V. 1. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.
This is what St. Peter wants to say: All prophecy shall proceed from the Holy Spirit until the end of the world, as it proceeded from the beginning of the world, that nothing shall be preached but the word of God. But it has always been so, that beside the righteous prophets and God's word there have been false teachers, and will remain so. Therefore, since you now have God's word, you should take care that you also have false teachers.
This has been sufficiently warned, and it cannot be lacking where God's word is preached righteously, that false preachers also rise up alongside it. The reason for this is that not everyone grasps the word and believes in it, even though it is preached to everyone. Those who believe it follow it and keep it; but the majority who do not believe take a false understanding of it, so that false teachers arise.
But we, unfortunately, did not pay attention to this piece, nor to this warning,
2) "da" is missing in Walch and in the Erlanger.
but ran, and what was preached we did; then we burst and fell upon it, and went in the delusion, as if the pope with his clergy and monks could not err; so they that should have prevented such things were the first that did it in us. Therefore we are not excused if we believe wrongly and follow false teachers; 1) it will not help us that we did not know it, since we were warned before. For this purpose God has commanded us that each one should judge what he or she preaches and give an account of it; if we do not, we are lost. Therefore it is for the salvation of every man's soul that he may know what is the word of God and what are false teachings.
3 Such warnings against false teachers are now much more back and forth in Scripture. St. Paul Apost. 20, 29. 30, also gives such an admonition after his sermon, so that he may bless those of Ephesus and give them the last, saying thus: "I know that after my departure grievous wolves will come among you, which will not spare the flock. Also out of yourselves shall arise men, speaking perverse doctrine, to draw the disciples after themselves." Christ also proclaims Matth. 24, 23. 24.: "If anyone shall say unto you, Behold, here is Christ, or there, believe it not. For false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall shew great signs and wonders, to deceive into error (where it is possible) even the elect." And again Paul 1 Tim. 4, 1. 2.: "The Spirit clearly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith and follow the false spirits and doctrines of the devil, through those who are false teachers of lies" 2c. As strong as such admonitions have gone, if we have ever been witty, it has not helped; the admonitions have been silent, so we have always gone and let ourselves be deceived.
4 Now let us see who they are, the false teachers that Peter is talking about here. I mean that God, out of His special counsel, has forgiven them.
1) Thus the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers. Erlanger: "Shears".
that our teachers should be called doctores, so that one can see which ones Peter means; for he uses the word here: falsi doctores, false teachers; do not say false prophets or false apostles. In order that he may hit the high schools, where such people are made, from which come all the preachers in the world, so that there is not a city under the papacy that has not made such teachers in the high schools. For all the world thinks that these are the fountains from which should spring to teach the people. This is a desperate error, that no more abominable thing ever came on earth than from the high schools. Therefore Peter says that such will be vain false teachers. But what will they do? Follow on:
The next to introduce perishable cults.
(5) He calls them "corrupt sects" or orders and orders, so that whoever gets into them is already lost. These will introduce (he says), not that they should preach in such a way that the gospel and the holy Scriptures would be false, for that would be completely contrary; but will keep and let remain these names, God, Christ, faith, church, baptism, sacrament; but will go under these names and set up something that is not of this kind. Therefore there is a great difference when I say: This one preaches against that, or: preaches beside it. So if I preach that Christ is the Son of God and a true man, and he who believes in him will be saved, this is righteous preaching and the true gospel. But if anyone preaches that Christ is not the Son of God, nor a true man, and that faith does not save, this is a direct contradiction. St. Peter does not speak of this (for our high schools, priests and monks do not), but of the secondary doctrine which they introduce into the true doctrine. As when they speak thus: It is true that Christ is true God and man, died for our sins, and that no one can be saved who does not believe in him; but this belongs only to the common state. But we want to establish a more perfect, that one vows chastity, poverty and obedience, as much as fasting, consecrating 2c.; whoever does this, will be saved by
Open your mouth to heaven. Wherever such things are preached and heard, that there is no better and more blessed thing than virginity and obedience, and that monks and priests are in a higher and more perfect state than the common man, there is no outright contradiction of pure Christian doctrine, nor denial of faith and baptism, and that Christ is the Beatificator; but nevertheless such things are introduced beside them, and lead men astray from the right road, so that they build on their nature and works, that they think no more of Christ than these words: We believe that Christ is the Son of God and man, died and rose again, and saved the world, 2c. but they do not put their trust in him at all. For if they did, they would not remain an hour in their being. So they also preached among the laity, saying, "You are Christians, but it is not enough, you must also do such and such works, build churches, monasteries. To endow masses, vigils 2c. Then the common crowd came in and thought it was right, so that Christianity is divided and divided into such sects that there are almost as many of them as there are cities and people.
(6) And so one should have preached and taught: You are already Christians, and just as well as those over a hundred miles; you all have One Christ, One Baptism, One Faith, One Spirit, One Word, One God; therefore no work that can be done helps to make a Christian. In this way, the people would be kept in a common faith, and there would be no difference before God, but one like the other. They have torn apart this unity by saying: You are a Christian, but you must do works to be saved, and thus lead us from faith to works. That is why St. Peter, if one wants to interpret it correctly, says nothing else but this: "High schools, doctors, priests, and monks will come, and the people all together, who will introduce corrupt sects and orders, and lead the people astray with false teachings. This is exactly what he means, for they all thought that their orders would make them blessed, and that they would be trusted and relied upon. For where they did not think so, they stayed out.
