V. 1-6. Let the wives be like their husbands, so that even those who do not believe in the word may be won over by the way wives walk without the word, when they see your chaste walk in fear. What adornment is not in the hair by heart?
The saintly woman is not the one who weaves and wears the cloak of gold or puts on the garments, but the hidden man of the heart in the immutability of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is glorious in the sight of God. For this is how the holy women of old adorned themselves, who placed their hope in God.
And were subject unto their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, and called him lord, whose daughters ye have become, if ye do good, and fear not some abomination. 1)
1 Here St. Peter speaks primarily of the women who had pagan and unbelieving husbands at that time; and again he says of the believing men who had pagan wives. For it often happened in those days, when the apostles preached the gospel among the Gentiles, that one was a Christian and the other was not. Since it was then commanded that women should be subject to men, how much more must it be so now. Therefore it should be the woman's work (St. Peter says) that she is subject to her husband, even if he is already a pagan and unbelieving. And he gives the reason why this should happen:
So that even those who do not believe in the word may be won over by the way women walk without a word, when they see your chaste walk in fear.
(2) This is when a man sees that his wife is so righteous and so good that he is stirred up to the faith and considers the Christian state to be a right good state. And even though women themselves are not commanded to preach, they should nevertheless conduct themselves in such a way with their gestures 2) and behavior that they thereby provoke men to the faith. As we read 3) of St. Augustine's mother, who converted her husband before his death, because he was a pagan, and then also her son Augustinum. Now this is still an external thing, which one should not do in order to become pious. For obedience does not make you blessed; for you may well find an obedient wife who is unbelieving. But for this reason you should do it, so that you may serve your husband. For thus God has decreed, Gen. 3:16, when he says to the woman, "You shall cower before your husband, and he shall be your master." Which is also one of the punishments that he has laid on the wives. But such (I say) is the outward walk, belonging to the body, not to the spirit.
1) Bucer: nee mstuitis vobis uk nllo terrore.
2) Weim. Edition: "ihrem geperd".
3) Xugust. Oonk. II, 3. Ill, 4. IX, 9 u. ö. (Weim. Ausg.)
(3) Now this is a great thing, to know what works to do to please God; we should run far after it, as we see that the world has run after that which it has devised. This is a high, noble treasure that a woman can have, if she holds herself thus, that she is subject to the man, that she is sure that her work pleases God; what can happen to her that is more joyful? Therefore, if she wants to be a Christian woman, she should think like this: I will not consider what kind of husband I have, whether he is a Gentile or a Jew, pious or wicked; but I will consider that God has made me a wife, and I will be subject and obedient to my husband. After that, all her works are golden, if she stands in such obedience.
(4) But she who will not let this provoke her, nothing else will help. For by beating you will do nothing to make a woman pious and subdued. If you beat one devil out, you beat two of them in (as they say). Oh, if the people who are in wedlock knew such things, how well they would stand! But what God has commanded, no one likes to do; but what men have devised, everyone runs to. God wanted to keep this commandment so firmly that he also gave men the power to dissolve vows that wives had made if they did not like it, as we read in Numbers 30:7 ff, so that it would only be peaceful and quiet in a house. That is one piece. Now the apostle goes on to say how a woman should behave toward other people.
V. 3. 4. Which adornment is not by heart in the braiding of hair and the cloak of gold or the putting on of garments, but the hidden man of the heart in the immutability of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is glorious in the sight of God.
(5) This treasure shall not only be for a woman, but also for a man who is inward.
But here someone would like to ask: whether it is commanded or not, that St. Peter says of the jewelry. We read from Esther sEsth. 2, 12. 17. pieces in Esth. 3, 11.], 4) that she had a
4) Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. X, 1361, § 154.
wore a crown of gold and fine ornaments, as befits a queen; so also of Judith [Judith 10:3 ff]. But this is written, that they despised the ornaments, and had to wear them. Therefore we say also thus: A woman should be so minded that she respects not the jewelry. Otherwise, when the people are attracted to jewelry, they do not stop wearing it; that is their nature and manner; therefore they should despise a Christian woman. But if a man wants her to be adorned, or if there is any other good reason for her to be adorned, she will do so. But she should be adorned in this way (as St. Peter says here), so that she is adorned inwardly, in a gentle and quiet spirit. You are pretty enough adorned when you are adorned for your husband; Christ does not want you to adorn yourself for the sake of pleasing other people, and to be called a pretty maid. But then you shall see how you bear the hidden treasure and precious ornament in your heart, in immutability (as St. Peter says), and lead a fine honorable, chaste life.
7) It is a good sign, 1) that there is not much spirit, where one puts so much emphasis on the adornment; but if there is faith and spirit, he will trample it underfoot, and say like the queen Esther [pieces in Esther Cap. 3, 11]: Lord, you know that I consider the crown, which I wear on my head, as an abomination, and must thus adorn myself; if I did not have to do it for the love of my king, I would rather trample it underfoot. Where there is such a woman, she will please the man all the more. Therefore they should think to adorn the inner man, where there is a quiet spirit, which is immovable; not only that they do not run away, so that they do not go mad and become disgraced, but so he means, that they see to it that the soul inwardly remains immovable in the right faith, so that the same is not violated.
(8) Hence comes such a heart that does not break out and think how it will be seen before the world. Such a heart is a splendid thing in the sight of God. If a woman adorns herself with precious gold, precious stones and pearls down to her feet, that would be splendid beyond measure.
1) In the Weim. In the Weim. edition: "antzeygen"; but in the second edition: "Es ist ein gewiß Anzeichen.
But you cannot attach so much to a woman as to compare it to the exuberant adornment of souls, which is splendid in the sight of God. Gold and precious stones are glorious in the sight of the world, but in the sight of God they are a stink. But she who walks in a quiet and gentle spirit is well and gloriously adorned before God. Therefore, because God Himself considers it splendid, it must be a glorious thing.
9 A Christian soul has all that Christ has. For faith (as we have said [Cap. 1, § 16)) brings us all the goods of Christ together. This is a great, precious treasure and such an ornament that no one can praise enough; God Himself also thinks much of it. Therefore, women are to be abstained from jewelry and irritated, because they are otherwise inclined to it. If a Christian woman hears this and lets it go to her heart, and thinks: I do not want to respect jewelry, because God does not respect it; but if I have to wear it, I will do it for my husband's sake, then she is rightly adorned and adorned in spirit. Then St. Peter also gives an example of holy women, that he stimulates the women to Christianity, and says:
V. 5. 6. For so did the holy women of old adorn themselves, who put their hope in God, and were subject to their husbands, as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, and called him lord.
