So far, we have heard a wide-ranging treatise on the righteousness of faith. Although this righteousness is weak in this flesh, he has opposed it to all the splendor of idols and human righteousness, because the works of God are constant and enduring, and the words of God are certain and come to pass. But the choicest of the pagans, idols and saints of works, he says, is an abomination. Now he comes back to Christ. As if he wanted to
I will show you where you can most abundantly find that which I have now praised: It is Christ. Now he presents him as the teacher, master and governor, whom we should hear and to whom we should adhere. We should be quite sure about his word and work.
V. 1. Behold, this is my servant.
2 This is to be diligently noted that he says "a servant," as Paul also does Cor.
2, 2.]: "I know nothing but Christ" (not the Lord, but) "the crucified." For this is how we are to receive him, as the servant who offers us the divine word, who takes our sins upon himself, who endures for us the punishment which we ourselves deserved. But the form of the servant is despised, therefore the Jews did not receive him, And Christ himself warns us by saying: "Blessed are they who do not take offense at me" [Matth. 11, 6.].
But at the same time, through this name, all services, all deeds and works are annulled and rejected, because this Christ alone is God's servant. Therefore, the servile service of the monks and the entire papacy is ungodly, since they boast, without trusting in this servant, that they serve God with their way of life, clothing, fasting, shouting and other foolish works.
I receive it.
4. I support him, I rest in him, as Paul says that the whole Godhead is in Christ bodily [Col. 2, 9.]. Therefore all should hear this servant of God and believe him. This servant alone, who has such powerful testimonies, can make us certain of the Father's gracious and good will. If we believe him, we will also be made servants and chosen before God, although in this flesh there are remnants of sin and the highest weakness.
He will bring justice among the Gentiles.
5. he will be another person than Moses, who was hidden in the corner of the Jewish land. For he shall spread the law, that is, the word of the gospel, among the Gentiles, who wander in error, and are involved in divers sects and idolatries. But Moses' word was unfruitful, and he himself had a heavy tongue. But this [my servant's] tongue is full of grace [John 1:14], therefore the word also shall be strong. He calls it "a right," because the gospel badly condemns all righteousness, and praises and offers Christ's righteousness alone. But because this is by the word alone, therefore the teaching is vexatious, and this kingdom is despised.
V. 2. He will not cry out nor shout.
6 [Instead of: Non clamabit, neque accipiet personam; nec audietur vox ejus foris in the Vulgate] translate, "He will not shout nor call, and his voice will not be heard in the streets," that is, Christ will teach, but without shouting; he will not be a stormy, but a gentle and sweet preacher. And his voice will not be heard, that is, the voice of anger and unrest, but he will make the voice of grace heard, as he now adds:
V. 3. He will not break the crushed reed.
7 Here he describes Christ with the most beautiful images, that he is a physician for troubled consciences, who does not throw away the crushed reed, that is, the wounded conscience, the fainthearted, those who are frightened at the sight of their sins, the weak in life and faith, does not suppress them, does not condemn them, but waits for them, heals them, and lovingly embraces them.
(8) There are many examples of this throughout the Scriptures, but the most numerous and the most beautiful are in the history of the Gospels. See Peter, who denied Christ three times. See the rest of the apostles who shamefully forsook Christ. Christ does not severely rebuke them, he does not persecute and condemn them, but he attracts them to him in the friendliest way, removes their terror, and even calls them brothers. See the woman caught in adultery, Joh. 8, 3. ff. See the poor sinner [Luc. 7, 37. ff.]. Look at the thief on the cross [Luc. 23, 42. 43.], and you will see how he does not break the crushed reed, but straightens and strengthens it. The saints of works do not do this; rather, the more diligent they are in their superstition, the more sharply they demand it of others, and take no account of weakness or conscience.
He will not extinguish the smoldering wick.
(9) Methinks these two pieces can be easily distinguished from each other, if the former is referred to conscience, and the latter to the latter.
