V. 1-5. Put away therefore all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisy, and hatred, and all speaking evil. And be greedy for the sensible, unadulterated milk, as the little children now born, so that you may grow up by it, if you have tasted otherwise that the Lord is kind, to whom you have come, as to the living stone, which is rejected by men, but is worthy and precious in the sight of God. And you also, as the living stones, build yourselves into a spiritual house, and into a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(1) Then he began to teach what the works and fruits of a Christian life should be. For we have often enough said how a Christian life consists of two things: faith toward God and love toward one's neighbor. Item, that the Christian faith is given in such a way, that nevertheless always, because we live, many evil desires remain in the flesh, since there is no saint who is not in the flesh. But what is in the flesh cannot be entirely pure. Therefore says St. Peter: Be ye therefore armed to beware of sins which still cling to you, and to contend against them for ever. For the worst enemies we have are in our bosom and in the midst of our flesh and blood, watching, sleeping and living with us, like an evil guest who has been invited into our home and cannot be got rid of.
(2) Therefore, since by faith the Lord Christ is all yours, and you have obtained salvation and all his goods, let it henceforth be your duty to put away all malice, or all that is evil, and all guile, that is, that no one deal unfaithfully and falsely with another; as it has been said of the world, that the world is full of unfaithfulness, which is also true. We Christians, however, are not to act unfaithfully in this way, but sincerely and with a pure heart with people as against God, badly and rightly, so that no one misleads the other in selling, buying or vowing, and the like.
3 St. Paul also says in Eph. 4:25, "Put away lies, and speak the truth every man to his neighbor. Truth is that yes is yes, and no is no. But hypocrisy is when one presents himself differently with outward gestures than he means; for there is much to be done to present oneself as one has it in his heart. A Christian should act in such a way that he may suffer all men to see and know what he thinks in his heart, so that in all his conduct and actions he thinks only to praise God and to serve his neighbor, and shuns no one, and that each one may be found in the depths of his heart as he is looked at, and not make a mirror fencing to shut people's mouths.
4 Furthermore, St. Peter also says that one should put away hatred and after-talk. There he finely describes the common vices among people when they deal with each other. The after-talk is almost mean and frivolous, is soon done that no one notices it; therefore beware of it (he says), if you already have a spirit, that you may know what the fruits of the spirit are.
V. 2. Be greedy for the sensible, unadulterated milk, as the now born little children.
(5) Then he makes a likeness, saying, Ye are now born again by the word of God; therefore keep yourselves as the newborn babes, which seek no more than milk. As they seek the breasts and the milk, so you also should be eager for the word, seek it and have a desire for it, so that you may suck the sensible, unadulterated milk.
(6) Again, these words are ambiguous: for he does not mean bodily milk, nor bodily seeking, as he does not speak of a bodily birth, but says of another milk, which is sensible, that is, spiritual, which one draws with the soul, which the heart must suck. This should be genuine, not, as one is wont to sell false goods. There is truly much need for this, and there is great need,
that the milk be given to the newborn and young Christians pure and not adulterated. But the milk is nothing but the gospel, which is also the seed, that we may conceive and be born, as we have approved above [Cap. 1, § 92. 93]. So it is also the food that feeds us when we grow up, is also the armor that we may arm ourselves and do evil, yes, it is all with one another. But the addition is man's doctrine, that the word of God may be counterfeited. Therefore the Holy Spirit wants every Christian to see what milk he is sucking and to learn to judge all doctrines for himself.
7) But the breasts that give forth this milk and suckle the young children are the preachers in Christianity, as the bridegroom says to the bride, Shel 4:5: "You have two breasts, like two young girls. 1) They should have a clump of myrrh hanging around them, as the bride says to Hohel. 1, 13: "My beloved is like a clump of myrrh hanging between my breasts," that is, one should always preach Christ. The bridegroom must be mingled in the midst of the breasts, otherwise it is wrong, and the milk is adulterated, if one does not preach Christ purely. Now this is how it is: when one preaches that Christ died for us and saved us from sins, death and hell, that is as sweet as milk. But after that one must also preach the cross, that one may suffer as he did; this then is strong drink and strong wine. Therefore, Christians must first be given the softest food, that is, milk. For you cannot preach evil to them, but first preach Christ alone; who is not bitter, but is sweet and fat grace, and you must not yet bear any pain. This is the right, sensible and unadulterated milk.
8 And here St. Peter has reached far into the Scriptures, as he is quite rich in writings. So in the Old Testament it is written, Ex. 23, 19. and Deut. 14, 21: "You shall not boil the kid, because it is at its mother's milk." Dear, why did God let write this? What
1) In the second adaptation (like in our Bible) instead of: "Hinnlein" deer twins are found.
Is he concerned that no kid should be put down because it still sucks milk? Therefore, that he wants to mean that St. Peter teaches here, and so much is said: Preach neatly to the young and weak Christians: let them feed well and become fat in the knowledge of Christ. Do not load them with strong doctrine, for they are still too young. But after that, when they become strong, let them be slaughtered and sacrificed on the cross. Thus we read also Deut. 24:5: If a man had lately taken a wife, he must not go to war the first year, lest he be slain, but be merry at home with his wife. All this is done so that those who are still young Christians 2) may be given their time and may be disciplined. When they are grown up, God leads them to the holy cross and lets them die like the other Christians; there the little goat is slaughtered. Now follows further:
V. 2, 3: That by them ye might grow up, having tasted otherwise that the Lord is good.
(9) It is not enough to hear the gospel once, but it must always be carried on, that we may grow up; after that faith is strong, after that every man must be provided and fed. But this is not said to those who have not heard the gospel; they know neither milk nor wine. Therefore he adds, "If ye have tasted otherwise, that the Lord is good:" as if to say, To him that hath not tasted it, it is not to his heart, neither is it sweet. But those who have tasted it, who always handle the food and the word, to them it tastes right and is sweet to them.
(10) But it is tasted when I believe with my heart that Christ has given himself to me and has become my own, and my sins and misfortunes are his, and now his life is mine. If such things go to the heart, they are tasted. For how can I not have joy and gladness from it? I am so happy when a good friend gives me a hundred guilders. But he who does not take it to heart cannot rejoice. The
2) Weimarsche: "der yhenigen". The second adaptation has our reading, also Bucer: ut üs suuru tsiuxus irMulAsamus.
But those who are in mortal distress or who are oppressed by an evil conscience taste it best; hunger is a good cook, as they say, who makes the food taste good, for the heart and conscience can hear nothing more sweet. When it feels its sorrow, it is eager for it, and seeks the roast far away, and cannot be satisfied. So Mary says in the Magnificat [Luc. 1, 53.], "He has filled the hungry with good things." But those stubborn people who live in their own holiness, building on their works and not feeling their sin and misfortune, do not taste this. He that sitteth at meat, and is hungry, savoureth all things well: but he that is full before, savoureth nothing, but hath abhorrence even of the very best of meat. Therefore the apostle says, "Have ye tasted otherwise, that the Lord is good?" As if to say, If ye have not tasted it, I preach in vain. He goes on to say:
V. 4 To whom you have come as to the living stone.
11 Here he goes back to the Scriptures and touches the prophet Isaiah Cap. 28, 14. 15. 16. where he says: "Listen to what God says, you scoffers. You say, 'We have made a covenant with death and with hell,' and have 1) made lies your consolation. For thus saith the LORD, I will lay in the foundations of Zion a choice and precious cornerstone or foundation stone" 2c. This saying was also used by St. Paul [Rom. 9, 33.), and is also a main saying of the Scriptures. For Christ is the precious cornerstone which God has laid, upon which we must be built. And see how St. Peter takes the words and points the stone to Christ. After that, Isaiah says "to put one's trust in Him", says St. Peter, is as much as to build on Him. This is the correct interpretation of the Scripture. The builders lay the foundation stone where it is sure and firm, so that it can carry the whole building; so also the living stone, Christ, carries the whole building. Therefore, "to build" means that we all place our trust and confidence in one another and place it in him.
1) Weimarsche: "hat. Cf. Cap. 1, § 74.
Who is rejected in the sight of men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God.
But here he cites a saying of the prophet David in the 118th Psalm, v. 22, 23: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and is marvelous in our sight. Which saying Christ also indicates, Matth. 21, 42. Item Peter Apost. 4, 11. where he says: "This is the stone which you builders rejected." Ye are builders (saith he), because they taught the people, and preached great sermons, and gave many laws, but made vain works saints and hypocrites. So then Christ comes and says thus, "You are hypocrites and vipers"; passes many terrible judgments on them, and keeps to the sinners, not to the great saints. So they cannot stand it, rejecting him also, saying: You are a heretic! Do you refuse to do good works? Well, you must die. Therefore Peter says here, "This is the cornerstone which is rejected by men, because you must be built up by faith. Now this is strange in our eyes (as the prophet says), it seems strange to us, and where the Spirit does not teach it, it cannot be understood in any way. Therefore he says, in the sight of God the stone is chosen, and a choice and precious stone is counted worthy to take away death, to pay for sin, to save from hell, and to give the kingdom of heaven.