And will deny the Lord who bought them.
007 O, they say, we deny the Lord nothing everywhere. When they say, If thou be redeemed by Christ, and his blood purge thy sin, what wilt thou purge with thy nature? they say, Faith alone doth not do it; works must also do it. So they confess the Lord Christ with their mouths, but with their hearts they deny him altogether.
8 Behold, how well St. Peter speaks: "They deny the Lord," he says, "who bought them. They ought to be under him, as under a Lord of their own: but though they believe that he is a Lord, and hath bought all the world with his blood, yet they believe not that they are bought, and that he is their Lord, and say, He hath bought and redeemed them, but that is not enough; they must atone for sin with works, and do enough for it.
9 Thus we say: If you take away and blot out your sin yourself, what has Christ done? You cannot ever make two Christs to take away sin. He alone shall and will be the one who takes away sin. If this is true, then I cannot presume to take away sin myself. But if I do, I cannot say nor believe that he takes it away. This then is called denying Christ. For though they think Christ is the Lord, yet they deny that he bought them. They believe that he sits in heaven and is a Lord, but that his real work is to take away sin, they take that from him and attribute it to their works. So they leave him no more than the name and title: over his work, his power and his office they want to have themselves. Therefore Christ said rightly, Matth. 24, 5: "Many will come under my name, saying I am Christ; and will deceive many." For they are actually those who do not say, My name is Christ; but: For they take to themselves the very office which belongs to Christ, and so thrust him from the throne, and set themselves thereon. This is seen before the eyes, that it is so, that no man can deny it. That is why it is called
St. Peter condemned them, or corrupt sects, for they all run straight to hell, so that I think that hardly one in a thousand will be preserved. For he that shall be preserved therein must say thus, My obedience, my chastity 2c. doth not make me blessed, my works take away no sin. But how many there are who have this opinion, and remain in such a damned state!
And will bring upon themselves a swift damnation.
(10) That is, their condemnation will soon overtake them; although it may be seen that God will delay a long time, yet he will come soon enough. But it will not happen bodily, so that one could see it with the eyes; but as the 55th Psalm, v. 24, says: "They will not bring their days to the half," that is, death will seize them before they know it, so that they will say, as Ezekiel says, Isa. 38, 10: "I have said, in the means of my life I must go down to hell." As if they should say: Lord God, is death already here? For those who do not live in faith never tire of life; the longer they live, the longer they want to live, and the more holy they seem, the more terrible death becomes to them, especially to those who have tender consciences, and are hostile to works and fearful. For it is not possible to overcome death with human strength; where there is no faith, the conscience must wriggle and despair; where faith is strong, death comes too slowly: again, it always comes too soon to the unbelievers, for there is no cessation of the desire and lust to live.
11 This is what Peter means here: "These people who set up such sects and deny Christ in this way will die with great displeasure, trembling and fear, because they cannot think otherwise than, 'Who knows whether God will be merciful to me and forgive my sin? The longer they remain in it, the more terrible death becomes for them. For death cannot be overcome before sin and the evil conscience.
Be gone first. So their condemnation will come upon them in haste, so that they will have to remain in death forever.
V. 2. and many will follow their destruction.
(12) Now we see before our eyes that the same thing happened as St. Peter proclaimed before. There has not been a father or mother who has not wanted a priest, a monk or a nun for her child; so one fool has made another. For when men have seen the misfortunes and miseries of wedlock, and have not known what a blessed estate it is, they have sought to help their children that they may have good days, and be free from such unpleasantness. Therefore Peter did not proclaim otherwise than that the world would become full of priests, monks and nuns. The youth and the best in the Wett ran to the devil in droves, that St. Peter, unfortunately, says all too true that many of them would follow this ruin.
Through which the way of the truthful will be blasphemed.
13. This is also a piece that you can see before your eyes. To "blaspheme" means to reproach, condemn and curse. As when one condemns the Christian state as error and heresy. Now when one preaches and says that their way is contrary to the gospel, because they lead people from faith to works, they go to them and cry out: They blaspheme even more, that they turn back what Christ said, and say no to it; as, that they make of what Christ commanded no more than counsels; item, that they forbid what Christ freely willed, and make sin where he makes none, condemning and burning him that preaches against it. The way of truth is a righteous life and walk, where there is neither pretense nor hypocrisy, which is the faith in which all Christians walk; which they cannot suffer, blaspheming and condemning it, that they may exalt and protect their nature and sect.
V. 3. And through avarice with invented words they will skin you.
(14) This is the manner of all false teachers, that they preach of covetousness, that they may make their
As you can see, no one has ever said a mass or vigil for free. No monastery or foundation has ever been built that does not pay enough interest. There is no monastery in the world that serves the world for God's sake. It is all about money. But if one preaches the faith righteously, this does not bring much money; for then all pilgrimages, letters of indulgence, monasteries and convents must fall away, to which one has turned and given more than half of all the world's goods, from which no one has had any benefit, but only priests and monks.
