Preached in 1528 and 152S; printed in 1530.
Preface.
This sermon of mine on the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, John 17, I have not only gladly seen go out in print, but have also asked my dear friend, Magister Caspar Creutzigern, who is well versed in such things, to compose it and put it into a clear fine form (because I myself have not had the time to do this, nor am I so well versed in it), and so let others have it. For I know that the right pious Christians, for whom
For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, these morsels and this drink of cold water will be pleasant and useful, and we alone will serve them with this. The weary, satiated, mad saints have more than enough without our help and service; we do not want to serve them with this, unless they have something new to master and blaspheme. Command such preaching to all dear faithful members of Christ, and me also in their prayers. May God's grace be with us. Amen.
*The title of the first single edition of this interpretation in sermons is: "Das Siebenzehend Capitel Johannis, von dem gebete Christi. Preached and interpreted by D. Mar. Luther Wittemberg. D. M. XXX." (them!) At the end: "Printed at Wittemberg by Hans Weis. Anno. etc. M. D. XXX." These sermons were preached for Bugenhagen in 1528 and 1529, when he was in Brunswick and in Hamburg to order the church system there, but did not appear in print until 1530. Only in this first edition is Luther's "Vorrhede" on the back of the title, which is missing in the later individual editions, including the German Wittenberg and Jena collections. From this preface of Luther's we see that LI. Caspar Cruciger edited these sermons at Luther's request. In Latin, the marginal gloss of the preface reads: Gasparus Cruciger collector harum home- liarum. A second edition was published in 1534 by Hans Weiß in Wittenberg, which contains the following information on the title: "Gepredigt und ausgelegt durch D. Mart. Luth. Wittemberg 1. 5. 34." The Jena edition probably gives a reprint of this edition and therefore places our interpretation in the year 1534. Furthermore, this writing was printed in 1538 by Joseph Klug at Wittenberg and in 1540 by Hans Frischmut at Wittenberg. Also in this edition we find on the title: "Gepredigt und ausgelegt durch D. Mart. Luth. Wittemberg. M. D. XI>." In the collections: in the Wittenberg (1553), vol. IV, p. 275 (with the wrong year 1539); in the Jena (1568), vol. VI, p. 169; in the Altenburg, vol. VI, p. 219; in the Leipzig, vol. X, p. 198; and in the Erlangen, vol. 50,
746 Eri. so, iss-ioo. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VIII, "is-mo. 747
V. 1. These things spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said.
(1) Among the first works of our Lord Christ, we should especially desire to hear how he stood when he prayed and talked with his dear Father, because otherwise it is much written how he preached and performed miraculous signs, but little how he prayed. Now it is written here before our eyes with many words, which he spake before his disciples, and left them for last: and yet no man hearkeneth unto it. If it were not written, we would run after it to the end of the world.
(2) And truly is a fierce, heartfelt prayer, in which he opens the abyss of his heart, both toward us and toward his Father, and pours it out completely. But such words, when they are heard without the spirit, sound in our ears like mere childish things, which have neither strength nor sap, and are not worth speaking. For reason and human wisdom hold nothing of that, if one does not pretend with splendid, high-sounding words and put on that everyone must open eyes and ears.
(3) If we could see and understand who the man is who asks, and who is asked, and how great the thing is for which he asks, we would not consider it so unimportant and small, but would perceive and feel what an overwhelming power and comfort these simple words have and give. For here he himself keeps the rule he gave us and taught us [Matth. 6, 5. 7.], that if one wants to pray rightly, one must not make many long, delicious words, but only badly and rightly the best. 1) Therefore we should not keep this 2) prayer so low, nor go beyond it.
1) In Latin, the meaning of this sentence is correctly rendered as "simple words that come from the heart are the best".
2) Thus the Erlangen and the Latin. Wittenberg and Jena: the.
as if they were useless words of men, as each one lets himself think that he wants to do it much better. But if someone were to start and try, he would soon lose his art, word and way.
4 Now this is the sum and cause of this chapter. A good prayer belongs to a good sermon, that is: When one has given the word of himself, one should start to sigh and desire that it also has power and produces fruit. For since the Lord Christ had given and completed all his teaching and ministry, and had blessed his disciples with the beautiful long sermon of comfort, he also had to make a last request, both for them and for all Christians, so that he might even fulfill his ministry as our high priest, so that nothing would be left behind to strengthen and preserve them, because he wanted to leave them alone behind him in the world.
For this reason I have always said how necessary Christian prayer is, that without it faith cannot exist or remain. For those who preach God's word, hear it and know it, and do not also pray, make it known that they are still presumptuous and sure, as if they had no need of God's grace everywhere, do not see their need and danger, and make themselves believe that they are now firmly established and already have what they may desire; so the devil is behind them, overpowering and overthrowing them, so that they never realize it. For this reason Christ teaches us by his own example not to forget the preaching of prayer, lest the word go forth and be acted upon without fruit.
(6) But what power, quality and virtue this prayer has in itself, we will not, I am afraid, be able to sufficiently describe. For as bad and simple as it sounds, it is so deep, rich and wide that no one can fathom it.
7. to the first, when the evangelist speaks:
In the latter two editions (as well as Walch's), the preface is printed from the Hallische Theile, p. 345. Vincentius Obsopoeus translated this interpretation into Latin and published it in 1536 under the title: Mart. Lutheri Enarrat.'in Johan. Evangel. Gap. XVII. Wittebergae 1536. This translation is found in the Latin Wittenberg edition, low. V, col. 184d. We give the text according to the Jena edition, comparing the Wittenberg and Erlangen editions, also the Latin. In this writing, the use of the Latin translation is of particular importance for the textual form, because it is prepared according to the first edition, which we can see from the fact that it also contains the preface. In the Erlangen edition, the proof of the Latin Wittenberg edition is missing. We did not consider it necessary to preface the interpretation with the text of the 17th chapter of St. John, because the interpretation is always linked to the individual verses.
"These things spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes toward heaven," etc. He left glory and honor to prayer, that it also leadeth his outward giving, to come before the foolish saints, and to shut them up, who pretend that such an outward thing is not valid. For here you see that he not only asks verbally so that the disciples hear, but also uses the manner and gesture that one is accustomed to use; as, some kneel, some fall on their faces, some stand and look up to heaven; which three ways are all indicated in the Scriptures. As King David fell to the ground when he prayed for his child for seven days, 2 Sam. 12, 16, and Christ both knelt and fell down when he prayed in the garden [Luc. 22, 41. Matth. 26, 39.], item, Peter Luc. 5, 8, along with many others, fell at the feet of the Lord. He also says about standing Marc. 11, 25: "When you stand and pray" etc.
(8) Now there is no great power in standing, kneeling, or falling down, for these are bodily ways, neither commanded nor forbidden, as necessary; as also others more, lifting up the head and eyes to heaven, folding the hands, beating the breast; only that they be not despised, because they praise the Scripture and Christ Himself. Therefore also St. Paul Eph. 3, 14. speaks of his prayer: "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"; item 1 Tim. 2, 8.: "So then I want men to pray and lift up holy hands" etc. Although it is not evil for a man to pray with his heart alone when he is tying sheaves in the field or lying on his bed.
(9) But this is true if it is a mere outward gesture, grumbling or bawling, as one has stood in church all day, counted the grains on the rosary, turned over the leaves, cried and shouted in the choir, that is, of course, not praying. For it is done without heart and soul, and there is no one who seriously thinks of asking or obtaining something from God. But where such prayers, singing, speaking or reading are done in the belief that they will kindle the heart and awaken the desire and devotion to pray, they are very useful and good. For that is why the Psalter has been used in Christianity from time immemorial.
to sing and read daily, so that through God's Word, bodily heard and acted upon, one may devote oneself to crying out and sighing. We also have many examples of such prayer and external stimulation in Scripture. For example, the prophet Elisha, 2 Kings 3:15, told how his manner was, when he did not feel devout or merry enough, to send for a harpist, which awakened him and enlightened him to prophesy. King David therefore ordered that all kinds of strings be played daily in the temple, so that the people would be awakened and cheerful in their prayers [1 Chron. 16:16].
(10) I know not how strong others are in the spirit; but I cannot become so holy, if I were still so learned and full of the spirit, as some make themselves believe. It still happens to me all the time, when I am without the word, when I do not think about it or deal with it, then there is no Christ at home, yes, also no desire and 1) spirit; but as soon as I take a psalm or a saying of the Scriptures before me, it shines and burns 2) in the heart, so that I gain courage and sense for others. I also know that everyone should experience this daily in himself.
The reason is this, as we all find in ourselves, that our senses and thoughts are so uncertain, slippery and inactive, that even if we want to begin to ask something serious or to think of God, without word and scripture, it certainly happens that before we look around, we travel a hundred miles from the first thought. Try it, whoever wants to, and tell me again how long he can stay on one thought. Or take an hour and vow to tell me all your thoughts: What does it matter, you will have to be ashamed of yourself, and fear that if you were to speak what came into your head, you would be bound and chained for a foolish dog; it will happen to me if I worry about serious and very best thoughts right away. The heart of man is so miserably torn; it walks, weaves and wavers, that neither wind nor water is so agile and unstable.
12. that I have to say an example, so you can
1) Jenaer: still.
2) "it" is missing in the Erlanger.
3) "it" is missing in the Jena.
I read about St. Bernard, who had tried this, and at one time complained to a good friend that it was so difficult for him to pray properly, and that he could not pray the Lord's Prayer without strange coincidences. This surprised him very much and he thought that it was not an art or work at all. St. Bernard bet with him, he should try it, and should apply a good stallion, only that he told him alike. 1) He presumed to do it without any effort, started and prayed: Our Father etc., but before he gets over the first request, it occurs to him, if he won the horse, whether saddle and bridle were also due to him. In short, he comes so far with thoughts that he had to let go so soon, and give St. Bernard won. Summa, if you can say an Our Father without some other thoughts, I will consider you a master; I cannot; indeed, I am glad when thoughts occur to me that they fall again as they came.
(13) I say this, therefore, so that one does not hurry over such texts as the raw spirits do, but learn what such external words and ways are useful and necessary for, namely, to keep the heart together with them, so that it is not scattered, and to hold on to the letters with the thoughts, as one must hold on to a tree or wall with the fist, so that we do not slip, or flutter too far and go astray with our own thoughts.
14 This is what our enthusiasts lack, that they think that when they go into their high spiritual thoughts, they have it all wrong, and do not see how they are going astray without a word, letting themselves be led astray by vain idiots. Therefore be warned against such flying thoughts, and beware only of dealing with God apart from the oral word and prayer. But that you keep a right distinction, so that there is no mere outward prayer, since one seeks nothing more than the work, and thinks that if so much is read or spoken, then one has done something, 2) when the heart does not even experience what the mouth speaks, or thinks what it does; but so that the heart starts, after which outward mouth and body, word and offering
1) i.e. the certain truth said, "gleichzu" straight from. In the editions wrong: "gleichzusagte". Latin: esrtum ipsi rsuunoist.
2) verthan --- everything aligned to the best.
go with. Summa, if it goes from the heart to ask with desire and earnestness, then it is all praiseworthy and good, how one stands to it.
Father, the hour is here for you to transfigure your Son.
(15) Here we shall see what virtue this prayer has. For first of all, there are three special pieces in it, and especially that which serves prayer exceedingly well. First, 3) to thank God, to praise Him, and to recount the benefits previously received from Him, as He here indicates what the Father has given and bestowed upon Him. Just as we should now do so: Dear Father, you have given us your precious, gracious, holy gospel, and showered it with unspeakable, great graces etc. Then, the prayer and the need: Dear Father, help us to keep the same, and to remain in it. And thirdly, that one may go out, reach out, and desire that everyone may be helped. These three pieces 4) he also performs here one after the other.
16 And so let every prayer be made, even for temporal needs, with such thanksgiving and confession that God's gifts and goods are what we have, and ask that He may protect, promote and increase them in us and in others. This is called starting prayer rightly and well, and making a good entrance, so that God may be accepted, that He may hear us gladly. In the same way, you will find elsewhere how he gloriously praises the Father, and at the same time makes a beautiful, delicious sermon in the middle of the prayer, as Matth. 11 at the end.
(17) Therefore he saith, Father, the hour is here, that thou shouldest glorify thy Son, that thy Son also should glorify thee. These are such small, simple words that they do not seem worth a penny in the eyes of the world. But who can sufficiently fathom how great a thing and how great an earnest they are? But so much has been prayed recently: Dear Father, I ask you to transfigure me, but not just that, but that I may transfigure you. But to transfigure means nothing else than to praise and to exalt, to glorify and to call. 5)
3) "Erstlich" is missing in the Erlanger and in the Latin.
4) Pieces" is missing in the Wittenberg.
5) appointed--famous. Latin: tsrniMrubiUs.
so that all the world will know how to sing and say about it.
(18) And with the word he shows how it is for him, and what the need is that drives him to such prayer. He says, "I am about to suffer and die the most shameful death, so that all my clarity, light, name and honor will be darkened and extinguished. Now he has done great things, preached and worked gloriously, his power and might proves that all the world should have praised, honored and worshipped him most gloriously; Then the contradiction happens to him, that for all honor and praise due to him, he is showered with vain shame and disgrace, and must hang on the cross between two murderers, and die as the worst, most desperate knave that the earth has borne, that no murderer ever acted so shamefully and blasphemously.
19 For the world is usually so pious when the worst offenders are put to death that everyone takes pity on them, laments their misery and shows mercy; but this one Christ, the Savior of the world, had to be so that everyone was glad of his death, and they, the Jews, no matter how much they cooled their heels at him, were still not satisfied with it. Summa, there was no one who thought otherwise, because the greatest service would have been done to God, and the world would have recovered, if this man had been executed from the earth. For they considered him to be the most harmful worm that ever came on earth, so that one would rather suffer and bear all kinds of plagues.
20 This means that the noble, excellent man has been cast into darkness. Thus the dear Christ, the light and salvation of all the world, must be received and honored by her, so that he may be cursed and banished from the world as the worst devil. Just as the Jews still live up to their fathers' standards, and would much rather suffer all devils and misfortune than hear Christ and his mother called Mariam. It is the same with the dear Gospel, that the papal mob, together with all distant enemies, are not so hostile to any devil or misfortune as they are to our doctrine; they must be condemned, cursed and banished, so that no evil cry goes up on earth except about this Christ and his word.
21) Behold, this is Christ's hour coming or present: for he prays with such meaning and earnestness as if he were now hanging 1) on the cross. As if he should say: "Now I am in the midst of shame and death, and lie in deepest darkness; now it is time for you to pull me out, lift me up, and shout me to glory, because my light is so completely extinguished, and the world tramples me underfoot, everyone shuns me and shuns me, so that there is neither counsel nor help, except that you yourself do it. For that I come out of the jaws of death and the devil (who is a prince of darkness [Eph. 6:12]), there belongs an eternal, almighty, divine power.
22 How then did this transfiguration take place? Not otherwise than that the Father raised him from the dead, threw the devil under his feet, and made him King and Lord over all creatures, and let this be proclaimed publicly through the gospel, that it might be known in all the world. For as it was once done on Easter Day, so it must 2) always be preached and known from child to child until the end of the world.
That your son may also transfigure you.
(23) Soon a little bit of thanks is given in the word "your Son", that he confesses and boasts that he is the Son of God, and has everything from the Father, as he continues to say soon after. From eternity he is his Son, in one majesty, power and honor; but now, in the world, in misery, weakness, shame and death, as abandoned by the Father and everyone. The world puts all its power and might, the devil all his art and wit, to bring him to naught, that he may never be remembered, as they say in the Psalter: "When shall he die, and his name perish?" Ps. 41:6, they also think that they have now brought it about, because he hangs on the cross and dies.
24 Therefore he asks: "Father, you know that I have been sent by you and that I have come to earth, therefore you will not let your Son be in such darkness. Therefore
1) "now" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Jena. Latin: jam.
2) "it" is missing in the Erlanger.
You want to transfigure me, not so that I will tickle myself with it, but for the sake of your honor and transfiguration. For he was sent to praise and glorify the Father's praise and glory, and is the only man by whom the Father must be known and honored. If he had not been transfigured, the Father's honor and glory would have been obscured and extinguished, and would have remained in dishonor and shame with him (for what the Son suffers, the Father must also take upon himself and suffer), so that the world and everyone would have blasphemed: "Behold, where is now his God and Father, of whom he boasted so gloriously? How finely he has helped him etc. So that this does not happen, the Father must prove his power and authority over him, and set him in such honor that all the world with its shame must fall at his feet and worship him. Through this the Father is transfigured, that is, recognized and preached, how he can help in weakness, shame and death, and make life, honor and power out of it. Which began when Christ came out of death into his glory, and ascended into heaven, and gave the Holy Spirit, and is still preaching as far as the earth is, even unto the last day. For this is the office and work of the Holy Spirit, to reveal through the gospel how great and glorious a thing God has done for us through Christ, namely, to redeem us from sin, death and the power of the devil, to take us into His grace and protection, and to give Himself completely to us.
(25) Such a transfiguration of the Father is still as necessary as that of the Lord Christ himself. For when we look upon him, he lies as deep in darkness before the world for his name and glory, as Christ on the cross for his body and life. For how did the world stand at that time? Everything was full of abominable idolatry, so that even the sun and the moon, fish and birds, were worshipped, and the holy name of the high Majesty had to suffer, so that it was assigned to all creatures except Him. Yes, even they, the Jews themselves, who were called God's own people, practiced their own idolatry under his name, with confidence in their works and their righteousness. So it still goes on today, that everyone follows him according to his thoughts.
The world is full of the abominable blasphemy of God, without any other public, public blasphemy. Therefore, it was necessary to ask that the Father be transfigured, that is, known through the gospel, as he should and will be kept and honored, so that all false doctrine or worship and humanity may cease, and only his light of grace may shine and shine.
26 Therefore you see how the heart of the Lord Christ burns and how he prays earnestly from the bottom of his heart. For it grieves him that God's name is so deeply in darkness, so horribly desecrated and blasphemed, and the whole world lies in blindness and unbelief, that he would gladly die soon, and suffer all shame and disgrace, so that only the Father may come into the light, and his glory rise. Now the Father (as has been said) cannot be transfigured unless Christ is first transfigured, that is, unless the Holy Spirit comes and preaches the gospel, without which no one recognizes the Father. For before this he was neither preached nor held otherwise than as a hired servant, who must look upon our holiness and spiritual life. Which is not to praise the Father, but ourselves and our merit, when Christ Himself will not be praised otherwise than by the Father, and thereby praise Him again, that men may fall from themselves, and boast of His grace and goodness alone.
(27) Now the Lord Christ speaks all these words for our sake, to strengthen our faith against the great trouble that the dear gospel is encountering in the world, and to the great sorrow of the devout Christians, that they must hear and see that God's name is everywhere profaned and blasphemed, because he allows his Christians to be persecuted and oppressed, and acts as if he could not or would not help them, so that the world defies them and cries out for victory. Christ saw and felt this, that his multitude in the world would always be as he himself was. Therefore he does not ask for his own person alone, but to be transfigured in and through all those who believe in him, and to save the world.
1) "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
Father, who also through this prayer still demonstrates the same power in Christians that he demonstrated in Christ, so that he, as he was transfigured through him, may also be transfigured through us; so that, although we now suffer and die for the sake of his word, through such shame, disgrace and death we shall come to eternal glory and honor. Again, our enemies, though they now gloriously ride and soar above, must at last be overthrown, and come to eternal shame 1); as also is abundantly fulfilled, and experience testifies, from the apostles' time, by the dear martyrs and others.
28 John Hus was also most shamefully condemned and killed: nor has he come to such honor that his word, which he preached, has burst forth and shines in all the world, condemning and disgracing the papacy with all its glory. So will it be with our angry enemies, who want to suppress the gospel and exterminate the Christians, whom they have already burned and murdered many times. For more proud kings and lords have fallen and failed over the gospel, compared with whom the present princes and lords are mere beggars. How often has the Roman Empire been horribly and miserably destroyed, torn apart, and fallen into ruin? Since it was thought to be the highest and most powerful, and had proven itself honestly with blasphemy, raging, persecution and bloodshed against the Christians, that these same tyrants and persecutors 2) perish shamefully, and their name stinks and is despised in all the world, but the martyr's name shines and is honored. For this prayer is heard, and presses on, goes and runs in full swing, against all the raging and violence on earth. And summa, as the transfiguration began, so it still continues in Christendom, in the power and might of this prayer.