V. 5 And you also, as living stones, build yourselves into a spiritual house.
How can we build ourselves? Through the gospel and preaching. The builders are the preachers. The Christians who hear the gospel are the ones who are being built, and the stones that must be placed on this cornerstone, so that we may place our trust in it, and our hearts may stand and rest on it. Then I must also make sure that I keep the form that this stone has, for if I am placed on it through faith, then I must also do the works and conduct myself as he did, and each one with me. Now this grows out of faith, and is the work of love, that we should all send one to another, and all become one building. So St. Paul also speaks of this, although in a different way.
another way, 1 Cor. 3, 16: "You shall be the temple of God." The house of stone or wood is not his house, he wants to have a spiritual house, that is, the Christian assembly, in which we are all equal in one faith, one like the other, and all laid on one another and joined together and united in love, without all malice, cunning, hypocrisy, hatred and back talk, as he said.
And to the holy priesthood.
14 Then he put down the outward and bodily priesthood, which was before in the Old Testament, as well as the outward church; he takes all this away, and thus wants to say: The outward being with the priesthood has now all ceased, therefore now another priesthood begins, and offers other sacrifices, namely, that it is all spiritual.
(15) We have argued much that those who are now called priests are not priests before God, and this is based on this saying of Peter. Therefore take him well. And if someone comes here with this saying and wants to interpret it in this way (as some 1) have done), that he speaks of two kinds of priesthood, namely, of external and spiritual priests, then let him put on glasses so that he can see, and take hellebore so that he may sweep the brain. St. Peter thus says, "You shall build yourselves up to the spiritual or holy priesthood." Now ask those priests whether they are holy; this shows their life, as one can see that the wretched people are in avarice and fornication and all kinds of vice. He who has the priesthood must be holy, but he who is not holy does not have it. That is why St. Peter speaks only of one priesthood.
16 We further ask: whether he makes a distinction between the spiritual and the secular, as the clergy are now called spiritual, the other Christians secular? So they must confess, without their thanks, that here St. Peter speaks to all who are Christians, namely to these, who are to put away all malice, cunning, hypocrisy and hatred 2c. and be like the now born little children, and drink the unadulterated milk. So the lie must bite itself in the mouth. Therefore
1) E. g. Emser. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIII, 1353 ff.
This is very clear: because St. Peter speaks to all Christians, it proves that they are lying, and St. Peter does not speak of their priesthood, which they have invented and only draw to themselves. Therefore our bishops are nothing but Niclas bishops;. 2) And as their priesthood is, so are their laws, sacrifices and works. It would be a fine game in the carnival without the divine name being blasphemed under the pretense.
(17) Therefore only those are the holy and spiritual priesthood who are true Christians and built on the stone. For since Christ is the bridegroom, and we are the bride, the bride has all that the bridegroom has, including his own body. For when he gives himself to the bride, he gives himself to her even as he is; and in turn the bride also gives herself to him. Now Christ is the high and highest priest anointed by God Himself, He also sacrificed His own body for us, which is the highest priestly office; then He prayed for us on the cross; thirdly, He also preached the gospel, and taught all men to know God and Himself. These three offices he has also given to all of us. Therefore, because he is a priest, and we are his brothers, all Christians have authority and command, and must preach and come before God, pleading one for another, and offering themselves to God. And despite that anyone should start preaching the word of God or saying that he is a priest.
To offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(18) Spiritual sacrifice is not money, which must be offered to the pope; nor is it the sacrifice as in the Old Testament, when one had to offer tithes of all things. Such physical sacrifice and priesthood has now all ceased, and is now all new and spiritual. The priest is Christ, and we all; as he has now sacrificed his body, so must we also sacrifice ourselves. Here now is fulfilled all that was signified by the outward sacrifices in the Old Testament, as they all came to pass, and lately all is called preaching the gospel. 3) Who
2) Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 675. 1358.
3) Bucer: Ut uno autem verbo dicam, omnia aliud non sunt, quam praedicare ac amplecti Evangelio.
who practices and practices all these things, kills the calf, that is, the carnal mind, and strangles the old Adam. For the unreasonable being in the flesh and blood must be killed with the gospel; so we allow ourselves to be sacrificed and strangled on the cross. There the right priesthood goes in the swing, that we sacrifice to God the evil rogue, the lazy old donkey. If the world does not do it, then we must do it ourselves; for in the end everything must be laid aside that we have from the old Adam, as we have just heard in Chapter 1 [§ 83 ff]. This is the only sacrifice that is pleasing and acceptable to God. From this you can now see where our fools and blind leaders have led us, and how this text has remained under the bank.
019 Now thou mayest say, If it be true that we are all priests, and shall preach, what manner of being shall it be? Shall there be no difference among the people, and shall the women also be priests? Answer: In the New Testament there should be no priests bearing plates, not because it is evil of him, but because there should be no difference between them and the common Christian man, which faith cannot suffer; so that those who are now called priests should all be laymen like the others, and only some ministers should be chosen by the congregation to preach. So there is only a difference outwardly of the office to which one is called by the congregation. But in the sight of God there is no difference, and only for this reason are some of them drawn from among the congregation, so that they may lead and carry out the ministry in place of the congregation, which they all have, not so that one has more authority than the other. Therefore, none of them should appear and preach in the congregation, but one must be drawn out of the crowd and put in place, and he may be removed again if he wishes.
(20) Now they have established a status of their own, as if it were from God, and have gained such freedom that there is almost no greater distinction in the midst of Christendom, neither among us nor among the Turks. If you want to look at the Christians, you must not look at any difference, and not say: This is a man or a woman, a servant or a master, old or young, like Paul.
Gal. 3, 28. It is all one thing and one spiritual people. Therefore they are all priests, may all preach God's word; but women are not to speak in the church, but let the men preach, for the sake of the commandment that they should be subject to their husbands, as St. Paul teaches 1 Cor. 14, 34. God allows such an order to remain, but does not make a difference of authority. But where there were no men, but vain women, as in nunneries, one would also raise up a woman among them to preach.
(21) Now this is the true priesthood, which is in the three parts, as we have heard (17), that one sacrifices spiritually, prays for the church, and preaches. Whoever can do this is a priest; they are all guilty of preaching the word, praying for the church, and offering themselves before God. Let those fools therefore depart, who call the spiritual estate priests, who yet have no other office, but that they bear plates and are smeared. If the bribing and greasing made a priest, I might as well grease and anoint the paws of a donkey, that he also might be a priest.
Lastly, St. Peter says that we should offer spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. Since Christ is the cornerstone on which we are set, what we want to do for God must be done through Him alone, as we have heard enough above [§55]. For God would not look at my cross if I were to torture myself to death; but He looks at Christ, through whom my works are valid before God, which otherwise would not be worth a straw. That is why the Scriptures call Christ a precious cornerstone, who imparts fine virtue to all who are built on him through faith. Thus St. Peter teaches us in the saying, how Christ is the living stone, what Christ is. And this is a fine likeness, from which it is easy to understand how one should believe in Christ. So now follows:
V. 6-10. Therefore it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone, and whosoever believeth in him shall not be put to shame. Now to you who believe, it is precious; but to the unbeliever, it is not.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, the stone of offense, and the rock of offense for those who stumble at the word and do not believe in it, in which they are placed. But you are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy people, the people of ownership, that you should proclaim the virtue of him who called you from darkness to his marvelous light. You were not a people, but now you are God's people, and God has not had mercy on you, but now he has had mercy on you.
23 I have said before [Cap. 1, §§ 34. 76. 94. Cap. 2, § 11], that St. Peter lards his epistle well and keeps it with scriptures, as all preachers should do, so that their foundation stands entirely on God's word. Thus, he lists four or five sayings in succession. The first one he took from the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 28, 16, from word to word, that Christ is a precious cornerstone or foundation stone; and this is the very saying that we have now discussed and explained [§ 11]. It is a right main saying of the doctrine of faith, which should be taken as a basis if someone wants to preach in a place where Christ was not preached before. For it must be begun from him that Christ is the stone on which faith is to be built and stand.