The latter is due to the weakness of the walk, as when some are angry, hasty, careless, suspicious 2c., but especially to those who have been called passionate (passionatos). These, he says, Christ will not take away. Thus we see in the Gospel this lightness in Christ, that he bears his disciples, who at times did inconsistent things, in the kindest way. Paul also commands: "Bear one another's burdens" [Gal. 6:2].
(10) So when you see an angry, suspicious, careless brother, think like this: This brother's burden must I bear; him shall I not reject, so long as he confesses Christ. The way of life of the brethren should indeed be sincere and lovely, like the light; but at times they are provoked by Satan, at times by the flesh, to sadness, to anger, to sullenness; there they must be borne, there the wickedness must not be extinguished, but entertained 2c. The superstitious and the saints of works do the opposite, who are so sullen and judge others so severely that they would like to extinguish the smoldering wick altogether, as much as there is in them. A Christian, however, should be a physician in his conscience, but a palpable animal (asinus) in his outward way of life, which carries the burdens of the brethren.
If a small mistake is made by us somewhere, our adversaries immediately exclaim: Is this the evangelical life? Is this Christian morality? These are foolish men, and do not know the Scriptures; they do not see that this is the law of Christians, that they should bear the weak brethren. But why would this commandment be necessary if all were perfectly holy? So in the holy church there must be weak ones and those whose doings offend us, just as in the human body there are not only legs, but also weak and soft flesh. Therefore, the kingdom of Christ consists of people who carry and who are carried. And our life is something composed of strength and weakness.
He will truly teach to keep the law.
12. He punishes the adversaries and the hypocrites in a hidden way. For when these hear,
that such goodness should be among Christians, they say: Where then is the mortification of the flesh, if we are thus to see through the fingers of the brethren's faults? Therefore he says: Christ will truly teach to keep the law. You boast of the mortification of the flesh, and pretend to good works; but of the mortification of the passions you know nothing at all. Christ will teach His own differently, who will kill this pestilence, presumption and keeping to themselves. If, however, in the rest of their lives a sin sometimes creeps in, they have the Lord's Prayer in which they ask for forgiveness, and it will be forgiven them.
V. 4. that he might establish justice on earth.
He himself will establish this kingdom so that it will be firm and lasting, no matter how much Satan tries to overthrow it through the princes in the world. For with the word "establish" he indicates the cross.
V. 5. Thus says God, the Lord.
(14) Hitherto he has praised Christ to us; this he does also now, only that he now addresses the speech to the Master himself and to our leader. All these words: "I, the Lord, have called you, I have taken you by your hand," 2c., are to be taken exclusively to exclude all others, that none other than this Christ should be our teacher, as he also says in the Gospel: "Him you shall hear" [Matth. 17, 5.]. And this is also the reason why he boasts of his power, so that he may emphasize the words and deter us from hearing or following other teachers.
V. 6. I, the Lord, have called you with righteousness.
15 There is an emphasis in the word "righteousness," that is, I have called you to teach and propagate righteousness. Therefore, apart from Christ, there is nothing but sin. Moses and all the laws, all the teachings in the world, except this teaching of Christ, contribute nothing to the righteousness that is before God.
I have taken you by the hand.
16 Because Satan and the world will resist your ministry with all their justice, power and wisdom. This is what we learn nowadays. For "the chariots of God retain the victory," but "in the mud of great waters," Hab. 3:8, 15. But this passage comforts us that God has taken Christ by the hand. Therefore, we should first hold on to the fact that this teaching, for the sake of which the world hates us, is Christ's teaching. If this is certain, then the prophet will not deceive us, but we will learn that God has taken Christ by the hand, and that the word of the gospel cannot be destroyed by any plots, by any deceptions, by any violence or cunning. But this grasping by the hand is not visible. Therefore it happens that the adversaries have the confidence that this teaching can be suppressed, and that we are sometimes fearful because of weakness.
