V. 24-27. And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures, every one after his kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, every one after his kind. And it came to pass thus. And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and all the creeping things of the earth after their kind. And God saw it good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him, and He created them male and female.
(50) So far we have heard all that God made in the five days. First, the heavens and the earth; then all the plants on earth, the stars in the sky, the animals in the water and in the air. Now on the sixth day he creates all kinds of animals that live on earth,
wild and tame, and also man; and besides, with other beasts, he is told that they shall be fruitful, and multiply one among another.
In the first place, as I have said above [§ 3], so I also say here that on the sixth day not everything was made in one go, because Moses writes here with few words about it, and runs over it in the very shortest, that God made man, an image that was like him, and they created a male and a female. But how the same thing happened, he is silent here, but will explain it later in the other chapter, and this day's business further. As he is also in the habit of writing a thing roughly and at the top, and of going over it roughly, which he then better emphasizes. Well, there would be much to talk about what God meant by this work. Let us see a little of it.
(52) This is the most important thing to consider here, that man is not created like the other creatures, although he is counted among them and is also placed on the earth. For God decides beforehand with deliberate counsel and says, "Let us make man." For "let us make" is a word of deliberate counsel, which he did not say before. So that he wants to indicate that he has wanted to create man with special diligence. This is already a great honor of the human creature, that God has applied so much more diligence to him than to other creatures.
(53) And from the words it is again evident that in the Godhead there must be more than One Person, because he says: "Let us make"; item: "An image that is like Us. For the little word "us" indicates that [the one] who speaks is not alone, although the Jews mock the text, so that there is a way of speaking, even if there is not more than One Person. We let them go, the word will remain before them.
(54) Here our teachers, both old and new, have broken themselves greatly in interpreting what the image of God is, according to which man was created, and have said that there are three powers in the soul, namely, memory, understanding, and will, so that it may be like the holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They wondered about this.
46 EU. ss, 54-56. Interpretations on the first book of Moses. W. m, eo-ss. 47
They have to break, and have come into so many questions that they can never be worked out. Let us leave the sense and stick to the simple sayings and speech of the Scriptures, and so let us speak of the image that is like God, as Paul speaks of it when he says: "As the earthly man is like this, so are the earthly ones; and as the heavenly man is like this, so are the heavenly ones. And as we have borne the image of the earthly, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly." And to Ephesians Cap. 4, 22-24: "Put away from you therefore, according to the former manner of life, the old man, which is corrupted by the lusts of error; but renew yourselves in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, which is created after God, in righteousness and holiness."
55 Paul sets two images, earthly and heavenly. Adam is of the earth and earthly, and all who come from him bear the image. But what kind of image is it? Adam, from whom we come, is a sinner, his reason was blinded, his flesh corrupted with evil desire and love for gross sins and unbelief, disbelief and despair. So he became after the fall, and so are all those who bring the flesh from him. But he was not so created. Again, the heavenly image is Christ, who was a man full of love, mercy and grace, humility, patience, wisdom, light and all good things, so that all his being was directed to serve everyone and be harmful to no one. We must also bear his image and be conformed to him. In the image also belongs how he died and suffered, and all that is in him; his resurrection, life, grace and virtue, are all directed that we also put on the same image. Now all heavenly people, that is, all believers, are of this kind. So you see what "image" means and what "likeness" means. Therefore, you must put out of your mind that sense which the doctors have given, otherwise this mind will only become darker.
In Hebrew, the words are thus: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness," that is, an image that is similar and like us. Man must be
to be an image, either of God or of the devil; for according to whom he conforms, he is similar. So much is said here that in the beginning man was created in the image of God, full of wisdom, virtue and love, and in short, drowned in goodness, and without all evil lusts, like God, so that he was full of God. This is also what the wise man means [Eccl. Sal. 7, 30.]: "GOD created man sincere." This sincerity was natural in body and soul, and if Adam had remained in it, he would also have begotten such children in whom there would have been no evil desire, but would have been kind and helpful to everyone, as God is. Thus, we would all have been like God. This would have been called hereditary righteousness, as if it had been brought and inherited from Adam by birth. Now he did not remain so, and the image perished, and we became like the devil through this birth, as we will hear hereafter. Now follows at the end of this chapter:
V. 28. And God blessed them, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Thus God blessed the living animals and man. If Adam had remained as he was created, the birth would have been fine, would have been conceived with full joy and without all evil desire, so that one would not be aware of some evil inclination. Even as now, where there is any man full of faith and spirit, it seems as if he were drunken, that his works depart from him before he considereth it, as if his nature carried him away to good works; as is seen in all the works of Christ. Otherwise, where there is no such spirit, one thinks and breaks himself, as one would do; there goes much counsel, that one does one thing with pleasure, another with displeasure, and is so drowned in it, that one can never do a righteous good work.
(58) But true faith always does good works, so that often it does not think about them or realize what it is doing.