(24) But that the prophet does not speak of a physical stone in that place is proved by the fact that it follows: "He that believeth on him shall not be put to shame." If I am to believe in him, it must be a spiritual stone; for how else can I believe in stone and wood? For this he must truly be God; for God has forbidden in the first commandment [Ex. 20:3, 4] that one should believe in no thing but him alone. Because the stone is laid for the foundation, where one is to trust in, it must be God Himself. Again, he cannot be God alone, but must also be man at the same time, therefore he must be part of the building; and not only part, but also the head. Now when one builds a structure, one stone must be like another, so that each has the other's kind, nature and form. Therefore, because we are built on Christ, he must be like us, and he must be like us.
The same nature as the other stones that lie on him, that is, a true man like all of us. So the Scripture expresses with simple and small words such a great thing, namely the whole sum of our faith, and understands in such short sayings more than no man can express.
(25) I have also said [§ 13] what the building is, namely, faith, by which we are placed in Christ, and put our trust in the stone, and so become like it; and that this must happen in such a way that the building fits together. For the other stones must all be laid and aligned after the stone. This then is love, the fruit of faith.
026 But why doth the prophet call him a foundation stone? Because no building can be made without first laying a stone as a foundation. For the other stones of the building cannot stand without the foundation stone. So we must all stand on Christ and recognize him as a foundation stone. Therefore we may not boast that the stone must take something from us, but we must receive benefit from it alone. For we do not bear it, but it bears us, and on it rests sin, death, hell, and all that we have; so that all this and what offends us cannot harm us if we are set on the foundation. For if therefore we abide on him, and rely on him, we must also abide where he is. Just as natural stones must rely on their foundation stone.
The prophet also calls him "a cornerstone". The Holy Spirit has his way of speaking much in short words. Christ is a cornerstone because he brought together the Gentiles and the Jews, who had been mortal enemies among themselves, and thus the Christian Church was gathered from both people, of which Paul the Apostle writes much. The Jews boasted of the law of God and that they were God's people, and despised the Gentiles. But now Christ has come and has taken away the glory of the Jews, and has also claimed us Gentiles, and so he has made us both one through your faith, and has dealt with us in such a way that we both must confess that we have nothing of ourselves.
but are all sinners, and must alone await godliness and heaven from him, and that we Gentiles as well believe that Christ has come to help us as the Jews. Therefore he is the cornerstone that joins two walls together, Jew and Gentile, so that they become one building and one house.
28 Now the prophet concludes, "He that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. Since the Holy Spirit says that those who believe in Christ will not be put to shame, he gives us to understand what he has in mind, namely, that he has already let the judgment go and decided that all the world must be put to shame and disgraced. But he wants to draw some out of the crowd, so that no one may escape disgrace, except the one who believes in Christ. Thus Christ himself lays it down in the last verse of Marci, v. 16: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. With which words he also touches the prophet here. That is why Peter said in the first chapter, v. 10, that the prophets searched the time and searched for salvation, and prophesied of the future grace beforehand. So then Christ is to be preached, that he is the one who has delivered us from this disgrace in which we have all been.
29 Therefore, let him who will, stand up and praise free will, and defend the powers of man. If you want to overthrow all men's works and doctrine, and what comes from men, you have enough in this saying alone, which pushes it all down, so that it must fall like the dry leaves from the tree. For it is decided that what is not on the stone is already lost. He will not suffer you to do anything by works. The spirit and the divine majesty speak with such simplicity that no one pays attention, but with such force that all things are overthrown. Who then wants to act against it, or who does not want to be frightened by it? Therefore God would have us despair of ourselves altogether, and measure ourselves only by the goods that He has, and let us build on the foundation that no creature can overthrow, so that no one may rely on his own piety, but on Christ's righteousness, and on all that Christ has done.
has. But what does it mean to rely on His righteousness? Nothing else, but to despair of myself, and to think that my righteousness, my truth, must all fail, and to trust that His righteousness, His truth, His life, and all the goods that He has, will endure forever. There is the ground, where I stand up. What does not stand on this foundation, all will have to fall. But he that trusteth in this alone shall not be put to shame, and shall abide, that no violence shall not hurt him. Therefore, Christ shall not be a stone alone, but God will also lay him as a foundation; we should take comfort in this. God has said that he will not be able to lie.
(30) Now this stone does not serve itself, but is kicked and buried in the ground, so that it is not seen; and the other stones lie on it, and are seen. Therefore it is given to us, that we should take from it and rely on it and believe what it has, that it is all ours, what it is able to do, that it has been given to us, that I may say: This is my own good and treasure, of which my conscience can be comforted. Now St. Peter speaks further:
V. 7, 8: Now to you who believe, it is precious. But to the unbelievers the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and the stone of offence and the rock of vexation.
(31) The good and precious stone, Peter says, is precious and honest to some, but to many it is not precious, but is a stumbling block. How does this happen? The Scripture speaks of it in two ways, that there are some who believe and many who do not. To those who believe, he is precious; my heart must rejoice when I put my confidence and comfort in him. Therefore he says, "He is precious to you who believe"; that is, you think much of him. For though he himself is good and precious, yet it is of no use to me, nor does it help me; therefore he must be precious to us, so that he may give us many precious things, like a precious stone, which 1)
1) "The" does not refer to "precious stone," which is of the neuter gender, but to Christ.
does not keep his virtue with him, but breaks out, and gives all his strength from himself, so that I have all that he is.
The unbelievers, however, do not consider it to be such a precious stone, but reject it, and are offended by it; therefore it is not comforting to them, but harmful and annoying, even though it is otherwise comforting in itself. These are not only the gross, public sinners, but much more the great saints, who rely on their free will, on their works and piety; they have to push themselves against this stone and run up against it. God now makes a judgment that those who enter without works come to righteousness through faith alone; but those do not come to it, because they want to come to it through their own piety, as St. Paul says Rom. 10, 3.
33 Therefore this became the stone, says St. Peter, which the builders rejected. And there he joins the Scriptures together, but uses the saying which he touched upon above [§ 12], from the 118th Psalm, v. 22: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Who the builders are, I have explained enough 13), namely, those who teach, preach the law, and want to make pious people by works; they agree with Christ as winter and summer. Therefore, the preachers who preach works must reject this stone.
-About this he takes another saying from the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 8, 13. 14. There the prophet wrote that it would be as St. Peter says here, and thus says: "The Lord shall be your fear, he shall become your sanctuary; but he shall become a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel. Thus the prophet means that the Lord shall become a sanctuary for you, that is, he shall be sanctified in your hearts; you shall have no other sanctification, either this or that, except that you believe. For others he will be a stone, and they will stumble and be offended.
(35) What then is the offense and tarnishing? It is when one preaches Christ and says, "Behold, this is why this stone was laid on the foundation, so that you might be reminded of it.
You despair and despair of yourself, thinking that your works and your own piety are vain, and that you rely on him alone, believing that Christ's righteousness is your righteousness. When they hear this, they recoil and recoil, and are angry, and say: How can you say that virginity and mass and such good works are nothing? That is the devil's way of speaking. For they cannot judge that their conduct is not good; they think that it is well done in the sight of God, and they also bring up sayings from the Scriptures, saying, "God has commanded that one should do good works. When they want to put this down, they raise their voices and shout: "Heretic, heretic! Fire, fire! Therefore they cannot bear the stone and want to overturn it; so they clash against each other, so that they must be crushed on this stone, as Christ says Matth. 21:42: "Have you not read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?" (and follows v. 44.:) "And whosoever shall fall upon this stone shall be broken: but of whomsoever it shall fall, it shall break him in pieces." Therefore do as you will, there is no shame in the stone; it is laid, and will remain. Now whoever wants to run up against it and rub against it will have to break.
(36) Now this is the offence and the vexation of which the Scriptures speak much. So the Jews are still striking at the stone today, and there is no end to it until the last day comes: then this stone will fall on all unbelievers and crush them. Therefore, though Christ is such a chosen and precious stone, yet he must be called a stone of offense and stumbling, through no fault of his own. And as the Jews did, so do we now forever. For as they boasted in God's name that they were God's people, so it is also now, that under Christ's name and the name of the Christian church, people deny Christ and reject the precious stone. He comes therefore that they should reject their work, but this they cannot suffer and reject Him. Therefore it follows:
Those who take offense at the word, and do not believe in it, on which they are set.