29 In this text it is also to be noted how Christ ascribes to him that he alone is the man through whom the Father must be transfigured. For with this he also wants to show his people, the
1) Wittenberg and Erlanger: Damage. Latin: Ü6Ü66U8.
2) Here the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers have in the margin: "as Decius, Diocletianus etc."
Jews, who had the law and glorious worship, put their glory in holiness, that none of them had the power to transfigure the Father, or to bring to the knowledge of righteousness before God. For if God's glory and knowledge could have been revealed through the law, Christ should not have come, preached, suffered and died to transfigure the Father.
(30) This is also to help us learn how to seek and grasp God properly, or how to deal with Him. For, "to transfigure the Father" is nothing else (as said), than that one recognizes him, and knows who he is, what he has in mind, and how we are to deal with him. No man can come to such knowledge except through Christ. For he has not revealed himself anywhere, but in and through him, so that his heart and will may be seen. Now nothing can be seen in Christ but only heartfelt, unfathomable love and grace; again, apart from him nothing but wrath and disgrace. Summa, whoever seeks God or wants to serve Him other than in Christ, does not find and serve the right God.
Therefore, I have often said and warned that everyone who wants to travel safely should beware of all high thoughts and speculations, where one seeks God without means in the Majesty, and wants to find out His work, will and counsel, secret and special revelations, as they not only lack and deceive, but also lead and fall into the abyss. And recently all doctrine and faith on earth, of the Jews, Turks, monks, false saints, or enthusiasts, and whoever they are, who want to serve God, obtain grace, and put away sin by other means than the Lord Christ, than by their works, holiness, great devotion, spiritual thoughts, are hereby condemned etc. For it is decided that he will not be known or found apart from the one Mediator, that where Christ is not, there is no true God nor worship. But more about that hereafter.
V. 2 Just as you gave him authority over all flesh, that he might give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
3) Wittenberg: "and holiness". Latin: sanetitatis.
32 Then he continues, both the other and the third part, in the prayer as indicated above [§ 15], that he gives thanks and displays what the Father has given him, and rushes out with it into the whole world. For here you hear that he does not ask for his own sake, but to keep the clarity with him, but that it may be useful and serve us to have eternal life. And for this reason he boasts how he has such power from the Father over all that is great and mighty on earth, and is now going forth in the highest honors, that he can and will bring his poor little ones who cling to him to such honors that they shall live forever. And I will say this much: I have all kings, princes, and what lives in flesh and blood in my hand, that I can help my dear Christians from sin, death, and all misfortune; without it not being evident now, because I go along in such weakness and dishonor. Therefore I pray that you may transfigure me, that I may make these things manifest and prove them.
33) There now stands 1) our consolation and defiance against all our enemies, that we, who believe in Christ and cling to his word, are precisely those who have been given to him as his own by God the Father, and he wants to take care of us, protect and preserve us; that however high the world rises against us, and hovers, it should nevertheless remain under the Lord Christ, so that it does not harm us; but, however low it oppresses us, it must only promote us more to eternal life. Therefore, we should lift up our hands without ceasing, praise God and give thanks that He counts us among the number who belong to Him and are His own, because we know that we have His word and are persecuted for it, and have the world for an enemy. For he that is sure and certain of these things shall have no doubt that he is of that company which shall have eternal life.
34 And from this you can further conclude: Because this is Christ's work and gift, that we may have eternal life, that the whole world may be put to shame in us, with all its wisdom, power and glory, making our weakness and lack of strength a glory.
1) "nun" is missing in the Jena.
As our Lord Christ proved enough in his enemies, when he came out of the deepest shame to the highest glory, and made all their glory and honor of righteousness and holy life, which they insisted on and persecuted him for, eternal shame. For since he alone is the Lord of eternal life, the world that persecutes him and his Christians cannot attain to eternal life, though it strives for it and fails to acquire it with its own strength. But where Christ gives eternal life, there must be eternal clarity and glory; and again, where such is not, there must also follow eternal shame and misfortune. Knowing this, let our enemies rape and blaspheme as long as they can; it will soon come to an end. For what are thirty, forty, or sixty years compared with eternal life, but a moment, yea, but nothing at all compared with this our whole life?
But notice how St. John uses these words, how his manner is before other evangelists, to confirm the article that Christ is truly God with the Father. For these words, "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life," etc., do not imply that he is a true man. For such power over all living things and to give eternal life does not belong to any creature; it may well take and receive it, but to give life is God's work and power alone. For even the angels, though they live eternally, cannot communicate it to anyone. Since he then confesses that he has the power to give eternal life to his own, and yet receives such power from the Father, he clearly shows that he has one divine being and power with the Father, and yet are two different persons. And that he may make it still clearer, he continues:
V. 3. But this is life eternal, that they may know thee, that thou alone art true God, and that thou hast sent Jesus Christ.
In these words he expresses what and how eternal life is. For since he said that he had the power to give eternal life, someone might now ask: In what then does eternal life stand, or
How is it that we receive it? To this he will answer, saying, "This is how it is, and by this or in this way they will receive it, so that they will know you alone, the true God, and whom you have sent, Jesus Christ.
(37) The dear fathers have now strongly led this saying and driven it against the Arian heresy, which denied the Lord Christ's divinity. As it is a beautiful, mighty text, and every Christian should take care that he understands and grasps St. John's Gospel well, and arm himself with such sayings for the sake of future heresy. How then both Jews, Turks and heretics have always blasphemed against this article; and now still in many 1) the same devil can be seen, and (since God is for) where he would get space and air, he would soon tear down by force. For this is our highest, most excellent article, yes, the foundation and rock on which all other articles of faith must stand. Therefore, the devil does not leave it unchallenged, but uses all his art and mischievousness, arouses all kinds of annoyance and ridicule, so that he can tear it down or destroy it; yes, here he is master over all masters. For he can make such beautiful thoughts, and blow them out with such illusion, that all reason, wisdom and art must give in.
(38) Let him who wishes to be safe beware of all that reason and the thoughts of men have mastered in this article, and know that there is no way to stand against the devil's seduction, except by clinging to the plain words of Scripture and not thinking or speculating further, but by closing one's eyes and saying, "What Christ says should and must be true, even though I and no man can understand and comprehend it or know how it can be true: He knoweth well what he is, and what or how he shall speak of himself. He who does not do this must run and err, 2) and fall. For it is not possible to comprehend even the smallest article of faith through human reason and senses, so that no man on earth, without God's word, can ever have a
1) Wittenberg and Erlangen: etlichen. Latin: in rruütis.
2) "and err" is missing in the Erlanger.
The one who has the right thought and certain knowledge of God may meet and grasp; to which also the Gentiles themselves must bear witness.
39 For thus they write of a learned poet, Simonides, that he was asked for a time, and was to say what God was, or what he thought and believed about God. He was given a respite and three days to answer. When these were up, and he was to answer, he asked for another three days, so that he might think about it better; and after these three days he thought about it again, until at last he could not go on, nor did he want to, and said, "What shall I say? The longer I think about it, the less I know about it. This shows that human reason, the higher it goes to investigate and fathom God's nature, work, will and counsel, the further it gets away from it, and finally falls to thinking that God is nothing and believing nothing everywhere, just as now there are many such people among the great clever ones. Thus it must happen to all who go without the mere word, and who first consult reason in the articles of faith, and see how it rhymes with it; as has happened to our erroneous spirits about the sacrament, baptism, and other things.
40 Because we have here such a beautiful, powerful text, let us hold fast to it, and let no blind grasp of reason master it or darken it, or tear it apart and interpret it differently. For there are the bright, dry words that everyone can hear and grasp: Christ gives eternal life to everyone who believes. But since no one can give eternal life without God alone, it must follow irrefutably that Christ is the true, natural God. Item, because he bases eternal life on the fact that he is known together with the Father, so that without his knowledge no one can attain eternal life, so that there is one knowledge, so that he and the Father are known, he must also be of one essence and nature with the Father, that is, the same true God, but a different person from the Father.
41 These things, I say, are so clear and powerful from this text that even reason cannot contradict them. But this is the error, that
3) Jenaer: allenden.
She does not stay with the words, but, having put them out of her sight and out of the way, drives on above and beside them; does not merely want to believe that the words are true, but also wants to fathom and understand how it happens or is possible; and because she cannot understand it, she falls away from it and makes up her own thoughts, and then twists the words and interprets them as she has thought them up.
For this reason, the Arians have also twisted this text for themselves and insisted on the word "alone", that it says: "That you alone are true God"; as if he had thereby excluded himself and ascribed the deity to the Father alone. But this is not proved, but the Scripture falsely acted, a word tweaked out, and fluttered over the text, so that one does not see what the words, closed into one another, compel. For this we also say, that it is true and rightly taught, that there is no other God, but he alone. But they do not want to see that it depends on how Christ makes Himself equal to the Father of all things, and speaks as if He were also the same true God, because He (as I said) places eternal life in His knowledge and the Father's knowledge at the same time, and makes the two into one knowledge.
43) The reason he uses the words: "That you alone are the true God" is that he always wants to give glory to the Father, that he has everything from him, and thus leads and draws us to the Father through himself, as can be seen everywhere in the Gospel of John. But he mixes and weaves into this some divine being, power and strength, because he wants to be known with the Father as the one who gives eternal life, which knowledge belongs to no one but the true God.
(44) Yes, these words are spoken most violently against the Arians and all heretics, Jews and unbelievers, 1) who say and boast: They believe in only one God, who created heaven and earth; and for the sake of this article they condemn us Christians, as if we had put forward another God. For he wants to indicate that they do not believe the right true-
1) Wittenberger: "Unchristen und Türken". The words "and Turks" are missing in the other German editions, also in the Latin.
They do not know the true God, whether they mean it or boast of it; for they do not know who he is, nor how he should be known, namely, that he is the one true God who sent Jesus Christ. etc. This is what is said: Whoever wants to meet the true, unified God must seek Him in the Lord Christ alone, for otherwise there is truly no God without who has sent Christ. He who does not have Christ must also lack the right true God, even though he knows and believes that there is only one true God. For he does not believe in Him who sent Christ and through Him gives eternal life.
Therefore the power lies in the little word "Thee", "that they may know Thee, that Thou alone art the true God". Which "Thee"? The one who sent Jesus Christ. As if he should say: The Jews and others also have only one God, as they think; but they do not know you, who alone are the true God, because they do not know Jesus Christ, sent by you, and in the meantime paint them a God according to their thoughts, who truly is no God, but nothing at all. So you see how the word "alone" is not used to mean that he separates himself from the Father for the sake of the divine essence (because this is sufficiently prevented by the other words), but for the very reason that he binds both the Father and himself together, yes, he binds the Father to himself, against all those who paint a different God or seek him elsewhere than in the Lord Christ.
46 That is enough to say about how the evangelist establishes the article about the divinity of Christ. Now we must also speak a little further about the knowledge in which eternal life stands, what it is and what it is able to do, so that we may learn to understand this text well and thoroughly, as one of the most noble main sayings in the New Testament. It is true that our old teachers saved this and similar sayings until that life, just as if it did not concern us here on earth. But we should remain here to learn such sayings as are written for the teaching of faith, and most of them belong to this life. For it must truly begin here and be recognized and grasped through faith what we are to acquire and possess eternally there.
47 This knowledge is nothing else than knowing what to think of Christ and the Father, of which St. Peter, 2 Epistle 3:18, exhorts, saying, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. As if to say: "Think and let this be your only study and all your thoughts and worries, that you may learn to know the man well, and that no one may seek anything else or better. For this alone is our wisdom and art, which is called a Christian art or doctrine; whatsoever else may be taught besides or apart from this, let it not be thought a Christian art. And if any man ask, What can Christians do, or teach? let him answer nothing else, that it is but to know Christ sent from the Father. He who cannot do this, nor teach it, nor practice it, let him boast of no Christian art. For even if someone knew everything that is under the sun, how God created heaven and earth, and all the works and miracles that he has ever done; even if he could and did the ten commandments, and in sum, if he knew and was able to do as much as the angels, none of this makes him a Christian: So that all that can be preached or known, called or done, of all good doctrine and life, is here purely peeled off and excluded, and nothing remains or is valid that can make a Christian, without him saying here, "That they may know thee, and him whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ.
(48) The prophets also spoke gloriously of this knowledge and its power, and prophesied clearly; as Isaiah Cap. 53, 11: "By his knowledge he, my servant the righteous, will make many righteous or righteous"; that is, he will redeem them from sins and snatch them out of the devil's mouth, just by knowing him and knowing 1) who he is. Likewise also Jeremiah Cap. 9, 23. 24. says: "Let no one boast of his wisdom, nor of his strength, nor of his riches"; in short, let no one boast of anything at all: "But if anyone wants to boast, let him boast that he knows and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices mercy, justice and righteousness on earth."
1) Wittenberg and Erlanger: "so man ihn kennet und weiß." Latin: ut ix>86 eoKuoseatur 6t seiatur.
(49) Behold, this text also saith, If thou wilt have eternal life, thou hast no other way, manner, or means thereof, but to know the Father only, the true God, through Christ his Son, whom he hath sent. Whoever puts anything else before you will surely deceive you. Therefore they have done violence and injustice to the noble, beautiful text, yes, they have taken away all its power and sap, so that they have torn it away from doctrine and faith, and held it as a prophecy of that future life. This makes it clear that they have not understood what Christ's knowledge means, for they have come no higher, nor taught any further, than that one should live in such a way and be pious, so as to gain eternal life; and have 2) thus founded us on our work and deeds, by which we have completely lost Christ and lacked the way to eternal life. For you must make a clear and real distinction between this knowledge and what can be called apart from it. In short, what is not called the knowledge of Christ does not bring eternal life, nor does it help from sin and death. For as it is true that through his knowledge alone he gives eternal life, so it must also be true that what is not this knowledge must remain in death and damnation.
50 What does it mean to know the Father and Christ? Or, how does such knowledge come about? Answer: It is written in the words, "Whom thou hast sent. He who understands this and believes without doubt certainly has eternal life. But what does "whom thou hast sent" mean? Count it for yourself, and see what Christ came to do, and what he did here on earth. He came from heaven and became man to do the work that the Father commanded him to do (as he will soon say himself), namely, to take upon himself the sin of the world and die for it, to make atonement for the Father's wrath, and through himself in his own person to overcome death and the devil, and to bring us to himself. For since he himself is sent by God, it cannot be a badly futile thing, but brings with it an excellent command and business, so necessary and great that no angel nor saint, but the only Son, 3)
2) "us" is missing in the Wittenberger.
3) Wittenberger: ohn den uneinen Sohn.
has been able to accomplish. For what such a person himself is to accomplish must certainly concern and create something eternal between God and us. Therefore, the treasure lies in the little word "to be sent". For it reveals and shows us God the Father's mind, heart and will toward us, and includes everything that Christ has done, preached, suffered, accomplished and brought or given to us. It also clearly proves that this saying does not refer to the life to come, because to recognize Christ as sent by the Father means nothing else than to believe and know how he came to earth, died for our sins, rose from the dead, acquired and gave us forgiveness of sin; all of which belongs to this life.
51 We should now do this with all diligence, and train our hearts to awaken and strengthen our faith; not, as before, put it out of the way, or lay it under the bench 1) for a while. For there truly is our salvation and comfort in all troubles, that we may know that there is no other counsel in heaven and earth against sin and all temptation, but this knowledge or faith. Think for yourself what such faith can and does accomplish. It must ever follow, when I know that Christ was sent by the Father for my sake and given to me, that I may freely and cheerfully conclude that he is my gracious, kind Father, and know no more of any wrath. For by such a work as this, that he sends his Son, he has (as now said) opened to us all his heart and will, that nothing is seen but his exceeding, unfathomable love and mercy. But if I now have the Father's heart, I have him even with all his divine power and authority. For what then should I fear or be afraid? If sin, death, the world and the devil attack me and want to take away my heart and drive me to despair, I know that I have a gracious, almighty Father through Christ, and they both stand by me and fight for me, so that I may cheerfully and confidently defy the devil with all his power, yes, drive out my mockery and laughter from him.
1) "a while" is only in the Jena.
52 Behold now what a mighty and almighty power faith is against all power that oppresses us. And try and do this, and you will know what a great and difficult art there is in this knowledge of Christ. For here every one will feel how little faith he has, and how weak it is in life, and how nothing of this is known to either the works preachers, who hold faith in such low esteem, or the untimely, sated clever ones, who have learned it as soon as they can, and think they can go much higher.
When one enters this school, one learns that it is a matter of struggle and encounter, how nothing can be done by works or human ability to stand and win against sin, death and other temptations. That is why the devil, because he feels and knows this, rages so hard against this teaching, and awakens all his mobs, papists and heretics, who, even if they hear a lot about the faith, or say and preach it themselves, still never understand or experience anything about it, know and learn nothing more than from their own piety of the works they understand and are able to do.
Now it is true, as I have always taught, that God wants to have pious people, in a fine outward life and walk, holy and blameless before the world; but it shall not and cannot make a Christian before God, that is, create nor bring eternal life. To these honors we let no human life nor holiness come, but it shall soar high and far above all works and beautiful, glorious life. Let our works and lives remain in this regiment on earth, and be called earthly godliness, and enjoy this life (as the Scripture says, "He that doeth these things shall live therein") and cease from the same; 2) but this, of which we speak here, is a heavenly and divine godliness, which creates an eternal life. For it is not based on human ability and perishable works, but has another, eternal reason, with which it must also remain forever.
55 Therefore I am in favor of this saying that
2) So the Jena and the Latin. Wittenberg and Erlangen: "are called, which God also requires of us, and lets it please Him, if it goes in faith and wants to reward both, here and there".
He excludes and leaves all works so pure and barren, by setting up mere knowledge. For what kind of work is knowledge? It is neither fasting, watchfulness, mortification, nor anything that can be done or suffered with the body, but it lies within, in the deepest depths of the heart; in sum, knowledge is not a work, but precedes all works. 1) For after and from knowledge follow works; item, works is that which we do, but knowledge is that which we receive and take. Thus, by this 2) little word "to know," as by a mighty thunderclap, all doctrine that is based on the works of men, spiritual orders, and worship of God is struck down, as if one could thereby be freed from sins, reconcile God, and acquire grace.
But notice and do not forget that I have indicated above [§ 43] how Christ in this saying intertwines and binds his knowledge and the Father's knowledge, so that only through and in Christ does one know the Father. For this I have often said, and still say, that even when I am now dead, remember this, and beware of all teachers, as those whom the devil rides and leads, who begin to teach and preach of God in the highest place, bare and apart from Christ; as one has hitherto speculated and played in high schools, with his works up in heaven, what he is, think and do in himself etc., But if you want to be sure and meet or take hold of God in the right way, so that you will find grace and help in him, do not let yourself be persuaded to seek him elsewhere than in the Lord Christ, nor to be concerned with other thoughts, or to ask for another work than the one he sent Christ for. In Christ your art and study should abide and stick: and where your own thoughts and reason, or anyone else, leads and directs you, just close your eyes and say: I should not and will not know of any other God but in my Lord Christ.
1) Wittenberg and Erlanger: "Knowledge is not of our work, but of that which Christ has done, and goes before all our works." The Latin agrees with the reading we have given.
2) Erlanger: the.
Here behold him under your eyes, as he shows himself to you in the most clear and lovely way, in this word of Christ: "That they may know you and the one you have sent, Jesus Christ," so that he may completely draw the Father to himself, so that no one can grasp the true God without the one word that he speaks; for how else should he come to you or you to him, so that you could see him and grasp him? You must ever fix all your senses on the mouth where he directs you, and see how he leads you through the word, and works everything in you.
