God wants all people to be helped and to come to the knowledge of the truth. *)
Held the 27th of Mar; 1525.
1 Tim. 2, 4. God wants all people to be helped.
1 This saying of St. Paul, say the papists, confirms free will. Because because
he thus says: "God wills that everyone be helped", it is now no longer up to him but up to us that we follow his will or not. So they interpret and lead these words
*This sermon was first printed in the first volume of Luther's writings published in Wittenberg in 1539, without indication of the time. In the Jena edition the year 1524 is given, likewise in the Altenburg edition. In the Leipzig edition, by an oversight (as stated in the preface to the 11th volume, p. 30), the year 1533 is set, which also happened in Walch, who (see his preface to the 9th volume, p. 16) followed the Leipzig edition. But because Luther preached on the First Epistle to Timothy continuously (compare the note to H 1 of the previous sermon), fo is to be assumed that he preached this sermon later than the previous one. This is confirmed by the second index to Luther's sermons found in Zwickau. Cf. Buchwald, Andreas Poach's handwritten collection of unprinted sermons by D. Martin Luther, first volume, first half, p. XXI, where it is stated that our sermon was delivered I^urius post I^usturs 1525, that is, March 27, 1525. It is found in the collections: Wittenberger (1556), vol. I, p. 453d; Jenaer (1585), vol. II, p. 485; Altenburger, vol. II, p. 836; Leipziger, vol. XI, p. 465 and Erlanger, vol. 51, p. 316. We give the text according to the Wittenberger edition.
against us, as they think, in the strongest possible way. Therefore, let us answer them and consider this saying rightly.
(2) First, some say, "If it is true that God wills this, why does it not happen that everyone may be saved? If our will prevents it, then it must be stronger than God's will, so that what he wants does not have to happen if we do not want it to. Now he has ever said, Isa. 46, 10: "My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done"; item Rom. 9, 19: "Who can resist his will?" Thus he also proves manifoldly that he may awaken the whole world to set itself against his will, that one may see how his will must be done. How then does it rhyme that I should resist and prevent myself from being saved, since it is God's will? Therefore, it cannot ever follow from this that those say; otherwise it would have to conclude 1) without means that our will would be stronger than God's will. That is the first thing that strikes those back, that they cannot maintain their opinion with it, because he just with it fights hard against them, as strong as they want to lead him 2).
(3) Secondly, the preceding text and the one that follows should give us the right understanding of these words. For it is not valid to take some words out of the Scriptures and make a waxen nose of them, according to our head, and not see what is attached to them, and what they urge. So we say, This is a common saying, such as is found more than Psalm 36:7: "O Lord, thou helpest both man and beast"; that is to say, Therefore thy goodness is precious and valuable, rich and excellent, that thou helpest not only thy dear saints, but also all men, yea, all beasts. If a bird escapes from a rope, a sheep from a wolf, an ox from drowning in water, you have done all these things. Yea, saith he, still more, When the beasts call, God heareth their cry, Ps. 147:9: "Who giveth his food to the cattle, to the young ravens that call upon him." The young ravens have this way, when a man comes to them and attacks them, the old raven flies away from them and comes no more; then they must open their mouths.
1) So the Jenaer. Wittenbergers: "müstu es".
2) "him", namely free will.
Heaven, so that God proves that he feeds and nourishes everything that lives there. Item, this also teaches Ps. 107 through and through. There are some (v. 5) who hunger and thirst, who cry out to you, and you satisfy them; some [v. 4] in the wilderness, who know nowhere; some [v. 10] caught in bonds; some [v. 26, 28] in the water, and he helps them out of all distresses. Therefore he says continually [v. 8], "They shall give thanks unto the Lord for his goodness, and for the wonderful wonders which he doeth for the children of men." There he does not speak of the elect, but of all men, whom God helps out of all distress.
4 Thus this saying is also spoken in the common, that God does not only help the saints, but everyone. That is why I have translated the words: Qui vult omnes homines salvos fieri: He who wants everyone to recover, or: "That all men may be helped. The same is often written in the Gospel: Salvum facere, that is, to recover or to be helped, not to be saved. So that it is not to be interpreted of that life alone or of eternal life, but is to spread around and embrace all kinds of help, both temporal and eternal, that he is the only Savior, through whom all are helped. Pious and wicked, men and animals. He wants them all to recover where they need help.
5 In the same way he says in the 4th chapter, v. 10, of this epistle: "He is the Savior of all men, but especially of the faithful. There he interprets himself in the most inexplicable way. First, he speaks to the common: "He is a Savior of all men." Then he separates the faithful and the pious from all others. He helps all people, even the unbelievers and unchristians, but mostly the believers. Here you see clearly what his opinion is, that he speaks of the help, not only which God needs for salvation, but which concerns everyone, that is, of the common help, which holds in itself all the mercy and goodness of God, over the pious and the impious, temporally and eternally. That it is so much said: No one will be saved nor redeemed from some distress, sickness, poverty, hunger and sorrow, God help him. 3) That this saying is therefore an honor and praise.
3) In the old editions: for God help him.
God, and to show how he is minded and mannered, namely, that he gladly helps everyone, even if he is evil and does not serve God. Such understanding is also enforced by the preceding text, when it says 1 Tim. 2, 1. ff. "I therefore exhort that before all things we make supplication, prayer, intercession and thanksgiving 2c., that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life, in all godliness and respectability (and gives this cause:), for such is good, and also acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires that everyone should be saved", or "all men be helped" 2c. Leads thus the saying evenly on the quiet and calm being. So you see, if you hold it against the previous and following text, what he is talking about.