(15) But how do they lay hold of money? "With invented words (says Peter) they will bargain for you." For they have chosen words according to this, that they may defraud men of money. As when they say, "If you give so many hundred florins to our dear women and to this or that saint, you will do a great and excellent work, and earn so many indulgences and forgiveness of sins, and deliver so many souls from purgatory 2c. These and the like are vain, exquisite, fictitious words, so that only money is scraped from us. For there is truly no merit, nor grace, nor sin blotted out: Nor do they interpret all the noble words to make money with them. So also the sacrament, which is holy and full of grace, has become nothing else but a fair. For they do nothing else with it, than that they grease the mouths of the people, and scam money from them. Therefore, see if St. Peter has not rightly struck and depicted our clergy.
About whom the verdict of long ago is not tardy, and their condemnation does not sleep.
(16) They will not go on for long, nor will they go out, but when they have gone to the top, their judgment and condemnation will fall upon them. It is already happening now, they will not escape it, as St. Paul also says 2 Tim. 3, 9: "Their foolishness will be revealed to everyone", so that they will be put to shame. May God grant that they may be converted and come out of the wicked life when they hear and know it. For although there are some who have not been deceived in the state of
But if he is to become a man, he is no more in himself than vain corrupt sects:
Thus St. Peter began to describe the shameful, ungodly life that would follow according to the righteous teaching of the gospel preached by the apostles. Now he continues, and gives us three terrible examples: of the angels, of the whole world, and of Sodoma, as God has condemned it, and speaks thus:
V. 4 For if God has not spared the angels who have sinned, He has cast them into hell with chains of darkness and delivered them up to be judged.
(18) With these words St. Peter frightens those who live boldly and securely, as we see that those who cling to that which the pope has set up are so defiant and insolent, as if they wanted to trample everyone underfoot. Therefore he wants to say: Is it not a great presumption of them that they go along so meagerly, and want to lead everything out with their heads, as if God should leave them and spare them, who nevertheless the angel 1) did not spare? As if he were to say, "These examples should also reasonably frighten the saints when they see such a serious judgment that God has not spared the high spirits and noble creatures, which are much wiser and wiser than we are, but has cast them into the chains of darkness. This is the severe judgment and condemnation to which He has decreed them, in which they are imprisoned and condemned, so that they cannot escape from the hands of God, so that they are thrown into the outer darkness, as Christ says in the Gospel, Matth. 22, 13.
19 And here St. Peter also shows that the devils have not yet finally had their chastisement, but are therefore going on in a hardened, desperate state, and are waiting for their judgment every moment; like a man who is 2) condemned to death, is completely desperate, hardened, and becomes more and more evil; but their punishment has not yet passed over them, but they are now alone composed and kept for it. This is the first example, now follows the other:
1) Jenaer and Erlanger: the angels.
2) Jenaer and Erlanger: that.
V. 5. and spared not the former world, but preserved Noah, the preacher of righteousness, and brought the flood upon the world of the wicked.
(20) This is also a terrible example, and there is none more cruel in Scripture; one who is also strong in faith should almost despair of it. For when such sayings and God's judgment go to a man's heart, and he thinks of them when he is to die, he must fidget and tremble, if he is not well prepared, that among so many in all the world none but the eighth have been kept. What did they do to deserve that God should drown the world with such a severe judgment, all together in one heap, man and woman, master and servant, young and old, beast and bird? Because they led such a wicked life. Noah was a pious man and a preacher of righteousness, and had lived five hundred years before the flood, when God commanded him to build a box, and after that he built it a hundred years, and always led a righteous godly life.
(21) You can imagine the cross he had to bear, and the worry and fear the pious man had to endure, since he had to testify 1) with words and deeds that he was a Christian. For it is not fitting that faith should hide itself and not break out before the people with preaching and good deeds. So this one alone, perhaps a long time before God called him to build the box, did not preach the ministry and the word of God in one place, but undoubtedly through many countries. Therefore he must have suffered great and much persecution, that he was especially (as Peter says) preserved and kept by God; otherwise he would soon have perished and been strangled. For with this he had to incur much envy and hatred, and make many high, wise and holy people his enemy; but it did not help, because the world despised God's word and only became more and more evil.
22) When they had practiced their wickedness for a long time, God said Gen. 6:3: "My Spirit will not be a judge among the people forever.
1) Walch and the Erlanger: show.
People, because they are flesh. I will give them a hundred and twenty years. Item, v. 7: "I will destroy the men whom I have created from the earth, from man even to the worm" 2c. These words he preached and practiced daily, and began to build the box when he was commanded, and made over it an hundred years. But the people laughed at him and became even more stiff-necked and obstinate. As for the sin for which God destroyed the world, the text says Genesis 6:2, 4.The children of God," that is, those who came from the holy fathers and were instructed and raised in the faith and the knowledge of God, "saw the daughters of men as beautiful, and took them as wives whomsoever they pleased; and afterward they became mighty tyrants," doing whatever they pleased according to their own will; therefore God punished the world and destroyed it with the flood.
