V. 1. Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same mind. For he who suffers in the flesh ceases from sins etc.
St. Peter still remains on one track. As he has hitherto admonished us in general that we should suffer if it is God's will, and has set Christ as an example for us, so he now confirms this further and brings it up again; thus he wants to say: Since Christ suffered in the flesh, who is our duke and head, and set an example for all of us that he has redeemed us through his suffering, we should follow him, and also equip ourselves and put on such armor.
For in the Scriptures the life of the Lord Christ, and especially his suffering, is held out to us in two ways: first, as a gift, as St. Peter did in the first and second chapters, first building and teaching faith, that we are redeemed by the blood of Christ and our sins are taken away, and how he is given and bestowed upon us, which cannot be grasped in any other way than by faith. Of this also he hath said in the third chapter, saying, "Christ hath once suffered for our sins." This is the main and the best part of the Gospel. Secondly, Christ is presented and given to us as an example and model to follow. For if we now have Christ by faith for a gift, we are to go on and also do as he does to us, and follow him in all life and suffering. This is how St. Peter presents it here. But here he does not speak primarily of the works of love, so that we may serve our neighbor and do good, which are actually called good works (for he has said enough about them above), but of
such works as concern our bodies and serve ourselves, so that faith may be strengthened to put to death sin in the flesh, and so that we may serve our neighbor all the better. For if I keep my body in check so that it does not become lustful, I can also leave my neighbor his wife or child in peace. So, if I curb hatred and envy, I will be all the more skilled to be pleasant and friendly to my neighbor. etc.
Now we have often said that even though we are justified by faith without works and receive the Lord Christ for our own, works do not remain outside, but certainly follow faith; for faith does not celebrate, but serves the neighbor through love, and fights against the remaining sins and lusts in the flesh until death. For we are not made completely clean by living on earth; each one still finds sin and evil lusts in his body. Faith begins to take hold of Christ and to kill sin, but it is not yet strong and perfect, as it should be; as the Gospel teaches about the man who fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, went away and left him half-dead. He was not yet healed, but was bound and accepted by the Samaritan to be healed. So it is here also: When we believe, our sin, that is, the damage we brought from Adam, is bound up and begins to heal; but this happens in one more, in the other less, according to whether the faith is strong or weak. Therefore, when we have come to faith, let this be our deed henceforth, because we live, to sweep out sin completely, and to serve one another through love. Therefore says St. Peter:
Arm yourselves with the same mind, that is, make a firm resolution, and strengthen your hearts with the mind you receive from Christ. For he who is in earnest will of course say, "My Lord Christ suffered for me, shed his blood, and died an ignominious death on the cross for my sake; why should I not also suffer if it is his will? If the Lord takes the lead in the fight, how much more shall the servants go forth with joy? So let us gain courage, that we may penetrate and arm ourselves, that 1) we may go through joyfully.
The word "flesh" in the Scriptures does not only mean the body, since flesh and blood, bone and skin are on, but everything that comes from Adam; when God speaks Gen. 6, 3: "Men will no longer let my spirit punish them, for they are flesh"; and Isa. 40, 5: "All flesh will see that the mouth of the Lord speaks", that is, it will be revealed before all men. So we also confess in faith: I believe that there is a resurrection of the flesh, that is, that all men will rise again. So "flesh" means man through and through, as he lives here in this life. Now the works of the flesh are told in detail in Gal. 5:19, not only the gross vices, which are well known to everyone, as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, etc., but also the spiritual vices, as idolatry and heresy, which are not only in the flesh but in the mind. Therefore it must be understood that man with reason and will, inwardly and outwardly, with body and soul, is called flesh, therefore that he seeks with all his powers outwardly and inwardly only what is carnal, and what is good for the flesh.
So St. Peter also says here that Christ suffered in the flesh. Now it is certain that his suffering extended further than into the flesh alone; for his soul suffered the greatest hardship, as the prophet Isaiah says, Cap. 53, 11. So also understand that which follows here: "He that suffereth in the flesh ceaseth to be found." For this does not only extend to cutting off one's head.
1) Wittenberger: thereby. In the first redaction: "thereby".
and tears the body, but on everything that may hurt the person, what he suffers for misery and hardship. For there are many people who have healthy bodies, and yet inwardly feel much heartache and misery. If it is done for Christ's sake, it is useful and good. For "he who suffers in the flesh (he says) ceases from sins. For this purpose the holy cross is good, that sin may be subdued therewith; if it thus appeals to thee, the tickling, envy, hatred, wrath, and other sins pass away from thee; therefore God has laid the holy cross upon us, that it may drive and compel us to flee to Christ, and to seek mercy and help of him, and to reach out one hand to another. Therefore follows:
V. 2: That he may live henceforth, which is still in the flesh, not according to the lusts of men, but according to the will of God.