He is even drowned in the spirit. And such are also the best. Otherwise, when they feel and see it, they usually become hopeful. So it would have been, if we had remained pure, that we would have been so deeply immersed in the good, through which we are like God and his image. But now it is over, the blessing is gone; the image that was supposed to be has been torn apart; but the fruitfulness has remained.
(59) Understand, then, what God's image is; not a thing painted dead, but living and righteous, as God is, who makes it righteous, so rational and full of wisdom that it can govern fish, birds and all the animals of the earth, as God governs with right piety. There the work would have gone in full love, joy, humility and all good, also in the children, which man would have begotten and raised.
(60) There is much to be said here about marital status, and it would be good to have someone experienced to speak about it. But let us say something about it, and I mean that I do not want to miss far, because the Scriptures will not lie to us.
In the first place, we have heard how God divides man into two parts. Therefore we conclude: as other works of God are not in man's power, so also not that a man is man or woman. The sun cannot say, I will be the moon; again, the moon cannot make itself to be the sun, but each must remain as it was created by God. So also a man must remain that he is, and cannot be a woman; again, the woman must remain a woman as she is made, and is also not in her power to change such.
In another way God said to man when he was created: "Be fruitful and multiply. This saying is a thunderclap against the pope's law, and gives leave to all priests, monks and nuns to become legitimate. For as the sun must shine, and cannot abstain, for it is thus implanted in its nature by the word and commandment of God: so also is it implanted in man's nature that he must be fruitful, whether male or female.
63. that God therefore consumes some, as the corrupt and unfit bodies, and
Some high spirits, that belongs to other miraculous signs; but nature in general is in no man's power to resist or hold, but must have its course and breed itself. Therefore it is not in my will to pledge such things, for it is not possible for us to keep them. Therefore no vow is valid against it. For this is decided right away, no one can prevent the work that God has done.
64. What would it be for the sun to vow not to shine anymore? So much is it if you vow not to be fruitful, nor to beget or bear children. Vow or vow not, you cannot make yourself other than as God created you. If thou wilt or wilt not, then thou must do as nature is, or else go other ways, that such misery follows from it as is not to be called. And it shall also be so, where one wants to hinder and hinder God's work. Would you like to vow that you do not want to be a man, and yet you have to be, and trample your vow underfoot.
So you see how the vows and Pabst's commandments strive straight against God's order and appointment. Therefore there is almost no abomination on earth, for it is called coelibatum, that is, our spiritual chastity. If then thou wilt escape the abomination, only trample under foot the vow and the shameful estate, if thou art therein, or beware lest thou fall therein. If thou hast vowed, know that it is neither valid nor binding. For how can you vow that which is not yours, nor in your power to gain or keep? It is therefore ordained of God that thou shalt be married; there 1) is no free will. You cannot put a cubit, not even a finger, to your measure, as Christ says [Matth. 6, 27.]; so little can you deny flesh and blood its power and nature to inseminate itself, which is implanted in it by God.
(66) But I do not mean to detract from the high virtue of virginity, for God Almighty has retained for him his power to act over nature. Therefore we should leave the same to him, but where we see that he does not work the supernatural power,
1) Wittenberg and Jena: that.
let the natural work go, to marry as he created it. Where Adam had not fallen, neither man nor woman would have remained barren; not that it was commanded, but that it was planted in nature, and thus must go unhindered and unstopped. But now God has put his work into it. Because some are unfit, He gives them a special, high grace, that they live without it [Matth. 19, 11].
(67) Whosoever therefore shall be delivered by such grace, let him give thanks unto God, and let him follow it; but to whom it is not given, let him enter into the common married life. If he does not, he will make it much worse. As is now the case in the world, which has now become full of fornication and adultery, and has now been torn down by the priesthood, which the pope has erected for worship, and brought to the people: whoever wants to deal with God and spiritual things must not be a married man or woman; and thus young people are frightened away from the married state, so that they are only drowned in fornication. These are true doctrines of the devil [1 Tim. 4:1, 3], so that none more harmful could have come on earth.
(68) Hence it came about that they did not consider the married life to be a Christian state nor a good work, and did not see that in the Old Testament the highest patriarchs, who served God most highly, were married and often had many wives. And the priests were specially commanded by God to have wives and yet serve God. Which he did, that he might let the creatures go in their course and order, as he had made them, that they should not do other things contrary to his word and order.
Thus we have a clear text that absolves all monks, nuns and priests from their vows. These are two of God's sayings, and it is not proper to do, speak, vow or take anything against them. For God shall be right in His words and works. Therefore, if you are a woman or a man, and if you are fertile, only enter into marriage freshly and joyfully, at the word of God, who has blessed this state.
From this we also conclude that it is not possible to know what a woman or a man is, except in faith. For GOt
tes words and works are described here, but no one can understand either word or work except through faith and the Spirit. It may happen that one has an evil desire for a man or a woman, but this is not called knowing a man or a woman. For he who is to know what a woman is must be so skilled that he considers her to be God's work, which only faith does. For reason cannot do it, it is too blind, it thinks no more than: If only I had this one or that one; it does not see whether it is God's work or a creature, but only goes on in its mad lust, never lifts its eyes so high that it recognizes God in His works.