I have given you to the covenant among the people.
(17) Where then is the covenant of Moses and of the law? Thus he abolishes the whole law with one word and does away with it with all its righteousness, worship and works. But this passage serves to fortify the conscience. For since nothing is more harmful than misgivings of conscience and doubts, he says that Christ is our covenant, so that we may be assured of the first commandment, that God in Christ, and through Christ, wants to be our Father and God, that Christ should be the covenant and the pledge of grace, not any good works that are ours 2c.
To the light of the Gentiles.
18. He is not given for a covenant among the Gentiles, because Christ was promised to the Jews alone, and was only "a minister of the circumcision" [Rom. 15, 8.]. But through this covenant, through this ministry, the light is spread among the Gentiles.
19 In this passage we must also note that it is exclusive, that other covenants are excluded, that apart from Christ there is no covenant, no light, but blindness, and enmity against God and the wrath of God.
V. 7. That thou mayest open the eyes of the blind.
Consequently, Christ finds all those to whom he comes "blind," that is, without knowledge of God, bound and held captive by Satan, by death, by sin, and by the law. The defenders of free will do not believe this, 1) the papists do not believe this, Lucian's followers, the mockers of religion, ridicule this. Consequently, apart from the gospel there is nothing but darkness and prison, so that even if we have some knowledge, we cannot follow it or act on it because we are bound.
V. 8. I, the Lord, that is my name.
Here he again praises his majesty and divinity. For the Holy Spirit knows that the world hates this leader, Christ, most of all. For why have so many orders been invented, so many works devised, so many monasteries and foundations built, than in order to obscure Christ, whom the entire papacy today hates and persecutes to the utmost? That is why this prize was necessary.
I don't want to give my honor to anyone else.
(22) Here he makes it evident that he excludes and condemns everything else that is not Christ's word or work. For I had not for it that the prophet speaks of the deity of Christ, but par excellence of the office and works of Christ, so that the glory of righteousness must be understood by it. As if he wanted to say, "I will give my glory to no other"; this Christ alone shall be your righteousness. Those who do not cling to this Christ in faith are unrighteous and will be condemned, even if they allow themselves to be killed and, according to appearances, lead the holiest life. To this one Christ I give my glory, that he may justify those who believe in him. Therefore, no other crea-
1) Ho" k^psraspistas lidsri arditrii non ersännt. These words are directed against Erasmus, who had given his writing against Luther's "Answer to Erasmus that free will is nothing" the title H^psraspistss. Lgl. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIII, inset p. 67a.
ture, neither in heaven nor on earth, no other work helps to righteousness.
(23) Here you see that the doctrine which teaches the righteousness of works is blasphemous. And if one hopes to become righteous by works, this is nothing else than wanting to be God and to strive for godliness. This blasphemy is followed by the fall of Lucifer. Therefore, God-fearing hearts should be careful here. But that he calls righteousness his honor, he hits the heart of the works saints with a needle, as it were, because they mainly seek honor through all their works and deeds. Thus Paul says: "They want you to be circumcised, so that they may boast of your flesh" [Gal. 6:13].
Nor my glory to the idols.
(24) Just as today people seek salvation and righteousness through works, vows, the celibate life, feigned poverty, masses, and other vain things, so in Isaiah's day they believed that they would be justified through idolatry, the high places, the groves, and other similar abominations. That is why he mentions idols. For idolatry has always been in the world, but at different times in different forms.
25 Further, apply this to all forms of the papacy. God will not give His honor and glory to the impious sacrifice of the Mass, not to a dirty cap, not to the foolish giving of the head, not to the vain rules of Benedictus, Dominicus, Augustine 2c., not to the monastic state, not to chastity, not to poverty, not to obedience, in sum, to no work and no creature.