(6) So it is rightly composed and rhymed, otherwise it would not be appropriate at all; and he concludes against them himself, because he thus says that God wants to have helped everyone by a fine government and a quiet life, especially the faithful, so that they may lead a godly life, and faith may increase and be strengthened through persecution. For where there is a disorderly, quiet regime, that one only wars and storms, there can be no good, nor can anyone come to preach or hear God's word. But in a quiet, calm regime, one can have room to preach and to confess and practice the faith. Then follows the cross and suffering, through which faith becomes strong and vigorous. For because human reason, prudence and power are opposed to the word of God, they are punished and rejected by Him as unfit to act in divine matters; in addition, because the devil is the prince of the world, they cannot suffer or hear the word of God, and they begin to persecute and torture those who preach or confess it, as happened in the Roman Empire under the emperors, when it was at its highest. Thus, God wants to help both the secular regime and its believers at the same time.
7 Therefore it does not follow that God will make all men blessed, but that he wills as much as has been said. For when he commands to ask for peace, it is a sure sign that he wants to have peace; without where his wrath is, that he plagues the world; otherwise it is his will that he keeps everything as he has ordered and directed it.
power. How would it be possible, if God did not preserve it, to rule so many heads and wild people in one city? How soon would a mob be gathered against the authorities and they would be murdered. What are two or three against a whole city? Reason is far too weak here to sustain it, as he also lets us see at times. So it is rightly said: "God wants to help everyone", and so it goes. For he preserves the temporal government, even if one rebels and opposes it with his head. But especially he upholds the spiritual against all the world and the devil's power and raging, even if the Christians are strangled. Therefore, you must not make any distinction of God's will, but remains an eternal will to help the faithful and others with his gifts; which will also no one can hinder. Therefore, one should adhere to it and comply with it, 'as Paul teaches here, when he calls asking and giving thanks.
So he wants to have both straight away: No one can resist his will; nor should one ask for it. As he also says in the Lord's Prayer, Matth. 6, 10: "Thy will be done"; otherwise his will must be done. But we ask that we submit ourselves to his will. For if we do not surrender to it and resist it, he will turn his will back and afflict us with war, rebellion and other calamities. So now his will is done when we break ours and give him home to rule and reign. Nothing will help if he does not help; he must and will do it alone. We are still going, and fall in with reason, do not see how he alone helps, think that if the blacksmith were not there, no horse would be helped. But tell me, who gives the blacksmith the art, luck and skill to do this? For that the same heals is his gift; otherwise no art would help. And to prove this, he often lacks all art and wisdom. Summa Summarum: The same God, by whose will all things are done, also wants all men to be helped, these otherwise, and the others likewise; as he takes care of everything that lives and sustains it by his help, one thanks him or does not thank him, pours out and scatters his goodness over the pious and the wicked.
And come to the knowledge of the truth.
(9) The other part, however, which he attaches to the preceding common saying, namely, "And come to the knowledge of the truth," concerns only believers. So also, when he speaks, afterwards Cap. 4, 10: "He is the Savior of all men," he adds: "But especially of the faithful. In this way he means that he gives to all so that they may recover or be helped, but especially to some so that they may come to the knowledge of the truth; this is a special and the greatest part of his goodness. He helps all people, but the best help is when he lets someone come to the knowledge of the truth. Thus, in the common will of God, this is also understood and especially expressed as the most noble thing, for this help also serves and is directed to the end that some may come to the knowledge of the truth or of the Gospel; which would not happen if God did not help in worldly matters, so that the government and all things would be right and orderly and would prevail.
Now this text is clear and easy, so that no obstacle remains. So answer those who want to confirm free will from this, when they themselves do not see what they are deceiving. That is why those who have interpreted it in this way have spoken of it most sharply: If anyone is helped, he alone helps; that is, he alone is the only helper, and no one else. Whoever gets something good, gets it from him. I do not dislike this kind of understanding, because it agrees with what I have said, and it goes straight against free will, so that it is not able to help it at all. And that it may be seen that the understanding which we have given is right, St. Paul himself draws it out in the following words and says:
V. 5. For there is One God, and One Mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ.
11. he wants all people to be healed or helped (he says). Why this?
1) "mcht" is missing in the Wittenberg. The Jena one has the marginal gloss: "Scheinet als Mangel hie das wörtlin nicht".
Therefore, "For there is One God" 2c. How does this follow or rhyme? Thus: He must help, for there is no one else who can help; because he alone is God, and no God but One, therefore, whoever is helped, be it what it may, in general, must be helped by and through him, or must perish.
There is only one mediator between God and man, namely the man Jesus Christ. This is of special concern to the believers. As the foregoing is also common to One God, so He mixes together common goodness and the greatest part of goodness, as above. The common goodness affects all people, believers or unbelievers. The other only affects those 2) who believe. So he first of all draws it into God's goodness, and yet draws the piece especially on it, so that he helps the believers, above and apart from the common help. There is only One God, here is only One Mediator; where God is not, there is no help; where the Mediator is not, there is no knowledge of truth and godliness, for the Father will not see or hear anyone except through Christ His Son.
V. 6. who gave himself for salvation for all.
(13) There he expresses the part about how he is a mediator, that it is not about the common help, but the special part, so: that one is helped to come to God, so it happens to no one, but through the mediator. So it extends first to the general, where he calls no mediator; then to the particular, where the mediator is. And the fact that he says, "For all," is meant to be referred to the mediator alone, that is, that all who are saved and come to God are to be saved through the mediator alone, not that all people are saved because of him. As one is wont to speak in a common way in many examples. As when one says of a schoolmaster in a city, "He teaches them all in the city," that is, he alone is a teacher; whoever learns anything learns it from him. There are many such sayings in the Old and New Testaments 2c.
2) Jenaer: alone; Wittenberger: all.