010 As the same women adorned themselves, so did ye when Sarah obeyed her Abraham, and called him her lord. So the Scripture says Gen 18:10, 12, when the angel came to Abraham and said, "This day about a year Sarah shall have a son. Then she laughed, and said thus, Because I am old, and my lord also is old, shall I yet deal with pleasure?" St. Peter took a good look at this saying and brought it here, because she would not have called Abraham a lord if she had not been his subject and kept him in mind. Therefore he says further:
What daughters you have become, if you do good and do not fear some monster.
(11) What does he mean by this? This is what he means: It is the common nature of women to
Shun and fear all things, therefore they practice so much sorcery and superstition, since one teaches the other that it is not to be counted what they have for magic. 1) But a Christian woman should not do this, but should walk freely, safely, not be so creepy, and run to and fro, speaking a blessing here, a blessing there; as it comes to her, that she may let God rule, and think that it cannot go badly for her. For since she knows how she is, that her state pleases God, what will she fear? If your child dies, you will be ill; well, command God; you are in the state that pleases God, what better can you desire? This is now preached to the women. Now follows what the men should do.
V. 7. like them, you men, dwell with them with reason, and give honor to the female, as the weakest instrument, as also joint heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
12) The woman is also God's equipment or instrument (he says), for God needs her to bear children, to give birth, to nourish and wait, and to rule the house; such works the woman is to do. Therefore, she is God's stuff and vessel, who created her for this purpose and implanted it in her. For this the man should look upon his wife. That is why St. Peter says: "You men should live with your wives with reason", not that you want to rule them according to your mad head. They are to live as the man governs them, what he calls them and creates, so that the same is done; but he is also to see how he deals with her neatly and with reason, so that he spares her and gives her honor, as the weakest instrument of God.
The man is also God's armor, but he is stronger; but the woman is weaker in body and more stupid and timid in spirit. Therefore, you must deal with her in such a way that she can bear it. You must deal with her as with other things, so that you may work. If you want to have a good knife, you do not have to cut stone with it. Now there is no rule for this; God makes it up to each man himself to deal with the woman according to the law.
1) Cf. Walch, old edition, Vol. Ill, 1706, § 19 ff.
for which every woman is skilled. For you do not need to use the power you have as you wish, for you are her husband because you help her, keep her and protect her, not because you destroy her. The goal cannot be set for you; you must know for yourself how you should proceed with reason.
(14) Now we also have from husbands what good works they should do that please God, namely, that they dwell with their wives and feed them and deal with them cleanly. It will not always be possible to go straight as you would like. Therefore see to it that you are a man and have all the more sense where there is too little in a woman. At times you must look through your fingers, let up a little and give way, and also give the woman her honor.
15 "Honor" has been interpreted, but I do not know how. Some have interpreted it to mean that the husband should provide food, drink and clothing for the wife, and feed her; others have taken it to mean marital duty. I think that this is the opinion, as I have said, that the husband should regard the wife in this way, so that she is also a Christian and God's work or equipment. And so they should both hold it that the woman holds the man in honor, and again the man also gives his honor to the woman. If they were thus able, it would go well in peace and love; otherwise, where art is not, there is vain unkindness in marriage. Therefore, when husband and wife take each other for the sake of pleasure alone, and think they want to have good days and pleasure, they find heartache. But if you consider God's work and will, you can live a Christian life in marriage, not like the pagans, who do not know what God wants.
As also joint heirs of the grace of life.
(16) The man must not consider that the woman is weak and infirm, but that she also is baptized, and has the very things that he has, namely, all the goods of Christ. For inwardly we are all equal, and there is no difference between man and woman; but outwardly God would have the man reign, and the woman be subject to him.
That your prayers may not be hindered.
What does St. Peter mean by this? This is what he means: If you do not act with reason, but murmur and grumble, and with your head through it, and it is also frail, so that neither can provide and credit the other with anything, then you will not be able to pray and say: Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive. With prayer we must fight against the devil; therefore we must be one among ourselves. Now these are the right, delicious good works that we should do. If this were preached and known, we would all have a house full of good works at home. So now we have heard how a Christian should conduct himself in all kinds of circumstances, especially one against another. Now follow on, how we are all to lead a Christian walk outwardly through one another in common.
Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, brotherly, affectionate, friendly, not repaying evil with evil, not repaying evil with evil, but on the other hand, praising, and knowing that you are called to this, to pray for praise. For whosoever will love life, and see good days, let him hold his tongue, that it speak no evil; and his lips, that they deceive not. Let him turn from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears upon their prayer: but the face of the LORD is upon them that do evil.
(18) All this is not said otherwise than that we should love one another. For here it is widely deleted, which otherwise the Scripture comprehends in few words. Thus St. Peter means to say, "This is the summa summarum of how you are to conduct yourselves in the outward life, so that you may be like-minded. The apostles Peter and Paul often use this word, and so much is said that we should all have one mind, one courage, one conceit, which seems right and good to one, so that it also seems right and good to the others. It is an excellent, remarkable word, which should ever be well grasped; St. Paul has written especially much about it.
(19) We cannot all do one work, but every man must do one thing for himself; a man another than a woman; the servant another than the master, and so on. And it is a foolish thing to teach that we should all do one work; as the foolish preachers have done, who preach the legends of the saints, that this saint has done one work, that another another, and fall to saying that we should do the works also. There is no doubt that Abraham did a good, delicious work when he sacrificed his son, because he was specially commanded to do so by God. Then the pagans came and wanted to sacrifice their children as well; this was an abomination in the sight of God. Thus King Solomon also did well in building the Temple, and was well rewarded by God. Now our blind fools also go and preach that we must build churches and temples for God, when nothing of this has been commanded to us by God. So it is now the other way around, that people are doing all kinds of work and all kinds of senses, straight against the gospel.
020 And so it ought to be taught that there should be one mind and many works, one heart and many hands; not all should do one work, but every man should wait for his own; otherwise there will not remain one mind and heart. That which is outward must be left in many ways, so that each man may keep that which he is commanded, and what works he has in hand. This is a righteous doctrine, and it is almost necessary to grasp it well; for the devil takes special care of it, and has also brought it about in this way, that people fall on their works, and each one thinks that his work is better than the other. That is why they were so divided among themselves, monks against priests, one order against the other, because each one wanted to do the best work. Then they fell in with the orders, thinking that the order was better than the other; the Augustinian against the preacher, 2) the Carthusian against the Barefoot, so that everything was divided, and nowhere was there greater disunity than among the orders.