(58) No one believes this to be a necessary and great art, which is also lacking in many high and excellent people, and is still hidden from all scholars, because they do not know how to bind their minds and thoughts to the man Christ, so that they look only to him, what he says and does, rather than to God's word and work above in heaven. This means that they do not pay attention to the word: "Whom you have sent. If they really saw and believed this, they would turn their ears, eyes and heart to it and say, "Behold, if he has been sent by the Father, he must truly do something and have something to say to us out of the Father's will and command, so that we should hear him as the Majesty himself. Now we hear no other word than that he is to help the world and make the Father our friend; nor do we see any other work than that he goes and does these things, preaches, suffers and finally dies on the cross. Behold, the Father's heart, will, and work are open to me, and I know him; which no one else can ever see or meet, how high he rises and speculates with his own clever and pointed thoughts.
59 From this understanding it is easy to judge what a miserable pity, even a cursed abomination, the teaching of the pope and the monks is, who insolently slander that Christ has not taught and spoken everything, nor done and directed everything, but has left much behind him to teach, command, order, and do; straight against this saying. As if to say: You must not only look to him as sent by God, but also to us, who are given and commanded to do and teach much more than he has commanded. Christ says: Eternal life is in his inheritance.
770 Erl. so, is-iso. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vm, ess-roe. 771
They say that it is not enough, much more is needed, one must listen to the Concilia, follow the holy fathers' teaching, life and example etc.
It is high time for all devout Christians to speak up and say: Dear sirs, we will indeed gladly listen and watch what you say and call or do; but do not hold it higher than when the maid sweeps the house or the cow gives milk. We let the work go and remain in its dignity; but that it should accomplish so much as Christ's word, that if I heard it and lived by it, I would be saved by it, we say no to that. The text does not say here, "This is eternal life, if you live and do, conclude or establish this way," but that Christ, sent by the Father, should be recognized. He does not want us to look at Moses or John the Baptist or others, who were also sent, had great command, and did and accomplished much, but no one was sent to bring and give eternal life through his knowledge, except Christ alone.
(61) Behold, this is the quarrel we have with the pope's doctrine, that he takes such things from us, and will not leave the knowledge pure and bare; otherwise I would never have attacked him with a word. For we gladly let it happen that they conclude, set and command, and say it is well done, and also gladly help ourselves; but that they leave us one thing free, that it should not be considered as if such a thing should serve and promote eternal life; for that would be too close to Christ's honor 1) and his word denied and trampled underfoot.
But this saying shows much more brightly how hopeless, desperate boys these are, who praise and proclaim their orders and spiritual state as states and works of perfection, much higher and better than other common Christian life and state, which is not of a man, but of the wretched Satan of hell's word and teaching, and one of blasphemy, therefore all monasteries are to be fled and cursed as the devil's infernal dragon. How would we come to this, that your self-chosen life and work should be more perfect?
1) Wittenberg and Erlanger: "that is Christo". In Latin: Oüristi Nonori.
and more blessed than the life and work of Christ, the Son of God? He will certainly remain with his holiness over all Carthusians, yes, over all saints' works, if they fasted their life days on water and bread, did not sleep for more than one hour a night, yes, if they raised ten dead people every hour. Summa, what you can praise or boast and obtain for holy life, it is not enough for the common Christian life, yes, it is not worthy to be the footcloth of the Lord Christ.
For this reason, the old doctrine and thought, by which such distinctions have been made in Christendom, and by which it has been divided into so many different ranks and works, must be pulled out and trampled underfoot. In the world and the earthly regime, it must be unequal, one estate and work higher, nobler and better than others. But the Christian's life and position soar high and far above all these things, so that everything remains below them, as deep as the ground under heaven, and no thing on earth is equal to it. For the treasure is too great and too high to be grasped through the man, Christ, God the Father and eternal life, so that no man's heart can grasp it enough.
That is why it is so difficult to grasp, and all the world resists it, and everyone falls on other things that reason can grasp and attain. For it always remains strange and hidden to it, that it cannot regard it as great, nor hold it to be true, and can only consider it, because it does not feel it and 2) gropes, always wants to have something and set it as a basis, which it can find in itself, or can set up for its own, and say: I have done and worked so much, etc., and yet hope that it will also be valid.
As it is also read by old holy fathers, when St. Hilarion said to the hermit, who, when he was about to die, began to say a bad word: My dear soul (he said), why are you afraid of the exit? Have you served the Lord for seventy years, and now you are afraid of death? If he died of such an opinion, as these words are, he is not well.
2) "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
For this means to be based, not on Christ as sent by the Father. For this means to base oneself, not on Christ as sent by the Father, through whom he brought and gave us eternal life, but on his own work and great service to God. This is nature's wickedness, that all good lives and works, which would otherwise be pleasing and acceptable to God, should be polluted with such filth, and thereby lose Christ and eternal life.
I say this so that no one will be misled by such examples, even though St. Jerome (who himself was deeply immersed in the mischief) makes them excellent and great, and does not know how to lift them up enough. As they also seem so excellent that it is difficult for the highly enlightened Christians to keep themselves pure from them. Nevertheless, I hope from the same old father that a different light and view of faith has appeared to him in his last moments. On this word I must not and will not die, nor go with him. For if one should have asked him: Dear father, why do you 1) eat roots and herbs in the forest for so many years, and lie on the bare hard earth? Do you also think that God should give you eternal life and a special crown in heaven for this? then he could not deny it, and would have to say: "Yes, I hope he will not let it be done in vain; otherwise why would I want to lie in the desert with hard, sour work all my life?
67 Meanwhile, where is Christ with his work and merit? So I hear that it must count for nothing, but that, as if it were all useless, which he had put into acquiring eternal life and giving it to us, he must first make it serve him anew through our work. Therefore such legends and examples of the fathers are vain shearing knives, yes, the most harmful poison on earth, against faith and Christ's knowledge, because otherwise everyone is afflicted by nature with the foulness, which cannot leave, it must hang itself on it. All the world has fallen for it, and has worked for it to the utmost, so that even many people have come to despair who would not or could not have done so.
1) Erlanger: you do.
2) "most harmful" taken by us from the old edition of Walch. Latin: psrnioiosissima. The other German editions offer: "schändlichste".
(68) Therefore, you see how necessary it is to practice and to keep this saying well, as the right principal and foundation of our doctrine, how to become one of Christ, and to meet eternal life rightly, and not to lack it. For it is (I still say) a high, strange mind, and excellently difficult to keep such knowledge pure, and to base and consider oneself entirely on it. We have it, praise God, in word and doctrine, but still little and weak in heart; the others, papists and enthusiasts, have, unfortunately, also lost the word and the understanding, and meanwhile the heartache of leading themselves and others away from it with their own thoughts. So you have this rich, golden saying, how it establishes the article of Jesus Christ, true Son of God, and teaches and shows the fruit and benefit of it, that one may know what we have in him, and through him meet God rightly, and learn to come to him, to trust in him cheerfully and with all confidence, which no other teaching on earth has ever taught.
V. 4. I have glorified you on earth, and finished the work which you gave me to do.
There we already have three kinds of transfiguration. He prayed before (v. 1) that the Father would make him glorious, so that he would be glorious again through his glory or transfiguration; there are two of them. Now he says here that he has already transfigured the Father, and asks again that the Father also transfigure him in himself etc. But what those two transfigurations have in themselves, has been said enough, from which also this text becomes clear and easy. The Lord Christ, when he walked on earth, transfigured the Father in such a way that he made his praise, glory and honor great and glorious, as is seen everywhere in the Gospel, that he always preaches and praises how he was sent by the Father, and all his words and works, what he lives, does, has and is able to do, he shows up and assigns to the Father. This is almost the whole life and nature of a Christian man, as well as of Christ himself, that he lives only to praise and honor God, recognizing and proclaiming his grace and good deeds.
70. such work and transfiguration is now aligned (he wants to say), therefore transfigure me.
3) In the old editions: "Christians" instead of: a Christian.
now again. This is just as if he were to say again, as above [§ 17 ff.]: If I am to bring up your glory, honor and praise, then I must come into darkness and disgrace. For because he did the will of the Father, preached and marveled, and walked in the way that pleased God, the world became hostile to him and could not stand him; therefore, for his sake, he had to be darkened and oppressed, and condemned to the most ignominious death. Thus he completed the work that was given to him. Because he now feels and knows that he must lose all his honor and glory above the Father's praise, he prays that the Father will not leave him in darkness, but will pull him out of shame and death, bring him to honor and light, that is, make him Lord and King. Then the third thing must follow, for which he asked at the beginning, that he may also glorify the Father through all the world, in his Christians, so that his honor and glory may be greater than before he died.
(71) Behold, they all three follow one another: first, that he transfigures the Father in life, but over the glorious preaching fails, that the Father must transfigure him again, that he also may extend his clarity and make it much more glorious through his kingdom and gospel. For, as above
24 ff.) said that if Christ had remained untransfigured, the Father's clarity would not have come any further, but would have perished with Christ. Summa, they are intertwined, the Father's and the Lord Christ's clarity, that in transfiguring Christ, the Father transfigures himself, and when Christ is transfigured, he transfigures the Father; and both are an undivided clarity, that the Son must be transfigured by the Father, the Father in and through the Son.
(72) As Christ, our Head, asks, so we who are attached to him must ask that he may be transfigured in us. For as it happened to him on earth, so it must happen to all of us, that for his sake (because we transfigure him, praise his praise with our teaching and life) we allow ourselves to be disgraced, condemned, cursed and killed, so that for our sake his name and holy word are also persecuted and blasphemed. But that he may abide in honor, and be exalted above his
If he keeps his word against the blasphemers, he must help us out again and turn the wheel, so that the world will be wronged and condemned with all shame, but we will come to the highest honor and glory. Thus his honor and glory come forth, and continue to break forth into all the world through the Holy Spirit and the mouth of the Christians. This is what he means by completing the work that the Father gave him to do, that he should take upon himself all shame and disgrace, suffering and death, in honor of the Father; and all this for our sake, that we might be saved and have eternal life, as has been said above [§32 ff].
V. 5. And NOW transfigure me, O Father, with thyself, with the clarity which I had with thee before the world was.
This is another dry, bright text about the divinity of Christ, against the Arians, although they have dared to bore a hole through it. He speaks out clearly and aridly that he had clarity and was in a glorious being with the Father before the world was created. What this is, the faithful can well judge. 1) For before the world came into being, nothing could ever have been without God alone, since there is no means between God and the world; it must be either the Creator Himself, or a creature.
(74) Behold, the mouth of the Holy Spirit can speak so plainly and badly, and yet so highly and so well, that no man perceives it. 2) For what else is it spoken, but that another should say with many words: Declare me, dear Father, who am your only Son from eternity, the same God with you, in One Being and Glory etc.? This he now asks, and puts it into prayer, to indicate how or 3) in what way he wants to be transfigured (that is, revealed, preached and believed), namely, that he is the one who has had his glory from eternity, that is, true God, the Father's natural Son.
75 But such fine text have.the heretics
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: decrease. Latin: ^xpiibars.
2) Latin: oupsrs xotsst.
3) Erlanger: on.
also darkened and perverted; as they pervert all Scripture. And, for this, God will protect us in the future, when they want to break down again, I have admonished, and still admonish, that this evangelist should be well practiced, and that one should learn to base oneself firmly on it. For they will all twist such sayings with nimble grasps, and say, as they did before: it may be true that Christ had his clarity before the world; but from this it does not yet follow that he must be the eternal, natural God, for he may well have been a higher, nobler 1) creature, above and before all creatures, before the world was made, so that he would be the means between God and all creatures in the world. For seeing that they could not pass by such bright sayings, they had to come up with such a thought that Christ would be the most glorious creature, much higher and more excellent than all angels, created also before all creatures. So we must turn our noses up at the Scriptures, so that they may be stretched according to our thoughts, and not see that they are nothing but fictitious thoughts. How then should it be with those who fall into the high articles with their reason, and want to master the Scriptures.
(76) Just as we have just now [§36] acted and contended for this article, that Christ must be the true God, because he alone has the power to give eternal life, and the same is received only through his knowledge: so we also stand on this bright saying, not allowing ourselves to be deprived of the words, nor to twist them, nor to think of and create a means between God and the world, as none is possible to give in truth. For this is certain, since Christ had his clarity before the world came into being, he cannot be a creature. For he will ever have called by "the world" everything that is created, or called creature, and is not eternal, but has begun; as Moses testifies Gen. 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" etc. Therefore it cannot exist that Christ should have been before and apart from the world or time, and yet be a creature.
77 Thus Christ also speaks clearly: "the clarity" or glory, "which I have with you.
1) So the Wittenberg and the Latin. Jenaer and Erlanger: edele.
not in, nor with the creatures. Since it was nowhere but with the Father, it must have been in the Godhead. A king or prince also has a glory, but in or with his people, because it can be nowhere else. But this clarity must be entirely in God, apart from all creatures. But if it is to be a clarity with God or in God, it must be the same and the same, and in one undivided being. Thus in this little word "with thee" both the unity of nature and also the difference of the persons in the Godhead are comprehended at the same time.
78 The sum of this prayer is: Dear Father, I have now done my part in the world for which you sent me; now I am perishing for the sake of your glory, I must be oppressed and condemned as the most desperate man the world has borne; therefore make me glorious again, so that the world may hear and say that I am your Son from eternity. For if the Father Himself did not do it, no man would ever have known or experienced His clarity. For into which human heart would it ever come, or 2) be believed, that the crucified Christ, humbled under all men, should be the true, almighty God. Now, however, the prayer has been heard, and it is going on, that one considers, believes and honors Christ as a true man, born of the Virgin, and also as the true Son of God, who had his clarity from eternity with the Father, but now has revealed the Father through the Gospel, and has brought people to his knowledge, as follows:
V. 6. I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world.
Here he himself explains what he means by transfiguring the Father and completing his work, and shows how and why this was done, namely, that nothing else was said except this: 3) I have revealed your name to the people whom you have given me. To transfigure the Father means to reveal his name, so that he preaches about him and enters our hearts.
2) Jenaer: and. Latin: ant.
3) The words: "namely - be said" are missing in the Erlanger.
He forms us as a kind father, who has taken us into his grace and forgives all sin, redeems us from death and the devil, helps and protects us in all hardships, does not regard any person, work or merit, out of pure fatherly kindness, through Christ, his dear Son etc.
Whoever praises and glorifies, preaches, believes and confesses these things, glorifies the Father, transfigures and reveals his name, so that people may know what to call him, what to think of him and what to honor him for. For this is the right name, that one may know him, that is, see his heart, will and work, which is hidden from the whole world. For those who do not have this faith and confession do not know him, even though they hear and speak much about God. As, the Jews, who alone boasted of God's people and servants, and yet thought no more of him than of such a man, who had their holiness in: Law, sacrifice 1) and beautiful services, and should please him, and therefore be gracious to them. Just as our monasticism and spiritual classes with their worship paint and hold him as the one who must look upon their caps, fasting, strict life, masses and other beautiful works, and give heaven for them.
For this is inherent in all men on earth, when one hears about God, that each one makes his own image and thoughts, so that he wants to give God a form and color, as he is, what he thinks and has in mind, how he should be served, and yet no reason can come higher, if it does it best, than that it must serve him with works, and do so much that he pleases him, and gives in return what it desires; hence all idolatry has come into the world. But if we are to know him aright, Christ must come with his word and reveal him; our reason and thoughts will not do it. For who would ever have thought or considered that the Son of God Himself would come from heaven, become man and die on the cross for our sins, and earn us the Father's grace and mercy, without any work or effort on our part? Summa, Christ shall be the man alone, will also be
1) In the German editions: Opfern. Latin: sueritteiu.
He may well retain the title and glory alone, that he may glorify and reveal the Father.
82 But he adds, "To those whom you have given me from the world. For as no one reveals it and has it preached but he, so no one can understand or accept the same revelation but those who have been given it; the others despise it or are offended, persecute and blaspheme it. For it goes against their wisdom and holiness, and all that they esteem.
83 This is all said for our sakes, who have the word of the Lord Christ and are attached to it, and is a good, comforting text for all stupid, fearful consciences, especially for those who are troubled and challenged by the high temptations of their transgression.
84. If anyone wants to know whether he is chosen, or how he is related to God, let him look only at the mouth of Christ, namely, at this and similar sayings. For although it cannot be said with certainty who will be chosen in the future or who will remain, it is certainly true that those who have been called and have come to hear this revelation, that is, Christ's word, so far from accepting it seriously, that is, believing it to be true, are those who have been given to Christ by the Father. But those who are given to him he will well keep, and will see to it that they do not perish, as he says in John 6:39: "This is the will of the Father who sent me, that I lose nothing of all that he has given me." And afterwards in this chapter, v. 12: "Those you have given me I have kept, and none of them is lost, except the prodigal child." Item Joh. 10, 28. Of the little sheep that hear his voice he says: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand."
For this you must certainly believe, that there is no greater grace and divine work than when a man comes to hear the word of Christ with all his heart, and to mean it earnestly, and to esteem it great and precious. For it is not every man's business, nor of man's understanding and choice; it requires more than reason and free will.
Will that one could grasp it and accept it, as Christ says Joh. 6, 44: "No one can come to me unless the Father draws him. And again, v. 45: "He that heareth of my Father, and learneth, cometh unto me." What words, though they sound harsh against false Christians, are yet sweet and comforting to devout hearts that love his word, when one sees in Christ's heart and mind whence they flow. For he wants to show that it is not of man's will and imagination that we cling to Christ and become his disciples, but that it is God's work and power.
It is evident when one looks into the world how few there are who love and value Christ's word, especially where great power, wisdom and holiness reign. There is no more despised, cursed thing on the face of the earth than the dear gospel; which the clever world can so masterfully reprove, so scornfully mock and ridicule, so venomously and pointedly revile and blaspheme, so grimly and bitterly persecute: In sum, no foolishness, no vice, no error, no devil is so hostile as Christ. All kinds of rottenness, blasphemy, public disgrace, and immorality can be suffered, silenced, embellished, and adorned; but the Christ must take it all upon himself and bear it, on whom everyone must pour out his poisonous, unsaturated resentment and hatred. Therefore let it not be a small thing to thee, but a sure and certain comfort, when thou feelest that thou lovest Christ and his word, and desirest to abide in them with all thine heart, that thou art among the company that belong to Christ, and shalt not be lost.
But whether you would be challenged about this with such thoughts: Yea, though I love Christ and love to hear him, yet who knoweth how I am one with the Father which is in heaven above? He will also take that away and say: You fool, you would not be able to like my word or revelation if the Father did not give it to you! Do you not hear that [it] is his own work and grace? For he has already taken you from the world and given you to me, that is, given you such things in your heart that you will gladly hear me and hold my word dear and valuable. There you have it
everything, what will you look for further? Only see to it that you do not fall away. In sum, he who clings to Christ has all grace and cannot be lost, even if he falls through weakness, like St. Peter, provided he does not despise the word, like the crude spirits who boast of the gospel and yet do not respect it. For no one may take such comfort, except the poor, miserable, challenged hearts, which would gladly be one with God, and love Christ, and would not gladly set themselves against His word, but are sorry that it is blasphemed or persecuted.
(88) Behold, he will always draw us up through him, show us the Father's heart, and make him most friendly, so that we will not be afraid of him, but will look upon him with joy, and come before him with all confidence. And shall therefore have these sayings the more gladly. For no one believes it, not even myself, nor others, especially in temptation, how the devil is so mischievous as to seduce the most refined people with his own beautiful, pointed and subtle thoughts and ideas, by which he wants to separate us from the Lord Christ, to divide us and separate us from the Father, so that we look and grope after the Father only and apart from Christ, or look at Christ as a mere man; That, of course, there is no more difficult article on earth than to believe that the man Christ is truly the Son of God. The reason is this: for if we believed it, we would already have won the game. For we would think: What the Christ speaks and does, gives and gives to me, as he entices, calls, comforts and strengthens me, forgives and bears my sin, the Father himself does, as the same one God; what can the devil and death with all their misfortunes harm me?
