, this is how it is in my case. Many have believed, since I alone handled the indulgence, and did not know that I would handle the papacy, the celibate state and everything that followed; therefore, many have resented the whole thing. If I could have predicted the future to them, I would have done what Christ does in this whole sermon of their future faith, prayer, knowledge and work 2c. He speaks of the faith to be perfected and the perfect faith and its works, that is, not of the milk (which they had before), but of the solid food.
4. d) The flight on the Sabbath and in the winter [Matth. 24, 20.], we think, is spoken literally, that is, that they do not want to flee at an inopportune time, as the flight was not permitted to them on the Sabbath [2 Mos. 16, 29.], and in the winter it is not appropriate.
5. e) This also resolves the fact that the disciples believe before the suffering that He came forth from the Father [Joh. 16, 30.), namely with the milk faith, but the glory of the resurrection they do not believe yet.
6. f. "To go forth from the Father," that is, for the Son to become man and appear in the world.
7. g) That "signs follow those who believe" (Marc. 16, 17) is certain when it is necessary. For even the apostles did not do signs everywhere and presumptuously, but in the need to establish the gospel, and even now, if we truly believe, we have the power to do signs. For that text alone implies that signs may be done, but does not command that they be done.
8. h) So also they received the Holy Spirit before the suffering and after the resurrection; as I said above about faith and prayer, I also answered about this matter before.
9. i) "Preach the gospel to all creatures" Marc. 16,15.), is to preach publicly to the whole world. See my postilion in the first epistle on Christmas Day. 1)
Fare well, for I am very swamped with business. Martin Luther.
1) Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XII, 102, § 3.
I ask you to help what this Wenceslaus asks, that in Grimma the licentiousness of our bad Christians be controlled, who only want to be Christians by despising superstition.
No. 87.
(Wittenberg.) (About the beginning of June 1522.) 2)