From now on, as long as we are on earth, we are to take the flesh captive through the cross and suffering and force it so that we do not live like the unbelievers in the world, who know nothing about God and ask nothing about His word, living there without any fear of God in their airs as if it would last forever and God would never have judgment and punish their sin; But we are now to lead an honorable, holy life as God's children, and to do so with all earnestness, which our heavenly Father desires, not that we can earn anything by it, for Christ has acquired the eternal inheritance for us without any merit or effort on our part, but that God may be praised by it, and the neighbor served.
For it is enough that we have spent the past time of life according to the will of the Gentiles, walking in lust, lusts, drunkenness, gluttony, drunkenness and abominable idolatries.
We have already done too much, that before we came to faith, we spent our lives so shamefully according to the pagan will, in wantonness, lusts, drunkenness, gluttony, drunkenness and abominable idolatries. He lists some of the vices in which the savage, crude people live; now they are common out of all measure, not only among the papists, who blaspheme and persecute the gospel, but also among the pagans.
even among those who want to be praised as lovers of it. But St. Peter says that where such vices are rampant among people, they are called whatever they want, that this is an indication that they do not fear God, have no right faith, no love, no patience etc., but because they all drive their wills, live according to their lusts etc., that they are still drowned in abominable idolatry etc.
V. 4. 5. They are disconcerted, lest ye run with them into the same desolate, unclean things, and blaspheme; which shall give account unto him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
This is: You have hitherto lived paganly in abominable idolatry and shameful sins and vices, as I have said; but because you have now departed from them, it is strange to the heathen, and seems strange and wondrous to them, that you now express yourselves of the same former disorderly nature which you had in common with them, and never together with them blaspheme God's word and those who believe in it, and say: How great fools they are, that they turn away from all the joys and pleasures of this life etc. But let them think it strange and still blaspheme; they will have to give an account of it. Therefore command ye him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.
For to this end the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to the flesh, but live in the Spirit.
But this is a strange, whimsical text. The words clearly say that the gospel is not only preached to the living, but also 1) to the dead; and yet they add that they are judged according to the flesh. Now they have not flesh; therefore it cannot be understood as of the living. It is a strange speech, which it is; whether the text comes to us completely, or whether something has fallen out, I do not know. But I understand it thus: One must not worry how God will condemn the Gentiles who died many hundred years ago, but who are alive now; therefore it is said of men on earth.
1) "also" is missing in. the Wittenberg.
But you must understand the word "flesh" in the same way as I said above, that the whole man is called flesh, as he lives; as he is also called whole spirit, when he strives for that which is spiritual. Now this is mixed together, as I speak of a man who is wounded, that he is whole and yet wounded, so that the healthy part is greater than the wounded part; but he alone is called wounded according to the part in which he is wounded; so here also the spirit is to proceed. Therefore he says that they are condemned according to their outward nature, but according to their inward nature, that is, according to the spirit, they are kept and live.
But how is it possible that he says that they are alive, and yet he says that they are dead? According to my understanding, I will interpret it this way, but I will also not set a goal for the Holy Spirit to call the unbelievers dead. For I cannot accept the idea that the gospel should be preached to the dead and deceased, unless St. Peter means that the gospel should be preached to the dead and deceased. Peter means that the gospel went out freely and resounded everywhere, and was not hidden from the dead or the living, from angels or devils, not preached secretly in a corner, but so publicly that all creatures, if they had ears, might have heard it, as Christ commanded in the last chapter, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creatures." So when it is preached, it finds people who are condemned according to the flesh, but live according to the Spirit.
V. 7. But the end of all things is at hand.
This is also a strange speech. It is now almost a thousand and five hundred years that St. Peter preached; that is not a near or short time; nor does he say that the end of all things is near, and is already here. St. John, 1 John 2:18, calls it "the last hour." If the apostle did not say it, one would say that it was a lie; but now one must firmly hold that the apostle is true. But what he means by this he will himself say in the other epistle, where he tells why the time is called near, and says: "A day is as dew before the Lord.
send years, and a thousand years as one day"; of which is also said above.
V. 8. Be therefore temperate and sober unto prayer.
Here he exhorts them to prayer, indicating that it is the duty of every Christian to pray, because the spirit of grace and prayer has been poured out on the faithful, Zach. 12:10; therefore he that prayeth not, let him not think that he is a Christian. True Christians pray without ceasing, for their hearts, being where they are and doing what they want, are always filled with such thoughts: Oh, dear Father, give grace that your name may be sanctified in all the world through the preaching of the Gospel, that many may be converted, pious and blessed through it, that not the devil's will, not the will of the evil world, but your gracious, fatherly will be done etc. Nevertheless, they also pray with their mouths, both at home and in church, when the congregation comes together to hear God's word and to receive the holy sacrament, and when they pray for all the needs of all Christendom, and give thanks spiritually and physically for the benefits they have received. But if the prayer is to be heartfelt and earnest, the prayers must be moderate and sober; for he who is a drunkard is good for nothing else. How then should he fight against the devil with faith and earnest prayer, yes, such a one is already devoured by him.