V. 9. 10. Sing to the Lord a new song.
Now he gives thanks to God, who was considered weak and foolish in the eyes of the world, for the great benefits he has praised so far. At the same time, he indicates that there is no other outward service in the New Testament than thanksgiving. And because he says: "Sing a new song", he abolishes the whole old service, which was in the law.
27. but "the ends of the world" and "the isles" he remembers for this reason, so that he may punish the Jews who thought that God should and can
nowhere to be worshipped but at Jerusalem. As if he wanted to say: Religion is no longer bound to any place, time or person. For the gospel will be preached in all the world, and all Christians will be priests, offering spiritual sacrifices, as the 110th Psalm, v. 3, says, that is, the sacrifice of praise. For this is to sing, praise, extol, write, read the benefits of Christ.
V. 11: Shout aloud, you deserts and the cities within, along with the villages where Kedar dwells.
28 With this he points to the Arabs who live in the east, such as the Ammonites and Nabathaeans 1) and others. All of these, he says, will praise the Lord for the word of the gospel, which will come to all the earth, whether cultivated or uncultivated, fortified or unfortified.
V. 12. Let them give glory to the Lord.
29. They will sing the praises of God, and condemn themselves, that is, their works, their own righteousness and wisdom.
V. 13. The LORD will go forth like a giant.
These names: a strong one, a giant, a man of war, 2) zeal 2c. indicate the cross. Consequently, this kingdom of Christ stands in the midst of his enemies, that the Lord is compelled to go forth as a man of war. For he is resisted, and he is oppressed with violence by the tyrants, and with cunning by the heretics. Therefore, looking at the outward appearance, the gospel is miserable, not glorious. And the singing, of which he says here, is very similar to the wailing and crying of the sighing and distressed. Nevertheless, he strengthens and comforts his sorrowful singers and weak hearts to endure the cross, for it will surely happen that God will deliver them from all evil.
V. 14. I am silent for a while, and I am still.
31 Here he describes the works of this giant, namely, that he has destroyed all our adversaries from
1) About the Nabathaeans compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XII, 938,? 7.
2) In the editions with wrong punctuation: vir, tisllator. The Vulgate offers: vir proeUator.
will exterminate from the bottom up. Furthermore, the words: "I am silent for a time, and am still" 2c. indicate that no help can be seen, but everything stands in despair, as if God were holding it against us with our enemies. But this is the weakness of Christ, through which the wicked rise up and run the harder against Him, so that He is compelled to suppress and destroy their cruel and ungodly undertakings. He does cry out when the godly are oppressed, but his voice is like the voice of a woman in childbirth; he is despised and taken for one who cannot resist. But Christ is most powerful when he is thought to be least able, and help is nearest when it is thought to be farthest away.
(32) Furthermore, this should comfort and uplift us, so that we do not despair when we see that the church is in extreme danger, so that it is close to destruction. For this is how she must look, as she is described here, that she is, as it were, a birthing woman against whom the whole world triumphs; she is to be brought into danger of perishing, and yet not perish.
I will lay them waste and devour them all.
(33) It is when Christ is weakest that we must fear him the most. Therefore, the godly should have good faith even in the midst of the greatest weakness and when they are oppressed. On the other hand, the wicked should fear even in the midst of triumph and victory. But this is based on the word of faith; in fact, it cannot be seen; indeed, the contradiction is before our eyes.
V. 15. I will lay waste mountains and hills.
34 These are figurative words. "Mountains" are all those who stand out in the world with their righteousness and wisdom. In particular, however, he uses it to refer to the unbelieving synagogue, which was in blossom with regard to religion, wisdom, promises and the examples of the fathers. The "grass" can be taken for the disciples, the trees for the prophets. Or perhaps it is more paffing to take the grass for the Word of God and the
The people of the lakes are the people who have lost the simple Scriptures that the Jews and the papacy of today have lost. "The lakes" are the people to whom everything goes well. We still see this today in the Jews and all other enemies of Christ. Where is Arius today? Where is Manichaeus? Where are the other heretics? The same will happen to those who today desecrate the Word and Sacraments of Christ.
