on the abuse and right use of the law, from the epistle of Paul 1 Tim. 1, 3-11.*)
Anno 1524.
1(1) I have often and much taught and said, and still say, that two main parts of the Christian doctrine are faith and love (as also St. Paul writes and attracts everywhere), that I also know nothing else to preach. But many careless people learn to repeat these words, who also want to be seen and praised, as if they could talk about it, but in fact know nothing about it. The same happens to them that they fall about on something new, which people like to hear, and they become only useless talkers. This is how it was in the beginning in the time of the apostles, whose teaching was based on faith in God and love for one's neighbor, and how one should tame and force the flesh with its lusts; this alone they did, and had nothing more to teach.
(2) But this preaching was hindered, first, by God's law and the Scriptures of the Old Testament, which the apostles themselves led and had to confess. Then also that it was seen that the works or deeds of their preaching did not follow as it should, as is also now lamented. Therefore the new disciples went to, wanted it
1) In the editions, the whole text is printed here, but we have omitted the same (as Walch) because the same is repeated in the following interpretation.
To make things better, and to advise things, the two were mixed together, works and faith. This trouble has hindered the pure doctrine of faith from the beginning to this day. If one preaches works, one overthrows faith. Again, if one teaches faith, one must overthrow works.
3 It is very difficult for people to judge this, and no one understands it, unless the Holy Spirit writes it into the heart. Many holy fathers have also stumbled in this. For we are always confronted with the fact that we see in the lives of the saints how they have been outwardly well tamed 2) and reared, and have proved themselves with great, beautiful works, from which we have called them holy, but have not seen them according to their faith. And again, we see in others some infirmities and weaknesses, which we have in sight, but see not according to faith. So we have judged according to works, and have not perceived faith, indeed, we have completely missed it, and everyone has fallen into error, and everyone has thought it good and delicious, so that I know of no one who has been able to judge it rightly, without the apostles, who were chosen to teach it purely, and to give a foundation to the doctrine. What
2) Wittenberg edition: "gezeumet". Jenaer: "gezemet".
*This sermon is attributed in the old editions to the year 1524. Probably Luther preached in the winter of 1524 to 1525 not only on Genesis 1 and 2, but also on the First Epistle to Timothy in continuous sermons, of which, however, only a few have been preserved (Köstlin, Martin Luther, Vol. I, p. 614). However, there is no print older than the year 1526, in which year our sermon was published in Wittenberg by Hans Weiß under the title we gave it (Dietz, Wörterbuch zu Luthers Schriften, Quellenverzeichniß, p. I,II). In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1556), vol. I, p. 445; in the Jena (1585), vol. II, p. 475B; in the Altenburg, vol. II, p. 826; in the Leipzig, vol. XI, p. 438 and in the Erlangen, vol. 51, p. 276. We give the text after the Jena, comparing the Wittenberg.
The other books are not to be found in it, so that it is no wonder that it has perished and died out in our time. For this reason, St. Paul does as much as he can to Timothy, his disciple, and in all places, with words, commandments, entreaties, and urgings, so that they do not fall from the pure mind, and always look diligently that the doctrine and preaching remain pure and unadulterated, for it all lies in this. Speak then:
V. 3. 4. As I reminded thee, that thou stayedest at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, and commandedst some that they should not teach otherwise, neither take heed to the fables, and to the genealogies, which have no end, and bring up questions, more than correction, unto God in faith.
(4) These "some," as the apostle means here, were certainly not bad men, but of the high apostles, Peter and the other disciples. They saw how the apostles dealt according to the law of Moses, as did the other Jews, and boasted of it when they came among the Gentiles, reproaching them and saying, "This is what Peter and the other chief apostles do. What about Paul? He did not walk with Christ, nor did he hear him; we have seen that the others live and do so, therefore you also must live and do so. That was almost the main thing; they were driven to make the law necessary, not for the sake of Mosiah, but rather for the sake of the apostles, who thus kept it. These were the disciples of the great apostles, who so often saw their miraculous signs and heard many a beautiful sermon and doctrine, in addition to which the judgment at Jerusalem was passed by the apostles, Acts 15:1 ff. 15, 1. ff. They have not yet attained the right understanding.
(5) Because these are blinded by such light, since the gospel was preached so purely and brightly, and penetrated and departed by force, as never happened again, and have lain in this mud, to which they forced themselves and other people: what wonder if such things happen to us? although we are so equipped by God's grace, because we have such light, that we can easily judge such error; shall also have no need, because we are still with each other, and the word so diligently.
Otherwise, if we did not continue in this way, a false preacher would soon arise who could do more harm in an hour than could be done in a year, so that he would take a saying or two from Scripture and press them into works, so that the doctrine of faith and love would fall away.
(6) That is why I have so often urged that works and faith should be well separated from one another. For although this has been said and practiced so much that everyone knows it, it is still lacking everywhere, when it comes to a meeting, that one should judge and judge from it, so that one may go right. Faith (I say) is to be held against God in conscience, and no law is to be laid upon it, whether it be man's law or God's law. Therefore, if you hear anyone saying, "You must do such and such a thing," and he wants to put the same thing or work on your conscience and set it against God, know that it is certainly the devil's teaching, and separate the two as far apart as heaven and earth, day and night, so that faith alone remains in the heart or conscience, but works are drawn outside the conscience to the body. Faith belongs above to heaven; works are to be drawn down to earth. Faith is directed against God; works against the neighbor. Faith is above all laws, and is without law; works are under the law, and are servants of all laws.