(37) When it is said that their works are not good and do not count in the sight of God, they cannot and will not hear it. Now God has set Christ as the foundation on which they should be placed, and through Him they should have attained all salvation, and has had Him preached to the whole world, that they might be founded on Him through the preaching of the Gospel. So they will not accept him, but reject him, and continue in their own mind and works. For if they were thus established on him, their honor, wealth, and power would fall, and they would no longer be exalted. Further, St. Peter speaks:
V. 9. But you are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people of ownership.
38. he gives the Christians a righteous title, and has taken the saying from Moses, Deut. 7, 6. where he says to the Jews: "You are a holy people to God your Lord, and God your Lord has chosen you as a people of ownership from all the nations that are on earth. Item, 2 Mos. 19, 5. 6. he says: "You shall be my property before all nations, and you shall be a priestly kingdom and a holy nation to me." There you see what Peter is talking about. As I said before [15 ff], so I still say that one should be accustomed to speak of priests as the Scriptures do. Let no one be troubled whom men call priests; let them call each one what they will, and keep the word of God: whatsoever the same is called priest, that call thou also priest. We will let it happen that those priests whom the bishops and the pope consecrate call themselves, and call themselves what they will, so far from calling themselves "God's priests"; for they cannot find a word of it for themselves from the Scriptures.
39 But when they come with this saying, that he speaks of them, answer thus, as I have taught above [§15], and ask them to whom St. Peter speaks here? then they will have to stand with shame. For it is clear and public enough that he speaks to the whole multitude, to all Christians, in that he says: You are the chosen race and holy people; so he has never spoken of them before.
No priest has ever spoken of anyone except those who are laid on the stone and believe. Therefore it must follow that whoever does not believe is not a priest.
40 So they say: Ei, one must interpret the words thus, as the holy fathers have interpreted it. Then say, Let the fathers and teachers, whoever they are, interpret as they will. So St. Peter tells me that he has greater testimony from God than those; he is also older, therefore I will keep it with him. So, too, the saying may not be a gloss. For he says in express words about those who believe. Now they alone are not believers who are smeared and wear plates. Therefore we will gladly grant them that they may call themselves so, for we do not inquire how they will be reproached; but the dispute is whether they are called priests in the Scriptures, and whether God calls them so. Some may be drawn out of the congregation who are ministers and servants, and appointed to preach in the congregation and to administer the sacraments; but we are all priests before God, if we are Christians. For since we are laid upon the stone, which is the chief priest before God, we also have all that He has.
(41) Therefore I would very much that this word "priest" were as common as that we should be called Christians; for it is all one thing, priests, baptized, Christians. Just as I should not suffer that the smeared and scorched should call themselves Christians and baptized alone, so I should not suffer that they should want to be priests alone. Nevertheless they have drawn it upon themselves alone. So they have also called the church, which the pope decides with his pointed hats. But the Scripture reverses it. Therefore notice this well, so that you may know how to make a distinction between what God calls priests and what they call themselves priests. For so we must raise again that this little word "priest" becomes as common as the little word "Christians. For being a priest does not belong to an office that is external; it is only such an office that acts before God.
So it is also true that we are all kings. "Priest" and "king" are everything
1) with its pointed hats - with its bishops.
spiritual names, such as Christians, saints, church. And just as you are not called a Christian because you have much money and goods, but because you are built on the stone and believe in Christ, so you are not called a priest because you wear a plate or a long skirt, but because you may stand before God. Likewise, you are not a king because you wear a golden crown and have much land and people under you, but because you are a lord over all things, death, sin and hell. For you are as much a king as Christ is a king, if you believe in him. Now he is not a king, as worldly kings are, nor does he wear a crown of gold, nor does he ride forth with great pomp and many horses, but he is a king over all kings, having authority over all things, and all things must be at his feet. As he is a lord, so am I a lord: for what he hath, that have I also.
(43) Now someone might say: St. Peter also says here that Christians are also kings: so it is clear that we are not all kings; therefore let this saying not be understood as speaking of all in general. For he that is a Christian is not king of France, nor priest of Rome. So I also ask: is the king of France also a king before God? He does not; for God will not judge by the crown. On earth he is king and before the world, but when death comes, his kingdom is over, for then he will have to lie at the feet of those who believe. We are talking about an eternal kingdom and priesthood; every one who believes is truly a king before God. But who does not know that we are not all circumcised and smeared priests? But because they are smeared, they are not priests before God; neither are they kings before God because they are crowned. Crowned kings and smeared priests belong to the world and are made by men. The pope may make as many such priests as he wishes, so far from making priests before God, for God Himself will make them.
44 Therefore, when St. Peter says here, "You are the royal priesthood," it is just that.
as much as if he said: You are Christians. Now if you want to know what the Christians' title and power and prize is, you will see here that they are kings and priests, and the chosen people. But what is the priesthood? Follow hereafter:
That you may proclaim the virtue of Him who called you from darkness to His marvelous light.
This belongs to a priest, that he is God's messenger and has orders from God to proclaim His word. The virtue (says St. Peter), that is, the miraculous work that God has done for you, so that He might bring you from darkness into light, is what you are to preach, which is the highest priestly office. And so shall your preaching be done, that one brother may proclaim to another the powerful deed of God, how you have been redeemed from sin, hell and death and all misfortune through Him, and have been called to eternal life. In the same way you should teach other people, how they also come to such light. For all things are to be directed to this end, that you may know what God has done for you, and that you may make it your noblest work to proclaim this publicly, and to call everyone to the light to which you have been called. Where you see people who do not know this, you should instruct them and also teach them as you have learned, namely, how one must be saved through the virtue and power of God and come from darkness to light.
(46) And here you see that St. Peter clearly says that there is only one light, and concludes that all our reason, however wise it is, is darkness. For although reason can count, one, two, three, and also see what is black or white, large or small, and judge other external things, it cannot see what faith is. There it is staarblind. And if all men's wisdom were combined, they could not understand one letter of the divine wisdom. Therefore St. Peter speaks here of another light, which is marvelous, and says freshly to all of us that we are all in the fin-de-siècle.
1) In the second adaptation (as it seems to us, better): "though all men have their prudence" 2c.
We are blind and starry-eyed where God does not call us to His true light.
Experience also teaches us this. For when it is preached that we cannot come before God by works, but must have a mediator who may come before God and reconcile us to him, reason must confess that it cannot know this at all. Therefore, it must have a different light and knowledge if it is to understand this. Therefore, everything that is not God's word and faith is darkness. For reason gropes like a blind man, always falling from one to the other, and does not know what it is doing. But if one says such things to the learned and wise men of the world, they do not want to hear it and start to scream and rave against it. Therefore St. Peter is truly a bold apostle, that he may call darkness, which all the world calls light.
(48) So we see that the first and most noble office we Christians should do is to proclaim the virtue of God. What then are the virtues and noble deeds that God has shown? They are, as we have often said [Cap. 1, §§ 18. 58], that Christ by the power of God has swallowed up death, devoured hell, and drunk up sin, and set us on the path to eternal life; these are such great virtues that no man is able to comprehend them, much less to do them. Therefore it is nothing at all that we Christians preach the doctrine of man, but of such power should we be preached that overcomes the devil, sin and death.
(49) And here St. Peter has once again stirred up many sayings, as he almost always leads one saying into another through and through. 1) For all the prophets say that God's name and glory and his arm or power should be honored and praised, and that he should do such a work that the whole world should sing and say about it. The prophets are full of this in all places, and St. Peter points to all of them here. They also spoke a lot about light and darkness, that we must be enlightened with God's light; so that they also indicate that all human reason is darkness. St. Peter continues:
1) Cf. § 23.
V. 10. You who were not a people in the past, but are now God's people, and on whom God had no mercy, but now has mercy.
50 This saying is expressed in the prophet Hosea Cap. 2, 23, and St. Paul also referred to it in Rom. 9, 25: "I will make this to be called my people, which is not my people. All this is based on the fact that God Almighty specially chose the people of Israel and gave them great honor, gave them many prophets, and also did many miracles with them, so that He would make Christ a man out of the people; all this happened for the sake of the child; that is why they are called God's people in the Scriptures. But this the prophets have further cut out and said, that this promise should break out, and also affect the Gentiles. That is why St. Peter says here, "You are God's people, who were not God's people in the past." From this it is clear that he wrote the epistle to the Gentiles, not to the Jews. With this he now wants to indicate that the saying of the prophet has been fulfilled, that they are now a holy people, having ownership, priesthood and kingdom, and all that Christ has, if they believe. This is what follows in Petro:
I exhort you, brethren, as strangers and pilgrims, 3) abstain from the fleshly lusts which war against the soul, and lead a good walk among the Gentiles, that they who speak evil of you as of evildoers may see your good works and praise God when the day comes.
Here St. Peter speaks a little differently than St. Paul, who would not speak as we will hear, because every apostle has his own way of speaking, as well as every prophet. So far, he has laid the foundation of the Christian faith, as the main part begins. Now he goes on and teaches how we are to conduct ourselves toward all men.
