Held on the 6th Sunday after Trinity, July 13, 1539.
You have heard that the devil is our adversary, and how he does not rest, but goes about and is valiant, not that he will scold us, but it is a matter of life or eternal death. Thus he deals especially with Christians who are called to the kingdom of Christ and hold to the seed given. For in short, he does not want to suffer Christ. So we are not placed in the state of Christianity to be safe, but to be brave, and to diligently practice, hear and pray the word of God. It follows further:
"And know that the same sufferings are upon your brethren which are in the world." This is a precious saying, which he not only speculated from the Holy Spirit, but also from experience, as he had been in the Hanse Caiphä and denied the Lord Christ three times, as he was in such despair and fear that if Christ had not looked at him, he would have followed Judae's example. But after the resurrection, the Lord called Mary Magdalene to go to Petro for the first time. And to him he also says in the supper [Luc. 22, 32.]: "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith cease not. And if thou be converted some day, strengthen thy brethren." This is what St. Peter does especially in this place, strengthening his brothers, saying, "You have to suffer. And in the first tablet there is true suffering. In the other table there is suffering, although it is also hard, as when one is deprived of goods, house, farm, and body. Some become mad and foolish over it. Another has a suffering, as a lewd heat, because flesh and blood wallet. For the devil seeks everyone with his temptation. Youth has its own special temptation. The old also have their own plague.
But it is still nothing against the temptation, since here St. Peter says about it. In the other table, the other temptations are felt, and men understand them for what they are. Item, if someone is attacked with avarice, he is concerned about money, and all are temptations, which are understandable. Dar
after one is strong, then God gives him a cross. A child cannot carry a sword. The high Christian temptations are so high and heavy that they cannot be understood, especially those that go against the first commandment.
I have heard that some have been in monasteries who have not felt any challenge. That is why they asked God to send them a challenge. Now this challenge was given to them, so that they dreamt that they were in Rome at the singing dances. When they wanted to be delivered from the temptation, another one was given to them against the first tablet. Then they would have desired the first challenge again. For the temptations against the first tablet are very dangerous, such as: that one should doubt and disbelieve in God, blasphemy and others, which I must not mention for the sake of those who have not tried them, and then a man will faint and wither inwardly, and those who are to become pastors may pay good attention to this text.
"And know that these same sufferings are upon your brethren which are in the world." Learn this, he wants to say, now I have preached about the devil. This you will also learn. Therefore, when these things happen to you, do not think that you are alone, nor are you the first. For Gaudium est miseris socium habere in poenis. 1) And St. Peter consoles you greatly out of measure, namely, that not one alone, but the whole Christian church suffers in the world, as he said in the fourth chapter [v. 12]: "Beloved, do not let the heat which befalls you (which befalls you, that you are tempted) be strange to you, as if something strange were happening to you," as if it were a new and strange thing to us. Do not say, "I have a strange cross that others do not have. No, your brothers will have to suffer the same in India and France. But the devil takes hold of some in
1) It is a joy for the unfortunate to have a fellow sufferer in their punishments. (Buchwald.)
He is especially interested in those who are not plagued with carnal desires (for the young fellows have enough to bear), and he chases the men into misery. But if he comes and seizes you alone and gives you blasphemous thoughts, know that he cannot attack you so shamefully, remember that you are not alone! It would not be good, nor tolerable, that a young journeyman should have and bear the cross of St. Peter and St. Paul. But when it comes to the high temptations, that one does not say and think that he has such a temptation to despair or to hate God, that God wants to judge and condemn him. The devil's rule is like this, and some think: Peter and Paul did not suffer such things that I suffer.
I have seen a virgin who had this mentation: when she was in the church and saw that the sacrament had been elevated, she would have thought to herself, what a great sham the priest is raising, and was then frightened by this thought, that she had sunk down. Then she might have said: I alone have the suffering. Therefore St. Peter comforts us that others also have suffering, as he himself was admonished and reminded of it by the Lord Christ, Luke 22:32. 32, when he says: "I have prayed for you that your faith may not cease. And when thou shalt be converted, strengthen thy brethren. Even though the pope uses this saying to confirm his power, sovereignty and dominion, St. Peter comforts the brethren by the command of Christ. It is said: Confirma fratres, 1) not: Be a lord of the whole world!
But let no one think, "Oh, how grievous and terrible a trial I must suffer, and that thou shouldest suffer something strange and new," but say, "Praise be to God. It is not only me, we must be made perfect through such suffering. The martyrs were thus challenged more strangely than you may be. No heart will consider or say what Adam suffered when God said to him, "Adam, where are you?" It is undescribed and will probably remain undescribed. It will also remain undiscussed and unspoken.
1) I.e. Strengthen your brothers.
2) Buchwald: "sonderlichs Neues. Cf. in this volume Col. 1292.
and therefore you see that Adam and Eve never came together for thirty years after the fall, nor would they have come together if they had not been reminded by an angel. Therefore, when Adam comes to disputation with us on the last day, we will confess that we are disciples against him, but that he is our father. So also of the other prophets and patriarchs. But with Adam and Eve it was most annual, for they had no examples for themselves to hold on to and comfort themselves.
No one says, "It is too horrible! No one has suffered as much as I have. Nay, know, if thou be a Christian, that thou sufferest not alone, but all thy brethren that are with thee in this life, not they that are dead. The Christians in India also have examples of this suffering. For they also have the same devil who seeks to devour them, they also have the same Christ whom the devil hates, and for whose sake we must suffer. Therefore say, I not only suffer, but the whole Christian church also suffers with me, which liveth and shall live at the last day.