(7) Now if anyone comes and reverses these things, or mixes them together and becomes one, the pure doctrine is already falsified. So we say of works, that they should be done to compel and tame the body, that it become not too wanton, lustful, and slothful. They say: If you do this, you will become pious, and come into the state of blessedness, earning eternal life. We are not to suffer this addition, which they add, that one must do it if he is to be saved in some other way, and that the law should be laid upon the conscience, so that the doctrine of faith may perish. Likewise also say with other works, which one doeth against his neighbor. As when I, being with the Jews, eat with them what they eat, likewise also with the Gentiles, keeping the manner and law of the people, and judging me in their works, I had all manner of laws, and have
but in conscience no law; for I do not do the works in the opinion that I am forced to do them, or that I thereby become pious before God, but that I am guilty of sending myself to the will and benefit of my neighbor, even though it helps me nothing before God, because I already have the treasure through faith.
8 The apostles also did this, keeping the law of Moses with the others, but keeping it freely; not that they thereby made a conscience neither good nor evil, or that they had to do it, but teaching and concluding thus, as Peter says Acts 15:10, 11: "We will not put a yoke upon the necks of our disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear; but we believe through the grace of Jesus Christ. 15:10, 11: "We will not put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have to bear: but we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they also are saved." With this judgment he abolishes and purely takes away all works and laws. Therefore, it is clear that the apostles do not raise the law, but only grace, that the conscience alone hangs on Christ; but law and works they teach by their example, by keeping, for the sake of the people, not for the sake of the conscience. Those disciples still fell on it, added to it, left the doctrine and judgment of mere grace, and took up the works which the apostles did, and urged them on the conscience, saying, Thus and thus must thou do, or not do.
(9) Thus the false teachers broke down and dampened the faith, struck down grace, and cast out Christ. For whoever comes to help the conscience and reconcile God with works has already lost grace with Christ and all the treasure. We will also see, when some are taken away, through whom God receives the gospel, how soon the false teachers will invade again, and what a flood of sins of works will swarm in; how many have already torn down the spirits of the red, and attached the rabble to themselves! Therefore, it is necessary to watch and instruct without ceasing, especially the preachers, to keep the faith pure and not to add anything to the doctrine. For as soon as you mix faith and works and do not separate them, it is already lost, and no matter how much it is taught and preserved, it is much more easily obscured and destroyed.
changed. I am not saying that one should not do works, but that one should not bring them before God and put them on.
010 Therefore saith St. Paul, that his disciple Timothy should take heed, first, that they teach not otherwise; and secondly, that they take no heed to the fables and genealogies. These are two hindrances to the gospel: one, if one teaches otherwise, that is, as has been said, that one drives the law and works into the consciences; the other, if the devil, when he sees that he cannot overthrow the faith straightway, drives with cunning, and creeps in from behind, and throws out useless questions, that one may be troubled, and meanwhile the main thing remains behind; as there are, of dead saints and departed souls: where do they remain? whether they sleep? and the like. There is always one question after another, so that there is no end to them. There, the tiresome presumption worries about unnecessary and useless things, which are neither commanded, nor do they serve the cause. Thus the devil comes behind the people, opens their mouths, so that they gape at it and lose it. And when a fool appears, who also wants to be seen, throws up something new and strange, so that it should be said that he is more learned than others, the mob bursts into a mob, opens its eyes, ears and mouth. So they keep silent about faith and love, because they think it is daily bread, which they have heard and know enough, and it is annoying to hear one thing all the time.
011 And it came to pass in those days, that the Jews also forsook the right doctrine, and fell into divers fables, of which they have many, concerning the fathers, and concerning genealogies, and were pleased to number almost every male among them, and every city had a genealogy, wherein the Levites numbered their tribes and generations by the year. And especially they took care of the births of the fathers, which are told in the book of Chronicles, according to their tribes and members, that they calculated which of the others had been father, brother, son, cousin and friend, as the line went on one after the other from one member to the other, through each lineage; which is a far-flung, confused thing that cannot be figured out. Likewise fables and
Our teachers have also asked us questions about the lineage of Christ and Mary, and much more about the work of fools. There has been no one to say: What are we doing? or: What is the use of our knowing? Such hostile, ugly forwardness is the heart of man, which can never stop doing such useless things.
(12) Therefore St. Paul says, "You must fight tooth and nail to prevent such useless fables and babblings from arising, for they do not improve anyone, but only hinder faith and cause quarrels and disputes, because each one wants to be right. As, of the different souls, one says otherwise, the other so, and each thinks that his opinion should be valid. But we say thus: that we should not know nor want to know what God does not want to reveal to us; let it pass and let Him take care of it. But we have other, necessary things to do, since we spend our lives with them: how faith and love may stand and walk rightly, that the conscience may be well with God, and the body may be kept rightly in restraint, wife and child, and to serve anyone who may be ours, since we live on earth. They leave this to be done as if they had done it, when they have never really come to it, boasting and puffing themselves up with great art, so that they will be praised. For this reason it was necessary that St. Paul commanded the two obstacles to be warded off; although his faithful counsel and warning, unfortunately, did not help much. Therefore, beware of all other teachings, 1) and remain only on that which follows:
V. 5. For the main sum of the commandment is love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience, and from undimmed faith.