1) Weim. Edition: "närricht".
2) Preacher Dominicans; Barefoot Franciscans.
(21) If it had been taught that no work was better than another in the sight of God, but that they were all equal through faith, then the hearts would have remained one, and we would all have been of the same mind, and would have spoken thus: The order or rank that the bishop leads is not greater in the sight of God than that which a bad man leads; the rank that the nun leads is not better than that which a married woman leads, and so on in all kinds of ranks. But they do not want to hear this, but each one wants to be the best, and they say: Well, how should my position in the order not be better and greater than that of the common man?
22Therefore, to have one mind is to hold each man's work equal to another's; as, that the marital estate is as good as the virginal estate. For all things are equal in the sight of God, who judges according to the heart and faith, not according to the person or works. Therefore we should also judge as God judges, so that we are of one mind and remain united in the world, and the hearts remain undivided, so that they do not divide on the outward appearance, so that I consider everything good and let myself be pleased with what each one does for works, if only it is not sin in himself. St. Paul also says of this in 2 Cor. 11:3: "I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Hevam, so also your minds be deceived from the simplicity of Christ," that is, lest the devil also deceive you, and rend and separate the simple mind that you have. Item Phil. 4, 7: "Let the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Why does the apostle care so much about the mind? Everything depends on it. For if I fall into a wrong mind, all is already lost. For if I am a monk, and have conceived such a mind that my work is worth more to God than to others, and say: Thanks be to God that I have become a monk, my status is now better than the common marital status, then pride must follow from the mind, and cannot remain outside, that I consider myself more pious than another, and despise other people; then I deceive myself. For a
A married woman, if she stands in faith, is better before God than I with my order. Therefore, knowing that faith brings with it all that a Christian should have, we all have one mind and opinion, and there is no difference among works.
23 Therefore the saying of St. Peter must be understood in this way, that here he means spiritual, not outward senses, and an inward opinion or conceit, which concerns the things that are valid before God, that both the doctrine and the life are the same, and I consider just that to be good, which you consider to be good; and again, what pleases you is what pleases me, as I have said. Christians have the mind, and over the mind we are to hold fast, so that it does not go mad, as St. Paul says: "For if the devil goes mad in the mind, he has gone mad in the right virgin's castle, and after that all is lost.
V. 8. Be compassionate, brotherly, cordial, friendly.
24 "To be compassionate" means that one takes care of the other and lets his neighbor's distress go to his heart when it is bad for him, so that you do not think, "That is right! Where there is love, it takes care of the neighbor when he is in trouble, so that it goes to her heart just as if it were happening to herself.
(25) But "to be brotherly" is so much that one holds the other as for his brother. Now this is easy to understand, for nature itself teaches it. There you see what true brothers are, that they stick together much harder than any other friends. So shall we Christians do also, for we are all brethren by baptism, that even father and mother after baptism are my brother and sister; for I have the same estate and inheritance which they have of Christ by faith.
26 "Cordial," viscerosi. I cannot interpret this word otherwise than to give a simile. See how a mother or father acts toward the child; as when the mother sees her child suffering distress, because all the bowels and the heart in the body are moved. This is taken the way to speak in many places in the Scriptures, which is also a history in the
Books of Kings, 1 Kings 3:16 ff. Two women were quarreling over a child before King Solomon, and one of them wanted to have the child. When the king wanted to know which was the child's real mother, he had to go into the countryside, where he found it and said to both wives, "You say the child is yours, and you also say that it is yours; so get a knife and divide the child into two pieces, give one piece to the one and one to the other. Then he came to know which was the right mother. And there the text speaks, v. 26, that her bowels were moved over the child, and said, "Not, not! rather give the child to this one whole, and let it live." Then the king made a judgment and said: "This is the right mother, take it and give the child to her. Therefore you can take what this word "heartily" means here.
27 This is what St. Peter wants us to do, to treat each other like true blood friends; just as the whole heart, marrow, veins and all powers are moved, so it should also be heartfelt and motherly here, and penetrate through the heart. One Christian man should bear such courage toward another. But the goal is truly ambitious; one will find very few of them who bear such a heartfelt love for their neighbor when they see that a need affects them, that they are moved as a mother over her child, so that it penetrates through the heart and through all the veins. There you see what monk and nun life and being fei, how far it is from such heartfelt love. If you were to melt them all together in one heap, you would not find one drop of such Christian love. Therefore, let us watch and take care of ourselves, whether we find such a kind of love in ourselves. It is a short sermon and soon said, but it goes deep and stretches far away.
28 "Friendly" is that one outwardly leads a fine, sweet, lovely walk; not only that one takes care of the other, like father and mother of their child, but also that one deals with the other with love and gentleness. There are some musty and gnarled people, like a tree with many branches, so unkind that no one likes to deal with them. This comes from the fact that
They are generally full of suspicion and soon become angry; no one likes to deal with them. But these are fine people, who interpret all things for the best, and are not suspicious, are not soon angered, can well hold something to their credit, and are called candidos. This virtue is called by St. Paul
χρηστότης [Rom. 2, 4.], and is often praised by him.
29 Then behold the gospel, which so portrayeth the Lord Christ, that this virtue is peculiarly seen in him. Now and then the Pharisees attack him in this way, now and then, that they might see him; yet he will not be angered. Even though the apostles often stumble and stumble here and there, he still does not snort at them, but is always friendly, and so attracts them to him that they were glad to be with him from the heart and to deal with him. This is also seen among good friends and companions on earth; where there are two or three good friends who think well of each other: if one of them is foolish, the other can credit him. There it is also a little copied what St. Peter means here, although this is not righteous; for this kindness is to be offered to everyone. Therefore you see the right kind of love, and how a fine people it is around the Christians. The angels in heaven live like this through one another; it should also be like this on earth, but it happens very little.
(30) Just as Saint Peter said that maidservants and servants, men and women, should keep themselves in such a way that each one should do the thing he is supposed to do, so he wants all of us to do it together. Therefore, if you want to be sure and certain that you are doing a good work that pleases God, let everything be done in God's name that has been preached in the devil's name, so that the world will go around and earn heaven. But how can you be sure that you are pleasing to God, if you do as he says here: "The works that one should do, the state that each one should lead, is to be compassionate, brotherly, cordial, friendly? There he says nothing of the foolish work of which we have been preached; does not say: Build churches, establish masses, become a priest, put on a cap, vow chastity 2c. But thus he says: Think
only that you may be kind. These are truly precious, golden works, precious stones and pearls that please God.