"Moderate" refers to abundance in vestments, clothing, ornaments and all kinds of splendor, so that they may keep themselves modest and respectable, as befits Christians; "sober" refers to eating and drinking for necessity, so that the body may have its abstinence and may carry out its business, item, so that the soul may also be brave and skillful in acting and contemplating God's word, and in praying with earnestness. We must eat and drink, therefore God also gives sun and rain, makes grain, wine and all kinds of fruit grow, so that we may enjoy it with thanksgiving. But indulgence with eating and drinking is forbidden. Luc. 21, 34. Christ says: "Beware lest your hearts be weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness, and with cares of food" etc. St. Paul, Gal. 5, 21, counts eating and drinking among the following
the works of the flesh, saying, "Those who do these things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
So then, St. Peter says: "I faithfully exhort you to be moderate and sober, for you are a people called to a state in which you must fight without ceasing against sin and against the god of this world, the devil, who is your adversary, who goes about you and is more greedy for your souls than a hungry wolf for a sheep. To resist this, 1) you must truly not be secure nor asleep, but be temperate and sober and armed with prayer and spiritual weapons, Eph. 6. There would be much to preach about this, for we Germans are even drowned in this shameful vice of indulgence etc.
Above all, have fervent love for one another, for love covers the multitude of sins.
For your own part, be temperate and sober, that you may pray rightly and earnestly; after this, look to those around whom you are and live with them, that you may love them with all your heart. The apostles used this word diligently. Rom. 12, 9. St. Paul says that love is not false. 1 John 3:18: "Little children, let us not love one another in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth"; and Cap. 1:23 above: "Love one another fervently out of a pure heart." For everyone complains about the false people, of whom the world is always full, who pretend to be friendly with words and gestures, but do not mean it with the heart, as the saying goes: Good words and nothing behind them; item: Beware of the cats, who lick in front and scratch behind. And such cats can cover their mischievousness very well, even adorn it, so that they think, even if they act so deceitfully, that they have good reason and right. God knows, they say, that I begrudge him all good things, and would also like to suffer that [it] would go according to all his wishes, and where I also know how to help him with body and goods, I shall not be lacking. But he is too wicked, ungrateful etc., that if one shows him so much good, everything is in vain and lost in him etc.
1) In the original: "to be entitled against".
This is a false, deceitful love, which even the worst boys on earth have. But you Christians, St. Peter wants to say, should have a righteous love, which does not glow and shine like a boggart, and yet is hypocrisy at the bottom, but which has a heat and fire with it, which burns from the heart, which is such a noble virtue that it does not let itself be embittered, does not think evil, but bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things etc., 1 Cor. 13, 4. ff, and as St. Peter speaks here, which covers not one, two, ten, twenty, a hundred etc. Sins covers, but the multitude of sins. For if a man love one rightly, and mean him earnestly and faithfully, he cannot do so wickedly, he would have it to his credit. He may well be angry with him and punish his sin and bad behavior, according to the words of Christ Matth. 18, 15. ff: "If your brother sins against you," etc. But he cannot be his, unless he is a public blasphemer and persecutor of his word; of whom the prophet Psalm 139:22 says: "I hate them in all seriousness" etc.
A pious father loves his son with all his heart; but if he is wicked and disobedient, the more he loves him, the more severely he punishes him with words, even chastising him, so that the blood will flow afterwards, not out of enmity, or that he has a desire for it and wants to strangle him, but that it hurts him that he does not want to be pious; nevertheless, he considers him his dear son and heir, and his father's heart remains toward him, even though he may act differently with words and gestures. So even a pious mother, even if she has a shabby and unkind 1) child, does not throw him away because of this, nor will she be unkind to him, but cares for him more, has greater care, trouble and work with him than with the others at all. She does not like the sores and bruises, but because it is her child, love blinds her, so that even the bad sores do not have to be bad, but have the name, so that the child will be fine and fresh after it. If it looks bad, it must be called sweet-skinned; if it is black, it must be brown etc. Thus she can not only cover the infirmities of her child, but also adorn it.
This is how it should be among us Christians.
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: "netted".
It is never lacking, you do and speak at times something that upsets me, I on the other hand, in which you have no pleasure; as in the body one limb injures the other, the teeth bite into the tongue, the fingers grasp into the eyes etc., and yet does not happen out of intent. Then we should keep to St. Peter's teaching, not only bear one another's burdens, cover their faults and infirmities, but also excuse and adorn them, as St. Paul also teaches in 1 Corinthians 12:26: "The members that seem to us to be the most dishonest, to them we give the most honor, and those that seem to us to be evil, to them we adorn the most" etc.
