V. 1-16. And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Elassar, and Kedorlaomor king of Elam, and Thideal king of the Gentiles, that they warred with Vera king of Sodom, and with Birsa king of Gomorrah, and with Shinarab king of Adamah, and with Shemeber king of Zeboim, and with the king of Bela, whose name is Zoar. All these came together into the broad valley where the Salt Sea is. For they had been twelve years under King KedorLaomor, and in the thirteenth year they had fallen from him. And Kedorlaomor came, and the kings that were with him, in the fourteenth year, and smote the giants of Astharoth Karnaim, and the Susim of Ham, and the Emim in the plains of Kiriathaim, and the Horites in mount Seir, unto the breadth of Pharan, which is upon the wilderness. Then they turned and came to the Rechtborn, which is Kadesh, and smote all the land of the Amalekites, and the Amorites that dwelt in HazezonThamar. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Adamah, and the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela, which is called Zoar, went out, and prepared themselves to fight in the broad valley with KedorLaomor king of Elam, and with Tideal king of the Gentiles, and with Amraphel king of Shinar, and with Arioch king of Elassar; four kings with them.
And the broad valley had many clay pits. But the king of Sodom and Gomorrah were put to flight there and laid low, and what remained fled to the mountains. Then they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the food, and departed. They also took with them Lot, Abram's brother's son, and his goods, for he dwelt in Sodom, and departed. Then one who had escaped came and told Abram, the foreigner who lived in the grove of Mamre, the Amorite, who was a brother of Escol and Aner. These were in league with Abram. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken, he armed his own servants, three hundred and eighteen, born in his house, and pursued after them unto Dan, and divided himself, and fell upon them by night with his servants, and smote them, and pursued after them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of the city of Damascus, and brought back all the goods, and Lot his brother with his goods, and the women, and the people.
This chapter is also easy and bad. Whoever wants to know how the battle happened, may look at the figure of the Jewish land printed. Why it is written, we will see later. First of all, one must know how the land is situated in order to understand the history correctly. The land where the Moabites, L-eir and Edom dwelt, even unto the Red Sea, is all that is called Arabiam Petraam. Abram
Interpretations about the first book of Moses.
But dwelt in Hebron, which was at that time a goodly and great capital, when afterward Rome was in the Welsh country, so that all looked upon it; now it is upon the border, having the salt sea, that is, the dead sea toward the east; item, Amalek, likewise the Carnaim, giants, Susim, and Emim, Horites, Amorites, also toward the east. They have fallen upon all these in the land, and have smitten all that they found in the same places and in the same mountains.
(2) Now the kings are specially mentioned. The king Amraphel of Sinear and KedorLaomor of Elam are the kings of Persia and Medes, from whom the Elamites came and still remain. Although it happens in all the world that the names are changed, after that one people drives out the other, and sits down in a country, as here the Horiter lived before times, where after the Edomiter sat. Therefore the names of a part are uncertain.
003 So it came to pass, that the four kings fell from the east, through the land of the Amorites and Moabites, whom they smote; and the Shushim also, which were the nobles of the land; which were also smitten, because they wished to make the kings of the land free again, and to be their lords. At that time almost every city had a king, so that it was a powerful nation. So now the five kings have armed themselves for battle against those four.
4 Now this battle is told, not that God should desire to tell how the nations quarrelled and fought with one another, but for Abram's sake and for the miraculous work that was done. Twelve years they had served the Persian kings, says the text, but in the thirteenth year, when they were rich and thought 2) they were established, they fell away and gave neither tithes nor interest any more; this they did for one year. But in the fourteenth the others arose and smote them; the rest they took away, as the land was full and rich.
005 Now this is the miraculous sign, that the five kings, who were strong and mighty,
1) In the old editions: one part.
2) In the editions: "meant them, they".
item, the giants, a mighty people) with the Amorites, also the Amalekites, Susim, and all that was about the border, were smitten by those four kings, that none could withstand them; and Abram, the one man, was to smite them, without all the help of any king or city. For the text saith, He took of his own servants three hundred and eighteen, and none more than three brethren, Mamre, Escol, and Aner, which might have been nobles at Hebron, where he dwelt.