But reason cannot grasp this. So the devil helps and encourages us to draw a line and make a distinction between God and Christ, with two thoughts, and to look for Christ on the cross, but to look for God high up in heaven, and thus to worry: "Who knows what he is thinking above, or what he has in mind for me? Where such thoughts take hold of the heart, it cannot remain nor exist; for the person, God and man, is
already cut and torn. On the cross or in the womb of the mother, one sees nothing but a man in whom there is neither wrath nor terror, but only kindness and heartfelt love to help us; but if you let go of such a look and climb up into the majesty, you must run, be frightened, and fall back, because you put yourself outside the sight of grace, and gape into the mere majesty, which is too high and too heavy for you. For apart from Christ, nature cannot see or attain grace or love in God, just as apart from Him there is nothing but wrath and condemnation.
90) Behold, this is what I call separating the Father and Christ from each other, or dividing and separating the Son of Man and the Son of God (that is, the one Person); and this is (I say) a real evil trick of the worst devils. For the others are even more crude, foolish devils, as Sabellii, Manichaei and other heresies, who teach that one should not believe that God is man, or that a man may be truly God. These are all still called objecta speculabilia, mere thoughts and pointed sophist's findings, which are discussed in schools; but when it comes ad affectus, that is, to the seriousness, where faith is to stand and the heart is to base itself on it against the temptation, then it finds and stirs.
(91) Philip was also in this challenge [John 14:8], when he said, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied. etc. As if to say, "You tell us so much about the Father; we see and hear and know you, but when will we see the Father? Behold, the great apostles, who heard Christ so long and were with Him daily, are still in the carnal mind, seeking God apart from Christ, and separating Him from the Father. Therefore Christ also punishes him, and calls him back down to Himself, and says, v. 9, 10: "Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also; how sayest thou then, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?" But no reason can resist this.
92. therefore, we should probably use these sayings
1) Jenaer: the.
We must form and press within us, and get used to looking at and hearing the Lord Christ as if we were certainly seeing and hearing the Father, and thus wrap ourselves completely in him and hide; yes, crawl with him in the same swaddling clothes and attach and bind him to the wood, and not let him tempt us to go into the mere majesty, so that the devil does not overtake us and catch us, who does nothing more than dissolve Christ in the flesh 2) (as St. John 1 Epistle 4, 3). John 1 Epistle 4, 3), in this most subtle way, that he separates God and man from each other in Christ.
I must admonish and urge this because some erroneous spirits deceive themselves and others with their thoughts, and almost insist on the saying [John 6:63, 1]: "Flesh is of no use," as if the spirit alone must act with God, and Christ Himself is of no use to mankind. This actually means that Christ's flesh is dissolved and torn away from the Godhead, as a useless flesh and blood, yes, the one and only unseparated person of Christ is separated. For what is it but that two persons are made of Christ, because they seek God apart from the flesh, and publicly say that man alone suffered for us, and that his flesh is of no use to us.
94. even though they allow it to be valid and useful that he died for us, now that this has happened and Christ has ascended to heaven, we should no longer cling to the flesh, but rise higher and ascend to the Father in the spirit. etc. Because they thus throw away mankind and consider it useless, it must happen to them that they also lack the Godhead. For, as enough has been said, whoever seeks God from now on, and wants to meet or find Him other than in Christ, does not find and meet God, but the devil himself in God's stead. For here thou hearest how he utterly confesses it to himself, when he saith, "I have revealed thy name unto them whom thou gavest me." And so soon further, "They were yours, and you gave them to me," etc. Then you hear (I say) how the Father binds us to the Son in the flesh and blood, as the one who alone gives him to us.
2) Here Luther followed the reading: ö ÄE 701-.
revealed and transfigured by his oral preaching, that we may know where and how to find and meet him.
95. Since we have been given to Christ through Him, as to whom we are to cleave, and look and listen only to His mouth, we must not so cast down our flesh and blood, but crawl and wrap ourselves in them, as to where the Father has placed us, even to let Himself be found, that we may come with Him to the Father, and abide where He abides, as those who have now been taken from the world, and shall not abide with it under the power of the devil, nor be lost with it. Therefore let every man thank God the heavenly Father that he has come to this, and has been made worthy to hear Christ, and that his word is well pleasing to him, and let him trust cheerfully and assuredly that God will not let him perish, because he has given him his dear Son for his own, and through him has showered him with all graces.
They were yours, and you gave them to me.
96 He says this for the further comfort and strength of our weak faith. For the fact that he needs so many words is not only so that this prayer may be all the more effective with the Father, because he knows it all beforehand, and without which everything that Christ asks or desires is yes, and must happen, but that he may make our heart, which is always afraid, timid and terrified before God, confident, so that it may look at him joyfully and boldly, and run to him with all confidence and stand before him.
For no man on earth is able to let this happen: when he rightly remembers God, his heart is troubled in his body, and he would run away to the world; indeed, as soon as he hears God mentioned, he becomes timid and shy. I am not talking about raw, desolate people, but about those who are struck in the heart, so that they feel their sin (which we also preach alone). For the conscience is there, feeling and knowing that God is hostile to sinners and wants to condemn them, and cannot escape nor escape God's wrath; therefore it must tremble, shake and tremble, turn pale and grow cold, as before lightning or thunder. Therefore, Christ must forcefully approach it, and graft such sweet, kind, comforting words into the heart, that he will be able to overcome the heavy, bitter and cruel wrath of God.
and that the Father is most lovingly imagined, as a heart should desire. Therefore, let us take these words and drive them into our hearts for the salvation and comfort of our souls.
98] "They were yours," he says, "that is, as I said, whoever hears the word, opens his heart and ears, and lets the revelation resound and ring in, does not belong to the world, but to me. 1) Since then it is certain that they are mine, and I am their Lord, Master and Savior, it is also certain and no doubt that they are yours; indeed, they are not only yours now, but were yours before from the beginning, and come to me through you. So with one word all wrath is taken away, and what terrible things may be thought in heaven and on earth, and a wide heaven full of grace and blessing is opened upon you. If you cling to the Lord Christ, you are surely among the multitude whom God has chosen from the beginning to be His own; otherwise they would not come here, nor hear and accept such a revelation.
(99) Behold, the great temptation and all disputing of the secret disposition are thus straightway put away, that some may torment themselves and fear so much as to become senseless; and yet they accomplish nothing, but to give place to the devil, that he may lead them by despair into hell. For this thou shalt know, that all such giving in and disputing of understanding is certainly of the devil. For what the Scripture says about it is not meant to distress and frighten, but rather to comfort, the poor afflicted souls who feel their sin and would like to be rid of it.
Therefore, let those who do not have the gospel nor want to hear Christ be troubled. But know that there is no greater comfort on earth than he himself shows and gives you, namely, that you are God's own and dear child, because his word is pleasing to you and your heart is sweet toward him. For if Christ is kind and sweet to you and comforts you, God the Father Himself comforts you. Therefore you do not have an angry God, but a vain God.
1) So in all editions. Latin: [sä rusus [st. Also in § 170 of this interpretation, "belong" is construed with the accusative.
Fatherly love and grace, proves by such work that he has given you to the Lord Christ. Stay with him and do not let yourself imagine anything more than how he shows and reveals himself to you through Christ's word. For he has revealed himself for this very reason, that you may not seek or search for anything else, nor worry about what he may have decided for you, but that you may see and know in the word all his will concerning your salvation.
You have given them to me, and they have kept your word. 1)
Then he gathered both together, that they are the Father's children and Christ's own, and made a cake out of them. They are my disciples, and yet they have long been yours from eternity. Why? Because "they have kept thy word. What is this? why does he not say, they have kept my word? For they ought to be called mine (as we are wont to say), because they have kept my word. But he speaks willingly in this way, that he (as I said) makes it one thing, and even draws himself into the Father. As if he should say, Inasmuch as they are my disciples, and hear me, they hear and keep not my word, but thine. That we may be assured of the consolation that out of the mouth of the Lord Christ proceedeth no other word than that of the Father which is in heaven, and that is the word by which he most earnestly and most earnestly calleth and beckonth us unto himself (as is seen throughout the Gospel), that you only fear no wrath, but take care of all love and goodness, comfort and help to him with all your heart, as sure and certain that you are his own chosen dear child, and sit in his bosom, and have all that he has given to Christ, as follows. Behold, how could he speak more beautifully and more comfortingly, or how is it possible for a man on earth, with so simple a few words, to talk out such an excellent thing? Yes, where are the hearts that can grasp and believe it?
V. 7. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you.
All of this goes to what I said about him having a fearful, heavy conscience,
1) Wittenberg and Jena: "kept", but later in the text: "retain".
which weighs us down as a burden above all burdens, and make the heart light and joyful to come before God. Because they have your word and have kept it (he says), and have become my disciples through it, they know that everything I have and do, create and give is from you; that is, they accept it as given and bestowed by you, and do not doubt that they themselves were also chosen by you and brought to me. For all, all (he says), who cling to me and hear me, are sure that you are also their gracious God and Father; for they could not hear me, nor keep the word, if you had not given it to them and chosen them for it.
103. Behold, this is the fruit of the word, where it is received and kept, that one may have such knowledge of all grace and goods from the heavenly Father, given to us through the Lord Christ, and may cheerfully and confidently consider and rely upon it, which no human reason, nor wisdom, nor even the preaching of the law can give. This is the right bright light and clarity, when one sees God right under one's eyes with uncovered face, without any cover or curtain, as St. Paul says 2 Cor. 3, 18.
V. 8. For the words that you have given me I have given them.
(104) It is in the word that we receive and receive all things; only that it may be known that all that Christ speaks is the Father's word, and that he alone clings to his mouth, rejecting all other thoughts or what may occur to anyone. And behold, how he speaks clearly of the external, oral word, with a bodily voice, spoken through Christ, and put into the ears, so that no one may regard the same as small or unnecessary; how now many new insane spirits deceive themselves, and think that God must deal with them in a special way, by secret revelation of the Spirit, etc., and thus lead themselves from God and Christ to the devil. For here you hear of no other means than the word that he gave them through his oral preaching; and yet the same calls the Father's word, which he received from heaven and brought to us 2).
2) "us" is missing in the Wittenberger.
and says that it will produce such power and fruit that they will know the Father's will and heart and have everything that is necessary for their salvation in it, as the following words further testify:
And they received it, and knew truly that I came forth from thee, and believed that thou hast sent me.
(105) Behold, how he has so many words for himself, but only about the same thing; for he speaks as if he had power, so that it may be seen how gladly he would speak into the hearts of poor, weak, stupid consciences, as he has well known what trouble and labor it takes to raise up a heart in temptation, that it may look upon God with joyful eyes. Therefore, we should not let ourselves be put off hearing these things often and much, and chewing and doing them well. For they are such fine, comforting words that they could be preached for many years, and yet much more highly than anyone 1) could speak them. Therefore, let each one take it and consider for himself from where and why Christ spoke it, so that he may show us the Father's heart and fatherly love, and make a comforting, childlike confidence in him.
Now this is the opinion as before: So much does the word create, where it is accepted, that one recognizes that Christ came forth from God and was sent, that is, that everything he speaks is God's word and will, and what he does and creates is the Father's work and command, and all this to help us. For this is the knowledge of which he said above [v. 3], that in it is eternal life; but such a treasure as is hidden from all the world that they can never attain to it, 2) and such an art that no reason or wisdom on earth can attain, nor can it be brought about by any other means or way than through Christ's word. Whoever hears this gets a right knowledge that makes him certain and does not leave him wanting, so that he can conclude and say against all the suggestions of the devil and his own conscience: Now I know that I have a gracious, kind Father in heaven, who, through unfeeling, is able to give me the strength I need.
1) Erlanger: no one.
2) Wittenberg and Erlanger: "that she does not know to find him." Latin: ad quem nunquam veniet.
I am not to fear sin, death, or the devil, because of the love and kindness he has sent and given me, his dear Son, Christ, with all that he has purchased and accomplished. Only that one remains with the word, and rejects all other thoughts, and neither wants to hear nor know anything else from God, without what Christ speaks. For, as I have always said, this is the only way to deal with God, so that one does not start, and the right step or bridge on which one goes to heaven, that one remains here, and clings to this flesh and blood, yes, to the words and letters that go out of his mouth, through which he leads us up to the Father in the very finest way, so that we do not find and feel a terrible image of wrath, but only comfort, joy and peace.
V. 9. I pray for them, and do not pray for the world.
Then he pours out his prayer and indicates why he is concerned about everything, namely, about his dear Christians. For after he had begun to ask his Father to transfigure him, and had told him in many words how he had transfigured the Father by his preaching and revelation to his own, so that they had accepted his word and known the Father, etc. he now commands them to the Father, as those in whom he must be transfigured, that he may preserve them in the world by what they now have.
So this prayer must certainly be answered, not only because he deserved it through his holy suffering and death, but also because he says: "All that is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" etc. As if he should say, we are so completely one in the matter, that what I ask must be yes and certainly happen. Therefore, let us also take comfort, be of good cheer, and conclude with firm faith that those for whom the Lord Christ asks will surely be healed and preserved against the devil's raging and fury, and against sin and all kinds of temptation. Now we have heard for whom he prays, namely for those who have accepted his word and have come to love him with all their hearts and hold fast to the word.
hang on. These may happily rely on the fact that they are certainly in this prayer and are to remain with the Lord Christ.
409 But this again is terrible, that he saith, I pray not for the world. Let us therefore see to it that we are not found among the multitude for whom he will not ask. For therefore nothing else can follow without their being lost, except those for whom Christ speaks evil and does not want to know anything about them. This should ever frighten the world, that it would freeze with trembling before such a judgment. But it only takes it for a mockery, makes a laughing-stock of it, and remains in the ghastly, obdurate blindness that it so surely throws it to the wind, and lets it pass before its ears as if some fool had spoken it.
440] But how does it rhyme that he will not pray for the world, when he taught in Matt. 5:44, 1) to pray also for our enemies who persecute us and blaspheme both our name and our doctrine? To this the answer is brief: To ask for the world and not to ask for the world must both be right and good. For he himself says soon after, "I pray not for them only, but also for them which shall believe on me through their word"; these must ever be of the world (before they are converted); therefore he must pray for the world for the sake of such as are yet to come. St. Paul was also of the world when he persecuted and killed the Christians, nor did St. Stephen pray for him to be converted. So also Christ himself prays on the cross [Luc. 23, 34.]: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." So it is true that he asks both for the world and not for the world.
But this is the difference. In this way he does not pray for the world as he prays for his Christians. For the Christians, and all who are to be converted, he prays that they may remain in the right faith, increase or continue, and not fall away from it, and that those who are not yet in it may step out of their nature and come here. This is called praying rightly and well for the world,' as we should all pray; but as it now goes and stands, because it rages against the gospel
1) Wittenberg and Erlanger: teaches.
2) Jenaer: the.
and rages, he will not ask in any way for them that God may please him with such a being, or that he may see it through his fingers and let it go, but that he may ask the opposition to hinder it, to hinder and to destroy it. As Moses the prophet did, Numbers 16:15, against Korah and his band, which rebelled against him, and were subject to his office and priesthood, he was wroth, and cried unto the Lord, saying, Turn not unto their sacrifice. Item, the king David, 2 Sam. 45, 34. when he was driven away from his son, and his highest and wisest council Ahitophel had joined him, he prayed that God would not let Ahitophel's council go away, but would make it foolish, similarly he often prays in the Psalter against the persecutors and his enemies.
442 But such prayer does not actually go against the person, but against the being, which leads the world and drives it against God's word, which does not allow the person to come to grace. Again, when Christ prays for his Christians, he prays not only for their person, but for their ministry and whole being: for as and where this goes and remains, the person must also go and remain. Summa, as far as the person is concerned, one should pray for everyone, and let the prayer go in general, and strike in one heap, both enemy and friend, so that those who are our enemies may be converted and 3) become friends; if not, that their doing and acting may nevertheless go back, and have no happiness, and before the person perishes, but the gospel and Christ's kingdom. Thus did the holy martyr Anastasia, a rich, noble Romanian woman, against her husband, who was an idolatrous and abominable rager against the Christians and had thrown her into an abominable prison, where she had to stay and die. She lay there and wrote to St. Chrysogonos that he prayed diligently for her husband, so that he would be converted and become a believer, but not so that he would not have to go out and soon put an end to his rage. Prayed him to death so that he went to war and did not come home again. In the same way, we pray for our angry enemies; not that they may
3) Jenaer: to.
God strengthen or protect them in their nature, as the Christians, nor help them, but that they be converted with grace, where they are to be converted; or do they not want him to oppose them, to control them, and to make an end of the game with their harm and misfortune. For where one thing must be, it is better that the world should go to ruin than Christ, and that lies should give place to truth. For God has it in mind that the truth shall remain, and the lies be put to shame.
With these words Christ looks at the two groups: the first and small one, which has the word of God and should push it; the other, the great one, who has it in mind to suppress this group and tries with all his might how to suppress the gospel. Here we find what the world is, or who is called of the world and not of the world. For the world is actually called 1) those who are deadly enemies of the word, so that they cannot see or hear it, which is no longer a human sin, but a desperate sin of the devil, who thus reigns in the world, poisoning and embittering hearts with his raging hatred of Christ and his word. For this is his way, where he can only devise or stir up something, to blaspheme, revile and persecute the word in the most disgraceful way, to the sorrow and annoyance of the Lord Christ, there he exercises all his power and strength; and where he cannot accomplish anything by force, he is so wicked that he cannot hear it, runs and flees before it, more than before the cross, and leaves nothing undone, that he may show and vent his bitter, fierce anger against it.
(114) We still see this in his children and servants to this very hour, how they daily become more senseless with raging and blustering, and do not know how to blaspheme poisonously enough against our gospel and persecute us; if they can no longer, they plug their ears and bless themselves before it, as before the worst devil. Behold, such tender fruit is the world. In the child the father is well known. What else can one do and ask here, but that God may help his own, but that they have nothing else to do with the gospel?
1) "er" is missing in the Jenaer, in Walch and in the Erlanger.
and let the Christians see, because that annoys them the most and hurts them, that they go down the sooner, because they have no grace and intercession nor want to suffer? Where no good will help, there unmercy and misfortune must help. We have the advantage of God's grace that we may rely on this prayer and be sure that our thing will go and stand, even if they rage against it with all their power and all the devils; but their thing will go down, and they too, as firmly as they now sit. For they are resolved in prayer, that shall smite and overthrow them, where else our Lord Christ abideth before them in heaven. It will still take a little time for them to rise up and sit as firmly as if no one could lift them out of the chair, and they are so certain that they will dampen and destroy us as if they had already done so. That is why faith is necessary. For if this were not the case, there would be no need for prayer.
But for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
(115) Then he repeats again the words which he used before, that he may ever instill it (2) in us. For the world I cannot ask (he says), for they are not yours, but hate and persecute those whom you have given me; but for them I ask, for they are your own goods and inheritance, there I have care, there is all my heart and mind. Now enough is said why he puts the words thus, "whom thou gavest me." For he that is Christ's is the Father's also. But they are Christ's, as he himself said, who take the word from him and keep it. This is the most certain sign of a gracious Father. For no one would accept the word (as has often been said), nor remain with it, unless he were God's child, and given to the Lord Christ by the Father.
I have given this admonition above [§ 104 ff.], and must do it always, because we see that Christ cares so much that he always repeats the same, and shows enough how highly it is needed, so that one ever watches before all things, and remains only with the word. God rather let us sink
2) "it" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Jena.
(Where we ever stumble or sin) 1) In all manner of foolishness; but that we lose not this treasure, which is Christ in his word; whatsoever shame shall fall upon us afterward, let us abundantly recover ourselves of the loss by this treasure. For it is this that crushes the devil's head, that is, destroys his kingdom and all power. Therefore he is patient in all things, able to suffer, yield, and concede all manner of things, without this one piece. For where this does not work, he can break in as and when he wants. In short, no holy life, piety or wisdom can help against his power and authority without this word alone. Therefore this should be our greatest concern, that we do not let ourselves be carried away by it. For he stands by it, and means it with all his mind and strength. He who perseveres in this, cares for it and asks for it, has the comfort of Christ's prayer that he will persevere in it and that no force will be able to prevent it.