This saying, which St. Peter drew from Solomon's Proverbs, chap. 10, 12, has been interpreted as if it were meant to sound against faith; therefore the adversaries reproach us with it, saying: "You teach that faith alone makes one pious, and that no one can be freed from sin by works; why then do Solomon and St. Peter speak here? Love covers sin? Answer: He who has hatred for another, says Solomon, does not cease from strife and quarreling; but where there is love, it also covers sin and forgives gladly. He who holds anger is an unhappy man, does not allow himself to be reconciled, remains full of anger and hatred; again, a man who is full of love cannot be angered, no matter how much he is harmed, he covers everything up and acts as if he did not see it, so that the covering up is said against the neighbor, not against God. No one should and can cover your sin before God except the faith that holds Christ, who loved you and gave himself up for you; but my neighbor's sin covers my love. Just as God covers my sin with His love when I believe in Christ, so I should also cover my neighbor's sin with my love.
V. 9. Be hospitable among yourselves, without murmuring.
2) At the same time, the apostles and disciples of Christ went through all countries and kingdoms, preaching the gospel in all the nations.
2) Compare here the five sermons which we have taken from the Zwickau Lutherfunde [nd No. 0. of this section.
Wherever they went, they were strangers and sojourners, having nothing of their own, as Christ had commanded them not to take anything with them on their journey, but to be careful and anxious to do their duty well. For wherever they went, they would find people who would listen to them, accept them, and give them food and other necessities, for a laborer is worthy of his food. From this also comes this exhortation of St. Peter that Christians should be hospitable to one another, but especially gladly receive those who let their house and yard be open to them, let them eat and drink with them, and show all kindness to those who are teachers of the gospel, even to other poor brethren who are driven into misery because of the confession of faith; and they should do this without murmuring, that is, with joy and gladly from the heart, for the sake of Christ, who is received in such people, Matth. 10:40; that therefore to lodge gladly and to be hospitable is also one of the virtues that should shine among Christians; but as strange as Christians are, so is this virtue.
Now St. Peter comes into the church, speaks of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that Christianity may be adorned, thereby serving and helping not the body but the soul, and says:
V. 10. And serve one another, each with the gift he has received, as good stewards of the many graces of God.
The world, what gifts it has, be it wisdom, art, understanding, power, honor, goods, etc., does not think otherwise, it has them from itself, does not believe that it has received them from God; therefore it defies them, needs them only for its own benefit, does not serve its neighbor with them, yes, wants to be highly honored and celebrated by those who do not have them. On the other hand, St. Peter here teaches us Christians that all goods, bodily or spiritual, that we have are gifts from God, which he gives us so that one may serve the other with them, and the more one receives from him, the more he has to charge him. This is what he means when he says above, "Have a fervent love for one another," proving that you are hospitable to one another; and here, "Serve one another, each with the gift,
which he has received" etc.As if to say: "You have gifts that are not innate to you, nor did you bring them as your own inheritance from your mother's womb, but you received them from God, not that you should blow yourselves up for their sake, 1) be held great and glorious by others, but that you should be God's faithful stewards, making good use of the various gifts that He has adorned you with, namely, for His praise, honor and glory, and for your neighbor's benefit and salvation.
St. Peter speaks here mainly of the spiritual gifts, of which the world knows nothing, and asks nothing about them (for it alone cares how it fills the belly etc.). The Holy Spirit pours these out abundantly on his Christians, adorns and decorates them with them; gives one to speak of wisdom through the Spirit, another of knowledge etc., 1 Cor. 12, 4, ff. Rom. 12, 6. Therefore let those who have such gifts, especially if they are commanded to teach the church of God and to feed it with the pure word, see to it that they use them as St. Peter teaches here, namely, to faithfully serve those over whom they preside, so that they may come to the right knowledge and faith of Christ through them and be saved. St. Paul 1 Cor. 12, when he speaks of such gifts for a long time, finally strikes with a mighty thunder and speaks 1 Cor. 13, 1. ff: If any man, even he, could speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and prophesy, and know all mysteries and knowledge, and have all faith, that he might remove mountains, and give all his substance to the poor, and be burned, and not have love, he is nothing.