(6) In order that Moses may show what Abram's rule was, that he nevertheless had a very large number of servants, because so many servants alone are counted, many of whom had wives and children. With them he had to move in the country, where he had nothing of his own, ruled them physically and spiritually, with preaching, sacrifices and prayers, as said above [Cap. 12, § 37 ff]. Nevertheless, some also joined him in Hebron and kept company with him, as these three, who are mentioned here.
(7) So the stranger set out, and with his company alone he pursued so many and mighty enemies from Hebron to Dan, at the end of the promised land; so that he passed through it from noon to midnight. When he came to Dan, which at that time was not yet called Dan, but Leshem (Jos. 19:47), he used reason, although the spirit ruled them, and attacked them secretly, not hurrying after them, but letting them go far before, so that they were safe, and thought they had passed through. That one sees how God thus plays as if it had happened naturally and through human cleverness, and yet it is God's miraculous sign. So he suddenly attacked them, when they did not know it. For if five kings were lying together, they would still consider it a disgrace that they should let three hundred and eighteen men frighten them, break out, and leave behind them what they had captured and stolen. But because this happened, the story itself shows that it did not happen naturally, but must be a miraculous sign. When they now
3) "they", namely reason.
When the two men, who were in such a hurry, separated, fled and were beaten, he brought back all the plunder they had taken away, and of course much more rich booty. This is a piece of history, how it happened.
The first thing to ask here is: Since Abram is an evangelical man, who walks in pure faith, and all his life is in the Word of God, how is it that he wields the sword here, and commits such murder, since he must have slain many people? How can such a Christian man do such a work that belongs to an executioner, shed so much blood? Should he not have suffered it cheaply, as Christ Match. 5:40, and thus say, "If they have taken my brother away from me, I must suffer that they also take me away.
(9) Answer: So we have taught, a Christian is such a man, who stands completely in God's will, does everything he knows to be pleasing to him; and again, is so skilled that he completely shuts his eyes from the works, does not see how great or small, short or long, how pretty or foolish it seems, as reason does, which always makes a distinction among the works, saying: This is delicious, this is small; but faith looks only at God's will. If it is God's commandment, he does it; if not, he does not do it, even if it were good; he sees no further. If God demanded that I strike my neighbor, I would have to do it, and not judge by the work, but by God's will. Where else would worldly power come from if he had not commanded the sword to be used? Because he says so, it must be done. Although a prince must be so minded that he does not harm anyone for himself, he must nevertheless strangle the wicked, even though he would rather grant them life.
(10) This must be understood when one reads the histories of the Old Testament, for there one finds many examples of how the saints shed blood and strangled people. Whoever now wants to judge according to the works of the fathers becomes a fool, for they are so strange that no human reason can judge from them. So this is also to be considered a foolish work, as also above [Cap. 12, 13], when he gave his wife.
The Scriptures are full of them everywhere. As we read in the first book of Kings [Cap. 20, 31-42], when Ahab, king of Israel, had so smitten Benhadad, king of Syria, and driven him in, that he had him in his hand, he wished to be merciful, and to show mercy to his enemies: He let him go and called him brother, because he thought he was doing a good deed. God did not want to suffer this, and as soon as a prophet arose, he came to his neighbor and said by the word of the Lord [vv. 35-37I: "Dear one, strike me. But he refused to strike him. Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the word of the LORD, behold, a lion shall smite thee, if thou depart from me. And as he departed from him, a lion found him, and smote him. And he found another man, and said, Slay me, I pray thee. And the man smote him sore." After this the prophet went to the king, and said [v. 42I: "Because thou hast left the banished man alive, thou shalt perish, thou, and thy people."
(11) Behold, is not this a foolish work before reason of the prophet? Even if another did it, without spirit and word, it would be impossible. What is different here that makes such a work praiseworthy, but this: Because God wants him to be struck, 1) he must be struck, and only the eyes must be closed. Many high people must be offended by such histories, when the light of reason looks into them; it is blind and mad, and cannot do otherwise with God than to suggest to him what is good and delicious; and as it judges, so shall one do. God does not like this, therefore he often does such works, and wants them to blind reason, and thus says: Believe me, and see no work, be it what it may; if I say it to you, do it. So we will hear again hereafter [Cap. 22:2I that Abram was to sacrifice his son. Was it not strange that he should kill the only son he loved without any guilt, when God had said before [Cap. 21, 12I had said that He would give him a seed from Isaac? Nor did he have to do the whole thing, not seeing if it was his son.
l) Jenaer: solt.
and freshly went with him to slaughter him. These are right men, who regard not the commandment, but the will of him that commanded it. Thus they have done strangely, that the whole world is made fools of.