This is the summa summarum of the righteous Christian doctrine, in which everything lies. What is the use of many useless questions and fables? All that God gives and wants is love, and such love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and uncolored faith. Let us see this one after the other.
14: So we have been given a "pure heart".
1) Jenaer: Teachers.
teaches to make one cast out the impure thoughts. This is well said and done, but it is not enough to get rid of them; as experience shows that if you knock out one, you knock in ten; if you knock out ten, you knock in a hundred, so that it is not possible to get a pure heart by our own sweeping. 2) The more we try to stop, the more blood and flesh flow. Blood and flesh flow without ceasing, the more one wants to stop and fight. That is why St. Paul urges that the heart should first become so pure that it does not become conscience-stricken. Likewise he also says to Titus 1:15: "All things are pure to the pure"; and Christ says Matt. 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Thus, "to have a pure heart" does not mean merely to remember nothing impure, but rather, when through God's word the conscience is enlightened and assured that it is not defiled by the law: thus, that a Christian may know that it does him no harm whether he keeps it or not; yes, do well that which is otherwise forbidden, or omit that which is otherwise commanded; it is no sin to him, for he can do none, because the heart is pure. But again, an unclean heart defiles and sins in all things, because it is full of laws. But after that, when the heart becomes clean from laws, which is not by the word of God, it is also clean in 3) thoughts, that it thinks purely of flesh and blood, is not stingy, angry, nor unchaste. But this is still the lowest purity; but that is the highest, from which this flows and follows.
(15) Whoever then is of such a pure heart sees God, says Christ Matt. 5:8. "Seeing God" is not what the sophists dream, but recognizing God, namely, when the heart sees His goodness and grace, and does not doubt that He is its Father, recognizes His good will and natural way, there is then neither sin nor wrath. No conscience can come to this, if it is driven by the law. For where the law is, there is sin; where sin is, there is an evil, unclean conscience.
2) In the old editions: one.
3) We have put "an" instead of "on" (i.e. without) in the old editions. Here a confusion of "an" and "on" must have occurred during printing. At the end of §17, instead of "an sein", "on sein" could be put; but here it is our: an.
As long as you sin and look at the law, you do not see God, because you consider Him to be a wrathful judge. But that is not seeing God, but seeing an executioner and a cane-master. So now no one can see him as he is, except he who is rid of the law.
(16) If this first purity, which God sees, remains, the other purity is also there, so that the evil desire is subdued and becomes less, and pure thoughts follow. So here you get rid of works, as there in the conscience of the law; for from this everything follows that the law is kept, and sin is taken away. But because the law remains, neither heart nor work can be pure, but remains vain unbelief and evil thoughts against God, Titus 1:15: "Nothing is pure to the unclean, but both their mind and conscience are unclean." So that it may be understood by a rough example of our nature: The pope has burdened the consciences with laws, imposed so many ordinances, consecrations, masses, prayers, fasts, that whoever clings to them, thinking, "So and so you must do," can have no rest nor good conscience, and cannot regard God otherwise than as angry. For if they do not pray, they have no peace; but if they pray, there is just as little peace, that they have not prayed with devotion, or ever so purely as they should. There the conscience always remains captive, and they cannot do any work with a pure heart. Recently, there is nothing but vain sin and fear caused by the law, which one can never get rid of, because the law lies there; therefore one can also never see God.
(17) But if the law depart from me, and I be not troubled with it, sin and disquietness of conscience are also gone: then mayest thou behold God aright, and see his good pleasure, that he is not displeased, but is pleased with what thou doest. Thus the heart is pure, and the conscience good. In the same way I speak of all other laws, creatures and states. If you think you must do it, there is already a conscience from the law, plus sin and an unclean heart. You always do either too much or too little, and the longer and more you struggle with it, the more you defile yourself, making sin and an evil conscience.
Whoever then wants to be free from sin, 1) to have a good conscience and a pure heart, must not be bound by any law on earth.
018 And if thou sayest, Yea, all these things are yet spoken of men's laws; but how sayest thou of God's law? For those are easy to deal with, which, as they are made by men, may also be taken away by men, and none of them shall be smitten upon the conscience, nor bind it, nor make it sin before God. But these, namely God's laws, he wants to keep strictly, so that neither a letter nor a tittle of them perishes, as Christ says (Matth. 5, 18), so that one cannot transgress them with a good conscience. But if there is an evil conscience, there is also sin, and the heart cannot be pure, nor see God, for the conscience tells you that he is of sin and wants to punish it, and sees nothing but unmercy. How can one escape from the law here, have a pure heart and a good conscience?