V. 10. And all that is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.
That is ever clearly and superfluously spoken out. It would still not be so much if he said badly: "All that is mine is yours." For everyone can say that everything we have is God's. But this is much greater, that he turns it around and says, "All that is yours is mine." No creature can say this before God. Now understand this not only of that which the Father has given him on earth, but also of his one divine being with the Father. For he does not say of his disciples and Christians alone, but includes in one heap all that is the Father's, eternal, omnipotent being, life, truth, righteousness etc., that is, he freely confesses that he is truly God fei, for the word "all that is yours is mine" leaves nothing ever excluded. If everything is his, then also the eternal Godhead is his; otherwise he could and should not need the word "everything".
(118) But you must not forget what he is talking about and what he means, namely, that everything depends on those who hold to his word to admonish us, so that we may be able to keep our promise to the Lord.
1) So the Jenaer agreeing with the Latin. Erlanger: "wo er je wohl über uns verhänget". Wittenberger: "wo er je wolt vber.uns verhengen".
You must remain a man and know that God speaks, does and gives everything through him; that you look for both, all God's word and work, in Christ, as Christ sets himself against you and deals with you, promises, entices, comforts, carries, gives, all this is done by the Father. Summa, you can neither see nor hear anything in Christ, you see and hear the Father himself.
119) Behold, this is what St. John in his Gospel urges in all words, that only the high and beautiful thoughts should be abandoned, so that reason and wise people should go around and seek God in the Majesty, apart from Christ. He wants to lie in Christ, in the cradle and the mother in the 3) womb, or hang on the cross; so they want to go up to heaven, and search out how he sits and rules the world. These are vain dangerous thoughts, where they are not rightly led. For they are all bound to this one place, that thou shalt not grope nor see further. If you want to meet and grasp everything that God is and does and has in mind, then seek it nowhere, for He Himself has placed it and laid it down. This you hear in the word: "All that is yours is mine" etc. Therefore, a Christian should not know how to seek or find God in any other way than in the bosom of the Virgin and on the Cross, or how and where Christ shows Himself in the Word.
120 St. Paul also says in 1 Cor. 2:2: "When I was with you, I did not want to be more wise than some high spirits, nor did I pretend to know anything, but only about Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Behold, is this the high apostle, who has had such excellent enlightenment, and knows nothing more glorious and delicious to praise against the false apostles, nor to preach more highly than the poor crucified God? What do the arrogant spirits do, who strive for high, great revelations, and think that one must come much higher, and exalt oneself in the spirit? In the same way he says Col. 2, 3: "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. As if to say, "Do you want to go high, and know something special and excellent, wise and
2) Wittenberger and Erlanger: almost.
3) "im" is missing in the Wittenberger and in the Erlanger.
4) "only" is missing in the Wittenberger.
If you want to be wise, yes, all divine secrecy and wisdom, then study and learn only in this book, there you will find it all. But (he says) it lies buried deep and hidden, so that fes) no one but faith can see and come to it. According to the eyes and appearance of the flesh, you see nothing but a poor, weak man, forsaken by God and the world. But if you believe the Word, you will find all divine counsel, wisdom and strength in the midst of weakness and foolishness. If not, you may climb high and gaze at the majesty, but you will run into the cops and fall.
For the devil also delights in beautiful, high thoughts, and can also make a mask in his heart as if he were God, and disguise himself in glory and majesty, as he did to Christ himself, Matth. 4, 8. Summa, as far as great wisdom, holiness and majesty are concerned, he is master and God in the world. He also once ascended so high that he could not go any higher, because he wanted to become like God and sit in His chair; therefore he still cannot leave his ways, always wanting to be honored in majesty before God. Therefore God has done him the wickedness to let himself down to the lowest level and to hide himself in the lowest form than in the bosom of the virgin, and he does not want to be found in any other way [Gal. 3, 13. Rom. 8, 3. 2 Cor. 5, 2.]. The devil cannot get there, for he is a confident, proud spirit, even though he can pretend to have the highest humility. Therefore no one can deceive him, except that he binds himself to the stake where God has fastened him. 2) If he seizes you in any other way, you are lost and carried away, like the chick of the consecration, except for the wings of the hen.
And I am transfigured in them.
(122) It has been said enough above [§ 79 ff] what transfiguration means, and how he wants to be transfigured by the Father and transfigure him in turn. Thus he also expressed shortly before how he would be transfigured in us, when he said [v. 8]: "The words that you have given me,
1) Wittenberg and Erlanger: and.
2) That is, in order to escape the devil's cunning attempts, flee to the cross of Christ, through which the devil has lost his power. Hebr. 2, 14.
I have given them, and they have received it, and have known truly that I came forth from thee, and that I am sent"; that is, to transfigure is nothing else than to have a clear and distinct knowledge of Christ, through whom the Father reveals himself to us, that we may know what he has given us through this his Son. And recently to say: As he is transfigured by the Father through the word and revelation, so he is transfigured in us through faith and confession. But it is well to say transfigured, for he may well be transfigured (not for himself, but for our sakes, as he then says, "I am transfigured in them"), as he who is darkened before the world, and is in no reputation. For I have said [§ 120]: Whoever looks at Christ with the eyes of reason sees nothing but a wretched, poor, forsaken man, yes, utterly despised and cursed; there he goes on earth thirty years, so that no one respects him or notices him; yes, when he is to prove his glory, he lets himself be hung most shamefully on the cross and put to death.
123. So now the summa is: By the world I am darkened, blasphemed, condemned, everyone resents and is offended by me; but they, my disciples and students, because they hear the word that I am sent by you and have all that is yours, they transfigure me; for by this I am uncovered and put before their eyes, that they regard me as another man than the world, namely, as your Son, eternal and true God, Lord over the world, devil, sin, death etc. This they did not know before by human reason, nor did they look at me in the forehead; but now they have another light, namely the word that you have given me and I have given them, and they no longer look at me as the world does, according to their understanding, but as they hear about me in the word revealed by the Father.
And let this be no small comfort, that Christ Himself boasts of us to the Father, that He is transfigured in us. For this glory we should not take all the world's good and honor, that through such weakness and wretchedness of our poor flesh and blood he should be transfigured, and so heartily please God the Father, and
3) Thus the Jenaer and the Erlanger. In the original and in the Wittenberg: magnificent.
so precious when we praise and esteem Christ.
(125) Therefore let every man see for himself how Christ may be transfigured in him. For there are many who boast of the gospel and know how to speak of it, but transfiguration is not so common, nor is it everyone's business. For to transfigure Christ, or to believe in him, is nothing else than to believe, as we have heard, that whoever has him has the Father and all grace, divine goods and eternal life. The saints of the world, the pope, and the spirits of the rot cannot do this. For although some say of Christ, and can also use the words, that he is the Son of God and has redeemed us, etc., they never learn or experience how one must accept, need, seek, find and hold him, and in or through him take hold of the Father; meanwhile they go in the clouds, and go about with their own thoughts.
(126) This is what we see in some of our red-blooded spirits, who have learned from us to speak of Christ and the faith, how seldom they practice this doctrine, yes, how coldly and clumsily they speak of it, when they are supposed to touch this main piece, and rush and flutter about such texts, considering it a minor art, which now 1) everyone has long since been able to do. Summa, they are vain other thoughts, of which they are full; that, although they sometimes hit something, yet they themselves understand nothing of it, and quickly fall away from it to their dreams. A true preacher, however, presses this article most of all, yes, without ceasing, as everything that belongs to God's knowledge and our blessedness lies in it, as you see in this Evangelist John and St. Paul's Epistles everywhere. For here it is true on both sides that it is said: "When the heart is full, the mouth overflows.
V. 11. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.
He had two reasons for praying for them. The first, that he says, "They are yours and given to me," that is, taken from the world into your kingdom and possession, grace and protection. The second: For I am glorified in them, that is, because.
1) Wittenberger: only.
2) "vain" is missing in the Wittenberg.
They praise and confess me as the one who has all that is yours. To these he adds the third, that he now departs from them, and leaves them behind in the world, under all kinds of driving, misfortune and persecution. For when he says, "I am no longer in the world," he is speaking as one who is now to depart and die, and has already departed from the world; just as the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 53:8, said of him before, "He is torn away from the land of the living" and cut off, just as one who is forcibly expelled from this life and must forgive himself for all his sins, that he never lives this life but another life, which he calls "going to the Father.
But here the question arises: Because Christ says that he comes to the Father, he must ever remain in the world. For we believe that the prophets rightly said that God is in all places, filling heaven and earth; as it is often written in Walter, as Ps. 139, 8, that he is at home both in heaven and in the abyss or hell. And St. Paul, Apost. 17:27, 28, says: "He is not far from any one of us, for in him we live, weave and are"; that is, he is present wherever he is sought and called upon, and can be found; as he proved to the people of Israel when he divided the Red Sea and made a dry way for them through it, but drowned all their enemies in it. etc. [How then does he speak here that he is no longer in the world, and makes a noise before the eyes, as if he were leading away far away, so that we could no longer have him with us?
129 Answer: One is used to speak of it in two ways. One is that he has gone up like this and is sitting up in heaven as if in a swallow's nest; thus, with the thoughts of the eyes and face, which only clings to one place at a time, and cannot see both heaven and earth at the same time, as if he must also be caught and encircled in one place, so that in the meantime he cannot be elsewhere. According to their vision and thought, they conclude from this or similar sayings that Christ cannot be everywhere in the sacrament with his body and blood. But we answer according to the Scriptures, and say:
To be in the world is to be in this external, sensual, sensitive being, that is, in the life that the world needs and lives, which is called a natural life, in which one must eat, drink, sleep, work, have house and yard, and summa, need the world and all the necessities of this life. Again, those are called to be no longer in the world, who are withdrawn and separated from all that is now told, so that they are not allowed to eat, drink, walk, stand, and in short, live no natural, bodily works, which the prophet Isaiah Cap. 53, 8. in his words, where he is called "cut off from the land of the living," or, as we say, cut off from this life; not that he is cut off from the world and is never with us, but that he is not allowed to live as a man of his bodily life. That is why he now never lives a worldly life, that is, this bodily life and its necessities. That is why it is vain foolishness and loose theiding with their thoughts when they dream that they have left the world for the Father, that they have left heaven and earth for another place. Otherwise the devil alone would have to rule in the world, so that God would have no room, and Christ could be neither in the sacrament nor in baptism, yes, after their consequence, not even in the believer's heart 1).
(130) Now it is much different to be in the creature (that is, in the place where the creature is) and to be in the world. They are in the world, he says, that is, they live as one lives in the world, needing the body's work, the five senses, all the elements, without which this worldly being and body life cannot be sustained; but I go away, that is, I renounce and withdraw myself from all bodily being, eating and drinking, working and suffering, and from all outward society.
131 Therefore, if Christ is in the sacrament with his body and blood, and in baptism with his Holy Spirit and all his divine being, he is not in the world, for he does not walk, stand, change, speak, or do any work that is done on earth; otherwise the text could not stand as it does.
1) So the Jena and the Latin. Wittenberg and Erlangen: "also not with his Christianity on earth".
follows, "and I come to you". For, tell me, where is the Father? Certainly not up in the swallow's nest. But if he comes to the Father, he must be everywhere, where the Father is. Now the Father is everywhere, in and out of heaven and earth and all creatures, so that he cannot be bound or pinned to any particular place, as the stars are pinned in the sky. For we must say and believe that he is with us wherever we call upon him, in prison, in water, in fire, and in all troubles. But our enthusiasts must neither hear nor see this text, but flutter over it, and only pinch out a piece that they can stretch for themselves. But enough of this has been said elsewhere.
Holy Father, keep them in your name.
He expresses what he asks, namely, that the Father may command them, because he goes away from them and leaves them alone in the world, and keep them as he kept them, because he was with them. But that he says, "Holy Father," comes from the great and mighty fervor of a fiery heart. For with this single word he looks around him, and sets it against all unholy beings that the world leads, yet with a great, holiest 2) appearance; as if he should say: O dear Father, what do I see of mobs, error and seduction, as well as tyrants and despots, who will dare to cause all mischief and misfortune under your name against true holiness; so that I may say: There is no one holy anywhere, they glitter and adorn themselves as they wish, without only your name and word, which I preach. In this way he also speaks Ps. 22, 4.: Tu autem in sancto habitas etc. "But thou art holy, and dwellest under the praise of Israel"; as if he should say: Everyone wants to be holy, to have the Holy Spirit, to teach and rule the world, but they meet it, alas, that under thy name and with a holy appearance they all miserably deceive and seduce the world. Because you alone are holy, and the abomination and the devil's deeds are so many, you keep them in your name.
133 Why this? or, how in his name? Do all liars bring and boast
2) Wittenberg and Erlangen: saints. Latin: prastsxbu vt splsnclors sumniLtz sanotimoiiias.
and deceiver (as now said) God's name, and this name must have done everything in the world, as one says: In God's name all misfortune arises, and no error can come on earth, he must carry this name, and sell himself under it. Answer: But they are not God's name, nor are they preserved in his name; therefore he exhorts the Father of his holiness, because so much unholiness rises up against it, that he should separate his company from all such, and preserve them, that they may abide in the one name.
All this is asked in our German: Dear Father, protect them from all false doctrine, so that they may stay with your holy word and pure, truthful gospel, so that they too may become holy and not fall away from it, nor fall into false, seeming holiness; for otherwise it is lost where you do not hold. For the devil is too mischievous, and the pretense and the fear of false doctrine is too great, that it is not possible to overcome with all our prudence and strength, and (as Christ himself says [Matth. 24, 24.] also 1) the elect hardly escape, lest they be deceived into error.
By this prayer we poor people may also be preserved, otherwise no man could remain on earth before so many sharp, mischievous, mighty spirits and mobs, which have been from the beginning to this day, and with such violence, chance and attachment have torn down and drawn to themselves only the very finest, most learned and best people on earth (who should break one's heart), who could help the country and the people; without which poor simple-minded people, who would like to drive right and be pious.
136) O what an abominable sight it is to behold, what a world has fallen from the Gospel, and have lost the Word, shortly after St. Paul's and the apostles' times, when it stood so well throughout Asia and Greece, since now not a letter of the Gospel is to be found, and all is lost in the abominable blasphemy, under the Turk and Mahomet; likewise also under the Papacy.
1) Jenaer: also them.
2) This parmthesis is in Latin: wiZsrudils Uietu.
3) Wittenberg and Erlangen: like.
and has now begun in the German lands with so much deception and seduction; yes, even among us: how few are they 4) who have and keep the gospel pure and in right understanding? Therefore it is still and always necessary, if we could, to pray with Christ every moment: O dear Father, help us and keep us in the right holy nature of your Word, so that the devil does not creep up on us, overpower us with his wonderful glow of the most beautiful angelic holiness.
(137) Now this is what it means to remain and be preserved in his name, if one keeps the word pure and true in his heart. For this is God's name, or honor and glory, that he should be preached and known in this way, that he alone gives forgiveness of sins by pure grace through Christ, and makes us blessed. Whoever remains in this doctrine or faith is God's own, that he calls him his God and Father, and is called after him, and is also holy. For as God is, so is His word and His name, and as the name is holy, so we also become righteously holy through it, not through our life or works. Whoever then forsakes the word is never holy, even though he seeks and pretends to other great holiness.
The one you gave me.
This is, as said above [§ 83 ff], who have my word. He often brings this up again, and cannot forget it, for the excellent, great comfort of all who gladly hear and accept his word, so that he alone remains master, teacher and head, but we remain his disciples; so that we may know that God himself has brought us to hear Christ, and that our salvation is not in ourselves, but in God's hand, from which no one can snatch it. Therefore he says, "Because you gave them to me to be my disciples and to be called to true holiness, you also wanted to keep them so that they would not be defiled, nor be defiled and deceived into some error.
That they may be one, like us.
139) Here again the mobs have done their heart's work, so that it is to be pitied how they have destroyed the
4) "Their" (jr) is missing in the Wittenberg and the Erlanger.
Finest sayings, so comfortingly spoken, so shamefully acting and perverting, or fluttering and running beyond.
(140) This whole text is to the effect that the Lord Christ saw that those who had begun to hear his word would come into all kinds of danger, so that they would be snatched away. For when the devil sees that Christ has disciples, he becomes mad and unreasonable, pours out all his wrath and fury, opposes them both with all violence and malice, and does not cease to snatch them away. Therefore he asks that he 1) keep them and keep them under his name, so that they are not scattered, and one here, the other there, torn away, but remain one thing and undivided.
But this word: "that they are one" etc., has had to be twisted and falsified by the Arians, who denied Christ's divinity, in order to strengthen their lies with it. For they wanted to spin out so much: because he says: Christians should be one, as he and the Father are one, so he does not have to be of one nature or essence with the Father; because we cannot be of one nature or essence among ourselves. For each one has his own nature, that is, body and soul for himself, therefore the word "to be one" must mean as much as to be of the same mind, as otherwise one speaks of two who have the same mind, will, heart and courage. So this noble text against faith and St. John's teaching, which drives this article most violently, must serve for their heresy and lies.
(142) Now Christ does not say that they have one will or mind, as they do, although this is also true, that Christians are all of one faith, love, mind, and spirit, as they have one Christ, spirit, and faith; although there is a difference between all of them according to their 3) office and works, externally; but he does not speak here of unity, which is called equality, but puts the words ut sint unum, that they are one thing, and so
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: "that they the father". The Latin agrees with the reading of the Jenaer, which we have brought.
2) Wittenberg and Erlangen: and
3) Jenaer: his.
One thing, like the father and me; so that it is said of the essence, and points much further, because have the same courage and sense. But what the one or one thing is, we shall not see nor know, but must believe. But it is nothing else than what Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:17 and 12:12, and in other places, that we Christians are all one body; just as the body is and is called one thing, so the whole of Christianity is called one body or one church, not only because of the one or the same thoughts, but rather because of the one essence.
Now there is much greater unity between the member and the body, than between your thoughts and another's. For his thoughts are in his body, and yours also in yours, and you cannot say that my thoughts and yours are one thing. As all members are one thing with one another, that is, one body, so that if one member is from or apart from the body, it is never one thing and being with the body, but a separate body or being; but as long as they are all with one another, it remains one body, so that there is no difference or separation of being. For the foot, when it is alone or cut off from the body, is never one with the body, but a leg that is thrown out into the shingle. But if it remains with the body, I must say that it is one, that the body cannot be without the leg, nor the leg without the body.
(144) Christ also means here that his Christians should be attached to one another so that they are and remain one thing and one undivided body, just as he and the Father are one. There is not only one mind and will, but a completely one, undivided being. For if Christ were separated from the Father, it would never be One God, but a divided, separate and distinct being. However, there is still a much greater unity of the divine nature than of the members in one body, which we also cannot comprehend. So then (he wants to say) my dear little group or Christianity should also be one body and one church, whole and undivided. For although there is here another unity than of nature, namely a spiritual unity, it is still called completely one thing, so that none is without the other.
And if a piece were torn down, it could never be called One or One Thing.
(145) Behold, thus is the little word "one" to be understood; not as they have perverted it, that it should signify no more than a likeness. As when I see two people who are very similar to each other, I say, "That is one face"; item, of two skirts that are the same, one says, "That is one cloth. But here it is clearly written, ut sint unum, una res, which is not used in Latin or Greek to speak of equality or unity. In German, however, the little word "ein" is not so clear. For it is needed in both senses. Therefore we must translate it in this way, as we say "one thing" or "one body and kitchen.
146 For this reason I speak, that we do not let this text be perverted or weakened by such little things of reason and untimely philosophy, for there is a mighty, great comfort in it for all who believe in Christ and keep the word, namely, that we are all members of one body, as one flesh and blood, and have the advantage that everything that concerns one member concerns the whole body, which does not happen in equality or unity. For though many have one mind and will, yet one does not take care of the other as in one body. From this unity, Christianity is called communio sanctorum (non similitudo), a communion or congregation of saints, since all the saints or Christians are one company and one church.