(31) But the devil does not like to see this, for he knows that his thing will go down with it; therefore he thinks up what he can to suppress such teaching, and he judges monks and priests, so that they cry out: "If you say that our thing is nothing, that is the devil talking to you. Then say to them again: Do you not know that these must be good works, of which St. Peter says here, namely to be fraternal, cordial and friendly? If these are the best, as one must confess, then you must lie with your works if you think that they are better. I am quite surprised that such blindness has arisen among us. Thomas the preacher-monk wrote, 1) and says impudently that monks and clergymen are in a better state than common Christians. The high schools have affirmed this and made doctors about it; after that the pope and his crowd have come and raised those to saints who teach such things.
Thou therefore understand this, as I have said. Christ himself and all the apostles have taught that if you want to do the best good works and be in the best state, you will find nothing else but faith and love, which is the highest state. Therefore it must be a lie if they say that their position is better than faith and love. For if it is better than faith, it is better than God's word; if it is above God's word, it is above God Himself. Therefore Paul rightly said [2 Thess. 2, 4] that the end-Christ will rise above God. Know therefore how to judge these things: Where love and kindness are not, all works are surely condemned, and trample it all under foot. Thus we see how St. Peter has so bravely set forth how a righteous Christian life should stand according to outward nature, after he has masterfully taught above how the inward life should stand against God; therefore this epistle is to be considered a right golden epistle. Therefore now follows:
1) That is, Thomas Aquinas. - Cf. Uromas Loounda soounäao, qu. 184, ai4. 5, and the whole doctrine Vom statns porteotionis. (Weim. ed.)
V. 9 Do not repay evil with evil, not evil with evil, but rather pray, knowing that you have been called to pray.
(33) This is another explanation of love, how we should do to those who insult and persecute us. If they do you evil (he means), you do good; if they rebuke and malign you, you benedict and bless. This is a great piece of love. O Lord God, how strange such Christians are!
(34) But why should we give good for evil? Therefore (he says) that you are called to it, that you may inherit the blessing, that you may be provoked to it. In the Scriptures we Christians are called a people of blessing or the blessed people; for thus God says to Abraham Gen. 12:3: "In your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Since God has poured out this blessing on us so abundantly, that He might take away from us all malediction and the curse that we brought with us from our first parents, and which Moses also let pass over the unbelievers, so that we are now full of blessing, we should therefore consider ourselves to be said, "Yes, this is a blessed people. Therefore the apostle means this: "Behold, God has given you grace, and has taken away from you blasphemy, and has not reckoned or punished the blasphemy which you have committed against Him, but has given you such abundant grace and blessing in return, when you were worthy of all blasphemy, because you blaspheme God without ceasing (for where there is unbelief, the heart must always curse God): Therefore do ye even as it is done unto you; curse not, reproach not, do well, speak well, even when evil is done unto you, and suffer it when you are wronged. Then he brings up a saying from the 34th Psalm, v. 13 ff, where the prophet David says thus:
V. 10 If any man love life, and see good days, let him hold his tongue from evil, and his lips from deceit.
35 That is, Whosoever shall have pleasure and joy in life, and shall not surely die, but shall see good days, and it shall be well with him; let him hold his tongue, that it be not silent.
Speak evil, not against friends only; for this is a small virtue, for even the most wicked can do it, even serpents and vipers; but thus he says, "Be of good cheer, and hold your tongue, even against your enemies, even if you are provoked to rebuke and speak evil.
Thirty-six: For this hold not thy lips, that they be not deceitful. There are many who speak good words and say "good morning" to their neighbor, but in their heart they think that the devil will get you. These are people who have not inherited the blessing, they are evil fruits of the evil tree. That is why Peter introduced a saying that is about works, but it is drawn to the root, that is, inwardly to the heart. Further the saying in the prophet, v. 15. 16. says:
V. 11, 12: He shall turn from evil, and do good; he shall seek peace, and pursue it: for the eyes of the LORD look upon the righteous.
(37) This is what the world takes for peace, when one wronged another by striking him on the head. But this is no way to achieve peace, for no king has ever been able to achieve peace in the face of enemies. The Roman Empire was so powerful that it struck down everything that opposed it; yet they could not keep it that way. Therefore this way is useless for peace. For if one enemy is put down and deceived, ten and twenty will rise up again after him until he is destroyed. But he that seeketh peace aright, and shall find it, that holdeth his tongue, and turneth from evil, and doeth good; that is another way than the world goeth. To turn from evil and do good is to hear evil words, to do evil and to do wrong. Seek peace, and you will find it when your enemy cools his temper and has done all he can; if you interrogate, rebuke, and rage not again, he must subdue himself with his own violence. For thus also Christ on the cross overcame his enemies, not with the sword or violence. Therefore there is a proverb which should be written with gold, which says:
Striking again makes strife; and: Whoever strikes again is unjust. From this, in turn, must follow: Not striking again makes peace. How does that work? It is not human. Yes, of course, not human; but if you suffer injustice and do not strike back, but let it pass over, 1) it will be so; as follows hereafter:
V. 12: The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears upon their prayer: but the face of the LORD looketh upon them that do evil.
038 If thou revenge not thyself, and requite not evil for evil, the LORD is in heaven above, which cannot suffer iniquity. Therefore, he who does not repay must be right; these he looks upon, the same prayer is in his ears. He is our protector, he will not forget us, so we cannot fall out of his sight; we should take comfort in this. This is what should move a Christian man, that he should suffer all wrongs with patience, and not repay evil. When I think about it, I see that the soul of the one who harms me must burn eternally in the hellish fire. Therefore a Christian heart must say: Dear Father, because man falls so horribly into your wrath, and throws himself so miserably into the eternal fire, I ask that you forgive him, and also do to him as you did to me, as you saved me from the wrath. How is this done? Thus, as he looks upon the righteous by grace, so he looks sore upon the wicked, and wrinkles his countenance, and hath turned it in anger upon them. Knowing then that he looks upon us with favor, and upon them with disfavor, let us have mercy upon them, and let us mourn, and pray for them. St. Peter continues:
V. 13-16 And who is there that can harm you if you do what is right? Blessed are ye, if ye also suffer for righteousness' sake. But do not be afraid of their defiance, nor be dismayed; but sanctify God the Lord in your heart. But be ye always ready 2) to answer to every man that requireth the cause of the
1) Bucer: injnriarn nsgliSis.
2) Weimarsche: "urbütig"; Jenaer and Erlanger: "vrbütig".