(52) This is a right way of preaching, that first of all one should strike out faith from what it is.
2) In the second edit: "him".
3) Weimarsche: "pylgerhn". This word comes from the Latin per[Arirnis. (Dietz.)
and what his power and nature are, namely, that he gives us all that we need for piety and salvation, so that nothing can be done but by faith, and through it we have all that God has. Now that God has come with us and given us all that is His and has become our own, so that we have all goods and sufficiency through faith, what shall we do? Shall we walk idly? It would be best for us to die, then we would have it all. But because we live here, we should also do the same to our neighbor and give ourselves to him as God has given Himself to us. Thus faith makes us blessed; but love is that we give ourselves to our neighbor when we have enough. That is, faith takes from God; love gives to the neighbor. That is what is said in short words. One can also preach a lot about it, and further emphasize it, as St. Peter does here.
53 This is the apostle's opinion when he says: "Dear brethren, I admonish you as strangers and pilgrims. Forasmuch then as ye are one with Christ, and even one Church, and his goods are yours, and your loss is his loss, and he taketh unto himself all that ye have, ye ought therefore to follow him, and so to hold yourselves, as though ye were no more citizens of the world: for your goods are not on earth, but in heaven: and though ye have lost all temporal goods, yet have ye Christ, who is more than all these things. The devil is a prince of the world and rules it; his citizens are the people of the world. Therefore, since you are not of the world, do as a stranger in an inn who has no fine goods, but only takes food and gives his money for it. For it is only a passage here, where we cannot stay, but must travel on. Therefore we have no more need of worldly goods, but that we may fill ourselves, and so depart, and go to another country. We are citizens in heaven; on earth we are pilgrims and guests.
Abstain from fleshly lusts, which fight against the soul.
54 I will not discuss here whether St. Peter is talking about external fornication or St. Paul.
who calls everything carnal that a man does without faith, who is in the body and carnal life. But I think that St. Peter has a little different consecration, nor do I think that he takes the word "soul", like Paul, for the spirit; but St. Peter (as I think) has given himself further into the common Greek language than St. Paul. But there is no power in it, it is understood of all kinds of lusts, or only of carnal lust or fornication. But this is what he wants to indicate here, that no saint on earth can be completely perfect and pure.
The high schools have also trampled underfoot this saying, and do not understand it either; they think that it is only said of sinners, as if the saints had no more evil desire. But whoever wants to study the Scriptures properly must understand a difference, because the prophets sometimes speak of saints as if they were pure in all things. Again, they also speak of them in this way, that they still have evil desires, and bite themselves with sins. In these two things they cannot be judged. Therefore let it be understood that Christians are divided into two parts: the inward being, which is faith, and the outward being, which is the flesh. Now if a Christian is regarded according to faith, he is pure and entirely clean, for the word of God has nothing impure in him, and where it enters into the heart, it must also make it entirely clean; therefore in faith all things are perfect. Accordingly, we are kings and priests and God's people, as stated above [§38 ff]. But because faith is in the flesh, and we still live on earth, we feel evil inclinations at times, as impatience and fear of death 2c. These are all still infirmities of the old man; for faith is not yet fully ingrown, does not have perfect power over the flesh.
(56) You can understand this from a parable in the Gospel, Luc. 10:30 ff, about the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among the murderers, who beat him and left him half dead. Then you see that this man, because he is now
1030 Erl. 51, 405-407. interpretations on the 1st epistle of St. Peter. W. ix, 723-726. 1YZ1
The only thing missing, however, is that he is not completely healed. Life is there, but his health is not yet complete; he is still under the care of physicians and must still be healed. So we also have the Lord Christ complete, and are assured of eternal life, but we do not have complete health; something of the old Adam still remains in the flesh. So also is the likeness of Matthew 13:33, where Christ says, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman taketh, and maketh to be mixed with flour, until it be thoroughly leavened." When you make a dough of flour, the leaven is all in it, but it has not gone all the way through, and has not worked its way through; but the flour lies in the work until it becomes thoroughly leavened, and now no more leaven shall be added to it. So you also have what you are supposed to have by faith, so that you may grasp the word of God; but it has not gone through at all, so it must work until you are completely leavened. In this way you shall discern the Scriptures, so that you do not also torture them as the papists do.
(57) Therefore I say, when it is read of the saints in the Scriptures that they have been perfect, understand it to mean that they have been completely pure and without sin according to faith; but yet the flesh has still been there, which could not have been completely pure. Therefore Christians desire and ask that the body or the flesh be put to death, so that they may become completely pure. Those who teach otherwise have neither felt nor tasted this. This makes them speak as they think and understand with their reason; therefore they must also fail. The great saints, who wrote and taught a great deal, may have stumbled here. Origen has not a word of it in his books. Jerome never understood it. If Augustine had not had to quarrel with the Pelagians, he would not have understood it very well. When they speak of saints, they exalt them as if they were something different and better than other Christians; just as if they had not felt the flesh and complained about it, just as we do. That is why St. Peter says here: "You are pure and have righteousness in its entirety;
So fight henceforth with the evil airs. So also Christ says in the Gospel of John, Cap. 13, 10: "He that is washed must wash the feet also"; it is not enough that the head and hands are clean. Therefore, even though he says that they are completely clean, he still wants them to wash their feet.
(58) But what does St. Peter mean by saying, "Abstain from the lusts that war against the soul"? This is what he means: You must not think that it will be all right to play and sleep. Sin is now gone through faith, but you still have the flesh, which is still senseless and raging; therefore see to it that you suppress it. You will have to force the air and subdue it, and the greater your faith, the greater will be the attacks; therefore you must be armed and hardened, and thus fight without ceasing. For they will attack you with multitudes and want to take you captive. Therefore St. Paul also says Rom. 7:22, 23: "I delight in the law of God according to the inward man: but I find another law in my members, which warreth against the law in my mind, and taketh me captive, that I should do those things which I would not." As if to say, "I fight against it, but it will not cease. Therefore I would like to be rid of it, but it will not be. My will is of no use. What then shall I do? "I wretched man (saith he, v. 24), who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" So now all the saints cry out.
59. But the people who are without faith, the devil leads them so that he only lets them go and follow them in sins, and does not beat them at all. But the others, he thinks, I have already caught with unbelief; so I will let them go, so that they will not do gross sin, and will not have great temptation, and so will cover their grief and their mischief. The faithful, however, have enough temptation and must always be in battle. Those who are without faith and spirit do not feel it, or go after it, break out and follow evil desires; but as soon as the spirit and faith come into the heart, man becomes so weak that he thinks he cannot think the least thought and fear.
And he seeth that all sin is in him from the top of his head even to the bottom of his feet. For before he believed, he went as he pleased; but now that the Spirit is come, and will make him clean, the controversy ariseth, and the devil, and the flesh, and the world, lay themselves up against faith. All the prophets complain about this in the Scriptures.
(60) Therefore St. Peter says that the conflict is not in sinners, but in believers; and he also gives a consolation that one may resist evil desires, so that one may only bark against them. If you already have evil thoughts, do not despair; only see that you do not let them take you captive. Our teachers have tried to advise people to torture themselves until they no longer have evil thoughts, so that they have finally become mad and insane. But learn thou thus, if thou be a Christian, that thou shalt doubtless feel all manner of impulses and evil inclinations in the flesh. For when faith is there, a hundred evil thoughts, a hundred temptations, come more than before. Only see to it that you are a man and do not let yourself be caught, and always rebel and say: I do not want to, I do not want to. For this must be the way of wicked men and women, who are always grumbling against each other, and what one wants, the other does not want.
61 This is called a righteous Christian life, which is never at rest, and is not done in such a way that one should not feel sin, but that one should feel it, but only not be willing to commit it. Then one should fast, pray, work, that one may curb and suppress lust. Therefore you must not think that you want to become a saint, as those fools talk about it. Because blood and flesh remain, sin also remains; therefore it must always be disputed. Whoever then does not experience this must not boast that he is a Christian.
(62) So far we have been taught that if we had confessed or entered a spiritual state, we would now be pure and would no longer be allowed to fight with our sins. They also said that baptism made us pure and clean, so that no evil remained in man.
thought: Now I want to have a good rest. Then the devil came and overthrew them worse than before. Therefore, come to your senses. If you want to confess and be absolved, then you must act like a soldier who enters the fray at the head, since it is now only valid, and the war begins, that you will now be hit right, just as if it was before the insult; then you must first pull out the knife and lash out. But now, because the dispute lasts, so long must there always be a stir. So also, if you have been baptized, see that you are not safe from the devil and from sin for an hour, and that you think you will have no peace.