If a Christian has the defiance to know where the devil is attacking him, he does not attack one finger, but the whole body, that is, all Christians in the world, even God and Christ. Just as in the body, where the smallest toe is stepped on, the whole body wipes itself, 1) and the eyes look sour, the nose wrinkles, the hands grasp, and each member asks and worries what has happened to it. For this belongs to such unity, that there is no piece or part that lives and feels for itself alone, and not all the others, that is, the whole body's life and soul.
1) wipe out---- drive up. Latin: sxilit. In the old editions: "wüschet".
Feelings. Wherever the least member of Christianity suffers, the whole body soon feels it and is moved, so that they all run together, 2) lament and cry out; so our head, Christ, hears it and feels it. Though he pause a little, yet when he begin to look sore, and wrinkle up his nose. For thus saith he by the prophet Zachariam Cap. 2, 8: "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye."
Behold, this is a great promise, for the consolation and defiance of the Christians against their persecutors, that they know that he is so close to us, and that he takes such hard care of our suffering, that he is called to attack the apple of his eye, and that he will bear as little as anyone can bear to have much pain done to his eyeball; so that the devil, when he attacks a Christian, attacks him so that he must bite his own tongue and burn his own fingers. We read a fine example of this in the history of St. Paul: When he was persecuting the Christians and had helped to kill Stephanum, he thought that he had also torn off a toe. But what does Christ in heaven say to this? He does not say, "Why do you stub my toe or persecute my poor people?" but says, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is too hard for thee to lick against the goad. "etc. [Acts 9:5], just as if he had attacked his own person. Why? Because no member of the body can be touched, the head must feel it, yes, feel it first; for from the head all power comes and goes, so that the body can feel and sense.
This is (I say) the highest consolation in all the sufferings of Christians, where they are challenged by the devil or attacked by the world, that they do not suffer alone, but all Christianity on earth, yes, all the angels in heaven, together with Christ and the Father Himself, take care of their suffering and bear with them, and nothing can happen to them, it must happen to all of them. Whoever knows and believes this can bear and overcome all kinds of misfortune. Again, there is no thing that makes suffering or adversity so difficult and unbearable, for where the heart feels that it is suffering, it is not suffering at all.
2) Jenaer: run.
alone, and sees no example or fellow member of the same suffering, as if it were alone abandoned and peeled away, as all the sufferings of Christians appear in our flesh's eyes. Therefore faith must hold to this word, against its own feeling and the cries of the world, which, when it attacks a Christian, thinks it has subdued him, that no one can help him or save him, as it praised and exulted over Christ himself when he hung on the cross.
(150) Behold, this is the unity of Christians which Christ has indicated in these words. 1) But there is no other way to come to this, except by God's keeping us (as He said) in His name, that is, if we abide in the word which we have received from Christ. For the Word keeps us together, so that we all remain under One Head, and cling to Him alone, seeking no other holiness, nor anything that is to be valid before God, but in Him. Summa, through the word we are incorporated into Christ, that all that he has is ours, and we can take care of him as our own body; in turn, he must also take care of everything that happens to us, so that neither the world, the devil, nor any misfortune can harm us or overpower us, for there is no power on earth so great that can do anything against this unity. But this is how the devil deals with it, that he cuts this bond and tears us from the word by his mischievousness and treachery. Where this happens, he has already won. For apart from the word there is no more unity, but only division, innumerable sects and groups, which he casts among themselves by his nets and cords, that is, the doctrine of men, since each one seeks special holiness in his own works. etc.
V. 12. While I was with them, I received them in your name.
151 That is, while they heard and saw me, and dealt with me in the flesh, I preserved them by thy word, teaching, admonishing, stopping, comforting, warning, and all manner of things, that they might not be deceived from the pure word and knowledge. But now that I am no longer in the world, that is, they will no longer know me in such a physical way.
1) Wittenberg and Erlanger: indicate will. Latin: innuit.
And if they have not sight, nor hearing, nor change, keep them in the way they began, for they have thy word, and are thine own, as follows:
Those you have given me I have preserved, and none of them is lost, except the prodigal child, that the Scripture may be fulfilled.
(152) I have kept them unchanged and undeceived by false doctrine and holiness, and have kept them so firm that not one of them would be lost without the Prodigal Child, Judas. Why is that? Because he has never been attached to me in such a way that he meant me or my word seriously, but made himself mine so that he might become rich with me and under my name, and yet with such an excellent appearance that none of the disciples ever noticed it. But such a devil child 2) the Lord Christ had to have among his company, and to suffer with him "that the Scripture (he says) might be fulfilled," which said before that Christ and his own must always have such Judas apostles in their company; as he himself elsewhere indicates from the 41st Psalm, v. 10: "He who eats my bread tramples me under his feet" etc. Thus, he bears a figure of all who seek their own in the Gospel. As now, unfortunately, also many of his children, who boast of the gospel, and yet seek nothing with it, but their fame and chamber or advantage, think it is a trade or business, so that one can gain honor and goods, as St. Paul says 1 Tim. 6, 5, as until now the pope under Christ's name brought all the world dominion, honor and goods to himself, and still has.
153 Therefore he gives them leave, saying, "They are not my disciples; therefore I cannot keep them, but let them take my name, and sell themselves under it, if they do not desire to be Christians, but become my worst enemies at the last, and do the greatest harm in Christendom. But those who would gladly stay with it, and keep it, and leave it as they should, have the consolation that Christ will not leave them, and by this prayer they shall be preserved as he has preserved his dear ones.
2) Erlanger: Such the Devil's Child.
810 Eri. so, 228-sso. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vm, 7ss-7ss. 811
The others must neither seek nor accept such consolation. The others must not seek anything here, nor accept such comfort. For there is nothing to be gained by anyone setting his sights on the world's favors, goods and possessions, and accepting Christ's word with earnestness. For it is decided [Matth. 6, 24]: No one can serve two masters, God and Mammon do not stay with each other.
But now I come to thee, and speak these things in the world, that they may have my joy made perfect in them.
Behold, these are all such poor, simple words, and yet no one understands them without purring over them, as if there were nothing easier to understand, and no one really respects them. We have already heard what it means to go out of the world and come to the Father, but he repeats it here so that he may comfort his dear disciples all the more, so that they may know where and on what their confidence and protection should stand and rest in the world. For since he has preserved them until now, when he was with them bodily or personally, but now he is to step from this visible worldly life into another invisible life and world, leaving them alone behind him; indeed, since they themselves do not remain bodily with one another, but are scattered from one another now and then through the world, they may well have a strong protection and good assurance that they can stand in the world against all kinds of impulses and misfortunes. Therefore he wants to show them another, certain place, where he wants to keep and preserve them much better, namely with the Father, where he himself goes, so that he takes all things into his power, and can be with them everywhere, whether he goes outwardly and bodily from them.
This is the opinion of this whole text: "I have kept them with me in the flesh for so long, after I brought them together and planted the word in them, that it took root and remained with them, but that it should continue to come through them and be spread throughout the world, and have been with them only to begin this, and to acquire and create everything that they, along with all of Christendom, should have and receive through me. But now it is time for me to come to you again, to take my kingdom and spread it through them, and to spread the word throughout the world.
Therefore, I command them to you, come to you also for this reason, that you yourself, through your Holy Spirit and divine power, strengthen and sustain them.
156 And these things I speak now in the world, that is, for this purpose I leave these words behind me for last, that they may hear it, as I pray for them, that they may fall under your protection and guard, and that they may be comforted and assured that you will not leave them, though all the devils and the whole world rage against them in the most horrible manner.
157 Here again it is clearly shown and strongly demonstrated what the outward word or oral preaching of the gospel is good for and necessary in Christianity, for he does not want to protect and preserve them without outward means, even if he could, and otherwise has all things in his hand, but needs the word so that they know what they should hold to and what they should comfort themselves with. For it shall not be so that they see and feel, but believe, and in the sight of the world the contradiction shall appear, as if he would not preserve them, nor protect them, but oppress and destroy them.
He says, "I have come to you so that you may keep and preserve them yourself, but it is necessary that I speak these things because I am still in the world, that is, with a bodily voice and words, as one man speaks to another. Why or for what purpose? For this (he says), "that they may have my joy in them," that is, that by the word they may be caught with the ears, and kept in the heart, comforted, and 1) cheerfully defy it, and say: Behold, this is what my Lord Christ has said, so faithfully and earnestly has he pleaded for me, this is what I have heard from his mouth, or received from those who have heard it and are sent by him to preach it to me, that he will not forsake me, even though he is not with me in body, and leave me alone, but will protect and preserve me by the Father's almighty, eternal power and might. For this we know from the same discourse, that He and the Father are one, and all that proceeded out of His mouth is the Father's own word and heart etc.
159. see, that is called he "his joy full-
1) "and" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
812^ Eri. so, 230-sss. Sermon on Joh. 17, 13. 14. W. vin, rss-ni. 813
To have come," that is, a righteous, complete joy. And is probably called "his joy," or a joy from him; for it is not a worldly nor outward, but even a secret and hidden joy. For before the world they (the Christians) have vain mourning and heartache, persecution and misfortune, either both from tyrants and mobs, or without means from the devil himself; and must suffer the world to be glad, rejoice, and make their play of joy, when things go ill with them; as Christ said before John 16:20, "Ye shall weep and be sad, but the world shall rejoice. "etc. But nevertheless they shall have perfect joy under such mourning and sorrow, as also Joh. 16, 22. follows: "Your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one shall take from you."
160 It is therefore necessary to keep the word with all our heart, and to take comfort in the fact that he has promised us so dear, that he will be with us with the Father, and will keep us, that no evil shall harm us, that no power of the devil and of the world shall oppress us, nor tear us away from him. So we always find joy and consolation, and [that we] become more joyful the longer, and let no suffering nor opposition grieve us or make us despondent; yes, even it becomes sweet and gentle to bear all kinds of suffering for the love of Christ; otherwise a Christian can have no joy on earth, which is perfect and righteous. For though thou mightest have all the joy of the world in one heap, it would not help thee to stand against any temptation or calamity; for worldly joy stands only on uncertain temporal goods, honor, and pleasure, etc., and cannot remain longer than such are there, but passes away and vanishes, when only a sour wind blows upon it, and it shall suffer a little adversity. But this is such joy, which abideth for ever (as the cause thereof is eternal), and continueth and increaseth in the midst of outward affliction and misfortune, that with a merry heart one may forgive and despise all the joy of the world.
V. 14. I have given them your word.
161 Therefore he will show them how they should fare in the world, so that they may have such comfort.
in the word and joy of Christ. And expresses still further what he has now said, but means again the word which he has given them verbally and left them, the Father's word, that they must neither desire anything else, nor seek any other comfort; but hold the word dear and high, dear and valuable, as their highest treasure on earth, given to them for joy and comfort, against all adversity. I have no other treasure," he says, "that I can give them without the word that I received from you and brought from heaven. I gave it to them, and I am doing it so diligently now that I would gladly speak it into their hearts, so that they might have such my joy completely, roundly and wholly, and forever with them, that they might say after my death: There I have the word of my Lord Christ, yes, of the Almighty Father from heaven; I know this, and I am sure of it, if I keep it, that no power on earth, nor the gates of hell, can harm me, for he holds me in his almighty hand and fatherly protection, from which no one can snatch me, for he loves his word, and will keep it, and therefore also protect and defend all who cling to it. This is also a great need, for we poor children are in great need of it, as follows:
And the world hates them.
162 There is our title, and the right color of the Christian's court, which we wear on earth. If thou art the disciple of the Lord Christ, and lovest his word, be not ashamed to use this rhyme for his sake, and be glad to have the world for an enemy. There you will find not only strangers or bad boys, but also your closest and best friends, as well as honorable, holy people in the eyes of the world, who will be dangerous 1) and angry with you, will badmouth you in the worst way, and will attack you on all sides; And there shall be no other cause nor blame which they can lay upon thee, or accuse thee of any evil, that thou shouldest be too near to any, or do any harm, damage, or wrong, except thou have Christ's word, 2) preach and confess it; and thou shalt hear that thou art a heretic, and the devil's own, and that the highest
1) dangerous hostile.
2) In Latin, the conjunctive is here also.
Abomination on earth. The name outweighs and surpasses all wickedness in the world, and there is no greater sin or disgrace than to be a Christian; nor is the world so bitterly hostile to any vice. All other wickednesses it can credit, bestow and palliate; all peelings it can house, suffer, have mercy on and help over; but the dear Christians the earth cannot bear, that whoever persecutes them, condemns them, strangles them etc., that is the greatest virtue and highest service of God (as Christ says Joh. 16, 2.) and 1) helped the world.
For this reason, this saying, "The world hates them," is finely put, as if to say that it has nothing else to do with its hatred but to rage against the Christians, even though it has reason enough to exercise its hatred against those who are well worthy of hatred, such as the devil and evil men. For the power and dare lies in the little word "they". Who are these "they"? The dear poor apostles, Peter, Paul etc., these are the harmful, damned people, so the world cannot bear. What did they do? They have not stolen or robbed anyone, nor have they been close to anyone 2) by a hair's breadth. What then? They have served everyone in vain, with hard work and toil, offering and offering God's grace and eternal blessedness and all good things. What do they get in return? Vile, bitter anger and hatred, so that they must be driven out of the world and condemned nine cubits below hell.
This is the thanks and reward that the world should give to Christ and his apostles. What more can it do than to most shamefully strangle an innocent man, who has brought it all good, salvation and happiness, as the most wicked of evildoers? and no one does this but the most holy people on earth, who make themselves believe that they have never done a higher service to God than to crucify His only Son. Just as now our furious tyrants, if they can only blaspheme the gospel and all of ours with confidence, persecute, murder and burn, so they are called Christian princes and patrons of the church; that makes everything they do honorable.
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: und heiht.
2) Wittenberg and Erlanger: no one.
otherwise commit shameful evil acts against God and man. Now, behold, is not the world delicately depicted in this, what it is, where it wants to be at its best? If this is its beautiful, best virtue, let the devil praise it in our place. I hope (praise God) that we will also be found in the dye, for it is also hostile enough to us; as we have experienced up to now, and still have, how it rages against our teachings in the most outrageous way, and, when it can no longer do so, proves with blasphemy, cursing and shouting that it is hostile to us from the heart.
For they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
I also belong to the same register (he wants to say), yes, I stand in front and above; therefore it shall not be better for them than for me. If they have called the master Beelzebub (he speaks elsewhere [Matth. 10, 25.]), how should they honor his disciples otherwise? She also has, in her opinion, a great, honest cause that she is hostile to me, for I am not one with her; I must show her blindness and misery, punish her wisdom and holiness, which is not valid before God; not that I harm or hurt her, but that I would gladly help her to snatch the poor, captive souls out of the devil's jaws and bring them to God. He (the devil) cannot suffer this, therefore he rages and rages so, incites and emboldens their hearts against me and my word; so the world cannot and will not step from its blindness and presumption, that it should condemn its thing and let nothing count. The quarrel arises because of this, that we become divided about things, and has to load all its hatred and anger on me, and it goes just as he said above Joh. 7, 7: "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify of it that its works are evil." As it is therefore hostile to me because of the word, so it also hates my disciples, to whom I have given the word, and have thereby taken them from the world and set them apart.
166 Let this be a joyful and comforting sermon to us who have the gospel, and who indeed feel it.
3) Wittenberg and Erlanger: "in this word of Christ" instead of: in the color. Latin: üoe eolors vestitos.
it hates us, and yet nothing can blame us unless we are Christians, and do not want to stay with it 1) in the devil's power. Therefore I have given them (says Christ) your word, that they may have their joy and delight in it, in defiance of and contrary to the unholy world, and cheerfully pardon their favor and grace, yea, run and flee from it, that they may have no part in it 2).
V. 15. I do not ask that you take them from the world.
It is not necessary that they also leave the world with me, for I still have more to accomplish through them, namely, that they extend my kingdom and make my small group larger. They now have the word from me; but because I can no longer remain in the world, but they are still to bring many who will believe in me through their word (as he says soon after), I ask for their sake that you do not take them away, even though they would like to be rid of the world, and they are tired and full of the world again.
This is the reason why Christians, and especially preachers, should desire to live, and we should pray with Christ for their long life. For, dear God, it is highly necessary, the devil and the world are hostile to us (as we have now heard) and put all plagues on us, so that we have to see and hear without ceasing what hurts us and goes through our hearts. So much is the great shameful ingratitude and contempt, in addition to the abominable blasphemy and persecution of God's word, that a pious preacher must at last be disgusted to preach a word; that God 4) could do nothing better for us than to take us away soon, so that we may not see nor hear such misfortune. But how shall we do it? There is still some small group that has to stand daily in all kinds of traffic, that would like to be torn away from it; we have to care for it and work for it, and not let it go as long as we live. For it is a toil and a labor, even though we all have heads and shoulders.
1) sollen" is missing in the Wittenberger.
2) Wittenberger: "dran" instead of: "at her".
3) Erlanger: them too.
4) Wittenberg and Erlangen: and God us.
Join hands, that we may keep the word with some, and resist lest it perish, and all go to the devil.
But that you save them from evil.
We must suffer misfortune and evil in the world for the word's sake, both from tyrants and mobs, who attack us on all sides, both with their fists and false doctrine, with cunning and violence, so that they take the word from us. In addition, we must have all the devils around us, and stand as a single sheep in the midst of wolves, yes, in the midst of angry, roaring lions (as St. Peter says [1 Ep. 5:8]), all of whom have sharpened their teeth on us, aiming to tear us apart and devour us. Dear one, who keeps us here, that we remain and stand against so many terrible enemies, and do not despair every moment, and lose both faith and word from our hearts? Who keeps us now until this hour against our tyrants and all devils? They have made many a counsel, so many secret practices against us; they are powerful enough, and we are weak enough; they do not lack their will, they mean evil, poisonous and bitter enough, and would gladly drown us in a spoon and devour us in one bite. Answer: Certainly no human power nor wit. But here is a little word that does it: One sits above, who remembers this prayer, and says: My Christ once prayed for them, therefore they shall be protected and preserved. This is our defiance, our protection and our defense, so that they do not have to do to us what they would like to do, even if they should burst with anger and wrath, until they are tired of us and run away, so that God removes us from their teeth and they perish.
V. 16. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
This is where our comfort lies, which is why he repeats it so often, and in this way he strikes their hearts and minds. As if to say, "You feel and complain that you must remain in the midst of the world, which does not want to suffer you, and which creates all kinds of misfortune; that you must sit in danger and worry all hours, I know well, but let this comfort be enough for you.
so that it will not become powerful over you. For you do not belong to her, but to my Father; let the world pass away, it belongs to the devil, its God; but you shall nevertheless have protection in the midst of the world, and be preserved that you have no part with her until God sees the time, and lifts you out, that you may escape the calamity and destruction that must come upon her.
V. 17. Sanctify them in your truth.
He is still drifting toward one thing, because all he prays for is the word. Say not, If thou wilt preserve them in the world from evil and calamity, let them run away into deserts or monasteries; but keep them thus, that they may only remain holy, and that the same in thy truth, that a righteous holiness may be. Again, they are in all kinds of danger and distress in the world, but none greater or more dangerous than that they should be defiled, yet under a pretense and delusion of righteous holiness.
For the devil works with all his wisdom and strength to raise up and introduce such doctrines through his flocks, which have the very highest appearance and name of right truth and holiness; which he can adorn to shine and glitter before all, and must be the most beautiful, as a harlot before other honest women. For such is she, the fair red whore of Babylon, Revelation 17, adorned with purple, scarlet, gold, pearls, and all manner of precious stones, with whom kings and lords and all the world court.
Now there is our strife and battle, over which we Christians must fight with the devil. For he does not afflict us with temptations and gross sins, knowing full well that he cannot win us over with them, nor conquer us, but because he sees that we are working for true holiness, he goes to us and reproaches us with vain holiness, so that he may help us to it, makes such a great pretense, which is not humanly possible to overcome, that we are to grasp at it and accept it for true holiness, so that we have to fight against vain holiness without ceasing.
This is the opinion of this prayer: I see how all the world is looking for great sanctity.
