V.1-27. When Abram was nine and ninety years old, the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "I am the Almighty God, walk before me and be without change; and I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you almost greatly. Then Abram fell on his face. And God spake further unto him, saying, Behold, I am, and have my covenant with thee, and thou shalt become a father of many nations. Therefore thou shalt no more be called Abram 4),
4) Marginal gloss: Abram is called high father, but Abraham, the heap father; although the same heap is indicated only with one letter in his name, not without cause.
But Abraham shall be thy name: for I have made thee the father of many nations. And I will make thee almost very fruitful, and will make of thee nations, and kings also shall come of thee. 5) And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, among their seed, to be an everlasting covenant; that I may be thy God, and thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger within, even all the land of Canaan,
5) The following, to the end of the chapter, is missing in the Wittenberg.
for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. And God said to Abraham, "Keep my covenant, you and your seed after you, with their descendants. Now this is my covenant, which you shall keep between me and you, and your seed after you, among their descendants: Every male among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh; the same shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. Every male child that is eight days old shall be circumcised among your descendants. In the same way, you shall circumcise all that are born at home or bought from all strangers who are not of your seed. So shall my covenant be upon your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And if a child be not circumcised in the foreskin of his flesh, his soul shall be cut off from among his people, because he hath omitted my covenant. And God said again unto Abraham, Thou shalt no more call thy wife Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. For I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son. For I will bless her, and nations shall come out of her, and kings over many booms. Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto me an hundred years old, and shall Sarah bear ninety years old? And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael should live before thee! And God said, Yea, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac: for with him will I establish mine everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. For Ishmael also have I heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and multiply him almost greatly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. And I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this time in the next year. And he ceased speaking with him, and God departed from Abraham. Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants that were born at home, and all that he bought, and all that was man's name in his house, and circumcised the foreskin of their flesh that very day, as God had told him. And Abraham was nine and ninety years old when he
circumcised the foreskin of his flesh. Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when his flesh was circumcised. On the same day they were all circumcised, Abraham, his son Ishmael, and whatever man's name was in his house, born at home and bought from strangers; all were circumcised with him.
(1) We have heard so far how the patriarch Abraham was first promised God's grace and protection, then a fruit and reward from his rightful wife. Now the chapter describes how God speaks to him again, and changes his name and his wife's name, and establishes the covenant of circumcision with him; and especially that he promises him the son Isaac from his wife Sarah. It is a large chapter and belongs to the scholars, but we will make as much of it as we can. The first promise is where God promises him, as [Cap. 15, 1.] heard, that he would be his protection and his reward, on which words he hung with faith, as before on the other. But, as I have said, when God denies His promise and His word, it is always a matter of a new and better faith. For because we are on earth, no one becomes so perfect, must always increase, and become stronger. Thus God has led this holy man on and on, and always held forth new pieces; thus he has always remained in One Faith, although the matter and the quarrels have changed in many ways, for the sake of which he gives the word again, to strengthen the same faith, as I said, even more.
Now this was a great mighty faith, that Paul also praises it Rom. 4, 18-20: "Abraham praised and gave glory to God, when he believed against all reason and hope, not considering his dead body and his wife," since it was impossible and unavoidable according to nature that they should have children. He put all this out of his sight, not judging it by the way he felt it and poked it under his eyes, but by the mere word, and so said: "God is true, faithful and almighty, therefore I do not ask how impossible it is; since I have His word and promise, I cannot lack it, if all other things are faithful.
For faith is a light that guides him and shines in the darkness where reason is blind and becomes a fool. It is impossible for nature, but it is possible for God. Therefore, where the word is: "God says," only listen to reason. Now in that you praise and honor God in this way, faith is counted to you as righteousness. For this, as said before [Cap. 15, § 9], is the right honor of God, when one considers Him to be and to be able to do everything that belongs to God; thus I have served and worshipped Him. But what belongs to God? That he is almighty, kind, merciful, just, true and wise, and all that is good. To give all these things to him is the right service of God.
4 Abraham does this here, as Paul says [Rom. 4:17, 21], in that he believed him who calls things that are not, that they are. For he knows well, Abraham, that if all creatures worked together with all their strength, they could not give him a son; all creatures must despair of this. But he thinks: Yes, God can do it, not only from an old woman, but also from a stone [Matth. 3, 9]. [It is "something great, 1) that he can believe such things, even though they seem easy. Because he believed this, he trusted God more than he should, that he would give him eternal life and all good things. If he proposed to us in this way, saying, "Here you have a handful or a grain, and I will feed you with it all the year," who would believe? Then we would see how impossible it would be for nature, for because you would see it, faith would have to fall.