V. 6. and made the cities of Sodoma and Gomorrah ashes, turned them upside down and condemned them, to set an example to those who will be ungodly in the future.
(23) This is the third example of how the five cities were destroyed, Genesis 19:24, 25, of which also the prophet Ezekiel, Cap. 16:49 ff, says to the city of Jerusalem, "This was the sin of Sodom, your sister, in that they had hoped, in that they had plenty of bread, in that they had abounded, and in that they had not reached out to the poor, and had exalted themselves, and had wrought this shameful abomination before me, wherefore I also destroyed them. For Sodoma was a land like a garden of God (as Moses speaks 1 Mos. 13, 10.), and a lard pit of delicious oil and wine and all things, that everyone thought God dwelt there. Therefore they were safe and led such a shameful life as Moses describes. This sin was not brought on by anyone, but by their pride, so that they had enough to eat and drink, and plenty, and idleness besides. As we can see, the richer the cities, the more shameful the lives they lead; but where there is hunger and sorrow, there are also fewer sins. Therefore God allows His people to sour their food, so that they remain pious.
(24) These are the three terrible examples that St. Peter gives to the wicked. Because he now urges this upon them, we must take it for granted that it is the same here. And this is actually spoken of the spiritual state, pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, monks and nuns, and all those who are attached to them; who, like the angels, were appointed in the place of the apostles to preach and proclaim the word of God. For angelus is a messenger or skillful one who advertises his message orally; therefore the preachers in Scripture are called angeli, that is, God's messengers. Such angels should be our ministers. But as those angels fell away from God, and set themselves above God, and wanted to be their own lords, so do these also, and keep no more than the name that they are called messengers, as those alone are called angels. So now these also, because they have fallen away from God, are bound with the devil in bands of darkness, and are kept for damnation, as he said above [v. 3]: "that their judgment is not delayed, and their damnation does not sleep," even though the punishment has not yet passed over them.
(25) Secondly, they are like the former world, which, though they heard prophets and the word of God, yet blasphemed and profaned it, and as Moses writes, Genesis 6:2, 4, took wives as they pleased, and became great and mighty tyrants. There see, whether it does not go now everything alfo, which Moses writes from those 1). These are the great Hansen, live in the Sause, oppress the world by their tyranny, and may nobody reproach them; in addition they may, whom they want, his wife and daughters take. In spite of that someone complains about it. For if anyone complains about it, they themselves are judges, and no one can accuse them. After that, what they may devise, what they may bring to themselves with treachery and treasure, that they also do. And if one wants to attack them, they say: "It is the spiritual property of the church; it is free, therefore one must not touch it. And those who preach God's word, punish them for their lives, and proclaim God's judgment over them, ridicule them, do not want to hear it, and persecute the same preachers.
of righteousness, and remain great, mighty lords, wanting to keep the name that they are called clergymen, like those children of God, and rule with full power according to all their might; but they must perish and be destroyed at last; but the others, who preach God's word, are preserved and kept.
26. Third, as the land where the cities of Sodoma and Gomorrah were was a lard pit, and had all that the earth could bear; whereof the people went idle, and did eat and drink to their fill, not reaching out to the poor: So it is also in our spiritual state; they have everywhere the best land, the best castles and cities, and the greatest pensions and interest; so they also have enough to eat and drink; there is also no idle people on earth, who live without all care and work, and feed themselves only on poor people's sweat. But what the idleness brjnge, that one sees before eyes. The pope forbids them to take wives in marriage. If they keep whores with them and have children, then they must give money from each child to their bishop; with this they want to counsel the thing and prevent the sins. 2) The bishop is the one who has to pay the money. Here I do not want to say about other secret sins, which must not be touched. Summa Summarum, here you see that St. Peter considers the spiritual state nothing else than Sodoma and Gomorrah. For they are all such people, of whom no one can enjoy, who reach out to no one, but snatch to themselves everything they can, under such pretense that they pretend that what is given to them is given to God, and leave no one to be helped who is in need. Therefore, as those have turned back and become ashes, so must they also be destroyed at the last day.
V. 7: And he redeemed righteous Lot, who was deceived by the lewdness of the abominable.
027 Was it not a great abomination that they committed not only fornication and adultery, but such sin as is not to be told, openly and brazenly? that they spared not even the angels that came to Lot. And this they both did. Young and old, in all corners of the
1) Jenaer: "jnen" i.e. them.
2) Thus the Jena. Wittenberg and Erlangen: dem.
City. Against this, the pious Lot preached daily and punished them, but it did not help, but was deafened by them, so that he had to stand still and could not counsel the evil, as is happening to us now. For now there is no hope that the horrible being who leads the world can be advised or helped.
V. 8 For while he dwelt among them justified, that he should see and hear, they tormented the righteous soul from day to day with their unrighteous works.
Then Peter describes the cross that the holy man had to bear because he preached to the people and raised his daughters in the faith, and thus was preserved with them by God. Now St. Peter decides how the wicked will be kept for punishment until the last day.