Therefore Christian life is nothing but a battle and a camp, as the Scripture says [Job 7:1], and therefore also our Lord God is called [Ps. 24:10] Dominus Sabaoth, which is a Lord over the hosts; item, v. 10: Dominus potens in praelio. And with this he shows how powerful he is, that he always lets his people stand in war and take the lead, since the trumpets always sound, that he always remembers: fight here, fight there; thrust here, strike there; that it is therefore an eternal battle, since you must do everything you can, so that you may strike down the devil with the word of God. You must always resist and call upon God, and despair of all human strength. Now follows further:
V. 12. And conduct yourselves in a good way, that those who speak evil of you, as of evildoers, may see your good works and praise God.
See how St. Peter keeps such a fine order 2). Now he has taught what we should do, that we should subdue our flesh with all its lusts; now he also teaches why the same should be done. Why should I subdue my flesh? That I may be saved? No; but that I may walk in righteousness before the world. For a good walk does not make us righteous, but we must be righteous and believe before we begin to walk in righteousness. But the
1) Thus the Jena and Latin translations. Weimar and Erlangen: not.
2) Weimarsche: "eyn seyn orden".
I am not to make use of this outward conduct, but so that the heathen may be improved and provoked by it, so that they may also come to Christ through us (which is a true work of love). They speak evil of us and reproach us, considering us to be the worst of boys; therefore we should show ourselves with such a fine conduct that they must say: "Well, you can't blame them.
We read that when the emperors ruled and persecuted the Christians, they could not be blamed, except that they worshipped Christ and considered him a god, as Pliny wrote to the emperor Trajan, 1) that he knew of no evil that the Christians did, except that they came together early every morning and sang several hymns, so that they honored their Christ and took the sacrament; otherwise no one could blame them. Therefore St. Peter says, "You must suffer yourselves to be reproached as evildoers; therefore you must conduct yourselves in such a way that you do no harm to anyone, and so you will make them better. "When it shall come to pass," that is, you must suffer yourselves to be reproached until [it] shall break out and be made manifest, that it may be seen how they have wronged you, and that they must praise God in you. Thus now St. Peter speaks further:
V. 13-17. Be subject to all human order for the sake of the Lord, whether to the king as the ruler, or to the guardians as the messengers from him, for the vengeance of evildoers, and for the praise of benefactors. For this is the will of God, that you plug with benevolence the ignorance of foolish men, as the free, and not as if you had the liberty to cover wickedness, but as the servants of God. Be respectful to everyone; love the brotherhood; fear God; honor the king.
So St. Peter goes along in a fine and orderly way and teaches us how we should conduct ourselves in all things. So far, he has spoken in general about how one should conduct oneself in all states. Now he begins to teach how one should behave against the
1) ?1in. Lpx. X, 96. (1?6rt. [. xol. 2. dus. ü. 6.
111, 33.) (Weim. ed.)
worldly authorities. For since he has now said enough, first of all, what one should do against God and for oneself, he now also says how one should behave toward all people; and thus he wants to say: First of all, and above all things, when you have now done everything, that you therefore walk in a righteous faith, and keep your body in discipline, so that it does not follow the evil airs, let this be the first work, that you are obedient to the authorities.
67. that I have here translated "of all human order", is called in Greek language and in Latin creatura. Our scholars have not understood that either. The German language expresses it finely, what the little word means, when one says: What the prince creates, that shall be kept. So he needs the little word here; as if he should say: What the authorities create, therein be obedient. For "to create" means to command, and "order" is a creature of men. Those have drawn it that creatura means an ox and an ass; as the pope also speaks of it. If Peter meant this, then one would also have to be subject to a servant. But it is called "human order" laws or command, and what they create, 2) that one should do. What God creates, gives and wants, that is fine order, namely that one believes. Now there is also a human and worldly creation, namely, that which is written with commandments, how the outward government should be; to this we are also to be subject. Therefore understand the little word that creatura humana means: quod creat et condit homo.
For the sake of the Lord.
(68) We are not obliged to be obedient to the authorities for their sake (he says), but for the sake of God, whose children we are. This is to provoke us, not that we have any merit in it; for what I do for God's sake, I must do freely to serve Him, so that I will gladly do anything for free that His heart desires. But why should one be obedient to the authorities for the sake of God?
2) "creates" is found in the second edit. Subject is: human order. Bucer: quns MuZistratns eonäit stntnit. Weimarsche: "schaffen". For this, the subject is: "laws or commands".
Therefore, it is God's will that evildoers be punished and benefactors protected, so that unity may remain in the world. So we should promote outward peace, that is what God wants. For since we do not all believe, but most of the people are unbelievers, he created and decreed that the world should not devour one another, that the authorities should wield the sword and defend the wicked, if they do not want peace, that they must do so. This is what he decrees through the authorities, so that the world may be governed well in all places.
(69) So you see, if there were not wicked people, no authority would be allowed; therefore he says, "For vengeance and punishment to evildoers, and for praise to benefactors. The pious shall have a price, if they do right, that the worldly authorities praise and crown them, so that the others may take an example from it; not that one wants to earn something from it before God. So Paul also says Rom. 13, 3: "Authority is not set apart for good works, but for evil. Therefore, if you do not want to fear violence, do good."
V. 15. For this is the will of God, that with benevolence ye should stop up the ignorance of foolish men.
With these words St. Peter silences the useless talkers who boast of the Christian name and status, and refutes that they would object here and say: Since a Christian has enough faith, and works do not make him pious, what need is there that one should be subject to the temporal power, and give interest or womb? And so he says, "Even though we have no benefit from it, we should still do it freely to please God, so that the mouths of the enemies of God who reproach us may be shut; so that they can raise nothing against us, and must say that we are pious, obedient people. Thus we read of many saints, 1) that they went to war among the heathen princes and slew the enemies, and were submissive and obedient to them,
1) Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. X, 389 f.: "as one writes of St. Moritz, Achatius, Gereon and of many others under the emperor Julian".
just as well as we owe obedience to Christian authorities; although it is now thought that we could not be Christians fine if we were under the Turk.
71) Now you might say here: Didn't Christ command [Matth. 5, 39] that one should not resist the evil, but if one gives us a stroke on one cheek, we should also offer the other; how can we then strike and choke other people? Answer: In the past the pagans also reproached the Christians, saying that if such a thing should arise, their regiment would have to perish. 2) But to this we say: It is true that Christians should not resist evil for themselves, nor take revenge when they are harmed, but should suffer injustice and violence. Therefore they cannot be hard on unbelievers. But this does not forbid the 3) authorities to use the sword. For although the pious Christians are not allowed to use the sword and the law (since they live in such a way that no one can complain about them, they do no wrong to anyone, but do good to everyone, and gladly suffer everything that is done to them), the sword must nevertheless be used for the sake of the unbelievers, so that the latter, if they harm others, may be punished, so that common peace may be preserved and the pious protected. God has provided a different regime, so that those who do not want to abstain from doing wrong themselves are forced by force not to do harm.
For this reason God has ordained the authorities for the sake of the unbelievers, so that Christian people may also wield the power of the sword, and are obliged to serve their neighbor with it and to force the wicked, so that the pious may remain in peace before them. And yet Christ's saying remains that one should not resist evil; that is, that a Christian, even if he wields the sword, does not need it for himself, nor avenges himself, but only for others. And is this also the work of Christian love, that one protects and defends a whole congregation with his sword, and not
2) OriA. 6. oslsum VII, 18. 25 f. also cf. Hist. tripart. VI, 39, NasN. 1553 x. 436. (Weim. Ausg.)
3) Weim. Edition: "die".
Suffer it to be offended. 1) Christ gives his teaching only to those who believe and love, and they keep it; but the great multitude in the world, because they do not believe, do not keep the commandment. Therefore they must be ruled as unbelievers and their will must be resisted. For if their power were allowed to prevail, no one would be able to remain before them.
So there are two kinds of rulers in the world, just as there are two kinds of people, namely believers and unbelievers. The Christians let themselves be governed by the word of God, they are not allowed to follow the worldly rule for themselves; but the unbelievers must have another rule, namely the worldly sword, because they do not want to follow the word of God. Otherwise, if we were all Christians and followed the Gospel, it would not be necessary or useful to use the worldly sword and force. For if there were no evildoers, there could be no punishment. But since this cannot be, that we are all pious, Christ has commanded the wicked to rule the authorities as they must be ruled; but the pious he keeps for himself, and rules them himself by the mere word. Therefore the Christian government is not against the worldly government, nor the worldly government against Christ. The secular government does not belong to Christ's office at all, but is an external thing, like all other offices and estates. And as these are outside Christ's office, so that an unbeliever leads them just as well as a Christian, so is also the office of the secular sword, that it makes people neither Christians nor un-Christians. But of this I have often said enough elsewhere. 2) Now follow on:
V.16. As the free, and not as having liberty to the cover of wickedness, but as the servants of GOD.