(12) Now answer the question, whether a Christian may use the sword, since he is to love everyone? A Christian must not use the sword at all for his own sake, nor for the sake of other Christians; but if God wants him to use it and gives it into his hand, he must do so, freshly executed and strangled.
(13) So it happened here that the Spirit led Abram to do this battle as a Christian man, not as a pagan to cool his courage or atone for his lust, but according to God's order, word and command. That this was the case is shown by what follows, how the high priest Melchizedek praises and glorifies him when he came from the battle; it also proves the work and miraculous signs in himself. If God had not commanded it, he would never have done it, nor should he have dared to stand up against such mighty kings, who had defeated everything that stood against them. But because God commands it, especially to save his brother, he does it and goes in faith. Now when such people come, they can penetrate and win. God wanted to strike them miraculously, so that the miraculous work was confirmed enough that it was done by his will and pleased him.
14 Let this be said in answer to the question, that Christians may not use sword or spear for themselves, nor for those who believe; but because it is necessary for the sake of evil men to defend them and to protect the pious, a Christian, if he is ordered to do so by God, and by those who are in God's stead, may go and slay like the others. Therefore, if a ruler of a country or an authority has to defend himself and protect himself, and if he has to go into battle, go in the name of God, burn, rob, and kill what you find among the enemies; whatever you can do, do it freshly with a good conscience and faith. Do not spare yourself, but do as the warrior does; not
think that you will make widows and orphans, but consider that God has decreed that the land or the people should be ravaged. But if you are struck by it, let God rule it.
15 Thus shalt thou always read in the histories of the children of Israel, how they were commanded to slay all that lived among their enemies, that they should not leave a dog alive. It is his anger against the wicked; for this he needs both the pious and the wicked. Therefore Abram did right in that he spared not the sword; only srisch stabbed and hewed, no mercy showed. So again you read in the first book of Samuel [Cap. 15, 3. 9.), how the Jews wanted to be sober, although they had God's commandment, that they should destroy Amalek, what was in the whole country, dry and clean, not letting live a cattle, shas, house, or stable. For thus he had foretold in the other book of Moses [Cap. 17:14), "I will cut off Amalek from under heaven"; and they were to have complied with this, and to have cleared away everything fresh, so that not a stick remained. But when they did not do so, he was angry, so that he expelled King Saul from the kingdom (1 Sam. 15:23), so that all his blood also had to be cut off because of his disobedience.
16 Thus the pious Abram was skillful and had a heart full of love for everyone, as well as for God. Therefore, afterwards [Cap. 18, 23. ff.] he prays so diligently for the Sodomites that he would have died for them. Where is the love here? Because God wants such things, God's love goes beyond the love of the neighbor. Therefore, these kings would have remained for his sake, because he kept them like his neighbors; but because God called him to be slain, there must be no more love nor mercy.
(17) Therefore let us learn what are called righteous works, to which all histories look, as one finds so many of Samson, David, Elijah, and Elisha, 2c., which seem to reason as if they were done out of anger, revenge, and ill will, that reason cannot distinguish between an angry tyrant and the holy prophets; so they rage. There is still a great difference. Here goes
1) Erlanger: what.
God's word and obedience, and elsewhere one's own will of courage. Therefore, we see the contradiction in Scripture, that those who wanted to show mercy to the enemy, who wanted to be spiritual and pious, angered God and perished.
(18) Learn then from such histories that works are not to be considered at all, but only God's commandment; that you do none, for you have the testimony of His will; so go up with joy, whether you must put yourself and all that you have into it. Then right men go out, are not bound to any work, do nothing except what God has commanded; therefore they are sure that God is pleased with everything they do. So the patriarch went with a good conscience and right faith, knowing that his killing would please God in the best way. It is good to argue with such people, they are courageous and joyful. At times one man can beat ten, twenty or thirty. 1) If they die, they die well. The others are sad and despondent. For this reason he had good war with God's word, which was his right armor; therefore his sword had to press on. Let it be decided, then, that a Christian man, be he what he will and who he will, shall2) wield the sword when he is called upon to do so; if not, let him leave it. Therefore, if the authorities want the priests and the clergy to join them in the field, they are as guilty as the others, even though they finely pull themselves out of the noose against God's order, and want to be free from all authority's command.