5 This is how it will be when we die. There is God's word and the sacrament or sign that God wants to give you eternal life. There is the wretched being, sin, death and hell, and what one leaves in this life. This is certain, that is uncertain. Whoever could grasp God's word, which Peter calls a light in a dark place, and close his eyes and see through death into life, as Abraham does here, steps into the darkness, does not jump back alone, and is not frightened,
1) In the issues: Is but large.
Luther's Works. Vol. HI.
but is confident and joyful to it, that his heart laughs, that it must have been an exuberant faith, which conceived and said in the most complete way: Now it is certain. As if he should say: How great strange thing and miracle is this, how impossible it will be before the people! So that the laughter would not be understood as coming from doubt, but from great miracles of faith.
Now the example is also written for us, that we may learn everywhere the manner of righteous faith, that it has no light but the word of God, and that he who follows it does right worship. Therefore Paul says: "He was strong in faith, praised God, and knew with certainty that what God promises he can also do"; as if he should say: If God has spoken it, he will certainly not lie. So you see how Abraham gives God in one heap what he should give him, that he is almighty and can do it; in addition, he is wise, so that he knows how he should do it; item, truly, so that he certainly keeps what he says 2c. Thus he has served God to the highest degree; for where the heart does not keep such things and believe of God, there is no true worship, but all hypocrisy, which is invented for worship. Thus, faith is sufficiently explained that it is not necessary to say more about it. We will now see the pieces that the chapter deals with in particular.
(7) At the first God takes and changes his name, saying, "You shall no longer be called Abram, but Abraham," that the name may be lengthened a little, and gives the reason why it should be called, "I have made you a father of many nations," that Abraham may be called a father from whom many nations come. The former name Abram, of two syllables, is made from the word Ab, which in German means a father, and soi] Ram means high. Thus Abram is called a high father. He changes the name to him, he shall no longer be called high father, but father of many peoples; but not so that this word Abraham would completely give the interpretation, which he sets here. For there is not more than one letter, namely a sr] h put in between, that the name of a syllable becomes longer. Now this must be a mMerium. The letter h means in the
Hebrew language especially before the others. Here, however, the word Hamon, that is, a heap, is decided in it; from it comes the word Mahamon, which we say Mammon, which Christ uses gladly in the Gospel; so that the one letter indicates a heap of nations. And has so strangely broken the name that it would be almost impossible to feel that it should be called so much, where God did not interpret it, because it is so broken and thrown among each other; will also remain so. It was undoubtedly made so that he would be a father to those who would believe righteously, as St. Paul indicates in Romans 4:11.
8 So he also changes the name of the woman. Before she was called Sarai, now, he says, she shall be called Sarah. There is one letter less, Sarai is called my wife; for the letter Jod at the end gives as much as the word my: as Eli, Eli, my God, Adonai, my Lord, Abi, my father, but Sarah is called äomina, a woman, not in general a woman's image, but who rules in the house; not like the man, but like a maid of one says: This is my wife. God wanted Abraham's wife, his legitimate wife, not to be his mistress, but his servant. He did not do this because it was important that she be called what she was called, without her having to be a figure, beginning and interpretation of the New Testament people. For this is what Paul says in Gal. 4:24: "Hagar was the mother of the saints called Ishmael, who were captives of good works, who were under the law, not merry and willing, but servants, not of the blessed seed, but of flesh and blood alone, without the word of God.
(9) But to this seed of the woman is added the word of God, which is the treasure, against which flesh and blood are nothing. It reads as badly to reason as if a cobbler had spoken it, but in the sight of God the treasure is so great that it is inconceivable. Therefore hath he called her Sarah, that she should be the right wife, that is, that we should be Sarah's children. Why? Sarah bore a son, not of flesh and blood, and yet is flesh and blood; ser] is her fruit, but not
Flesh and blood work. 1) The divine majesty pours out the power with the word, therefore he is a child of the divine word, but raised in flesh and blood. The miracle God wants to perform, that he lets a son be born of flesh and blood, but not through flesh and blood.