74 This is especially said to us who have heard of Christian freedom, that we should not approach and abuse freedom, that is, under the name and appearance of Christian freedom, do whatever we desire, and thus turn freedom into insolence and carnal sin.
1) Weim. Edition: "werden".
2) Especially in the writing "Von weltlicher Obrigkeit" 2c. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 374 ff.
As we see, it is now possible, and has already begun in the times of the apostles (as can be seen from St. Peter's and Paul's epistles), that one has also done as most people do now. By the grace of God, we have now recognized the truth again, and know that what the pope, bishops, clergy, and monks have taught, set, and practiced up to now is vain deceit, and that our conscience has been saved and freed from the laws of men and all the coercion they have exercised on us, that we are not guilty of doing what they have commanded for the loss of our blessedness. We must now hold fast to this freedom and never let ourselves be torn away from it. But we must also be careful not to make this freedom a cover of shame.
The pope was wrong in wanting to force and enforce people with laws. For in a Christian people there should and can be no coercion, and if one tries to bind the consciences with external laws, the faith and the Christian nature will soon perish. For Christians must be led and governed in the spirit alone, so that they know that through faith they already have everything by which they can be saved, and that they no longer need to do anything, and henceforth owe nothing more, except to serve and help their neighbor with everything they have, as Christ has helped them; and that therefore all works which they do go freely and without compulsion, and flow from a merry and glad heart, which thanks, praises, and glorifies God for the goods which it has received from Him. Thus, St. Paul writes in 1 Tim. 1, 9 that no law is given to the righteous, for they do everything freely of themselves and freely approve what God wants them to do.
(76) Now when such compulsion of the doctrine of men is lifted up, and Christian liberty is preached, nefarious hearts fall in, which are without faith, and want to be good Christians by not keeping the laws of the pope, pretending this liberty, that they are not guilty of this; and yet do not do that either, which righteous Christian liberty demands, namely, to serve one's neighbor with a cheerful mind, and not considering that it is commanded, as true Christians do.
do. Thus they make Christian liberty only a cover under which they do vain shame, and defile the noble name and title of liberty which Christians have. This is what St. Peter is trying to say here, for he wants to say: "Although you are free in all outward things (if you are Christians) and should not be forced by laws to be subject to worldly authority, since no law has been given to the righteous (as we have said), you should nevertheless do it willingly and freely of yourselves; not as if you had to do it out of necessity, but to please God and to serve your neighbor. In the same way Christ Himself did, when we read Matth. 17, 24. ff., that He gave the interest, when He was not allowed to do so, but was free and a Lord over all things. So he also submitted to Pilato and let himself be judged, when he himself said to him [Joh. 19, 11]: "You would have no power nor authority over me, if it was not given to you from above", with which words he himself confirmed the authority and therefore submitted to it, so that it would please his father.
From this you see that this group does not belong to Christian freedom at all; those who do not do what the world wants or what God wants remain in the old disorderly way, even though they boast of the gospel. We are free from all laws, but we must also spare the weak and unlearned Christians, which is a work of love. Therefore Paul says, Rom. 13, 8: "You owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another." Therefore, whoever wants to boast of freedom, let him do beforehand what a Christian should do, namely, that he serves his neighbor, and then, when the pope or someone else proposes his commandment 1) to him and wants to urge him to keep it, let him say, "Dear Squire Pope, I will not do it for this very reason, because you want to make a commandment out of it for me and encroach on my freedom; for we should act in freedom as servants of God (as St. Peter says here), not as servants of men. Peter speaks), not as servants of men. Otherwise, where someone desires it from me,
1) In the German editions (also in the second editing): "sein Gebot". Bucer: surn suis volst H Ziiius eonstrinAsrs.
whom I might serve with it, I will gladly do it of good will, not considering whether it is commanded or not, but for the sake of brotherly love, and that it thus pleases God that I serve my neighbor. So I do not want to be forced to be subject to worldly rulers and lords, but I want to do it myself; not because they command me, but to serve my neighbor. So let all our works be that they flow from desire and love, and let them all be directed toward our neighbor, because we may not do anything for ourselves that we may become godly. Further follows:
V. 17. Be respectful toward everyone.
This is not a commandment, but a faithful admonition. We owe honor to everyone, even though we are free; for freedom does not extend to wrongdoing, but only to good deeds. Now we have often said that every Christian by faith obtains all things that Christ himself has, and so becomes his brother. Therefore, as I give all glory to the Lord Christ, so I should also do to my neighbor. This is not only in outward gestures, such as leaning toward him and the like, but rather inwardly in the heart, that I think much of him, as I think much of Christ. We are the temple of God, as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 3, 16, because the Spirit of God dwells in us. If we kneel before a monstrance and the image of the holy cross, why should we not do so much more before a living temple of God? St. Paul also teaches us in Romans 12:10 that one should precede the other with reverence, so that each one should sit down under the other and lift him up. The gifts of God are manifold and unequal, so that one is in a higher position than another; but no one knows which is the highest in the sight of God, for he can lift one who is in the lowest position here to the highest there. Therefore, even if each one sits high, he should throw himself down and offer honor to his neighbor.
Love the brotherhood.
79 I have said above [Cap. 1, § 88] how the apostles separate from one another the common and the commoner.
Love and brotherly love. We are obliged to love even our enemies, that is the common Christian love; but brotherly love is that we Christians love one another as brothers, and take care of one another, since we all have the same goods from God. This love is especially demanded by St. Peter.
Fear God, honor the King.
80 He does not say that one should think much of lords and kings, but that one should still honor them, even though they are Gentiles; just as Christ did, and the prophets who fell at the feet of the kings of Babylon.
But here you want to speak: Here you see that one should also be obedient to the pope and fall at his feet? Answer: Yes, if the pope assumes temporal authority and acts like another overlord, one should also be obedient to him; as if he were to say, "I command you to wear a cap or a plate; item: to fast on this day; not that it counts for anything before God, nor that it is necessary for salvation, but because I want it so, as a temporal lord. But if he comes here and says, "I command you to do this in God's stead, that you accept it as if it came from God Himself, and stop at the ban and a mortal sin," then you say: I do not want to do it. We are to be subject to authority and do what they say, because they do not bind our conscience and only command outward things, even if they ride along with us as tyrants. For he that taketh away our skirts, let us also leave our coats [Matt. 5:40]. But if they want to take hold of the spiritual regime and capture the conscience, in which God alone must sit and rule, one should not obey them at all and also let go of the neck over it.
(82) The temporal realm and regiment extends no further than to external and bodily things; but the pope not only takes this to himself, but also wants to have the spiritual [regiment], and yet does not have any; for his realm is nothing other than clothes, food, endowments and benefices, which belong neither to the temporal nor to the spiritual regiment.
1) Gnadjunker = gracious Junker.
For what is the world improved by it? It is against God to make it sin and good works, since there are none; therefore Christ cannot suffer it. But the worldly government he can well suffer, since it does not concern itself with sins nor good works and spiritual things, but has to do with other things, such as how to keep and fortify cities, build bridges, establish customs, take taxes, keep escorts, protect land and people and punish evildoers. Therefore, a Christian may well obey such a prince (provided that he does not make a commandment to his conscience), and does so freely, since he is free in all things.
Therefore, if an emperor or prince should ask me now what my faith is, I should ask him, not for the sake of his territory, but that I am obliged to confess my faith publicly before everyone. But if he would go further and command me to believe otherwise or so, then I shall say: Dear Lord, wait thou thy worldly rule, thou hast no power to take hold of GOD in his kingdom, therefore I will not obey thee at all. You cannot suffer anyone to encroach on your territory; if someone crosses your path without your will, you shoot with guns afterwards; do you think that God should suffer that you want to push him off his throne and put yourself in his place? St. Peter calls the worldly authorities only a human order; therefore they have no power to fall into God's order and to command by faith. Let that be said enough of it. Now continue in the epistle:
V. 18-20. Servants of the house, be subject to the lords with all fear, not only to the kind and gentle, but also to the unkind. For this is mercy, if anyone bears grief for the sake of conscience toward God, and suffers with unrighteousness. For what price is this, if ye suffer strokes for iniquity? But if you suffer and endure for the sake of good deeds, that is grace with God.