This is why she despises the marital state, because she finds and sees nothing in it but misery and unhappiness, which follows from necessity, where one does not know the other. For where there is no faith and knowledge of God and his work, there can never be peace nor rest. Before one enters it, one thinks that it will be full of joy. When one is inside and thinks he has found what he was looking for, and his lust is a little satisfied, then there is nothing left but unpleasantness. This then is the fault and cause, that thou hast not taken a husband or wife as a husband and wife, but as the old evil nature and evil lusts have driven thee. But if we remained spiritual in unchanged nature, as Adam was at first, then also every man would know a man as a man, and again; so it would be full of good, and no unkindness would follow.
Thus man and woman, begetting children and bearing fruit is surely God's work. Why then is it so difficult for us that we cannot suffer it? Because the work of God cannot be borne except by those who believe. If we were Christians, we would be able to recognize it. Now the whole world is vain unbelief, therefore it attacks it so that nothing good follows. Therefore the fault is not of the creature, nor of the estate, as the heathen complain, but of unbelief. Everything in him is good and delicious; but because you are in unbelief, the saying in Psalm [Ps. 18, 27.], which God says: "With the perverse you will
you will be perverted. Because thou art perverse, God pervades all things with thee, that it is vile affliction and misery; as we shall hear that Adam shall be.
(73) Now therefore know that these words are words of faith, that no one can understand them except by faith, which is everywhere in all things and in all business. Adam, when he was still standing, was full in all good things; all that he would have begun would have gone out with pleasure and joy. But when he fell, he still had to have a wife. There it turned around now that all work was vain misery and displeasure for him. Therefore it follows that all misfortune on earth is the fault of unbelief alone. But unbelief is not understanding what God's works are. This is the part that God sets up man and woman to beget children, so that one may learn that it is God's work, and thus must be, and that nature wants to be unchanged. Now follows the last part of the first chapter:
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb that groweth upon the face of the whole earth, and every fruit-bearing tree, and every tree that bringeth forth seed for your meat, and for every beast of the earth, and for every fowl of the air, and for every creeping thing that hath life, to eat every green herb. And it came to pass thus.
This is a fine, kind father. When he created all living animals and men, he also provides them with everything they should have. We now see the common cases in the world, why the conjugal state becomes difficult, and no one likes it, that everyone fears he could not feed himself. That's why it remains so full of knaves and fornication. The blame lies solely in the unbelief that naturally clings to all of us after Adam's fall. We must remain in it until God makes us different people and puts faith in our hearts.
Now these are the words of faith. For before Adam says a word, nor asks, yes, before he thinks where to feed himself, God comes before, and gives him all the herbs that pollinate, that is, all kinds of grain, wheat, rye, barley, oats, millet, rice. 2c.
that he may feed on it. Therefore we also have our food. Whether Adam did not prepare it in the same way as we do, let it go its way.
And here you see once again how neither grain nor leaf grows for us, for God grant it, since the text clearly says: "I have given you all kinds of herbs" 2c. But no one understands this except faith. Item, secondly, he gives not only this, but also all kinds of trees and fruits, apples, pears, grapes, figs, oil 2c., from which not only food but also drink is made. So he provided food and drink for man, but where did he leave the clothes? He had no need of them, for he would have gone naked; but after the fall he had to have them for shame, as we shall hear.
Now see if Moses does not masterfully teach faith in this first chapter. On the last day he makes man, but before that he builds him a hall; he makes him light in the heavens so that he can see; he separates the waters from the earth so that he has room to dwell on them, and for his sake he adorns them with all kinds of plants; in addition, he gives him the rule over everything that lives; that we may see that God does not forget us, but as our dear Father provides all things, and prepares everything before he makes man; and when he has made him, he also commands him, and orders him to feed himself from the earth.
(78) And truly, whoever fasts this chapter alone would have great teaching enough about faith, from which we trust in God and see how he gives us everything we should have; nor does unbelief have all the heartache. That we do not feed ourselves is not lacking in creatures, for everything is full, and all have enough; but faith alone is lacking. Therefore we grate and scrape so much that we may not believe; from this we also have so much unpleasure and trouble for wages. These are the works of God, which he created in the six days, therefore he now concludes, saying:
V.31. And God looked at all that He had made, and behold, it was all very good. Then the evening and the morning became the sixth day.
79. The reputation, we have heard above [§14], is God's good pleasure and air, which He has in [the] creatures. For He has continued to confirm it as He began it, so that not only is Adam commanded to beget children, but it is also considered good by God, that it is pleasing to Him, and still 1) must always be so. Therefore, we are also to regard it as God's...
1) Erlanger: according to.
The work will be regarded as a good work and considered good. But no one will do this but faith.
80 So far it has been described recently where all creatures in heaven and on earth come from; and finally this has been the conclusion that all creatures are created by God's word, so that they are neither of themselves nor of their own powers, nor are they able, but as God gives, so it all goes freely without hindrance.