(19) This is the story in which we see that Abram kept the love of neighbor, so that he nevertheless put it under God, so that faith and love for God should govern love for neighbor, so that we do not love man more than God. Where it goes right, it also goes right against the neighbor.
(20) After this, love of neighbor shall rule all outward works, that we do all that love requires; so that all the commandments may be mastered by the same, that we may do all things whatsoever we ought to do, to convert other people.
1) Erlanger: to be beaten.
2> In the outputs: it shall.
and to bring them to the faith, as with the Jews and the Gentiles; so that one does them all kinds of love and service that one can, to the faith without harm. For according to love one must judge everything that is commanded against one's neighbor; where it is contrary, it must cease. No law can be set over love; it must rule by force, so that everything may always remain free, whether commanded or not, for the benefit of the neighbor; if not, that everything may only come to ruin. So one should only do freely against the 3) pope's commandment, set against love. Therefore, we have prescribed many examples in which we see faith toward God and love toward one's neighbor so strangely intermingled that it seems contrary to all reason.
(21) This is the first part of this chapter, written to instruct those who deal with warfare, according to God's word or order, not to consider the guilt or innocence of the enemy, but only that God wills it so. For this holy father has certainly struck and strangled many people. And even though he did not do it himself, he nevertheless gave the cause of all the slaughter and murder that was committed, so that he must answer for it: and yet he has done well, and is praised and glorified before God. Without ever arguing in such a way that it is done for the protection of our people, which concerns the Red.
(22) But that the mad princes of the world now wanted to help themselves with this does not apply. For they have only started wars out of sheer will of courage, not to protect their country and people, but to atone for their lust; that is what sets them against each other. The common man has to take the blame, to destroy country and people for the sake of their will to be brave.
(23) But where it is necessary, it is not a will of courage, but to protect the oppressed; for if it is the work of love, it is no longer a sin to make widows and orphans, even to kill the innocent at times, if it cannot be done otherwise. For there it goes, as one says: One neighbor owes another a fire. If we live near each other, we must also expect common misfortune. And even if we do not
3) "des" is missing in Erlanger, 4) Erlanger: wilchen.
But because we are in the crowd that causes it, we must suffer with it. Whom God wants punished, He punishes; therefore, we must look at nothing but the adversity that God's will and wrath brings.
V.17-24. Now when he returned from the battle of KedorLaomor, and the king with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the area called the king's valley. But Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. 1) And he was a priest of GOD Most High, and blessed him, saying, Blessed art thou Abram, to GOD Most High, which possesseth heaven and earth; and blessed be GOD Most High, which hath determined thine enemies into thine hand. And unto the same Abram gave tithes of all the spoil. Then said the king of Sodom unto Abram, Give me the souls, and the spoil keep thee. And Abram said unto the king of Sodom, I lift up my hands unto the LORD God most high, which possesseth heaven and earth, that I will not take of all that is thine, neither a thread nor a lace, lest thou say that thou hast made Abram rich. Except that which the young men have eaten, and the men, Aner, Escol, and Mamre, which went with me, let them take their part.
24. this was done so that Abram would be the more certain that he had acted with God, and God was pleased with his work from the heart, that he punished the kings whom God wanted punished. As one finds more 'in the Scriptures than [2 Kings 10, II. 23.] of 'Jehu, who so purely exterminated the kingship of Ahab and all the priests of Baal that not one remained, as the LORD had spoken. He showed no mercy there, and is praised for it. For such is the same in the sight of God as when a father strikes his children with rods, and he is praised. Therefore he is pleased to give the sword to those who deserve it, so that they may use it only when it is needed. Thus Moses [2 Mos. 32, 28.] slew three thousand men at once, who was the meekest of men, as the Scripture says, because he had GOt-.
1) Marginal gloss: Not that he offered it, but that he fed and honored the guests. By this is meant Christ, who feeds the world with the gospel.
to take away the wrath of the priest. This is what happens here to the pious Abram, that the priest blesses him and strengthens him in this work.
025 Secondly, the high priest indicates that God has performed a miracle when he says, "Praise be to God, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. Abram would have left it well that he should have defeated with three hundred men four mighty kings, who before had laid low five kings, and all where they came. It is a public miracle, therefore he says that God did it.