But thou, dear Father, wilt preserve and guard them from such appearances and glittering holiness, and make them righteously holy. For this means: "sanctify in truth", as also St. Paul speaks Eph. 4, 24: In justitia et sanctitate veritatis, that is, in right, pure, true holiness. As if both. St. Paul and Christ, say: There are many who have the name and fame as holy, and want to make everyone holy, but in essence is false and vain lies. The beautiful whore Babylon, with the beautiful golden cup, leads the most beautiful words and scripture, but is nothing inside, but vain abomination of all abominations. What then is this, or how is it done, that one may become truly holy? For this is the art, that one may meet it [i.e. true holiness] aright, and not be deceived by appearances. He answers 1) himself, puts the gloss to the text, and speaks:
Your word is the truth.
See, there it is: If you really want to know what righteous holiness is, so that you can distinguish it from all others, look only to the word, and do not let any pretense deceive you. This is the right touchstone; indeed, it is itself that which alone makes right and true holiness. Let others boast of their holiness in plates, caps, ropes, fasting, vigils, austere life, special exercises and great sufferings etc. But know that whatever is not the word, or goes in the word, is not holy, but certainly false and deceitful.
Do you say, "Yes, but do the mobs also praise the word of God? Answer: The devil also knows that it is a matter of the word, and Christ points to the word; therefore he also wants to guide God's word. But we say that one should look only at the mouth of Christ, what he speaks. This is the truth of the Father; whoever hears and believes this has the right word of God, which makes him holy truly and without hypocrisy. For if you believe in his word, you cannot rely on your reason, wisdom, powers and
1) In the old editions: He answers.
He cannot leave his work, nor be presumptuous to become holy by it, nor count for anything in the sight of God; therefore such a one cannot become hopeful nor proud, for he finds nothing in himself to defy or boast about.
(177) Behold, therefore, where faith is righteous, right humility must follow. After humility follows righteous patience and love toward one's neighbor, that one despises no one, gladly serves everyone and does good, suffers what befalls him, is not angry and does not take revenge, whether one shows him ingratitude, disloyalty, sorrow, scorn and shame. Summa, such a man who 1) bears no falsehood against anyone, but a sincere, pure and pure heart, as it is righteous before God in faith and without hypocrisy. For he does not seek his own in his works and life, nor does he look to anything that is his, but is satisfied with Christ and his goods, in which he has all fullness, and does all works in vain, only for the service of others. Behold, this must ever be a righteously chosen man, both before God and man.
178. Now hold even the other false saints against this. For there you will find no faith in Christ; indeed, they hold him in low esteem; they may speak the word in pretense, but they are not in earnest, nor do they stick to it; meanwhile they go about with specially chosen works and practices, in which they seek their glory, so that they are thought to be the holiest; Neither are they a trustworthy, proud, nor unpleasant people, who despise everyone, must stink at everything and be nothing that is not their thing, and cannot suffer their thing to be blamed with a word, can neither tolerate nor take credit for anything, so that no one can enjoy it, and want to have served them alone, do no work that is useful to the neighbor; yes, they are the most poisonous and bloodthirsty people against the true Christians. As one can see such fruits everywhere in the Gospel and St. Paul's epistles, and can now see them daily before one's eyes in all of our groups, the Pabstics, Anabaptists, enthusiasts, or whatever they are called. See, so you can easily 2)
1) In the old editions: "such a man, that". Afterwards in this paragraph "it" instead of: he.
2) So the Jenaer. Latin: Uauct clillieultsr. Wittenbergers and" Erlangers: bodily.
feel and see the tree by the fruits, which have and lead Christ's word quite purely and loudly, and without hypocrisy. For one does not suffer one another, where it is in the heart, to seek holiness by one's own work or life, and to rely on it.
Therefore let all wise men, scholars, clergymen and saints read and hear these words, and yet let none understand what it is, but rather despise it, as those who already can and have done it; or, when it is said to them, will not suffer nor hear it. But we know, by the grace of God, that true holiness is nothing else than when he gives us a right faith in Christ's word, and continually strengthens and increases it; from which all kinds of good, righteous fruits, as now said, grow and increase daily, all of which is not our work and ability, but his grace and divine power. For we freely say and confess before all the world, against the devil and all his multitude, that no life, nor work, nor spiritual, high thoughts, nor devotions of our own, nor anything that can be called or done on earth, can make us holy. In short, that there is nothing in us from which holiness comes. For fasting, going barefoot, having nothing of our own, pretending great humility and suffering, can also be done by husks and boys, Turks and pagans etc. But to cling to Christ alone, through faith, as in which we have God's grace and eternal life, without any work or merit on our part, is not the work of man, but of God. Behold, it is in this work that it lies; where this is, the word is pure and clean, and true holiness, which can judge and condemn all other false appearances.
V. 18. As you sent me into the world, so I also send them into the world.
Here you see why he asks that they be sanctified, namely, because he sets them apart and sends them to preach the gospel. And herewith he confirms the dear apostles as doctors and preachers, attaches and binds us all to their mouths, as many as are ours, learned and unlearned, so that everyone must humble himself, how wise and wise he is, and let the poor, silly fishermen master and teach them, and hear them as the Lord Christ.
stum himself. For verily it is much said, that he saith, "I send them, even as thou hast sent me." As he also said above [v. 8], and as we have heard, that it is a great and excellent art to believe that Christ was sent into the world by the Father, that is, that thou mayest put thy conscience wholly upon it, and take all the words that proceeded out of his mouth without doubt, and hear them, as though thou didst now hear the Father's voice speaking to thee from heaven. Which, if we could believe it with earnestness, we would not so throw it to the winds; as now the great multitude, both teachers and disciples, who excellently boast of God's word, and yet only juggle and play with it, just as if some cobbler had spoken it; but act and hold it with all humility and honor, and high gratitude, as our dearest treasure.
For what is it that anyone could desire more, if we ourselves should desire it, than to hear God Himself speak orally? And if there is no one where it would happen to him, he would gladly run for it to the end of the world. Now you have here a sure testimony that whoever hears Christ's mouth and word hears the word and mouth of Him who created heaven and earth with one breath and carries and holds them with one finger, and such a word in which He shows and reveals to you all His heart and will, in addition to which He offers and gives all His grace and goodness: in short, in it stands all our salvation and blessedness, help, comfort, protection and victory in all troubles and temptations, as to which heaven and earth, devil and world, with all creatures, must give way.
182) See, he says the same thing here about the apostles' mouths and preaching: "As you have sent me, so I also send them," that is, as they have heard me, so they also shall hear my disciples. For it is just that he says to them elsewhere (Luc. 10, 16.), "He that heareth you heareth me." Therefore we must approach and look at the mouth of St. Peter and Paul, and all others who have such testimony, so that your heart may rely on it as surely as if you heard all the angels from heaven, yes, God Himself speaking with His own voice. Behold, this is called ever the dear fishermen and unlearned laymen gloriously crowned as doctors, yes, as priests.
The most important thing is that the people of the world have been consecrated by the high and noble majesty of the stars or bishops, as never happened to any scholar, sage or saint on earth.
183] Now the mouth is shut to the ragamuffins and some blasphemous tongues, who slander against us: You are hostile, one should not accept the doctrine of men and the commandment; how? were not Peter, Paul etc. also men? So cleverly they go along, the dear slobberers, as if they had it quite well together. And so much shall be concluded: St. Paul is a man, the pope is also a man; and St. Paul is holy, the pope (is it true, as they say) the most holy. Now if one should not hear and accept the pope, one would not have to hear nor accept St. Paul either.
But you 'answer thus: Dear, let the pope also bring a text that makes him a teacher like the apostles here, and we will also hear it. Christ says: His apostles and preachers should teach in this way, and preach exactly what he taught and preached. Where now St: Paul would have preached something else, more or less, than Christ himself, it would never be the word of an apostle of Christ, but the word and preaching of men. Paul of Tarsen is a man, but when he says: "Paul, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ", you no longer hear a bad man, but the mouth of God and the Lord Christ, who put his word into his mouth.
For this is called the doctrine of man alone, which a man has brought forth and invented of himself; as this is called the work of man, power and wisdom, etc. which is in man, and comes from his own ability, not that which God works in him above and beyond nature. When St. Peter raises the dead, or speaks with all kinds of tongues, it does not follow that you would conclude: Peter raised the dead, therefore raising the dead is man's work. Balaam's donkey also speaks with the voice of man; should anyone therefore be so foolish as to say that speaking with the voice of man is the word of a donkey, or the work and power of a donkey?
186 Therefore we say, The apostles were men, it is true; but they spake nothing but men. For
It is much different to be a man and to speak from God's command, power or wisdom. We want to hear people, but not as people, out of our own authority, good judgment and understanding. So it is said (says St. Peter 1 Petr. 4, 11.): "If anyone speaks, let him speak it as the word of God; if anyone has an office, let him do it as from the ability that God gives."
187 For this reason, he himself has conscripted the apostles here, 1) so that they may not speak anything other than what he has spoken and commanded them. He also wants no man, whoever 2) he is, to be accepted or heard any longer. Summa, we do not speak here of man's person, but of the command and office. Therefore it is not valid how holy you are, as if one should hear and believe you, or your word and sermon be better and more valid. We do not want to hear what St. Paul, the holy man, says, but what the servant and apostle of Christ says. I do not ask how holy you are, but what you preach and from whom you are commanded.
Let the pope and bishops (as I have said) also carry out and perform such ministry and preaching as the apostles (because they have it and are seated in it), and let us accept them with all honor and carry them on our hands as God's angels, yes, as Christ Himself, as the Galatians honored St. Paul. But they are afraid of one thing, that they too may suffer, as Christ here indicates, that they should suffer in the world 3) (as he himself also suffered), and is still happening to us and to all who preach God's word: that they should not remain 4) lords and have the world's goods, nor defy and insist on lords and princes, but be hated by the world, suffer contempt, ingratitude, shame, persecution, and all kinds of misfortune; that would not be advisable for them, therefore they would rather remain unsworn.
1) retracted--Bounded, restricted. Latin: ivtra osrtos ünss ooüidnit. For this passage Dietz in his dictionary p. 522 K erroneously gives the meaning: "included."
2i Wittenberger: "like" instead of: who.
3) Instead of the last phrase in the Wittenberg and Erlangen: "that the apostles might go."
4) Wittenberger: would have to.
V. 19. I sanctify myself for them.
He would almost have forgotten to add this, but herewith he wants to defend himself once again against the mobs and the false saints who seek and draw their holiness from themselves, from their works, spiritual orders, and in these words he expresses where our holiness comes from, how and by what means it is acquired, so that we get it. For since he said that the Father should sanctify it, and that the same by the word, by which henceforth others also come to it, someone might now further ask: What kind of holiness is it then? by whom is it acquired and brought about? or, what kind of word is it that presents and brings such things to us? For it cannot be the Ten Commandments (although they are God's word), because they all had them before; and although they are holy, they cannot give this holiness of which we speak here, which makes us righteously holy before God, since we are not able to keep what they require of us, nor can we make the heart pure, even though we do the works outwardly, which even hypocrites and husks can do.
190 To this Christ will answer, "This is the preaching by which they must be sanctified, that I sanctify myself for them. There you hear nothing of our doing nor of our merit, but of Christ's work and gift, which cannot be received but by faith. But he uses a word from the Old Testament, which Moses always uses of his worship, calling all the sacrifices that the people brought sancta (that is, holy). And herewith he wants to abolish all of them, together with the whole service of the Old Testament, 5) as they cannot make holy in the sight of God. As if he should say: There they were called holy people, when they brought their sacrifices, oxen, sheep, flour, grain, wine etc., which, when the priests got hold of it, it was no longer called a common thing, but a holy thing, and given to God. Thus for the children of Israel the creatures (which were sacrificed for them) were sanctified, that they also became holy thereby; but all this was still only an outward holiness. My
5) "have" is missing in the Wittenberger.
But Christians must have another sacrifice, by which they are truly sanctified. This is how it is to be done, that I sanctify myself for them.
191 Therefore you must not understand this word: "I sanctify myself" as if he should still become holy, as if he was not holy before; for he was holy in his mother's body, as the angel Luc. 1, 35. says: "That which is born in you shall be called holy", but "sanctify" he means here, to lead and carry out a priestly office or work. As if he should say: I also want to say mass once (as the priests speak of their sacrificial mass), or do a holy sacrifice, and stand up in a priestly work. What should this be? I want to sanctify myself, that is, I want to be the sacrifice and the offering myself, yes, the priest for it. That the words in the simplest German mean so much: I offer myself for a holy sacrifice; and the same (he says) "for them". For he may not do it for himself at all, because otherwise he is holy, and is priest only for this reason, that he may make us holy.
192) There is much to be said about this, for it is a beautiful saying, and rich in measure, that it includes many and various sayings in the prophets, which, if we were to delete them, we would have enough to preach about for a year, and yet always preach about what Christ has done for us; only that it should be known that this text looks there, and includes everything in one heap. Now, the summary is briefly stated, that Christ is our priest, and that he himself intercedes for us, that he sacrifices himself on the cross to God the Father, so that through such sacrifice and death we may be reconciled to God and also become holy. This is our main article, and the fountain of all comfort and treasure, of which we Christians know. 2) He must put on such things in this place. For since he speaks of the word and truth by which we are sanctified, he cannot be silent as to what it is by which we come to it, namely, that he himself is the one who earns it for us and 3) acquires it for us.
1) "they" is missing in the Erlanger.
2) In Latin: Hnsm nos Düristianos nosss oportst. It seems to us that "to be called" should be read instead of "to know".
3) Jenaer: or.
has and gives. He who grasps and believes this word is truly and righteously holy, as follows:
That they too may be sanctified in the truth.
193 Behold, how he speaketh so plainly of true holiness, to warn us to beware, and not to lack true holiness; and to forbid that any man preach any thing but his own sanctification, nor think of and attack any thing wherein he seeketh holiness. For he has well seen how hard it is and how much it is a matter of dispute (so much is it a matter of concern to us, even to those who are Christians, that we should seek something in ourselves that we ourselves might do and attain holiness. For this reason he (I say) so diligently repeated the word "in the truth," and set it against all worldly and human holiness. My holiness, he says, makes them truly holy.
If this is true, you can conclude for yourself that everything else must be in vain, even condemned, if one fails to become holy before God. For it does not stand with one another that Christ's blood should and must make holy, and that our status and works should attain holiness, even if it were the life and works of all monastic orders, of all holy fathers, Francisci, Hieronymi, even of St. John the Baptist; which, even if they are the best works, they nevertheless become unholy and condemnable if one hangs such delusion and presumption of holiness on them, to the shame and blasphemy of the blood and death of Christ.
195. But again, where faith is right, that Christ's holiness alone is valid before God and is our sanctification, he also makes all our life and works holy; not because of their merit, but because of the faith from which they flow, without which no work nor life pleases God.
From this you can judge and answer the question: What is the holiest state or life on earth? namely, nothing else than the common Christian state, that is, of those who believe that Christ alone is our holiness; through which main holiness (as said) also everything,
what is in lins, what we live, do and do, is called holy, as the person is holy.
197 You also see from this text how we have been deceived until now by our dream preachers, who have never told us a word about such holiness, and have never preached about any saints, except those who have died and are in heaven, when all Scripture, when it mentions saints, speaks only of living saints. This is because it has nothing to do with the dead, who lie under the earth and do not hear the word; but only those are called holy who hear and accept the word, even though they are still in the flesh and blood.
198 Therefore we also ought to consider and call holy with Christ those who have his word, and earnestly mean and confess it, especially in temptation and persecution, though they be wretched and weak men, and have no appearance of special holiness. For we cannot see it painted on anyone's forehead who is righteously holy or not. But we can see that where the word is and bears fruit, that for its sake people suffer what they ought to suffer, there must certainly also be living saints.
Now here speaks the false humility of our work saints: God forbid; how could anyone be so hopeful and allow himself to be called holy? Are we nothing but poor sinners? Answer: This all comes from the old delusion that, when one hears of holiness, one only looks for great and excellent works, and looks at the saints in heaven as if they had earned and deserved it themselves. But we say that the true saints of Christ must be good strong sinners, and remain such saints, who are not ashamed to pray the Lord's Prayer, and say: "Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, forgive us our trespasses" etc. [Matth. 6, 9. 10, 12.], since we confess that God's name is not sanctified in us as it should be, nor does His kingdom thus proceed, nor His will be done. Therefore they are called holy, not that they are without sin, or that they become holy by works, but the contradiction that they are nothing but sinners and condemned in themselves and with all their works, but become holy through a foreign holiness, namely of the Lord Christ, which is given to them and is their own through faith; which is so strong and so holy, that it is not a sin.
powerful, that it covers and wipes away all sin and infirmities that remain in flesh and blood; as I have often said that Christ's kingdom is nothing else but vain forgiveness, which only deals with sins, and forever blots out, covers 0 and makes pure, because we live here.
V. 20. But I do not pray for them alone, but also 2) for those who will believe in me through their word.
Let us write this text in letters of pure gold, as it especially concerns us. For what he spoke before would still read as if he had meant his apostles alone. Yet he made it clear that it should go further than he said, v. 18: "As you have sent me, so I send them into the world" etc. But lest a foolish conscience should doubt, and say, Yea, he hath prayed for the apostles and Jews (to whom they were sent); but where remain I? Therefore he comes first, calls and seizes us Gentiles also, and includes the whole of Christendom, until the last day, in prayer, that it may go through the whole world, wherever the apostle's word and preaching goes, and be received by faith, no place nor person excluded. This is our defiance and consolation, treasure and treasure, that of course for us Gentiles there is no more comforting saying in Scripture than this.
201 And mark this text even as Christ lifts up the apostle's sermon and praises it, that by it we must come to him and believe. For against this there now runs a devil's rabble by his red spirits, who despise the outward word, and pretend that the Spirit alone must do it all; outward things, signs, and oral preaching are of no use for faith in the heart, the inward man must have an inward word. etc. To the same lying spirits 3) write only this text: "Who will believe in me through their word", in front of their noses with large letters, and ask them: whether the word "believe" belongs to the inward or outward man? or whether the word "believe" belongs to the inward man?
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: "decket, feget". The Latin agrees with our text.
2) "also" is missing in the editions (except in Walch).
3) "Lügengetstern" is missing in the Erlanger.
830 Erl. so, [so-sss. Interpretations about the evangelist John. W. vm, iss-iss. 831
If the apostles preached the word outwardly or inwardly, they cannot deny that this word "believe", which is only of the heart and inward man, and "by their word" belong together and make an inward man.
For this is called an inward man, which believeth, and putteth his heart's confidence wholly in God; but outward is called, which eateth, and drinketh, and seeth, and heareth, and walketh, and standeth, and worketh, and otherwise worketh, and doeth all manner of works of the body. But faith is not a work of the body, as ears, mouth, hands or feet, but of the very foundation of the heart. Since Christ says that they should believe, that is, become inward or spiritual men through the apostle's word, it follows irrefutably that such a word does not serve the outward, but the inward man, and it is nothing for them to slander that oral word or sermon is of no use without an outward testimony or confession of the inward man.
And they say, If the outward word can do this, then all who hear it must believe and be saved. Answer: They must give thanks. For this is already half known, that they cannot deny that some nevertheless believe. For so we also say, Though all believe not, yet are they many that believe. Neither saith Christ, that they shall all believe: but it doth not follow that therefore no man believeth. What then is it said that they conclude that they do not all believe, and therefore faith does not come by the word? I would also conclude that they are not all obedient rulers, overlords, or parents, and therefore no authority, ruler, or parent should be of any use or need, and God's commandment should be in vain.
204 Therefore we turn it back, and say thus: We know that some believe who hear the word, and can prove it by many sayings and examples of Scripture; therefore we conclude that the word is useful and necessary, not to the ears alone, but also to the heart or inner man. But the fact that some do not believe, even though they hear the word, does not take anything away from the word, but nevertheless remains true that it is the word.
This is the means by which faith comes into the heart, and without it no one can believe. Just as the earth cannot bear fruit or beget fruit without the seed, even though the seed is not always implanted and sprouted; this is not the fault of the seed, but of the earth. Just as it is not true to conclude that the earth does not bear fruit without the seed, so any soil on which the seed falls must bear fruit. It does not follow here that everyone who hears the word believes, although faith must come through the word. But let the fools depart, for they are not worthy to stir up their filthiness over such a glorious, delicious text; therefore let us take hold of the saying, and make it useful for our comfort, and see why it pleads for us, or what it shall accomplish and work.