V. 9. 10. The Lord knows how to deliver the godly from temptation, but to keep the unrighteous for the day of judgment, to torment them, but mostly those who walk according to the flesh, in the lust of uncleanness.
This is a great anger and seriousness from the apostle. If God has not spared the young and the new world, how much more severely and cruelly will He punish them now that the gospel has been revealed and preached, and no such great light has ever gone out before; as Christ also proclaimed in Matt. 11:23, 24: "Woe to you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will be cast down to hell. For if the deeds that were done in you had been done in Sodom, they would still be there today. But I say unto you, that the land of Sodom shall be worse off at the last judgment than thou." But such a reproach is of no avail, the wicked do not turn to it.
30 "To walk in the pleasure of uncleanness" is thus to live like an unreasonable animal, according to its own sense and all pleasure. So it is all set in the pabst's laws, as it has pleased him, and has had to serve everything to their will and tyranny, and have directed it and interpreted it as they desire, and according to that.
1) Erlanger: kunnte.
said that the Holy See of Rome could not be wrong. There is not one who has preached anything about faith or love, but have taught nothing without what they themselves have devised.
V. 10. 11. And the rulers despise, scorn, think highly of themselves, not trembling to blaspheme the majesties; yet the angels, who are greater in strength and might, endure not the blasphemous judgment against them from the Lord.
31 He calls kings, princes, lords, and all temporal authorities "lords"; not the pope and bishops, for these should not be lords, since Christ in the New Testament appointed no more than servants, that one Christian should serve and honor another. Therefore Peter means that they should be submissive and obedient to the worldly overlords, so that the sword, which was appointed by God's order, would be in fear. So they do the opposite, they have pulled themselves out and say that they are not subject to the worldly authorities. Yes, they have not only pulled themselves out, but have also thrown them under themselves and trampled them underfoot, and have insolently let themselves be called lords, even by kings and princes; as the pope writes of himself that he is a lord of heaven and earth, and has both spiritual and temporal swords in his hand, so that everyone must fall at his feet.
32) About 2) St. Peter says, "that they also not tremble to blaspheme the majesties. For it was a small and bad thing for the pope to banish kings and princes, to malign them, and to depose them from the throne. Item, that he should cause misfortune among them, and set the princes on one another, and those who opposed him, he soon overpowered and trampled under himself; Not because they did anything against faith or love, but only because they did not want to be subject to the Roman see, nor kiss the feet of the pope, because their [the popes'] power was so much greater than that of worldly lords, as much as the sun is above the moon, and as high as heaven is from earth, as they blaspheme and lie.
2) Wittenberger: But.
1) To be subject and obedient to them, and to praise them, and to pray for them; as the Lord Christ submitted to Pilate, and gave the interest groschen to the emperor. They should tremble that they should blaspheme the majesties, so they are undaunted and meager for it, and blaspheme them with full iniquity and boldness, "if even the strongest angels cannot bear the judgment against them from the Lord," and yet they are obdurate, blaspheming and cursing the same, which they cannot escape; how then will these wretched people bear it?
V. 12. 13. But they are like the unreasoning beasts, which are naturally born to see and to strangle, blaspheming that they know not, and in their strangulation they shall be strangled, and shall bring away the reward of iniquity.
33 St. Peter calls them "unreasonable beasts," because they have no taste of the Spirit in them, they have no spiritual office that they should have, but live like swine and are drowned in the flesh.
(34) And that he saith, They that are born to see and to slay, may be understood in two ways: first, as they that see and slay, as there are wolves, lions, bears, sparrowhawks, and eagles: that is, they that scrape and snatch from men all that they can, both goods and honor; and secondly, as they that are seen, slay, and are to be slain in the judgment of the last day.
They respect the temporal well-being for pleasure.
35 Behold, how angry is St. Peter. I should not reproach the young men so cruelly; they think that if they only "live well" and have good days, they have enough of all things and are quite well off. This can be felt in their spiritual right, where they say: whoever touches their goods or their bellies is the devil; since they themselves cannot deny that their regiment is completely ordered so that they have lazy and idle days.
1) Erlanger: those.
and have enough of everything, do not want to burden themselves with toil or work, but let everyone make enough for them, and pretend that they must go to the choir and pray. God has commanded all men to eat their bread by the sweat of their brow, and has laid on every man misfortune and heartache: so these young men want to pull their heads out of the noose and sit on the cushions. But this is the greatest blindness, that they are so obdurate, and think that such a shameful life is right and praiseworthy.
They are stains and unflathe.
They know no other than that they adorn Christianity as the sun and moon adorn the heavens, and are the noblest and best jewels, as gold and precious stones; so St. Peter calls them stains and blots. The righteous Christian life therefore walks in faith, serves everyone through love, wears the holy cross, which is the right color, adornment, jewel and honor of the Christian church; but these have pleasure and well-being for the cross; for the love of their neighbor they seek their benefit, snatch everything to themselves, and let nothing of themselves benefit another; to this end they know nothing at all of faith. Therefore they are nothing but stains and blemishes, of which Christianity must have shame and ridicule. This, I think, is enough to reproach our spiritual masters.