19 Answer: Divide the people into two parts, and separate those who are in the spirit from those who are without the spirit. To those who are not in the Spirit this doctrine does not enter in, nor is it preached to them; for they cannot be pure in heart, or have a good conscience. But those who have the Holy Spirit, of whom we speak now, though they have sinned and feel sin, yet they have something higher and better than the law. So the law ceases, not that it should be taken away and no longer apply or be kept, as the law of the pope and of men ceases; but (as I said) that a higher thing should be given, so that it may be subdued, and that enough may be done for it.
20 So that it may be seen in an example: If I have fallen into sin, and have done contrary to God's commandment, the law is soon there, wanting to make my conscience evil and God angry. But faith, on the other hand, holds up God's Word and Christ, my Savior, who was given to me by God with all that is in him. Thus I speak by the same faith. It is true that I have sin in me, and the law says that I should be pure in heart, have no evil thoughts, and be a good man.
1) In the old editions: "to be on", i.e. to be loose.
2) "denn" is missing in the Jena.
nor desire; but I find it otherwise in the flesh, which is evil through and through.
(21) I also divide myself into two parts, namely, the flesh and the old Adam, and the spirit or new man; in my heart I have Christ through faith, so I contend in two ways. First. If I should deal with the law, I have already lost, because I can never do enough for it, yes, only fall deeper into sin; so the evil conscience and unclean heart remains, cannot escape the law. Secondly. But if I take hold of Christ and cling to him, the law cannot take hold of me. For Christ is ever no sinner, having done so much as the whole law would have, that it can neither forbid nor command him, nor require him to do anything that he has not done. He is so full of good that he can neither want nor do anything but good. Summa, he has no law, and is above all law, yes, it is completely dead in him. Since Christ is mine through faith, and I am his in turn, no law can accuse me, as little as Christ. And even if it comes here and wants to attack me, I reproach it for this and say, "If I have done everything and more than you want, and even if I still have an evil desire in the flesh, I turn my eyes upward to Christ, who is mine and gives me all that he has; so his purity is also mine; so it can do nothing to me. But when I look down, I still find much that is unclean, for which the law has right over me.
(22) This is the main thing we have to learn, the art and all the power of how to be right in it: that even if we feel the lust of the flesh, or even if we have fallen into sin, we may still say 2) I will be free from the law; I have neither law nor sin, but am righteous: I still want to be free from the law; I have neither law nor sin, but am pious and righteous. If I cannot say this, I must despair and perish. The law says: You have sin. If I say yes, I am lost; if I say no, I must have a strong foundation on which to stand, so that I can refute it, and receive the no. How can
1) In the old editions: "zwo".
2) Jenaer: still.
But if I say it, it is true, 2c., and the Scripture also testifies that I was born in sins; where then will I take the no? Of course I will not find it in my bosom, but in Christ, there I must get it, reproach it to the law, and say: Behold, he can say no against all laws, has also his reason, because he is ever pure and without sin. He also gives me the no, so that even though I should say yes, when I look at myself and see that I am a sinner, and cannot be right with you, but feel that there is nothing pure about me and see God's wrath, I still have this next to it, that his righteousness is mine; so I am no longer in sin. We must come to this point so that we can say that we are righteous and pure as consistently as Christ himself can say it; all of which is done through faith.
(23) These are the things which are to be preached, and the sum of the whole law, saith St. Paul; which will, and hath no rest, that thou come to have love from a pure heart, knowing neither law nor sin, and seeing God righteously "of a good conscience. After that (as follows) "of undimmed faith", that is, that it is not preached with words alone, and played with thoughts in the heart, but that the faith is fundamental, undoubted, and certain, so that it is all there. That is so much as to say that there is no law, neither of God nor of man. Man's law falls in such a way that it is completely abolished and left behind; you may not yet add anything to Christ's law; it has not come about because of this; it can certainly be abolished by men, because it is set by them. But to abolish God's law, Christ alone must do it. The latter must come to an end in death, or before; but the former is eternal; therefore one must have him to whom it has no right, who has done enough for us. The Holy Spirit must create such a fundamentally good, uncolored faith, which grasps such things; he aligns these three things, makes us holy, pious and full of God, does not let us sink, does not frighten the good conscience, does not let the pure heart err. This alone is necessary to know; and although not all feel it, some do.
24 But diligence is to be taken, that one does not teach otherwise. This happens then (like
If one wants to make people pious with laws and rule their consciences, as the papists have done up to now, and all the red spirits are still doing, so that people are led to act with their thoughts and dreams with God, they will never learn correctly what a pure heart, a good conscience and untainted faith are, and they will not understand anything about it, even today the pope with all the high schools, what the three words mean. For they dream that a pure heart is one that thinks no evil and is not attached to any creature, so that creature and thought are separated from one another. Now if a man has a wife and does his work with a cheerful heart, or if a woman looks after her child and waits for him, this is not called a pure heart, because all this cannot happen without thoughts clinging to it. One must think daily of food, money, work, and other things; there are creatures which (as they say) one must get rid of, so that one's thoughts are nothing else than to sit and speculate in heaven, and think nothing else but after God. It follows, then, that Christ did not have a perfectly pure heart when he made the blind see and the sick heal. He raised the dead, and in all other works; for he had to take care of the creature: meanwhile, where did his heart and thoughts remain only for God?