V. 16. But I will guide the blind in the way they do not know.
35 He calls the godly believers "blind," who see neither help nor counsel in their darkness and affliction, indeed, no end to their misery before them. Therefore they take hold of the word, which shines in the darkness, guides them on the way they do not know, that is, in the faith of things to come, which are not seen, and comforts and raises up the weak souls so that they do not despair.
This is an excellent passage, which contains the very important lesson that in all danger, in all hardships, in all temptations, we should close our eyes and follow the word. For those who want to see in dangers and look around for remedies and advice make the pain even worse and do nothing but struggle in vain and are doubly miserable. We have been shown another way to live in the midst of danger, to close our eyes and believe that although we are blind, God is not blind, but sees the outcome of the temptation, as it says in 1 Cor. 10:13. Even if you were in the depths of the sea, as Jonah was, God sees the way and the manner by which He leads you out. For who prepared the way for Jonah? He was not only blind, but in twofold darkness. So shall we also be blind, and see nothing, that he himself may see all things alone. That is why he wants us to be like children [Matth. 18, 3].
(37) But the adversaries and all the wicked are not children, therefore they have open eyes, they see and seek always many ways and means by which they would oppress us. But we are blind, so that our Lord Christ Himself may give us understanding, and His
He has kept his eyes open over and against us, as he has often done in our time. He has protected us from all the dangers that have been devised against us in great numbers these years; he has nullified so many imperial diets of the princes, at which they have taken counsel over our heads. And indeed, what was this Diet of Augsburg but darkness, in which we wandered about as blind men? But the darkness has been made light before us. The same will happen in the future, if we are firm in our faith and constant in our words. An example of this blindness is presented to us in the case of the Israelites at the Red Sea, where they had to perish and yet were preserved.
(38) Furthermore, not only in bodily calamities must we follow this advice, that we close our eyes, that is, that we do not mat ourselves down with carnal temptations, but command the cause of God, but also much more in spiritual temptations. Now, if you are tempted by Satan and cannot perceive a way to get out of it, close your eyes and answer nothing, and command the cause of God. And this is the highest wisdom of Christians, which we should follow even at the hour of death. There the flesh trembles that it must go to a new life, and doubts the blessedness. If you follow these thoughts, you are lost. Therefore, even here you must close your eyes, and say with St. Stephen [Apost. 7, 58.], "O Lord JEsu, into thy hands I commend my spirit." And then the Lord JEsus will surely be there with his angels, guiding you on the way. This is it that he says, "I will make darkness light before them." For faith is this light, which takes hold of the word, that we may thus come out of all dangers. That is why Peter and David also called the word a lamp to our feet [Ps. 119, 105. 2 Petr. 1, 19.].
V. 17. conversi sunt retrorsum. 1)
39. more void are these sentences thus ordered: "But they that trust in idols, and say unto the molten image, Ye are our gods;
1) With this sentence v. 17 begins in the Vulgate.
they shall return, and be put to shame." The opinion is clear: Those who do not believe in Christ and do not want to close their eyes shall perish with their eyes open. We see examples of this today.
V. 18 Hear, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see.
40 Thus he chides the unbelieving Jews. Because he speaks here of other blind people than above. He calls them blind men, and thus reproaches them. You have prophets, you have lovely and rich promises; but you are blind, you are deaf, you do not care about the word, and rather hear and see everything else than the word, since all wisdom of the godly is in the word and in hearing 2c.
V. 19. Who is so blind as my servant?
41. He calls his servants the chief priests and the priests, and those who were in the ministry of the word. Of these he says that they are blind. This is a frightening saying; however, it comforts us against the nonsensical clamor of the papists, who think that we are not so much cornered by any other evidence as by this, when they reproach us with the multitude of bishops and popes, all of whom could not possibly have been mistaken. This is also what the Jews could say against Isaiah, as we can see from this passage. For these were also appointed to be leaders of the people; they had the office and the rule over the holy people, and had even more certain proofs that they were the church and God's people than our adversaries. And yet the text says they were blind and mistaken. The Latin translation did not get it right here. For one must read like this: "Who is so deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as the perfect one?" But he calls him a perfect one, not in respect of his person, but of his office, because they are on the highest level of dignity and office, namely in the preaching office.
V. 20: They preached a lot, but they did not have it. (Qui vides multa, nonne custodies?)
42. here he describes more clearly what kind of people they are, namely chatterers, and the same
Who are willing to teach; who teach many things, and yet in fact teach nothing. They believe and rather teach everything else than the doctrine of faith. For villero means so much as to teach, to preach. Hence comes the word "seers," that is, the prophets. Similar is the following, "They are told enough, but they will not hear." For as the teacher is, so is the disciple. Paul also says: "They are always learning, and can never come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7). We have experienced this in the papacy. There was a great number of teachers, there was also a great number of listeners; and yet, who was there in such a great number of teachers and listeners, who would have had a verse from the Psalter, one of the ten commandments, a piece of the Lord's Prayer? But it is a terrible ingratitude that we forget all this, and are not more awake to the word of God, which is now so abundantly scattered among us.
V. 21. The Lord is still pleased with them because of His righteousness (Et Dominus voluit, ut sanctificaret).
43 Translate thus: "It pleased the Lord in his righteousness to make the law glorious and great. But the people" 2c., so that it is the same with what Christ says Matth. 11, 25: "I praise you, Father, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes." For he is speaking of the rejection of human righteousness, and of the establishment of the righteousness of God. As if to say: God did not reject the synagogue because He delighted in error, but He delighted in His righteousness. He cannot make this great, he cannot establish it, if he does not put to shame the righteousness of works. He cannot make us Gentiles righteous and blessed by his righteousness unless he corrupts those who despise the righteousness that is offered in vain, so that they repulse, fall back and perish. So now he has
1) In the edition of 1532: Ro" pntest vos A6Q "te., while in the Wittenberg, in the Jenaer and in the Erlanger: Ron potost of itself finds. The latter does not seem to us to be admissible.
his delight in his righteousness, to make the law great, that is, to make a nice and wonderful law, namely the law of faith (after the old law of Moses has been done away with), by which we are justified without any merits and works, by faith alone, which takes hold of Christ and the grace given to us through Christ 2c. Those who do not want this new law of faith are a robbed and plundered people, that is, they are exposed to the wolves and seducers who rob and plunder them.
(44) Therefore, the article of justification, which is the only one we teach today, should be diligently learned and held fast. For if we have lost this, we shall not be able to resist any heresy, any false doctrine, however ridiculous and void it may be, as it was under the pope, when we believed such things of which we are now ashamed and repent. Again, if we stick to this article, we are safe from heresy, and retain the forgiveness of sins that weakness in walk and faith credits us with. But we do not need a more extensive interpretation of this passage; we must only think back to the papacy, and look at what was believed there, what was done, what was suffered, and it will be clear what is meant by "being robbed and plundered, being entrapped, imprisonment," and other such things.
V. 23: Who is there among you who will listen to these things?
This is a lament, as it were, by which he endeavors to cheer them up. It pains me that you are told this in vain, that there is no one who believes in it. Therefore, God is forced to punish you who reject the offered grace, yes, even persecute it. But he speaks primarily of the final destruction of the Jews and the synagogue, and looks to the times of Christ, whose righteousness the godless synagogue has despised.
V. 24: Who gave Jacob over to plunder?
46. because they have been torn from the faith, they have been subjected to plunder and all evil.