It is a glorious consolation that the Christian church suffers with us. For the devil does not seek me alone, but as he seeks me, so he seeks others also. Therefore, pray and be comforted, as it was said to St. Peter, "Strengthen your brothers."
Ages ago, I thought: I wanted to dispute with St. Peter and Paul who had had the greatest suffering. I have often not been able to solve the devil's argument, but have pointed to Christ. And when Christ leaves us, he is far too strong for us. He has such great power and wisdom that it is not possible for a Christian to silence his arguments, rebuttals and refutations, unless the Holy Spirit is with him and gives him a saying to meet him. He often repels all my art and takes the sword from my fist and fights against me with my own defense. Because of this, the red spirits and safe people are poor, miserable drops. When they read and look at their thoughts, they are so sure that they think they have eaten God. That is why they also create hordes and have no experience of what the devil is like.
I only say: I know that I am more learned than any other doctor. 1) But I give this testimony to the devil that he often knocks me down. But this he does with them, that he makes the glass red. They swear by it, they also firmly believe that this is God's word, they do not think that they have a colored and painted glass in front of their eyes. Then he lets it be good for them, does not take it away from them, so that 2) they stand firm. This is a sure sign that they do not know the devil.
Muenzer was also so firm that he said: I would not look at Christ if he did not speak to me. 3) Now, because the devil does not attack them, they stand firm. The right Christians, when they are tempted, stand in great fears, so that they do not take up the sword. [4) As some say, "God will not take this away from me. Therefore those who are so stiffnecked and can eat the devil are not, unless the Holy Spirit is with them and helps them, and they are soon devoured. Therefore, the godly are often weak and complain about it, as St. Paul does to the Romans in chapter 7. The others have done it long ago.
Therefore learn this admonition, that you may also comfort the weak. The devotees have long eaten the devil, but they have been devoured by the devil seven times over. Arius, who caused the chaos that in Europe only two bishops remained steadfast and did not consent to his blasphemy against Christ, also said: "Oh, I must suffer! This must be for the sake of the truth, which overcomes everything. But his bishop at Alexandria punished his error and defended that Christ was not only a creature but also the Creator. This was Arius' suffering, that he was not allowed to be justified in blaspheming and desecrating Christ. For the bishop said, "You do wrong to spread this blasphemy among the people.
1) Buchwald: "that I am more learned than I am any other doctor".
2) Buchwald: that - "on that" - on it.
3) Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 37, § 72. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1053.
So Münzer was also a martyr, that his rebellion was rejected. So our antinomians also become martyrs. For they have heard that the church should suffer, but why? That they should blaspheme God's word? But the Christian church does not suffer like them. For the Christians do not pride themselves and do not insist in this way. The others do not feel any challenge. They also speak of Duke George as having suffered great persecution. But he proved the opposite. Why? Because they do not want to allow him to kill and exterminate our teachings. Thus a harlot is also a great martyr, because one does not want to confess to her that she commits fornication. Kohlhas 5) is also a great martyr because the prince is after him. 6) Isn't it a disagreeable thing that those who do harm, who seduce souls, still want to be holy and martyrs?
St. Peter has enough to comfort those who are in high temptations. They need it to be said to them that they are right, for otherwise they doubt whether they are right. But thou needest not do as the ruffians do, that it may yet be right, if it disquiet a thousand devils. But Christians are not like that, but often lose God our Father and the Lord Christ in the high temptations. Then it is necessary to say: Confirma fratres in terris! 7) No, you are not alone who suffer, and what happens to you also happened to me. 8) If you do not want to believe it, look into the palace of Caipha [Matth. 26, 69. ff.]. I also said at first, I will go into prison with the Lord Christ and die with him. But when the maid came, And said, Thou also art one of the Galileans, - O, then knew I not the man. See how strong I was!
So Christians are not hopeful, proud, stubborn, remain in humility when they are strengthened and made stiff. I am now talking about the high temptations, for the sake of which, the Pre-.
5) Hans Kohlhase, who had been unlawfully deprived of fine horses by the Junker Günther von Zaschwitz, and because he did not immediately receive justice, started a feud. Because of his robbing, burning and murdering he was put on the wheel. (Buchwald.)
6) Buchwald: inferior.
7) I.e. strengthen your brothers on earth.
8) Buchwalh: "that you suffer and what you encounter! That rst me" 2c.. /
1342 Erl. 53, 2i3.f. Interpretations on the 1st Epistle of St. Peter. W. IX, 832 f. 1343
I have to become more humiliated, even for the sake of the other common people, so that one can say: Do not despair, hold on! No one is so martyred as I am. No, do not say so! Have you not seen what the first parents suffered? Read the Bible, what have all the saints suffered! St. Peter says that you alone do not suffer. It is nothing new that happens to you. But one says: It is truly new to me. But listen: others have it too. St. Peter has been much higher in school than I or others.
and I would like to say that Christ did not have such great suffering,
1) Luther translates in the Bible: "curse" of the world, here: "sweepings".
than others. But the epistle to the Hebrews in chapter 12 [v. 4] says that no one sweated blood, neither Peter nor Paul, but he.
So say now, when the high temptations come: I will let him answer who has sweated blood for me. Again, because the red glass is before our eyes, we see nothing but red. Our temptations cannot be so evil as the apostles and especially the Lord Christ. Therefore do not doubt, say: I also belong to the round dance and will also hold the title, and will also be a fellowoffer of the following blessedness. Therefore we cannot suffer such evil: we have brothers and companions, St. Peter, Paul, all the prophets, patriarchs and especially Christ.