26 So the text says, "Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine." Sodom and Gomorrah were not far from Jerusalem. But Jerusalem at that time was called Salem. In those days there were not so great kings as now; almost every city had its king. So the king of Sodom and Salem and Abram were with each other. The king of Salem was also a priest of God; therefore he used his office and blessed Abram. No one has looked at this text and cut it out like the epistle to the Hebrews [Cap. 7, 1. ff.). From it one can see what it is to whom God puts the word in the mouth, that he finds and sees what no man had seen. At first, they did not esteem it highly that he offered wine and bread; but our teachers and preachers made it hostile and raised it up, and thus said: he offered bread and wine, therefore it was a figure of the Lord Christ, who also instituted a sacrifice, of his body and blood in the bread and wine. Thus we have been told and led by the nose; they have made of it what they only desire.
(27) Against such error we shall sit down and say, first of all: There is no word in the Hebrew text that means sacrifice. The Hebrew language is as rich as any language, especially to speak of spiritual things and worship; therefore it also has many words that point to sacrifice. But there is none of them here, but a common word, hozi, which actually means prockueera, axpioniara, that is, to bring forth, as from a cellar or pantry, that (it) says so much: he has given Abram and the people who came from the slaughter, a sacrifice.
He gave them food and drink, made them live well and rejoice, thanking God that so many kings had been defeated. This must indicate to our dreamers that Christ should have offered wine and bread when he gave the sacrament to his disciples.
He sacrificed himself only once (Hebr. 7, 27), so that he himself is the priest and also the sacrifice, but the altar is the cross. He could not have offered a more delicious sacrifice to God, because he gave himself to be strangled and burned in love fire. This is the right sacrifice. The sacrament and the mass are only a sign of such a sacrifice, like baptism next to the word of God and faith, since we do not work, but only take, and God only gives. That is why we have torn this saying out of their mouths, that it does not speak of sacrifices, but badly of food and drink, presented to the people who had come from the battle.
29. but he leads it right, that the epistle is to the Hebrews, saying [Cap. 7, 3.] that this Melchizedek is Christ's figure, not that he offers wine and bread, but that he carries it forth. His wine and bread, which he brings forth, are the words of the holy Gospel, that he may feed the strong Christians. For the young Christians are to be fed neatly with milk, as children; for they are not yet manly enough to stand in temptation, and to fight with the devil; there belong armed men, who can wield the sword in their hand, defend themselves, and fight. These are the ones to whom one should present bread and wine, whom one strengthens to the utmost. So that one always remains on it, as often said, that one draws the figures on the preaching office, and lets remain on the teaching. [Just be careful not to interpret it as works that one wants to carry and sacrifice before God, as they also do here.
30 After that it is stated that the king of Salem is described here, and yet it is not indicated who his father or mother was, neither gender nor friendship is mentioned, nor is his death expressed. Moses drives in plump, in the middle of the history, breaks off also briefly again; leaves it to say, where or how he comes, and where he remains; indicates only, what he has with Abram, and
Abram did with him. The epistle to the Hebrews interprets this in a masterly way, saying [Cap. 7, 3]: "Since he is without gender, father and mother, without beginning and end of his life, he is compared to the Son of God, who remains a priest forever. Whoever does not understand Christ, does not understand this figure either. The prophet David understood it well when he says: "The Lord has sworn, and will not repent, that you are a priest forever, after the manner of Melchizedek"; there he expresses exactly what the epistle indicates when he says: "forever"; but not like Melchizedek, after the manner when he offered wine and bread, but as it is written of him, so you are (he says sHebr. 7, 3.]) a priest without father and mother, and without beginning and end.
31 Therefore it is evident that Christ was much more of a priest than the Levitical priests. One was a priest for twenty, thirty, forty or fifty years, but all of them died. 2) The priesthood lasted from the beginning of the race until the end. But this priesthood lasted from the time the race began until the end. Through this priest Adam and Eve had to be absolved; so also the last Christian who is yet to be born. He is an eternal person, who remains forever, because God (says David [Ps. 110, 4Z) has sworn, will hold fast to it, and will not be sorry. How finely the prophet has spoken of it and seen deeply! [It is all written in the short words, which is Christ. He says not, A priest like Aaron, but like Melchizedek. The latter are temporal priests, who preached no more than the law, but helped no one; this priest never dies, but can help forever. That means after the way of Melchizedek, that it concerns an eternal priesthood.