Hope that is in you, and that with meekness and fear, and have a good conscience, that they which speak evil of you, as of evildoers, may be put to shame, because they have mocked your good walk in Christ.
39. if we do what is good, that is, do not repay evil with evil, but are cordial and kind, 2c. there is no one who can harm us. For though honor, body, and goods be taken from us, yet are we not hurt, because we have a good that is not to be compared with that which may be taken from us. Those who persecute us have nothing but goods on earth, after which they are eternally damned; but we have an eternal, imperishable good, even if we lose a little temporal good.
V. 14: Blessed are you, if you also suffer for righteousness' sake.
40 Not only can no one harm you if you suffer for God's sake, but you are also blessed and should rejoice that you suffer, as Christ also said in Matthew 5:11, 12: "Blessed are you when men revile and persecute you for my sake, and speak all kinds of evil against you, when they lie about it; rejoice and be glad. He who understands that the Lord says these things and speaks them so sweetly and comfortingly to the heart, is well; but he who is not strengthened by them, who is not made confident and courageous, will remain unstrengthened.
V. 14. 15. But do not be afraid of their defiance, and do not be dismayed; but sanctify God in your heart.
41: But St. Peter cites a saying from the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 8, 12, 13, where he says: "Do not be afraid of them, and do not be dismayed, but sanctify the Lord in your heart, and let him be your fear and your terror" 2c. There we have a great protection and back, on which we may rely, that no one can harm us. Let the world terrorize, defy, and oppress as long as it will, it must have an end, but our comfort and joy will have no end. So we should not be afraid of the world, but be courageous, but before God we should humble ourselves and fear.
But how does St. Peter mean that we should sanctify God? how can we sanctify him, must he not sanctify us? Answer: So we also pray in the Lord's Prayer: "Hallowed be your name", that we should hallow his name, since he himself hallows his name. Therefore, in your hearts (says St. Peter) you should sanctify him; that is, if our Lord God sends us something, whether it is good or bad, whether it is good or bad, whether it is shame, honor, happiness or misfortune, I should not only consider it good, but also consider it holy and say so: This is the most precious sanctuary, so that I am not worthy to be touched by it. Thus says the prophet Psalm 145:17: "Righteous is the LORD in all his ways, and holy in all his good works." If I praise God in such things, and consider such works good, holy, and delicious, I sanctify Him in my heart.
(43) But those who run to the law books and complain that they are wronged, and say: God is asleep and will not help the right and prevent injustice; they dishonor Him and do not consider Him righteous or holy. But he who is a Christian shall make God right and himself wrong, and shall hold God holy, but himself unholy, and shall say that he is holy and right in all his doings and works. That is what he wants. Thus says the prophet Daniel, Cap. 9, 5, 7, 14: "O Lord, all that you have done to us you have done with right and true judgment, for we have sinned; therefore let the shame be ours, but the honor and the glory be yours. When we sing Deo gratias and Te Deum laudamus, and say: Praise and glory be to God, when we are afflicted, this is what Peter and Isaiah call sanctifying the Lord.
44 But he does not mean that you should say that he who has offended you has done right and well. For there is much other judgment between God and me, and between me and you. I can have anger, hatred and evil desire in my heart, so that I do not harm you, then you are still unoffended and have nothing against me; but before God I am unjust, therefore he does right. If he punishes me, I deserve it; if he does not punish me, he shows me mercy, and thus he has done good in every way.
right. But it does not follow that he who persecutes me does right. For I have not wronged him, as I have done before God. When God sends the devil or evil men to punish you, he needs them to carry out his justice; so that evil men and injustice are also a good thing.
45 Thus we read Ezek. 29, 19. 20. about King Nabuchodonosor, where God speaks through the prophet: "Do you not know that he was my servant and served me? Now (he says), I must give him a reward, but I have not yet paid it. Well, I will give him Egypt land, that shall be his reward." The king had no right to the land, but God was right to punish those through him. For in order that the wicked boys may also serve him and not eat the bread in vain, he gives them enough and lets them also serve him, so that they persecute his saints. Reason falls in and thinks that they are doing well and right, if he pays them here alone, gives them a lot of land here, and does it just so that they are his masters and persecute the pious Christians. But if thou sufferest and sanctifieth God, and sayest, Lord, be thou right, he casteth them into hell, and punisheth them that they have done wrong; but he taketh thee in grace, and giveth thee eternal blessedness. Therefore let him do it, and he will reward you.
46 We have an example of Saint Job, 1) when all his cattle and his sons were slain, and all his goods were taken from him, he said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as it hath pleased the Lord, so it is done; therefore his name be praised. And when his wife came, mocking him, and scolding him, saying [Cap. 2:9], "Behold, what hast thou now, abide now in thy godliness, praise GOD, and die?" he answered, v. 10, "Thou hast spoken as a foolish woman. If we have received good from God's hands, why will we not also take evil from Him? Therefore as it hath pleased Him, so hath He made it." "GOD gave it, and GOD took it away" (he says). Not:
1) Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. X, 1872.
God gave it, the devil took it away, 2) even though the devil had done it. The man has now sanctified the Lord rightly, therefore he is also so highly praised and commended by God. Now continue:
But be ye always ready 3) to answer to every man that requireth the hope that is in you.
We must confess here that St. Peter spoke these words to all Christians, priests, laymen, men and women, young and old, and of whatever rank they may be; therefore it should follow that every Christian should know the reason and cause of his faith, and be able to give cause and answer where it is necessary. Now it has been forbidden until now that the laity should not read the Scriptures. For the devil had a good grip on it, that he might tear people away from the Scriptures, and so thought: If I make the laity not read the Scriptures, I will then bring the priests away from the Bible into Aristotle, that they may wash what they will, so that the laity must hear what they preach to them. Otherwise, if the laity read the Scriptures, the clergy would also have to study, so that they would not be punished and overcome. But see what St. Peter says here to all of us, that we should give an answer and show the reason for our faith. If thou shalt die, I will not be with thee, neither will the pope be with thee; if then thou knowest not a reason of thy hope, and sayest, I will believe, as the Concilio, the pope, and our fathers believed, the devil will answer, Yea, how, if they err? then he hath won, and taketh thee into hell. Therefore, we must know what we believe, namely what God's word is, not what the pope or holy fathers believe or say. For you must not trust in any person, but in the mere word of God.
48 Therefore, if someone attacks you and asks you, like a heretic, 4) why you believe that you will be saved by faith, answer: I have the Word of God and clear sayings of Scripture, such as St. Paul's Romans 1:17: "He who is saved by faith is saved by faith.