(25) Thus the ladders of the blind have led us, and innumerable books have been written full of such speculations, how to get rid of creatures; but they are nothing else, but only dreams and the devil's seduction. It is not possible to purify the heart with thoughts; otherwise no one would be so impure as God Himself, who sees all wickedness, remembers it, and is angry about it; indeed, He takes care of all creatures, creates and works everything Himself. But purity is found in this (as enough has been said), that the conscience is good, that man does for works what he wants, that the heart is not bound to it; and does it not because he wants to do a meritorious work, or that he has to do it, but with all love and desire, only because it pleases God. So then it is pure, and yet deals with all creatures, doing everything freely, as
When he puts it into his hands, he does not let any law or sin make him unclean from any thing, but all things are clean to him. For he sees God rightly, and has an untainted faith, without which such a work cannot be done. Then all the commandments are fulfilled, so that both the heart is right toward God and the works toward the neighbor. Now whatever is not preached according to the measure and rule is already lacking in the right way; therefore it follows:
V. 6, 7: Whereof some have erred, and turned to useless babblings, desiring to be masters of the Scriptures, and understanding not what they say, or what they set forth.
(26) They have missed the main sum (he says), they do not know what the three pieces are, they only play with thoughts, and after that they go out; as they err and miss, so they teach other people also. Nor do you ever hear anyone preaching how to have a pure heart and a good conscience; only others are engaged in useless talk, saying, "You must do and stand like this," 2c. and fall into vain works and commandments.
27 But is not this a bold apostle, that he should call the disciples of the high apostles, and their successors, the pope and his company, idle talkers, and say that none of them know what they say and do, and freely conclude that where faith and love are not preached, it is all idle talk, and neither they that preach, nor other men, know what they do, though it have appearance and name, as excellent as it may be? They want to be praised as if they were masters of the Scriptures, which they alone can and should interpret, thus opening people's mouths; yet they themselves do not understand the sayings they use, nor do they know what they contain. This happens because they lack the three pieces mentioned above, in which the summa of Scripture is summarized; but they lead the sayings that have such things in them, but do not see them; and must let themselves be interpreted by them in their dreams, contrary to the right doctrine.
28 From this it follows that they do not know what they set, order and want to take for doctrine. As when one preaches God's commandment, everything is to be interpreted (as St. Paul has said before) that it calls for love
of a pure heart, a good conscience, and undimmed faith, it is rightly conducted and used. They know nothing of this; therefore they do other things contrary to that which the law requires, saying, Keep this and that, and thou shalt be pious; deceiving themselves and other people thereby, and making only evil consciences, entangled with laws, and impure hearts without faith and love.
29 Then you have a common judgment of all who do not teach the faith, that they all must lack and err. They cannot teach, they will not hold their peace: so they go forth, lacking this, not meeting that; nor will they alone have right and power to establish and order, understanding neither Scripture, as much as they have it, nor their own zeal; lacking on all sides the right understanding of the spirit and their deeds. That is to say, the high, learned and holy people vaunted and painted. Now follow on:
V. 8. 9. But we know that the law is good, if any man needs it aright, and know this, that no law is given to the righteous, but to the unrighteous and disobedient, to the wicked and sinners, to the unholy and unspiritual, to murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, to slayers, to whoremongers 2c.
(30) So far it has been said how those who preach the law do not preach it rightly, so that they catch the consciences with it and drive them to such works that one should be counted worthy before God. After this, the summa is deleted, that no one can come before God or to God by works, but must first be righteous before God, and be born of God, who should do a work that is good. And that finally this is the opinion that the law wants so much that a person has a pure heart, a good conscience and untainted faith in God, from which love flows; in this one should remain and seek nothing more; and whoever preaches and lives in this way, that he preaches and lives rightly.
Now St. Paul answers a question that he also raises in other epistles. For someone might say, "If the law is not useful for promoting us against God, why did he give it and not keep it more?
but that one should have it and do it; of which sayings there are many everywhere in Scripture. To this St. Paul answers thus: Yes, I confess that the law is good; but it is not so good: many people are found who misuse it and lead it unjustly. Therefore it is good, where one needs its right. But again, it is not good, but harmful, where it is not rightly needed.
Therein also is the reason of our doctrine to answer for what the law is given, 1) and how it is to be used. For this must remain in brief, as it has been said, that no one can become righteous by having any law laid upon his conscience, but rather by driving it away. If you force it to do so, you only make it worse.
(33) Therefore the right custom of the law is not to lead in where it belongs out. To understand this custom correctly, you must divide man into two parts and separate them well, namely into the old and the new, as St. Paul divided him. Leave the new man completely free of laws. Drive the old man without ceasing with laws, and only let him not rest from them, then you have used it rightly and well. The new man cannot be helped at all by works, he must have something higher, namely Christ; he is neither law nor work, but a gift and present, pure grace and goodness of God. When this comes into the heart through faith, we become righteous before God. But if you think that you are doing a work, leading an order or profession, in order to become pious before God, you have already missed the right use of the law and denied Christ. If you want Him to help you without any works, then you want to help yourself with works; then the law is carried too high and too far. For then thou castest Christ out of the heart, where he alone should sit and reign, and puttest the law and thy works in his place; as all false teachers do, and cannot do otherwise. So now (I say) the new man has his humble portion, Christ with all his goods in his heart; by which he has all that he ought to have, may no more have any thing, either in heaven or on earth.
1) "be" is missing in the Jena.
34 But the old man, who is without glory, and not pure in heart, and does not have Christ, must have the law, and be always made void with works. For where Christ is not, you must not trust any man with anything good, for he must be under the devil. Therefore no wickedness is too much or too great for him, and no one may do anything else to him, except to commit all sin, vice and shame wherever he finds room and place; nor can he be inclined to any good, much less do any good, but only evil and wickedness. For this reason it is necessary that the law should come and prevent evil; it serves this purpose alone, and is nothing other than a deterrent to stop the wicked from doing what they would like to do. Then God comes and scares with the law, commands that it be driven into people violently, so that they must fear death, disgrace and hell; not because he means to make them better, but so that the wickedness they are full of may be controlled, so that they may not break out and do according to their will. So it is not given for the sake of the pious, but for the sake of the wicked, as St. Paul, Rom. 13, 4. 5. teaches about the worldly authorities 1). If the world were not evil, no authority, 2) rights, swords, princes, judges, fire, gallows and wheels would be allowed. Those who are not Christians are all to be kept under restraint and fear, or, if they break out, to be punished and choked. Summa, all authorities and laws are ordered by God to ward off the wicked 2c.
(35) Just as the secular sword and outward rule are neither necessary nor useful for the pious, but only for the wicked, so it is also with God's law. The judge has nothing to do with a pious citizen who harms no one, but only with thieves and murderers; so one must not keep dogs for the sake of a sheep, so that no one bites it, for no one can harm or be harmed by it, but for the sake of wolves one must keep them. If it were not for the wolf, there would be no need for guard or watch. So here is
1) In the Wittenberg and Erlangen: "Violence.
2) In the Wittenberg and Erlangen: "Obrigkeit".
3) Wittenberger: and.
the law, not to the pious, but only to the wicked. This is the custom and benefit of the law, that it scares and punishes people with all misfortune of body and soul, to control wickedness and to ward it off from within; it is good for this purpose, not that it makes one pious. 4) It only makes an outward appearance that one abstains from works; inwardly, however, it remains unresisted. It only makes an outward appearance to people that one abstains from works; yet inwardly it remains unresisted. It serves only that people may have peace, and that each one may not exercise his will as he pleases. So it is rightly preached and conducted.
(36) You have already gone too far in adding that it is worth something before God and necessary for the pious. It should only ring out before the people on earth and in the outer being. Another treasure belongs to the inner being, this one is not able to do it; the office and the honor belong to the Holy Spirit alone; if he is not there, all is lost. The Holy Spirit must enlighten the heart and set it on fire, so that it may delight in all that is good. If you give such to the law, you have misused it, for you make it the Holy Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit is not the law, nor again. If law is there, the Holy Spirit is not there; if it is not there, there is no godliness; but if it is there, there must be no law. The law should not and cannot make one pious, but the Holy Spirit makes one pious in the sight of God; if you do not have the Holy Spirit, do not think that you can be pious. It is not a work that is in our power; it is God's gift, yes, it is the living God, whom we cannot overcome with any being, but only by God's preaching how Christ has drowned all our sin through his blood and death, and has purchased his spirit for us.
37 When these things sound in the ears, the Holy Spirit goes with the word into the hearts wherever he wills; for he does not blow on them all, therefore they do not all grasp it. But the word does not go out without fruit, so it must always be preached, heard, acted upon, and practiced, until the Holy Spirit once
4) So in all editions. Later, in s 39, on the other hand, we find: "that it may stand against wickedness.
come; otherwise there is no other way. That you sit in the corner, gazing at heaven, and wait when you see him coming, is vain deceit; the word is the only bridge and way by which the Holy Spirit comes to us. Thus we read Apost. 10:44, when Peter preached of Christ, how he died and rose again, that the Holy Ghost fell upon all them that heard the word. There was no work at all, but only the hearing, which brings the Holy Spirit with it. Now this is an abuse of the law, that one gives to his works that which belongs to the Holy Spirit; whereas the right custom is to ward off the wicked and to punish them.
Now there is another custom, which St. Paul emphasizes in other places, which is somewhat more subtle, that the law teaches to recognize sin, namely, when it is preached that what we are and do is vain sin, that a man can also think nothing, desire nothing and speak nothing, it is all against God and condemned. So that by this custom of the law all the great, beautiful works of the saints of works, who want to do enough for the law before God, are put down; just as by the previous custom the gross, public sins are prevented, which do not lead a good appearance at all, but live completely unclean and disgraceful 1) so that all the world must say that it is condemnable.
39. Here we find some pious peelers and hypocrites who do not murder, steal, commit adultery, or live shamefully, but lead an honorable life and conduct themselves with gray skirts and hats, put ropes around their bodies, pray, fast, and chastise themselves, and keep their order most strictly; As has been thought of the monks up to now, there are still many fine, honorable people on earth, of whom the world cannot say otherwise than that they are pious, holy people. Since 2) the law has to do with it, and again to resist, it does not want to let these be pious, as it did not want to let those be evil. Here it rejects good works, there it rejects evil works; here it cannot carry out its former office, so that it can stand against wickedness, because it has already been aligned and carried out, because these people
1) Wittenberg and Erlanger: shameful.
2) Wittenberger and Erlanger: "Da, da".
are beautiful and pious, and blameless before the world. But if it has resisted there, they fall on this side again too far, that they think, the works, forced by the law, should be valid before God. And they want to turn worldly, transient righteousness into heavenly, eternal righteousness. That is why they have to fight on both ropes. This is what happens when one says: "Behold, all the works that you do in the opinion that you are worth something before God are lost and condemned, for there is no man on earth who can do a work that pleases God, because we are all false and liars, as Ps. 116:11 says. The law pronounces judgment on such life, strikes it down, and makes it sinful and disgraceful.
40 This is also a high and very necessary custom. That is why the law is such a delightful thing; when it is in accordance with the right custom, it defends both sides: those from doing evil, and those from not being pious. Why is that? Because it is false (as now said), and they deceive the people with the appearance and the cover. If they want to make it up to God with their works and beautiful gestures, what good is the Holy Spirit? Or why did Christ come and let it cost Him His blood, so that He might obtain for them what they seek with their works? But if they can obtain it by the work of the law, then Christ ever died in vain; so also Moses, with his law, interferes with the Holy Spirit in his office, blasphemes and denies Christ.
Where the doctrine enters and strikes the heart, a man, outwardly as pious as he can be, must put down his peacock feathers and let his pride fall, so that, if he looks at himself rightly, he must confess that he is full of mud, poison, envy, anger, fornication, unbelief, more than anyone else, even if he can hide the mischief for a while out of compulsion and fear, for the sake of appearance and honor. Therefore it is not possible to become pious by works; indeed, the more one wants to make it good, the worse it becomes. Whoever is subject to this, the law must prevent him from casting out the Holy Spirit, taking his office and putting himself in his place. If it is used in such a way as to ward off here and there, it is right, and good, and delicious. Thus
The last thing that remains is that one must have something more and better, because the law does not help piety, namely, as I said, the Holy Spirit, which St. Paul calls a gift of God, which he gives us for free, but earned through Christ, and brought in and with the Word. 1)
042 But askest thou, How then shall not men do good works, and keep the law? Answer: Yes, indeed. The law is good, and is well done by all who keep it, preach it, practice it, and do it. Why then should one do it? For the sake of becoming godly? Answer: No; let it be said, then, that by so doing one becomes pious in the sight of the world; but in the sight of God it must be something else. What is it good for, or why is it given? To prevent one from doing evil, and to enforce an outward piety before the world. And again, that it may hinder the same worldly piety, so that man may not measure himself to be pious before God by it, but bring him to confess himself a sinner before God, and be condemned. In short, so that one knows that keeping the work of the law outwardly is of no value before him.
But if thou wilt be godly, and do righteous good works afterward, behold, thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost, which bringeth Christ unto thee, and planteth him in thee, and thee in him, that thou mayest be a new man: which shall establish in thee a clean heart, and a good conscience, and a sound faith. There you have the right custom of the law; where it works (says St. Paul), and it is known that no law is given to the righteous, but to the unrighteous, it is good and useful. How this happens is sufficiently explained from the foregoing.
44 The apostle therefore says that it is not given to the righteous, but to the unrighteous 2c. Why? Just look at the custom. He that is righteous, and hath the Holy Ghost, and is pure in heart, and of a good conscience, and of an unfeigned faith; what canst thou hinder him from doing evil? If he does not, or if he recognizes himself as a sinner and does not try to become righteous by works, he has waited too long. It is already far beyond, has more than the law can give. For he who
1) Wittenberger: used.
who has faith knows well that he is a sinner, does not think to go to heaven by works, knows that he has everything through Christ, therefore no commandment can be laid upon him. But the law must be laid down for the unrighteous. For what purpose? That they may be prevented, or that they may be taught to know what they are.
(45) Thus I have said above that the law of God is not abolished, that it is never, which is not possible, but that it is understood spiritually, according to the conscience. This much is said: The law remains, but the righteous has so much, namely, the Holy Spirit and a pure heart, so that he does everything the law wants. Take a similitude: If a thing goeth as it ought, no man may do it; if it doeth whatsoever is wanted, no man may command, command, or forbid it. No law may be given to the sun to shine and move in the sky, nor to water to flow, nor to fire to burn, nor to a tree to grow green and bear fruit, if it is otherwise good. And there would have to be a fool here who would presume to command such things. If it is already there, no one may call it to be there; but if you call it to be there, either it must not be there, or if it is there, you must be a fool. Augustine gives such a simile: Two and three are not guilty of making five together, nor may anyone demand it; it is already made thing, that it cannot be nor become otherwise. But the law must be given only to that which is not yet there, or does not work as it should. But when it comes and is present, it must cease and fall away. So it is also here with God's law and the ten commandments.