32 Now it is often said what a priest is. It is a mighty and sweet word, that there is not a lovelier, kinder name on earth; and much rather to hear Christ called a priest, than a Lord, or otherwise; without pitying that the devil hath brought into the world, that one may call the
1) "without" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
2) "a" is missing in the Erlanger.
name in such a way and abused it that it was of no use. Our Papist mob has led the name as priests before God, but acted like the boys, and only murdered souls, with outward appearance and violence.
33. priesthood is a spiritual power, which is nothing else than that the priest comes, takes all the infirmities of the people upon himself, not differently, as if it were his own, and asks God for them, takes the word from him, so that he comforts and helps everyone; is even more lovely and comforting than father and mother name; yes, the name brings us all other namesP For by being a priest, he makes God our father, and himself the Lord. If I consider him to be a priest, I know that he does nothing, except that he sits up in heaven as our mercy seat, and there without ceasing represents us before the Father j^Rom. 8, 34.], prays for us (Hebr. 7, 25. I John 2, II, and speaks the best. This is the highest comfort that can befall a man, and no sweeter sermon can be preached into the heart.
34 He has now demonstrated this in the gospel with all his words and works. For he does nothing but serve and help people, and surrenders to everyone, taking upon himself all the wrath we have deserved, costing himself his blood and his life to reconcile us; even now, though he sits up there with the Father in his glory, he still preaches here without ceasing, sweeping, cleansing, carrying, and correcting us through his limbs, as he did bodily on earth, so that he also makes us all priests. I, 6. sii, IOP What could be more comforting to the afflicted conscience?
35 What you now hold against this is vain filth and unwillingness. The papal mob has taken it upon itself to make priests who, with their masses and works, should blot out our sin and reconcile God to Christ and His sweetest name to the highest shame and disgrace, so that no more abominable blasphemy and denial of Christ has come on earth.
Therefore, let us each keep this name pure.
1) Jenaer: they would be.
It is so glorious that we should fall down before it; it was well done when Christianity was still standing. As happened to Paul; when he gave the last 2) and made his farewell, all their eyes went over and fell around his neck [Apost. 20, 37.). For he had acted with them and taught them how a right priest should act. This should also be done well. But those who go on like this, as the pope goes on through the devil, press the world only with laws, and make it full of sins, that they should first be called priests, and the chief priests; let us bless them. Let them be called cane-masters, executioners and murderers. Priests and ministers shall do their office enough, so that they give themselves completely and become servants with life and limb, praying before God and preaching before the people.
This is the saying of David (Ps. 110:4), drawn from this text powerfully, mightily, that Christ is an eternal priest, after the manner of Melchizedek, that is, an eternal, immortal priest; for he will comfort the conscience, not by works, or any temporal thing. For it is ever the greatest comfort that his priesthood stands forever; if it stands forever, it is not possible for us to be condemned. Here is our mercy seat and priest, which does not cease; even if we stumble and fall back, so that the devil overpowers us, it stands and does not fall: that God has not spoken alone, but has sworn to assure our consciences to the highest degree, that we keep the promise; take an oath to this effect, and say that it shall not repent Him, if it were enough that God said [it] alone. Now Melchizedek was a man, that he also died; but because the Scripture does not report it, he is like, says the prophet, the true Melchizedek, who truly has no beginning nor end.
Now, I have also spoken of the priesthood before, how we are all kings and priests in Christ [Revelation 1:6]. Which is also the great and mighty treasure, that through Christ we are allowed to come before God (Hebr. 4, 16), to ask, to teach and to preach, and to have the authority to be called children of God (Joh.
2) Erlanger: letzt Gabe. Jenaer: last gift. Wittenberger: letzt gäbe. Letze - Valete is also often written "Letzte".
1, 12.]. Which stretches so far, that what we ask, we are sure, that he hears us ^1 Joh. 5, 14.], like a father his child. It is ever an exuberant good that he honors me poor maggot sack so highly that he listens to me and lets my word count. For this we also have the power, what we preach, that [it] is valid as much as [if] God Himself said it. When a Christian preaches, baptizes or absolves, it is as much as if God Himself came down, spoke, and did everything Himself; He has kept nothing that He has not given us. What more shall he do?