This is truly a very hard thing to say and a terrible thing to hear, that a man should be a fine, excellent, learned man, having many beautiful spiritual gifts, well taught and experienced in the Scriptures, and also well eloquent and teachable, so that he can present it finely to others, so that they can understand it well, grasp it and keep it well; and yet nothing should help him, but with all this glorious adornment, even if he were once so great and glorious, he should be nothing and lost. How does this happen? St. Pau-
1) "ausblasen" put by us instead of: "aufgeblasen" in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
lus interprets himself, saying: If he does not have love, that is, if he exalts himself with such gifts as if they had grown on him and he had not received them, he makes an idol out of them, seeks only his benefit, how he may come to great honors and high status by being carried on the hands and worshipped for the sake of his high intellect and skill; asks nothing about where God's honor and the neighbor's benefit and salvation remain.
These are peevish people, but they are very mean in the world, especially among preachers. As soon as a man feels that he is able to do something before another, that he is able to teach, that he has a fine voice, and that he can easily get away from him, he takes it upon himself, becomes proud, despises the others who do not do the same, and even makes himself believe that he knows better than those from whom he has learned; immediately a pupil becomes a master who wants to do it before anyone else in the world. When the mob falls upon him, praises and extols his skill (as such spirits strive for it with all their diligence), this first soothes him and tickles him that he does not know whether he is walking on the earth or on the clouds. These do the greatest harm in Christianity; what pious, righteous teachers have done well and planted and built for a long time with great effort and work, they break and destroy in a short time, and yet their thing is considered better and holier than the other, must also have the name, as if they sought God's honor and the neighbor's salvation. etc.
The apostles had a lot to do 1) with such shameful people, that is why they exhort so faithfully that one needs the spiritual gifts etc. But it did not help. How was St. Paul? When he had preached for a long time, and with great care and driving had now and then built churches, and had hardly turned his back, the false brethren were soon after him, promising his person and doctrine, were well-talked-of and skilful people and of greater reputation than St. Paul; thus they misled the people and made them dislike him, as one can well see in his epistles etc. Therefore he also speaks so vehemently against such ambitious spirits, saying: If
1) "much" is missing in the Wittenberg^.
Even if they once had such beautiful gifts, if it were possible, spoke with the tongues of angels, knew all the prophecy, knowledge and secrets of the Scriptures, and raised the dead, they are still of the devil, as they go and stand; just as Christ passes a terrible judgment on such, when he says Matth. 7:23: "Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity; I never knew you," when they had preached in his name, cast out devils, and done many deeds; and Matt. 11:19: He complains that wisdom must be justified by her children.
Therefore, this is a necessary exhortation that St. Peter gives here, that each one, as skillful and learned as he may be, use the gifts he has received so that the body of Christ, that is, his congregation, may be edified by them; for to whom much is given, much will be sought etc. so that in all things, as he says afterwards, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. Whoever then preaches God's word purely, without all addition of human doctrine, that God out of pure love gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ for the sin of the cursed world etc., seeks not his own glory but God's, not how He may rule over you, but serves you with His gift, showing you how you should be rid of your sin and be saved etc. Whoever does the opposition seeks his honor and benefit, as is the nature and characteristic of all saints of works etc. Here it would also be good to say about the bodily gifts, how one should use them properly; but it is too long here, also elsewhere it is often dealt with.
V. 11: If anyone speaks, he speaks it as the word of God.
He divides the gifts into two parts, speaking and doing; for all the works of those who have an office in the church are comprised in the two parts: speaking and doing; thus he who is a steward in the church of God either speaks or does something, sometimes he does both. If he speaks, he sees to it that he speaks God's word. Here both the teachers and the hearers are bound, that these should speak nothing in the church, those should hear nothing, but God's word. Because here is not acted as one country and people,
How to govern, build and plant a house and farm etc. but how to get rid of sin, obtain God's grace and become blessed, how God is disposed towards us etc. No jurist, philosopher, work saint, nor the pope will teach you this from his canons, for no one has ever seen God. But if 1) you want to know it, you must learn it from the gospel of Christ, who is in the bosom of the Father, and has proclaimed the Father's will to us in his word. Therefore whoever is called to speak in the church, that is, to preach, teach, and exhort, let him speak what Christ has spoken and commanded to be spoken in the matter of salvation. He says that he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep and gives them eternal life; that if anyone keeps his word, he will not see death forever. He is the resurrection and the life; he who believes in him, though he die, yet shall he live. He is the way, the truth and the life, so that no one comes to the Father except through him. But to the apostles he speaks Matth. 28, 19. that they should teach all nations everything that he had commanded them etc., namely, as St. Lucas speaks, preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name; and St. Marcus: "Whoever believes and is baptized" etc. Where the teaching goes, both preacher and hearer are sure that the latter speak God's word, the latter hear the same. There the sheep of Christ hear his voice, and if they believe, it happens to them according to his word. But if the teaching is different, and proposes a different means of getting rid of sin than through Christ, it is already wrong. For the teachers do not speak God's word, neither do the hearers hear it; therefore their faith is not right, they cannot be freed from sin, nor be saved etc.
If a man has an office, to do it, as from the wealth that God gives.
That is, whoever rules in the Christian church, has an office or ministry to care for souls, he should not go as he pleases, saying, I am Lord, I must be obeyed; what I create, 2) that shall be done.
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: "Shall.
2) create - order, command.
be. No, God wants it so that one should do nothing in the church, for He has commanded and commanded it, so that it is God's work and order. Therefore, no one should do anything unless he is sure that God is doing it, that it is God's word or work; and that is why: because God does not want anyone to think that what he is doing with the Christian church is a joke. Therefore, we must stand in such certainty that God speaks and works in us, and our faith can thus say: "What I have said and done, God has done and said; so that I also die on it. Otherwise, if I am not sure of the matter, then my faith stands on an evil foundation, then the devil pulls me away.
Therefore, he who baptizes, administers the sacrament, absolves. etc. does not do it out of his own power, otherwise he blasphemes and defiles God, but out of the ability of him who commanded it, saying: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creatures. St. Paul also says in 1 Cor. 11 that he did not institute the Lord's Supper, but that the Lord was the first instigator of it, from whom he received it and gave it to them. So also, if I lay hands on someone and give him absolution, I do it according to Christ's word, as he says Matth. 18, 18: "Truly I say to you: Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. "etc. So now St. Peter wants that one should speak nothing in the church, except the word of God, and do nothing, because he has commanded and ordered it.
Therefore, it is seriously forbidden to accept the commandment of any man, whether he be a pope or a bishop, unless one is sure that God does what he does, and can say: I have God's word and commandment. If this is not the case, he should be considered a liar. For God has decreed that our conscience should stand on a rock. This is what is said of the common rule of the church, that no one should follow his own conceit in it, and do nothing unless he is sure that God will have it. From this you can see how St. Peter has so long before pushed the Pabst's regiment to the ground, as it is doing now. Hold it against this saying: "If someone speaks, if someone has an office" etc., then you will find that [it] is not at all
has been reversed. Neither the word of God nor the work of God remained in the right use, but was most horribly reversed, and the poor people were led astray by the teachings of men and their own works etc. Follows:
That in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
This is the end of the song. Everything that is done in the church, both in speech and deed, must be directed toward praising God in all things, and this through Jesus Christ. This happens when God's unspeakable grace and mercy are proclaimed through the Gospel, which He has shown us in Christ Jesus, whom He made to be sin for us, so that in Him we might have the righteousness that is valid before God. Where this is recognized, God alone is praised and glorified, as the one who out of pure fatherly grace, without any action on our part, has given such a precious treasure for our sin etc. This is the true sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving that is pleasing to God, but that it is made through Jesus Christ; for without and apart from Him, God is not pleased with our prayer or thanksgiving.
With the words of St. Peter: "To whom be honor and power from everlasting to everlasting," he indicates that Christ is true God; for he ascribes to him the very thing that he ascribes to the Father, namely divine honor and power, which he has from everlasting to everlasting; which he would not do if Christ were not true God. Otherwise it would mean to rob God of His honor, which He cannot suffer, as He speaks through Isaiah, Is. 42, 8: "I will not give My honor to another."
V. 12. Beloved, do not let the heat that comes upon you alienate you, so that you are tempted as if something strange were happening to you.
But this is a way of speaking, not common in our language. But St. Peter needs the same speech to remind us of what the Scriptures say, which speak of suffering as being like an oven full of fire and heat.
In the first chapter, v. 8, he said: "That your faith may be found righteous, and much more precious than the gold that perishes, which is tried by fire. So also one reads in the prophet Isaiah Cap. 48:10, where God says: "I will choose you in the furnace of misery"; and Ps. 17:3: "You purify me, and find nothing"; item, Ps. 26:2: "Test me, O Lord, and try me; purify my kidneys and my heart"; item, Ps. 66:10, 12: "God, you have tried us and purified us as silver is purified; we have come into fire and water." So it is the custom of Scripture to call suffering a heat or fire; for it burns and hurts the old Adam out of measure. Here St. Peter agrees that we should not let ourselves be alienated or think ourselves strange and weird, as if the heat or blaze should not happen to us, by which we are tempted, as if gold were melted in the fire.
When faith is challenged, God does not let it go, but sends the holy cross on our backs to strengthen us and make the faith in us strong. The holy gospel is a powerful word, but it cannot come to its work without challenge, and no one realizes that it has such power except those who taste it. Where there is suffering and the cross, it can prove and exercise its power. It is a word of life; therefore it must exercise its power in death. If there is no death and dying, it can do nothing, and no one can see that it does such virtue and is stronger than sin and death. That is why he says: "That God has decreed that you shall meet with heat, that is, with various misfortunes and sufferings, do not let this seem strange to you, for it is for your own good that you, having been tried and tested, hold fast to His word. Therefore, it is written in the Book of Wisdom, Cap. 10, 12, about Jacob, that wisdom, that is, God's word, gave him victory in a strong battle, that he might learn how divine wisdom is stronger than all things. This is the reason why God lays out the Cross to all believers, so that they may taste and try the power of God, which they have grasped through faith.
V. 13. But rejoice that you suffer with Christ.
Do not be surprised, he wants to say, that you have to suffer a lot, do not be unwilling and sad about it, as if your God has forgotten and left you, but take it as a sure sign of his fatherly will towards you, because whom he loves he chastises and chastises every son whom he receives. This he has well proved in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, and has made him a curse etc. Therefore rejoice that you have come to glory, and that you are now conformed to the likeness of Christ, following in his footsteps, and suffering with him; and it shall be well rewarded you, as he further saith:
That you may also have joy and gladness at the time of the revelation of his glory.
In the first chapter above, v. 6 f., he speaks of such things, saying: "You are now for a little while (when it shall be) sorrowful in many temptations, that your faith may be found righteous and more precious etc. when now Jesus Christ is revealed" etc. Here he adds something about his glory, which will be revealed in that day, which will be unspeakable and incomprehensible, of which we will have eternal joy and delight, against which all suffering, as St. Paul says in Romans 8:18, which we may encounter in this life, is nothing at all. Whoever grasps this, no suffering is too hard for him, as one reads of many martyrs 2), both male and female, who went cheerfully to the torture as if they were going to a good life. So also the apostles went cheerfully from the council's presence, thanking God that they had been worthy to suffer shame for Christ's name's sake, Apost. 5, 41.
V. 14. Blessed are you when you are reviled above the name of Christ.
As if he were to say, "This is the reason for everything; if you do not believe and confess this name, the world will also love you and
1) "not" is missing in the Wittenberger. 2) Wittenberger: "Martern".
There is no more hostile name on earth than Jesus Christ; not that one could not call him or hear him called, yes, the worst and most bitter enemies of this name lead and praise him most of all, calling themselves the Christian church and God's people, but they blaspheme and condemn us as heretics and the worst enemies of God. Why? Because we do not let this name remain a bad name, written with empty letters, like mine and yours, but believe, preach and confess that the person called Jesus Christ is, according to his name, the only Savior of the world, who saves from sins, the only High Priest, who reconciles sinners with God, the only Lord and King, who helps from all fear and distress, and that only those who recognize him as such, redeemed from sin, death, etc., attain grace and eternal blessedness. This is unpleasant to them. They grant him the name, that he shall be called Jesus Christ, as I Martinus; but that he shall lead him in deed, as the angel indicates Matth. 1, 21: "He shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins", and Luc. 2, 10. f., where the angel says to the shepherds, "Fear not; behold, I proclaim to you great joy, which shall be to all the people: for unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." etc.: Before they admit it, they condemn his word, persecuting and strangling as heretics those who teach and confess it; and if they had him, they would have crucified him one more time. For if they allowed this, they would have to confess that monasticism, human righteousness, chosen works and worship etc. do not save from sins, attain grace and eternal life etc. But this they will well leave undone. Therefore the name Jesus Christ is with them in the reason of the truth a hostile and cursed name. For he that speaketh not by the Spirit of God, saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 12:3, curseth JEsum; and again, "No man can call JEsum a Lord, except it be by the Holy Ghost." Dear, do not let him be to me a bad doctor of the holy Scriptures, who can rightly call the name Jesus Christ, if he has not otherwise written or read many books etc.
For the Spirit, who is the Spirit of glory and of God, rests upon you. With them he is blasphemed, but with you he is praised.
You have, he says, with you the Spirit of God, which is a Spirit of glory, for he does not make you glorious in the sight of the world, but in the sight of God, for which reason your glory is still hidden; but when Christ's glory is revealed, it will come in daylight and have no end. Here we see that the Holy Spirit is especially given to transfigure and glorify, just as He transfigured and glorified Christ.
Now this same Spirit (he says) rests on you, because you are children through Christ, confess his name, and suffer persecution for his sake. He, not you, is blasphemed in you by them, because what he does and says in and through you, the devil must have done and said. Therefore, do not accept blasphemy; it attacks the Spirit, who is the Spirit of glory; do not worry, you are gloriously honored enough. If that rests upon you, even in that day shall your glory be made manifest before all the world etc. This is the comfort we Christians have, that we can say: The word is not mine, faith is not mine, all that I have is God's gift and work: therefore he that blasphemeth me blasphemeth him that hath given me all these things: as Christ saith, Luc. 10:16, He that despiseth you despiseth me etc.