(10) Therefore, 2) God's children are not without being born through the Word. Isaac is also born bodily through the Word, [it] did not have to be through flesh and blood at all; otherwise Hagar would be sund]. Ishmael also mother and son. Thus everything that flesh and blood can do is laid down here, and a verdict is reached: What is not of God's word is lost, be it a spiritual life, as it may; if it goes by free will, even if it goes by God's law, it does not make it children of God. 3) But if you are to become an Isaac, you must be born differently and also have the promise that makes you an heir. It lies there so badly, like a dead word, nor is it so strong that it closes and judges the whole world. 4) Paul calls the children of Saree, the woman who is a wife in the house, who has power over the property, not a maid who takes the wages and goes away; but who cannot be put out of the house, and has the husband's property under her, rules the servants, and, 5) what is in the house, over it she is master. That is why Paul calls her the free woman, that is, no one's maid nor subject, but the house is her subject.
This is the Christian church, which is the right Sara, quite free, has no one above her, because her householder, Christ, that is her husband, has right to her. Thus she has what he has, word, spirit, baptism, sacrament; what she creates, that is done in heaven and earth; what she says, that he confirms; what she does, that God does; [it] is just as valid as if God himself baptized or absolved. The power is so great that no one can sufficiently measure and praise it. God has placed His power in her womb and given her the keys, as a woman, so that what she does and how she does it, she can do.
1) Jenaer: Work.
2) Erlanger: they are.
3) "GOttes" is missing in the Erlanger.
4) Erlanger: Da.
5) "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
She may do anything she wants, but only that she does not step over the line and follow another, that is, that she does not preach any further and that she drives with conscience, that she does not raise anything new, but keeps to what he does, then she is the dear bride. We are her children, we are born of her, we are also her heirs. Therefore it is fine here that we have what Christ and his bride have. But the gospel is her womb, with it she bears and gives birth; so we become God's children, Isaac's brothers, born after Isaac (that is, according to the promise) from the free one, who 1) we have God's word.
(12) Therefore we are not servants, saith Paul again, but only children and sons of a free woman; going forth of a free and willing spirit, doing all things in vain, not looking to the reward, as a servant. For they are born into the inheritance, that they may do no work to acquire it, are in the womb of their mother; therefore they do not look at their works, but do more than is required, have no other merit than that they are born. Birth means that the inheritance is their own; he is the father, who must think to make the inheritance and place them in his estate; they can do nothing about it.
(13) Behold, we see in all places in Scripture what a true Christian being should be, and how God has hidden and concealed such a thing in Scripture before; yet so strongly that everyone must say it is right, and can see that God had such in mind, that he once wanted such a sermon to go forth from faith. For here you see no work, no commandment, but only a promise, graciously given. 2) He sees no work, nor does he command it, but he freely says that she should bear him a child. These are words, not which command, but which give; therefore he is not born of his father's or his mother's merit, but comes from the word, so that Abraham could do nothing about it. As he therefore is born, so must we all be born; so shall we all come into the inheritance, and become Chri-
1) Erlanger: like.
2) Jenaer: "Geschenck".
We have never deserved nor sought to hear God's word, but he comes before every thought and says: Believe in Christ and you will be saved. From this we become other people, undeservedly and unawares.
(14) Now what does Isaac want to boast about? Whence shall he have an inheritance? Abraham gathered it, but did not make it nor think of it; it comes only from God's word making him a child and placing him in Abraham's bosom? Therefore he cannot take anything for himself, because God has placed him in the inheritance, not by his own doing, but by the word of God. So he cannot boast that he is God's child, because God preached the gospel to him and gave him faith. In the same way, we are not blessed anywhere except by the fact that God gave birth to us through the Word and made us children.
(15) Behold, these are the bad histories, when one considers it according to reason, that one should mock God; as some have done. But let them fool and jest; God has a way of dealing with human things, such as begetting children and the like, but is adorned and adorned with such gracious sayings and high interpretations for the sole purpose of making fools of the high-souled.
(16) So we conclude from history what is pleasing in the sight of God to make children; no human power, no commandment, no work. He must come first with His word, that we may become children with Isaac, that we may know that it is all grace, and that we may do it only by faith, which is so great that it makes us right heirs, and which alone is the right service of God.
(17) Since this is so, what then is done after the inheritance or new 4) birth? Answer: Therefore one must direct the works to other things, and say: You must not go idle, but do works, but with that you do not create the inheritance, because it is there before. How, then, shall one do nothing? No, but go and work so that the inheritance and goods may be increased and become great. So we have it by faith. But we do not do good works, for because of this
3) Erlanger: like.
4) "neuen" is missing in the Erlanger, but is in the text in the Wittenberger, and in brackets in the Jenaer.
preach and bring other people to it with words and works, so that our lives are directed toward helping other people as well. This teaching is given to us here in the piece that we have now seen and heard so often, that we may be sure and prepared, and not be carried away.