2) Cf. Walch, old ed. vol. ill, 1719, s 50.
3) Weim. Edition: "urbuttig".
4) Weimarsche: "wie eynketzer". Bucer: velutüaerstieus roZaris.
The righteous will live by his faith," and St. Peter above Cap. 2, 6. where he speaks of the living stone Christ from the prophet Isaiah Cap. 28:16: "He that believeth on him shall not be put to shame." Here I build myself up, and know that the word deceiveth me not. But if you say like other fools, "Well, we will listen to what the council decides, and we will stick to it," you are lost. Therefore thou shalt say, What inquire I after what this man or that man believeth or decideth; if the word of God be not preached, I will not hear it.
49 Do you then say: It is such a confused thing that no one knows what to believe; therefore one must wait until it is decided what one should believe. Answer: In the meantime you will also go to the devil. For when it comes to the trains and you are to die, and you do not know what you are to believe, neither I nor no one can help you. Therefore you must know for yourself, and turn to no one, and remain firm in the word of God, if you want to escape hell. And it is necessary that even those who cannot read grasp and retain some clear sayings from the Scriptures, at least one or two, and stand firm on the foundation, as it is Genesis 12:3, where God says to Abraham: "Through your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. When you have grasped this, you can stand on it 1) and say: If pope, bishops and all concilia stood there and said otherwise, then I say thus: This is God's word, it stands firm to me and does not deny. What is to be given must be given through the seed. What is benedeien? It is to redeem from malediction, that is, from sin, death and hell. Therefore it follows from the saying: Whoever is not given through the seed must be lost; so my works and merits cannot help me to salvation. Item, so the saying also concludes St. Peter Cap. 2, 6: "He that believeth on the stone shall not be put to shame." If someone attacks you and demands the cause of your faith, answer: "There is the reason, I cannot lack it, therefore I do not ask anything about what the pope or bishops teach and conclude.
1) stönen - to support.
If they were true bishops, they should teach the reason for the faith, so that all Christians would know it in common; so they go and cry out: The laity should not be allowed to read the Scriptures.
50 Therefore, if it be asked thee, Whether thou wilt have the pope for a head? say, Yea, I will have him for a head, for a head of wicked men and knaves. There I have a saying of St. Paul, 1 Tim. 4, 1. 3.: "Teachers of devils will come, forbidding to marry, and to avoid the food that God has created." This has ever been forbidden by the pope, .as it is in the day. That is why he is the end Christian. For what Christ gives and teaches, he does against. What Christ makes free, the pope binds. If Christ says it is not sin, the pope says it is sin.
(51) So then we must learn the cause and answer of faith, for it must come to this. If it does not happen here, it must happen at death. Then the devil will come forth and say: Why did you call the pope an end-Christian? If you are not prepared and know the reason, he has won. So here St. Peter says: Because you have now believed, you will have much persecution hereafter; but in persecution you must have hope and wait for eternal life. If you are now asked why you hope this, you must have God's word to build on.
52 But the Sophists have also inverted the text, that one should overcome the heretics with reason and from the natural light of Aristotle, therefore that here in Latin it says rationem reddere, as if St. Peter meant that one should do it with human reason. Therefore they say that the Scriptures are much too weak to overthrow heretics; it must be done with reason and come from the brain, from which it must be proved that faith is right, since our faith is above all reason and only God's power. Therefore, if people do not want to believe, keep quiet; for you are not guilty of forcing them to believe that the Scriptures are God's book or word; it is enough that you give your reason. For if they do so, and say, Thou preachest not to hold the doctrine of men; yet
Peter and Paul, even Christ, have also been men. When you hear such people who are so blinded and hardened that they deny that this is God's word, or doubt it, then keep quiet, do not speak a word to them, and let them go; only speak thus: I will give thee reason enough from the Scriptures; if thou wilt believe it, it is good; if thou wilt not, I will give thee no more. Then you say: Well, then, God's word must stand with shame. You command God. Therefore it is necessary to understand this and to know how to deal with those who now stand up and pretend such things. Follows:
V.16. And this with meekness and fear.
(53) That is, when you are challenged and questioned about your faith, you should not answer with proud words, and carry the matter out with defiance and violence, as if you were uprooting trees, but with such fear and humility as if you were standing before God's judgment and answering. For if it should happen that you were summoned before kings and princes, and had prepared yourself for a time with proverbs, and thought thus: Wait, I will answer them rightly; then it may happen to you that the devil takes the sword out of your hands and gives you a blow, so that you stand with shame and have put on armor in vain, and may well take out of your hands the sayings that you have best conceived, so that you fail, even if you have it well in mind; for he has sensed your thoughts before. God allows this to happen, so that he may dampen your arrogance and make you humble.
54 Therefore, if thou wouldest that such things should not befall thee, thou must stand in fear, and not rely upon thy strength, but upon the words and promise of Christ, Matt. 10:19, 20: "When they shall deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but your Father's Spirit which speaketh by you." It is right that thou shouldest answer, that thou shouldest well prepare thyself with sayings out of the scriptures; but see that thou do not
You must insist on it with a proud courage, otherwise God will tear the right, strong saying out of your mouth and memory, if you were otherwise equipped with all the sayings beforehand. Therefore fear belongs to it. But if thou art thus skillful, thou canst answer to princes and lords, and also to the devil himself. Only see to it that it is not man's trumpery, but God's word.
And have a good conscience, that they which speak evil of you, as of evildoers, may be put to shame, because they have mocked your good walk in Christ.
55 St. Peter also said about this above. We cannot ignore it, if we want to cling to the gospel, we must be blasphemed and condemned by the world, so that they think we are the most desperate of boys. Therefore, we should not allow ourselves to be challenged, but only fear God and have a good conscience. So let the devil and all the world rage and rage, let them rebuke us as they will, they will have to endure with shame that they have reproached and blasphemed us, when the day comes (as St. Peter said above, Cap. 2, 12), then we will be safe and endure with a good conscience. Now these are all beautiful and strong sayings that can comfort us and make us brave, and yet keep us in fear.
V. 17. 18. For it is better, if it be the will of God, that ye should suffer for a good thing, than for a bad thing: for Christ also hath once suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he might sacrifice us to God, being put to death according to the flesh, but quickened according to the Spirit.