39. Is it not beyond measure that a man should become God? Nor has he also said it in the Scripture M'. 82, 6.s said: "I have said that you are gods, and all children of the Most High", because because we become His children, we must also become fellows of the divine nature and name, as Peter [2. Ep. 1, 4.] says. Our word and work is all God's word and work, without distinction. That is how close he is to us, and how highly he blesses us. This is the priesthood of Christ, which all stands and lies in faith, which the epistle to the Hebrews j^Cap. 11, 6. ff.s so abundantly leads.
(40) They also refer to this king's name, Melchizedek, rex Lalem, which means in German, king of righteousness, king of peace. The two titles actually belong to Christ, that he is both, a king of righteousness and of peace. How so? We have said that righteousness is what God gives us in the heart, so that we become true and righteous through it, so that he is true and righteous; this is nothing else than his grace, so that we also become like him in heart, as wise and strong as he is; all the virtues that he has in himself are imparted to us through the gospel, if we believe that we are heirs with him in the heavenly being. So Christ is a king of righteousness because he is the head from whom all righteousness flows into Christians. For through him alone must we attain to it.
Now notice what a great, beautiful title this is, and what a lovely kingdom. Christ is the king of righteousness, truth, light and life; the devil is the king of unrighteousness, death, darkness and lies. Everything that Christ in his kingdom
Luther's Works. Vol. m.
He works to make people righteous; if this is to happen, he must put away sin and take it away. Therefore his kingdom is nothing else, but that he should rid us of sin. Therefore, if you want to understand Christ, understand the two names. Now despite him that taketh away his name, that any man should be called a king of righteousness. One may find kings of court, of worldly honor and good, 2c. but one does not find a king of righteousness but this one alone. Therefore those who seek righteousness by works and free will are already outside Christ, in the kingdom of the devil. Now Christ's kingdom is nothing but a constant exercise on earth. That we may be freed from sins, no one does but this priest, who alone executes it, that we may be freed from calamity; not with driving and beating by the 2) law, but by the comforting gospel and the 3) sweet grace and goodness.
42 Furthermore, the most noble prize and virtue of this kingdom is that it is called a peaceful kingdom. Where his kingdom is, there shall be peace [Rom. 5:1]. Not outwardly, but in the conscience, that the same is sure, joyful and undaunted. This is what the heart feels when it is at ease and at one with God. He who does not yet have peace does not belong in the kingdom. Thus, recently it has been depicted how Melchizedek is Christ's figure with the eternal kingdom and priesthood.
43 Lastly, the text says how Abram gave a tithe of all the spoils to Melchizedek. The epistle [Heb. 7, 5. ff.] now shows this with many words; it wants to conclude: Because Abram gives tithes to Melchizedek, and Abram takes blessings from him as from a priest, it is a sign that Melchizedek is greater than Abram. Although the Jews are of the opinion that Abram was greater, so much is proved from the text that Abram professes to be less. From this it is seen how the Levitical priesthood was inferior to the priesthood of Christ. The priests, who are of Levi, came from Abram, and through him they were ten times as much as the priest Melchizedek, while they were still in the priesthood.
1) Wittenberg and Erlangen: the.
2) "that" is missing in the Erlanger.
3) "the" is missing in the Erlanger.
Abram's loins were. There is no eternal priesthood. If Melchizedek's priesthood is to be eternal, not after the Levites, it must ever be more precious than Abram's and what came from him.
44. so here is the last thing according to history, that already at that time the priests took tithes. For God has from the beginning of the world provided for the ministry that they take their food from other people; also Christ [Matth. 10, 10.] confirmed it, and Paul, as, Gal. 6, 6. where he says: "He who is taught by the word divides with all good things to him who teaches him." It is a divine order, and it would have been well worth it, that one would have stayed with it in Christianity, that one would have provided such a pastor with the tithes". But now that freedom has been torn down, the preachers are commanded on their conscience to take as much as they need; although St. Paul did not use or demand such, he was nevertheless right. Now because compulsion is out in the New Testament, there is no need to tithe. Such an order, I say, would still be fine, if we were to be one among ourselves; but the priests who preach should also be allowed to do so, because God has ordained that they feed on the gospel [1 Cor. 9:14], but those who want to be of the spiritual state and do not preach the gospel should not have it. If one finds such, one could feed them with it, but one will find few enough of them.