V. 21. That they may all be one.
205. these words we also have above
[He explains what it means to be one or one thing, and what it accomplishes, namely, that all our protection, redemption from sins, death, the world, and the power of the devil is contained in the one Word. For whosoever believeth by the word of the apostles, to him it is promised by Christ, and in virtue of this prayer, that he and all Christendom shall be one body and one Church; namely, 1) that what is good and bad for him (as one member) is good and bad for the whole body, and not one or two saints, but all prophets, martyrs, apostles, all Christians, both on earth or with God, suffer and conquer with him, fight for him, help, protect and save, and stand in such friendly interchange that they all bear his lack, suffering and adversity, and he, on the other hand, is made a partaker of all their goods, comfort and joy.
206) Now how could anyone desire anything more blessed than to come into this fellowship or brotherhood and become a member of this body called Christendom, which is such a body that God has given to Himself with all of His goods: Summa, a mighty woman and a mighty man.
1) "namely therefore" is missing in the Erlanger.
2) "sich" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
Empress in heaven and earth, both devil and world, death and hell must fall at her feet when she speaks a word. For who will break or harm a man who has such defiance? for he knows that if he has the smallest suffering, both heaven and earth, all angels and saints, must cry out. If a sin attacks him, which wants to frighten, bite and press his conscience, and threatens him with the devil, death and hell, God says with the whole bunch: Dear sin, let him be unbitten, death, unchoked, hell, uneaten. But there faith belongs to, because it seems before the world's eyes and reason so much different, yes, just the contradiction.
Just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us.
There he again touches the high article of his Godhead, which we dealt with above [§§35. 73. 117] several times, and sets himself and the Father as a likeness and example, to transfigure what he means for a unity. I and you are one (he wants to say) in one divine essence and majesty; according to the same example, they should also be one among themselves, and that the same so that the same unity in us is one, that is, incorporated in me and you; Summa, that they are all one, and vainly one in both of us, yes, even one kitchen, that they have everything that you and I are able to do; so that we also become comrades in the divine nature, as St. Peter says in 2. For although the Father and Christ are one in another, higher, incomprehensible way, because of the divine nature, yet we have all these things, so that they are ours and we enjoy them.
Now this is set for our consolation and defiance against the world and the power of the devil. For even if he attacks a single weak member of Christendom, and thinks he has eaten it; yes, even if he wants to attack the whole of Christendom, and despise it, and say: What do I care about Christianity, what are they more than flesh and blood? he must again hear and feel that he is not attacking us, but Christ in us; yes, not even Christ alone, but the Father, that is, the almighty, eternal Majesty, before whom he must tremble and fall to the ground.
Behold, all this is a consequence, that he who touches the least thing touches heaven and earth and all creatures. Summa, you cannot despise, revile, persecute or do violence to a Christian, nor honor and do good to him again, for you have done it to God Himself. Therefore, Christ Himself in His majesty will pronounce the judgment on the last day, both to the pious and the wicked: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" [Matth. 25, 45]. For God has hung all that He has on the Lord Christ, and Christ on His bride. So every Christian hangs on the same as a link, and everything is joined together as a chain, and makes a whole round circle, yes, a dear beautiful wreath.
That the world may believe that you have sent me.
This is the fruit that is to follow through and from such unity, namely, that Christ's word may continue to break forth and be accepted in the world as God's word, in which there is an almighty, divine, unconquerable power and eternal treasure of all grace and blessedness. This is (as has often been said) the high and excellent art, which is so deeply hidden and strange, and can never be learned; that is why he cannot speak anything else, and does it in all words. For it goes into no man's heart that one should step out of himself, and leave nothing that anyone knows or is able to do, and crawl naked into Christ's righteousness, holiness, and wisdom (expressed and presented in the weak, lowly word).
I say it from my soul, as much as I have seen and experienced, both preachers and scribes, who now want to be and are supposed to be the best (with very little exception), know nothing at all about this piece; and even if they occasionally advise and take action, it is still as if spoken or heard in a dream. [They all know how to reproach the pope, monks and priests, but they really know little about the right reason for overthrowing the papacy and all kinds of false teachings.
212 Therefore I must also admonish so diligently that one should not forget such sayings and all this.
1) Erlanger: to the.
I do not know anywhere else where this main part of the whole Christian doctrine has been so abundantly summarized in one heap and so powerfully expressed, namely, that we have everything in Christ that we ought to have, and nothing in ourselves or in some other people. The words are simple and silly, which also makes the clever spirits rustle and despise them, as if they had trampled them on children's shoes for a long time, and meanwhile write and preach the world full with their dreams and own thoughts.
V. 22. And I have given them the glory which thou gavest me, that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them, and thou in me.
(213) Behold, how long he standeth and goeth forth of the same thing, as he would gladly declare it, and so persuade them that it is the highest, most needful, and most comforting doctrine that ever was preached. "I have given them (says he) my glory." This is an excellent, glorious thing or good above all majesty and glorious being, not only in riches and treasure, but also truly glorious to praise and extol. For this is what the Scripture calls glory or honor, not only the mere clamor and prestige, but to esteem such a thing worthy of great praise, precious and valuable; as Christ calls Matt. 6:29 King Solomon's glory all his royal treasure, riches, power and honor etc. Now what is this glory that Christ has and gives? Just that which he said just before [v. 21.], "that they all may be one" (he says), as the Father and I are one. This is the excellent treasure, and a wellspring, yes, the real treasure trove of all divine goods, life, comfort and blessedness, who could only believe it.
214. but faith is not a lazy, loose thought, but a living, earnest, comforting, and undoubted confidence of heart of such excellent glory, by which we are One Thing with Christ, and through Him with the Father; and so One Thing, that, 1) as little as Christ can be separated or set apart from the Father, so little may Christianity
1) "that" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
and every Christian member will be divided by him; and thus everything will be linked and bound together, as has been said enough.
But whence cometh this glory, that they are all made one in Christ and the Father? Not by our works or worthiness, but by the word that r has given us. It is not called earned, nor acquired and brought about by human labor, strength, and ability, but brought to us, given, and bestowed by Christ. For works do make special cases and various sects or divisions, since one otherwise works and lives like another; just as in this outward life and government there must be various offices and ranks, since each one does his own work. But through the Word it all becomes one, in one faith, and through the same One kitchen and spiritual body, although the works of the individual parts or members are not one. Just as in our natural body the works are various and different, so that each member has its own work, and none of the others has or practices it, and yet they are all one thing with each other, because of the essence and all goods. For the smallest and weakest member is of the same blood and flesh, has the same health and life as the noblest and strongest; and yet every work is directed to serve all the members and the whole body at the same time, and each cares for and works for the other. So it is also here that faith holds all works together, binds them and makes them one, that all hearts are at the same time attached to one Christ and the Father, and everything that they work and live flows and goes out of such unity of faith.
V. 23 That they may be perfect in one.
Behold, how his mouth overflows with words of one kind, and 2) so well pleases him that he tickles himself, as it were, and can speak nothing else; and yet he speaks so childishly before prudent reason that I may well say, and have often said, that I have never read a book that speaks so very simple, 3) and with such bad words grasps so excellent, inexpressible things. It is not enough
2) "him" is missing in the Jena.
3) Jenaer: talked.
(he says) that they are one, but must also be "perfect in one". As if he should say: I have a Christianity, they should and will all be one thing; but this is still lacking, that many under it are still weak. The one being is there, but it depends on faith alone; as much as there is, so much there is. Therefore he asks that they also increase and become stronger and stronger in the faith they have begun, and thus become perfect, round and completely one in Christ.
217 St. Paul also says, Col. 2:10: "You are complete in Him," that is, you are complete in Christ, that you may seek nothing else; nothing is lacking in Him, but our faith is lacking. Therefore, he who has Christ is called consummatus, or perfect; that is, he has a complete, perfect treasure of all good things that he can desire and wish for, eternal life, righteousness, wisdom, and all divine goods, and lacks nothing unless he alone looks and holds fast to it. The treasure lies there in a heap; but the vessel is weak, which cannot keep so perfectly. For we carry (as St. Paul says 2 Cor. 4:7) our treasure in earthen vessels. Therefore we must work daily, with prayer, preaching, exhortation, with all kinds of sufferings and temptations, so that we do not lose such a glorious treasure, nor let the devil take it (who is after it with all his power, wiles and wiles), but the longer the stronger and more surely we take hold of it and keep it, daring and putting body, life and all things into it.
And let the world know that you have sent me.
These are the two things he always insisted on: One, that we (believing by the apostle's word, and still coming daily) all become one thing through faith. Secondly, that through such unity it may be known and made manifest to the world how Christ was sent by the Father, and how we are loved through him. For in the two things, namely, the word and faith, all depends; he who loses them or forgets them has lost everything; there is no more counsel, help, or comfort, and no more piety, work, or life. For there is no unity, nor Christ; neither is there word, nor salvation.
knowledge of the Father. Summa, the light is extinguished, that one cannot find a way, and gropes in darkness and goes miserably astray, chased and driven by the devil according to all his will; as we have also, unfortunately, well experienced so far.
And love them as you have loved me.
219 This is what should finally follow from the knowledge and word, so that our hearts can happily and without doubt say that they are God's dear children and have a kind, gracious Father. For this belongs to Christ and his ministry, that through his word he makes us most assured of all love and grace toward God, and of such love that he has loved Christ, his only Son, from eternity to eternity, that it is called: One love in Christ, and for Christ's sake; summa, an overflowing, eternal love, which no human heart can comprehend. Behold, this is the excellent, unspeakable glory, given to us in Christ, but in word and faith alone, until we shall also see it presently before our eyes in that life, as follows:
V. 24. Father, I want that where I am, they also be with me whom you have given me.
This is the last but most comforting part of this prayer for all who cling to Christ, that we may be sure and certain of what we finally have to hope for, where we shall find rest and abide, because here in the world we are miserable, outcast, and have no certain abiding place.
For we have heard that he who is a Christian must forgive himself all the world's favor, grace, safety, comfort, and rest, and be the devil's footcloth, that he must without ceasing stand in danger of life and limb, and await all the hours of death. Now it is a terrible, horrible thing about death, especially when it is always before one's eyes, and a person does not know where he should take the first step or where he should stand and stay overnight. Therefore Christ, as a pious and faithful Savior, cares for us and promises to provide us with an inn, so that we may be with him and have as good a place as he had with his Father. As
He should say, "Be of good cheer, and do not worry where you are to stay or how you are to go; only let the devil and the world rage and rage, murder, burn, and cast you out into the world; you shall be well provided for, and come where you desire, and where you can rest and remain safe from the world and all devils.
222. Where then may this be, or what is the name of the place? "Where I am" [he says], that is, in the bosom and arms of the Father, where all the angels must run to, and lift us up and carry us, without having a name, and cannot be shown with fingers, nor painted, but must be grasped in the word by faith.
Therefore we should let this saying be our main feeling and featherbed for our souls, and with a joyful heart ride on it, when the dear little hour is here, that we, freed from sin and all misfortune, and taken from the world and the devil's power, shall be brought to eternal rest and joy.
But it is said above 83, 101, 138.) It is often said whom Christ means by these words, "which thou hast given me," namely, that they apply to us and are a great comfort to those who hold fast to his word, especially in troubles and trials, when the world reviles and persecutes us for it, takes away our goods, honor, body and life; that we should boldly accept such a promise and not doubt that Christ wants to take us to his glory, even though we are still sinners, weak and infirm. For these words are spoken to us, who 1) live on earth in the flesh and blood, not to the angels in heaven or to the dead saints. And especially mark the word, that he saith, "I will," and speaketh so well with the Father, as he that wills it without fail, that the promise is sure and steadfast, as he that cannot lie nor deceive. All because he awakens us, who are so lazy and weak to believe, that we may not doubt or waver, but hold it as sure as if we saw it now before our eyes.
1) Thus the Latin and the Jena in the margin. In the editions: like.
That they may see the glory you have given me.
(225) Then let them come, my dear Christians, that they may not only be with me, but also come into a clear and bright vision of my glory, of which he said just before [v. 22] in other words: "I have given them the glory that you gave me. For now on earth we have and do recognize it by faith, but we do not see it without (as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 13:12) a mirror, and in the dark word, namely, that we hear it preached, and take it into our hearts that Christ has risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated in the glory and majesty of the Father, as one mighty Lord over all creatures. But it is still a dark knowledge, as a thick cloud drawn before the bright sun. For it enters into no man's heart, nor can any understanding comprehend that the glory is so great, especially because Christ now sets himself up in his Christians in such a contradictory way. But there another light will shine, because 2) we will no longer believe it, nor preach it, nor recite it in the Word, but will see it most brightly and presently before our eyes and behold it with unspeakable, eternal joy.
226 There is now the great consolation, that if a man could believe it to be true, he should not ask much about this temporal life, and all the world's goods and honor, yea, gladly forgive himself all that is on earth. For what harm is it that the world can do us, if it has taken away our goods, our honor, our body and our life? without it only promoting us to come to Christ and see the glory, whereas all its goods and glory are nothing. But we are too cold and heavy to believe such things, that we do not feel the comfort, juice, and power that the words have. For this also the glory of the thing is too great, that [it] (as said) entereth not into our heart. For it is too far from the senses, and too high above the understanding of men, that our poor, stinking sack of maggots should come to see such wonderful, divine glory eternally and always before our eyes, and that even through such glory my heart should not be able to feel it.
2) Wittenberg and Erlangen: that. Latin: udi.
and your body, rotten in the earth and eaten by worms, will become much clearer and brighter than the sun and the stars. For all these things bring with them such a vision of glory, and all that we are to have and enjoy in eternal life and blessedness, which no man can speak of, nor attain by thought [Isa. 64:4, 1 Cor. 2:9].
For you loved me before the foundation of the world.
227. They shall see the glory, as I am your Son; not only as sent into the world, and born of the virgin, but also from eternity, as your only Son, beloved before the world began, that is, as I am the same, only God be with you, born from eternity. For he cannot love him more highly without giving him equal eternal Godhead. Such things are now preached and believed, but they are still covered up and do not appear; therefore they must be explained and always driven by the word (as he has done until now), until we see them before our eyes without cover or curtain.
V. 25. Righteous Father, the world does not know you.
This is a necessary addition and a significant saying, so that he may turn his eyes to the world and say from a fervent heart: "Oh, dear Father, how you do not let the world say or preach so that it may also recognize it.
229 But why does he only here at the end begin to praise the Father with such a title that he calls him: "Righteous Father", and not so much more: Kind or merciful, or, as above [v. 11]: "Holy Father"; or what great thing is it that he preaches about it, and makes so many tests about it; 1) who does not know that before? Answer: He has (as I said) burned for this hour in his heart, and looked back on the world, which neither wants to hear the word nor suffer it, but the more it is preached, the more senseless it becomes, so that it should walk barefoot, yes, crawl on its knees until the end of the world. And one carries it to her for nothing, yes, in addition, for great, mighty vice, so that she may be vainly angry.
1) to make much fuss - to make a big fuss, much noise, many words. Latin: tot vorba xrotnnäit.
and eternal punishment deserved; and moreover he shall not accept it, nor give thanks for it, but persecute, blaspheme, and profane it to the utmost, that he may boast and say, Thou art ever a righteous God, doest well and justly, that thou makest such a distinction between those who are of the world, and those whom thou hast given me, namely, that thou peelest these out, and bringest them to me, that they may abide where I am, and lettest the others go where they belong, as they are not to be counselled nor helped.
230. For so we ourselves must finally boast against the world, because we have presented the gospel so clearly and abundantly, and have done everything that belongs to us, and have omitted nothing that might help to convert them, with preaching, admonishing, loving, serving, carrying, warning, frightening and threatening, in addition to all kinds of suffering, forgiving, and praying for them, and in sum, tempted in all kinds of ways, with our sour, heavy toil and labor, food and danger; and now get nothing in reward but ingratitude, contempt, blasphemy, persecution of the public and known truth. What else can anyone say here but that it is right for God to punish and pay for such horrendous, obstinate iniquity and blasphemy with pestilence, war, Turks, devils and all kinds of plagues, without ceasing, because all goodness is lost in it, and no goodness nor mercy will help? For he is too highly tempted and overpowered that he cannot see through his fingers, because he pours himself out and gives us all goods and his most precious, dearest and highest treasure, and for this he must suffer the world to reject him, even to spit in his face and trample on his word.
Therefore he concludes and says: "Dear Father, the world does not know you and does not want to know you, even though it is preached to it publicly and presented so clearly that it meets its eyes and cannot deny that it is the truth. I preach and tell them everything that is the right knowledge of God, namely, that nothing is valid before you but the mere confidence of your grace and goodness, freely given, and as they must have everything through me; so they will neither see nor hear me and my word, all shall be nothing, and their thing, wisdom, righteousness, and
The work alone shall be valid and shall accomplish everything. Therefore you are right to let them go to their father, the devil, in their stubborn blindness, so that they do not have to see anything of my glory, neither in the word and knowledge of faith, nor in the future present sight.
But I know you, and these know that you have sent me.
That is, I know that I preach your word and only from you (as the one, right God), as you want to be kept and believed, that one honors you and praises you of your goodness and grace, which the world does not accept, but condemns, and gives to the sorry 1) devil. But these my Christians, whom thou hast given me to accept, they also know thee, that is, "that thou hast sent me," in which (as has been said throughout this whole chapter) the knowledge of the Father stands together.
V. 26. And I have made known to them your name, and will make it known to them.
I have given them this word, by which your name was made known to them, what your name is and what you are, so that they may know how to keep you and honor you. It has been said enough that to know the Father is not only to know how he created heaven and earth, to help the righteous and to punish the wicked, but that he sent the Son into the world and gave him to us to take away sin and death, to purchase and give the Father's favor and grace. This is the right name of God, which shows us what he has in mind, and excludes his fatherly heart, will, thoughts and good pleasure. He who does not know Him thus does not know Him rightly, nor does he know how to serve or honor Him. For pagans, Jews and Turks also believe that there is one God who created heaven and earth, and they also want to serve the right God alone; but they do not believe and do not know that this is the one and only thought, will and pleasure of God, that Christ should be recognized as sent and offered by Him for our redemption; since neither 2) the papacy, nor any other
1) "leidigen" is missing in the Erlanger.
2) Thus taken over by us from the old Aus
We must quarrel, argue and fight with them, and with the devil as well, without ceasing, as over our one main piece and summa of the whole of Christianity.
234 And notice that he does not only say, "I have made your name known to them," but adds, "I will make it known to them," that is, I will not only begin it and leave it there, but always continue it, and do the same without ceasing, both by word and spirit, so that one does not seek anything else or higher, but only has to do with it, so that one always grasps it better and stronger. For there lies the power to know the Father well through faith, so that the heart stands before him with comfort and joyful confidence of all graces, and fears no wrath. And of course there is no more difficult art in heaven and earth. Let no one think it is a thing to be learned as soon as he hears it once or twice, as our unintelligent clever ones and conceited ones dream.
That love, that thou mayest love me, may be in them, and I in them.
(235) This is what has now been said, that all things must be done to know the Father's will and heart, now presented through the Word, and then to see publicly in that life how he loved us, and still loves us forever, through his Son Jesus Christ alone. If we have this, we have the highest treasure of our salvation and comfort; so we abide in him, and he in us, that we all cling to one another in one; of which s§ 205 ff. above]. has been dealt with according to length.
Christ our Lord, 3) keep and strengthen us in such pure knowledge and unity of faith until the day of His glorious future; to Him be praise, honor and glory with God the Father and the Holy Spirit 4) forever and ever. 5) Amen.
would be Walch's. In the other German editions: "noch weder." Latin: nsqno - noqns.
3) Wittenberger: "our dear HErr and faithful shepherd of our souls, receive" etc. In the Latin edition this and the following addition is not.
4) "and Holy Spirit" is missing in the Jena.
5) Here the Wittenberg has the addition: "To this all speak who know and love Christ from the heart".