46 Therefore, when the law says, Thou shalt not have other gods, thou shalt not use God's name in vain, thou shalt keep holy the feast day, thou shalt honor parents, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not bear false witness, 2c., it is just as much speaking as if it said, Thou art already idolatrous, blasphemers, unholy, disobedient, a murderer, adulterer, thief and liar. And though thou goest not forth with the work, yet art thou in heart full of all unrighteousness and lust of evil. For as ours is none other, because we are the children of Adam; neither ass shall call another sackbearer; as one is, so are they.
all of them. But the fact that we do not do what we would like to do makes us fearful of punishment, disgrace, and hardship; if this were not the case, there would be no one who did not rob, steal, and murder like the others. So you see that the law closes so much everywhere that what it demands is not there, but the contradiction.
47. But since a Christian, as has been said, does all that the law would have him do, has a pure heart toward God, does good to everyone and does good to no one, is already made as he should be, so that he cannot will or do otherwise, because he has the Holy Spirit, by whom the heart is inflamed with desire for all good; Therefore you can no more command him to be pious than you can require a man to be a man, or a woman to be a woman, because he was made that way before any law was given, and nature does not bear otherwise. But if you approach and want to command such a man, I may say that you are a fool and nonsensical, in that you demand what he 1) has already paid for and given, and forbid what he 1) cannot do. Therefore it is clear enough that the law has nothing to do with the pious; but if it has to do with someone, he does not have to be pious or righteous. Think God is not a fool to do what is already done. Because he demands from all the world: Do this and that, he will have decided that it is all full of sins, and will force it to confess such things. So then, as St. Paul says, the law remains on the unrighteous, to hinder them and frighten them, until they know that they must have something different and better, so that the law may be done enough, and so be rid of it.
48 Thus you say: If it be so, is there none righteous on earth? For St. Paul himself commands Timothy hard before, and says, v. 3: "As I have reminded," 2c. And soon after, v. 18: "This commandment I command thee." There is a commandment that he also further says "command" and "command". Yes, how full is all Scripture, Old and New Testament, of such commandments? Are not Paul and Timothy or the Christians pious? Or, what
1) Wittenberger: es.
may he say, "No law is given to the righteous," and go to and give it himself?
49. according to the spirit the believer is 2) righteous, without all sin, without any law; according to the flesh he still has sin 2c. Therefore, take before you a devout Christian who has a pure heart, a good conscience and an untainted faith, who will have to say thus: Even though I have a pure heart, a good conscience, righteous faith, yet the flesh, the tongue, the fist is not pure, that is, the old scold that I have by the neck is still unclean. The faith that leads us up to heaven to God does not want to suffer any law, there the heart has as much as one can always demand, a cheerful courage, desire for good, friendly and submissive heart that submits to everyone; there everything is pure and righteous. But the flesh does not yet want to follow this by heart; all kinds of filth are still clinging to it and evil desire, care for food, fear of death, avarice, anger and hatred; the filth always remains next to faith, so that it can beat and fight itself out with it. Because these things are still there, the Scriptures count us in this respect as unrighteous and sinners, that we have to follow the law of the flesh just as much as they have to resist the lust of the flesh and to curb it. But even this is done with the air of the Spirit, not with vexation and displeasure. For herein is the difference between the two: both are restrained by the law; but they that are in the spirit have a willing, cheerful heart, but they have not. Therefore it is given to these 3) and not imputed, even though there is still sin; but those are condemned, because they have no desire and love for it.
50 Therefore the righteous man has all that he should have, but must do no good work to be righteous; for he must do nothing for godliness, but receive and receive the gospel, and come under the shadow of Christ. When therefore he hath received it, he doeth good works. According to that which he has received, he may do no law, and is clean. But after that which he is yet to receive, he may yet of the law. So divide a Christian into two parts, that he may be both righteous and unrighteous.
2) Wittenberger: Faith.
3) Wittenberg and Jena: this.
The Holy Spirit dwells in the heart, but not in the flesh; there the devil dwells with his seed. This is how a man must live on earth, so that he is forced and compelled by the law, so that he does not do evil, but remains uncoerced by the spirit, because he does good by himself. This lasts until he dies. On the last day we will be pure in body and soul, without all evil desire, yes, heaven and earth will become full of good. But now, because flesh and blood lives, [it] is not possible, it must stir; what it sees, it notices that it either has love for it, or turns away from it. This remains in one more and stronger, in the other less, until death. That's why you have to work at it from day to day, so that you can fight it out.
51. for the sake of the cause it commands 1) now
1) Jenaer: he.
St. Paul, and commands the others to stick to the pure doctrine and not to teach anything else. For it is also a part of the ministry not to let false doctrine come in, lest the heart again be defiled with carnal conceit and doctrine; there one should guard as one can, lest the conscience be defiled thereby, as must happen where it falls to it. This is the most important thing; for if the doctrine remains right, and the conscience is not corrupted with other doctrines, then life and works can be well advised and helped. Summa Summarum: According to the spirit there is no law; according to the flesh there is law, for it does not do what it should do, but the spirit does it all. Understand therefore the saying which teaches why the law is given, and the two usages of the law.