They lead a tender 2) life from your love, well feed on yours.
(37) What was first given out of Christian love, to maintain a common chest for widows and orphans and other poor people, so that no one among the Christians might suffer want or beg, such property has now all gone to foundations and monasteries, from which our clergy fatten their bellies, live most tenderly, and bring it all through with good days, and say that it is their due, and that no one should punish them for it. The Holy Spirit does not want the church servant to lead a tender life from other people's work; for the craftsmen and the common man with wife and child are otherwise well denied.
2) Jenaer: temporal.
V. 14. have eyes full of adultery.
(38) This must always follow when the body has enough to eat and drink and is idle, as said above [ยง35]. But why does St. Peter not say they are adulterers, but "they have eyes full of adultery"? So much he wants to say: They think only of fornication all the time, and can never control fornication, nor become full and weary; this makes them always splurge and live well, so that they can extend it 1) and that they are allowed to live freely and unpunished as they wish; as follows:
Their sin cannot be resisted.
39 The pope has forbidden that no prince or secular authority should punish the clergy, and where they are subject to it, he puts them under ban, but ordered the bishops to do the same. But because they are boys themselves, they see through their fingers. So they have stripped themselves of the secular rule and sword, so that no one may resist their will of courage, and they all live as they wish, just as they did before the flood.
Attract to themselves the frivolous souls.
(40) With such great pretenses, which they put on under the evil life, as with masses, prayers, singing, etc., they entice and provoke the frivolous and unstable souls, who are without faith, that everything wants to become spiritual, and everything is brought up to that end. For it is thought that in the state everyone has enough and good days, and will get to heaven; and yet everything is to be done only to fill the belly and our lazy sack.
Have a heart, sly with avarice.
41 The vice is also so gross and public among the clergy that even the common man has complained about it. He does not say, however, that they are stingy, but rather, "have a heart that is cunning in avarice," and are especially practiced at it. This can be seen in the fact that they have invented so many quick and shrewd tricks that it is innumerable, so that they bring all the world's goods to themselves. Everything that this people practices and does is pure avarice, and everything has to be
1) extend - prolong; here as much as continue.
Money enough. They also prove it in the most honest way, how they are skillful and equipped on all sides to deprive people of money, so that St. Peter will not become a liar.
They are children of malediction.
This is said so much in Hebrew: They are cursed people, subject to the malediction of God, that they have neither happiness nor blessedness before God, and only get worse from day to day, and always greater blasphemers, so that they may incur God's wrath and terrible judgment enough. This is said hard and terrible enough; it is high time that whoever can flee and run from the cursed state, flee and run. If we are to use such a title, it is pitiful. For if the high majesty thus chides, curses and condemns, who will bear it?
V.15. They have left the right way and have gone astray.
(43) They should have taught the right way, how one must hold on to Christ through faith and come to God, and through love for one's neighbor, and then bear the holy cross, and suffer what is repugnant to us because of it; so they preach no more, except: Run hither and thither, become a 3) monk and priest, endow churches, masses 2c., and thus lead people from faith to their works, which are of no use to the neighbor.
V. 15, 16: And they followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the reward of iniquity, but had a punishment of his transgression, the dumb beast of burden speaking with the voice of man, and rebuking the prophet's foolishness.
44 Here he introduces a figure from the fourth book of Moses in the 22nd, 23rd and 24th chapters. When the children of Israel were come out of Egypt, and were entered into the land of Moab, Balak the king sent unto a prophet of Syria, whose name was Balaam, and besought him to come and curse the people of Judah, that they might be weakened, and that he might smite them.
2) "that" is missing in the Jena.
3) "a" is missing in the Jena and Erlangen.
would like. Then God came to Balaam and forbade him not to curse the people. Therefore, 1) the prophet refused to go with them. Then the king sent to him again, promising to give him good enough. Then God permitted him to go to him, but that he should speak nothing but what he would tell him. So he got ready and rode out of a donkey, and the angel of God came and stood in the way, and stood before him with a bare sword. The donkey noticed this and turned aside from the path. Then the prophet smote her to go into [the] 2) way. Then the angel entered a narrow place in the way, where the ass could not turn aside. She pressed herself against the wall and rubbed the prophet's foot; then she fell on her knees under him. This angered him, so that he became enraged and struck the donkey with his staff. Then God opened the mouth of the beast, and it spoke with the voice of a man, and said, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me thus? And he said, Oh, if I had a sword in my hand, I would slay thee. And the ass answered and said, I am the ass upon which thou hast ridden unto this day, and have never done this before. Then the prophet's eyes were opened, and he saw the angel with the bare sword; and he was afraid, and would have been drawn back again. Then the angel commanded him to depart; but beside this he commanded him that he should speak no other words than those which he had spoken unto him.
045 And when the prophet was come unto the king, he brought him up to a high place, whereon he could see all the people of Israel. Then the prophet set up seven altars, and on each he offered a sacrifice, and went and asked the Lord what he should say; and God put the words into his mouth. Then he began to bless and praise the people of Israel with beautiful words, which he did three times in succession. Then the king was wroth, and said, If I have not called thee to curse mine enemies, 3) now thou hast cursed them thrice.