(45) The world is full of others, all of whom have enough, and preach no gospel; have more than half the goods of the well, if it be divided equally; pretend no more than that they are spiritual. To what end are they spiritual? That they feast and demmen, preach no word of God. They are the ones who desecrate the noble and pure name, which should be considered holy.
(46) I say this so that it may be known how God Himself ordered it at that time, and how it has been kept for a long time afterward, that the priests had to tithe. But as it stands now, it will come to this, that the gospel must be dropped, only because one does not want to give those who preach it their food. That others do it in vain
is not right; for it is well known that such people have little air to the gospel, to whom everyone should preach for free. But those who are the devil's preachers are to be given enough, as has been done; to this the whole world gives with heaps. We are already facing the same situation: no one is willing or able to give to the gospel; we are all worried that we will become poor and starve.
The last part of this chapter is that the king of Sodom says to Abram that he should keep the goods and give him the souls alone; but Abram swears that he will not keep a thread of them all, lest he say that he has made him rich. Moses also describes this as if there was great power in it, but it seems to be a bad history. There is no doubt that there was great wealth; it is to be thought, since four kings are defeated, who had won so much land, and brought together great, mighty wealth, and Abram takes it all back from them. It must have been a great booty, that [he], if he had kept it, would certainly have become as rich as one of the kings. Now the king of Sodom, recognizing such a miracle that God had done through him, wanted to be grateful to Him for giving him all his possessions, without the living bodies. He refused, and would not even take a shoe lace from it.
48 I have said before [Cap. 2, § 14] that one must get used to the word "soul" in the Scriptures, that it is not only the spirit that separates from the body, as we use it in our language, but the living body, living people. This is the way of speaking in Hebrew, as Christ also speaks in John [Cap. 10, 12]: "A good shepherd leaves his soul for his sheep"; item [Cap. 12, 25]: "He who hates his soul" 2c.
49 What then does the Holy Spirit teach in this example? A great, noble, valiant fruit of faith, how finely free a man clings to God, even without all avarice; that such an example the Holy Spirit considered good, that it should be written to strengthen us against vice. For behold, how great a cause he has to take the good to himself. First of all, if he is a stranger in the land, it would be a great advantage for him to have as much as the king, so that he might sit down and stay in the land with the king.
feif has often had to suffer much from his neighbors, so that he could never sit safely and quietly. And even more honestly, because he has earned it himself with his work, has put his life and limb into it, so that it is also due to him before God; in addition, that the king gladly gives it to him, and even accepts it, yes, is glad that he is only saved; so that he has good reason and right to it on all sides.
(50) Why then is he afraid to take it? Not other than that he wanted to avoid evil appearances; as he himself says: "That you do not say that you made Abram rich. He could not leave the honor and glory to the king. For if he had accepted it, he would have said, He had given so much to Abram, and should have been his debtor; as always happens when one accepts such things, it is sweet; but it soon sows. As it is also said, It is not bought more dear than that which is taken as a gift; if one does not give it back double, he is said to be ungrateful, and must be bound to have right to one. So it is also in the secular regime: that fs] is something better, one buys it and pays for it freely, than to have it given to him. This is what he wants to do here, too, to be bound to the king, even if he has the right to do so.
1) In the editions: "somewhat better" in the Jena one with the conjecture "about" in the margin.
51 But the greatest cause is this: that he keeps his honor pure to God, and proves his faith, how he is not at all attached to temporal goods, and for the sake of evil reputation prefers to leave his right. Now let us look at the world, how many would be found who would do the same? We are so drowned in goods that it is better to throw everything into the redoubt before someone lets something go for nothing, even if he has the right to do so. Then see what kind of spirit it was that drew the sword in such a way that he got land and people and property, as the mad princes do now. Therefore the Historia forces, that Abram had a high, sincere spirit in that; not at all his use sought, but only his neighbor, that he pardons himself here such large property and use. Therefore he now says: "I have a Lord, to whom I lift up my hands", who has given that the kings are defeated, will also give what is necessary for me. I will give glory to God alone, and not to you, that I may have something from you.
(52) This chapter is written for our instruction, that we do not act like fools who do not believe in the Old Testament. [It is a great store and treasure given unto us, that we may strengthen our faith, a thousand times better than all the legends that were ever written.