St. Peter has now taught how we should be subject to secular authority,
2) Bucer: si quis tantum tuas excubias praetereat, nolens eas sibi statuto precio adesse custodes.
We have said how far their authority stretches, so that it does not reach into the things that belong to the faith. This is said of the authorities in general, and is a lesson for everyone. But now he goes on and speaks of such authority, which does not extend over a congregation, but only to particular persons. First, he teaches how the household should behave toward their masters, and this is the opinion:
Servants and maids are Christians as well as other people, because they have the word, faith, baptism and all goods just like everyone else. Therefore, they are as great and high before God as others. But according to their outward nature and before the world, there is a difference in that they are inferior and must serve others. Therefore, because they are called to the status of God, they should let this be their office, that they are subject to their masters, and look after them and take care of them. Therefore also the prophet David gives a fine similitude, and shows how they should serve well, Psalm 123:2: "As the servant's eyes look on the master's hands, and as the maid looks on her wife's hands; so are our eyes upon thee." That is servants and maids should do with humility and fear what the master or the wife wants; that is what God wants, therefore one should do it gladly. You can be sure and certain that it will please God and be pleasing to Him if you do it in faith. Therefore, these are the best good works that you can do; you must not run far after others. What your master or wife calls you, that God Himself has called you. It is not a commandment of men, though it is done by men. Therefore do not consider what you have for a lord, good or bad, kind or angry and rude, but think thus: The Lord be what he wills, and I will serve him, and do this in honor of God, because he wills it of me, and because my Lord Christ himself became a servant for my sake.
This is the righteous doctrine that should always be practiced, which unfortunately has now been hushed up and died out. But no one does this, except the Christians. For the gospel preaches only to those who accept it. Therefore, do you want to be God's child?
If you want to be a servant, put it in your heart that you serve as if Christ himself called you. As St. Paul also teaches in Eph. 6:5, 6, 7: "Servants, be obedient to your physical masters, as to the Lord Christ, not with service only in mind, as pleasing men, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart with willingness. Let it seem to you that you serve the Lord and not men" 2c. So he also says Col. 3, 24: "For ye serve the Lord Christ."
If priests, monks and nuns were now in such a state, how should they thank God and be happy. For none of them can say: God has commanded me to keep mass, to sing matins, to pray the seven times, and the like; for they have no word of this in the Scriptures. Therefore, if you ask them whether they are sure and certain that their position is pleasing to God, they say no. But if you ask a lowly maid why she washes the dishes or milks the cows, she can say, "I know that what I do is pleasing to God, because I have God's word and command. This is a great good and a precious treasure that no one is worthy of; a prince should thank God that he could do such things. It is true that he can also do in his state what God wants him to do, namely, to punish the wicked. But when and how seldom does it happen that he can perform such an office properly? But in this state everything is so skillful that they can know, when they do what they are told, that it is all pleasing to God. God does not look at the works, how small they are, but at the heart that serves Him with such small works. But it is the same here as in other matters: What God has commanded, no one does; what men build up, and God does not give, everyone follows.
88 You say: How then, if I have such a strange and angry Lord, to whom no one can give thanks, as many such people are found? To this St. Peter answers: "If you are a Christian and want to please God, then you must not ask how strange and unrighteous your Lord is, but always turn your eyes and see what God gives you. Therefore you shall think thus: I will serve my Lord Christ with this, and he will have it of me, that I may serve the Lord.
If God would have you wipe the shoes of the devil or the worst of boys, you shall do it, and if the work were as good as the highest, because God calls you. Therefore, you should not look at any person here, but only at what God wants. The least work is better before God, if it is done right, than the works of all the priests and monks in one heap. Whoever is not moved by the fact that this is God's will and good pleasure, nothing else will help. You cannot do better, you cannot leave worse. And therefore one should do this with all fear (says St. Peter), so that one may do right in it, since it is not man's, but God's command.
89 And here St. Peter actually speaks of the servants, as it was at the same time, when they were serfs, such as are still found in some places, which were sold like cattle; they were treated badly 1) and beaten by their masters, and the masters had such freedom that they were not punished, even if they beat the servants to death. Therefore it was necessary that the apostles admonished and comforted such servants, so that they could also serve the angry masters and suffer, if they were harmed and wronged.
He who is a Christian must also bear a cross, and the more you suffer injustice, the better it is for you. Therefore, you should willingly accept such a cross from God and thank Him. This is the right kind of suffering that pleases God. For what would it be if you were beaten badly, and thought it well deserved, and wanted to boast about the cross? Therefore, St. Peter says: "If you suffer and endure for goodness' sake, this is grace with God" (that is, pleasing and a great thanksgiving before God and a right worship). Behold, there are described the right, delicious good works to be done; and we fools have trampled this doctrine underfoot, and have invented and raised up other works. Then we should lift up our hands, thank GOD and be glad that we now know such things. Now follow on:
1) In the old editions: traded.
For to this end were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an ensample, that ye should follow in his footsteps, who committed no sin, neither was any deceit found in his mouth, who reproached not when he was reproached, neither grieved when he suffered; 2) But reproached him that judgeth aright. Who himself offered up our sin in his body on the wood, that we might be without sin, and live unto righteousness, by which sore ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray: but now are ye converted unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
(91) This is what we have said, that the servants should put it into their hearts, and be moved to do and suffer gladly what they ought, that the Lord Christ has done so much for them; so that they think, Since my Lord served me, which he was not guilty of, and gave up life and limb for me, why would I not serve him again? He was entirely pure and without sin; nor did he throw himself so low, and shed his blood for me, and die, that he might blot out my sin; ei, should I not also suffer something, because it pleased him? Whoever then considers this must be a stone, if it did not move him. For if the Lord goeth before, and treadeth in the mire, the servant goeth after.
For this reason, St. Peter says: "You were called to this. To what? That you may suffer injustice, as Christ did. As if to say: If you want to follow Christ, you must not do much righting and complaining when you are wronged, but suffer and take credit for it, because Christ suffered everything without his fault. Nor did he plead law when he stood before the judge; therefore you must trample law underfoot and say: Deo gratias, I am called to suffer injustice; for what shall I complain of, if my Lord has not complained?
93 And here St. Peter took some words from the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 53, 9, namely these: "He who has done no sin, there is no deceit in his mouth.
2) Weimarsche: "leyd".
item, v. 5: "By which weal ye were healed." Christ was so pure that not an evil word was on his tongue. He deserved that everyone would have fallen at his feet and carried him on their hands; he would also have had the power and the right to take revenge: nor did he allow himself to be reproached, mocked, blasphemed and killed, and never opened his mouth; why then should you not also suffer it, since you are a vain sinner? You should praise God and give thanks that you are worthy to be like Christ, and not grumble or be impatient when you are harmed, because the Lord did not reproach or condemn, but prayed even for his enemies.
You may speak like this: How then shall I justify them that do me wrong, and say that they have done well? Answer, No; but thus shalt thou say: I will gladly suffer it with my heart, though I have not deserved it, and thou hast wronged me, for my Lord's sake, who also hath suffered wrong for me. You shall bring it home to God, who is a righteous judge, who will repay you abundantly, just as Christ sent it home to His heavenly Father. "He who sacrificed our sins in his own body" (says St. Peter), that is, he did not suffer for himself, but for us, who crucified him with our sins; we are still far from it. Therefore, if you are a devout Christian, you should follow the Lord and let yourself mourn for those who harm you, and also pray for them that God will not punish them. For they do far more harm to their souls than they do to your body. If
If you would take this to heart, you should forget your sorrow and suffer gladly. Then we should consider that before we were also in such an unchristian nature, like them, but now we have been converted through Christ, as St. Peter concludes and says:
V. 25. You would have been like sheep going astray, but you are now converted to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
This is a saying from the prophet Isaiah, who says: "We have all gone astray as sheep, and each one has gone his own way. But now we have come upon a shepherd (says St. Peter), the Son of God came for our sake, that he might be our shepherd and bishop; who gives us his Spirit, feeds us and guides us with his word, so that we now know how we are helped. Therefore, if you know that through him your sins have been taken away, you are his sheep, he is your shepherd; item, he is your bishop, you are his soul. Now this is the comfort that all Christians have.
96 Thus we have two chapters in this epistle, in which St. Peter first taught righteous faith; then righteous works of love; and he spoke of two kinds of works. First, what we should all do in general toward the worldly authorities; then, how the household should behave toward their masters. And what St. Peter says here about household servants also extends to several other persons, namely craftsmen, day laborers and all kinds of hired servants. Now he will go on to teach how husband and wife should behave toward each other in a Christian manner.