Therefore, St. Peter wants to say: Know that the spirit you have is so strong that it will punish your enemies; as God also says in Exodus 23:22: "If you will obey my commandments, I will be an enemy to your enemies"; and the Scriptures indicate many times that the enemies of God's people are the enemies of God. Now if we are reviled because we are Christians and believe, we are not reviled, but the reviling is actually against God Himself. Therefore he says: "Be of good cheer, for this happens to the spirit that is not yours, but God's. Further he adds a warning:
V. 15. 16. But let no one among you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or one who takes hold of a foreign office. But if he suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him honor God in such a case.
So he wants to say: You have heard how you have to suffer and how you should keep yourselves in it; but see to it that you suffer as Christians who suffer for the sake of charity and righteousness, as he also said Cap. 3:14, not as murderers, thieves, evildoers, or those who are subject to something they are not commanded to do, but as the spirit of a mob, who, under the appearance of truth, preach lies and error and stir up sedition, who suffer for the sake of their evil deeds.
But if you suffer as Christians, you should not be 1) ashamed, but praise God that you are worthy to suffer shame for the sake of His word and name. He makes suffering and torture very glorious and precious, so that it is such a wonderful thing, for which we should praise God when it comes to us that we should suffer in this way; just as Christ does in Matt. 5:12, where He says: "Blessed are you when men revile and persecute you for my sake, and say all kinds of evil against you, when they lie about it. Be glad and of good cheer, for you will be well rewarded in heaven" etc.
V. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin against the house of God. But first of all, what will be the end of those who do not believe in the gospel of God?
Here he touches two prophetic sayings at once. First, the prophet Jeremiah, Cap. 25, 29, thus: "Behold, I began to afflict in the city that is called by my name," that is, I first punish my dearest children who believe in me; they must be held up before all others and be led into the fire, "and you" who do not believe in me, who are my enemies, "should go unpunished" ? And Cap. 49, 12. He says: "Behold, those who were not guilty of drinking the cup must drink it; and you should go unpunished? Thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou must drink also." That is: I smite my beloved, that thou mayest see what I will do to the enemies. See what words these are: the greater the saints God has, the more shamefully he lets them perish; what will become of those who blaspheme his word and persecute his saints? So also Ezek. 9, 6.
1) "not" is missing in the Erlanger.
The prophet saw some men in armor with their murderous weapons, who were to kill everyone, to whom God said: "Attack my sanctuary. This is what St. Peter means here. Therefore he says, "The time is here, as the prophets have said, that judgment must begin upon us. When the Gospel is preached, God starts and punishes sin, killing and making alive. He strikes the pious with the tail of the fox, and is first of all the motherwort. But what will happen to those who do not believe? As if he should say: If he is so serious with his dear children, you can well calculate what kind of punishment will come upon the unbelievers etc.
V. 18. And if the righteous is hardly preserved, where will the wicked and the sinner appear?
This saying is also taken from the Book of Proverbs, Cap. II, 34, where Solomon says, "If the righteous must suffer on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner?" Now St. Peter has often thought of the suffering and affliction which Christians have in this life; for they are not only persecuted by the world, but the devil also terrifies them in the heart, holds sin against them, and makes them great, so that they fall into sadness and gloom: are thus both afflicted outwardly with persecution and contempt, and inwardly with trembling and terror. Then the world cannot judge them otherwise than that they are damned people who have neither comfort nor help from God; indeed, they themselves do not allow themselves to think otherwise, because they feel such sadness and melancholy of spirit, that God is angry with them and has abandoned them. Therefore
comes the miserable lamentation in the Psalms [Ps. 31, 23]: "I am cast out of your sight" etc. This is what St. Peter means when he says: "The righteous can hardly be preserved, for even if he believes and holds fast to God's promise, it is hard and laborious for him to get through and be saved, for the devil makes it sour and hot enough for him: where then will the wicked and sinner remain? So if God gives faith a push so that it wriggles, how can he stay and stand who is not only without faith, but also despises God's word and counsel and blasphemes His saints. Therefore, he resolves upon it:
V. 19. Therefore, those who suffer according to God's will should commend their souls to Him, as to the faithful Creator, in good works.
That is, to whom God sends a suffering that they did not seek and choose themselves, they should command their souls to Him. They do well, remain in good works, do not turn away for the sake of suffering, entrust themselves to their Creator, who is faithful. This is a great comfort to us. God created your soul without all your worries and efforts when you were still nothing; he will also keep it well for you; therefore trust him with it, but in such a way that it will be done with good works, so that you will not become impatient, sad and angry, and desire to take revenge on those who harm you, nor grumble against God, punish him with lies, and fall into despair; But hold fast on both sides, forgive your enemies, and pray for them, and give glory to God, that he may be merciful, true and faithful, and not forsake you in all distress, but will graciously help you out, though it may feel otherwise with you.