1) Thus the Wittenbergers: "wegert". Jenaer and Erlanger: "wehret". According to 4 Mos. 22, 14, we have given preference to the former reading.
2) So is to be read after 2 Bios. 22, 23. Jenaer: "in". Wittenberger and Erlanger: "in".
3) Jenaer and Erlanger: my enemy.
blesses: I thought to honor thee; but the LORD hath refused thee the honor. Balaam answered him and said, "If I had told you before that if you gave me your house full of silver and gold, I could not speak otherwise than what God would tell me. The prophet then gave the king advice on how to deal with the people, because he did not want to curse them and force them to sin against God. Then the king set up an idol called Baal Peor, and made the wives of the Moabites, lords and princes' daughters, invite the people to sacrifice to their gods, and when they brought them, they worshiped the idol, ate and drank, and sinned with the wives. Then God was angry and put the leaders of the people to death on the gallows, killing four and twenty thousand men in one day. This was done by Balaam the prophet for the sake of money.
(46) This is what St. Peter is talking about here, and he wants to say that our clergy are actually Balaam's children and disciples. For just as he gave evil counsel to set up an idol, so that the children of Israel were made to sin and angered God by being beaten, so our bishops have also set up an idol under God's name, namely, their human doctrine of their own works, and they forsake the faith and snatch Christian souls to themselves, which they defile, and thereby arouse God to anger, because he has punished the world with blindness and hardening; We have all this to thank our spiritual nobles for. Thus Peter actually compares these false teachers to the prophet Balaam, that they, just like Balaam, only establish such idolatry for the sake of money, and corrupt souls.
47 His proper name is also correct. For Balaam in Hebrew is called a devourer, as one who opens his mouth and devours and eats everything. He bore this shameful name because he caused so many people to sin that they were strangled and perished. Such Balaamites are our bishops and clergymen; they are the devil's jaws, so that he may be so 4) un-
4) Jenaer: so much.
and devours countless souls to itself. The surname of the 1) prophet is Mus Bosor, which means flesh, or, as Moses says, Mus Beor, which means a fool. A fool is his father; therefore these are also blind, foolish, and foolish people, who themselves need to be governed. Such people are carried by the flesh; for the spirit makes other people. So God has given them their proper name in the Scriptures, and therein he has pictured them, that they might be known for what they are.
Now "the dumb beast of burden," the ass, means the people who let themselves be tamed and ridden, and go as they are led; as the ass was bruised and severely beaten, when it went by the way side in the hollow way, and had to go back into the way, until it could never give way before the angel, nor step aside, and had to fall down. For so the deceivers also drove the people, when they felt that it was not to be suffered, and that they led wrongly with them, and wanted to step aside. But the force was too great, so that they deceived the people until God opened our mouths and put the word into our mouths, so that even the children would speak of it, so that their foolishness would be revealed and they would be ashamed.
(49) This is how they are to be met when they go about pretending that it is not proper for the laity to read the Scriptures and speak about them, but that they should hear what the council decides. Then you may answer: Did not God also speak through an ass? Let it suffice you that we confess that you have preached the word of God in times past. But now that you have become fools and possessed by avarice, what wonder is it that the common people are now awakened by God and begin to speak the truth, having been weighed down and oppressed by you like a dumb beast of burden? This is the comparison of the prophet Balaam. Now St. Peter goes on to say about the false teachers:
V. 17. These are wells without water, and clouds driven by the whirlwind.
50. as Solomon Proverbs 25, 14. gives a simile and says: as if
1) Erlanger: this.
a great cloud and a strong wind comes, and yet no rain follows: so is a man who boasts highly, and does not keep what he speaks. So Peter also says here, "There are fountains without water, and clouds driven about by the whirl of the wind"; that is, they pretend to be great things, and there is nothing behind them; they are like fountains that are dry, distorted, and dried up, though they have the glory and title that they are the right fountains. For those who teach are called wells in the Scriptures, as those from whom the wholesome doctrine is to spring, by which the souls are to be refreshed. They are smeared and anointed for the ministry, but what do they do? Nothing everywhere, there is nothing more than the mere name, just as they are called shepherds, yet they are wolves.
51. For this purpose they are "clouds driven by the wind", not as the thick, black and dark clouds that are used to give rain, but like the light ones in the air, they float and fly, 2) and are fine and light, which the wind drives wherever it wants, after which nothing can follow: So our teachers also float up and soar high in Christendom, like clouds in the sky, but are driven where the devil wills, to which they are ready for all lusts; but preach no word of God at all, like the righteous teachers and preachers, who are called clouds in Scripture, as Isa. 5, 6. as also by all that gives water, preachers are signified in the Scriptures.
Which is kept a dark gloom for eternity.
52. they live well now, and do as they please; but eternal darkness will come upon them, though they neither believe nor feel it.