(56) It will not happen that those who go to heaven will have good days on earth, because those who do not go to heaven will not have good days. For it is ever laid up for all men, that God saith unto Adam Gen. 3:19, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread." And to the woman, v. 16: "In pain you shall bring forth children." Since misfortune is laid upon us all, how much more must those bear the cross who wish to enter eternal life?
len come. That is why he says: "Because God wills it so, it is better that you suffer for the sake of good. Those who suffer for iniquity have an evil conscience and have twofold punishment; but the Christians have it only half. They have suffering on the outside, but comfort on the inside.
But he has set a goal here, as he also said above [Cap. 1, 6.]: "If so be it", so that those may be resisted, as the Donatists were, of whom Augustine writes, 1) who took such sayings, which sound of suffering, and killed themselves, threw themselves into the sea. God does not want us to seek misfortune and choose it ourselves. Go in faith and love; if the cross comes, accept it; if it does not come, do not seek it. Therefore the hot spirits do wrong, that they scourge and smite themselves, or choke themselves, and thereby seek to storm heaven. Paul also forbade this in Col. 2, 23, when he says of such saints who walk in self-chosen spirituality and humility and do not spare their bodies. We are to wait for the body so that it does not become too horny [Rom. 13, 14], but also not corrupt it, and we are to suffer when another sends us suffering, but not fall into it ourselves. This is what the little piece means: "If it is God's will"; if he sends it, then it is better; so you are more blessed and happier that you suffer for your own good.
V.18. Since Christ also once suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous.
(58) Again, St. Peter sets the Lord Christ before us as an example, always referring to the suffering of Christ, so that we should all follow the example, lest he should propose a special image to each class. For as Christ's example is set forth to every man in the whole community, so he also holds it forth to every man in the church, that every man, of what sort he may be, may follow it in all his life as it happens. And so he wants to say: Christ is
1) [NAN8t. äs corr. Donatist, (kp. 185) 3; contra Oanctontinna I, 28. 37. (Hlisno Datrol. lat. 33, 789. 43, 725. 736.) (Weim. Ausg.)
He also suffered for us who were unjust, but did not seek the cross, but waited until it was God's will that he should drink the cup; he should be our example, whom we follow. And especially St. Peter introduces the example here, so that he will now conclude, after he has instructed all classes, and will now further explain the suffering of Christ.
59 But actually he speaks here: "Christ suffered once for us," that is, Christ bore much sin on him; but not so as to die specially for every sin, but once sufficed for all with one another. In this way he took away all the sin of those who come to him and believe in him; they are now free from death, just as he is free.
(60) "The righteous for the unrighteous," as if to say, "Rather, we are to suffer, because we die for the righteous, who has no sin; but he died for the unrighteous for our sins.
That he might offer us to God.
(61) All this is said so that he may teach the quality of Christ's suffering, namely, that he did not die for his own sake, but that he sacrificed himself for us to God. How does this work? Did he not sacrifice himself? Answer: It is true that he sacrificed himself on the cross for all of us who believe in him. But in the same way he also sacrificed us, so that all who believe in him must also suffer with him and be killed according to the flesh, just as he was. Thus God has presented us as those who are alive in the spirit, and yet die in the flesh, as he says afterwards. So 2) we are one sacrifice with him; as he dies, so we also die according to the flesh; as he lives spiritually, so we also live in the spirit.
And is dead according to the flesh, but made alive according to the Spirit.
62 The word "flesh" is common in Scripture, as well as "spirit," and the apostles hold that
2) Weimarsche: "But", which it explains with "again". But the second Wittenberg edition 1523/24 has: "So". Rörer in the second edition (Erl. 52, p. 151) has: "So".
commonly the two against each other. Now this is the opinion that Christ by his suffering was taken from the life that is flesh and blood; as a man on earth, living in flesh and blood, walks and stands, eats, drinks, sleeps, wakes, sees, hears, grasps and feels, and lately what the suffering does, which is perishable, to the same Christ died. This is what St. Paul calls [1 Cor. 15, 44] corpus animale, that is, as an animal lives in the flesh, not according to the flesh, that is, in natural works that the body has; he died to such life, so that it ceased with him, and he is now set in another life, and made alive according to the Spirit, entered into a spiritual and supernatural life, which comprehends with itself the life completely that Christ now has in soul and body, so that he no longer has a fleshly body, but a spiritual body. This is how St. Paul expresses it.
63. so shall we also be at the last day, when out of the flesh and blood shall come spiritual life; that my body and thine shall live without eating and drinking; they shall not beget children, neither digest, nor cast forth, neither shall they cast forth any such thing; but shall live inwardly according to the Spirit; and the body shall be transfigured, as the sun is now, and much more clearly: there shall be no natural flesh and blood, neither natural works, nor works of the flesh, which are found in the flesh. St. Paul also speaks of this in 1 Cor. 15, 45: "The first man, Adam, was made into a natural life, and the last into a spiritual life." And follows, v. 49.: "As we have borne 1) the image of the natural man, even so shall we bear the image of the spiritual man." From Adam we have all natural works, like the unreasoning animals, according to the five senses; but Christ is spiritual flesh and blood, not according to outward senses, sleeping not, waking not, yet knowing all things, and being in all things. So shall we also be, for he is the firstfruits, dawning and primogenitura 2) (as Paul says) of spiritual life, Col. 1:18, that is, he is the first that is risen and come into spiritual life. So Christ now lives according to
1) "getragen" is missing m the Weimar one, but is in -er Jenaer and in the second adaptation.
3) In the Vulgate: prinroMnitus.
the spirit, that is, he is truly human but has a spiritual body.
(64) Therefore the words here are not to be taken as separating the spirit from the flesh, but that the body and flesh are spiritual, and the spirit is in the body and with the body. For St. Peter does not mean here that the Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead, but in general. As when I say: "the Spirit" "the flesh", 3) I do not mean the Holy Spirit, but the inward things which the Spirit does and which come from the Spirit. Follows now:
V. 19-22. In the same he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, who were unbelieving in times past, when they once waited for the divine longsuffering, in the times of Noah, when they prepared the archa, in which few, that is, eight souls were kept by water; which now also makes you blessed in baptism, which is signified by that; not the putting away of filthiness from the flesh, but the covenant of a good conscience with God, through the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, who is at the right hand of GOD, ascended into heaven, and subject unto him are the angels, and the mighty men, and the powers.
This is a strange text and a darker saying than there is in the New Testament, so that I do not yet know for sure what St. Peter means. First of all, the words read as if Christ had preached to the spirits, that is, to the souls who had disbelieved in the past, when Noah built the ark. I do not understand this, nor can I interpret it; no one has interpreted it yet. But if someone wants to believe that Christ, after he died on the cross, came down to the souls and preached to them, I will not refuse. So it would like to suffer a mind; but I do not know whether St. Peter wants to say that.
(66) But the words may well give such an understanding that the Lord Christ, having ascended into heaven, in the Spirit
3) "the flesh" which is in the first edition is erased in almost all later editions because it was not understood. The meaning is: When I speak of "spirit" in contrast to "flesh", I do not mean the Holy Spirit 2c.
and preached, but that his preaching was not bodily. For he speaketh not with a bodily voice, and doeth no more the natural works of the body. Therefore, just as it sounds that he preached to the spirits in the same spiritual life, so such preaching must also be spiritual preaching, which he does inwardly in the hearts and souls, so that he may not go with the body and preach orally. The text does not say that he 1) went down when he died to the souls and preached to them. For it says thus, "In the same", namely, when he was put to death according to the flesh and made alive according to the Spirit, that is, when he had given up being in the flesh and the natural works of the body, and had entered into a spiritual being and life, as he is now in heaven, he went and preached. Now he has never again gone to hell, having taken on such a new nature; therefore it must be understood that he did this after the resurrection.
(67) Since the words are intended to imply that they speak of spiritual preaching, let us keep in mind that St. Peter speaks of the ministry that Christ does through outward preaching. For he commanded the apostles to preach the gospel bodily; but besides the preaching, he himself comes and is also present spiritually, speaking and preaching into the hearts of the people; as the apostles speak the words orally and bodily into the ears. There he preaches to the spirits who are imprisoned in the devil's prison, so the 2) going is also to be understood spiritually, like the preaching.
But that follows here: "To the spirits who were unbelieving before" 2c., we want to interpret the divine account, that in the being, as Christ is inside, before him equal
1) Walch and the Erlanger (without external authority): "so". In all other editions, also in the second edition: "sei". To the first reading, the Weimar edition makes the remark: "This textual change arises from the interest in not having Luther deny the infernal journey." The beginning of § 72 proves that Luther did not deny the ascent into hell at that time either: Our faith insists "that Christ died, descended into hell, and rose from the dead.
2) Second edit: "so that going."
are, who were there before times and are now. Because his regiment stretches both over dead and living. And in that life the beginning, middle and end of the world is all in one lump. But here in the world it has a measure, that the time goes after each other, the son after the father, and so on. As that we give a likeness: If a piece of wood lies far from you, or if you look at it lengthwise, you cannot see it; but if it lies close to you, or if you stand on top of it and look at it crosswise, you can see it at all. So on earth we cannot comprehend this life, for it goes on from foot to foot until the last day, but before God it is all in a moment. For before Him a thousand years are as one day, as St. Peter says in the other epistle [Cap. 3, 8]. So the first man is as near to him as he who is to be born at the last, and sees it all at once; as the eye of man can bring two things together in a moment, which are also far from each other. So now the opinion is that Christ no longer preaches bodily, but is present with the word and preaches to the spirits spiritually in the heart; but still it is not understood that he preaches to all spirits in this way. To which spirits did he preach? To those who were unbelievers in the past. There is the figure called synecdoche, ex parte totum, that is, not exactly the same, but those who are like them, and just as unbelieving as those. So one must see from this life into that life.
69 Now this is the best understanding, as I think, of these words of St. Peter; but I do not want to fight too hard. But I cannot well believe that Christ went down to the souls and preached to them there. The Scripture is also against this, and says that each one, when he comes there, will receive as he has believed and lived. For this reason, since it is not certain what will happen to the dead, the saying cannot be interpreted in this way. But it is certain that Christ is present and preaches into the heart, where a preacher preaches the word of God into the ear; therefore we could draw it there without danger. But to whom a better understanding is revealed, let him follow it. Now this is the
Summa of the understanding I have indicated: Christ went to heaven and preached to the spirits, that is, to the souls of men, among whom the souls of men have been unbelievers for ages. Now follow on:
V.20. Once they waited for the divine longsuffering in the days of Noah, when they prepared the ark, in which few, that is, eight souls were preserved by the water.
70 Now St. Peter wants to lead us into the Scriptures so that we can study them, and he gives a likeness of Noah's ark and interprets the same figure. For it is nice to make similes with such images, as St. Paul does when he speaks of the two sons of Abraha and two wives, Gal. 4, 22, and Christ Joh. 3, 14 of the serpent that Moses had set up in the desert. Such parables can be well understood and are also amusing; that is why St. Peter introduces this one, so that faith can be summarized in a physical image. So he wants to say: As it happened when Noah prepared the ark, so it is here. Just as he was kept in the box that floated in the middle of the water, so you also must be saved in baptism. The water there drowned all living things, men and animals, so baptism also drowns everything that is carnal and natural, and makes spiritual men. But we ship in the box that signifies the Lord Christ, or the Christian church, or the gospel that Christ preaches, or the body of Christ, in which we hang by faith and are saved, like Noah in the ark. So you see how the image summarizes in one summa what there is, faith and cross, life and death. Wherever there are people who cling to Christ, there is certainly a Christian church, where everything that comes from Adam and everything that is evil is drowned.
V. 21. Which therefore also makes you blessed in baptism, which is signified by these things; not that which is signified by these things.
The abhorrence of the flesh, but the covenant of a good conscience with God.
(71) You will not be kept and saved by washing the filth from the flesh, that the body may be clean, as the Jews did; such cleanliness is no longer valid, but "the covenant of a good conscience with God," that is, that you feel in yourself a good, happy conscience that is in covenant with God and can say, "He has promised me this, and he will keep it, for he cannot lie. So if you hang on his word and cling to it, you must be kept. Now "the covenant" is faith, that we may be kept, not an outward work that you can do.
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For this reason, St. Peter adds that he declares the faith which is based on the fact that Christ died, descended into hell, and rose from the dead. If he had remained dead, we would not have been helped; but because he is risen, and sits at the right hand of God, and has these things proclaimed to us, that we believe in him, we have a covenant with God, and a certain promise, so that we are kept, like Noah in the ark. So St. Peter made the ark completely spiritual, since there is not flesh and blood inside, but a good conscience towards God, that is, faith.
V. 22. Who is at the right hand of God, gone up to heaven, and subject to him are the angels and the mighty men and the powers.
He says all this to explain and strengthen our faith. For Christ also must ascend into heaven, and become a Lord over all creatures, and where there is any power, that he should bring us thither, and make us lords. This is said for our comfort, that we know that all authority in heaven and earth, including death and the devil, must serve and help us, as all things must serve and be at the feet of the Lord Christ. This is now the third chapter. The fourth follows.