18 Thus we have the mighty promise, and the great faith of Abraham, and how his name and his wife's name are changed: his is abolished, and theirs is shortened, and so God turns it back. When the word comes, the kingdom of faith begins, and our works cease, and what is in us is no more. Faith increases and works decrease; otherwise they are great, long and many, but faith small and short. Therefore it must be reversed, that here something may increase, that Abraham's name may lengthen, and there something may decrease.
Now there is another piece here, about circumcision, which is also to be regarded as a rather foolish and shameful commandment. I have preached about it several times, and anyone who wants to may read it further in the posts. It is the piece that St. Paul refers to everywhere, and has a lot to do with it. For the Jews relied heavily on it.
20) But look at 2) the order: Abraham is promised that God would be his protector; item, to give him a son by his right wife, and to multiply his seed very much 2c.; after the same promises to all he commands him to perform this sign on his flesh, so that he outwardly confesses that he is his God, and he, Abraham, is his servant. Then he must do an outward work; it is not yet his righteousness, but must do it freely for nothing. For faith has already made him righteous and blessed beforehand, just as Isaac is born through the grace of God; but as soon as he is born, he is already the heir. Therefore circumcision does not help; if he had never been circumcised, he would still have remained the Son.
Now Paul interprets this in a masterly way when he says Rom. 4, 11: "Circumcision is no more than a sign, so that he may be seen by the
- 1) "it" is missing in the Erlanger.
L) Erlanger: on it, on-
confessed to people. For before, because' he was justified by faith, he had to bear the sign to confess the God, all whom he believed. Therefore it is called Paul siZilluw ^ustitias üäsi, a seal of the righteousness of faith. For as with a seal is proved that which shall have power, so also by circumcision is it proved before the world, that every man said, By this Abraham confessed his God and faith. As also we, if we believe, are free from all sins, and are the children of God; which we prove before men by baptism, and by the foolish sign, as the heathen say, that we eat our God. For all these signs are such that reason must laugh and mock at them.
22 But God takes the sign to show the interpretation in it. He might have called Abraham circumcised in another place, but in the shameful place, because it is sin and shame in the sight of the world; therefore the Gentiles also mocked the Jews in the most shameful way and insulted them. It serves nothing to merit grace, but only as a sign of faith, required for confession and testimony before the world, that they may be offended and become fools, and yet no one may be saved except by the faith of Abraham, who was circumcised [Rom. 4:16].
(23) Therefore you must cast down your wisdom and become a fool. Laugh as long as you can that we are put into the water; yet it is decreed before God: If you are to be rid of sins and become blessed, you must become like the fool who comes out of baptism, or you will lack the kingdom of heaven.
God gladly takes such foolish signs, shameful and disgraceful in the eyes of the world, so that they get angry at them) For if he did not, the proud courage would remain stuck in us, that we and our wisdom were also something; then everyone would run to us. But he wants us to break our mind and crawl into another skin. And because God wants this, we should be pleased with it and not consider it foolishness. This is the original
3) Wittenberg and Erlanger: deß.
4) Wittenberger and Erlanger: annoyed.
f^It^ is recently nothing else than to take off the old Adam, to go through the cross, shame and disgrace in death and all misfortune, as God sends it] to us.
25 But besides this it is to be noted that we can argue with the Jews and lead the text rightly, namely, that we do not consider circumcision higher than an outward sign, so that Abraham proves his inward faith, as we do in baptism. For this is how Paul presents circumcision against the Jews, and finally concludes that they cannot boast of the work before all the Gentiles, of which Abraham himself cannot boast that he became something before God through it, but was already something before, through faith in God's word. So also we, before we take the sacrament of baptism or the altar, must have faith, but the sign is a proof before the people.
(26) Thou shalt also say of all good works. Why are they commanded, when the
Is Faith Sufficient? It is true that faith alone is sufficient 1) in the sight of God, that no works are needed for it; but works must be done to prove faith before the world, so that God may be praised and my neighbor may also be provoked to faith [Matth. 5, 16]. I should not do anything for myself, but must love for the sake of others, to praise God and to serve my neighbor, so that other leaders may also come to us. Now that is born of Abraham, of the flesh and blood only, and is also circumcised, this does nothing; for Ishmael is also of Abraham and also circumcised, yet he is not counted for Abraham's seed. What then is lacking? Because he had flesh and blood, which he brought from Abraham, but he had neither faith nor word. For he that shall be his seed, saith Paul, must have the faith that he hath. Thus he becomes a father to all those who believe in Christ, since he believed in him. We have now heard enough of this.
1) Erlanger: enough.