Who are willing to teach; who teach many things, and yet in fact teach nothing. They believe and rather teach everything else than the doctrine of faith. For videre means as much as to teach, to preach. Hence comes the word "seers," that is, the prophets. Similar is the following, "They are told enough, but they will not hear." For as the teacher is, so is the disciple. Paul also says: "They are always learning, and can never come to the knowledge of the truth" [2 Tim. 3:7]. But we have experienced this in the papacy. There was a great number of teachers, there was also a great number of listeners; and yet, who was there in such a great number of teachers and listeners, who would have had a verse from the Psalter, one of the Ten Commandments, a piece of the Lord's Prayer? But it is a terrible ingratitude that we forget all this, and are not more awake to the word of God, which is now so abundantly spread among us.
V. 21. The Lord is still pleased with them because of His righteousness (Et Dominus voluit, ut sanctificaret).
43 Translate thus: "It pleased the Lord in his righteousness to make the law glorious and great. But the people" 2c., so that it is the same with what Christ says Matth. II, 25: "I praise you, Father, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes." For he is speaking of the rejection of human righteousness, and of the establishment of the righteousness of God. As if to say: God did not reject the synagogue because He delighted in error, but He delighted in His righteousness. He cannot make this great, he cannot establish it, unless he puts to shame the righteousness of works. He cannot 1) make the Gentiles righteous and blessed by his righteousness, unless he corrupts those who despise the righteousness offered in vain, so that they repel, fall back and perish. So now he has
"te., while in the Wittenberg, in the Jena and in the Erlangen: Xon poterst nou is found. The latter does not seem to us to be admissible.
his delight in his righteousness, to make the law great, that is, to make a new and wonderful law, namely the law of faith (after the old law of Moses has been done away with), by which we are justified without any merits and works, by faith alone, which takes hold of Christ and the grace given to us through Christ 2c. Those who do not want this new law of faith are a robbed and plundered people, that is, they are exposed to the wolves and seducers who rob and plunder them.
(44) Therefore, the article of justification, which is the only one we teach today, should be diligently learned and held fast. For if we have lost this, we shall not be able to resist any heresy, any false doctrine, however ridiculous and void it may be, as it was under the pope, when we believed such things of which we are now ashamed and repent. Again, if we stick to this article, we are safe from heresy, and retain the forgiveness of sins which weakness in walk and faith credits to us. But we do not need a more extensive interpretation of this passage; we must only think back to the papacy, and look at what was believed there, what was done, what was suffered, and it will be clear what is meant by "being robbed and plundered, being entrapped, imprisonment," and other such things.
V. 23: Who is there among you who will listen to these things?
This is a lament, as it were, by which he endeavors to cheer them up. It pains me that you are told this in vain, that there is no one who believes in it. Therefore, God is forced to punish you who reject the offered grace, yes, even persecute it. But he speaks primarily of the final destruction of the Jews and the synagogue, and looks to the times of Christ, whose righteousness the godless synagogue has despised.
V. 24. Who did Jacob go over to plunder?
46. because they have been torn from the faith, they have been subjected to plunder and all evil.
522 k. xxin, 21-23. interpretations on the prophets. W. vi. [ss-W" 523
The heretics are subjected to happiness and error. Therefore, it is not by the strength of the devil, but by the permission of the angry and punishing God that the heretics have such a large number of disciples. But he hereby refutes the presumption of the Jews, who did not believe that they should be punished because they were God's people. Therefore he adds: "Did not the Lord do it?" namely, on whom you defy.
V. 25. Therefore he poured out the fury of his wrath on them.
47 Namely, about those who have not wanted to accept the grace offered through Christ. Note the emphasis in
He has poured out", but he has showered them with torrents of wrath, as we still see in the Jews, who teach and believe the most insipid things and are full of all kinds of horrible blasphemies. The same can be seen in the papists, who nevertheless cruelly contest the revealed truth that they recognize.
And a war power.
48 Namely, by the wolves, heretics and evil spirits, because they fall from one error into another. The fact that he adds, "But they do not realize it," indicates that it has not yet been revealed.