V. 18 For they speak of pompous words, since there is nothing behind them.
(53) Do you ask how they can be called fountains without water and clouds without rain, when they preach to the whole world? Answer St. Peter: They rain and preach, alas, all too much, but they are nothing but vain, pompous and puffed-up words, so that they blow the ears of the poor crowd full, so that
2) Jenaer: flee.
one thinks it is a delicious thing, and yet there is nothing behind it; as the monks, with high, brave words, extol their obedience, poverty and chastity, so that one thinks they are holy people, but it is nothing but vain deceit, and neither faith nor love is to be found in it at all. It is also the case that they pretend that the episcopal state is a perfect state, while they do nothing else but show off and ride beautiful stallions, and sometimes consecrate churches and altars and baptize bells. The entire spiritual right of the pope is full of such pompous and pompous words through and through.
And provoke through lust to the lust of the flesh those who had rightly escaped and now walk in error.
(54) These wells and teachers do this, so that those who have barely escaped fall into the snare of the wicked, and are caught. A child who has been baptized and escaped from all sins, escaped from the devil, and placed from Adam into Christ, when he comes to his senses, is so soon entangled and led into error. They should be taught faith and love and the holy cross: so our clergy go to and throw up their works, by which they fall back again into error, even if they have escaped. But how does this happen? In such a way that through lust they excite people to the lust of the flesh. Their highest provocation is that they say: priests, monks and nuns should not become married; and they bind them to keep chastity. In this way they do no more than incite people to unchastity, so that wretched people must perish in evil pleasures, and they cannot be helped.
(55) Now here you see clearly that Peter speaks of none other than the teachers who rule in Christendom, where there are baptized and believing people; for among the Turks and the Gentiles no one escapes in this way, but among the Christians, where they have room to deceive souls and bring them into the snare of the devil.
V.19. And promise them liberty, if they themselves are servants of destruction. For by whomsoever a man is overcome, he is his servant.
(56) They raise up such estates by which one is to be saved, as Thomas the preacher-monk impudently wrote: If any man enter into an order, that it be as much as if he came now out of baptism. There they promise freedom and forgiveness of sin by their own works. Such blasphemy must be heard, that they equate their human dreams and illusionary works, which are without faith, with faith and baptism, which God instituted and which are actually His work. Who should suffer this and keep silent about it? Such sayings were made by the monks and spread among the young people, and such teachers were made saints, but the other righteous saints were burned to powder.
V. 20. For if they have escaped the uncleanness of the wager through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but are again caught up in it and overcome, the latter has become more grievous to them than the former.
(57) Then Peter proves why they are the servants of perdition. "To know Christ means to know what he is, namely our Savior, who gives us our sin out of pure grace. By this knowledge we flee from unrighteousness, and come away from the uncleanness of the world. But when they have escaped in baptism, they are thrown back into it again, so that they again step from faith into their own doing. For where there is no faith, there is no spirit; but where there is no spirit, there is nothing but flesh; so there can be nothing pure. This is how it has been in Christianity up to now. Rome at first heard the gospel truthfully, but then fell away and fell into the doctrine of men, until all abominations arose there. Therefore the last has become worse to them than the first, that they are now much worse Gentiles than they ever were before they heard God's word.
V. 21, 22: For it were better for them not to know the way of righteousness, than to know it, and to turn from the holy commandment which is given unto them. The true saying has happened to them: The dog eats again what he has eaten,
and the sow rolls in the mud again after the glut.
58 St. Peter took the proverb from the Book of Proverbs, Cap. 26, II, where Solomon says, "A man who returns to his foolishness is like a dog that eats again what it has eaten. By baptism they have cast out unbelief, and have been washed from the unclean nature, and have entered into a pure nature of faith and love: then they fall again from unbelief and their own works, and defile themselves again in filth. Therefore, this saying should not be applied to works, for it does little good to say after confession, "You shall henceforth be chaste, meek, and patient." 2c. Rather, if you want to become godly, ask God to give you a righteous faith, and then begin to step away from unbelief. When you have faith, good works will come to you, so that you will live purely and chastely. Otherwise you will not be preserved by any other means; and even if you can hide the evil in your heart for a while, it will come out at last.
(59) This is the other chapter of this epistle, in which he said before about our teachers, how we would be so miserably deceived by them. Though we have been warned enough, we
But we have not heeded it; therefore it is our fault that we have not grasped the gospel, and with our nature have earned such wrath from God. We all like to hear that the pope is attacked and scolded with priests and monks, but no one wants to mend his ways. It is not such a frivolous game that one may laugh, but such seriousness that the heart should be frightened and tremble. Therefore we should attack it with seriousness, and pray that God will turn away his wrath and such a plague from us. For the affliction did not come upon us unawares, but was sent upon us by God as a punishment, as Paul says in 2 Thess. 2:10, II: "Because they have not received the love of the truth, that they might be saved, therefore God will send them strong error, that they may believe the lie" 2c. For if the punishment had only gone so far that only the false teachers were lost, it would still be small compared to the fact that they had the rule and led all the world with them to hell. Therefore, there is no remedy for the evil, except to attack the matter with God's fear and humility, to confess our guilt, and to call upon God to take away the punishment from us. With prayer one must storm against the false teachers, otherwise the devil will not let him win. Now continue: